Medical Examination

Posted on 23 Feb 2015 @ 12:13am by Lieutenant Prudence Devin Ph.D. & Lieutenant Olsam Mott

1,439 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo -Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD43 - 14:50

ON:

Prudence Devin had taken Commander Blake's words to heart. She had booked herself in for a physical. She was healthy, after all. Maybe a bit fond of alcohol, but between the fencing and dancing she was reasonably healthy. Albeit a bit older. She wore a civilian skirt and blouse, with a slip underneath as she walked into sickbay. At least it was on the Galileo. It helped. She approached a nurse, letting her know she was there before being directed to sit down and wait on the biobed for the doctor.

Olsam had a very cheeky grin as he sidled up next to Prudence, moving with remarkable silence for his size. "Hello, Dr. Devin. I see you're here for your physical. I know every bit of the doctor inside of you is screaming you should make this as difficult as possible for me, so I feel I should make you aware ahead of time that I have no problem sedating you to perform the procedure quickly and efficiently; I've done it to other doctors before, and I won't hesitate here, either."

Prudence turned her head, watching him with surprise before smiling. "I can assure you, Doctor...I have no intention of making anything difficult for you. It's a pleasure to meet you." She gave a respectful nod, studying the man closely.

"Yes, nice to meet you, too," Olsam said, returning the smile but sounding highly suspicious. "So, it's gonna be the old 'I have no intention of making anything difficult' routine, eh? I guess you think I just fell off the apratuber truck yesterday, huh? Well, you've got another thing coming. I'm ready. I'm prepared. I'm on to you." He detached the sensor wand from his medical tricorder and jabbed it in her direction. "Doctors always make the worst patients. Always. Unless you've got some kind of neurological disorder... You don't, do you?"

"You are a highly suspicious individual," she said lightly, watching him for a long moment. "True, I have to be close to death to go here when I am poorly, but a medical examination when I know I am in good health is hardly cause for me to act up," she added, meeting Mott's eyes. "I am a psychiatrist, not a masochist. This will only take longer if I resist."

"I'm not suspicious, just observant," Olsam said a little defensively. His smile quickly reappeared, though, as he moved the sensor wand to pick up the necessary readings. "Maybe you can speak to some of our other patients and try to get them to see the error of their ways. I once had a Tellarite ensign who had like a Vulcan grip on the doorframe. It took three nurses to pry him off, and then he was kicking and screaming... Ugh, it was a mess. I had to give him 30ccs of axonol just to get a scan. I don't know why people resist. You can run, but you can't hide. We'll just come in your quarters and scan you while you're sleeping. It's gonna happen."

"I feel the same way about counselling sometimes. The amount of times people sit there, lips pressed together...they're wasting their own time, not mine. I get off shift at the same time regardless," Prudence said lightly, raising an eyebrow as she sat there, letting him do his job. Talking was good as a distraction. He talked a lot...which gave a patient a chance to get lost with that rather than focus on what he was doing.

"It's mostly the same here, except sometimes if we don't get people to cooperate they end up dying. Then it's all, 'we need to launch an inquiry into the death of your patient,'" Olsam said, making air quotes and rolling his eyes. "Have you been experiencing any unusual behavior or sensations lately? Night sweats, blurry vision, sudden onset of death?"

Prudence chuckled as she watched him, biting her lip. "No, no night sweats, blurred vision or death. I do get a bit overheated some time, but I suspect that is more to do with the uniform than my body. I also get headaches if I spend too long ready a PADD. If we are doing full disclosure, I have always been a heavy bleeder when I am menstruating, but currently I am on birth control which stops that, although they do leave my body a little tender. I am sure you can see that on my medical file."

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Yes, it's all there," Olsam said, nodding as she spoke. He put down the medical tricorder, picked up a PADD off the medcart, and lifted it up as if to prove there were standard questions he was required to ask. "There are just a few questions we need to go over, so bear with me... Are you sexually active? I've just started to assume on this ship, but I'm required to ask."

She laughed warmly, watching him with a small smile. "I am sexually active, yes. But not yet on this ship."

"Have you recently traveled to Lambda Antini VI?"

Prudence made a show of thinking about it before shaking her head. "I have not," she said gently, waiting for the next question.

"Have you come into direct contact with a quantum transference generator in the past six standard months?"

"Not as far as I have been aware," she said as she crossed her legs, studying the man closely.

"Do you or have you engaged in the use of recreational drugs or other illicit substances?"

"I have in my teenage years, but not for...about twenty five years," she admitted as she held his eyes.

"Do you prefer katterpods or Terran potatoes?"

"Potatoes. I'm English, it's chips and mash and everything inbetween," she said playfully before shaking her head. "Chips are best double fried though. First once in a lower heat and then later to make them crisp. And curry sauce. Chips and curry sauce, or salt and vinegar. Now I am hungry..." she sighed and shook her head.

"Hmm," Olsam said, pursing his lips in critical thought as if the answer had some medical relevance. "Well, that all sounds about right, I think. The scans look good, mostly. A little aging in a couple of the internal organs, joint degeneration, the usual stuff. You're probably not going to die any time soon, though, and I can officially place you on active duty just as soon as you give me a rubber stamp on my annual psych evaluation."

"I'm just old," she said as she watched him, her eyes shining. "Well, I am afraid I need you in my office, or to see one of my counsellors before I will rubber stamp you, Doctor."

"Oh, okay, so I can just stop by, and we'll do the paperwork? It just seems so much easier to do these things quid pro quo, you know. Obviously, you're quite healthy. Obviously, I'm quite sane. Everybody wins," Olsam said with a grin. He turned his attention to the PADD in his hand and seemed to check off a few things.

"Yes...a conversation would be nice though," she said lightly, smiling warmly. "If not with me, then one of my people. You would enjoy it...promise."

"Right," Olsam said with a healthy dose of skepticism. "I'll be sure to schedule an appointment for 2 hours before the deadline, so it's not technically waiting until the last minute. Any later and you'd be scribbling down 'procrastinator' or something in your little case notes." He gave a cheeky grin, input a few more commands into the PADD, and then very purposefully made his signature on it. "There you go. Cleared for duty, Dr. Devin. You may sally forth and psychoanalyze."

Prudence smiled as she held his eyes, giving a nod as she stood. "I shall enjoy every second of it," she teased before nodding. "I look forward to see you on the deadline day. Keep a pot of tea handy," she winked, taking a deeper breath. "Right. I should go. Thank you so much for your time, Doctor..."

"I'm always here for all your medical needs, Dr. Devin. Please remember that should you ever feel the need to self-medicate," Olsam said, grinning. He started to turn to the medcart next to him and then paused halfway, looking back at her. "And, uh, if you ever have an urge to share those curry chips, I'm just right down the hall here..."

OFF:

Lieutenant Olsam Mott, M.D.
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

&

Lieutenant Prudence Devin Ph.D.
Chief Counsellor
USS Galileo

RSS Feed