Shortlisted

Posted on 29 Sep 2024 @ 2:52am by Commander Morgan Tarin & Lieutenant JG Nusien

2,437 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 20 - Reconstruction
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 2, Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD 02, 2004 hrs

[ON]

The ready room door swished open and out stepped USS Galileo-A's newest yellow-collared chief of security into the surrounding corridor and back on their way to business. Yet another personnel change had been accomplished, and inside the small administrative chamber, Commander Morgan Tarin sat behind her desk continuing to methodically process all pertinent crew changes within the scrolling list on her primary PADD. She paused for a minute to stretch, arching her long back and raising her arms above her head until the muscles in her neck loosened and the vertebrae in her upper spine gently popped in relief.

"Tarin to Nusien, report to my office," was her next instruction after tapping her commbadge to notify the Edosian medical officer below decks. Once more the shuffling of inter-department positions would take place; and it wouldn't be the last to occur on this day.

Nusien had enjoyed some off duty time in his quarters. He practiced the Edosian harp when his comm badge went off and the request from the Captain was heard. He tapped his badge: "Acknowledged! I am on my way." he replied.

Moments later he stood in front of the Ready Room door and pressed the door chime. Nusien always enjoyed his conversations with the Captain, however, his curiosity was piqued as he wondered what this would be about.

"Enter." The small door swished open and presented the interior of the room to the tall tripedal humanoid.

Nusien ducked through the doorway and entered. He came to the front of the Captain's desk and came to attention. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Nusien reporting as ordered. Captain!"

"Lieutenant," the captain curtly greeted the bronze-skinned medical officer before gesturing to a customized stool which had been replicated to accommodate his unique physiology. "I imagine it's been a busy day for you. How are things in sickbay? How many remaining crew physicals are pending across the new personnel we took on today?"

"I believe the Commander and I have gotten through most of them. There should be about ten more to do. Other than that Sick Bay is relatively quiet, thankfully. Mine is a job that you hope gets boring." Nusien chuckled and smiled at his joke. But, it was also the truth when you worked in the medical field you often hoped that you would not have any patients.

Tarin expressed her own private smirk at the doctor's jest. "I agree. The moment your department becomes busy is the moment I dread the most. Let's enjoy the boredom while it lasts, yes?" She looked down to her PADD and the still-scrolling list of new Galileo personnel who'd yet to be cleared by medical for this new assignment. "There's an influx of new crew coming aboard which you're no doubt aware of...and also several outgoing transfers. Most notably, Commander Blake, our former XO." She wasn't quite sure if the news had made its way through the ship's ranks yet.

"Tending to patients you hear a lot of rumor and scuttlebutt as it were. I had heard that she was leaving but not to where or why. At least not officially. The reasoning that most have latched on to was that she was promoted and would be getting a command of her own. As to the new crew coming aboard, I have already scheduled them for their onboarding physical. Messages informing them when they are to report to Sick Bay have gone out. This was done of course with the permission of Dr Warraquim" Nusien like all of his kind were extroverted and he had a tendency to rattle on. He realized this and stopped talking, this was something he had to tell himself to do since he joined Starfleet.

"Promoted and reassigned," Tarin confirmed with a single nod. That was the entirety of what she was allowed to divulge surrounding personnel movements within the sector, for operational security within the Pleiades Cluster region had long been on a 'need to know' basis. It was good to hear the news of new crew processing. Possessing a small medical staff typical of Nova-class starships, Galileo would have her hands full over the coming days while a plethora of new personnel acclimated to the vessel and turned it into their new home. But her thoughts quickly returned to her previous confirmation, for that was the most important matter to discuss with the tripedal doctor. "In wake of her absence from the ship, I've consulted with Commander Warraquim and promoted her to the position of first officer," she then revealed. "It's a big step for her - one well-earned through her years of service and practical experience across many different starships. She'll still be green for a few months, but I expect her to handle the adjustment well."

The news of the Commander's promotion welled some excitement within Nusien. This could mean that he would become the Chief Medical Officer. However, he did not want to be presumptuous. So, he made sure to keep that well inside. "That is fantastic news. I will have to send her my congratulations. She will be an excellent First Officer, I am sure."

"I certainly believe so," agreed the captain with a momentary tilt of her head to acknowledge the unknown factor present among within all new promotions. "I wouldn't have selected her if I didn't feel she was the right person for the job. Which brings us to the reason I called you here." Cutting through the pleasantries wasn't always ideal but was sometimes necessary, in Tarin's experience. "You're a smart man, doctor. I assume you can see what's on the table for you, now. I need a new chief medical officer and my list is short."

Nusien nodded in agreement with what the Captain said. "Yes of course I can see what is out there for me. However, I would never want to be presumptuous. If I am on your list I would much desire the position."

That was a good first step. Tarin wasn't particularly fond of promoting those to senior-level rates who didn't express a passion and desire for the duty. But it wasn't quite enough. Not yet, anyway. "Tell me why, then - why do you want to do this job and take on the responsibility of managing an entire department? You'd have much more free time to explore your interest in infectious diseases if you stayed in your current role."

The Captain was of course correct, however, Nusien believed that she missed some key factors. "If I may I would like to address your last point first. As a Chief Medical Officer it would literally be my charge to cure the incurable, to make sure this crew and ship are safe from the undiscovered country as it were. If there ever was a job for a Diagnostician that is it. As to your first question... Most Starfleet Officers seek to become Captains or Admirals and the like. As for me I seek to simply run a Sick Bay, to heal people and teach other Doctors how to look at things from all angles. Ideally I would like to teach as well as heal. I enjoy being along for the ride as the ship and crew investigates nebulae and the like. But for me the best rush as it were is when someone walks out of my Sick Bay as healthy as ever."

Tarin had listened to many different officers' career ambitions throughout her two decades in Starfleet. Like the medical officer stated, many set their sights on higher organizational goals involving a well-defined path of progression, and it was therefore rare to encounter an individual who truly had no such greater aspirations. Rare, but not unheard of. "Are you saying you'd be content to serve as a deployed doctor indefinitely?" she attempted to clarify.

"No Captain, not deployed. In a perfect world I would be assigned to Starfleet Medical to create and lead a Diagnostic Medicine Department. That would continue to allow me to heal while, also allowing me to do what I love. However, at the moment I rather love being out here learning and exploring with everyone." Nusien rather enjoyed the conversation but he was curious to see where this was going.

"Starfleet Medical..." she mused in an audible mumble to herself. "Well, there's no better institution in the galaxy in which to explore the discipline of medicine," she agreed, expressing a conceding cock of her head to the side. "A few tours of duty aboard Galileo would look good on your service record for when you eventually decide to apply." Tarin then raised a pointed finger to temper expectations, "But it's important to put that aspiration to the side and focus on the present and not the future. If you can do that - truly - and commit yourself to this posting, I can't think of a reason to deny you this opportunity."

"Living in the present is all that we Edosians know. It comes from having such a large family. Must pay attention to the here and now sort of thing. Captain, I must thank you. I will not let you, this crew, or this ship down." There was a tone of excitement building in Nusien's voice as he spoke. Chief Medical Officer of a ship of the line would be a nice feather in his cap as the saying went.

She clasped her hands at her waist and lightly rubbed one of her short fingernails against the calloused skin on her opposite thumb. A silence developed during which she performed a final consideration of whether or not this would truly be the best decision for Galileo and its crew. The doctor was amicable enough and certainly knowledgeable as well as qualified. But it was the intangibles she always worried about; those discreet elements not always revealed within a service record or through visual observation which had a tendency to separate mediocre officers from good ones, and strong ones from exceptional ones. The great unknown, as she privately referred to it. "See to it that you don't, doctor. This assignment affords little margin for error. Serve out here long enough and people will die under your care despite your best efforts. Some of them might be your friends and colleagues. Don't get too close to anyone and make sure you stay focused on our objectives."

Tarin then pushed her chair back and rose to her feet before walking around the side of her desk to stand before him. Her tall Human physique was dwarfed by his even-taller Edosian biology. She extended a formal hand for him to shake. "Congratulations, Mister Nusien. Sickbay is yours."

Nusien had become knowledgeable of Human customs while on Earth and throughout his career. To that end he extended his right hand as was human custom. "Captain, thank you. I will keep this crew healthy and safe for as long as the charge is mine."

"Any questions for me before you begin your new duties?" she asked after releasing his hand. It was prudent to afford him the chance to inquire about anything which might be on his mind pertaining to the medical bay, the department's personnel, or procedures.

Nusien had served in one capacity or another in a Sick Bay for some time. He was well versed in how things should be run etc. He also knew that Commander Warraquim kept good records as to the medical state of the crew. Which left him with one question. "Do you require me to be on the Bridge or shall I remain in Sick Bay unless summoned?" Most of the time doctors remained in Sick Bay, but there was a station on the Bridge for the Chief Medical Officer. Nusien's omnipresent smile broadened "I would also like to know if you are like typical Captains when it comes to your own health?"

"Bridge duty? No. Not until you complete full certification for Nova-class command," she answered with a single shake of her head. "That said, you're welcome to enter and observe standard operations - assuming you don't have other duties in sickbay." Most department heads were afforded such luxuries in her prior experience aboard other starships and she didn't intend for Galileo to be the exception. "As to my health needs...you'll have to be more specific."

"It is a known tradition in Starfleet Medical that Captains make the worst patients. They do not willingly report for yearly physicals. So, my question is directed at whether or not you would follow that tradition." Nusien remained smiling in an effort to let the Captain know that he was kidding. Captain Tarin was a hard one for him to read.

Her hazel eyes slightly creased along with a subtle raise of her slim eyebrows. "And here I thought it was a known fact that doctors make the worst patients," she dryly countered. They did. At least, in her experience. Nonetheless, the question deserved an appropriate answer. "I've never fallen behind on any of my mandatory medical evaluations. Whether or not the time and place of them suits your desired schedule is another matter."

Whether she meant it as a joke or not Nusien was not aware. However, he took it as a joke and laughed. "Then Captain I will make sure to have an opening in my schedule for you at all times."

Was this his way of genially conveying he required running tests on her? A disarming placation to eventually get her into sickbay more than was required for her annual physicals? The thought made her uncomfortable and she cleared her throat to bring an end to this short line of discussion. "Yes, well, don't let it influence the rest of your duties. It'll hopefully be a while before I require your services for any personal evaluations. In the meantime, I assume you have work to do in accordance with your new position and I won't keep you any further. Unless there's anything else?"

Nusien realized that the Captain wanted the conversation to return to business and so he allowed his demeanor to reflect that. "No ma'am there is nothing else. Save for a thank you and I won't let you down." When he was dismissed Nusien left and headed for Sick Bay, with joy in his heart. He could not wait to tell his wife and start this new chapter in his life.

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Nusien
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A

RSS Feed