Posted by Lieutenant Daphne Frankenstein (Chief Medical Officer) in Lounge - Come for the drinks stay for the stories (All Welcome)

Posted by Cadet Alex McCall, MD (Doctor) in Lounge - Come for the drinks stay for the stories (All Welcome)

Posted by Cadet Nate Holcomb (Doctor) in Lounge - Come for the drinks stay for the stories (All Welcome)
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>
Looking up, Grayson saw who she was waving to and scooted over in the booth, making space for the new doctor to sit down. Not wanting the onion ring engagement ring to go to waste, he popped it in his mouth and munched on it. He had a whole bowl anyway and there were better ones next layer down.

Captain Rhodes, CO

Daphne looked at Rhodes and wrinkled up her nose. “Okay we are going to circle back around to that conversation later and you can then define commitment and how swallowing my ring fits in with that,” she teased the captain.

It wasn’t until he got closer that Alex realised exactly who it was Daphne was seated opposite, the surprise making him hesitate, leaving him frozen in indecision beside the table, one foot still slightly in the air.

“Hey Alex,” Daphne smiled. “Sit, sit,” she gestured to the seat in the booth.

Daphne

Alex slid into the offered chair with as much aplomb as he could muster, offering his boss a smile to try and cover up his sudden unease.

“Thanks!” he said, as cheerfully as he could muster, he nodded his appreciation and then turned to the Captain, offering a more formal head nod, bordering on a bow, or at least as close as you can get to one while seated slightly awkwardly on a chair.

“Captain.” He said, in a slightly unnatural stilted tone, unable to think of an appropriate greating. Thankfully, the waitress arrived to take his order, allowing him to bypass the awkward moment gratefully. He quickly took stock of the snack foods arrayed on the table.

“McCall, isn’t it?” Gray asked Frankenstein’s new assistant. “Welcome to the Challenger.”

“Could we get some Hallumi fries and sweet chilli dipping sauce to add to the feast please?” He asked pleasantly, his eyes darting to the others seated at the table to see if his choices were acceptable.

Cadet McCall, MD

“Oh, I’ll add some of those Jalapeño poppers to that too, you know the deep fried ones filled with cream cheese,” Grayson added to the order, “and another beer for me, another one of whatever Dr Frankenstein is drinking. McCall you good for a drink?”

Grayson Rhodes, CO

“Dr. Frankenstien, really really you had to go there,” Daphne let out a full bodied laugh. “I mean yeah I was born with the greatest last name ever but Dr. F, DF, Doc, the good doc, hell even the big Kahuna sounds better.” Her tone and laugh indicated she wasn’t really bothered by it. It was her name and she had heard pretty much every joke on the planet about it.

“Can you get me anything with an umbrella in it,” she asked the waiter.

“I’ll take a beer too please, pint, IPA, chilled, not too hoppy. You know, as a Doctor I really can’t recommend all this deep fried food… good thing you have added some vegetables Captain, need to get in our Vitamins after all.” Said Alex, hoping to break the ice with a little dietary based humour.

Cadet McCall, MD

“Oh good call. Add pickle nickles to the order,” she laughed.

“I’m just fine with my vitamin intake, thank you Doctor,” Gray said. “I have my full dose of vitamin B every day, see.” He reached out and picked up his beer, and took a deep draught.

“What I am concerned about though, is that choice of IPA,” he said the letters slowly and seemed to be checking off a mental checkbox, but by the look on his face it wasn’t a tick going in the box. “You some kind of new age Space Hipster?”

Grayson Rhodes, CO

Alex raised an eyebrow as the cold pint glass was placed in front of him, condensation already forming on the chilled glass.

“Not at all Captain, just thought I should remember the lectures on damage control procedures and fire fighting techniques by selecting something cool and refreshing” he said with a nod to the jalapeños being placed on the table.

Cadet Alex McCall, MD

As Daphne picked up a popper, she began to hum a tune and slightly sing low under her breathe. “This was never the way I planned. Not my intention,” she chewed and took a sip of her drink. “I got so brave, drink in hand and lost all my discretion,” she let out a laugh realizing her arriving before the two men at the lounge was starting to show. “Don’t judge,” she pointed the captain. “It was a long day. Not everyone is Super doc over there,” she nodded towards Alex. “I know I should not say this but,” she looked around and then mouthed “avoid Ensign Harper at all costs.” Knowing she probably should not have said that Daphne quickly brought up a new topic.

“We should play a game to get to know each other better. Ever play never have I ever?” Slowly twirling her straw in her drink, she smiled.

“Never have I ever fixed the wrong leg as being broken in a training exercise and told the person to get up and stop complaining,” she broke out laughing and rubbed her temples as if working out an imaginary headache.

Daphne Frankenstien. CMO

Although not normally one for drinking games, at least not in this lofty company, Alex decided however that he had best play along with his immediate superior, given that she was going to be writing his final evaluation at the end of this cruise.

He picked up his drink to knock back a couple of fingers of the chilled beer then paused with the glass poised at his lips.

“Hmmm, actually, does it have to specifically be the wrong ‘leg’ or does any sort of procedure on an incorrect limb or appendage count??”

Cadet Alex McCall, MD

OOC: having a go at fixing a split post….

IC: Her eyes got slightly wide as she gave the captain a sideglance and opened her mouth to speak. Deciding against what she was about to say, she let out a chuckle and smiled widely. “New rule,” she held up a finger. “If you drink you gotta explain. I am good with any procedure or appendage count. There are a lot of tentacles out there and there is nothing worse than trying to shove in or straighten a tentacle of a Vendorian.” Daphne made a rolling motion with her hand for Alex to continue.

Lt. Daphne Frankenstien CMO

Listening to them begin this game, Grayson raised an eyebrow slightly. His doctors were about to play a drinking game and he first topic was wrong limbs they had fixed by mistake. He was sure there was some kind of malpractice claim in here somewhere but that would he covered by the Ferengi Medical Insurance Union. At least he could find out which of these two not to visit if he broke an arm. Picking up his drink, he took a small sip, just enough to show that he had not, indeed, fixed anyone’s wrong limb.

Grayson Rhodes, CO

“Well….” Said Alex, considering how best to tell his story,

“Back in medical school, my study group were performing an orchiectomy procedure on an adult male Tellarite… and I don’t need to tell you how complex their reproductive system is right… Daphne?” Alex paused slightly before using his superiors given name, not wanting to seem overfamiliar given the teacher/student relationship.

“Why yes…Alex I have been on the underside of a Tellarite carriage once or twice but only in a strictly professional manner,” she let out a laugh using his first name and imitating his pause. She completely understood why he was testing the waters with her name. Alex was not just a run-of-the-mill cadet. While she could not off the top of her head remember how long the man had worked at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, specializing in emergency trauma surgery, the point was the man had more experience than most strolling through her doors. In all actuality she preferred the staff call her by her first name. Screaming out a doctor in the middle of a medical emergency just made everyone look up and nothing get accomplished. It reminded her of a movie she had seen long ago where two doctors were meeting a team of doctors and for the next two minutes all everyone did was nod and say doc in greeting to each other. Besides everyone was big boys and girls and knew when to be formal with rank and surname. This however was not a rank and surname event.

“Well, one of my group managed to screw up the CT imaging so that is projected as a mirror image…. So said Tellerite had a completely healthy organ removed and my group spent several hours scrubbing dissection tables in the lab…. Fortunately this was only a holodeck simulation or the consequences would have been far more severe…. Especially for the Tellerite gentleman.”

Cadet Alex McCall, MD

OOC: did I do that right?

OOC: Perfect, well done! Just like a bought one! :D

-Dave

She let out a laugh and picked up one of the onion rings dunking it in a sauce as she spoke. “Pfffft you were fine. I mean if you had tossed it in the trash and then realized you had to go in hip deep after it....well then you would have had a problem but surgery is like a cookie. Both have a five second rule. Just blow on it to get the dust off and viola,” she took a bite of the onion ring, “it is perfectly fine.”

Grayson said nothing, he simply took a bite out of one of the random deep fried items he had grabbed while Daphne made her comment, then slowly chewed it while staring at her as if he was silently judging her. Which he was. The thought that he may need to control his CMO did cross his mind, but as yet the evening was just starting to get interesting. Maybe he could contact his old XO, Dante Knight, and have the Saracen nearby so that his CMO would be available in case Grayson needed medical treatment.

Lt. Rodier was next to pass through the lounge’s doorway, his mind a twofold mess of indecision.

First, should he let NC Borkol off with a warning? After all, stealing a fellow officer’s belongings was a fairly serious infraction. Then again, he doubted the writers of that statute had sandwiches in mind at the time of writing, which would normally have led him to a quite laughter-filled response to the complaint. The issue, of course, was that the complainant was none other than NLt. jr. gr. Chernob from the Medical department, who, despite being of equal rank to Henry and therefor having no technical power over him, did have a unique ability to make his life difficult. The last time he’d gotten on the doctor’s bad side, he’d somehow gotten ahold of the security schedule and managed to reschedule a mandatory physical for an officer so that it overlapped with her shift, forcing Henry into an hour of extra work to cover for her. The Chief wasn’t usually one to back down easily, but he couldn’t help but give it some thought given he still had no idea how Chernob had managed that feat.

Second (and of equal importance), should he get peas or corn with his meal? Corn was usually a good compliment for chicken, but he had also been contemplating turkey, which was usually better paired with peas. Then again, the dampness of peas could help with a dry chicken, which this lounge’s replicator was known for.

About thirty seconds later, Rodier was headed to the other end of the lounge carrying a tray laden with a chicken breast, corn, and peas, with a cup off to one side containing a purplish liquid. Then it was that he became threefold indecisive, for he couldn’t seem to spot any of his immediate friends in the lounge, but neither did he particularly want to sit alone. This mental combat was ongoing as he meandered over to the edge of the room containing the booths.

~ Lt. jr. gr. Rodier - CoS

“Who is that,” Daphne nodded her head to the left at Rodier and the tray while she spoke to Grayson.

Lt. Daphne Frankenstien CMO

“That, is our Chief of Security,” he explained and then waved his own arm towards the Lieutenant. “Rodier!” He half-called out using the mans last name. The night may be casual and his DH and Cadets getting even more so, but he at least needed to keep some sense of decorum. Last names it was. “Come, take a seat. We have plenty of room and I need backup. Frankenstein and Igor outnumber me. Bring your pitchfork.” He inclined his head towards Dr Frankenstein and Dr McCall, now bearing the nickname of Igor, Frankenstein’s loyal assistant.

The partially frosted doors to the Challenger’s lounge slid open at a slower rate and with a softer swish sound than the other doors Nate had encountered during his first day onboard. That’s more like it. There’s no reason why the doors on this vessel should rip open the way they do. It’s discerning.

The soft, inviting music was pleasantly inviting as Nate entered the lounge and took in the room. Just my luck, there’s Dr. Frankenstein over there with Alex and . . . oh jeez, is that the Captain? Oh man. It’s Captain . . . what’s his name, damn it?!? I’ve no idea. Please don’t see me, please don’t see me. Nate felt perspiration quickly gathering into droplets around the edges of his hairline, threatening to stream down his face.

The lounge seemed to be the it place tonight with all of Daphne’s newbies showing and a few of the senior staff as well. The entry of Cadet Nate Holcomb pulled Daphne’s attention off the CoS and zeroed it directly on Cadet Nate Holcomb. “Hold that thought,” Daphne patted Grayson on the shoulder. The booze and the near-death experience arriving on the Challenger with Grayson had eliminated all nervousness on the medical chief’s part about being around the captain. It obviously eliminated it for Grayson with Daphne since before everyone had arrived he was just about to propose with onion rings.

“Nate,” she waved her hand hoping to catch the attention of the cadet yet the ambient sounds of the room and the size of the space seemed to be obscuring their group.

“Do you think he saw us,” Daphne said to everyone and no one in particular. The way the cadet casually seemed to look at them and then scan the room made Daphne’s forehead wrinkle up.

“Oh he saw us,” Grayson said. “He’s just wishing he didn’t about now.”

“I don’t think he saw us. We should call him over,” she announced in a confident tone.

What a day. First, I went to sickbay to report or duty and get my evaluation before even going to my quarters to drop off my pack and bag. Then I reported back to sickbay and apparently forgot my lunch. I swear I had brought it, but it sure wasn’t there at break time. And now I’m starving. And I need a drink . . . like . . . don’t say it Nate . . . don’t do it

“Stat,” Nate whispered to himself. He chuckled before rolling his eyes at himself. “Lame-o, bro. L A M E O. Lame-O”

Seeing an open seat at the far end of the bar, Nate tries to inconspicuously make his way over to sit down without being noticed.

OOC: I’m not trying to actually avoid hanging with everyone, he’s just a nervous wreck is what I’m attempting to RP.

• Ensign Nate Holcomb - Medical Cadet

OOC: Oh you were never going to escape us lol. Excellent use of the OOC and perfect descriptions in the post. ~ Kate

OOC: Great posting both of you Cadets!

IC:
Rising up as much as she could in the booth, Daphne cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled out, “Nate…Nate over here.” The action might not have been becoming a senior officer but Daphne had never been one to stand on rank whenever possible. Just to make sure Nate did not miss where the voice was coming from, Daphne added a rather vigorous hand wave usually used by someone three times her age to flag down someone. “Nate we got plenty room over here.”

Wedged slightly in to a corner, Alex was forced to lean back and perform evasive maneuvers to avoid getting his chiefs elbow in his face as she waved her arm about like an over excited pre-schooler that needed the bathroom.

Looking at Alex and then Grayson, she said “okay everyone scooch over a bit.” As she spoke, Daphne was already pulling on Grayson’s sleeve to move him closer as she wiggled over so there was more than enough room for her, Grayson, Alex, and anyone else that might want to sit down at the table.

“Oh shoot,” Gray muttered. “Scooching now, yes master,” he said in an imitation of the old TV movies that matched her last name while he slid the plates, trays and bowls of deep fried foods over to make room. He scooched enough so that by now, with the added number of people he was basically shoulder to shoulder with the CMO.

There was no way the cadet was going to be able to ignore his pint-size boss or be able to feign ignoring his boss.

Lt. Daphne Frankenstien CMO

OOC: I literally laughed out loud when I read your post, Kate.

IC:

Nate froze mid-step and felt a searing heat rise in his reddening cheeks. He sensed that everyone in the lounge had stopped what they were doing and were all staring directly at him. His ears began to ring, and he started to hiccup, a nervous reaction he’d had since he was a kid. His reaction only intensifying the embarrassing experience. In fact, it wasn’t at all uncommon for Dr. Frankenstein to yell out whatever she might be thinking and almost no one seemed to take notice.

“Nate we are over here,” she waved a few more times vigorously from a seated position. “Do you think he saw us?”

“Absofreakingloutly,” Gray said, grabbing a fried jalapeno and munching on it contentedly. “So did everyone else in the lounge, and the science labs, and probably Main Engineering and the shuttle bay too. The crew in lower decks is probably cowering in fear of a sound that is now echoing throughout the empty corridors and I’ll have reports of ghosts when I get back to the ready room.”

Glancing over at Grayson she pointed a finger at him playfully. “Just remember to smile. Cadets are always nervous around the CO and XO for some unknown reason. I mean you put on your pants one leg at a time just like the rest of us right?”

Pausing in mid-reach for another jalapeno, Grayson looked at her slightly confused. “I am smiling,” he said with a completely straight face. “I also use a more advanced technique for putting on my pants, see I use two legs at a time rather than one. It saves time and time management is important at the higher ranks,” his fingers flicked his rank pips casually. Leaning back he made a show of looking at her under the table. “Also, you don’t wear pants. You wear a skirt and,” he looked again to double check, “knee high boots. We are not like the rest of us.” He finished his statement with his right eyebrow turning to a frown and his right raising as an exclamation mark to what he said, then, he looked at her under the table a final time and his lips broke into the barest hint of a smirk as he picked up both his drink and the jalapeno he was aiming for at the start.

Well, that didn’t go as I had planned. I guess she’s feeling better. Sounds like all that work to keep her from having a headache was for naught. Nate looked over to where CMO’s voice had blasted forth and waved. He attempted an expression that tried to convey, Oh there you are. I’ve been looking all over the place for you and forced a smiled.

OOC: a small tip here, we use Markdown as well as HTML so when you want to do italics (for thoughts and such or to emphasize something) you can use an asterisk either side of your statement, you don’t need to use the < i > style of HTML. It’s a wee bit quicker.

Nate made his way to the table that was more crowded than he’d prefer and stood there nervously. “Good evening, Doctor Frankenstein. Alex. And good evening, Captain . . . .” Looking to the gentleman in a red shirt and the insignia of the junior lieutenant, “Evening, sir. I’m Nate Cadet. I mean, Cadet Nate . . . Nate Holcomb. I’m new to medical. Dr. Frankenstein is my Chief Medical Officer.”

Oh, dear lord.

“Welcome to the Challenger Doctor Holcomb,” Grayson said easily with a smile that Daphne couldn’t reprimand him for later, “find a seat, stake a claim and join us.”

Nate quickly turned and motioned to an empty chair at a nearby table, “Anyone using this chair?”

“Absolutely not. The more the merrier,” she smiled picking up her drink and taking a sip. “The bartender would be back around in a minute but feel free to eat any of this if you want,” she gestured to the table littered with snacks.”

The two individuals in red shirts and black trousers gestured dismissively to the chair without missing a beat of their conversation.

“Thanks.” Nate took the chair and pulled it to the nearly full table and sat down. Fidgeting with the trim at his sleeve, his ears were singularities of intense white-hot heat. Nate looked back to his CMO. “Feeling better, boss?”

“I am like that watch in that holomercial from IFEA. I take a licking and keep on ticking,” she let out a laugh. “Not much keeps me down for long.”

Ensign Nate Holcomb – Medical Cadet

“Hi Nate,” said Alex, glancing at the captain, their boss, the ceiling, and then back to Nate, his expression neutral except for his eyes which told their own story.

“Good to see you,” Alex smiled, the “Thanks for the reinforcements” part being left unsaid.

“It’s already a ‘tradition’ that if you sit down you have to order an alcoholic beverage, add something unhealthy and deep fried to eat to our feast, and tell a work story that involves borderline malpractice.”

Alex lifted his own pint glass in salute.

Cadet Alex McCall, MD

Daphne let out a huge laugh and shoved Alex’s arm. “Translated that means we are having a nice social gathering where we become foodies trying wonderful new combinations of vegetables and discuss work-related matters. Learn the lingo cadets,” she picked up a pickle nickle, and turned to Alex. “I mean technically this is a cucumber slice so why focus on the fact it’s fried. Focus that it is a vegetable…plus,” she let her voice trail off before adding, “just don’t define the plus.”

“Oh my god,” Grayson said suddenly as he looked over the food. “You’re right. This is all vegetable.” His voice had taken on the sound of someone disappointed that they had committed a cultural sin. “Waiter!” He yelled out, just as enthusiastically as Daphne had done for her Cadets, then took a long drink, emptying his glass as the waiter arrived.

“Yes, Captain?” the Betazoid asked as she got her PaDD ready for another order. Whatever the empathic or telepathic crewmember could sense from the CO was making her very, very attentive. “We need a bowl of lamb ribs heavy on the barbeque sauce, a bowl of southern fried chicken nibbles and a bowl of crab legs in Old Bay seasoning. Throw in some deep fried mussels with chilli as well and I’ll take a Lagavulin on the rocks and a wine for Frankenstein. Make it a rich red Cabernet Sauvignon.” The fact there was no meat on the table had to be rectified, and as the game seemed to be about medical fubar’s he felt safe ordering the powerful whiskey that competed with blood and caffeine in his veins.

Popping the pickle nickle in her mouth she chewed for a second and then looked at Grayson. “Speaking of malpractice we need to discuss Blake as some point but right now,” she looked back at the table, “I think it is time for another question.” Glancing at Nate she took a sip of her drink. “We are playing never have I ever. If you have ever done something you have to take a sip of whatever your poison is. So,” she got a huge smile. “Never have I ever been in a situation where someone was accidently hypoed with Benzdiplopenchloride and I had to treat them.”

“That is oddly specific.” Grayson said as he waited for the food to arrive. Tapping his fingers on the table, he turned and looked at Holcomb intensely, tapping his fingers on the table waiting for the man to answer.

Looking at Nate Holcomb, she smiled knowing full well she had set the man up to have to take a drink. It was also a way for her to spotlight how fast on his feet the new cadet was. According to the rules of the game, Nate would have to drink and explain why he was drinking before being the next person to ask a question to the table. The more Daphne thought about Alex’s comment however the more she realized the name of the game should be Never have I ever been involved in a borderline medical malpractice situation.

Lt. Daphne Frankenstein CMO

OOC: I invented IFEA a long time ago along with Bang, Gaggle, Spacebook, and Chipper as the social media platforms (Bing, Google, Facebook, and Twitter. It is Kate-cannon. (IFEA) is Intergalactic Ferengi Exports and Acquisitions. Think a Ferengi Amazon of the future. ~ Kate

The food arrived at that moment and the waitress spread the various bowls of fried, baked and otherwise prepared hot meats across the table and placed the whiskey in front of Grayson, and the wine in front of Daphne. Turning to the CMO he grinned at the reaction to the wine in her eyes. Reaching out he took a crab leg and a mussel, placing them on a small plate in front of him and picked up his Lagavulin.

“Where were we? Oh yes, hypoing people by mistake, carry on,” he took a small sip of his drink but the drink was slightly longer than normal. It might have been admitting to something, but it may also have just been taking a much needed drink.

Captain Rhodes, CO