Surprise Visit

Posted on Tue Sep 21st, 2010 @ 1:02pm by Captain Elsie Halliwell & Lieutenant JG Nykala Marstin

1,796 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Structured Shoreleave - Marchwiel
Location: Deck 5, Sickbay
Timeline: Current

ON:

Nykala settled into her chair and took a slow swallow out of her mug full of hot chocolate then set it on her desk. She picked up the PaDD that Lieutenant Davis had left on her desk and scanned its contents. It had only been a few days since Nykala had taken over the Medical Department and the staff had proven their efficiency by giving her plenty of data to assess and updated physicals to go over. Her brow furrowed; one of the tests Lieutenant Davis had run came back with a slight anomaly. Nykala once again thanked the designer of Sickbay for providing an office with a clear partition on one side so she could see all of sickbay except the lab clearly. It made observing the activity and locating someone so much easier.

Glancing up from the PaDD she spotted Lieutenant Davis calibrating one of bio beds. Taking one last swallow from her hot chocolate she headed for the bio bed and Lieutenant Davis. Just as she was about to get the Lieutenant’s attention the familiar hiss of Sickbays doors opening caused Nykala to glance over her shoulder. Suddenly the anomalous test reading became a second thought. Nykala's hand betrayed her surprise and nervousness by darting up to make sure her pinned up braid was in place. In spite of the questions darting through her mind Nykala smiled and approached her unexpected visitor.

"Good morning Captain. What brings you to Sickbay?"

“Doctor,� Halliwell replied, smiling warmly upon the greeting, “I just thought that I would come down here to see how you were getting along.� She looked around for a moment, and then looked back to Nykala. “There’s really no need to be so nervous, Lieutenant.� She shook and then tilted her head, looking at her from beneath her brow. “This isn’t an inspection, just a welcome.�

A small slightly embarrassed smile flashed across Nykala's face. "Of course, Captain, I did not mean to make you feel unwelcome."

Nykala entered new instructions and test parameters for Lieutenant Davis into the PaDD in her hand. "The medical crew on the Ranger have really impressed me. I was expecting some resistance to the transfer of a new Chief Medical Officer and a new way of doing things, but they have adapted well."

“I seem to have assembled a praiseworthy gaggle over my time in command, Doctor� Halliwell replied, smiling at her. “Thank you.� To Elsie, any compliment to her crew was a compliment to her, and she appreciated the sentiment made. “Do you have a minute?�

Nykala gestured toward the bio bed Lieutenant Davis was working on. "We could go speak in my office Captain, or if you would like I could take you on a tour of Sickbay to see some of the new changes in place."

Halliwell stepped aside a little, ceremoniously, and extended her hand out before the both of them. “By all means, Lieutenant, I’d welcome the opportunity.� She beamed inwardly, rather excited by the prospect. “Have you altered much?�

Nykala walked towards the bio beds and Lieutenant Davis as she spoke. "We are mostly just implementing some of the suggested upgrades from SB97 and a few personal modifications from my time on the USS Mary Rose. None of the changes will be visible but they will definitely make a difference when it comes to patient care and communication between the different parts of sickbay."

Halliwell raised her brow with an impressive air and smiled. “Have you run these modifications through Lieutenant Reynaldi?� she enquired, merely as a point of procedure.

Nykala nodded,"Actually I was planning on getting his input on some of the upgrades. Things have kept me so busy this morning that I have not had time to get away. I'm hoping he will have some new ideas about one the upgrades I brought with me."

Nykala handed the PaDD to Lieutenant Davis and continued on towards the operation room. "Probably the biggest change is to the EMH program. Usually, when someone engages the EMH you have to verbally tell it what the emergency is or what you need assistance with. The new change with our EMH will be that the program is both automatically and constantly updated with vital information for every patient currently in sickbay. The idea is that if a situation occurs and the EMH must be activated there won't be wasted time re-explaining what has already taken place, it will simply start where the last medical personnel left off."

Halliwell stopped before Nykala and turned to face her squarely, narrowing her eyes onto her in an amused, almost jovial glare. “And how does the doctor feel about that?� she asked, placing a comforting hand on the Marstin’s forearm. “You see, the EMH isn’t the standard installation onboard the Ranger.� She paused to smile but then continued. “He’s been brought over from the damaged Nova class, USS Archimedes. In fact, a lot of the crew transferred over under my command from that ship a few months ago. The EMH was a personal request from our counsellor, Lieutenant Lucy Carter.� She looked deep into the new chief medical officer’s eyes and decided to broach her next sentence with great care.

“I understand that this is your domain, Doctor, but some people regard the EMH merely as a tool. Your own opinion on holographic rights notwithstanding, but the doctor has free reign on this ship. He even has, at the request of Lucy, living quarters. But, ultimately, he is a program designed to perform a function. And he knows that that is his primary existence.�

Nykala was speechless at first. She couldn't hide the look of surprise that slipped across her face. She had heard of EMH programs that were treated with a bit more, freedom than just a program but had yet to encounter one. She was actually unsure how she felt about it but was willing to give it a try. The Ranger was her home for the foreseeable future and she wasn't about to step on anyone's toes unnecessarily. She had asked a lot of her medical staff in the last few days, perhaps it was her turn to give a little.

"Well, that certainly changes things a bit. I suppose I should actually discuss this with the EMH."

“I agree,� Elsie replied rather flatly. “It would pay to.�

Nykala felt suddenly awkward, "Does the EMH have a name or some other title it likes to be addressed by? I'm afraid I've never encountered an EMH that is regarded as more than just a program."

“It is an unusual situation, I’ll grant you,� Halliwell replied, her face remaining stoic and still, but with a gentle, warming air about her. “But, as far as I am aware, he just uses his title: Doctor. He seems to have struck up a relationship with Lieutenant Carter. You may want to confer with her before you address the EMH directly. He can be… somewhat unpleasant at times, so I am lead to believe. But, you have the green-light from me to implement the changes you wish.�

Turning away from the surgical room and the bio beds Nykala headed towards the lab. Hands folded loosely at the small of her back she waited for the Captain to come along side her. "Was there something else you wanted to discuss Captain now that I've bored you to death with all this medical talk?"

Elsie chuckled a little and then smiled. “No, Lieutenant. I just wanted to come down to welcome you. I didn’t have a set agenda beyond that. Having said that,� she said, a soft thought wafting through her mind unobtrusively, “how familiar are you with the crews’ medical records? Have you scheduled any physicals?�

Inwardly Nykala groaned,"Truthfully Captain, I think the upgrades we've been working on are less time consuming. I've been reviewing the records by department. In a day or two I will have a list compiled of crewmen that are due for their physicals. I will send a list to each department head notifying them."

“Just be sure to carbon copy a list to me, Lieutenant,� Elsie replied with a wink.

Nykala smiled,"Actually Captain you'll be the first to get a detailed report of all the upgrades as well a list of physicals due."

Nykala let her gaze briefly brush each division of sickbay. Things were shaping up nicely in just the few days since she had taken over sickbay. "If I can get the EMH to agree I think all of the updates will ultimately benefit everyone in sickbay."

“I agree,� Halliwell said, smiling. “So, just inform me should things… not go as you would like, and I’ll give our friendly EMH a nudge. I suggest you do enlist the help of Lucy, though. She could be your greatest ally in this war of wills.�

Nykala nodded her head once to indicate acceptance of the Captain's suggestion. "I'll be sure to do that Captain and perhaps when I have everything ironed out, you can come back to see the differences in sickbay once everything has been implemented."

“I would very much appreciate that,� Elsie replied, now smiling fully.

Already there was an idea brewing in Nykala's head that might prove beneficial to both herself and the EMH. She would finish going over a few details here in sickbay and then she would ask first Lieutenant Carter and then Lieutenant Reynaldi to come to sickbay for some brain storming.

Out of the corner of her eye Nykala noticed a nurse trying to get her attention from the lab. She acknowledged the nurse with a move of her hand then said to the Captain, "I don't intend to appear rude Captain, but if there is nothing else I would like to get a few details worked out here so that I can move forward with approaching the EMH with my idea."

Elsie held up her hands apologetically, fired by the young doctor’s determination of spirit and gladdened that Nykala had found her about the Ranger. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Doctor,� she smiled, fondly. “And good luck with the EMH.�

Elsie chuckled to herself as she left sickbay, making a mental note to ‘grease the wheels’ with the proper departments… and people. She strode out into the corridor and veered left en route to her familiar bridge.

OFF:

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Elsie Halliwell
Commanding Officer
USS Ranger

AND


Nykala Marstin
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ranger

 

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