The doctor will see you now. I said now!

Posted on 22 Nov 2023 @ 4:37pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark & Petty Officer 2nd Class Leon Inaros

2,285 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD 17, 11:30

[ON]

Nurse Inaros was catching up on the paperwork, double checking the information available to him. It was the things that needed to be done, and he liked to be the one to do it. If he was going to be a charge nurse in the future, this would be part of the job. So it was more coincidence that led him to Gabriel Stark's file, and the note on them. He frowned, checking the last medical and counselling dates. And then he sighed. One of those. That avoided the appointments, or kept silent when they were due in the hopes they'd be forgotten.

Well. Tough. He tapped his combadge, standing. "Inaros to Stark. Please report to sickbay for your medical check up."

For a moment or two, there *may* have been an audible groan from the other end of the commlink. "On my way," Gabriel finally responded with an overly cheerful voice. It only took a few minutes for him to arrive at Sickbay, wearing casual clothes rather than his uniform. Black denim jeans with a tshirt that seemed to have some band's logo on it. "I didn't know I had an appointment...."

Leon watched him, meeting his eyes. "You've had several. Cancelled, forgotten..." he motioned to the biobed. "I'm nurse Inaros. I am going to give you your medical check up, and make sure you show up to the ones the doctors want you to do."

Gabriel moved to sit on the bed, and took the chance of facing away from him to roll his eyes. He watched him, his hands drumming against the edge of the bed. "It's not my fault...I've barely had chance to sleep the last weeks. And half the time it wasn't even me that cancelled."

Leon moved to his side, watching him for a long moment. "You're right, half the time it wasn't you," he said, lightly, before he gave the other man a small smile. "I'm just here to rectify it. Ease back, Mr Stark. And you can tell me how you feel you are doing."

Gabriel watched him for a long moment, his eyes dark. He gave in though, lying back and stretching to try and get comfortable on the unforgiving bed. "I've had alcohol," he admitted openly, knowing there was no point in lying to the doctor. The scans would show up any fibs. And by now he was used to the humiliation of having to rattle off a checklist of his past vices to prove he was still on the straight and narrow. "But no drugs, well, just caffeine and painkillers. Physical pursuits have been controlled. No harm done. Just a whining wrist from boxing. And no 'casual social partners' since my last visit."

Leon looked at him for a moment before he chuckled. He couldn't stop himself, the chuckle came naturally from the way he said it. "Is social partners what people on this ship call someone to connect to, have fun with and slash or a one night stand?" he asked, taking the medical tricorder to run over him. "Back in my day we called it...relief or relationships. Depending who you were."

Gabriel relaxed at the other man's manner, letting out a soft breath as he became less brittle about it. "Casual sex," he clarified with a roll of his eyes. "Promiscuity can be unhealthy, apparently."

"Wow, here I thought exploding consoles and prissy Admirals were the real danger," Leon said before he smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Consensual sex is pretty amazing. I know if you use it as a coping mechanism for other trauma it's...less savoury, but I honestly don't see anything wrong with sex for the sake of sex. But then again, I suppose things are...were different for Marines than for regular Fleet."

"Oh I'm with you all the way, mate," Gabriel assured him with wide, dark eyes, holding his arms out as if to say 'right?!'. "It was identified as one of my 'addictions' that needed to be kept under control," he let his arms drop back onto his chest with frustration.

Leon looked at him, reaching to touch his shoulder. He watched him without any judgement, or pity. Just a gentle smile. "And was it?" The man would know himself better than anyone else. And he looked like he'd be honest enough with himself.

"Well...maybe..." Gabriel rolled his eyes slightly, letting out a deep sigh. "It doesn't make it any less demeaning having to keep coming to medicals to prove I'm not damaging myself." And even if he were, it was no one elses business. It wasn't clear if that was the fundamental purpose of his mandatory medicals, but it seemed that's how he saw it.

Leon nodded at the words, even as he scanned him. "Well, how about we look at just making them regular ones, to make sure you as a Security Officer aren't about to collapse on duty instead?" he said, meeting his eyes. "Because by the sounds of it, you're getting about as much fun as I am nowadays."

"I mean, the lack of excitement on a small ship like this puts most rehab units to shame," Gabriel agreed, but he was watching him with interest. At how he was actually listening to him, and was willing to adapt to what he was saying.

"Well then, means I don't have to record some speech that sounds like a holier-than-thou version of do as I say, not as I do," Leon said playfully before he looked at the results coming in. "Left wrist from boxing, was it?"

Gabriel nodded, arching an eyebrow as he watched him carefully. "It's not a reckless sport," he cut off any protests. "I know what I'm doing, just...was caught off guard."

Leon looked at him, a small smile coming to him. "Don't...take this the wrong way," he said, his voice gentle as he continued scanning him. "But are you used to the medical staff jumping down your throat? You...seem a bit defensive." And that would explain it.

"I mean...maybe..." Gabriel gave a half shrug, frowning where he was laid out on the bed. "Ever since I can remember to be honest. And I hate having to justify my way of life."

"Alright, let's make a deal then," Leon said softly as he looked at the screen. "I don't judge you, and you don't justify. You're an adult and...all I care about is that you are alright. The hows and whys you got a..." he looked at the readout. "...scaphoid fracture of your wrist really isn't that relevant. You know, unless someone hurt you." He looked at Gabriel and smiled, a surprisingly warm smile.

Gabriel couldn't quite keep his surprise from his eyes. He watched him, to try and spot any sign of insincerity, but he only saw honesty. "No lists?"

Leon looked at him before he shook his head. "Look, I am not a doctor. I'm a nurse. But I can still do the medicals to keep Starfleet happy. Truth is, I don't...believe in lists. Besides, you feeling forced to be here and get judged basically made you avoid sickbay like the plague. Your wrist has to hurt when you grab things...I can fix that." And besides, he had known many Marines who would just push back against mandated things, because it made them feel trapped. He suspected the man on the biobed didn't like these things for the same reason. Fear of being trapped, to not have any choice.

Gabriel remained silent for a long moment, his jaw tight as he swallowed back the emotion of what he was offering. "Thank you," he said softly.

He finished scanning him, stepping back and taking the osteo-regenerator. He took a gentle hold of Gabriel's left hand, holding it as he healed the hairline fracture. "No need to thank me," he said, his voice quiet. "Sometimes, medicine is about more than just ticking boxes. Or boxing someone in."

"I'll take your word for it," Gabriel teased him lightly, but he was visibly more relaxed now, the tension in his body melting.

Leon smiled at that, nodding as he watched him. "I know things are difficult without a counselor around. And I know it won't..." he paused, trying to find a way to say it. "Count. But if you need a listening ear, I used to be pretty okay at it in Marines. Not like Commander Blake, but...a good ear to listen when people needed to rant if it prevented them from punching an officer."

Gabriel chuckled at the way he put it, narrowing his eyes as he watched him intently. "Hm...yeah...I bet you have a right temper buried deep down in there somewhere. Takes one to know one."

He made a face before he chuckled. "Yes, somewhere," he finally admitted before he shook his head. "But not as much as others, so don't worry about me getting angry at you, Stark. Takes a lot to get my temper flaring."

"I'm jealous," Gabriel chuckled weakly, shaking his head before settling it back against the bed to look at the ceiling. It had always been his weakness. Even when he was a teen. It was always there, in the back of his mind. His potential to screw things up.

Leon finished with the wrist, watching him for a moment at the way he seemed to have gone in on himself. He gave his hand a little squeeze before checking movement of the wrist. "Having a temper means you feel. A lot. And are passionate." He nodded with approval of his work before he studied him. "When you get older, it'll...what triggers it will change."

"What triggers yours?" Gabriel asked out of nowhere, but there was genuine curiosity glinting in his dark eyes.

"Injustice," Leon said quietly and looked at him, swallowing. "Things being unfair. I never liked it and I...have lost my temper at people for it. Also, emotional pain. I've never been good at handling my own...most likely why I never settled down."

"You and me both," Gabriel murmured quietly but honestly, shaking his head slightly as he stretched his arm up to rest over his head.

Leon nodded and finished, watching him for a long moment. "Emotional pain can't always be avoided," he said after another moment passed. "As for getting angry at injustice...I think it's natural."

"We should put capes and masks on," Gabriel looked to him with a small, teasing smile, shaking his head lightly. It was easier to joke things off than be sincere.

"I think we already do when we put on the uniform," he said quietly, but with a small smile as he met his eyes. "Is there anything that is bothering you? Physically? I'm not here to stop you working, just...here to help."

"Other than alcohol withdrawal, I'm doing alright," Gabriel chuckled softly, clearly only ribbing him as he shifted up onto his elbows. "Honestly, I'm usually pretty healthy, despite the order for regular medical and counselling sessions. I'm...fine."

"So why do you get send for regular medicals?" Leon asked softly, looking at him with a small smile. He motioned to the screen that showed his results. All good. And no trace of any illegal drugs in his system.

"You tell me," Gabriel rolled his eyes, sitting up on the edge as he took a breath, looking to the results for himself. "I guess they were worried I'd slip back into bad habits."

"That was a long time ago, wasn't it?" Leon said as he studied the younger man. "And your circumstances have changed. You've worked hard and you're a vital part of the ship. Trust...goes both ways. I get that. So...I might suggest that your regular medicals get cut back."

Gabriel looked to him with surprise, his throat tightening. It was a struggle to hold his emotion back at the words, at the trust he was offering. He couldn't remember anyone else saying something like it before...like he was the first person to say they didn't assume he'd mess his life up. He nodded, looking down down as he took a shallow breath. "Thanks."

"It's okay, I honestly don't see the point of them that frequently. We have enough people with frequent visiting passes here, don't need a perfectly healthy man added to the list," Leon said lightly, having heard the emotions in Gabriel's voice and wanting to...make it seem less of a big thing. And he realised he wasn't good at receiving a 'thank you'. "You're fit, Stark. I can't speak for the counselling side of it, but physical you're fit."

Gabriel hopped back onto his feet, jumping lightly up and down for a moment, as if testing it out. "So I can have ten rounds of cocktails to celebrate and decimate Aria's chocolate supply?" he teased.

"If you can find alcohol here...please, share with a nurse," he said playfully, giving a nod. "A bit of chocolate won't hurt you, so you can celebrate with that. At your own risk...taking from someone else can be dangerous!"

"Yeah, Aria looks like a poppet, but honestly, she can be scarier than a hungry lion and could drop kick a Cardassian. I know, I've seen it," Gabriel laughed softly, watching him with shining, dark eyes. "Thanks for this. Let's catch up for a drink at somepoint, alright?"

"Sure," he looked at him with surprise at the offer before grinning. "I'd like that, Stark."

[OFF]

PO2 Leon Inaros
Nurse
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

PO1 Gabriel Stark
Security/Tactical
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

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