Fresh meat for both the body and mind

Posted on 04 Sep 2016 @ 4:25am by Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen M.D. & Lieutenant JG Braxton MacKenzie & Ensign Ibrahim Qureshi M.D. & Ensign Splendora Nightingale
Edited on on 09 Sep 2016 @ 1:43am

2,322 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 12 - Recluse
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3 - Sickbay
Timeline: MD -05 Time 1600 Hours

ON:

"Check ins," Allyndra said to the assembled sickbay team. "You just have to love them. We have some more to handle today. A scientist and a counselor," Allyndra nodded toward Tuula. "I believe she is your new room mate?"

"Oh really?" asked Tuula. Her quarters had been empty since Jaana left, and while she liked the extra space, she was starting to get a little lonely. "I haven't even checked the quarters assignments in two weeks."

"That is what I got looking from the room assignments." Allyndra smiled ans added, "A perk of being Exec Officer if only temporarily and I have been asked to serve gamma as second so such things go past my desk now."

Splendora had dropped her trunk and things in her room and changed into her uniform. She'd met with her department head briefly and now off to medical.

As she walked towards the sickbay she reflected on her roommate's decorations. Most of them were cool..the saws, however, were...a tad creepy. But hey who was she to judge. She was often called the Goth of ships past. She shrugged as she she walked in to sickbay to see the doctors assembled.

Brax hated the whole medical thing. He wondered if anyone had read his file. He wasn't even sure what was in it or if he wanted to know. He entered sickbay to see all the doctors assembled. He oddly felt like the main course at a dinner he was invited to attend. Images of dissection ran through his head or was that a stray thought from one of the doctors...or the Cardassian on one of the bio beds.

"Hello!" called out Tuula as she saw the two new crew members walk in. Her hair and makeup was done in the usual manner -- mostly black with some teal highlights to match her uniform. "You must be the fresh meat," she added, before offering them a smile as she rolled towards them. "I love your hair, by the way," she added, looking over towards Splendora. "Is that your natural colour?"

Splendora smiled. "Sure is."

Braxton took a step back. "Fresh meat?" He looked at the smaller of the two women. The CMO he knew from her file photo. "He hoped he got her as his doctor...the Fresh meat comment....it....unnerved him.

"Oh wow!" exclaimed Tuula, gushing over Splendora's hair while ignoring Braxton for the moment. "You're so lucky... I always have to touch up my roots. Believe it or not..." she lowered her voice, though continued to speak with her distinctive Finnish accent, "I'm a natural blonde. Though black is my favourite colour."

Splendora smiled. "I have three. Black, heavy purple and dark green. Once I settle in a bit and get unpacked we'll talk hair." She grinned. How I hope you don't mind pets. I have a Raven."

"A raven?!" exclaimed Tuula. "That's so awesome! I hope he plays nice with Gilbert!"

"Who's Gilbert?" Splendora asked.

"My pet tribble." Tuula smiled for a moment, thinking of the cute little pink thing. "He's named after my favourite librettist."

Splendora smiled. "I've never met tribble. Looking forward to it." She looked at Braxton. There was something familiar about his voice...She shook her head. "Tuula how about you do my exam." She said.

Tuula glanced up at Allyndra for a moment, and seeing her nod, turned back towards Splendora. "Sounds great! Have a seat on one of the biobeds, and I'll pull up your medical file and be with you in a bit." As she headed to the office, she took one last glance over her shoulder. "Oh, and don't worry. We don't bite. Mostly."

Splendora chuckled. She hopped up on the bio bed. She'd been on leave for a year but had been mostly healthy. She did have the odd flu over the last year but other then that she was healthy. She had been having trouble sleeping though. She wondered if she should ask the woman.

Qureshi followed behind Tuula. He hated medical check ins, but mainly because they never really presented him with opportunities to perform complicated procedures and get the hours necessary for his emergency internal medicine specialization. He looked zoned out, like a zombie shuffling along. This was his second shift of the day, or was it his first shift? He was so tired he could practically feel the weight of the bags under his eyes.

**************************

Braxton looked at the woman beside him. There was something so familiar about her. He wouldn't reach out telepathically he'd actually put a block on her knowing that she was a telepath but something about her voice... He was shaken from his thoughts by the CMO.

"Well sir sounds as if you have me, Allyndra the Chief Medical and Second Officer. Welcome aboard and let us take biobed three here." She indicated the one closest to her office.

Braxton sat down on the bio bed feeling happy he got the pretty young lady as opposed to the pretty, scary lady. He wondered if she had read his medical file. Usually there were always questions. He hated that.

Allyndra nodded her head. ""Please lay back, is there anything that has changed since your last check up?"

"Not really. Physical wise. I did have the flu about three weeks ago so I still have a cough."

"Hmmm.......alright. Let me take a look now." Allyndra started the scan. "While I get this I usually ask if anything new, but you answered that and the other is if you have any questions about me, sickbay or the ship that I can answer."

"Not really, I read up on the ship and some of the crew. I updated on the science issues here and look forward to meeting the science staff. I am curious thought now that I think about it. Some sickbays require that appointments are made weeks ahead what is the procedure here if I wish to see a medical officer?" He kept his voice professional but struggled a bit with the words because of his accent.

"We are not normally that busy and think of sickbay as a sort of walk in urgent care place. Most tend to avoid this area as though they are going to pick up Rigillian plague or some nonsense. Hmm......." Allyndra replied to the question and looked at the readings. "There are indications of elevated immune response in the lungs. Please sit up." She asked. Though it was a bit old fashioned there was nothing still like hands on work and she fetched basically an updated stethoscope, it could electronically enhance the sounds.

She placed it on his back and said, "Breath in deep, and out." She repeated the same on the other side and then nodded. "Indeed, I would say you have some persistent bronchitis. How long has it been?"

Brax shrugged. "I was consulting on a dig last month was ill then got better but the cough was still there it's just been gettin' worse as of late,"he said.

"I am going to prescribe an anti-inflammatory. It should help and I am going to ask you to check back in, in a week for a follow up. Otherwise," she glanced at the monitor and then the PaDD. "You look healthy enough."

"So finally I need a DNA sample," Allyndra said and got the vial with swab. "If you can open your mouth."

He opened his mouth.

She made a swipe and then dropped the swab into the vial again. "Very good, you are certified on your medical." She paused a moment and asked, "Any particular projects that interest you?"

"Everything science. I am partial to archaeology thought." He said smiling.

"Interesting, perhaps you might like to look at a book or two from my homeworld? I have put some translation algorithms into the computer but they are old Akkadian and I have not fully garnered the drift in the language."

"I look forward to it ma'am." He bowed. "Thank you for your help."

"Allyndra," she admonishedd with a wave of fore finger. "No such formality here. Now come on, the book is in my office." She turned and headed toward the small office.

Braxton followed.

"Here you go," she fetched the book from a drawer. It was a real book, real binding obviously done by hand and the pages a bit stiff with age with idiographic writing done by hand in ink.

Braxton admired the book. As he held it his whole face transformed. "It..it's beautiful." He smiled as he opened it carefully and looked through it. He smiled at her this time, a strikingly handsome smile one that he didn't let people often see.

"Enjoy, it might prove though to be dull reading. It is mostly about some of the experiments done that gave us the ability to regenerate. Nothing good like a history or a romance novel."

He smiled. "I read the first not the second. Romance is...best left to those who wish it." He patted the book. "I will have it read and back to you by tomorrow."

"There is no hurry and as I said, the translation algorithm is not very good. There was drift in the language and some of the idioms are ones that I have no references for, so gaps."

"It's okay. I barely sleep at night. I get a good hour or so, so I can us the computer to help. I'll have it read and I'll keep a PADD on the side to write down anything that can help with the idioms."

"Enjoy, then but you should get more rest. Officially as ship's physician I will recommend that, but not order it."

He looked away. The nightmares were back. He feared going to sleep but how would he tell that to her. "Maybe there is something I can take for sleeping?" he asked.

"Of course," Allyndra replied. "However, why are you having trouble?"

Braxton shrugged. "Bad dreams." He said honestly. "Anything you can do to help would be much appreciated."

Allyndra raised an eyebrow. She nodded her chin toward the chair. "What kind of bad dreams." She smiled. "I was a Counselor, but here I am just the doctor, what we talk about does not have to go into a Counseling record unlike going to see the Counselor. That is if you would like to talk."

He pushed out a smile he didn't quite feel. "Long story. All I'll say is bad memories. I just need a few nights sleep."

"Very well, I will prescribe something for a few days, but if they persist it is either me, or officially the Counselors. Agreed?"

He gave a nod. "Thank you doctor." He held up the book. "And for the book."


***************************

Meanwhile...

After a few minutes, Tuula rolled excitedly towards Splendora with a PADD in her lap. "A Betazoid-Romulan hybrid," she mused out loud, totally fascinated by Splendora's medical file. "I've never seen one before; you must have the most fascinating anatomy..."

Splendora smiled. "Yes I'd like to think so. The hair is Romulan as are the eyes and strength, Betazoids tend to have black eyes but the sense and mind abilities are Betazoid, I had the ears shaved down to look like standard betazoid and no ridges. So it's all good."

"Awwwww that's too bad. Vulcanoid ears are so cool!" exclaimed Tuula as she pulled out her favourite tricorder, the black one with the engraving of the skull on it. "Body modification is awesome though. Do you have any other mods?"

She shrugged. "Nope. Just thinking of getting some Tattoos done."

"Tattoos are awesome!" exclaimed Tuula, almost bouncing out of her chair. She placed her tricorder down and interrupted her scan to roll up her sleeves, revealing a small sample of the ink adorning her body. "I've lost track of how many I have..." she admitted. "There's nothing like the feeling of getting some fresh ink..."

Splendora smiled. "Well those look awesome!" She figured she wouldn't have a problem with her roommate. "Oh...Question for you. Do you have something to help with sleep?"

"Hmmmm..." Tuula paused for a moment as she got back to her scanning. "I can give you something, though I would want to follow up with you in a couple weeks to make sure that there is no underlying issue such as sleep apnea. You don't snore, do you?"

Splendora laughed. "No. Just stress keeps me a awake."

"Okay, well, I do have a prescription for that," replied Tuula confidently as she pressed a couple buttons on her PADD.

"What's that?" Splendora asked already liking her roomie. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad having a roommate.

"Thirty minutes in the sauna, at least once a week. Possibly two to three," she explained. "Try out Voutilainen-Alpha-Four on the holodeck. I'd be happy to join you if you require assistance or company during your treatment."

"Sounds like fun. I prefer the heat."

Splendora turned to the other doctor standing there. She felt bad that they had ignored him.

"Hi Ensign. Are you a new doctor?" She asked to include the man.

Qureshi didn't say anything. He stared off, looking at nothing in particular. Back in med school he'd learned how to fall asleep standing. It came in handy for when he needed to do power naps. He blinked once, then twice, then suddenly his lights lit up when he realized he was being addressed. "Forty-seven," he blurted out suddenly.

"I'm sorry," said Tuula in a deadpan voice. "The correct answer is forty-two. I'm afraid you'll have to do more reading."

[OFF]

****************************

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

&

Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

&

Lt. JG Braxton MacKenzie
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

&

Ensign Splendora Sage
Counselor
USS Galileo

&

Ensign Ibrahim Qureshi
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

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