(Snip)
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
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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
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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

Vince levelled with the cadet and nodded once, “I have to” He said finally after a short deliberate pause, “Putting on that uniform tells me you’re at least prepared to try and for me that’s enough. Have you had the chance to meet up with the other cadets yet?” He asked turning the conversation to something slightly different.

Lieutenant Yancey, CMO
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He offered a nod to the Lieutenant.

It was true, of course. Wearing the medical uniform, as his DH has said, was a good enough indicator to anyone who was unfamilar with him and his skills and abilities that he was willing to get involved and give it his best no matter the situation. It was accurate of course, even if he made the odd mistake here and there he was still willing to get involved and learn from his mistakes.

“Not yet, sir” he answered. “I came aboard the Challenger, visited my cabin and then made my way here”. He decided there was no point explaining how lost he had gotten, despite the fact that his cabin and main Sickbay were both on Deck 6 of the Discovery-Class vessel. Getting lost had at least taught him he would need to conduct his own exploration of the ship in order to learn his way around.

Cadet Zachariah Conway - Medical

“We’ve had a larger than usual influx of medical cadets lately, which I’m not complaining about. It’s nice to see so many young minds eager to delve into the field of medical exploration,” Vince said with a chuckle. “Those commanders and security officers can’t explore the stars if we aren’t here to patch them up every time they get a graze.”

He paused, then added, “You should introduce yourself to Cadets Koerner and Sozeen. You all just graduated together, and it’s good to connect with others who may become your peer group as you progress through the ranks.” Vince’s mind wandered briefly to his first assignment aboard the USS Discovery, the previous cadet ship before the Challenger.

“So, a question for you,” he continued, a playful gleam in his eye, “Why do we wear teal, or blue, depending on who you ask?” He enjoyed posing these types of questions, knowing they encouraged cadets to think about the traditions and reasons behind Starfleet’s practices and it helped I’m gauage their thinking.

Lieutenant Yancey, CMO
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Koerner and Sozeen were two cadets he had never come across during his time in San Francisco, so either they had different classes and schedules or Koerner and Sozeen had been at one of Star Fleet’s many satalite campuses on over eighty different worlds. Either way, the young cadet was certain he would come across them in time. He was certain he would end up working alongside both of them eventually.

“Teal is a calming colour” he spoke finally in response to the Lieutenant’s question. There had been a pause between the question and the answer, both while Zachariah thought about potential connections to Koerner and Sozeen and whilst he thought of an answer. “I also do believe there is an old belief that blood on the colour blue looks less intimidating, however I am unsure of the truth of that” he added.

He’d read it in a history book somewhere. When old doctors on earth used to wear scrubs, they opted for blue or green as blood upon them looked less intimidating. Like he’d explained to the Lieutenant, he wasn’t sure of the validity of that claim but he was willing to trust it. Anything that made Sickbay and any medical practices look less intimidating was a positive.

“If I may ask a question in return, sir. From my study of the schematics of the discovery-class, I believe there are multiple sickbays on this ship. Is this correct?”
Cadet Zachariah Conway - Medical