MEDICAL LOGS

THE GIFT
Season 4 : Episode 70

 

MEDICAL REPORT:

SEVEN OF NINE

When Seven of Nine refuses treatment and demands to be returned to the Borg, the Doctor says that he cannot treat a patient against her wishes, but Janeway gives him permission to do so since she feels she has to look out for Seven of Nine's best interests.

Seven of Nine's human physiology has, prior to this, begun re-assert itself. With her body rejecting the Borg technology, the Doctor has no choice but to give her dermaplastic grafts to help the regeneration process.

The Doctor designs Seven's clothing and makes an artificial eye to replace her eyepiece; it still has some Borg circuitry attached therefore she will have increased acuity in one eye, and he matches the colour of the eye perfectly. Overall, the Doctor extracts 82 per cent of her Borg hardware. He designs her a dermaplastic garment: "Fashion of course is hardly my forté. Nonetheless, I've managed to balance functionality and aesthetics in a pleasing enough manner." We learn it is called "dermaplastic" in  [#116 Someone To Watch Over Me], in which it is also established that he designed several at that time including casual attire: "When I first designed your dermaplastic garment, I also tried my hand at some casual attire." He also stimulates her hair follicles to promote growth (telling her: "a vicarious experience for me, as you might imagine). She will have to spend a few hours each day in a Borg alcove until her healing metabolism can function on its own; four Borg alcoves are left undismantled in Cargobay 2, which will become Seven of Nine's quarters.

Left: The Doctor proudly presents Seven of Nine's new artificial eye. Right: the Doctor explains to Seven of Nine about her garment and hair.

KES

Kes has not experimented with her psychokinctic abilities in months; however, the telepathic centres of her brain are in a state of hyperstimulation. She can now see beyond the subatomic level and performs microsurgery on Seven with only the use of her mind. Kes' mental abilities grow ever stronger and unpredictable. For 17.4 seconds, in the Messhall, Kes' body goes into a state of cellular flux and begins to destabilise at the subatomic level. Her telesynaptic activity also increases.

Sickbay. Doctor: "I've run every conceivable neuro-analysis, everything short of dissecting the brain itself. Her telesynaptic activity is increasing but I don't know why or how to stop it. Have the ship's internal sensors received anything?" Tuvok: "For 17.4 seconds Kes' body went into a state of cellular flux. She began to destabilise at the subatomic level. Janeway: "And for some reason her atoms re-established their bonds and she was back in one piece." Doctor: "But what about the next time? Her condition is escalating. We must find a way to suppress it or the last we'll see of Kes will be her molecules blowing through the ventilation ducts." Janeway: "Tuvok, enhance the structural integrity field throughout the ship. If she has another incident I'd like to avoid a hull breach." He nods and leaves. Janeway: "Doctor, maybe it's time we broaden our horizons. This appears to have gone beyond medical science. We're into particle physics now." Doctor: "I'll try looking through the quantum substructure database. Maybe it'll give me some inspiration." Janeway: "Keep me informed."

Kes' psychokinetic abilities damage the ship's structural integrity, resulting in their defences being compromised and hull breaches on several decks. Kes opts to depart Voyager forever in order to save ship and crew, and accordingly she is sent away in a type-9 shuttlecraft. Kes uses her powers to bring the warp core online and cause a matter/antimatter reaction at over 120 per cent, bringing the ship to impossible speeds. When systems come back online the crew find that they are 9.5 thousand light years from their point of origin. Kes causes the shuttlecraft to destabilise when she evolves into non-corporeal form.

MEDICAL PERSONNEL:

Kes leaves Voyager permanently (though she will return as a visitor in 2376, in  [#143 Fury]). A medical replacement for her will shortly be found by recruiting the reluctant Paris, in  [#73 Revulsion].

DOCTOR'S QUOTE:

To Janeway about Seven: "At the moment she's stable but the prognosis isn't clear. Her human physiology has begun to reassert itself - respiratory system, neurological functions, immune response. But those systems are swarming with Borg implants. There's a battle being waged inside her body between the biological and the technological. I'm not sure which is going to win."