Sea Legs
Posted on Wed Nov 11th, 2009 @ 1:38pm by Captain Elsie Halliwell & Commander Curtiss Drake
1,179 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Shoreleave - Welcoming Old Friends and New
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Current
ON:
The doors to sickbay slid open with the familiar swooshing sound of the hydraulics embedded in the bulkhead. Kerr stepped through and in to the surprisingly quiet room, looking about the place for Lieutenant Doctor Fox.
“Doctor?� Kerr called out, flicking his head from left to right surveying the room. “Anybody home?�
A head popped up from beneath the window in the CMO's office, before emerging completely. Doctor Fox stepped out of his office, dusting his hands off and approached the Captain, greeting his curious gaze.
"Floor rug my wife bought me. Navajo." he said, smirking. "Just setting it straight on the floor." he added, in case the skipper thought he might be one screw loose.
Holding his hands up in a disarming fashion, Kerr smiled. “I wasn’t going to ask,� he replied. “I’m just here for a drop-in, to be honest, Doctor,� he said, stepping further into the room and resting his hands on the central console. “That’s… if you have the time for the Captain.�
If truth be told, Kerr had began to suffer a minor re-emergence of an old affliction Coltan used to suffer with. Space sickness. The frequency and intensity of these bouts of illness had increased of late, and certainly reared its ugly head since the joining. But Kerr knew that the joining would bring latent feelings to the surface.
Fox gave a friendly smile back. "One of the perks of being the Chief Medical Officer, is having a personal relationship with the crew, outside of the Chain of Command." he smiled. "I always have time for a patient, Captain, regardless of what rank you are." he said, assessing him curiously.
"So what can I do for you? Trouble adjusting to the joining?" he asked.
Kerr mused to himself for a moment, attempting to frame the situation so it was clear for Doctor Fox to understand. There were days when he could barely get his own name right never mind articulate his own feelings.
“I used to suffer from space sickness, Doctor,� he started with, moving around the console and resting against the edge of a bio-bed with a more relaxed manner, crossing his broad arms across his chest, “and since the joining, I’ve found that the bouts I used to endure have returned. Never as rough as it used to be, but I can still feel it. Even stationed here, so, I was hoping to get it sorted before we take off around the quadrant again. It wouldn’t do to have me laid up with nausea every time Lieutenant Warner takes her into a turn.�
"Not surprising that it's made a recurrence." Fox replied, "The physical toll of the joining often inflames old maladies such as this. You're likely to experience more frequent headaches and muscle aches as well. Your body simply needs to adjust to the Symbiont." he said, gesturing to the hypospray station. "Now, I can give you an inoculation against the nausea, but I'm afraid that's only a temporary solution. Something that'll serve you in case you're feeling ill and need to be functioning." he continued. "To get over this, you're going to need to simply get your 'space-legs' back." he smiled. "Just like you did when you were an Ensign." he smiled.
Kerr remained silent for a moment, exhaling audibly and visible to betray his feelings in a mock fashion. “Again?� he said, smiling a little and rolling his eyes. “If I seem to remember correctly, I had a rough time of it the first time around. There’s really nothing I can do other than allowing it to sort itself out?�
"I can medicate you." Fox replied, "But there will be a point in which the medication, in any dosage, won't work anymore and I'd rather not force you to sort this out cold turkey with no possible recourse." he continued, smiling slightly. He'd never suffered from anything like this, but he knew the symptoms, they could range anywhere from a mild nauseating feeling to complete and crippling vertigo.
"In my medical opinion, you're better off trying to face this naturally. I'll give you a hypo with a few doses of the medication for when you absolutely can't fight it anymore, but I'm going to strictly regulate it." he continued. "Like I said, if your body adjusts itself to this treatment because you've dosed yourself too many times, there will be absolutely nothing I can do." he said.
“I understand, Doc,� Kerr replied with an almost annoyed and defeated tone. “I suppose you’re right, if I was honest with myself. With the joining still so recent, I would prefer not drug myself up so much. There was this one time when Pennell tried to alleviate a headache through a home-remedy her grandmother used to make, and it knocked her out cold for a week. Something to do with the chemical connections the Symbiont creates or something, I can’t remember.� He chuckled to himself at the memory. The memory that wasn’t his but he claimed his own all the same.
“So, he said, attempting to change the subject, “how are you settling in, Lieutenant? Anything to report?�
"Professionally?" Fox asked, "Nothing at all out of the ordinary now that you're joining is finished. Personally?" he smiled, "Well, I'd have to say I've found my new home." he said.
“Well,� Kerr replied, genuinely pleased with the comment, “I for one am glad that you feel that way. It’s nice to have such a competent and experienced officer onboard. Are there any provisions that have yet to be provided for you… do you have everything you need?�
"My staff's all greenhorns, but they're knowledgeable. It'll take some time to get them up to snuff, but I have confidence it will happen soon. The equipment is all in great shape. Your previous Chief either never used half of it, or took excellent care." he smiled, "Other than that, I can't think of any issues." he said. "We planning on getting under way here soon, or we have more business to complete?"
“No, to be honest, Doctor,� Kerr replied. “We’re almost done in the Fleet Yards and I have a meeting with Command tomorrow concerning what their intention with us next is. We should be done and dusted and ready for the off in the next few days.
"Good." Fox replied, "I'm ready to feel the engine's at Warp. It's been quite a long time since I took a deep space tour." he smiled. "I can assure you the Medical Department will be up and running at peak efficiency."
“That’s all I needed to hear, Doctor,� Kerr replied, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should be getting back to work… and thank you for the medication,� he continued, holding up the hypospray as he spoke.
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