In-processing physical

Posted on Tue Nov 3rd, 2020 @ 1:40am by Commander Ryan Blake

Mission: The Thorion Conundrum Mission Brief
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Six days prior to launch, 1500 hours

Ryan had made his way through the ship on his walkabout. It was nearing 15:00 hours and he now found himself on the medical deck. He chuckled as he approached the door to sickbay. Might as well get this done since I am here, he thought. He entered and walked up to the duty nurse at the intake desk. “I’m Lieutenant Blake. I was wondering if I could get my physical done or should I make an appointment?”

The U.S.S. Leto sickbay had yet to been fully staffed. Though there had been a brand-new Mark III E.M.H. installed, no one had actually thought it necessary to activate it yet. A large quadruped wearing a medical-teal collar with ranking and a commbadge on it approached. She appeared to somehow be involved in the medical department. Distinctive banded markings ran left to right down her mid-back, haunches and ringing her tail. This – it might eventually be discovered – was the morale officer, Sylestia Laith. A member of a rare intelligent technologically advance quadruped race, she made a lite noise and smiled warmly up at the lieutenant.

Sylestia circled and play-bowed happily, an attempt at a warm greeting. Then she headed off toward the CMO’s office pausing to gaze over her shoulder invitingly at the young male. With a gesture of her head, she seemed to wave it and suggest she wanted him to follow her.

Ryan was startled somewhat when Sylestia first approached, but he quickly recovered his bearing. He felt a momentary confusion as he watched Sylestia. He finally figured out that he was to follow. He stepped forward and allowed himself to be led through Sickbay.

Sylestia lead the male human to the CMO’s office, just a few meters away. The door was open, and a large biped humanoid-ish being covered in ginger fur with black markings sat behind the desk. S/he was evidently a doctor, since s/he wore a medical-teal lab-coat. Doctor Laith noticed hir daughter. “Sylestia? Is something wrong? Is it time for a walk?” S/he then noticed the officer in command-crimson tailing her.

Doctor Laith stood and crossed to the open doorway. “Hello, I’m sorry I didn’t hear you come in. I’m Doctor Laith the CMO… Mister?…”

“Blake, Ryan Blake.” He stepped forward to just the threshold of hir office door. “I was assigned to the Leto this morning. I’m getting my in-processing done and sickbay was the next stop on my checklist.”

“Welcome aboard Mister Blake-Ryan-Blake. It’s nice to meet you,” s/he smiled. “If you have a PADD with your medical file, I can get it transferred to the ship’s medical mainframe, or would you prefer to start with your physical?”

Ryan pulled his PADD from a pocket and handed the device to Ayasha. “Medical records will give you the baseline you’ll probably like to compare against the physical.”

Laith accepted the PADD with a bright smile and a gleam in hir eye. “Thank you very much Lieutenant. Is there anything in particular you’d like to draw my attention to?”

Ryan shook his head. “Nothing comes to mind Doctor Laith. I’m in good health. I exercise regularly. I eat healthy and I try not to drink to excess.”

“(Please, call me ‘Doctor Tamara’) … No recent injuries, or complaints?” Tamara glanced over the PADD briefly. “Good.” Then something caught hir eye, “Looks like Starfleet is still leaving it up to me to update everyone’s vaccines and inoculations.” The ginger-furred doctor rose and circled hir desk. “If you’ll accompany me over to examination area, we’ll take a couple of more updated detailed scans.”

Ryan did as s/he bade and followed hir to the Sickbay proper. He hopped on to the main biobed and laid back. “All set Doc. Do that voodoo that you do so well.”

Tamara placed a single control in the young attractive male’s hand. “I’ll need to use the surgical arch, it takes better, more detailed higher-res scans, this is an emergency release if you need it.” S/he began to close the arch, once it was closed, s/he smiled down at him warmly. “How’s that? Comfy?”

“Very much so,” he said as he relaxed on the biobed. He let himself breath normally as he was being scanned.

“Some species have reported the scanning beam tickles, but I’ve never heard that from a human; please try and remain still.” The doctor activated the scanner and set the scanning cycle. The surgical arch hummed to life and began its detailed scans. In the meantime, s/he thought s/he’d try hir paw at some small talk. “Tell me Lieutenant; how do you feel about physical table-top gaming? Do you have many hobbies?”

Ryan gave the question some thought as he lay on the biobed. “I read quite a bit of history. Most of my athletic pursuits have been in individual ability areas versus team sports, gymnastics, track, and field. I especially like to fence. I play strategy games when I can, chess, three-dimensional chess.” He looked up at the doctor. “What about you? What does the good doctor do in their free time?”

“I dabble in a bit of history; mostly what I can find adapted into a graphic format. I really enjoy what has most commonly colloquially been called ‘comic books’… graphic novels usually, mostly fiction, but some non-… you’d be surprised how many science and technology history journals and books can be translated into the artistic media. As I’ve mentioned I enjoy some hobby board games as well as pencil-and-paper role-playing games – that isn’t to say I don’t like the holo- variety too. I enjoy some other casual activities too, but I usually have to get to know someone better first…” S/he blushed slightly. Moving on quickly, trying to pretend s/he didn’t say that Tamara quickly moved onto, “Oh! Outdoorsy… I like to surf.”

Ryan gave Tamara a friendly smile. He was a fan of comic books as well. His collection was back on Earth with his parents, but he still enjoyed reading them on the rare occasions he got leave to go to Earth. “What is your favorite comic series? I’m a fan of the Millennium City Champions collection.”

“Oh, I’ve never heard of that one. I like stuff from all over though. (Ferengi ones can be pretty boring though… on-track-minds.) Barnum Prime has a large variety of them, many about unity and team building, and diversity. Then there’s the mature stuff. Ancient myths and legends are fun, encounters with the “gods.” There is one series based on the really popular ancient RPG called Pugmire. Then there’s one I’ve really been trying extra hard to track down, since it was a little sporadic. It’s from Earth; “Beasts of Burden,” it’s a supernatural one.

Ryan listened attentively as the doctor spoke of the comic books s/he liked reading. He heard a beep from the biobed scanner, assuming all was done he adopted a mock serious expression as if he were a man about to hear of his pending demise. “I can take it Doc, how long do I have left?” He was unable to maintain the serious expression though and started grinning.

Tamara cringed at the use of the shorthand, ‘doc.’ s/he might be getting to know this man, but right now, it just felt too… familiar. Then s/he saw his smile, and s/he couldn’t resist, s/he smiled back, warmly. “One.” S/he paused for a beat. “I regret I have but one life to live…” s/he paraphrased from some… quote s/he’d maybe heard somewhere.” The surgical arch finished its cycle and parted retracting back into its stowed position. “Hmm… Mmm-hmm… Well this isn’t good. This just won’t do…”

Ryan’s jovial expression changed instantaneously to one of slight concern. His last physical had been top of the charts in all respects. Had s/he found something? “What?!”

Tamara looked up smiling with a slight light tail wag. S/he’d been toying with him just a little in return. “Nothing. Everything looks good. You’ll just need a few inoculations and boosters that’s all. Otherwise you’re one of the tops of my charts so far.” S/he winked in jest. “I mean… that is… besides a minor glucose deficiency. When’s the last time you got to pick out something sweet from my ‘good patients’ stash?” S/he said in fun.

Ryan wiped a hand down his face as he sighed heavily. He finally chuckled at Tamara as he waggled a finger at her. “You gave me a scare there for a second.” He looked about as he rubbed his stomach. “I could go for a snack I suppose. What do you have?”

The doctor pulled out a basket from somewhere nearby. “Individually wrapped brightly colored, hard, syrup-based confectionaries, I think some people call them ‘lollipops’ or ‘suckers.’ Most of them are fruit flavored, but there are some other flavors more appealing to other races as well.” S/he held the basket out, “help yourself if you’d like, but do not feel obligated.”

Ryan peered at the lollipops for a moment before taking an orange one and putting it in his mouth as he hopped off the biobed. He gave a nod to Tamara before reaching out to shake hands. “Thanks for fitting me in for my physical Doctor Laith. It’s been an honor and privilege to meet you.”

Laith waggled a finger, “Please, call me Doctor Tamara.” S/he looked at Blake’s hand, unsure what to do with it, hir peoples were huggers. “Now, if you have some time; about those inoculations and boosters?”

Ryan shrugged his shoulders. If the doctor said he needed booster shots, then he shouldn’t wait. Especially if the mission was taking them to a new planet. “Well, you know what they say, ‘no time like the present’.” He started to take off his jacket to allow better access to the veins in his arm.

“They do? Well, I’m glad you won’t delay.” Tamara noticed Mister Blake removing his jacket. S/he admired his firm deltoids, “do you work out?” The doctor retrieved a hypospray and programed it with the first set of injections. Pressing it firmly to Blake’s shoulder, s/he automatically rubbed it once the injection was finished. “Would you like the other one in the same place, or on the other side… or somewhere else?”

Ryan shifted slightly to allow Tamara more easy access to his other arm. “I work out at least an hour a day every day, alternating cardio with other strength and endurance training. That doesn’t include Starfleet Combative training twice a week.”

The doctor reprogrammed the hypospray and pressed it firmly to Blake’s opposite deltoid. “I can tell. You have really nice deltoids; I just wish the ‘combative’ part of ‘combative training,’ wasn’t necessary. Tamara rubbed the other one just as s/he had the previous one. “Well, I think you’re all set Lieutenant, I’ll let you know if anything comes up. You’re free to go, there’s just one more thing…” The Ailurian-hybrid put the hypo away, then s/he turned, bent down, unaware hir tail was held high, into a cupboard and brought out a basket of various hardened-syrup, brightly-colored, confectionaries – some with paper sticks inserted – and set it on the biobed and looked at Blake with a smile.

Ryan looked at the big bowl of candy and chuckled. He took a lollipop that had a wrapper identifying the treat as strawberry flavored. “I feel like a trick ‘r treater on Halloween night. Good thing it’s me and not my sister. She’d try and take the whole bowl as she left.”

Tamara smiled as hir eyes sparkled bright. “I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for her then. I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with ‘Halloween,’ what is it?”

Ryan smiled back. “Shouldn’t have to worry about my sister. Last I heard she was conducting a geological survey on Troyious. As for Halloween, it’s an Earth holiday where people dress up in costume and have fun. Children go door-to-door and collect candy while in costume too.” Ryan pulled out his PADD and checked off medical in-processing on his to do list. He looked back at hir. “Thanks for taking the time to get me squared away. Hopefully, we will see each other soon.”

“Hmm… sounds like fun, perhaps we could arrange one to take place on the ship.” Tamara’s tail wagged, s/he was warming up to this man. “I’ll look forward to it.”

Ryan gave Tamara a nod of his head as he stuck the lollipop in his mouth. He gave a two finger salute. "As do I Doctor." He then turned and departed sickbay.

[OFF:…]

Doctor Ayasha Tamara Laith D.V.M., M.D., OB/Gyn
Chief Medical Officer
U.S.S. Leto NCC-80916

&

Lieutenant Ryan Blake
Chief Strategic Operations Officer
USS Leto NCC-80916