Underway

Posted on Tue Feb 18th, 2020 @ 5:16am by Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD & Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne

1,301 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 104 - A Glimmer of Hope...
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD1, 1115 hours

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency... Oh, it is you again, Ensign. And what, pray tell, is it this time, hmm?" Eyebrows raised, the hologram waited impatiently for a response. Quite unable to find any evidence on the internal sensors of anyone actually in need of medical assistance, he was forced to deduce he had been activated for some other purpose. Which was non sensical. He had only one purpose. One for which his programming had been honed to perfection.

Ensign Davis offered an apologetic smile, "there was a power fluctuation and engineering recommended rechecking your programme. You seem fine. Thank you."

As she spoke she touched the commands on the workstation, terminating the EMH but not before she caught the look of annoyance on his part. She called up the next programme, mentally bracing herself. The ship had been designed to operate several holographic medical programmes at once and she had to recheck three of them to ensure they were still operational. After the first one had been infuriated at the very idea his programme could have become corrupted by someone's incompetence (which Aria thought very rude and unnecessary) she had decided to do the rest as quickly and pain free as possible.

Entering sickbay, Doctor Corrigan tried to push her annoyance with Hades' comment out of her mind and focus on the more immediate problems. Even so, it nagged at her. "Doctor Davis," she said, offering a small smile, "any issues?"

"None so far. I got the main surgical bay set up the way you requested and Doctor Reid and nurse Ashleigh are doing one last walk through the triage bay," Aria replied. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No, thank you," Carolyn replied as she disappeared into her office. Watching her go, Aria frowned. She didn't know the woman well and she had only known Dr Harris for about a day but she still felt so bad for her. Turning her attention back to the task at hand she had just finished with the final test when the doors to sickbay opened again. Aria smiled brightly, "Counsellor Monroe! Wait... do I still call you that when you are our XO? That must be so exciting! And terrifying too, right?"

Ariana looked around seeing no one else in the immediate vaccinity to overhear but she lowered her voice anyway. "Completely!" she grinned. "Please feel free to call me Counsellor, it's my job even though I seem to have been promoted for this assignment. "So, how are preparations going? Are the EMH's working within normal parameters? I had a report from engineering that there was a problem with power fluctuations?"

"Just finished rechecking them," Aria confirmed. "They still have attitudes but otherwise were responding normally. If you were looking for Doctor Corrigan she is through there, in her office."

Ariana nodded. "Thank you Aria, any more problems or anything you need just let me know." She smiled warmly and headed for Carolyn's office. Pausing outside she politely peered inside, "Knock, knock."

Glancing up from the planned assignments, Carolyn glanced up with a frown, concerned that her friend had come for medical reasons. “Come in... Something wrong?”

"Not at all" Ariana offered a smile. "It might be a different story if I wasn't wearing this inhibitor but as it is it's working just fine. Actually I came to see you, I wanted to make sure that you're alright."

Relaxing at the assurance her friend wasn’t suffering from any ill effects, Carolyn gestures for Ariana to sit. “I am,” she lied, even though it was pointless. Before Ariana could comment, she sank back in her seat doing a pretty good impression of Hades, “rest and make sure you eat...”

She threw her hands up, “why?! In the middle of the briefing. Like some errant child.”

Ariana walked over to a chair and sat down. "I guess if I was in your shoes I'd feel the same way, to be honest I'd probably have come out and said something!" She grinned. "He means well, he's just worried about you but Hades being Hades he said what was on his mind."

Carolyn sighed, no energy to stay annoyed. “I don’t know what he is thinking, we haven’t spoken, not really.”

"Then I suggest you do" Ariana gave her friend a look that kind of said 'talk to the man!' "If he won't listen then make him! He's tough, you've got to be tougher! If there's one thing I've learned from what we've gone through lately it's that hiding away doesn't accomplish anything."

"Tougher than Hades?" Carolyn countered incredulously. She shook her head, "not possible. Besides, we have bigger problems to deal with first. When we are back, then I can let all these hormones run riot and shout at him."

"Well if you don't I will" Ariana raised her one eyebrow in more of a Vulcan gesture than that of a Betazoid. "He doesn't scare me as much as he used to, whether that's because I've changed, I don't really know!"

"He's grieving too," she pointed out. "Just... a little time, please. I will speak to him. I promise. And for the record, I am not scared of him. I'm just not ready to talk about it yet. On the bright side, my grandmother left for Earth this morning. She took her ship so I guess her broomstick must be broken."

She shook off the thought, instead glancing at Ariana. "How are you feeling? Is the inhibitor working okay?"

"I'm...okay for now, I've got the inhibitor cranked up pretty high to block out most of what I get but its when I'm without it that I have problems." She paused. "My abilities are...off the chart, I'm starting from scratch with learning to control them and it's hard."

Carolyn offered her a sympathetic smile, "I wish I could help but I have absolutely no experience with what you are going through. Is there anybody on board who might be able to help?

I tried Vulcan meditation once... it doesn't work on Irish girls apparently, we are too stubborn and prone to violence," she grinned. "Or we can reach out to find a specialist..."

"I think...someone who knows what they're doing would be a good idea." Ariana smiled. "But we can sort that when we're not going into battle."

"Very true," Carolyn nodded. "We are ready. I just hope we wont really be needed."

"Same here! I'm as nervous as hell about being XO!!" She grinned. "Nothing like on the job learning though!"

"That's what one of the residents told us on my very first day ever as a medical student," Carolyn smiled. "You'll do great. You keep calm in a crisis and you'll balance out Hades."

"You know the other thing that freaks me out?" Ariana sighed. "It makes me stop and wonder what else has changed in me. What hasn't showed up yet."

Carolyn smiled. “anything weird that comes up, Hades is an expert.”

"I know." Ariana smiled. "I'm glad I have both of you to talk to."

“Always,” Carolyn promised.

"The same goes for you my friend" Ariana smiled warmly. "If you ever need to talk or just need some company, just call me."

"Lets get everyone home safely and I'll take you up on that. Being alone feels weird right now."

Ariana nodded. "Speaking of which I'd best get back to the bridge or Hades will be calling for me. If you need anything you know where to find me."

"Don't worry, we got this covered. Make sure Hades doesn't get dizzy spinning in that chair …"

"Oh he won't!" Ariana grinned. "I'll be the one spinning in it while he's in his ready room!!" With that she stood and turned to leave.


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