The cracked claw

Posted on Thu Jun 4th, 2026 @ 10:23pm by Petty Officer 2nd Class S'Ralor & Chief Warrant Officer Alexion Wylde

2,024 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Behind the Curtain
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: En Route

ON:

Walking somewhat gingerly on his digitgrade feet S'Ralor tried his best to stand tall like the mass of black fur and muscle he was, dressed in only shorts and a t-shirt. But his foot throbbed so much he all but hobbled through the doors of sickbay.

Alexion glanced up from his PADD, his eyebrows raising at the sight. Even in Starfleet, that wasn't something he saw everyday. He tugged his sleeves up, making his way over to offer an arm out. "Need a shoulder to lean on?" he offered up, but his voice held authority, expecting him to take him up on it. The way he was walking, he was unsure what was wrong with the foot...pressure might end up making it worse.

"I can make it," S'Ralor replied making a beeline for the closest biobed.

"Uh huh...I'm not so sure that foot can..." Alexion replied dryly, letting go as he set himself up on the bed, reaching for a tricorder as he looked to him with an arched eyebrow. "What in all the oceans happened?"

Sitting on the biobed S'Ralor almost imperceptivity let out a relaxed noise now the pressure was off his foot. "I... dropped a weight on my foot," He answered somewhat sheepishly. "reckon I've broken at least two toes, maybe a claw too."

"How heavy?" Alexion asked as his brow furrowed, urging him to twist around enough to rest his foot up on the bed. He started to undo the boot, but didn't take it off yet. It would hurt more when the support of the boot was gone. "Have you taken pain relief?" he asked with a glance up to him. "This might hurt a bit."

"No but I'll definitely take a little." S'Ralor replied, he wasn't that prideful to not admit the pain was considerable, not the worst he'd suffered but definitely quite high on the list.

Alexion nodded firmly, reaching to load a hypo before pressing it to his neck; he'd learnt the hard way to ensure he wasn't double dosing his patients with painkillers. He gave him a moment before loosening the boot up further and carefully easing it off. He could see the damage immediately and grimaced. His bedside manner had always been non-existent.

"Fuck... you." S'Ralor groaned hard as the boot came off snagging slightly on part of his broken claw. "Thought it was pretty bad, looks like I was right."

Alexis just smirked slightly at the cursing. Yeah, he'd be doing the same damn thing if his foot was in that shape. He pulled a stool over so he could be more level with it, sitting down as he started to scan it with the tricorder. "Multiple fractures of the smaller bones...contusions...damaged tendons and tissue...and one broken claw..." he confirmed with a tsk. "But we can get that fixed up."

"The wonders of modern technology." S'Ralor huffed slightly, he relaxed ever so slightly into the biobed as the painkillers started to take more of an effect.

"So how much were you lifting?" Alexion asked with genuine curiosity as he reached for an osteoregenerator to work on the bones first. He looked strong, he had a feeling he was going to be impressed.

"25 kilo's each hand." S'Ralor replied. "I can do a lot more but was going for reps rather than weight."

Alexion nodded lightly as he worked. Yep, he wasn't disappointed. He hadn't worked with many Caitians before, his knowledge of their lifestyle was still rudimentary. Physiology however, he was better versed in. "I'm sure it doesn't feel it, but you're lucky...this could have been a lot worse."

"I've had a lot worse, though this is definitely the worst recently, hurts even more than the last time I got stabbed." S'Ralor's injured foot twitched several times as the regenerator worked across it. "And all because I stopped paying attention for a few moments."

"Want to tell me about one of those lot worse situations?" Alexion asked with a genuine note of interest, but also because it was usually a good idea to keep a patient distracted during treatment.

"Had my tail pretty much severed on the Evenstar," S'Ralor answered. "Only thing that kept it attached was the tiniest bit of flesh and my own blood matting the fur together. We were doing security at a diplomatic meeting with a matriarchal society that carried these really interesting looking ritual knives. Somehow I offended one of them while walking past them and before I could blink she was swinging one of them at me, first swing got me across my back the next right into my tail."

Alexion couldn't help but look up from his work for a moment at that, watching him with wide eyes. "Bloody hell...just like that? And people wonder why I want nothing to do with First Contacts...."

"All I did was step behind one of them as I was walking across the room. Never interacted with any of them... my job was to stand around and look professional, legs were going numb stood where I was so I walked to the other side of the room. Next thing I know my tail is hanging by a thread and a crazy woman has a blood stained knife in her hand. We nearly shot her but the Captain intervened."

"Nothing like a little surgery to keep a doctor busy..." Alexion tsked, wondering if it would have made a difference to his physicality. He knew they could function without it, but that didn't mean it wouldn't affect their gait. He wasn't a man with any real kind of bedside manner, but he had enough tact not to ask. "You're going to lose two of these claws," he warned, as if it had sparked the thought. "But I can speed the regrowth of the new ones."

"Thought you were gonna say that," S'Ralor said with a slight nod of understanding, "they definitely look pretty messed up. Need to sedate me or just numb the foot?"

"Depends on how you react to medical procedures," Alexion glanced up to him, humour tugging at the corner of his lips, but he also meant it. He'd put him under if there was a risk of him freaking out about it.

"I'm not squeamish, I think is the human word. When you've seen enough blood, guts and disruptor wounds even seeing your own doesn't tend to phase you anymore." S'Ralor said. "Just numb it, and go for it."

Alexion nodded firmly, not asking twice. It would be easier and quicker that way anyway, and it would be what he'd prefer too. He prepared a tray, pulling it close before tucking the stool in closer and sterilising in preparation. He pressed a hypo to the foot to numb it, testing it out with a slight jab and a glance to his face...just for good measure. He carefully cut away from the broken claws, loosening the tissue enough to be able to get in and cut and pull the broken section away. "Sounds like quite a security career you've had..." he said lightly, in regards to his comments about blood and guts. Or at least, he presumed he was talking about his security career.

The numbing agent was good and only a few grunts left S'Ralor's lips as Alexion worked on his foot. "Quite the career yeah, though some of these scars aren't from my security career."

"You can't say that and not tell me more..." Alexion gave something suspiciously close to a laugh as he worked...but it didn't quite escape.

"Don't piss off a Caitian female when they're in heat," S'Ralor almost laughed too but held it in case it made his foot twitch and he wound up losing more claw than planned. "If they like you they're a lot of fun but if they decide they don't like you and you keep pushing you're in for a world of hurt."

"Ah, that human phrase, huh? The female of the species are more deadly than the male," Alexion pursed his lips with humour at his expense, his gaze fixed and focussed on his work though. "Almost done, I'm going to stimulate growth of the new claws to help with the healing. I'd imagine that will improve walking too..."

"Yeah it'll feel a little weird for a few days but I'll get used to it until they're fully formed again." S'Ralor's foot twitched, the numbing agent not quite masking the feeling deep in his broken claws.

"Almost...there..." Alexion's frown deepened with concentration as he used the regenerator, not wanting to take it too far, too fast. "I'd suggest a day wearing an open toed shoe while you adjust, but...I have a feeling you're going to ignore it..." he gave a soft grunt that might have been a chuckle.

"Most Caitians don't wear shoes at all," S'Ralor remarked. "I don't always when I'm off duty. One too many encounters with sticky floors, deep mud and things like that drew me towards shoes and boots when I'm working."

"Can't say I blame you, not sure I'd risk it either," Alexion admitted with a gruff chuckle before pulling back, looking at the claws. They were grown out from the toe, but he wanted to let them reach full length with natural growth. "Okay...give it a stretch, see how it feels."

S'Ralor flexed his foot, his three remaining claws coming out and back in several times, the stubs of the other two just poking out slightly. "Doesn't feel too bad." he said though he knew it'd feel completely different when the painkillers and numbing agent wore off.

"Done," Alexion dropped the regenerator in the tray, clapping his hands as he stood. "Have a go walking on it. I can build the claws up more if you need, but I'd rather let them strengthen with time."

Somewhat tenderly S'Ralor lowered himself off the bio bed putting his weight first on his good foot, then making sure his tail was off the bed to help with balance put his injured foot back on the floor. He let out a slight hiss as he let go of the bio bed and tried to balance his full weight, the numbing agent made made his foot feel weird and tingly but he took a few small steps and nothing else felt weird.

"You'll be throwing weights around again in no time..." Alexion quipped as he cleared up, watching him with a gruff chuckle, checking his gait as he moved.

"Once I've done throwing a large amount of ice around my foot." S'Ralor remarked, he took a few more steps slowly getting more and more comfortable.

"Keep an eye on it. Anything changes or gets worse, come back in and we will take another look," Wylde assured as he stood, shaking his head as he watched him carefully, resting back against the edge of the biobed. "Do not just leave it if it doesn't feel right," he added firmly, knowing security types.

"You'll be the first to hear if anything else goes wrong." With slowly increasing comfort S'Ralor walked most of the length of the sickbay before returning towards the bio bed. "I don't think this injury will make for a good story like the ones you've heard, self inflicted through getting distracted for a moment, definitely not good."

"True," Alexion agreed without hesitation, a small, wry smile pulling at his lips as he loaded a hypospray. "But you can always make something more interesting up. I'm sworn to confidentiality, so..." he offered the hypo over. "Take this in six hours, just to stop any aches returning."

S'Ralor took the hypospray. "Sure, good job I've already finished my shift for today."

"Then go and put it up for a bit," Alexion nodded with approval, turning away to sterilise the bed ready for the next accident of the day. "And maybe have a glass of something strong..."

"That sounds like a plan." S'Ralor flashed a toothy grin and hobbled out the door.

OFF:


PO2 S'Ralor
Security
USS Fenrir
(Pnpc Masters)

Dr. Alexion Wylde
Medical Officer
USS Fenrir
(PNPC Blake)

 

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