Galenic Doctors

Posted on 28 Sep 2018 @ 5:46pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim

1,805 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD -181, 1441 hrs

[ON]

The door to sickbay swished open and in stepped Captain Saalm with all of her tired Orion glory. Her hair was slightly disheveled and several stray dark locks loitered along the side of her cheeks as a result of her recent gym workout. She was operating on only a few hours of sleep ever since launch day, mostly due to the plethora of minor operational issues commonly referred to as the 'break-in period' for all new starships. She wore a red Starfleet undershirt -- the tank top variant -- and her emerald green arms contrasted sharply against the crimson and grey fabric of her attire. Lirha took a couple steps into the medical bay while looking around to see who was present.

The sickbay doors always had a distinct sound. Allyndra was all but convinced that they had been designed that way so that almost anyone within the bed area or office could hear them. "In here, if you need assistance. Have a seat and I will be with you in a moment." Allyndra called out bent over peering at records.

Saalm looked to the far end of sickbay where the familiar voice had come from and saw her CMO sitting in her office behind the transparent aluminum. She clasped her hands behind her back and approached until she stood in the doorway. "Hello doctor. I hope I'm not interrupting."

Allyndra recognized the voice immediately and looked up. "No captain, not at all just making sure medical records are up to date and we have everything. Please have a seat and anything from the replicator. What can I help you with?" She pressed a couple spots on the screen and nodded, "you are not due for a pheromone shot quite yet."

"Thank you. I wanted to muse and discuss your new accommodations. I hope they satisfy you and your team?" The captain hopped up onto the biobed as directed then leant back onto the inclined mattress. "And I want to take care of my medical evaluations before we get too far into our journey. I've been having some pain in my right hip after exercising." She paused and gestured to the area. "Remnants from my injury during Galileo's self-destruct I assume.."

"Alright, let us take a look," Allyndra went ahead and started a full scan. "Extra bed is nice, the laboratory is very nice extra. A lot more equipment so I do not think I will be bugging science department to let me use their equipment. Glad to see a nurses station as well. We sort of squeezed one in on the old ship."

Lirha could hear the distinctive sound of the biobed's computer system chirping and whirring while it ran its biological diagnostic of her body. "It looks...very clean," she remarked while glancing around at several un-decorated walls. Sterile was the more precise word which then came to mind.

"You should see the office, Tuula has already started to put her touch on things. Just the right lighting and it could pass for one of those human haunted houses I think." She laughed with that light musical laugh.

"...Yes..I'm sure she has," Lirha muttered with mild dissatisfaction. The deputy medical officer, Tuula Voutilainen, was a skilled surgeon but lacked proper medical etiquette and presentation. At least, the captain thought so and had always relied on her CMO to help keep the surgeon grounded to Starfleet protocols and professionalism. "Well, Snuffles seems to adore her," she then admitted. "Much more so than Mott."

"I think Mott did not like the spikes or he just looked at Snuffles as something to cook with an apple in its mouth, I am not sure. Tuula likes that kind of sharp objects and I think your pet realizes that as well. Me," she shrugged, "we tend to just end up baring teeth at each other. I am not sure why. Something Snuffles senses about me perhaps."

Lirha laughed and genuinely smiled for the first time in what seemed like days. "Your teeth are rather formidable, doctor. Even for a targ," she winked. "And I think you are correct about Olsam. ...When Snuffles was castrated, I was never shown his testicles as is tradition..." her voice trailed off with narrowing and suspecting eyes.

Allyndra just shrugged, "I cannot confirm or deny what we both suspect. Mott had the typical Bolian appetite. That is if it looked like it could be eaten it was fair game. He did prove to be most appreciative of my cooking. That is something I am not sure yet if I am going to pursue though."

"Well," the captain said with a sigh of acceptance, "wherever he is now, in Starfleet, I hope he is well. It's fortunate he didn't have to experience the challenges the rest of us faced on Kreanus." She tried to find the positive in his absence but privately missed the pudgy Bolian just as she did several other of her former officers.

"He would have complained of starving to death in the most dramatic fashion. Well there is some scar tissue around the hip. Probably not a good time but I am pretty sure we can help relieve some with some surgery. I can give you an injection which will help since no doubt no time to be off right now."

More surgery? Lirha wondered to herself. She suddenly had a deja vu experience from what felt like a similar medical exam years ago, but realized that couldn't have been possible since her lingering injury had only taken place after the demise of her former starship.

"Let me...consider it for a few days," she said to the CMO, not feeling entirely comfortable with any form of immediate surgery without prior preparation. "How much more of this scar tissue is left?" she then wondered. Her body had healed well and felt good, and the visible signs of her scars had rapidly vanished over the months.

"There is a bit and probably will be for the rest of your life. It is that it does not stretch as well and I think we can take care of that. There are early signs of some osteoarthritis from the injury but nothing to worry about yet. I think a combination of medications will be sufficient and then we can see if there is time and if surgery is fully indicated at a later date. I just want to catch things as early as possible before there is any further damage."

"Well, fortunately the discomfort is not too bad. Let's keep things simple for now, shall we?" Saalm smiled while politely declining the offer of an invasive procedure.

"I thought as much, well then, let us skip everything if it is not too much bother. Getting things going and underway will most likely keep your mind on much more then a twinge or two. I won't even write it up in the medical log for now. Just note that it was noted and to 'keep a further eye on the problem', sound fair enough captain?"

The Orion lightly shrugged. "If that makes it easier, then of course. I don't think it will get any better as the days pass, but I'll inform you if the pain worsens." Lirha quickly recalled another quick matter on her agenda and figured now was as good a time as any to broach the subject. "With your new appointment to second officer, we should also discuss your duty shift rotations. Unless you prefer to be on duty for twelve or more hours straight each day, it will need adjusting."

Allyndra made that odd rolling shrug that made her wings rustle. "However you wish captain but tell the truth I have no social life and do not foresee any in the future. I am willing to do whatever it takes. I spent many more hours than that when I was sent to the Ka'awale House."

"If that is what you desire, then I have no objections," Lirha replied after a short moment of consideration. "Just be sure you are getting enough rest. A tired doctor will do us more harm than good," she requested of her chief medical officer with a small, comforting smile.

"I have an excellent deputy captain. However, I will have her give me assessments frequently and if things are slipping I will talk to you or Commander Blake about schedules."

Lirha nodded her head with gratitude. "Thank you. And in return, if you or your staff require any special accommodations for the remainder of our ferry, I will do my best to provide them." She didn't want the doctor to become burned out and was willing to afford a bit of leeway to her department.

"No captain, not at the moment. The lab looks wonderful, less bothering of science for their equipment." She laughed lightly. "Not that they mind sharing mind you but then I do not feel bad about interrupting something else. And with that I think you are good to go. Still I hope to do some cooking again and would be pleased to bring you a dish or two to try out."

The Orion captain slowly sat up once the scans were complete and felt her ears perk at the mention of food. "Oh? You are a chef?" she wondered, not familiar with that element of her CMO's personal life. "I will never say no to new food delights," she grinned.

"Well I am working at it. Mott used to be my critic. I know seems kind of weird to do cooking and not be able to sample most of it but there you have it. I guess I just enjoy the smells while preparing food."

"So do I," Lirha empathized while hopping off the bed and getting back to her feet. "I will invite you to cook for us one of these evenings." She reached up both green hands to re-tie her stray locks of black hair back into a short ponytail. "For now, if there is nothing else? I must be going."

"You are good captain. Officially signed off and I do look forward to cooking for you. French haute cuisine is my specialty if that is of interest. Now shoo..." Allyndra made motions with her hands but her tone was light and just a little teasing.

"Gladly," responded Lirha to both elements of the doctor's last statement with a lighthearted posture and a slight curl to the side of her lip. She gave a faint wave of appreciation as she walked out of sickbay and headed to the next daily errand on her list.

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

Cmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Second and Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A

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