Medical Onboarding

Posted on Sat Oct 5th, 2024 @ 1:01pm by Lieutenant Strullinn & Lieutenant JG T'Mara

2,078 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Year One: Strange Bedfellows
Location: Sickbay - USS Moore
Timeline: MD12: 1600 hrs

The sickbay was quiet at this hour. Not that it had been a busy shift, really. Working on a starship was far different than Starfleet Medical. T'Mara had been told to expect a learning curve upon her transfer, but she presumed it would be the challenge of practicing alone without the plethora of specialists and equipment present in a hospital, not that the work load would be vastly different.

This empty wall had become the bane of her existence. The splinter in her proverbial paw. It mocked her. Something would have to be done about this...

The hiss of sickbay doors opening jolted her from the frustrating reverie. Someone was here. Good.

With one last scrutinizing glance to object of her ongoing discomfort, T'Mara stepped out into the medical bay and saw...another Vulcan? She unconsciously raised a brow in silent inquiry. How exactly would this interaction go, she wondered.

Her eyes flicked to his collar. Teal. Sciences. "How may I assist you Lieutenant..."

Strullinn stopped at the sound of her voice and held up the traditional Vulcan salute. "I am Strullinn, the new Chief Science Officer. Captain Stryvek instructed me after the tour of the vessel that I needed to come here for my initial physical and BioScan for the computer before I could assume my duties." He lowered his salute, then cocked his head slightly to the right. "You are Vulcan, but not fully." It was a statement of fact, not a question. "And, forgive me for saying, but extraordinarily young."

A tour of the vessel? He received a tour of the vessel from the captain? T'Mara slowly blinked as her stomach twisted. Of course. Another slight. She was beginning to think this posting may prove far more challenging than she originally postulated.

T'Mara did not reciprocate the Vulcan gesture, and given what he stated afterwards, she was satisfied with her decision. It took all of her considerable mental training to remain completely passive as this science officer listed off every single one of her deficiencies as if reading off a laundry list.

"Are there any other observations you would like to convey, or would you rather satisfy the requirements set forth by Captain Stryvek?" She wasn't about to confirm the validity of his remarks, and instead awaited the the other Vulcan to realize her inadequacy and capitalize on it.

Strullinn raised his right eyebrow, the human equivalent of extreme surprise. "Thank you for asking, Doctor. Since you brought it up, your emotional outburst and thinly-veiled anger is most Romulan-like, so I surmise you are half Vulcan, and half Romulan. I respect and admire your parents for their copulation, as you are the direct and most visual example of two distant cousins coming back together to ensure the Reconciliation that has been ongoing for many decades. As for Captain Stryvek, I am unsure what requirements he wants, but I am most anxious to hear about them, provided you can set your anger aside to have a meaningful conversation."

T'Mara blinked. She demonstrated absolutely no emotionalism in her statement to him. Typical Vulcan superiority. And yet...inwardly she cringed. An airlock was beginning to sound like a viable option for her.

"I am an acolyte of Seleya. Your postulation that I conveyed any emotion is in err. If anything, I shall express concern that you would feel the need to demonstrate such overt rudeness in pointing out my deficiencies in my own sickbay. I am the Chief Medical Officer of the Moore. I am duly qualified to perform my duties, and my lineage--real or imagined--is none of your concern, Lieutenant."

This time, Strullinn raised both eyebrows, then clasped his hands behind his back. The aforementioned due to the response he was given when he was simply following her request. The latter due to him recognizing he had inadvertently offended the Doctor, and wished to have his body language show he meant no harm. "My apology, Doctor. I did not mean to offend you and insult you. Please, forgive my trespass, inadvertent as it was."

His apology meant nothing. A necessary contriteness in order to maintain the social fabric as she had called out his presumptive observations of her physical form. She chose to not acknowledge it, and perhaps that was her dig back for she did not forgive him. Regardless, it was time to move this along.

"Your orders, please." T'Mara responded, holding out her hand to receive the data padd he no doubt had somewhere on his person.

Her not acknowledging his apologies was lost on him. From Strullinn's perspective, getting back to business was most Vulcan-like. Efficient and expedient. He approved, and respected her greatly for it. Even more so that he was still, by Vulcan standards, not yet into adulthood. More than a child, sure, but not quite an adult. "Of course," he stated, and reached into his pocket for the isolinear chip that contained his orders. More efficient to handle in such a small device rather than carrying around a giant data padd.

T'Mara took it gingerly from his grasp, careful to not touch him in anyway. It was placed into the reader, and his file quickly populated. She began scrolling through the data that was his medical record, and entered in the command to copy it all onto the Moore's mainframe. "You may sit on the biobed."

44 Terran years old. Not much older than her...T'Mara raised a brow as she referred back to his recent comment about her being extraordinarily young. "How were you able to leave Vulcan? I do not see any betrothal or marriage status in your file, nor any specifics regarding any...plans for future biological necessities that will arise."

The Science Officer sat on the indicated biobed, placing his hands on his knees. "That has not been an issues since I have been in Starfleet. When the time gets close, I take leave and go back to Vulcan. I find it pleasing to be able to look forward to the respite from my duties, and equally as pleasing to be home to be able to partake in those base biological needs."

"I would suggest you create a contingency, in case such an option is not viable." It was a plan, yes. However, if for some reason, he was unable to return to Vulcan in time...well...it was best to be prepared. She found it somewhat lackadaisical to not have multiple strategies in play. Although thinking such a thing was somewhat duplicitous, for T'Mara had no plans at all. Somewhat incorrect. She had a plan, but it did not involve satisfying any biological drive. Irrelevant at the moment, anyway.

She chanced a glance to the young man. He was aesthetically pleasing, and according to his records, intelligent, competent, and well-traveled. "There are a number of other Vulcans on board. You will, no doubt, find commonalities amongst them if you choose to engage on a personal level."

His vaccination record was quite comprehensive, but it appeared there were some deficiencies. Making a mental note, she picked up a medical tricorder on the exam table next to the biobed and flipped it open and began her scans.

Strullinn watched as he was being scanned. "I cannot imagine any scenario where such an eventuality would come into play where I could not take leave and get back to Vulcan. However,' he conceded, "Your logic has merit. In the event we are faced with that occurrence, I am more than sure a Vulcan on board could assist. It is, of course, only logical." He paused, then asked, "What are you scanning for that is not already in my file? I do believe my previous doctor was quite thorough in getting my records together."

"Perhaps." No doubt someone on board would help him if that were the case. "And I am obtaining your BioScan. I update them on all on-boarding crew. You also have a few deficiencies in your vaccinations; I will provide boosters prior to you leaving."

Strullinn believed he already had all of his inoculations, boosters and vaccines, but he was not about to question the expertise of the medical professional. Besides, additional boosters and vaccines never hurt anyone. Well, unless there was an allergic reaction, and there hadn't been one of those anywhere in the Federation in decades, maybe even a century. And so, he let her do her thing. "How long have you been aboard? I had to catch up with the ship in a shuttle and only just was welcomed aboard," he explained as reason why he was only just getting to her today as opposed to before the ship had left spacedock.

"Not long. It is my first assignment aboard a ship." T'Mara dipped her head slightly. She had not meant to volunteer any information, however, she did not want to appear unwilling to engage with him in verbal discourse. They would be serving together and it was logical to culture amiable discourse.

"Then it is agreeable you and I should be shipmates. I have longed to engage in discourse with someone that has served on something other than ships, as my first assignment was on a Science Station. I have, however, been aboard ship in the ensuing assignments. Perhaps you could share your experiences with me, and in kind I will do the same for you. We could carry each other through our shared experiences."

T'Mara was listening, but was also busy programming the hypospray on the various dosages for the inoculations he would receive shortly. However the contents of his reply were completely incongruous compared to previous interactions she had experienced with her kind, and it stopped her in her proverbial tracks. Stopping her multitasking, she turned her body to completely face his, a nonverbal gesture of indicating that she was giving him her complete attention.

"Are you certain? I am, as you so adroitly pointed out, not fully Vulcan. I also have no name and no status other than what I wear at my neck. I say this so that you may make an informed decision. It will not cause offense if you rescind your offer. You made the offer prior to having important facts."

Strullinn furrowed his brow. "To be racist and to disregard someone because of things they cannot control is illogical. I cannot see a reason why we could not be friends and share experiences. And, it is worth noting that while the Vulcan people claim to be completely logical in all things they do, having your worth be determined because of who your family members were is also, in my not so humble opinion, illogical. One should take each person they come in contact with as a new and unique individual, and should make their decisions and their determinations based on those interactions."

T'Mara looked down and away. She had been prepared for inevitable rejection...but his response? It almost did not compute. "I see. That is not a common opinion." There was a pause as she considered her next words. "Very well, Lieutenant. Your suggestion is acceptable." Turning, she grabbed the hypospray and brought it up to his deltoid and delivered the boosters.

There was no expression on his face nor in his body posture, but Strullinn was pleased. He had not caught her internal feelings and had not connected her looking away with anything that was being said. "Most fortuitous for us both. Once I am settled and get my division in order, I will call upon you to work out a time that is convenient and agreeable to the both of us. Thank you for this most engaging conversation, and for your administrations," he said, feeling the spot on his shoulder where the hypospray had been pressed and hissed.

"Very well. I shall await your response." The onboarding process was complete. His scans aligned. He was in optimum health as was to be expected. The command was made for the console to release the Chief Science Officer's data chit. Once ejected, T'Mara handed Lieutenant Strullinn back his isolinear chip. "There is nothing further required here, Lieutenant. You are free to go."

The Vulcan Science Officer stood and left, nothing further needing to be said or done. He had a division to get to, and start working to the way he wished it to be run. Efficiently, logically. He knew Commander Greco and Captain Stryvek would demand no less, nor would he.

 

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