Medical Chat

Posted on Tue Aug 27th, 2024 @ 2:44am by Lieutenant Daisheliss "Lissa" Kerr & Lieutenant JG Julia Araala

1,831 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: I-402
Location: Science Labs

The blonde doctor in uniform sighed as she made her way down the corridor of the Bellerophon-class starship. She understood people getting busy in their duties, but some people appeared to find themselves busier than others, or at least made sure it appeared that way. Julia tried to remember how many times in the last several years where she'd fought and pleaded for people to come to her sickbay to be given their annual physical exams, then her steps slowed and stopped as memories of when they had flooded the area during combat only fourteen months ago.

The blonde shook her head with her eyes squeezed shut as the doors hissed closed and then open again almost as quickly as a heartbeat even as the ship shook from repeated hit and everyone was looking to her and her Chief, and then there had been a flash as one phaser had struck deep enough into the ship to graze sickbay and the Chief had been gone, along with the patient being seen to. "No, no, no..." JJ whispered to herself, willing herself to come back to the present and smoothing down the uniform jacket to the skirt she wore. People not coming for exams, that's what she was there for.

People missing their exams, or just forgetting about them, which was why she was in Science territory now with the full medical kit. And here was where one of the evaders was working, so now they would be able to take a break so she could get her own work done. JJ stood outside the lab where her subject was and debated just walking in, but no... Science dealt with many things that could be dangerous, best to wait to be given permission. The hand went out to press the chime to announce that someone was there: Patience was a virtue. Patience should have been her middle name.

Lieutenant Kerr was watching two science officers working on a quantum phase matrix experiment. The officers were on the other side of a forcefield, and their experiment behind yet another forcefield. It was a Starfleet sanctioned experiment targeted to mitigate risk and offer solutions when time and space anomalies threaten ships and their crew - but the experiments themselves were risky, and the newly assigned Chief Science Officer had been buckling down on safety protocols and overseeing the experience since her arrival a few weeks prior.

Lissa was deep in thought, her eyes narrowed in scrutiny when the chime went off announcing someone's arrival. "Come on in, but don't touch anything," announced a friendly voice. The Orion hybrid stood up to step back to the door, keeping an eye on the experiment as she walked. She took in the officer's appearance, including the medical kit. "What can I do for you, Doctor Araala?"

"Is it that big of a giveaway?" JJ asked with a smile, glancing down at the blue uniform which could technically have passed for Science, but she was finding the Chief of Science and perhaps it was the medical kit, "Ah well, you're a bit behind for your most recent physical evaluation, so rather than try to harass and bother you over the comm and by messages, I figured it would make life less stressful and easier on the both of us if I just came to you."

"Well that's thoughtful. Get a lot of runners, do you?" Lissa said somewhat dryly. "The labs are a bit busy right now, and for some reason they put my office three decks away on 8. It might be just as easy for me to follow you back to Sickbay."

Lissa doublechecked that the drone camera was collecting good footage. Since the science officers weren't any critical parts in their experiment she called out to then, "Be back in a bit. The CMO found me for my physical. Don't lose anything while I'm gone."

The Bajoran Ensign smirked at the comment, while the Trill Lieutenant J.G. simply raised an eyebrow and smiled. "We'll be fine, Chief."

"Little quantum theory humor," Lissa commented to the doctor. "Shall we get this over with?" Lissa asked with a smile gesturing for the CMO to lead the way.

"Heck, even a spare room with just a little clutter would work for this!" JJ laughed as she stepped outside the door once more, "Sometimes I think people think that I'm going to tie them down and do something nefarious to them while they're in that position." She reached up to brush a few strands of bright blonde hair away from her eyes, "That's only if they try to run away once I have them in my clutches." Her eyes were bright with humor.

Still, the doctor waved it away, "I employ only the least evasive techniques possible until or unless I find that I require the access inside them to fix something quickly. And this should be very non-evasive, and painless to boot!"

"You all say that, but those tricorders tell all," Lissa chided as they walked to the other end of the deck. "And I'd rather not be stuffed in a closet or on display during this. I've never had much patience being examined," Lissa confided. "Nothing personal, I mean I trust you with my life when I need you, don't get me wrong."

"I don't take things personally." Julia said with a shrug, leading them back the way she'd come towards sickbay, "Being a medical professional, I'm both one of the least and most trusted and loved people on board any starship or station. A pain in the ass or a complete annoyance during most of the time, but when the fecal matter hits the rotary air impeller? The one that no one can do without." It was more resignation than anything to her when she said it, "But I promise I'm actually a really nice person to know even outside of work, I don't bite!"

Lissa laughed. "Only an M.D. ... Anyway, I highly doubt you are in any category other than most trusted and loved. Just because people don't like going to the doctor, doesn't mean they don't like their doctor," Lissa reminded the physician. "You know, I've contemplated extension courses so I could help out more in medical in case of emergency. When I was looking into it, there isn't much to do before clinicals, actually with my background," Lissa commented casually.

"Oh?" JJ raised an eyebrow and made a mental note to verify this little tidbit of information. If it were true, and she had no reason to think it wasn't, it could be rather nice, "I know that it never hurts to have more people capable of assisting in medical. Sometimes a crisis comes up and then there truly are never enough hands to help out. If you needed a mentor or instructor, I could probably be that for you."

"Well yeah, actually. That's one of the requirements if you are going to be taking the classes remotely actually. I was looking at a medic certification. The courses come from Starfleet and there is an instructor there, but they do want you to have a physician on board working with you," Lissa admitted. "And well clinicals. Depending on location and how well holocommunications are working, it could... maybe all fall on the local physician."

Lissa stepped into Sickbay as she dropped the last bit of information. "I understand if you're too busy. I mean, I have plenty to do as well. It's a big ask."

"Too busy?" JJ shook her head slightly as a smile of amusement crossed her face, "The only time I'd ever be too busy would be if I'm buried in too many casualties, which would be precisely when I'd be wanting to get my hands on anyone that's even halfway trained with medical equipment."

The smile turned into a cringe as that comment, meant as a offhand quip, brought back a memory of that precise situation. Julia quickly wiped the cringe back to a forced smile, and gestured to one of the biobeds, "But needless to say, I would make the time to help you with that. Everyone seems to think we're constantly busy, but a lot of that is study regarding new diseases, species and the like. There's more new discoveries being made all the time."

Lissa popped up onto the biobed and nodded. "I know what you mean. It's impossible to keep up with all of it in science. Your best bed is to be well read enough to know where to look if something too far out of your field pops up."

"So, how am I looking, Doc? I'm not contagious am I?" Lissa asked playfully.

"Oh yes, absolutely contagious." JJ said with a very serious face, then the look cracked as she snorted with a laugh and winked at Lissa, "Contagiously pretty, that is, but from everything this thing is telling me, you're perfectly healthy and I've got nothing to doubt that it's telling me the truth! I should have reviewed your previous file before coming to snag you, but I kind of dropped the ball on that one, so anything in your past that I should know about?"

"No, Doc. I've been pretty fortunate," Lissa responded.

"Are you sure?" JJ asked with a suggestive smile, "I mean, you sure you're not just trying to keep me off your back? I can check things to make sure?" With the wink she added, it was clear that she wasn't serious, just trying to make things fun."

"If you like a challenge, I mean we could always turn off the pheromone suppressant and see what happens on a ship this small," Lissa chided.

"Let's not and say we didn't?" JJ cringed at the thought of half a ship's worth of horny men running rampant going after Lissa and anyone likely near her, "I mean, I've got archery awards so I can deliver antidotes from a distance, but there isn't much distance here."

"Well then, I got nothing," Lissa shrugged with a smile. "All done then doc? I can send over the program requirements I was looking at maybe by the end of the week, give you time to look over it and see if it's something you've have time to do."

"We're all set, but I'll make sure I make the time to assist you in that program." The doctor reassured the other woman, "I'll always make time to help with the development of future medical personnel, learned it the hard way, all you have to do is tell me when you want to start?" JJ grinned.

Lissa jumped off the biobed and took a few steps toward the door. "Will do, Doc. Hopefully in the next few weeks or so. Let me get settled into a routine and we'll be on our way. Thanks so much!"


[Off]

Dr. JJ Arala
Chief Medical Officer

&

Lieutenant Lissa Kerr
Chief Science Officer

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