Teacher and Student

Posted on 09 Jan 2013 @ 12:59am by Ensign Jessica Wilson M.D. & Lieutenant Commander Pola Ni Dhuinn M.D.

2,095 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: Sickbay, USS Galileo
Timeline: MD13, 0900hrs

Ensign Jessica Wilson M.D stepped down off the transporter pad and felt a wave of anticipation sweep across her as she stepped down onto the deck of a Federation Starship for the first time. This was followed promptly afterwards by a surge of nervousness as she shyly thanked the transporter chief, a bolian at least a decade older than she, before stepping out into the corridor. Her uniform felt strange on her, for the past four years this officers uniform and officers pips had served as authority figures, men women and aliens to be expected. From a fact level she had of course realised that when she graduated she too would wear one but even so it was still a little strange. As she stood in the corridors she looked at herself in the reflective surface of the display opposite her, from the perfectly pressed creases of her trousers right up to her teal collar and the shiny bright gold pip. She smiled to herself slightly, she looked just like one of those brand new officers she had overheard the enlisted medical techs at the academy talking about, fresh out of the academy and back from post-training leave, with a uniform so smart it went beyond amusing. For enlisted personnel anyway.

Jessica frowned as she spotted that her uniform jacket and developed a fold halfway up and would crease if she wasn't careful, to rectify it she reached down and tugged on the bottom of her uniform, inadvertently imitating one of the more famous Starfleet Officers in history, but it did the trick. Convinced that she looked smart she began to walk along the corridor. The Galileo was a small ship but even this felt massive to her, and she was pretty sure that she would get lost at some point before the day was out, and knowing her luck would be too shy to ask for directions. God this was going to be difficult, she thought glumly. During her time at the Academy she had been able to keep to herself, getting what was needed to be done done whilst avoiding the kind of situations that she preferred to stay out of. Here she simply wouldn't be able to do that, aside from the close-quarters she was going to have to work with these people and that no doubt meant socialising with them at some point. Her father would probably approve of that no doubt as it might help to bring her out of her shell.

And then there was the whole medical side of it. She had passed the academy with full honours and her tutors had been there to offer their compliments but even so, this was the first time she would be working with real patients, men and women, flesh and blood not holograms. She had to admit that it was somewhat nerve-wracking. Of course from a purely academic point of view she knew that as an intern she would be under the careful supervision of the senior medical officers, and she would no doubt be assigned the simplest of tasks to complete and the simplest of illnesses to cure and injuries to fix, but even so it was a lot of responsibility. But she was up to it, and more to the point she knew that she was. Whatever one could say about her social inexperience and naivite, she was good at what she did, she had a natural flare for medicine and an empathy that helped her with an excellent bedside manner, but it was still going to be a substantial challenge and she knew that, but she was ready to face it regardless.

Setting her posture she stepped into a turbolift, she had to report in to the Chief Medical Officer.

"Sickbay."

The turbolift ride was mercifully short and soon enough Jessica was walking, nervously, along the corridor until she reached the sickbay complex and stepped inside, ignoring the main room for the moment and instead heading for the CMO's office, outside of which she rang the chime.

Leaning back in her chair, Pola had been in an almost daydream as she watched the wall infront of her. Since Kohl's absence, things had seemed so much quiter in this area. She missed the smile he gave whenever he walked in the door and, even though she was loath to admit it, she even missed his scowls.

It took a few moments for the realisation to sink in that the chime to her office was echoing around her room. Pushing herself up into an upright position, she spun her chair to an angle to allow herself to see whomever would enter. "Enter."

Taking one last moment to tug on the bottom of her uniform jacket to remove the creases Jessica stepped forward as the door whooshed open and let her into the office. Now faced with a doctor who, aside from anything else, had completed her own internship she suddenly felt a little more nervous. Although having got her medical degree meant that she was an MD and as such a doctor, she suddenly felt presumptous to say that, especially considering that for the most part she wouldn't be able to do anything beyond th ebasics unsupervised until this doctor signed her off on them.

She stood smartly to attention..

"Doctor Dhuinn?" She said smartly. "I'm Ensign Jessica Wilson, reporting for duty, Ma'am."

Blinking, Pola analysed the woman infront of her. Her first reaction was that one of the new science staff must have been looking for a medical, the last thing she had expected was a new medical personal. "Ensign Wilson? Um.." Feeling a little lost, not quite sure what was happening, the CMO made a gesture towards the chair infront of her. "Please...take a seat. Would you have a copy of your orders?"

"I do," Jessica nodded and reached into her hold-all and pulled out a PADD, upon which all of her orders were placed."

Waiting for the woman to take a seat, Pola leaned across and took the offered PADD with a smile before sitting back into her seat. After taking a few moments to scan the info, the CMO looked back up with a bright smile. "So you've been sent here as an intern?"

"Yes Ma'am," Jessica nodded in reply, glad that she was actually in the right place, but she was still shy and not really expanding much beyond what was no doubt already in her file, or obvious. "I was offered a place at a Starfleet Hospital on Earth, but I wanted to intern in the Fleet."

Putting the PADD to the side, Pola rested her elbow against the arm of her chair before cupping her cheek in the palm of her hand. Her gesture was one of comfort as she studied the woman sit infront of her. "You're lucky. Even though it was a privilege to study at the upper level of starfleet medical academy, I miss the pure learning you gain from an internship in the field."

"Yes Ma'am," Jessica nodded.

"Please Jessica, you can drop the Ma'am. Pola or Doctor will do fine. Despite our difference in ranks and positions, when you're under the roof of medical we all stand on even ground." Pola still kept her casual stance as she watched the woman carefully, picking up on her nerves.

"I'm sorry...I understand doctor." Jessica replied shyly, blushing red somewhat.

Watching the woman's blush move across her cheeks, Pola recognised the signs. The woman was just out of the academy, still readjusting to the real world as such and finding her place. "Why don't you tell me about what you are looking to achieve with this internship."

"To get fully signed off on everything and complete the internship period," Jessica replied. "I've been preparing to be a doctor for twelve years."

"Put there must be more...Why did you decide to become a Doctor in the first place?" Pola moved her arm in order to sit straighter in her chair. Her aim was to get beneath Jessica's surface, to understand the woman who lived beneath the surface.

"I was ten at the time, was walking in the hills of the Lake District, came across this injured boy, he was dying," Jessica replied. "I ran for help and found a Starfleet Doctor who was able to save him... that had quite an effect on me."

"So it's the sheer fulfilment you get from helping somebody which empowers you to want to be a Doctor?" Pola knew that every person needed something in their heart which kept them going. Now she knew Jessica's something, she wanted to expand on that.

Jessica nodded.

"That sounds about right, When I first found the boy I didn't know what to do," Jessica replied. "I don't ever want to be in that situation again."

"So tell me, what are your areas of expertise? What would you like to focus on keyly during your internship?" Pola finally rose from her chair, moving across to the replicator as she indicated to see if Jessica wished for anything.

"Well the Triage and stabalisation side of it has always intrigued me, I suppose from my first proper encounter with a doctor, so Combat Medicine has also had some appeal," Jessica replied, shaking her head at the offer of anything. "I like the surgical side of it during my training as well."

Nodding her head, Pola analysed this new information. "I can't make any promises you will get to see much in triage given we are a ship of exploration but given the small number of staff in this department it will mean opportunity for hands on experience will be plentiful."

Picking up the roster from her desk, Pola brought up the medical roster. "I myself cover the beta shift meaning typically you would be assigned alpha. I'll speak to Commander Holliday and seek to have the shifts swap as Beta would be quieter to ease you in. Also for the first few weeks I will be around to supervise would the need arise that you require my help."

Jessica nodded.

"According to my orders I'm on bridge duty for the gamma shift, I wasn't expecting that..." Jessica commented. "Although I suppose with a crew of only twenty officers they need everyone to cover the whole shift."

Pola's only reaction was to blink at that. She was all for opportunity but it seemed abit early to be placing someone right out of the academy onto bridge duty. "Hum...Once you've been assigned a day let me know, we can arrange for you to perhaps cover second half of alpha and first have of beta the day before and after so as you are about to get downtime before you're on the bridge. If it your intent to follow a Command route?"

"I doubt it, I just want to help people," Jessica replied. "But Starfleet is putting a high priority on getting all of its officers experience in bridge duty, besides with a crew this size its hardly surprising."

"I find that it's generally the view of command that Doctor's are not the best to have on the upper most ranks. When upper ranks is primarily required it is during emergencies, the time when medical needs to be at their station. It takes a capable CMO to be able to step in and command a ship when her sickbay needs her." Pola's hand fisted slightly as she remembered her own experience and the lesson from it that she was not ready for the next rung in her career.

Realising a silence had descended between them both, Pola blushed slightly as she relaxed her hand back. "Did you have any questions for me?"

"No Ma'am," Jessica replied. "I'm eager to get started."

Pushing herself away from her desk, Pola held out a hand to the woman infront of her with a smile. "Let's get you shown around this place and then you can report to our XO to get your new position signed, sealed and stamped by Command. In the meantime, let me be the first to officially welcome you onboard Ensign."

"Thank You, Ma'am, I appreciate that," Jessica nodded shaking the hand. "I'm just happy to be here."

As the woman shook and let go of her hand, Pola indicated towards main sickbay before leading the way.

Jessica nodded and followed the Lieutenant

OFF:

Ensign Jessica Wilson M.D.
Medical Officer (Intern)
U.S.S. Galileo

Lieutenant Pola Ni Dhuinn
Chief Medical Officer
U.S.S.. Galileo

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