The Medical Delegation

Posted on 23 May 2023 @ 10:36pm by Captain Bane Plase & Lieutenant Commander Elodin Devan MD & Lieutenant Commander Raviran Dattek-Winters & Lieutenant JG Delenna Morak

1,505 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: The day before "Patient Zero"

Ensign Sophie Lamarre sat at the edge of the biobed, holding her left wrist up in front of her, being careful not to move it. She cursed herself for the fifth time for messing up that blocking move in that mok'bara training routine with Ensign Lafleur. She'd ended up tumbling to the floor, and landing at an odd angle on her wrist, and felt something snap...

Nurse th'Shylis walked back over to her, carrying a medical tricorder, and beckoned Doctor Winters over to look over the results just as the Sickbay doors opened.

Doctor Elodin walked in, followed by a tall Antiocian, who had to duck to make it through the door.

"Elder Thendra, this is the Sickbay. This is where we take care of our sick and injured crew."

Thendra drew herself to her full height, the top of her head missing the ceiling by only about twenty centimeters. She looked around, clearly intrigued by what she saw. "Impressive," she said simply.

"This is Doctor Winters," said Elodin, waving her over. "She is the Assistant Chief Medical Officer on board. And Lieutenant Morak, our Chief Counselor."

Elder Thendra bowed deeply, reminiscent of the ancient Vedek Assembly on Bajor, and of the Japanese culture on Earth. "It is quite my pleasure to meet with both of you," she said, her voice carrying an accent which sounded exactly like the royal class of people in nineteenth century England. She looked over to Dr. Winters. "You are different than the others," she said, simply, waiting a response.

Ravi bowed in like manner to the Elder only she didn't make her bow quite as deep, but yet plenty deep enough to be respectful. "It is also our pleasure to meet you, Elder Thendra. " she responded and then addressed the question she had been asked as well.

"I am of mixed race, Elder. I am half Bajoran - hence the softer nose ridges but I am also half Cardassian which gives me the exoskeletal differences." She reached up and ran a finger down the right side of her protruding neck bones to give an example.

"It's a fairly recent combination as a few generations ago, both of these races were enemies. It is only recently that some of each side have found enough in common to make a relationship or a marriage work." she went on but then fell silent, trying to make sure she was being helpful but not too garrulous.

Elder Thendra's eyebrows, or the rough approximation of such things on her species, went up briefly, then back to the neutral position. "Thank you for explaining that to me, Doctor. It never even occurred to me that two different species from very different worlds could mate, and even more so, produce offspring. There is much to learn here." Her voice ended in a high inflection, the meaning clear that she was excited and eager to learn more.

She then addressed the Counselor. "Counselor, I am interested in hearing your role on this marvelous ship," she said, gesturing about them all to the room, and to the ship at large, "I am afraid I do not understand what the word 'Counselor' means. Would you be willing to explain that to me?"

"Of course, Elder," smiled Delenna as she bowed. "My role is to listen to one or more crew members with impartiality. I help them work out a solution to a problem." She hoped that explained her assigned role. As being in the main Sickbay area has probably confused the Elder. Well, she is trained as a Medical Officer too.

The Elder wore a look of confusion on her face as she looked back over to Dr. Elodin. "To what benefit is it to just listen to another crewmember to work out a solution to a problem? Does your kind need someone to talk to in order to understand and complete their jobs? I also find it troubling that species as far advanced as yours still have enemies. Tell me, is your Federation warlike?"

Elodin smiled as he approached. "Esteemed Elder, this ship is currently home to representatives from twenty-six different civilizations from all over the Federation. All with their own unique cultures, customs and traditions, and their own codes of social conduct. Sometimes these codes are at odds with one another. A counselor's job is to help smoothe out any conflicts that may arise. And, while this ship is also home to over seven hundred crewmembers, and has all the comforts and amenities we could ask for, we do live in isolation from our own personal homeworlds, our cultures, sometimes our families. Space can be a lonely place. A counselor's job is also to see to the crew's emotional well-being."

He took a breath, and nodded at the Elder. "And on occasion, we get to encounter new species. With their own culture, customs and traditions, and their own codes of social conduct. The Counselor's job is also to help us understand this, and avoid any potential misstep and prevent any misunderstanding between our two cultures."

He hesitated before continuing. "To answer your last question, the Federation is not at all warlike. We pursue ideals of pacifism. But I regret to say that not all cultures in the galaxy share this value. While the Federation is not an aggressor, we are capable of defending ourselves."

Delenna handed Elodin a coffee as he finished what he said.

The Elder nodded thoughtfully. "I see. We once had an ethos, which I am sure you will learn about from our other Elders. It stated, 'The best defense is a strong offense.' Perhaps we are much more alike than I thought we were," she said cryptically. "I do find it fascinating that you have a Counselor to help the mental states of all these different species. You said twenty-six different species? That is incredible! How many species are there in the galaxy?"

Ravi had to hold back an inclination to laugh softly at that question. "I don't think any of us could possibly know the answer to that, Elder Thendra" she replied quickly so as to be certain her inner smile hadn't made any outward appearance. She had no intention nor thought to offend.

"We area still looking all around the galaxy as we understand it, I doubt if we'll have discovered, let alone met, all the species there might be around every metaphorical 'corner' of space." she smiled and tilted her head respectfully, hoping that her interjection hadn't been out of place.

Elder Thendra bowed gracefully to the gray-toned medical officer. "Thank you, Dr. Winters. We had no idea there were more than us and the transmission we picked up several years ago from that other race," she said, referring to a message that was received some years ago, and which the Tashi and the Council of Elders had elected to keep secret from everyone but the very highest levels of government. "As you all can imagine," she said, extending her arms out and referring to each of them in the conversation, and in Sickbay, "We had no idea there were so many. Clearly there is a great deal more to discover. We may be late coming onto the interplanetary and interstellar community, but we have arrived. I sincerely hope we can make our mark on the galaxy, just as your Federation has done." She turned and looked at Dr. Elodin expectantly.

Delenna cursed herself for making her job description more confusing. She quietly walked away and sat in her office and wrote psychological evaluations on people she'd seen.
The one thing she had practised on for years, for a day like today and she screws it up.

Ravi was silently wondering if it was only herself who had taken the idea of the tall race of Elosians weren't intending to literally make a mark on the Universe the size of that made by the Federation and all its member planets, and if so, what kind of mark it would be? ~Would it leave a scar?~ Shivering reflexively without knowing exactly why, Ravi felt a little unnerved by that whole inner reaction and feeling which the small phrase and huge concept the Eldar had sparked.

Out of the corner of his eye, Elodin had seen Nurse th'Shylis's antennae stand upright at the Elder's quote about the best defense being a good offense. The Andorian's own culture also valued that principle, and this had led to a number of conflicts before the founding of the Federation.

"You're going to love the Klingons," he muttered below his breath, too softly for the Elder to hear.

He waved the Elder to the biobed where th'Shylis was standing, and on which Ensign Lamarre sat, waiting, cradling her injured wrist. "Perhaps this is something you'd like to observe, Elder Thendra. Ensign Lamarre, what brings you here today?"



A post by

Dr Elodin Devan, Chief Medical Officer

Dr Ravi Winters, Assistant Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant Delenna Morak, Chief Counselor

Elder Thendra, Council of Elders, Antioch III

 

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