Hanging Out a Shingle

Posted on Mon Feb 13th, 2023 @ 4:37am by Lieutenant Michael Amato & Lieutenant Commander Marc Kitchner M.D. & Lieutenant Michael Slatterly & Lieutenant Laviana zh'Nolon MD & Lieutenant Antoinette Jenkins
Edited on on Tue Feb 14th, 2023 @ 9:45am

1,102 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Mission 2: Rendezvous At Starbase 10
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: M2 MD04 (2268.6.06) 0900

En-route to SB-10 Kitch received word that they were to take on another Doctor. Marc had looked into Mike Slatterly's profile and his qualifications, aside from being young he liked what he saw

Marc was working in the lab continuing some of the research he was involved with back in Baltimore. He was writing the latest bits of data in a log book. "Morning Swiss." He said hardly glacing over the top of his glasses.

"Morning Doc Kitch." Switalski said putting a stack of data chips into a rack, dropping a few of them. "Gravity sucks." She muttered to herself. Marc couldn't help but smile to himself.

Just then Slattery walked into sickbay, and seeing that a lovely technician had dropped some data ships on the floor, he went over to help her. "May I?" He knelt down and started picking them up.

"Thanks Lieutenant." Switalski said. "You're new around here. That's Dr. Marc Kitchner over there. I'm Danielle Switalski, but everyone calls me Swiss." She said taking the chips she'd dropped and added them to the rack.

"Is there something I can do for you Lieutenant?" Marc asked making another note in his log book. "Seven .. three .. ten .. four .. fourteen." He mumbled to himself doing some fast arithmetic.

"I'll just call you Danielle, if I am allowed." He smiled at her. Then he turned to Kitchner. "Just wanted to introduce myself, Dr. Kitchner. I'm Michael Slattery, your new surgical resident." He paused a moment. "I requested this assignment because of your reputation, doctor."

"Swiss ... can you find Dr. Amato and Nurse Jenkins for me and bring them here." Marc asked.

"Certainly Doctor, I'll be right back." Swiss said smiling.

"Pleasure to meet you Dr. Slattery." Marc stepped around the lab desk and shook hands with the young freshly minted Doctor. The two men chatted for a few minutes as Amato and Jenkins came into the room. "Dr. Michael Slattery, meet Antoinette Jenkins, chief nurse, and Dr. Michael Amato, senior resident."

"Hello Doctor." Jenkins said. "Two Michael's to keep an eye on. This'll be interesting.

Dr. Amato nodded, "It is going to be confusing, although we seem to be a last name department," he commented.

"Fortunately." Marc said smiling. "Now that we are properly staffed. Mike if it's alright with you we'll stay with 12 hour shifts. Since you're senior resident, do you want to come onto the early shift, or do you want to keep to nights?" Mike said looking at Amato.

"Ah, days would be a nice change if that's alright," Mike responded, "Although I would ask for a day or two off to transition. It was tough enough transitioning to nights from days." He looked down at his wrist chronometer, "I think our other new resident should be due in soon," he said.

"Other resident?" Marc said, but before he could say anything else Tony Jenkins handed him a PaDD

"The Captain sent this down a few minutes ago." Tony said with her regular soft smile. "It was sent to him by mistake."

"Oh. According to this they should be here sometime today." Marc said looking up from the PaDD.

Just then the doors to the lab opened again. "Doc Kitch. More fresh faces. Tony we also have two more nurses and three techs. Dr. zh'Nolon, he just transported over from SB-10."

"So it seems." Marc muttered to himself. "Tony if you would see to the Nurses and Techs, I'd appreciate it." Marc said. Tony Jenkins quietly nodded.

"Doctor zh'Nolon ... Doctors Mike Amato and Mike Slattery." Marc said extending a hand and throwing a thumb first to Amato and then Slattery."

"Laviana. Pleased to be here." The young Andorian replied, shaking the hand offered to her.

Slattery nodded and extended his hand as well. "Pleasure Doctor zh'Nolon." Slattery watched Antoinette Jenkins. "I'm sure, Lieutenant, that you will have no problem figuring out who is who." He gave her a smile.

Tony nodded. "Excuse me gentlemen." Tony and Swiss left the room, but before the doors fully closed one or both of the girls started giggling.

"Well gentlemen." Marc said letting out a deep sigh. "It seems we have more hands than we'll know what to do with. I'm okay with that. It'll keep us getting from burned out." Marc grinned at his joke. "Dr. Amato can take the 0700-1500 shift. Dr. Slattery 1500-2300, Dr. zh'Nolon the 2300 to 0700 shift. I'll play on call." Marc took a swallow from his now cold cup of coffee. "And every month I'll switch off with one of you gentlemen. Any questions?"

"Are you maintaining any regular office hours or just on call?" Dr. Amato asked for more clarification than anything. They were all residents and Dr. Kitchner was the attending after all.

"If I'm on call for a given month. I'll be around for sure. So don't feel like you'll be bothering me." Marc said. "I have plenty to keep me busy."

Slattery watched the women leave, and when they left the room, he turned his attention back to the conversation.

Marc cleared his throat. "Go easy on the eye candy Slattery. They may be easy on the eyes, but those ladies pull far more than their share." Slattery's head snapped around with a look of embarrassment. Marc softly smiled. "I may be old enough to be your father, but I'm not dead either." He chuckled.

"It's not a crime admiring pretty women, Doctor...for any of us. After all admiring is not actually doing anything." Slattery commented. "And by the way, I had an 80-year-old uncle who married a 34-year-old woman, and they lived happily for 4 years until her death."

Marc couldn't help but shrug at that. He could see him and Slattery butting heads. "Gentlemen I hate to cut you off short but some of us have work to get on with. Before I forget, Dr. Amato, you had asked to take a few days leave, you can start the early shift once you get back." Marc said giving him a wink.

"Heh thank you Dr. Kitchner," Amato responded, "I think we all could use a few days of shoreleave after the last two weeks."

Marc smiled back. "Would you give these two the 2 credit tour for me." He said to Amato perching his glasses on his nose before returning to his work.

Dr. Amato nodded before he ushered the new new residents down the corridor towards the triage ward. He hoped the transition to four doctors would be smooth but frankly he didn't care so long as he wasn't on duty all the time which it seemed like on the old rotation.

 

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