But do I get a lollipop?

Posted on Sun May 5th, 2024 @ 7:18pm by Lieutenant Roan Gaeta & Lieutenant Nixie Wilde

1,415 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 1 - Project Concord
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Before the transwarp jump

[ON]

Roan smiled to himself as he sipped his tea, glancing over to the PADD. At least he knew his next appointment. Wilde, the Chief of Security, had shown she was brilliant in the gym. But he also knew that just because the outside was okay didn't mean the insides were. But having said that, Starfleet were good at keeping an eye on people's health, so he wasn't concerned. But he still needed her baseline for the mission. To him it was important. Most would say it was silly but he would rather be safe than sorry.

"Is the doctor in?" Nixie moved in, tugging her sleeves up with a small smile as she shook her head. "I got trapped into agreeing to a medical by an unscrupulous doctor in the gym..."

"Oh, I've heard of him. He's a really sneaky character, I wouldn't trust him," Roan said with a grin as he motioned her in. "Come on in, Nixie. Let's have a look at you."

"Fine..." Nix moved for the bed, hopping up to sit on it as she glanced about the Sickbay for the first time. "You could do with a pot plant or something in here..." maybe it was because they were pre-launch, but this Sickbay seemed even more sterile than usual.

"I've considered it," Roan said and smiled, shaking his head. "Maybe some throws. Something warming. Computer, run full scans on patient on biobed three." He moved over to her, to look at the results. "Any aches, pains, complaints or things I should know about?"

"Just the run of the mill stuff from training and work," she shook her head with a weak smile. She'd learnt to be fairly tight lipped with doctors. After being given a medical leave that affected her career, she tended to play stuff down.

"Hm..." Roan looked at her, watching her with a small smile. "Alright. I'll take your word for it," he said as he started to take her readings. "But if there is anything that can help, let me know."

"I'm not a masochist," she assured him with a soft chuckle, trying to settle back and relax for him. "But you doctors do tend to write everything down and let nothing go. Forever."

"We just have a good memory, that's all, and no trust of others," Roan said with a smile, watching her baseline as the computer logged it. "Sort of like Security, I suppose. Distrusting. Just, you know...we can't do anything except practice our 'I told you so' faces."

"You mean you aren't born with it?" she teased lightly, watching him with a 'I know better' face of her own.

He crossed his arms as he looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "We get them implanted surgically when we graduate," he said before he smiled.

"You're joking, but it wouldn't shock me," she replied with a deadpan voice, shaking her head with a slight tut. "I train a lot, get injuries here and there. I doubt it's any worse than other security people."

"No, it isn't," he said with a small chuckle. "It's very common, most injuries we get are exercise related. Luckily anyway. Wasn't like that the...last few years." During the war, he would have been so happy for a boring exercise related sprain.

Nixie glanced down at the reference to the war, her breathing becoming more measured. She, like many others, had been dealt a difficult hand during the conflict. It was the reason she had been posted in the regular fleet for the time being, rather than being sent back to the Rangers. "I'm pretty sure we won't have a full measure of the casualties of the war and its prelude for a number of years."

Roan nodded, watching her for a long moment before he looked away. When he spoke, he sounded grumpy and annoyed. "We can be hopeful, but we don't know what we might encounter. An experimental drive, a long-range mission. I am prepared, but I am also expecting the worst. But that's us doctors for you, we have the grumpy cynic view on life. People are fragile after all, and ever so stupid..." he looked at her before he grinned, unable to keep the speech going as his bluff faltered on its own accord.

Nixie shook her head with a soft laugh, even tutting as she watched his attempt. "You're really not cut out for the gruff doctor routine. You can't even get the furrowed brow right."

"I know," Roan said with an easy smile, shaking his head. "I never really understood why a healer should be...difficult, within Starfleet. Firm, yes, but you can be firm without being a complete..." he stopped himself and chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

“Arsehole,” Nixie replied bluntly, lifting a hand to tip a hat to him that she wasn’t wearing. “The word you’re looking for is arsehole…”

"Arsehole," Roan echoed before he nodded, looking down. "Yeah. I am sure I can be that, but usually...not on duty. I am here to heal, not antagonise."

"Yeah, I've literally gone years without seeing a doctor at all, even in the service," Nixie chuckled, clearly quite pleased with herself for it too. "You catch more bees with sugar, isn't that what they say?"

"I don't know, never seen a bee," he admitted as he met her eyes. He looked back at the screen before he smiled. "There we go...look at that beautiful baseline of all your functions. And maybe you can come here more often, I hate the idea of anyone going years without seeing a doctor. If everyone did that, I'd have to find another line of work. Worse, they might promote me to bridge duty."

"It's not so bad on the bridge," she assured with a tsk, shaking her head with a small, wry smile. "You get coffee brought to you and the seats are pretty comfortable. For me, it's all the voices. I'm so used to doing everything myself on my birds."

He smiled at that, considering what she was saying. "I wouldn't even know where to start," he finally said. "The different roles and duties, keeping an overview. No. Best in sickbay for me, I think."

"You wouldn't consider training for your Commander rank then?" she asked, genuinely curious as she crossed her legs.

Roan considered it, a small smile coming to him. "Only if there was no other option," he finally said. "I'm a doctor. Do no harm. Sometimes, that conflicts with this uniform. But if I was on the bridge, I would have to put being a doctor aside in that moment. And I don't think I could."

Nixie sat back with interest at the words, considering it. She hadn't thought of it from that angle. But then, that's why she wasn't in the medical profession. Clearly he was far more suited with his temperament. "I...can understand that," she said all the same.

"I'll leave the bridge duty to the ones that want it," Roan simply said and winked, before he looked down. "But I will do my duty if Starfleet demands it." Like coming on this mission.

"Well I'm hoping we won't be doing that much harm out there," she said quietly, smiling wryly as she looked to him with a slight shrug. "But who can say, hm?"

"Reason I am doing this," he admitted as he met her eyes. "For those hidden dangers we might not have considered."

"Ah..." Nix smiled with amusement as she leant back on her hands, watching him with knowing, shining eyes. "You're a protector."

Roan smiled at the words, watching her closely for a moment. "I am a healer in a world of warriors wanting to become explorers, re-learning peace. They don't need protection. You don't need protection. I am more...the worrier."

"That's the same thing as far as I'm concerned," she assured with a soft chuckle, shaking her head lightly. It was understandable, with where he'd come from and what he'd experienced. "But we both know you're more than capable of putting up a hell of a fight when needed."

"If I must, I will," Roan said with a small smile. And he would. He would fight for them all if he had to. "But you, you are our Chief Security. You will always put us first."

"Aye," Nixie nodded easily, and despite her easy going nature as she said it, it was clear she meant it. "Whatever it takes."

[OFF]

 

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