She blinked. “Coffee caused this?” It was the only thing he’d had, so it was the most likely culprit. “Let’s get you something to take care of that maddening itch,” she said and turned to load a hypospray with a strong dose of non-drowsy antihistamine. “What pattern are you referring to, and how did it change?”
“It’s happened before.” He watched her as she worked, leaning back against the edge of the bio-bed. “They changed the constituents of the coffee in the pattern. An ‘upgrade’ supposedly, but they don’t give a warning for those of us who are allergic to certain substitutions. I’ll go bug Ops about it after this, get them to reinstate the previous pattern as well and slap a warning on it.”
Returning to his side, hypospray in hand, she decided against administering the medication into the side of his neck. He was already suffering enough, not to mention it wasn’t a good injection site because of the rash.
“Replicator coffee?” she inquired, cleaning a spot on his shoulder that hadn’t been affected yet. “This is a non-drowsy antihistamine, so you shouldn’t get sleepy while on duty. Can’t have you nodding off.”
“Thanks. Could well do without that today with us setting off tomorrow.” He watched idly as she pressed the hypospray to his shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief. The itching would stop soon, it always did. He looked up at her. “And yes, replicator coffee. Normal coffee. Doesn’t matter. Sometimes it seems like I’m allergic to life.”
She frowned and chose one of the many tubes lining one of the glass-faced medication cabinets. “That has to be extremely frustrating. Have you ever had testing done to find out exactly what allergens you react to?”
Kaylee removed her exam gloves to put on a fresh pair, taking extra care since he reacted to so many different allergens. “This cream goes on white, but dries clear and it doesn’t stain fabric. You won’t ruin your uniform or regular clothes with it,” she explained, uncapping the cream to begin applying it to the rash on his neck. “It works on contact to relieve itching, but also soothes any irritation that could be caused by scratching. It’s faster than the hypospray, but that lasts longer.”
He arched his eyebrow, lifting his chin so she could apply the cream. “Think I’ve had just about every test known to Starfleet Medical at this point. They never have been able to figure out why I react to so much. If you can figure it out, I’ll give you a medal. Won’t be official mind,” he offered a little quirk of a smile. “Better than a gold star though.”
Kaylee flashed him a brilliant smile. “Medal or star, I would frame it,” she chuckled. “You have no idea how relentless I am when it comes to solving medical challenges.” Squeezing the tube, she spread more of the cream over his chest and along his shoulder, slathering it on before gently smoothing it into a thinner layer.
“How’s that feel? Is it helping yet?”
He nodded. “Well, no, not yet, but I know it will soon so it’s the relief mostly.” He met her eyes again. “Sounds daft, I know.”
She shook her head, holding his gaze. “It’s not daft at all. I don’t suffer to the extent you do, but I used to be extremely allergic to insect venom and one particularly evil plant back on Earth. Poison Ivy. I didn’t even have to touch it to catch it. Found out later how that worked, since it’s the oils from the plant that cause the rash. An animal could walk through it and brush against another plant, and bam! Now that oil is on a plant that’s not next to it, and well… I spent a lot of time in the wilderness when I was growing up. One small rash would end up everywhere… and I do mean everywhere,” she said with a raised eyebrow. Closing her eyes briefly at the unpleasant memory, she continued. “Stings and bites from insects were an adventure all on their own, but I still prefer that to the poison ivy.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, you could not pay me enough to set foot on that bloody planet again. I don’t care if it is the birthplace of humanity or all that crap. Everything there hates me. Like everything.” He sighed in relief and rolled his shoulder. “That is starting to feel better. Thanks, doc.”
Then his expression flattened as he looked over her shoulder and spotted two very familiar faces. “Just what my day needed.”
“You’re welcome.” Kaylee clocked the two walking into sickbay and patted Savage’s shoulder. “Maybe next time we see each other, you can tell me why their arrival instantly turned your mood. Look at it this way,” she began and handed his shirt to him. “If they’re here, that means they’re here to see me, not you. So as soon as you put your shirt back on and leave, they’re my concern. You won’t have to deal with them. For now, at least.”
He looked at her steadily. “You know what, I’ll take that,” he said, shrugging into his shirt and pulling his jacket on. “Thanks, doc. I’ll see you later.”
“You’re welcome. I look forward to it, Commander.”
