His neck itched. Like seriously itched.

Nicky grimaced, catching himself scratching for the fourth time that day as he headed down to engineering to clear something up for tomorrow’s launch with the chief engineer. The Tycho was an older Akira, but she was well maintained. Still, starships were complex things, and they often broke in myriad small and interesting ways. Interesting being another word for ‘absolute pain in his ass’.

Today it was the glitch on the main helm console on the bridge, a fix which for some reason had been shunted down the active list despite the fact they were really going to need that console tomorrow. Which did not make sense at all. He sighed under his breath. They really needed a command yeoman for tracking down little things like this. But until they got one back, he was it.

He found himself scratching again and growled under his breath. “Computer, halt lift,” he ordered, and took a step to the side. There was a metal panel by the door, shiny enough to give him a good reflection. Pulling aside his collar to take a look at his neck, he hissed in irritation.

He had a rash.

“Great. Just bloody great,” he grumbled, pushing his collar back into place. “Computer, main sickbay please.”

The lift chirped and he was on the move again. Tapping on his padd again, he put a priority notice on the helm repair with his authority and looked up as the doors opened in front of him. A gaggle of ensigns whispered among themselves, going silent as he stepped from the lift. He nodded in their direction, keeping his expression just this side of a scowl. Which, to be honest, wasn’t a stretch as all he wanted to do at the moment was rip the skin of his neck apart.

It was spreading, the itch washing across his shoulder and chest. Allergic reaction. This wasn’t his first rodeo so he recognised the signs. Walking into sickbay, he looked around and spotted a woman in a teal uniform with her back to him.

“I’m looking for a nurse,” he stated. “I have a rash.”

Kaylee glanced over her shoulder at the new arrival as she finished placing the packages of sterile 4×4 gauze pads into the cabinet. Closing the door, she turned to face him.

“I’m not a nurse, but perhaps I could help? I’m Doctor Dutton,” she murmured as she came closer. Before she could even ask where it was, she spotted the angry red rash on his neck.

“Let’s go into exam one so I can have a look,” she gestured towards one of the private exam rooms. The triple pips on his collar gave her a good clue to his position on the ship, so protecting his privacy was important.

“Dutton. That makes you the CMO,” he said, offering his hand. “Commander Savage. XO. No need for a room, the rash isn’t anywhere… graphic.”

Clasping his hand, she gave a firm shake. “Good to meet you, Commander Savage.” Since he didn’t want a room, she indicated the closest diagnostic bed. “Well that’s good news that it hasn’t spread to anywhere unmentionable,” she said with a small smile. A matched set of deep dimples briefly appeared before she smoothed her expression back into a neutral, attentive one.

Stepping closer, she looked at his neck, noting the raised bumps had already begun developing into tiny blisters. “When did this start? Also, do you know what might have caused it? Is this a contact dermatitis or an allergic reaction to something?” Kaylee inquired politely. “I’m going to need you to remove your shirt, please. I need to see how far it’s spread.”

He nodded, stripping off his jacket and shirt until he was naked to the waist. Grimacing as he looked down, he realised the rash had spread over his shoulder and halfway across his chest.

”It’s an allergic reaction,” he admitted grumpily. “My body is an asshole and pretty much hates everything. I noticed it about twenty minutes ago, but I’ve been itching since…” He screwed up his nose as he thought back. “Ops meeting with the CO this morning about 10am.”

Checking the time, she frowned and retrieved her padd to access his medical files. “So it’s been going on for a few hours already.” Opening the file, she scrolled down to known allergies and arched a brow.

“I see this is nothing new for you.” Leaning closer, she examined the angry reddened flesh. It was quite inflamed. Taking another look at his file, she double checked what medications had been used in the past for him, as well as what hadn’t worked. More importantly, what didn’t help his allergic reactions based solely on the fact he was allergic to the ingredients in the medications.

“Any difficulty breathing or swallowing? Open your mouth and say ahhhh,” she directed.

”Ahhh,” he said, then waited as she checked his throat. “No, no difficulties. It rarely gets to that point, I just itch.” He curled his hand into a claw as though he was going to tear into his own skin. “It’s bloody irritating. The only thing I’ve had today has been coffee, same pattern from… the…”

He sighed and dropped his head back. “Goddammit. They’ve changed the pattern again.”