Corporalis Examen

Posted on Saturday February 17, 2024 @ 6:53pm by Lieutenant Commander River Morgan MD & Lieutenant JG Sakara
Edited on on Saturday February 17, 2024 @ 7:02pm

1,838 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 1: Master of Illusion
Location: Sickbay

ON

The ship was still quiet compared to most within the fleet, likely due to the lack of personnel, many of which were still to arrive for the launch. Because of this the lighting was kept low in many of the hallways, the one leading to sickbay was no different.
Effortlessly she moved, or more precisely, glided through the hallways of the Pisces so far being the only Vulcan on board. She did not relish the idea of submitting for a physical exam, she already knew she was in perfect health, but regulations dictated that it was required, there was no logic behind avoiding completing it timely.

She was still fixing her hair after a hurried shower in her quarters after unpacking her belongings, her intention being to turn the small suit into a meditative space, quiet and tranquil to help ease her unrest having to spend it with so many emotional beings on a daily basis. Sadly, her hair had decided that today would be, as her grandmother had often called it, a 'bad hair day'. Her hair in its natural state took very much after her grandmother, frizzy, unruly and something a kin to a birds nest. As she entered sickbay she was thrusting it into a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes.

"Good morning Doctor." the slender and graceful Vulcan greeted the green collared officer. "I am Lieutenant Sakara, would now be appropriate for my physical examination?"

Looking up, a little startled, from behind a mini-mountain of PaDDs piled on her new desk in front of her, River was just about to sip her Raktajino but she put it down again, untouched.

Standing and coming around the desk to greet the Lieutenant in front of her, the CMO smiled and repeated the tall, elegant female Vulcan warmly and was about to offer her hand to shake when she remembered that wasn't appropriate. Changing the shape of her fingers and raising her hand to show the Vulcan split fingered greeting instead, River replied - "Of course, why not?" and opened her arm towards a cubicle close by with a bio-bed inside.

"Please, be seated on the bed and relax while I set up the tests and scans for you." she smiled again, giving no indication whatsoever of how this wasn't actually a good time at all with so much settling in and catching up to get underway right now.

~It really doesn't matter~ she thought silently ~I'll have to do it sometime and now's as good a time as any~

Moving to set up, River's nimble fingers flashed across the tiny rectangle of LCARS lights, programming the scans to be taken and the routine scans to begin rolling themselves out with the help of the Bio-Bed and its internal equipment.

"I'll just get your records up" River explained as she left the bio-bed purring away and moved to the console on her desk. "When did you last have a medica...... oh wait, here it is......" she said as the details began to show on the monitor.

Sakara complied with the request, sliding up onto the edge of the biobed, her legs hanging freely above the floor yet she still remained straight backed. The disarray in sickbay was something akin to a war zone, or even her hair as it had been mere moments before she had entered sickbay.
'That is a most Human association based on visual stimulus. Control your thoughts. You are not Human'

"The present condition of sickbay suggests now may not be the most advantageous time Doctor. I can return at a more suitable one. Or perhaps, if you are still short on personnel, I could offer assistance in organising the supplies?"

It was one thing her Grandmother had insisted upon and even now she could hear the weathered old voice of the exceptionally mature Human: 'Make friends Sakara my dear, don't be out there and be lonely'
In her experience an offer to help was often the quickest, most efficient route to achieve that goal.

"Your offer of assistance is very thoughtful and would indeed be something that we would appreciate, however, I think it's very likely that you'll have more than enough of your own preparations to be going on with at such a critical early stage of this mission. Thank you anyway!" she smiled warmly, continuing: "It's always busy in Sickbay and in the future we'll set up for appointments to be made for routine medicals but right now, I think it would be easier for me to do yours right away, rather than start backing up a list of people who need one and put everyone off causing a backlog. So, if it's still your wish to do one, let's get started?"

"Indeed" Sakara remarked. "It seemed only logical to approach you at this time before the true scope of your workload becomes apparent. You Humans have a saying, strike while the ironing implement is still super heated. I had the time and it would allow you the chance to make a start on the impending work!"
The Vulcan relaxed her shoulders, focusing on her breathing as she waited for the Doctor to begin.

"Yes" River agreed, nodding and making a conscious effort to resist the urge to smile softly at the variation of the Hot Iron saying.

Beginning with a hand-held medcorder, River took a few instant scans while she waited for the bio-bed to start it's own programmed roll-out.

"Ah" she commented and then without elaborating yet, she politely asked Sakara to lie back onto the bio-bed with the intention to allow it to start it's more major routine checks. The monitor behind the bed began to roll up facts and figures in a medical format which was anonymised to keep the outward information private and only legible to medically trained staff.

"You're 75% Vulcan I see" she commented softly, not elaborating more in case it was something Sakara didn't wish to discuss.

"I'm the same percentage human myself, with a Betazoid grandparent. It's always a bit of a lottery to know what genetics will out when someone has an input that's not dominant but which may still offer some considerable influence on your abilities, physical and mental." River went on in a matter of fact manner. "I'm very interested in genetics and the variations that people like me can produce even with the same parents. I love to study siblings especially. It's fascinating. Do you have siblings, Lieutenant?"

As she was speaking, Rivers fingers were fluttering with precision and a light, quick pattern over the LCARS lights on the control arm at the side of the bio-arch which was as yet awaiting to be raised, if needed, for more intense or detailed scans or interventions that might arise if a patient were to be presenting with injuries.

"I do not. I am an only child" the Vulcan returned quietly, "And I am. My mothers mother is human. She is a rather... colourful individual and I find that I have a number of genetic similarities with my Grandmother. Emotional control as an example does not come easily to me".

It was an admittance but perhaps one the Doctor should be aware of given the nature of space travel and the unknowns that they would likely be flying into. One did not want to end up in a difficult spot because one did not disclose something that could later be critical to ones survival.

"We are each of us unique, Lieutenant." River assured Sakara. "Even if we have identical genes, as in one type of twins, we are STILL all different somehow and most of us are even more complex in our mixes and so can never be judged by those measurements that define anyone else."

"Indeed" Sakara was becoming very aware that the word 'Indeed' seemed to be becoming her catchphrase, something she needed to monitor before the playful teasing would commence once again. "Is there anything further that you need from me Doctor... Or that I can be of assistance with?"

River recorded off the results of her tests onto a data-rod as well as to the main Starfleet Medical Records and handed the small, pencil sized rod to Sakara. "This is for you to keep" she explained. "Your main Federation Records have been updated as well and I have found no reason at all not to certify you fit for continuing duty on health reasons. I am very happy with your results Lieutenant. Did you have any questions you wanted to ask me about anything that might be niggling or worrying you?"

"As you have already certified Doctor. I am Vulcan. We do not worry or have 'niggles' as you say".
Sakara accepted the Duotronic storage chip before slipping from the bio-bed as gracefully as she had sat on it and regarded the Doctor for a moment. "You have my gratitude for taking the time to see me. I shall not detain you from your duties any longer".

She paused for a moment, the Human part of her was almost screaming to ask the Doctor for a social meeting, drinks in the mess hall, anything! Sadly it was her dominant Vulcan nature that was winning out, as it often did, the prevented her from asking. Instead she nodded politely at the fair haired women before starting for the door.

"I wonder, if it wouldn't be too tiresome, if you might perhaps tell me a little more about your grandmother some time? I don't want to be intrusive but she sounds very interesting. Might we perhaps share a break, maybe a drink or a coffee at some convenient time, to chat a little?" As she said the words, River realised her mistake. ~chat? This is a vulcan?~ she thought, admonishing herself internally for the foolishness of the request.

"Of course, I don't doubt how busy you are - as am I too - and it was probably silly of me to ask. I don't think Vulcans waste their time with chatter.... I'm sorry.... forget I said anything. That was foolish of me....." she blushed and felt awkward as she tidied the medical cubicle with un-necessary intensity to cover her own embarrassment and allow the Lieutenant to escape.

"That would be most agreeable Doctor. I am off duty at seventeen hundred hours... Shall we meet in the mess hall and share a meal?"
Sakara was pleased that the Doctor had taken the initiative freeing her from the need to display a very human need for friendship.

River looked up, very happy to have been wrong in assuming that this might not be a welcome invitation after all. "Yes, that sounds great!" she nodded enthusiastically and smiled widely. "I'll see you there?" she added, a cross between a query to confirm the arrangement with a rhetorical comment.

A JP by:

Lt. Cmdr. River Morgan MD
Chief Medical Officer, USS Pisces.

And:

Lt (jg) Sakara
Chief Communications Officer, USS Pisces.

 

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