Medicine: the Greenest Science

Posted on Sat Aug 5th, 2023 @ 8:08am by Lieutenant Michael Amato & Lieutenant Commander Marc Kitchner M.D. & Lieutenant Commander Darrod Hanous & Lieutenant Antoinette Jenkins

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 4: Through a Glass, Darkly
Location: Deck 7: Medical Division
Timeline: M4 MD02 (2268.07.11) 0800

Sleeping on a new bed in new quarters was always an uncomfortable experience, the first night. After all, the sound of the powerful engines beneath him (soon to be Dar's responsibility) differed depending on where on the ship he was. He'd muddled through, and was awake before 0800 - showered, shaved, and in a clean duty uniform. He knew he'd probably end up in a working coverall by the end of the day, but at least he should walk in while looking something like a respectable engineer. Unfortunately, there was one hurdle to clear before he started duty at 0900; the part he always disliked.

Orion had been a foundational member of the Federation, along with Vulcan, Tellar, and Andor. But due to the internal 'issues', most Orions who went to space did so as part of either the pirate fleet or privateers under the planetary government. He wasn't the first Orion in Starfleet by far, but he was part of a minority, even compared to Vulcans or Rigelians. As a result, he often needed to ensure that the ship's doctor knew about him and could study up on his biology, in case anything went wrong. Given the persnickety nature of the Constitution's utterly massive warp engines, things could go very wrong down in the Engine Room very quickly.

So Dar walked into the Sickbay with a pad detailing his medical history in hand. He looked around for either a doctor or a nurse. He spoke loudly, hoping to get someone's attention.

"Good morning - I'm Lieutenant Hanous, the new Chief Engineer? I was hoping to get my transfer physical out of the way before I started my first shift."

Danny Switalski walked in through another door. "Good morning Lieutenant .... "

Darrod looked over at the new person with a smile and a nod, extending his arm for a handshake. "Morning. Is it too early to get a physical around here?"

"No, not at all." Danny said. "I'll be right back. I'll just let Dr. Kitchner know you're here." She stepped out of the room again.

A few minutes passed and Marc Kitchner and Danny returned. "Good morning Lieutenant Darrod ... Marc Kitchner, Ships Senior Surgeon." The two me shook hands. When Darrod let go Marc shook his hand a few times. "Nice grip." He said flexing his fingers. "Take your shirt off and hop up on the exam table."

Darrod hadn't really cranked on the handshake, but he was aware he had a decent grip. Then again, you had to if you were going to be an engineer; either in private service or Starfleet. He pulled up his shirt, and Kitchner would notice the tattoo on his shoulder, and with his uniform shirt off, the mark on his wrist as well. As a surgeon, he'd probably also recognize the inexpert slashes across the markings with a knife in an attempt to obscure them. While the tattoos were more subtle than those borne by some members of the Cartel, it was obvious that he'd come from it - and from those self-inflicted injuries, there was a lot of hatred there; which also would conflict with the way he neatly folded his uniform shirt before setting it aside, proudly showing the Midway's sunburst. He laid down on the examination table, rolling his eyes as the gauges went a bit wild while calibrating to Orion norms. "One of these days, I'll have to take a look at the scanning field on the bed, so the normalization is faster."

"I'd appreciate that." Marc said as he tuned an instrument. "If you'd pardon my asking. How did you get that scar across your ribs? That had to hurt." Marc started running his exams. "When you have time I would like to ask you about some structural changes I'd like to make around here. But that's not we have to worry about now."

Dar made a sound, not unlike an exasperated sigh, as the man saw the scar that drove down in his ribs. "That was a knife. Kerf marks make it a Klingon dk'tagh, but it's really something less pleasant. They said it was permanent after it was cauterized." Even though he wanted to, he couldn't out his native blood. Maybe that was why the Cartel kept winning - because people like him were too unwilling to give them up. All he really cared about was getting out, getting away.

"We could diminish the look of it," Dr. Amato offered. He'd been hovering behind Dr. Kitchner but let the chief surgeon take the lead, "With enough treatments it may even disapear, but I don't want to make any promises. That is of course up to you."

Dar looked at the doctors incredulously, but not without hope. He'd lived with his scars for so long, and been so accustomed to the idea that the marks the Syndicate left would be as permanent on his body as they were in his mind, that he didn't know exactly how to respond. He shrugged and his expression shifted to a confused smile. "I keep forgetting how far medical science has advanced in the last ten years. If you can make it not hurt anymore when there's an atmospheric shift, that would be really great. And if you can make it fully disappear, I'd owe you - big time."

Marc had lifted the Lieutenants arm up to get a better look at the scar. "I was actually thinking of a skin graft. Its old school but it still works, especially on long established scars. Especially if its backed up with some conditioning grease. You'd be laid up for two days, but that's the worst of it." Marc straightened up. "I'm going to need to do some in depth reading before we do anything, it's been a while since I operated on an Orion. Anywho, think about it all the same."

Marc turned and looked at the Data Padd Danny was holding to see if he missed anything. "Lieutenant except for some blood work we're finished here. Swiss can take care of that for you."

Dar nodded with a smile, extending his arm toward Swiss for the blood to be taken. "I'm definitely interested. Of course, between your research and the repairs this ship needs, we've got some time."

As Swiss did her thing. "Lieutenant, I'd love if you would do something else for me as well ... if it's all possible that is." Marc said. "On the other side of that stretch of wall is a small storage locker,' He pointed across the room. 'and the other of that is the Lab. Currently we pretty much need to walk to the other side of the deck to get in there. Plus that storage locker isn't really large enough for anything in large quantities. Would you see if it's doable to turn that into pressurized doorway, and loose the door in the corridor? I'm better with the physical anatomy compared to the anatomy of a star ship." Marc said appreciative of a specialist of a different sort. "The Captain said it was okay with him, provided it was okay with you."

"All done Lieutenant." Swiss said as she jammed a wad of cotton into the crock of Darrods elbow and bent his forearm up. "Just hold that there a minute, I need some tape." She returned a minute later. "I'm so used to seeing red blood, blue is a nice change." She chuckled picking up the vials after placing some tape on Darrods arm.

Darrod looked at the Doctor, thinking while keeping his arm where the nurse said to. That bulkhead wasn't load-bearing, and if he was right about it, there was only a single ODN line they'd have to adjust to put a door through, and a low-res bio-sensor. He nodded after a moment. "After we get all the repairs sorted out, I'm pretty sure we can get you a door there. There shouldn't be much behind that bulkhead, unless someone's done something off of the class spec. Honestly, I would prefer to keep the corridor exit, in case of an emergency. I'll see if there's any space we can carve out to give you a larger storage area, too. In the meantime, And even though I've only met Peter on the transport staff, I'm sure any of them are more than capable of running a point-to-point transport for medical supplies, so that you don't need to have it hand-couriered."

He smirked at Swiss and gave a one shouldered shrug with the arm that hadn't had blood drawn. "Personally speaking, I'm just as happy not to see anybody's blood on a regular basis; no matter what color it is."

Swiss just smiled and said. "Lieutenant that'll be a little tender for today but you'll be fine. Dr. K I'll get this stuff filed. Excuse me."

Marc made some notes in the book he kept in his lab coat. "We may want to look at that covered over tattoo as well. But that's easy." He muttered to himself. "Anywhoo Lieutenant, if anything bizarre turns up in your lab results you'll hear from myself or Dr. Amato in a couple of days. One last question. Is there anything you would rather not tell us about but if something was to happen we'd find out about? We'd rather find out now verses a combat situation or ship board accident, and I promise you it will stay between the three of us. Provided it's nothing dangerously illegal that is."

Dr. Amato looked intently at Dar to guage his response. He was still unsure of their new Chief Engineer. He seemed friendly enough but he was clearly hiding something in his past. He crossed his arms as he stood behind Dr. Kitchner.

Dar thought for a moment about the question the doctor was asking. It was stereotypical to think of Orions as drugged-up, booze-swilling pirates; but stereotypes existed for a reason. His own brother was proof of that. He glanced at his wrist, "I honestly can't think of anything medically important that's not on my file. Maybe I have a higher-than-average caffeine addiction, but I've been told that it goes with the territory. Brewing coffee off an engine's waste heat is a time-honored tradition, been done for centuries. Oh, there is one thing I probably should tell you in case there's an emergency. It's on the file, but still; I have a sister, she's a Captain in the merchant marine service on a ship with a Warp 7 engine, and we have the same blood type. Her name is D'Tirrah."

He shrugged at them. "Honestly, there's not much I'd be ashamed to tell you, medically speaking. I don't really do anything I'm ashamed of; or anything I want to keep secret. Most of my past is in the file. I don't know about any deliberate omissions."

"Fair enough and so noted. I once knew a lab technician who kept a miniature still running in the bio chem lab at a University I was a guest lecturer at. So keeping a pot brewing makes sense to us." Marc said with a firm grin. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Okay?" He extended a hand.

"Be sure to let the Captain know about your hobby," Dr. Amato added with a chuckle as he finished up the physical form on the clipboard, "He enjoys coffee, probably too much as well. I don't know if he's ever been involved in that tradition."

Darrod smiled and took Kitchner's hand, shaking it firmly. "Of course. And anything you need from me, please let me know." He released Marc's hand and turned his pleasant expression toward Amato. "I will, thank you - always good to have something in common with the Captain."

 

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