Reporting for a physical

Posted on Mon May 14th, 2018 @ 3:10pm by Lieutenant Galatea Polaris

Mission: Misson 1 - Rebirth
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: February 4th 2395

ON:

Gabe had just finished his meeting with the Cheif of Security, as he was walking out he checked his PADD. Talking to himself sotto voce he checked off the things he had to do before he could make it to his new home, the armory.

"Report to Cheif, check. Report to Ops and get housing, check. Ah, I need to report into the CMO for my physical." he sighed "Another physical, I swear Star Fleet loves to poke and prod us." he headed down the corridor to the nearest turbolift and waited till the doors opened. The doors parted and he entered eyes still glued to the PADD but scanning the area with his peripheral vision.

"Sickbay." he called out as he looked over various facts about the crew complement and the number of small arms he would be tasked with keeping in working order. As the turbolift moved to accommodate his request and mulled over what his next steps would be once he finished the physical. The doors parted and he looked up, stepping out to head to the large double doors that denoted the main sickbay. They parted too and he entered looking for the nearest officer to report to.

Galatea had just finished refilling the hypo supplies when the hum of the ship in motion was disrupted by the shrill voice of the computer telling her that her next appointment was almost there.

She sighed, closed up the cubby, and turned to the screen to her right. Her fingers tapped in the code and brought up the file of her incoming appointment. She studied the last medical and the counselor's reports. She made a few mental notes and then closed the file just as the swish of the doors alerted her of a visitor.

She turned and smiled, "Welcome. How can I be of assistance?"

"I'm Senior Cheif Petty Officer Gabriel D'Anconia, reporting for my new posting physical. I'm looking for the Cheif Medical Officer or the Assistant Cheif Medical Officer, Ma'am." he glanced at the woman's pips on her collar and added a quick "I do not wish to presume whom you might be."

Galatea smiled, "The CMO." She motioned towards the bio bed. "Why don't you have a seat on the bio bed and I'll go pull up your file. It will take no more but a moment."

He nodded and hopped up easily onto the biobed to wait for the scanning and the small talk. "Of course Lieutenant."

The scans started and Galatea started making notes on the file. "You're blood pressure is a bit elevated but that's normal. Most don't like doctors. Tell me a bit about your health background and your family health background."

He raised an eyebrow "My health is typically quite well. There's no major issues with my family history that I can recall." he paused then continued "I believe that we have unusually low blood pressure in my family normally."

"Hmmm." She scratched her chin, "Then the high blood pressure is either due to white coat syndrome or something else. Have you been unusually stressed? Do you have an aversion to doctors?" She asked trying to rule out both scenarios.

He shrugged "No more stressed than normal Lieutenant. Got promoted out of the blue with no warning. Then I was informed that the promotion came with a transfer." he sighed "I was happy at the Academy helping to shape the mind and hands of cadets. Now I'm dropped on a ship where I know no one and now I got to deal with everything from baby officers to the god's know what else. New posting means I've got to come up with new routines, new schedules for maintenance and I've got to get to know new babies..." his expedient mouth paused on the last word and he looked at her "Eh, begging the Lieutenant's pardon, new weapons. The weapons are my babies." he coughed and then shrugged "Yes I suppose there has been a slight amount of unexpected stress. To answer your second question no, I typically find doctors to be rather relaxing."

She smiled, "Well that last point alone about doctors relaxing would have me sending you off to the counselor if I wasn't one."

He snorted "They do say I'm wired a bit different in the belfry but I pass all my psych evals with flying colors..." he trailed off "Though the last one did have me scratching my head, he said 'Your perfectly normal, abnormally so, now don't go killing anyone with a ball peen hammer.'"

Galatea smiled, "Alright medically you are fine. I do have a few vaccinations to update and then we'll move on to the counseling centre. Before I get the hypos ready do you have any other concerns medically?"

He shook his head "No nothing that I can think of, shall we get my head shrunk?"

Galatea smiled, "But of course. Do you prefer medium size or small?" She laughed at her own joke as she started prepping the hypos and adding the doses of vaccines. She would have to have 20 seconds between each hypo shot and there were three to give.

"I would prefer medium if you please, the small is typically too small and requires far to much time to reinflate." he replied dryly. Then he sat patiently to get prodded by the hypos before heading back to get his brain dissected.

The two walked in silence to the CMO's office. She motioned to a chair across from her as she picked up her pen and note pad. She wrote a few things down enjoying the feel of the pencil against the paper. "Alright. So tell me about yourself. If you could give a 90 second elevator speech tell me what would you say."

"Hmph, born in Spain joined the fleet when I was 18. After boot I did my specialization training and started my career as an Armorers mate. Went through the war and progressed upwards in rate until I made Senior Chief and transferred to the Wolff as the Armoury officer." he ended and looked back at the doctor.

She smiled, "Yes that's your record, I mean what is important to know about who you are as a person. How do you describe yourself, what are your best qualities, what are your worst."

He grunted then sighed "Weapons, small arms, that's what I enjoy. I also tinker with portable transporter stasis technology. Training with the small arms. I'm good with equipment, better with weapons. Qualities? Eh I can drink like an Irishman cuss like a sailor fight like a Dominion soldier and love like a Spaniard. Worst qualities, single-minded, slightly OCD when it comes to my armory and quarters." He stopped and looked at her waiting.

She smiled, "Yes but what are your non work related hobbies." It was like pulling teeth with this one.

He snorted "You know what the wonderful thing about my job? It overlaps perfectly with my hobbies. I'm an antique weapons collector, refurbisher, enthusiast, and hobbyist. While in my lair, the armory, I can listen to classical guitar while I tear apart a phaser rifle, clean it, service it and then put it back together again. While I'm listening to the beauty of, for example, Chaconne from the Partita for Violin, No. 2 by J.S. Bach, I can also muse about the intricacies of Aristotelian metaphysics. While doing so also find a meaning in my work that is far deeper than simply scrubbing power cells and replacing burnt power conductors. Just about the only thing I cant do while in the amory is fence."

She smiled, "I see....Classical guitar. Do you play?" She wanted to see if she could put her patient off base, she how he handled the fact that she'd ignored all and focused on that one thing. It would tell a lot about him as did his taste in music.

He nodded "I do."

"Tell me about that. What does playing mean to you. How does it make you feel?" She was trying to get more emotion more thoughts from him.

He watched her for a full thirty seconds and grinned to himself. "Harmony and peace." He said pausing again before speaking "Might I ask a question? Why do all psychologist cue on the music? I've had evals yearly and every transfer and they always ask the same questions or variations of the same questions. Then they all go down the rabbit hole of music, why?" He leaned back and watched her reactions and grinned to himself on the inside while keeping his face neutral with a slight hint of a smirk at his lips.

She laughed, "Well music tells us a lot." She winked at him. "What kind of a shrink would I be if I told you all my secrets. " She looked at her notes. "Well I guess the last thing for me to do is set a clear for duty on your record. "Now before I close this chapter and move on to our final area is there anything from your past that might prevent you from doing your duties. Now this isn't to say this won't clear you this is just is there anything you want to focus on with our sessions."

He looks at her and raised an eyebrow "I.. no.." he coughed and the happy mask he keeps on slipped slightly "I served in the war, it was..." he trailed off "difficult to see my brothers and sisters die."

"That I can understand. Do you think of it often?" She asked noting that there was more there that needed to be explored.

He coughed and the happy demeanor slipped back across his face like a well-used mask. "No more or less than any other soldier that survived that war."

Galatea studied him in silence. She was never one to be afraid of the silence. "This is a safe space Chief. I want you to feel comfortable here. Anything we discuss is confidential and contrary to what goes around about counselors this one wants to help. " She held up her hand. "Now I realize trust is earned and I look forward to earning yours."

He nodded "Thank you." he too was comfortable with silence and actually preferred it. He watched her and waited.

She got up and walked over to her desk pulling out a PADD. "This is for you."

He took the PADD and raised an eyebrow. "Thank you?" unsure as to what it's for.

"It's a journal. I want you to keep it. Daily. Write about how your day was, what frustrations you have, what reminded of the past and how you felt. I'd like to see you bi weekly for now. I'll log you fit for duty and I guess we're done for now. I'll contact you for your next appointment." She stood and walked over to the desk and then turned. "Please don't skip them. I, as CMO, have control of emergency medical transporters and I will use them." She pointed at him.

He raised an eyebrow "You might ought to just log me as unfit I'll explain to the CO that I cant take up my duties and get transferred back to Earth." he put the PADD down and looked at the woman across from him "If I wish to let you in I will but no order from you or the President of the Federation can make me share my inner thoughts, period. I don't know you, with respect Lieutenant, and you haven't earned that right yet." when he leaned back his face was stony and stoic.

"Well until your resign I can order you and I will order you. We'll try it weekly and if you push me I will confine you to quarters and or talk with the Commander about this Chief. I will poke where its necessary." She took the PADD and shoved it at him. "Now either do your homework or I don't clear you." She held up the clearance orders.

He laughed "Go to the Commander and confine me to quarters. I'll have my retirement paperwork filled out by the time he gets there." he looked at her "Shall I wait for a security escort or will you transport me to my quarters via the medical transporters?" he leaned back and grinned winningly.

She smiled, sat down and then entered a few things into the control panel. Well let's try for the transport first." She hit the blue button and watched as he shimmered away. She grinned and then scrolled a note onto paper and put it on the PADD. She transported the PADD to his quarters where she transported him, the note said, do your homework. See you in two weeks.

He grinned and took the PADD, placing his thumb on the reader and began dictating his resignation to be forwarded to the CO, XO and to her. He had enough years to retire and he would be damned if he let a Lieutenant nothing order him to allow her to invade his privacy. Then he paused and grinned to himself he could make this more than enjoyable. He walked to the crate that held his belongings and pulled out a leather bound journal with a fine silver pen sticking out of it.

"Yes, this will be more enjoyable by far." he moved to the computer terminal and typed out a message to the CMO.

"I surrender, I'll see you in two weeks." and sent it to her.

Galatea sat down in her chair frustrated. This man could potentially driver her batty. She hoped he would comply.

As she was about to stand her computer terminal chirped. She opened it and read the words. She smiled. Somehow she doubted it would be this easy. Everything about the good Chief told her he never surrendered. She grinned and closed the terminal. This would indeed be interesting.

OFF:

Lt. Galatea Polaris
Chief Medical Officer and Chief Counsellor

&

Gabriel Estaban Aubrey D'Anconia
Senior Chief Petty Officer
Armory Officer
USS Wolff