Waking up

Posted on Sat Nov 1st, 2025 @ 2:57pm by Captain Remy Johansen & Lieutenant Alexandra Blackstone & Lieutenant JG Thivi & Lieutenant JG Jezra Siv MD & Josef Forstinger & Lieutenant JG Leilani

1,557 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Peril at the Unification Accords
Location: Medical Bay
Timeline: After Surgery

Counselor Leilana greeted Captain Johansen as she neared the recovery unit of the surgical wing. "I was told he will be waking up soon?" Remy asked the Counselor as they walked. "Have we been able to figure out much about him?"

“Sadly, not much Captain." the Betazoid replied, keeping pace with her captain. "According to Lieutenant Xalanth and Fulvia his uniform and equipment place him as having served with the United Nations forces in the eugenics war. His mind is still jumbled. He's feeling pain, confusion and anger.“

"Understandable," Remy acknowledged. "I think I'd be feeling those things if I woke up in a strange hospital too, never mind all the things he's been through.

As they approached the threshold to Josef's room, Remy slowed her steps and was caution to keep the noise down. She took in his overall appearance - he was mostly covered with a special dressing to help his cryowounds heal, but the parts of skin that were exposed were starting to regain color. She nodded an acknowledgement to the medical staff in the room.

"Joseph Forstinger, I'm Captain Johansen. Can you hear me?" She asked.

Even with the Captains slowing of her steps, Josef clocked someone approaching. His body slightly twitching in some reaction, specifically his right arm and hand.

As Remy spoke up, his dark blue eyes opened and immediately snapped towards her. Taking a deep audible breath and asking "Where...am I ?" his left hand in the meantime patting down his shoulder. Checking if everything was where it's supposed to be-including not only his body, but dog tags and golden crucifix too which he wore under it on a chain. There was obvious confusion in his mind, but besides the pain, his anger seemed to be rising the longer he didn't find what he was looking for.

"You are in a medical facility," Jezra answered, remembering that he had been in stasis for some time. She'd ease in the fact that he was on a starship, just in case. The Trill had been monitoring Josef quietly, taking care to not disturb his rest. "Any personal belongings you had on you are in safe storage."

Soft footsteps sounded outside the room and Alex appeared after a moment, posting up leaning against the door frame quietly. She wore a small smile at seeing Josef awake but let the focus remain on Remy and the others.

"Josef, I'm Captain Remy Johansen. You were frozen, did you know that? We, well, you've woken up in the future, and things are a little different. I'm from Nebraska. I'm an officer in a military-like organization called Starfleet. I think you are an officer too, right?"

"Amerikaner ?" he asks, but more so a rhetorical question before his brain was able to process the rest of what she had said. "Squad Leader." was his next response-so most likely more like an NCO. Though where the rest of his squad was was a good question. His brain trying to fight the effects of the drugs he had been given to dull his pain while also combating the general confusion of waking up. "How long was I- what year is it? 1996?"

Updating the young man on the geopolitical changes on Earth over the last several centuries was not high on the priority list, so Remy just nodded. "Yes, American."

"Josef, you were in a cryogenic chamber for a very long time," Remy continued. "It's the 24th century. The year is 2389. Your memories may or may not come back over time, but do you have any idea why you were frozen?" She asked.

"T-twenty-three?" he repeated as if he had not heard her correctly. And probably would have kept repeating it in shock if Remy didn't immediately follow it up with a question of her own.

"Ambush, we were supposed to stop some rocket ship from launching, thought it was maybe some nuclear missile or satellite, they came pouring out of the facility-god.... they're all dead..."

Leilani stood at the side, gently listening to the man's thoughts. It was a muddled mix of confusion as anyone in his situation would be.

Alex watched; her face impassive as she listened and waited for an opportunity to slip in and do a neurological check once Josef was more fully awake and had been briefed. From what she was seeing so far she was a little concerned about his memory but told herself he would need time for his brain to recover between her surgery and the stasis.

"But you're okay, Josef. You are here with us. We have good doctors and medicine, and we are going to help you," Remy said calmly. "I'm Remy, I'm the Captain like I said. Dr. Alexandra Blackstone, and Dr. Jezra Siv, are going to be taking turns checking in on you, making sure everything is healing the way it should. They can answer any medical questions you have."

Between the stasis, surgery and previous trauma Josefs brain was a bit of a mess for a second. As he recovered a bit longer however he seemed to snap back into it as the conversation continued.

"Alright Captain. How long do I have to stay down for ?" *he asked, though not specifically at Remy. Looking to anyone at his bedside for an answer.

“You are gonna be down until I can ensure that your cognitive function is regenerated from the damage done by the amounts of drugs that you apparently had imbibed. I am sure that Dr. Siv has her own concerns that she wants to monitor you for.” Alex pointed to Thivi who was in the hallway near the door. “If you need anything Nurse Thivi is the charge for the recovery ward currently and she can get ahold of us easily enough.”

Josef let out a grunt. Whether out of frustration, pain or both one couldn't tell. "Alright. If it's really necessary."

Seems like he didn't like being out of action for too long-or feeling vulnerable.

Alex nodded; looking at him with a single brow raised into a peak. “Doctor’s Orders, soldier. Can’t have my work undone because you push too hard too fast. Let our medicine and our tech bring you back to full capacity.” Her words were firm but kind.

Leilani steeped forwards. " Hello Josef. I'm Leilani the ship's counselor. If you have any questions feel free to let me know." She said calmly and warmly.

Thivi, in her infinite (or perhaps not quite so infinite) wisdom chose that timing to come out of a side room with a tray of hyposprays in hand - the only noticeably alien figure amongst everyone around Josef. Framed against the background of everyone else, she, with her bald head, round violet eyes, gangly frame and digitigrade feet stood out like a sore thumb.

Alex had heard Thivi enter and turned her face toward her. “Ah; there is Nurse Thivi now. Have you met Mr. Forstinger as yet?"

"I helped bring him home, ma'am. How do you feel?" Thivi asked, smiling sweetly down at the human.

Josef nodded to Leilani. "Thanks-nothing for now, I think." Though that quickly changed as Thivi made herself visible. The reaction upon spotting her was almost immediate, partially due to years of having to react to any situation on a moment's notice.

In this case, it was basically jumping in his bed due to her unexpected appearance. Though he did quickly clock that she wasn't dangerous. "B-better, I guess. Say-I don't mean this as an insult but uh-what are you ?"

"I am a Kelpien, darling. I am an alien from the planet Kaminar." Thivi smiled sweetly with her hands steepled together. "You'll find that things have changed quite a lot since you last remember."


"Riiiight-great. Okay. Cool." which to say it was definetly NOT cool. Although Thivi seemed very friendly-she still was an alien. Looking like she jumped right out of a comic book or one of those TV series from the US about the little grey men-only she was neither little nor grey.

Though that's when Josef let out a bit of a groan. His body showing him that even with advanced medicine having saved his life-it needed a bit of rest to recuperate. "Goddamnit-starting to feel like I've been hit by a horse."

"Just lay back and relax. You've been through a lot and need time to recover." Leilani replied calmly with her best reassuring smile on her face.

---

Captain Remira Johansen
Commanding Officer
USS Astrea


Lieutenant J.G. Jezra Siv
Chief Medical Officer
USS Astrea


Lieutenant Alexandra Blackstone
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Astrea


Lieutenant J.G. Thivi
Head Nurse
USS Astrea


Lieutenant J.G. Leilani
Counselor
USS Astrea


Josef Forstinger

 

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