Posted by Cadet Adinah Gartenberg (Doctor) in Side sim: a friendly chat - Mess hall

Posted by Cadet Tandra Mika (Doctor) in Side sim: a friendly chat - Mess hall

Posted by Lieutenant Tija Aizala (Chief Medical Officer) in Side sim: a friendly chat - Mess hall
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Mika sat at one of the tables, with a tray of food. She had definitely settled in to ship life since coming aboard, and she was certainly enjoying it so far. And the other cadets seemed nice, though she did not know them all that well yet. She had enjoyed meeting the crew, and so far she felt she was fitting in well. Or, at least, she hoped she was. She thought about her job, as a doctor, and how even after a while, she hadn’t yet gotten bored of the mundane stuff. She figured, this must be what it was like, when people said, “You never work a day in your life if you enjoy what you do.” Apt, she thought, when you found the right path for you.

It was upon this that she reflected while she sat, drifting off into her own world, her food hardly touched.
- Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

“Cadet Mika?” Adinah questioned, head tilted to the side a bit in a nervous tick she couldn’t quite seem to break.

“Would it be alright if I sat with you?” She questioned, deliberately not fiddling with her tray of food although she was gripping it tightly enough for her skin to lighten into a soft tan color around her fingertips. She’d originally planned to sit with a few of the security cadets she knew through one of her roommate’s friends, but she really wanted to make friends with someone from her own department.

Adinah hadn’t realised how much she’d relied on other people to introduce anyone new to her until she’d come aboard the USS Challenger and it was really about time she changed that.

Cadet Gartenberg (Medical)

Mika jumped, then turned and smiled at Adinah. “Oh, sure! Actually, I’d like that.” She said, moving over slightly to make space for Adinah. “You’re.. Cadet Gartenberg, right?” She asked. She had figured Adinah was just trying to settle into the ship, as the two really hadn’t talked much yet, but as she watched Adinah’s nervous movements, she wondered if the other Cadet was just shy. That was something Mika was never called. Outgoing and maybe obnoxious, perhaps, but never shy. “So, how’re you liking the ship so far?” She asked, not really sure how to start a conversation.

• Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

Adinah beamed at Mika’s positive response. It did a lot to help calm her down and she slid onto the bench happily. “You can just call me Adinah, but yeah, that’s me.”

Adinah shuffled the food on her tray around a bit before answering Mika’s question. “I like it a lot so far. Its exciting just being able to really put into practice what I’ve been learning for so long you know? And being able to talk to people with so much experience is…well its great.” Adinah flushed at how enthusiastic her response had been, doing her best to reign herself in.

“Oh, definitely,” Mika responded, her own excitement rivalling Adinah’s. “I’ve been wanting this for so long… it’s all like a great dream.” she continued.

“Isnt it just?” Adinah enthused, eyes bright.

“What about you? We havent really had a chance to talk, but you’ve been on board longer than I have right?” Adinah took a sip of water before adding, “Do you have a specialization yet?”

Cadet Gartenberg (Medical)

“Not much longer. Maybe a week,” Mika said, though she clearly enjoyed being even a little more experienced than someone else on the ship. “I haven’t specialized in anything yet, but I plan to. What about you?” She asked, curious. “And what do you think Lieutenant Aizala? Isn’t she nice?” Mika added, after a quick glance to make sure Aizala wasn’t around. She’d hate if the Lieutenant caught them talking about her.
- Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

“I specialize in cross-species rapid spreading disease and organisms. Think quick plagues and that’s my area,” Adinah smiled as she fiddled with her food. “It wasnt always my focus but I enjoyed it a lot more so I switched things up.”

“The Lieutenant seems wonderful so far.” Adinah agreed easily, a bit to focused on the conversation and properly talking to another medical cadet to worry about being overheard. “She seems to keep to herself a bit though so I’m a bit nervous about just going up to her and asking questions. Have you had many conversations with her?”

Cadet Gartenberg (Medical)

“Not many, but a few. She’s generally pretty nice about it, unless you catch her when she’s super busy or something,” Mika said. “Your specialty sounds cool! And honestly, it’s better to jump around and find something you like than hate your job because you stuck with the first thing you tried.” Mika herself was certainly not in the field she started out in.

“Thank you,” Adinah flushed slightly. She’d had people interested before in her choice of specialization but not genuinely enthusiastic about it. “It took me a while to settle,” Adinah admitted, “have you done a lot of experimenting with medicine? Or maybe another field?”

She was also very much into the conversation with Adinah, and she had accidentally been ignoring her meal completely. It appeared, she still was. “I think everyone in our department is pretty nice so far, though to be honest I haven’t talked too much with the other Cadets, either.” Though not shy, she tended to neglect social interaction, preferring to bury her nose in her work and her hobbies.
Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

“I haven’t had a chance either,” Adinah admitted, pushing her liquid cup away almost absently. “Maybe something could be set up? I dont really want to only meet everyone in department meetings because I think that’d be a bit too formal. But maybe just offer to have a group meal or something so we can all at least know each other?” Adinah frowned slightly, she really did want to meet everyone but that sounded a bit childish. If people weren’t or were going to get along they simply would, but she’d appreciate the chance to try at least.

“I’d like a chance to talk more with the Lieutenant too. I’m sure she has some amazing stories, but I’m not sure when or if it would be alright to ask.” Adinah added, slumping just slightly in her seat. The Lieutenant must have so much knowledge to share, and Adinah really wanted to know all of it.

Cadet Gartenberg (Medical)

It was at then that the door furthest from them swished open and the Chief Medical Officer entered the mess hall. She was still in her uniform and her red hair was pulled back into a pony tail. Yet a couple of strands had apparently come loose over the course of her shift and were falling slightly into her face. Without looking around, she walked straight towards the nearest replicator. The reason why she’d come here was that she felt lie she should socialise more with the rest of the crew, but truth be told it wasn’t something that came easy to her. So she stared at the replicator, debating whether she should order something and eat here, or just leave again and eat in her quarters as she did every day.

~Lt. Tija, asst. CMO

“That sounds like a good idea,” Mika responded, nodding. “Like, a little event where everyone could get together and, well, y’know, chat, I guess.” Mika didn’t even think of how childish they sounded or anything. She just thought it would be nice to know a few more people on the ship. At the mention of the Lieutenant, Mika’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, I bet you’re right! I’d love to hear some of what she has to say, but I’d feel nosy asking her… Don’t you think?” She said, frowning.

“That was my thought too,” Adinah admitted, a slight frown on her face. “Although, isnt that also how we’re supposed to learn? I suppose I’m just not sure yet. Maybe we could talk to her about a Cadet event or even just make an event and she might join?” Adinah suggested, running over possibilities in her head.

And then she saw the Lieutenant herself, and Mika said, “Oh, speaking of, there she is now!” Mika said, though as she watched Tija, she decided the Lieutenant didn’t look too much like she felt like socializing just then… but Mika decided to keep the thought to herself.
Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

“What, where?” Adinah asked eyes flitting about the room until they landed on the CMO.

“Oh,” Adinah muttered and then, before she could think better of it, she raised her hand and called out, “Lt. Aizala!” Fairly quickly Adinah thought of all of the hundreds of better ways she could have done that, first and foremost being actually walking up to the lieutenant instead of calling out to her, but what was done was done.

Cadet Gartenberg (Medical)

It took Tija a moment to react as she wasn’t used to being called by her first name anymore. Though she assumed that the Cadet had meant to no harm and simply forgot that - unlike most other cultures - Bajorans first and last names were reversed. Looking over her shoulder, she gave the Cadet a nod and smile to indicated that she had heard her. She then ordered some hasperat and a herbal tea from the replicator before making her way over to her two Cadets.

“Cadet Gartenberg, Cadet Mika,” Tija greeted them as she reached their table. “May I join you?”

~Lt. Tija, asst. CMO