An Apple A Day...

Posted on Thu Apr 16, 2020 @ 6:58pm by Captain Lazanos Torena & Commander Amia Telamon M.D.

2,084 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Et In Arcadia Ego
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD03 0900

There was one constant in Marine life that you could count on, no matter where you went: injury. Marines had to drill constantly, and their drills were frequently simulated exercises of combat where everything had well and truly gone in the toilet. Even with the safeties on to prevent serious injuries, they still suffered their fair share of dislocations, muscle pulls, damaged tendons and even the rare fracture or concussion. To that end, Laz had taken to heart one piece of advice given to him long ago by a Marine far wiser than him. “Get to know your local docs,” she had said. “Because they’ll get tired of seeing you otherwise, and then your life gets way harder. I got stuck on a vegetarian diet for a year once.”

So, as with his visit to the Intelligence Officer, Laz came bearing gifts. He had a box of fresh fruits of all varieties, sliced and prepared by a shop on the Promenade. Doctors loved fruit. Healthy, healthy fruit. “Excuse me,” he said to the officer at the desk. “I don’t suppose you could point me to somebody in charge?” He opened the box. “And feel free to help yourself.”

It was Opal's turn to stand in for the usual Receptionist who had gone off to lunch. She looked at the lovely spread of fruit and thanked the new arrival on behalf of them all. "That's really thoughtful, thank you so much" she said and then grinned at him in a friendly way and looked exaggeratedly suspiciously at him. "What did you do? or what do you want?" she joked, her grin telling him she wasn't serious.

"I have to have ulterior motives to provide the most essential department with some sustenance in these trying times?" Laz asked, leaning on the counter. "I'm the new Captain of the 21st, and I wanted to say hello. So. Hello."

"hi" she beamed back. "And if you don't have an agenda, you're probably the most unique person in the Universe." she joked. "Hang on, I'll see if the CMO is free." she said as she flicked her comm badge. =^= Reception to the CMO - Opal here=^= as she waited to be either connected through or her call be rejected by an engaged type of tone, she looked back at the stranger bearing gifts and said quietly.

"Who should I say wants to see the boss? Apart from 'A Trojan Horse esquire?' - oh and by the way, I'm Opal Oliver, Civilian Doctor... I should have said that before but the fruit distracted me!" she grinned and held out her hand to him by way of belated introduction.

“Lazanos Torena,” he replied, shaking her hand. “Call me Laz.”

Just at that moment, the comm answered so Opal had to deduce the rest herself. She could see from his uniform and bearing that this man was a marine and his collar insignia told he he was a Captain.

=^= Telamon, go ahead Opal =^= Amia's voice replied.

=^= Are you available Ma'am? I have a Marine Captain bearing gifts and wishing to see the person in charge? I wasn't aware of your timetable right now, being away from my own desk. Should I contact Commander Morgan if you're in the middle of something? =^= Opal explained.

Amia laughed =^= bearing gifts eh? No, don't give him to River, I'll come out and see him, I have some admin and PADDs I would NOT be distraught to be parted from. Could you please ask him to come to my office? Thanks Opal. =^=

=^= Right away Ma'am =^= Opal closed and ended the call.

"She's in her office" Opal explained to Laz. It's right at the top of the main row of ICU pods." she continued and stood up to point to where she meant to the right of her desk and down a long row of cubicles. "It's a big Facility here, sorry, but if you get totally lost just comm me?" she offered and taking a piece of fruit, put the top back on for him to take to Amia and handed it to him with a friendly smile.

“I may need to do that,” Laz said. The place was huge. He carried the box back along the row of cubicles, letting out a low whistle as he did. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen a Sickbay so large. But that was starting to become the theme of this posting, it seemed. Everything was huge. It took him a second to find the office, but as he approached the door opened for him. “Commander Telamon? Laz Torena.” He held the box up. “This is for you.” Though having gotten a look at the place, now, Laz realized he probably didn’t bring enough for all of the people that probably worked here.

Amia stood up as he entered and extended her hand in greeting. "Ah, I see what Opal meant when she said you were bearing gifts" she chuckled and accepted the lovely array of fruit, so beautifully prepared and presented that it was clearly professionally put together. "you didn't need to go so far, but this is much appreciated......Please, sit down and tell me why you are in need of softening me up?" she grinned in a friendly and curious way.

“Oh, it’s not that sinister,” Laz said. “Mostly. Maybe a little.” He took a seat and smiled at her. “Truth is, Marines have a tendency to end up in Sickbay even when nothing else is going on. Our drills are pretty intensive and we end up here a lot. This is a bit of preemptive, hello and I’m sorry but I’m really a nice guy.”

"Fair enough and thanks...." she took another of the delights, offering him the box too.

"Don't you Marines usually have your own medics who are surgically attached to their own "Marines with broken finger nails or worse?" It was a dangerous thing to suggest and many Marine Senior Officers could have taken offence over it, prickly creatures as that breed were reputed to be, but Amia had a good feeling about this one and kept her grin steady and her eyes twinkling.

He grabbed a piece of something...purple and took a bite. “Sergeant Henderson, yeah,” Laz said. “I’m speaking to him after you. He’ll take care of most of our ouchies, but it never hurts to go all the way up the ladder, just in case. I’ve seen bad accidents happen in drills. They’re rare, but it’s nice to know who’ll kiss it better.”

Amia was impressed. It was a good answer. She smiled at him happily. "I know accidents do happen,rarely and it's very forward looking of you to find out what, if any, tensions there could be, and clear them up before there might be casualties in the middle. Thank you for being so open and direct while we have time to chew it all over with a coffee to wash it down... and hopefully away at the same time?

“That’s the idea,” Laz replied. “I worked as an instructor at the USMC Academy for a little while, and I learned there the docs kept everything running smoothly. I also learned if the same mistakes kept happening, there could be problems. I need these Marines ready for action whenever necessary, which means keeping those mistakes to a minimum. And that means listening to the advice of medical when they have it.”

"Well I, for one, have NO arguments with that!" she laughed going towards the replicator and offering him any of the delights that could offer. "I realise this doesn't match up with your delicious offerings - what could? - but if you're more of a man for the hard stuff, I'd be happy to stand you one of the more exotic concoctions at the "Box of Delights" the next time our off shifts coincide?" she asked and stood waiting for him to choose a replicator coffee or an introduction to "the Box" in the future.

“I’ll take you up on that offer, doc,” Laz said. “I haven’t turned down a free drink, yet, and I’m not going to tempt fate by doing that now.” He grabbed one more fruit and sat back. “Is that what you do for fun, when you’re not running this medical labyrinth?”

"What? Drink?" She laughed out loud but stifled it quickly. "Sorry, you're new around here, you couldn't know I have a nine month old daughter who keeps me out of mischief."

“Ahh.” Laz nodded. “Yeah, that’d do it. I had a buddy who had a little girl, and he told me that suddenly all of his hobbies were actually her hobbies. That and laundry. You never saw a man so happy and so miserable to be deployed all at the same time.”

Amia laughed. "I totally feel his joy and the corresponding pain!" she agreed. ".... and a sudden onset of sleep deprivation that still persists even if anyone were to be kind enough to baby-sit the little darling and you still wake up anyway!"

Chuckling, Amia returned to her hot drink and took a swig. "But you didn't come here to be bored to death with nappy and baby stories, I'm sure.

“It wasn’t my intent, but it’s funny how life works out.” Amia seemed like she’d be easy to work with, and even better than that, she seemed competent. His team could definitely be in worse hands. “I’m glad I stopped by to get on the same page. And avoid any rough treatment at my physical.”

"Rough?" Amia's eyebrows rose and she took on a startled, innocent expression. "Now you're spilling the beans... " she grinned a mock conspiratorial look and appeared to glance left and right. "Which Sickbays treated you rough? Oooh, I bet that'd be the Phantom...their CMO is a very ....er...... "competent one but a dark, dark horse...... Or maybe it's the Daidelous... I've always wondered about her.... " she teased, keeping up the look of having found a gossip goldmine. But she couldn't keep it up for long as his face said a thousand words and dissolved her into a heap.

Laz sat in stunned silence for an instant as she turned red and started laughing at him. For a moment, he’d actually thought he’d stumbled on some medical gossip about known sadists or something. He shook his head at Amia, cracking a smile. “Okay, so I’m already getting the rough treatment. I see how it’s going to be. Always covering each other’s backs, just like I suspected.”

"We're all one big family on this Starbase" Amia laughed. "And we even watch our marines' backs if they need it, cos this is our base, and that includes you as well." She smiled broadly at him and held out a little datarod with his results from the physical. "These aren't bad" she sald, rolling her eyes. (It was actually one of the best she'd seen in quite a while but she just shrugged it off - it wouldn't be long before he got to his rooms and saw for himself how impressive it actually was).

"You're fit for duty, Captain." she reassured him (just a little formally but with a sparkle in her eyes).

“I do thank you, doctor,” Laz replied. “If that little girl of yours ever lets you have a little free time, you’re welcome to buy me that drink. And I’ll do my best to make sure we don’t send you too much extra work. I mean a little extra work so you guys don’t get lazy. Splinters and the like.”

"Splinters? I do hope your marines aren't so flimsily made that they splinter?" Again the innocent, fake shock in her expression but mirth around her eyes. "I'll take you up on that drink though. Soon" she smiled again, gently this time and stood up.

Laz took that as his cue and stood up as well. “Thanks, doc. I look forward to it.” He stepped out then and looked around Sickbay, trying to get his bearings again before heading out.


A JP between:

Marine Captain Lazanos Torena
21st MEU
DS5

and

Cmdr Amia Telamon
CMO - DS5

and

Civilian Doctor Opal Oliver
NPC - Jools (Telamon)

 

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