Shiny new sickbay...

Posted on 12 Sep 2018 @ 11:50pm by Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen M.D. & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim

1,638 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Avondale Shipyards
Timeline: MD 144 1800

[ON]

Inside the sickbay of the new Galileo, Tuula was busy making herself at home. She hadn't yet met her new chief and didn't know who he or she would be, but she had already begun adding some of her personal kitschy office decorations to the bland decor of the brand new sickbay. Of course, instead of sports paraphernalia and cat photos, she had gone for bone saws and replica skulls. She hoped her new chief would appreciate it; her first chief, straight out of med school when she was still a resident, was a Vulcan who had no appreciation for the fun side of practicing medicine.

As she was up against the wall, trying to get the bone saw mounted just right, she heard the whoosh of the doors behind her.

Allyndra almost laughed as she saw that Tuula had already put her rather unique touches on the sickbay already. She wondered if the tools were fresh finds or replicas as everything else on the old ship had been lost.

"You know, the Talarian skull would look better if it had an axe head embedded in it," she finally commented.

Gently placing her bone saw down on the mantle which she was mounting it on, Tuula instantly recognized the voice behind her. "Allyndra!" she called out in excitement, quickly spinning in place before pushing herself towards the slender Akkadian woman. "It's so good to see you!" she added as she wrapped her arms around her, giving her new chief a big hug.

Allyndra was a bit surprised at the reaction but gave a hug back. It was something that most Akkadians did not do. "And you as well. How have you been? I have not seen you since well, since we got rescued. Come one, take a pause in your decorating and tell me everything."

"I've been... well..." Tuula paused for a moment, recalling the battery of tests that Starfleet had subjected her to before letting her back on duty. "The important thing is that I'm here now, with a clean bill of health." For a split second, she glanced down at her legs in the chair. "Well, mostly clean."

Allyndra made a depreciating gesture. "As good as the old ship. Well, so far the Akkadian gene work has not worked. I do apologize, I guess things have not gone on as well as I had hoped or translated or understood."

"That's fine," replied Tuula. She had learned over the past few years not to get excited about the wonder cures that her colleagues would rave about. "I'm just happy to be back at work at last."

"And the next of the line of the Galileo. I am not sure about you, but trust me I thought I would be resigning and returning to Akkadia full time. I am not sure I am ready to be a House Mother full time. So show me around, this is the first I have been in here."

"I think you would be a great House Mother," replied Tuula as she pushed herself backwards and spun in place. "It's a lot like the old ship, but everything is just so much nicer. Check out the ramp to the office... and this biobed!" Quickly, Tuula darted over towards the new biobed. "Top of the line sensors, automatic calibration, it's the best!"

"And the surgical one is up to your standard? You know we hardly had the full chance, but I am making you the front line surgeon. Your skill is way better than mine." Allyndra replied quietly while looking over the biobed.

"Really?" exclaimed Tuula, her eyes going wide like a child on Christmas morning. "Thank you, thank you so much!" she exclaimed, pushing herself forward to give Allyndra another big hug.

"Not at all, talent is recognized where it is deserved and you certainly have the talent, now then, give me a rundown on the surgical bed." Allyndra put a hand briefly on Tuula along with a smile.

Tuula quickly pushed herself over to the bed. "It's a top of the line mark eight, with all the bells and whistles. An extremely powerful sensor cluster, three axis positional adjustment for maximum ergonomics, adjustable firmness of the padding for maximum patient comfort, and built-in restraining and stasis fields..." As she was excitedly describing all the bells and whistles, she found herself pushing herself around the bed and made her way to the far side. She pressed a button, lifting up the sensor cluster, which, unlike on the classic biobeds, folded out only on one side so as not to completely cover up the patient. "And look, it's self-calibrating and self-cleaning," she added as she activated the automatic baryon cleaning device, which in an impressive show of lights, vaporized any organic matter on the surface of the bed.

"Very good and how about privacy? The last thing we need is like that one time with everyone seeing everything occurring. I had privacy statis screens installed on the old Galileo but that was not spec. Have things changed?"

"I'm sure if you put in a request, you could get them installed," replied Tuula. "Though I don't see why we should deprive our patients of stimulating entertainment. I mean, I'm always up to watch a good surgery in an observation room; I wouldn't say no to front row seats,"

"Trust me not everyone has your fascination with inner workings of beings. Very well, let me put in the request then. Anyway from the quick specifications I looked over it appears that we have a larger spot for laboratory. Now that is where I like it, want to show me that place?"

"Oooh, sounds exciting!" said Tuula, wondering what wonders of new diagnostic technology might exist in the new lab.

Allyndra led the way still looking at the schematic on a PaDD. She would know everything and every place like the back of her own hands but things were in different spots. The sickbay while having one extra bed had done so with the loss of the office space. It was definitely smaller but still workable.

The lab was larger and better equipped when they entered. "Oh! Nice! I will not be having to run to the science sections mass composition analyzer. We have our own."

"That's awesome!" exclaimed Tuula, still excited as she followed Allyndra around. As she did so, an idea came into her head. "Say, do we have an EMH? Have you met him or her yet?"

"No I have not activated it yet. Thought maybe in a bit later but go ahead if you wish."

"Well, I hope we get one that is easy on the eyes," she replied, "Perhaps one that is tall and swarthy, with just a little bit of stubble... or maybe a cute Bolian..."

"No, no Bolians of any kind!" Allyndra hastily added. She looked a little embarressed about the outburst and then said, "Reminds me too much of Doctor Mott. We were good friends and it still kind of tugs at emotions for some reason."

"Oh come on," teased Tuula, having clearly hit a rich vein for friendly taunting. "You know what they say, once you go blue, pink just won't do."

"I would not know," Allyndra looked at Tuula pointedly. "Besides it seems anyone I get that close to seems to be drift away or vanish from the universe. I think I have a curse on me. Three years voyage and not an Irsemia House in sight, perhaps might have to set up a holodeck programme. I am not ready to become an celibate 'Anake quite yet."

"You and me both," replied Tuula, before turning and pushing herself towards the side of the room to inspect some medical equipment. "You know what our problem is? Most men feel intimidated by intelligent, beautiful, successful women. That's why it's so hard for people like us to get a date, never mind a meaningful relationship." Tuula sighed longingly as she scrolled through the touch screen control on a spectrometer. "I should have handcuffed Olsam to my bed and had my way with him when I had the chance."

"What is the human phrase...you sleep you miss out or something like that," Allyndra replied and then added, "He'wai M'akani O'hunano." She smiled and translated, "Strictly speaking it means miss the wind, stay on the ground. Basically one has to take one's opportunities as they come."

"Makes sense," replied Tuula. "And I suppose being an ACMO is one of those opportunities..."

"Indeed, but while that is a technical position for you, informally unless I can convince command, you are head surgeon. Also, I am going to ask to continue to try my hand at the bridge still so there will that extra burden on you as well. So..." Allyndra took one of the ancient scalpels that Tuula had decorated the wall with and touched it from one shoulder to the other with the flat end of the blade. "Thus, Tuula Voutilainen, I dub thee Head Surgeon of the Galileo-A."

Tuula smiled at the little impromptu knighting ceremony. "Thanks!" she exclaimed, a tear of joy beginning to form at the corner of her eye. "Head surgeon... it's like a dream come true."

"Then we must celebrate. We are still in port and thus real alcohol is allowed and I feel getting a good drunk on. It maybe our last in a while. Shall we?"

"Absinthe cocktails?" asked Tuula, wiping away the errant tear before it could damage her dark eyeliner. "We shall."

"With lot's of sugar," Allyndra replied. She had tried the somewhat odd cocktail but had been delighted when she found that one used sugar many times.

[OFF]

Lt. Tuula Voutilainen
Head Surgeon
USS Galileo

Cmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A

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