Move On, Move On, No Point In Waiting

Posted on Tue Jan 25th, 2011 @ 1:04pm by Captain Elsie Halliwell & Lieutenant Commander Andreus Kohl & Lieutenant Gumalt Poxx

1,806 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Looking for the Future in all the Wrong Places
Location: Sickbay, USS Ranger
Timeline: Last Night (Before "Ready For Action, Let's Go!")

ON:

Captain Elsie Halliwell strolled casually into the sickbay on Deck 5 and keenly searched the room with her crystalline eyes for any sign of life. With the Ranger now en route to the first search coordinates for the mysterious and dangerous QAR vessel, Elsie had little to do but pour over the mountainous load of data PaDDs that required her immediate attention. On edge from her third cup of strong, black coffee and with multitudes of battle scenarios, probability formulae and with Shepherd's risky but promising Shuttle theory racing from corner to corner of her mind, Elsie decided (in her own best interest) to conduct a short but necessary introduction to the newly transferred medical chief.

"Hello?" she uttered stepping into the room.

Drifting from across the room, an unfamiliar voice could be heard to say, "Over here." Although the Intrepid-class sickbay was relatively compact, the lighting levels had been lowered to those associated with simulated night. The exact number of occupants in the medical ward was hazy. Ostensibly, the lights had been lowered to save power in advance of a heated battle. In truth, Kohl had just wanted a bit of privacy while he was laid out on a biobed for the second time since his arrival. That was why Sickbay was dark and empty except for Andreus Kohl, in his prone state in the central biobed alcove, and Doctor Gumalt Poxx, who was tending to him. The brightest light in the room came from an LCARS display on the wall, which featured Kohl's insides. Dr. Poxx's nose was presently about two centimeters away from the bright graphic of Kohl's lower intestine.

"I must say that it seems we were on the right heading with your diagnosis, Commander," Poxx enthused, the display showing a significant reduction in the bacteria levels of Kohl's digestive tract. He straightened up and added, "It was a pleasure to confer with you about...you." Smiling broadly, the Bolian turned a little with a shuffling step and folded his hands behind his back. "Captain, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

Halliwell tilted her head at the prone form of her new medical chief and then quickly shot a look to Poxx. "I â€“ well, I decided to come down to introduce myself to the new commander, here, but it looks as though he is already making himself at home. What happened, Lieutenant?" Humour was never Elsie's strongest personality component and, usually, she tended to steer away from an over-familiarised working relationship with her subordinates but with the troubles that awaited her return to the bridge, a dalliance with a little appropriate indulgence.

"As near as I can figure," Poxx said, looking back at the display, "Commander Kohl attempted to bring a few new friends furtively aboard our fine ship." Poxx pointed at some squiggles swarming in the intestinal tract. "Deindum pylori, a rather nasty bacteria."

"And how are you feeling now, Commander?" she asked, turning her attention back to the patient.

"I'm feeling much more like myself. Thank you, Captain," Kohl answered stiffly. He reached one hand around the medical support frame and poked at an LCARS contact far more nimbly than he could have managed two hours earlier. In response, the frame fully retracted into the biobed, and Kohl shoulder-rolled off the biobed almost as quickly. Working hard to keep a neutral expression, Kohl stood to his full height. In a casual timbre, he said, "Although Fairfax's entire away team to Deeva Kalo was exposed to the pathogenic bacteria, I was the only one infected. ...Evidently."

"The bacterium take some time to properly incubate, Commander," Poxx reminded Kohl. "Your shipmates could be reeling and retching within the hour. I've taken the liberty of informing the Fairfax of your status so they can schedule those crew members for medical re-evaluation."

"Keep me posted on their crew too, Doctor," Halliwell said, flicking her attention to both at the same time. Her brow furrowed as she said almost to herself, "We should also investigate why the transport filters didn't detect the bacteria. But not now." Looking up, she continued. "We have more pressing matters to contend with." Her face dropped slightly as did her tone and her voice took on its usual grave and severe resonance. "I assume that you are, by now, familiar with the current on-goings of the mission." She then turned fully to Kohl and sized him up solely with her eyes. "I'm afraid that the usual formal pleasantries of introducing you to the crew will have to be side-stepped. We have no idea what we are forcing our way in to, but one thing is for certainâ€¦ it will involve a skirmish and on that aspect, I'll need you to both be ready."

Out the corner of his eyes, Kohl glanced at Poxx to be certain he wasn't figuratively picking his nose when he said what he was about to say. "We are ready, Captain," Kohl said, his eyes locked with Halliwell's. "The entire department. Your medical staff has been dispatched to confirm the damage control teams are fully stocked with medical supplies."

"And I can work on an upgrade of the biofilters with engineering when time permits, Captain," Poxx volunteered, speaking to her near-sotto utterance. "Though I fear it may be futile - deindum pylori has a penchant for mimicking beneficial bacterium to a staggering degree in homo sapiens and their closest interstellar relatives." He jerked a thumb at Kohl on the last bit. "The number of false positives might well be overwhelming."

"There shouldn't be any need for introductions," said Kohl in the soothing tones he reserved for patients. Although he made a point not to interrupt Poxx, his interjection pointedly swerved the conversation back to the Captain's earlier comments. Kohl shook his head, trying his very best to assuage Halliwell's concerns about propriety or biofilters. A Captain didn't need minutia before battle, Kohl suspected. "Captain Northcutt intimated I would be returning to Fairfax once the artifact and hostage are recovered..."

Elsie remained somewhat silent for a moment after Kohl had trailed off and then briefly, but purposefully, locked eyes with him. "That may not be what exactly transpires, Commander." She turned to Poxx, flashed him a loaded glance and then returned her attention back to the Argelian. "Your service record is... somewhat colourful and career path... alternate but methods and actions sound, and I am looking for a more permanent Chief Medical Officer." She then turned back to Poxx and flashed him an uncharacteristic and uncomfortable smile. "You have been complaining that you needed more assistance, Doctor."

"I should like to get the full benefit of the Commander's experience as an administrator certainly," the Bolian agreed, looking from the Captain to Kohl and back again. "Thus far, we've functioned more as patient and physician than superior and subordinate. I look forward to establishing the proper propriety in our working relationship."

Nodding vacantly at Poxx, Kohl said, "Yuh-yes... Propriety. Administrator. More permanent." They were the first unpolished words to come from Kohl since his feverish arrival on board. He had the posture of someone who had just been gut-punched, and his dazed gaze danced from Halliwell to Poxx and back again. Unlike his feverish arrival, there was an capable intentness to his looks. "Thank you," he said, but he didn't sound sure of that. He spoke so softly, his voice cracked. Kohl cleared his throat, and he said, "...I wasn't expecting this when I pulled my trousers on this morning."

Halliwell halted, changed her facial expression to one of shock and uncomfortable annoyance at such an expression but then decided not to continue along its path. "That being said, Commander, it is the ultimate goal I am after. Should you be agreeable."

She blinked twice, arched her neck backwards as if to move her head further from the situation and then shrugged it off once more.

The look Halliwell was giving Kohl made him uncomfortable and he crossed his arms over his abdomen. He gave her words consideration, and then he said, "I should be agreeable, Captain. When the time comes." It was all he could commit to there and then. After taking a particularly deep breath, Kohl asked, "Do you have any orders for the Medical department?"

"None," she replied flatly, flicking one of her nails with the other as she took a more casual stance. "Aside from being mission-ready, naturally." She looked up to Kohl again and flashed him a brief but subtle smile. "It... does seem the wrong time to ask," she added after a pause, "but these past few days have been grueling and... I'm not sleeping well."

It was the truth, and Halliwell above all loathed admitting to any failings. But she knew that, if she expected her crew to perform at the top of their game, she needed to lead them to it. "It's not so much sleep deprivation," she continued uneasily, "but more an unwillingness to relax. And it's causing me headaches."

Kohl nodded briefly at each of Halliwell's admissions. Before he responded, Kohl studied her eyes intently; first the sclera, followed by the irises and the pupils. Considering her Human biology, Kohl remarked, "Have you tried physical exertion --exercise-- immediately prior to the regular time you usually sleep?"

"It needn't be a formalized exercise program, Captain," Poxx chimed in, completely oblivious to the decorum of Kohl's specificity. He began counting off on his fingers. "Deep tissue massage by a qualified friend can be both invigorating and relaxing. And there are the occasional subsequent activities that sometimes result from intimate touching: Lovemaking, of course, and certain methods of mutual and self-stimu--"

"Doctor!" Halliwell scolded, her eyes now open so wide with utter distress that she could barely stifle the rising anger that welled from her stomach. She trembled with it as it coursed through her entire frame. But, as she quivered, a small bubble of laughter caught in her throat. She cleared it, shook her head and bid her farewell. "If you'll excuse me, Doctors," she managed and left the bay.

"Yeah... She's sending me back to Fairfax," Kohl muttered, falling in alongside the Bolian so as to share a view of the Sickbay door closing in the Captain's wake. "And, no, you can't come with me."

OFF:

Captain Elsie Halliwell
Commanding Officer
USS Ranger

Lieutenant Commander Andreus Kohl
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ranger

Lieutenant Gumalt Poxx
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Ranger

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