A Human from a Deregger world snores terribly and even sound baffling doesn't stop it all. Then, shockingly, the room goes silent for a few seconds before there's a sudden, even louder, snore and then the normal noise again. They worried for him and had an observer in to check why it went quiet sometimes. The observer noticed the human had, for a brief moment, stopped breathing! They were worried the human would, one day, not start again. -- Anon Guest
They had purchased their Ships' Human from a Deregger world, and the therapy was still ongoing about that. Human Yun came with a lot of issues, such as not initially trusting the deal.
"But... you bought me. You decide what happens," was a frequent objection from her. Especially whenever she was given choices.
It was especially disturbing when they attempted to look after her medical wellbeing. Advice was taken as orders. Polite suggestions were taken as orders. Yun was far too obsessed with the old Deregger rule of obey or die. Much though they tried to encourage her to have opinions, it was a battle.
They had to learn how to read Human micro-expressions just to get to her truths.
Such as her sleep issues.
The loud rumbling from her habitat was alarming, true, but not so much as when it stopped. The life monitors in her sleep niche[1] would set off alerts for extended periods of not breathing. Which alarmed the ship's Mediks, and then the Companions, and then the crew.
At least Human Yun would appear for her medical checkups, and not hide from them in the walls like some Rescue Humans were wont to do[2].
This gave them ample opportunities to try solutions.
Medik Em Bolis showed Yun the latest device, it fit neatly into hir palm. "This will fit inside your mouth so you may be able to rest easier."
"But I have sleep meds."
Medik Bolis tried not to wince. "Those are not the best for you. We are aiming for natural sleep, like we are aiming for a balanced diet with enrichment[3]. Which is why we keep encouraging you to speak your preferences."
Once again, that look of nervous trepidation. "I have to put that in my mouth, still."
"For a Standard week[4], yes. After that, we have another meeting in which I ask you if you like it or not. You are allowed to say if you dislike something. We want you to be happy here."
"Okay," said Yun. She always said okay and then, in a few days or a few hours, would be back to her appeasing habits.
Bolis did hir best to be patient, showing Yun how to fit it into her mouth and explaining what it did. Then showing how to run the cleanser so that it wouldn't get gross over time. Then doing a few practice runs so that ze could be certain hir patient was doing everything correctly.
In a week, they would know how well it worked, if it worked for Yun. They would see the results of the device in her manner and behaviour in two days, but her comfort or discomfort was just as important.
[1] When a piece of furniture is also a lifepod, it definitely has features to monitor the health of the occupant(s).
[2] Greater Deregulations, especially, tend to penalise their workforce for having an illness.
[3] Various flavours of Nutri-Food(tm) bagged goo do not count as enrichment.
[4] Ten days.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / scigelova]
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