Medical Minute

Posted on Thu Aug 24th, 2023 @ 7:07pm by Captain Dr. Nairut Noxi & Commander Gabriel Stewart

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: https://www.uss-deliverance.starfleetuk.org/index.php/sim/missions/id/1
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD02
Tags: medical, review

Gabriel heard the familiar chime on his terminal. He had just barely unpacked everything in the seating area, and started to move things to his closet.

Walking over to the terminal slowly, he tapped the display, and the message revealed itself: Report to Medical for your initial evaluation. He tapped the screen again to send a reply. "Computer, record."

The computer chirped, then responded, "Please elaborate. What would you like to record?"

A little frustrated, he responded "Response."

"Are you implying that you would like to respond to the most immediate notification?"

Thinking back to previous assignments, Stewart knew it would take a while for the computer to accustom itself to the brevity of his communications.

"Yes."

"Recording."

"En route."

After a few seconds pause, the computer responded, "Message sent."

Gabriel picked up his comm badge, pressed it on his uniform, and made his way to the Medical department, where he entered and stood for a moment.

Noxi was finishing the notes she'd need to input in the Petty Officer's file. She was pleased at the number of people who'd turned up voluntarily for their onboarding medical exams. Saved her having to hunt them down or threaten their jobs to their Department chiefs. Of course, all they would be IS threats, but still. The crew seemed to be all willing to see her.

She heard the Receptionist greet someone, and shouted behind her. "Put him in Biobed 3, please," she said. "I'll be right there." She said. She hit "enter" on the Computer-she didn't like to speak these things because other people's medical information was private-and then stepped out of the office and into the treatment area. She found BioBed 3, and the chart on the computer in front of her. "Hello, Commander Stewart. How are you today?" She asked. "Here for your onboarding exam or something else?" She asked. Sometimes people just came in because they partied too hard on shore leave or something.

Gabriel nodded to the Dr., and offered an almost imperceptible smile. "Exam."

She nodded. "Alright. Let's get started," she said. She picked up the tricorder. "Anything I should know before we begin, besides what is in the computer?" She asked. The man's file didn't bring up much yet.

"Healthy" was Gabriel's initial response. After a long moment, he studied the Dr., and decided he liked her bedside manner, so he decided to elaborate. "Healthy diet. Regular exercise. Adventurous." He studied her again for a moment, then, with a slight smile, nodded his head as if to say, "I like you." or possibly "I find you interesting."

Vila nodded. "Great, well. That's a start." She glanced at the data being extracted by the Biobed and Tricorder. "Weight is good, vitals are steady. "You're Terran, correct?" She asked. "Tell me about what you do in your off time. Are you big drinker? Eat a lot of rich foods?" Determining someone's lifestyle would help her know if she had any other things she needed to do, or to advise him on changing his habits or something.

Gabriel stood there for a moment, thinking to himself "I wonder how much she really knows about me. I do find her intriguing, but then I find my ragdoll Maine coon orange tabby intriguing too." He studied her for another minute or two, then decided he would be very open with her.

"Terran. Scotland born. Texan raised." He stopped for a moment, slightly surprised that he was being so chatty, but decided to continue. "Dancing. Mountain walks. Seaside strolls. Celebratory drinking. Modified Mediterranean diet."

Suddenly he looked away, deciding he had said too much. What was he thinking? Brown hair. Brown eyes.

She nodded. "Those are all great things," she said. "You appear to be in good health," she said. "Anything you wish to discuss today?"

He looked back at Noxi with a questioning look, as if to say, are we done yet. "Work calls." Then, without waiting for an answer, he started to slide himself off the Biobed, and, barely audibly, said "Drink afterwards." He froze, one foot on the floor, the other dangling just above it, while he waited to see if the Doc had heard him or not. Well, it was not quite the invitation, but, then again, it was not entirely an off-the-cuff remark.

Noxi looked bewildered. What just happened?

"I am not...ok, fine, I'll call you back next week," she said. She leaned forward to hear his last statement better. "Excuse me? I didn't hear you." She said.

With both feet now on the floor, Gabriel decided that he might as well put himself at a crossroad and be forthright. "Celebratory drink later?" He stood there, looking into her eyes, waiting to be told that he had overstepped boundaries and would be either severely reprimanded, or, at the least, told politely that he should return to his work.

"If you climb back on that bed and let me finish my exam. Your department head will understand. If not, the Captain will," she said.

Gabriel placed his hands on the bed, hoisted himself up, and swung his legs back on the bed. Then, without holding on to the sides of the bed, he slowly lay back until his head touched the pillowed part of the bed, basically doing the reclining part of a slow sit-up. He then glanced at the Dr., nodded slightly, and replied, "Yes, sir, Commander Noxi." He took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then slowly released it with just a hint of a sigh.

Noxi shook her head. "Between you and Commander Chandler, I am starting to think I smell bad or something," she said. "It won't take too long. Anything I should know before we begin?" She used the Tricorder to do a quick scan. "Vitals look good. Do you have any chronic health conditions or past medical concerns?"

Gabriel gazed at Noxi for a minute, then, spoke. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean about smelling bad." Realizing that he spoke more in that sentence that most of his prior dialogue, Stewart continued. "What you see on the records, which is no contradictory indications, is what you see. No chronic conditions."

Suddenly he could not stop talking. "And, yes, I would like to invite you to have a celebratory drink with me, some time in the near future, to celebrate out initial voyage aboard this great vessel." There, he had said it, and relaxed on the bio-bed, eyes closed, waiting for the exam to be completed.

Noxi nodded. "Good, ok. That's an easy job for me, then." She paused a moment. "That would be nice. How about after your exam? I am free the rest of the day," she said. "You're my last patient." She said. She shook her head when he shut his eyes. "This won't hurt, you can open your eyes," she said. "You look like you're in good health. Have you managed to check out the gym? What do you do to stay fit?"

After a minute or two, Gabriel realized that Noxi had accepted his invitation, and, with a slight puzzled look on his face, he opened his eyes and replied, in his usually cryptic style, "Afterwards? Agreed. Gym? No. Aerobics, Tai Chi, wall climbing." He relaxed as Dr. Noxi finished her exam, then, after he lowered himself off the bio-bed, said, "Shall we?"

Noxi smiled. "Alright. As long as you're moving around. getting your heart pumping. That's all." She righted herself, and tapped some buttons on the computer. "Alright, you're free to go; you seem to be in fine health. I'll meet you in the lounge in about an hour? I need to finish a few things here, and maybe change." She said.

 

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