sixthiterationlogs | what a garden to be made ( OPEN )

WHO: Beverly Crusher
WHERE: Hospital, outside House #15
WHEN: Second week of May
OPEN TO: Anyone, with one closed for Wanda
WARNINGS: Nothing for now, will update if necessary
STATUS: OPEN

HOUSE #15

It was a strange box she'd found that morning. What was even more strange was what she had found inside the box. A bunch of seeds of all sizes and shapes stared up at her, glinting in the little bit of light filtering through. What startled her more than those were the gardening tools resting above the seeds. It was like someone knew she liked gardening, knew she would want to help out and wanted a garden of her own. Was this something those Observers she had heard so much about liked to do?

Pulling out the tools, she set them aside and began to sort through the seeds. There were so many, she barely even knew where to start. Two of most things, except one willow and four aloe. The willow made sense, though she hoped it was the seed for a smaller willow tree. The aloe plant also made sense. The more aloe they had, the better off everyone would be. Some of these would have to wait for a greenhouse or something of the sort. Otherwise, the climate here would kill them. But some she could go ahead and plant.

So for the rest of the week, she could be found outside when she wasn't on a shift at the hospital. With tools in hand, she's either working on getting some of the seeds into the ground or trying to remember how Annie and Finnick were doing their fence so she can make her own. The last thing she wants is to have her new garden get eaten or run over when it finally starts to grow. She makes a point of looking for anyone who might want to help on either one of these endeavors.

HOSPITAL

Her colleagues at the hospital are all very important here. Beverly doesn't know what each of them knows about herbal remedies, but she sees no reason not to offer what she does know to them. The more of a supply of those remedies they have and the more people who know what they are and how to use them, the better. So at some point during the day, she finds each of them, walking up to ask a few simple questions.

"I've just received a bunch of seeds for herbs and plants we can use for medicine and poultices when they finally grow. How much do you know about medicinal herbs?"

WANDA

Wanda is one of the people Beverly wants most to work on her garden with. Unfortunately, not knowing Wanda's schedule means she isn't familiar with the proper times and places to try to catch her. So Beverly sorts out a handful of the ones she wants to plant now, setting them aside so she can plant them with Wanda at a later date. It isn't until the end of the week that she finally happens to make it into the Inn at the right time to find Wanda. Making her way over, again being careful not to sneak up on her, she offers a small but very warm smile.

"I remember you being interested in gardening," she comments easily. "I've just discovered a whole bunch of seeds that I'd like to plant. If you're interested, maybe you could help me."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The mention of her son made Helen think of Ashley. It had been a long time since Ashley was at the forefront of her thoughts and thinking of her now, thinking of how she'd lost someone so young and so vibrant pricked at her heart in a way that she really wished she could avoid.

Being as long-lived as she was, Helen had learned not to let people close. Letting people in meant losing them and mourning for the better part of 200 years wasn't a way to go through life. And, yet, Ashley had been her own flesh and blood. Helen couldn't help but be close to her and her loss had been devastating. She shook her head, trying to clear it of those sad thoughts, and gave Beverly a tight smile.

"I had a daughter, I understand. At the moment, though, I think we need pain medications more than anything else."

Beverly notices the past tense almost immediately and it makes her heart hurt. While she might have let go of Wesley, letting him go on his own journey without her, she doesn't know that anything has happened. The uncertainty of Wesley's fate might eat at her on most days, but she does at least have the hope and optimism, and faith in her son, to believe that he is fine and he will return to her safe and healthy. No matter what he has been through.

But Helen doesn't seem to have that assurance. In fact, it sounds like the opposite and Beverly knows there's nothing she can say to help that. Her look of sympathy says enough, more than anything her voice could. "Helen," she breathes softly, but that's all she can say before she slides into the rest of the conversation. "Well, aloe is good for burns, fever, itching. Almost anything, really. That one might be the most useful right now and I ended up with a few more than any of the others. Willow bark is also good for pain. Eucalyptus oil is another one with a lot of uses. And just between the two of us..." She leans in just a little. "I've also got hemp if we get really hard cases later on."

"I have some cannabis seedlings. They aren't quite large enough yet to make any real attempts at processing the leaves for smoking or for oil but it will help with mental and physical health. I have been trying to keep that quiet, though. I want to save it for medicinal purposes only."

The last thing Helen wanted was for people to become stoners and steal her carefully tended plants. That would do none of them any good.

"I think we at least have a place to start. I wish we had poppies. Opium could be used as an anesthetic if we had to do any type of surgery."

Beverly thinks back to the rest of her stash now that they're a little more settled on the topic at hand. She has a couple of others. "There's also lavender, greenthread, sweet violet, skullcap, and chamomile as anti-inflammatories, and feverfew, yarrow, skullcap, and ginger specifically for pain." She understands the worry about people getting high off of things they need to use for medicine. It's a concern she also shares with hers.

"I've got California poppy, though it's not technically an opiate. It can be used as a sedative, though, and so can skullcap."

"I would like to avoid addictive substances if I can but having a sedative is good. As it is, I keep nicking bottles from these feasts so I have alcohol as an antiseptic and something for pain. It's not ideal, obviously, but I have worked in worse conditions."

The fields at Verdun came to mind, as did her involvement at Normandy. Medicine had come a long way since then but she was grateful she had learned in an earlier era.

"We should work on some sort of notes compilation so all of us can keep the herblore straight. I know some but you're clearly the expert here."

"So would I," Beverly agrees. They may not be so lucky, but they can at least try to regulate everything. That's part of why they'll keep those substances well away from most people.

"That makes two of us." Though Helen's probably had worse, given their differences in time periods. She has something of a leg up on Beverly at any rate. "I don't know if expert counts, but I'm here to have my brain picked. You're right, though, but I haven't seen any paper or pens, let alone a computer."

"It's difficult for me. I have a fine memory, yes, but sometimes things slip away when they aren't used and I like to have the reference of a physical copy to review," Helen said. "I think anyone needs a reference like that from time to time. Still, I wish I had an eidetic memory. That would prove incredibly useful here."

Will's was damn near close to it, sometimes, and James had that ability as well. Helen would give anything to have someone from home but the two of them would be especially welcome given their ability to retain and recall information on the fly.

"Mm, where's an android when you need one?" Beverly murmurs softly. Not quite inaudibly, but softly. What she wouldn't give to have Data here at all, not just for his eidetic memory. He would be one part of the crew and family she misses so desperately.

"Well, if we can ever find a physical copy, or the means to write one, I'd be happy to add what I know to it. We really could use something like a book, even if it does end up being handwritten. We'd need to keep it safe and hidden from any outside influence, but that's a small price to pay for having an accessible reference."

"Yes, I agree. Anything I can find that will be suitable, I'll be happy to donate to the cause. Paper is just so scarce around here."

Still, it was something that could be made. Helen hadn't assigned herself to the task, honestly, but as it appeared they would be here for a long stretch, perhaps it was something worth doing. They couldn't always depend upon the mysterious boxes showing up and having something renewable and sustainable would be a very good thing.

"I wish we could get the mill working. That would help alleviate a lot of issues."

"I'm sure it would," Beverly agrees. She's not exactly the fix-it type, though it does make her miss Wesley all the more. Despite the flash of longing, she refrains from commenting, unwilling to bring that pain back up for Helen again. At least not now.

"We'll do what we can until then. Some of these are toxic and I don't want someone accidentally getting a hold of them without knowing how to handle them."

"Yes, exactly. I don't want anyone stumbling upon something thinking it's edible and ending up poisoning themselves," Helen said. There were any number of plants that grew wild that looked delicious but could be quite deadly in large quantities. She didn't want anyone consuming them unattended.

"We'll work on it and put something together."

“Yes, we will,” Beverly agrees. “I’m glad to have colleagues who understand the importance in a situation like this.” Not that most of hers haven’t, but, well, there’s always one. Starfleet isn’t without its problems and the rest of the galaxy has plenty as well.

what a garden to be made ( OPEN )

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