Posted by Lieutenant Vincent Yancey (Chief Medical Officer) in Sickbay - CMO’s Office - Recruit Conway Reporting For Duty

Posted by Cadet Zachariah Conway (Doctor) in Sickbay - CMO’s Office - Recruit Conway Reporting For Duty

Posted by Lieutenant Vincent Yancey (Chief Medical Officer) in Sickbay - CMO’s Office - Recruit Conway Reporting For Duty
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Zachariah was thinking back to when he first joined the Challenger.

Fresh faced out of the academy and assigned to his first ship within Star Fleet, he remembered the day his feet touched the cold, metalic floors of the USS Challenger on the day it had left for it’s mission. Everything had been overwhelming that day, the smells and the noises that he had never really experienced before. It had been a lot to process on the first day, that was for sure. It had however been made easier because he had remembered that he had to check in with his department head and it had given him something to focus on.

He walked through the ship towards the medical bays, towards the office of the Chief Medical Officer. It took him a few minutes longer than expected, purely because he was not familar with the layout of the ship. He walked down many corridors which turned out to be incorrect and he took a wrong turn to two in his quest to find the medical bays and the office of his commanding officer. Zachariah was thankful that there were a few of the Challenger’s crew dotted about who guided him in the correct direction eventually.

He stood outside the office door, and knocked gently.

Cadet Zachariah Conway - Medical

Vincent looked up from his desk, where he had been poring over the latest medical supply chain information, to see another new face. The medical team had recently taken in a significant influx of cadets, a development he was quite pleased about. “Please, come in, Cadet,” he said warmly, gesturing towards the replicator. “Feel free to help yourself to a drink and take a seat.”

So far, he had tailored each cadet meeting based on the circumstances in which they found him. This time, the cadet had caught him in the midst of administrative duties, but Vincent was more than willing to shift gears. As the cadet settled in, Vincent set aside his reports, ready to engage with another promising addition to his team.

Lieutenant Yancey, CMO
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He’d entered the room on command from the Chief Medical Officer, his eyes darting around upon entering the office space. He noted the replicator in the far corner and the chairs that had been gestured to by his commanding officer. The recruit stood rigid however, as per training. His arms were clasped behind his back and he was stood with his shoulders back. He’d always been one for the rules and for procedures and policy and it had been made very clear to him that Star Fleet policy was to stand at attention when conversing with senior officers. He wasn’t entirely sure if his stickler for the rules nature had come from his past or if it had been drilled into him at Star Fleet, but either way it was there.

“Apologies for the interruption, sir. I expect you are extremely busy, especially in the run up to the Challenger departing the space dock”

Zachariah cast his eyes towards the CMO eventually. The young recruit had noted his superior’s name from the plaque on the door, Lieutenant Vincent Yancey. The doctor was a human, much like himself and Zachariah could swear there was a hint of an English accent coming from the Lieutenant. Yancey looked approachable enough, however Zachariah remained stood at attention until such a time he was given the order to stand at ease, as per his training.

“I believe that policy states I am to introduce myself to my commanding officer. I also believe it to be of personal value Lieutenant, it helps to know those who you will be working alongside especially in a role such as our own” he spoke softly yet politely, with a purpose to his voice.

“Allow me to introduce myself. Cadet Zachariah Conway, sir. Commonly called Zach by my peers. Earth born and bred, sir.”

Cadet Zachariah Conway - Medical

Vincent observed the cadet’s rigid posture and adherence to protocol with a nod of acknowledgment. “No need to apologise, Cadet. Indeed, the days leading up to the Challenger’s departure are filled with activity,” he replied, his tone formal yet friendly.

He gestured for the cadet to relax. “At ease, Cadet. No need for formality here,” Vincent said, offering a reassuring smile. “Your commitment to protocol is admirable, but we’re all colleagues here, working towards the same goal.”

Vincent’s expression softened, and he couldn’t help but add a touch of humour. “If policy didn’t mandate these check-ins, I wonder, would you still show up promptly, or would we have to send out a search party?” he teased lightly, hoping to lighten the atmosphere.

Lieutenant Yancey, CMO
Jake Ridgley | Contact Me
Discord: MintyNarwhal
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Zachariah relaxed, yet still didn’t sit.

His posture dropped from rigid attention to a more relaxed stance, hands still behind his back yet shoulders dropped somewhat compared to how he was previously standing. He was silent as he listened to the Lieutenant speak, hardly even moving. Short of his chest rising and falling as he breathed slowly, he was certain he would have easily been confused as a statue.

“No, Sir” he spoke finally, responding to the Lieutenant’s joke infused question. “Even if not instructed by policy, these check ins are still important” he continued. “Especially in the department in which we operate, it is important that a relationship is built between junior officer, in this case myself and department head” he spoke, eyes trained on the Lieutenant in front of him. “In our department, lives are literally on the line and if we do not trust each other as a team, then lives could literally be lost. This is just the first way of building that trust”.

He just hoped he could build the levels of trust he needed, with both the Lieutenant in front of him and the other officers aboard the ship who served in the medical department. As he had said, if they didn’t trust each other it was a matter of life or death.

Cadet Zachariah Conway - Medical

Vincent studied the cadet intently, noting the rigidity in his demeanor. Among the dozen or so cadets he’d met in recent days, Conway appeared to be the most literal in his adherence to protocol. “You are a rather literal person, aren’t you, Cadet?” he asked rhetorically, recognizing the cadet’s tendency to latch onto conditional statements.

Picking up on the cadet’s repeated use of the word literal, Vincent continued, his tone measured but firm. “If a medical emergency happened right now, are you saying I couldn’t trust you to perform to the best of your abilities?” It was a pointed question, perhaps a bit harsh, but Vincent wanted to gauge the cadet’s response.

As he awaited the cadet’s answer, Vincent couldn’t help but ponder the broader implications of trust in the context of their profession. Trust was indeed paramount, both in the institution’s training and in the individual’s readiness to perform their duties without hesitation. But was it enough to trust solely in the training provided, or was there a deeper level of trust that needed to be established between mentor and mentee? Vincent mulled over these philosophical considerations, eager to hear the cadet’s perspective on the matter.

Lieutenant Yancey, CMO
Jake Ridgley | Contact Me
Discord: MintyNarwhal
Time zone: GMT0 | UK

He noted the Lieutenant’s rheotical question, although it took him a moment or two and he did nearly answer. He was a very literal person, that much was true. He preferred to focus on what was in front of him and not on theoretical incidents or incidents which had no real liklihood of occurring. Focusing on the possibilities of the future wasn’t something which Zachariah did, he preferred to focus on the present.

Zachariah noted the question from the Lieutenant, and he paused for a moment before speaking. “I believe that Star Fleet says you should” he started. “However, I also believe that you have no way of knowing how I will react in a live medical emergency until a medical emergency has occured which I have dealt with, sir” he continued. “Star Fleet provides all of the training and the tools, however only when faced with the true thing can you determine how a person can cope with the pressures of our chosen profession”.

In no other profession did people see what doctors and medical professionals saw. Sickness and blood were just another day in the office for a doctor. Seeing the insides of another person, or a species you’d never conducted surgery on before, was just another Tuesday. You were constantly learning and constantly studying in order to provide the best care possible.

“Open communication between yourself and myself gives you an insight into how I would react, but even then until the real thing has occured you still should not have a one hundred percent guarantee that I won’t freeze up the first time something goes wrong and I am in a high stress, high adrenaline situation” he spoke again after a brief pause. “I can stand here and state that I wouldn’t freeze and that I can handle myself in an emergency, however can you trust that until you have seen me in that situation?”

Cadet Zachariah Conway - Medical