Elspeth: *is in the lab. In front of her, suspended in a bio-matrix, is a replicated hand, amuptated at the elbow, from which countless hair-thin wires sprout. Around the top of the arm glints a silver bracelet, dotted with blue lights. She's intently staring at readouts in front of her*
Leslie: *comes into the lab, looking for Elspeth, keeping most of her focus on her PADD as she walks* Hey Elspeth, I was wondering if you've seen- what the fuck is that.
Elspeth: *smiles* I am continuing my efforts with the bracelets, yes? The filtration of the sickness's communications via neural patterns? *she blinks, confused* Certainly we talked about them?
Leslie: I wasn't expecting disembodied arms.
Elspeth: *apologetically* I am fearing new-friend Brava asked that I stop testing with her hand.
Leslie: Yeah, I would too. Most aren't fond of being guinea pigs. *steps forward to peer at the limb*
Elspeth: This is a construct, mostly. No true muscle or blood. *she pokes the thing, and the skin stretches rubberily* I have only sought to replicate nerves accurately, yes? And the filtering is working. Quite well. I am planning to be testing it soon.
Leslie: More Brava?
Elspeth: And others, I am hoping. This will allow limb movement and sensation, without allowing the sickness to communicate. Thus, we can protect all but the head.
Leslie: Even the torso? *raises eyebrows* Huh.
Elspeth: *taps the wider bracelet, the one that looks like a choker, lying on a tray next to her* And fashionable as well!
Leslie: *snorts* You should make a crown, too.
Elspeth: *laughs* Unfortunately, the propagation of nerves in the head, it is not quite... bidirectional. That would be quite the accomplishment! *her eyes sparkle* I may think about it.
Leslie: You're really enjoying this, aren't you?
Elspeth: Of course! Research that does not thwart me at every turn? *she smiles* I am a lover of solvablable problems, my dearest.
Leslie: You're a lover of problems. Especially of the neurological kind.
Elspeth: *laughs* I am not thinking that is a compliment, is it?
Leslie: It's a statement. *looks at her sideways, eyebrow arched* Because you are.
Elspeth: *blushes prettily green* Yes, I suppose so. *she turns off the biomatrix, and the hand, with attached bracelet, drops* Have you been infected?
Leslie: *dryly* Yes, Elspeth, that's why I'm here, talking to you, instead of lying on a biobed getting cut open by my imagination.
Elspeth: *pouts a little* It might have been a very benign hallucination. An ensign is hallucinating that he is being surrounded by soap bubbles.
Leslie: *bites back an instinctual response* I don't think you're a hallucination.
Elspeth: *nods* I am certainly hoping not, hmm? *she picks up the choker* Nothing for it, then. *it snaps open near the edge of one of its sets of blue lights, and Elspeth puts it on, looking for all the world like she's putting on jewelry before a opera* Leslie, darling, if I am suddenly collapsing, remove the device, yes?
Leslie: ...........Shouldn't you, you know, maybe sit down or something first?
Elspeth: *Nods* That would be quite reasonable! *she clicks the necklace closed. It hums, and Elspeth promptly pitches forward towards Leslie*
Leslie: Jesus Christ! *drops her PADD and catches the full weight of Elspeth, staggering a bit under the velocity of her weight, but holding firm* Honestly, for all your brains, that was a /stupid/ thing to do. *lowers Elspeth to the floor and unclicks the necklace* You're lucky you're made of cartilage or we would have both been hurt because that was the most idiotic thing I've ever seen.
Elspeth: *nope, my heart definitely didn't stop for a second there, I'm fine, totally fine, not an idiot at all* *she inhales as the necklace comes off, and makes a sound of protest at being on the floor* I may have miscalculated. *she frowns, confused* Further expirementation may be necessary.
Leslie: You think?
Leslie: *with definitely more than a little animosity*
Elspeth: *flushes, in a distinctly-embarassed-way* I have been overworking, and my judgement is impaired. *she sighs* I am sorry. I scared you.
Leslie: Yeah, ya did. I mean, I didn't imagine this as the way you'd fall for me at all. *stands up fully and offers a hand to Elspeth* Maybe you should take a break?
Elspeth: *nods* I... hmm. I should sleep, yes? Before I finish this, and put it on our Brave-a Volunteer. *she giggles a little at her joke*
Leslie: *rolls her eyes and retracts her hand* *she can get up on her own* Get some sleep, yeah. You need some time away from this.
Elspeth: *stands up* Will you walk me there? *she places the choker on the lab bench*
Leslie: Of course. *picks up her dropped PADD and checks it for damage* *it's a little scuffed and scratched, but no serious damage*
Elspeth: *she does look a bit shaky, now. It's clear she's been pushing herself... more than usual. Leslie know her well enough to pick up on Keldarian signs of exhaustion. Mild giddiness, a slight green flush to her skin*
Elspeth: *makes a noncomittal sound* Leslie, really, what is 'lately', yes? Time is a... a river. It flows. *Elspeth is capital S Struggling. Usually, pulling off a mysterious Keldarian water saying is easy for her* Both... ways.
Leslie: Whatever you say, Guru Elspeth.
Elspeth: I ate yesterday evening. I am certain of it. *nods, with conviction*
Leslie: Then we're making a stop at your replicator before you go to bed.
Elspeth: It is in my rooms. *they reach them, presently, and Elspeth palms open the door. She turns, and smiles brightly* You can go! No need to enter at all. I will be fine.
Leslie: *shakes her head* No, I
Leslie: *shakes her head* No, I'm going to make sure you don't accidentally kill yourself again. Plus it sounds like you're trying to hide something and now I'm curious.
Elspeth: *sighs, and steps into the room, flicking on the lights. It looks exactly the way it always does, which would normally not be... strange, except, hadn't Elspeth been talking about /leaving/? And /packing/? There was no sign a single thing was out of place* No! I am not hiding anything. No things hidden. *she tottered towards the replicator*
Leslie: *follows her into the room* No, not a thing. My suspicions are allayed. *glances around and sits in the nearest available seat*
Elspeth: *there's the usual seats with the boardgame laid out that she and Webb so often play* Computer... food? *her voice sounded rather hopeful that this would work. Apparently in a generous mood, the computer obliged her by producing a bowl of her favorite fish soup. She made her way back to leslie, and took the other chair*
Leslie: That's an impressive trick.
Elspeth: Now that I am nearing a bed, I am realizing my tiredness very quickly *she laughs a little, and begins to eat, splashing a little*
Leslie: Took you long enough.
Elspeth: *looks at her* You are upset. *she bites her lip* Very upset?
Leslie: *runs a hand through her hair* You're not taking care of yourself. I know your work is important, but so are you, and you're better than this.
Elspeth: Ah. You are mad... that I am doing this. To me. *she nods, slowly* I... am too. *she looks glum* It is dreadfully Schroding. *she looks alarmed at this realization*
Leslie: Mmmmhmmmmmm. Lev did something like this once, too, and then he literally collapsed. Ignoring your basic needs is not how you go about solving a crisis.
Elspeth: *sighs* I... am trying to leave a mark. Be unforgotten. And it is making me stupid.
Leslie: Elspeth. *sighs and leans forward and places a hand on Elspeth's knee* Dear, you will never be forgotten. *tries for a bit of humor* Up until Kaani, you were the nicest doctor we had. /And/ you're blue. Things like that linger.
Elspeth: *puts her hand on top of Leslie's* Yes. My mind, it knows... some part of that. But my heart doubts. *she makes a face* Hearts are stupid.
Leslie: See if you can't get your heart to trust me on this one.
Elspeth: *nods* I... will try. My heart does trust you. *she smiled wryly* I know that you will not forget. But the ship... Starfleet ships, they are so sterile. Medical. Nothing sticks to them.
Leslie: The ship is inanimate, dear.
Elspeth: And yet, it moves. *her eyes crinkle a little in a smile* And breathes, and feels. We, together.
Leslie: Then the people will remember you. Not the ship. *flips her hand over to give Elspeth's a quick squeeze, then takes her hand back*
Elspeth: *nods* And perhaps they will. *she holds Leslie's hand for a moment, then let go* Yes. *she dives back into her soup*
Leslie: You will call me, right?
Elspeth: As often as I can, love. But letters, sometimes, yes? It will not be free to send messages so far.
Leslie: Yeah, I can write. That's a thing I know how to do. *nods*
Elspeth: *laughs, maybe a bit wetly* I am going to miss you. So very much.
Leslie: Ohh. *gets up and moves around to the side of Elspeth's chair, crouching down and resting an arm on the arm of the chair for support while leaning her head on Elspeth* I'll miss you too. But by the looks of your room, you're not going anywhere, so it seems we still have awhile yet.
Elspeth: *relatively neatly comes out of the chairs, and pulls Leslie into a close hug* I am supposed to be /packing/. *she sniffles* But it is /hard/.
Leslie: *hugs her back* Why don't we worry about that after we stop having dying people in our Sickbay? Speaking of which, done eating?
Elspeth: *nods, no longer hungry* A good point, I am thinking. *she heads over to the aquarium that occupies much of one wall, and clambers up to the bedding set up on top of it* Leslie, my notes are in the lab. Perhaps you will be finding the mistake...? *she sounds hopeful*
Leslie: *nods* I'll look over it. *picks up Elspeth's bowl and recycles it* Anything else?
Elspeth: *shakes her head* I love you, darling. *she rolled over, and was asleep*
Leslie: Love you, too. *flips the lights off on her way out and heads back to work*