First time in Sickbay?

Posted on Wed Dec 27th, 2023 @ 4:02am by Lieutenant Commander Travis Paladin & Lieutenant Commander Alexander Coleman

1,268 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: First Deployment
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD1 - 1430 Hrs
Tags: 2156, Character Development

[ON:]

Dr. Coleman was sitting in the office just adjacent to the main part of Sickbay when he heard someone come in. He had several people that have come and gone since the CO came by earlier. When he heard the doors shut behind the person, Dr. Coleman decided to see who had come in and what he could help them out with.

As he rounded the corner, Coleman smiled at the new face and said, "Can I help you with something, Commander?" He noticed the rank pips on the shoulder and was excited to see this new face onboard.

Travis had seen the ship-wide announcement that the crew should schedule their required check-ups as soon as convenient. It had been a day or two since his initial arrival and, after catching up on Yorktown-class engineering specifics with his Assistant Chief in Engineering, Travis felt he had some spare time to finalize the medical checkups. He had scheduled the visit yesterday and came promptly on time - just a tad early - and was surprised to see the Doctor round the corner to greet him.

"Oh hey, Doc!" greeted Travis. "Lieutenant Commander Paladin, I scheduled for my standard checkup yesterday evening? I'm here for that."

"Well, if you want to hop onto the main bio bed over there and take your jacket off, please. Leave the undershirt on and give me a minute to gather my tricorder and scanning equipment really quick, okay?" Coleman replied, happy to see some of the senior staff making it a point to get their physicals done earlier rather than putting them off until the last minute.

"Aye, sir," Travis replied. He did as instructed, neatly folding his jacket nearby and laying down on the biobed. He casually looked at the screens above and around the bed, though overall did not display any nervousness. He calmed himself for the process, feeling a bit chilled in the medical room.

"So, uh, what prompted you to become a Doctor, sir?" Travis asked, trying to keep things light-hearted.

Coleman began the tests and began running his tricorder up and down the young man. Coleman heard him ask about why he became a doctor, to which he replied, "Kinda runs in the blood. Both of my parents were doctors and they worked with United Earth and Starfleet before and after I was born. So, I wanted to become just like them some day. How about you? What made you want to join Starfleet and see the universe?"

"My grandfather and grandmother helped develop the Warp 5 engine," Travis said, proudly. "My grandad was always eager about the stars and taught me a lot about it when I was young. My father continued the tradition in earnest, and I eventually went through Starfleet Academy. Toured on two United Earth ships and helped a Starfleet vessel get its warp engine up to par. After that I joined here to take the fight to the Romulans."

"Both of my parents got to see some of the first incoming survivors of the Xindi after they came to Starfleet HQ back a few years ago. They told me that it was something they never wished upon anyone. Made me wonder about why someone would do something like what the Xindi or the Romulans did to us to anyone, if that makes sense? Like, what's their motivations for harming another living lifeform? But, alas, I digress," Coleman replied, swapping out the tricorder for another scanning instrument.

"I didn't understand it either," Travis said as he watched the Doc briefly. "The Xindi weapon destroyed so much, from Florida to Venezuela. I heard the last estimates at seven million people. My dad had extended friends in Florida at the time, some extended family, they were reported as dead. It was a terrible time for us. Seeing the suffering, the useless suffering, was heartwrenching. The Romulans really messed with the wrong species this time, Doc, I believe."

As Coleman worked on continuing the workup for Travis, he listened to what he had to say and thought about it long and hard for a moment before replying back. Once he had his thoughts collected, Coleman replied, "Well, I don't think the Xindi or the Romulans are necessarily bad people. Just like the Xindi, they were given bad information that said Humans were going to harm them and try to destroy their world. Hopefully, the Romulans are just scared or nervous about seeing Humans expand too much, and we can get them to stop their ways before they harm too many more people. Just a hope, though!"

"The Japanese used the same defense," Travis said, off handedly. "From the history books, they deeply regretted it. They were also responding to the old United States efforts to blockade them in their role in the Axis and expansionism. They attacked because they felt it was a natural thing to do, that the Americans would capitulate. But just like the Americans, our eyes are not on the reason, but the action."

He thought a moment as the doctor did his work. He sighed. "You're right though, we shouldn't forget they're like us in a way. They're just trying to exist. Whether it was out of fear or perhaps a need, they attacked. But they acted and we have to respond. Right?"

"The way that I look at it, war is bad for both sides. Just like the Japanese and Americans you mentioned from World War I and II, both sides weren't wholly right in the way that they did things. Just think about the attack at Pearl Harbor and the American's response at the end of the Second World War, with the dropping of the two atomic bombs. Like you mentioned, both sides thought they were right, but who truly got caught in the crosshairs? The innocent men, women, and children that probably thought what their governments were doing were abhorrent, but couldn't stop it all on their own. Sucks, but that's how war is sometimes," Coleman replied, thinking about how this was slowly becoming a truly intergalactic war.

Sighing, he looked back at Paladin and said, "Well, it appears that you have an overall good bill of health. Nothing that I could see on the general scans, but was there anything that has been bothering you as of late? Both mental or physical, especially since this is appearing to be a bit of a war we're getting into."

Travis pondered the Doctors words as he hummed a reply. After which he shook his head in the negative. "No, I think I'm healthy up here," he said poking his head. "But as long as my body is good I figure that's alright. You've given me a lot to ponder, that's for sure. I appreciate that."

A moment of silence as he thinks, then Paladin asks, "Are we done here, sir? Not to be rude, but, I do feel like coffee right now. You can join if you'd like."

"Well, I'll have to take you up on that offer another time. I've got an influx of new officers coming aboard, all wanting to get their physicals done like yourself. But, if you're not buys later, maybe we'll catch up later in the mess hall around dinnertime, okay?" Coleman replied, offering up a smile as the Engineer put his uniform jacket back on.

Travis nodded, smiling. "Sounds good, Doc!" he said as he rose and left sickbay. It had been a pleasant conversation.

[OFF:]

Lieutenant Commander Travis Paladin
Chief Engineer
UES/USS Unicorn

&

Lieutenant Commander Alexander Coleman, DO
Chief Medical Officer
UES/USS Unicorn

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