Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Sharah Fayth (Chief Science Officer) in Time for the roses The Arboretum - Ensign Sharah Fayth

Posted by Ensign Trax Elbrun Suder (Doctor) in Time for the roses The Arboretum - Ensign Sharah Fayth

Trax finished off his work for the day and headed back to his cabin to retrieve his prized Cameleon rose he had in his cabin as he placed the plant on a small grave-sled as he left his cabin as he headed for the main arboretum. He was quiet as he walked behind the sled as he traveled down the corridor as he greeted people with a small smile and a nod.

He did his best not to read anyone’s thoughts as he traveled as he entered the massive area he started to look for the Ensign. He pushed the care quietly as the sled hummed across the walkway that was placed in there as he casually looked at the flowers and trees along with the other roses that were there. “Ensign sarah?” Trax spoke out but he could not remember her name to save his life. He would just hope she heard him call.

Ensign Trax Suder - Jo Doctor - off duty

En. Elbbirt looked at Sharah and mouthed silently En Sarah? Sharah laughed and shook her head. It was okay. She got up from the flower bed she was working in and headed up the path. “Hello En Trax.” She saw the Chameleon rose in the pot. “Oh it’s big. Come on it’s this way,” She led him back towards the work tables at the back. “I’m bad with names too. It’s Sharah.” It was in a rather large pot, but the plant didn’t look quite big enough on the top for the size it was in, but that could be misleading. “Tell me. What are you concerned about with your rose?”
En Fayth

“Well ensign its not looking healthy as other roses for one. the color-changing ability seems to be lagging I am usually good with plants but this lovely plant is not right. ” Trax said with a straight face.” I tried giving more water, lightening the water, and trying different lighting nothing has worked.” Trax felt helpless by this. “The pot has plenty of room for growth.”

Ensign Trax Suder - Jo Doctor - Off Duty

Sharah nodded. “Alright let’s take a look.” She pulled out a temporary pot and poured fresh potting soil into it. Then she carefully dug the rose, roots and all out of the pot. She cleaned the old dirt off the roots so she could get a better look. She frowned at what she saw. “The roots are drying up.” She set the rose down gently in the temporary pot and went and got a tub and brought it back. She filled it with about an inch of water. “Here Trax, you’ll have to hold it for me.” She set the rose’s roots into the water to let them soak. “Don’t set the whole thing in, just these roots here, like I have it. Let’s see if they can still draw water.”

While he did that she took a soil sample and moved over to a work table to run an analysis. “What is the environmental settings in your quarters? Betazed is a very tropical planet and these plants are used to extreme moisture content and very high humidity. That might be part of the problem.”
En Fayth, Science

Trax did what he was told. ” as far as I know it was set to my homeworlds standard environment but I might be wrong.” Trax commented casually. as he sighed hard. “I never thought of checking the environmental controls?” Trax said feeling like a dumbell now. “Will it survive Doctor?” as Trax tried to add humor to the situation.

Ensign Trax Suder - Jo Doctor - Off Duty

If Sharah was honest, she wasn’t as good at doctoring plants as she was people, and she was a really good doctor. However, she’d studied hard at Botany, and Oliver had taught her a lot over the years. “Well luckily the main roots are strong, but it just seems they are dehydrated and not dead,” she said watching the root become softer and darker as it soaked in the water. “Alright let me go get a couple things. I’ll be right back.” She left and went into the storage closet and then moved around back and forth of the arboretum collecting things. She came back and took the old pot and dumped out all the soil into another container. “So the thing with tropical plants is that they thrive in soil that is full of rotted and decomposing vegitation. The minerals released through that decomposition makes the soil rich and healthy for them. Luckily for you, we started composting to help create that rich soil.” Sharah begins to scoop the dark rich loam into the pot, filling it just short of half way and begins to scoop a bowl shape into the soil. “Alright let’s put her back into her pot.” She takes the rose and carefully places the main root into the bottom of the depression and filling more soil around it to secure it. “Alright, Trax why don’t you take over for a minute. Take the smaller roots and gently place them in the soil, add more so they aren’t hanging down or strained and then cover them. I’m going to get something for this beauty.”
En Fayth, Science

Trax listened to her as he moved over and started to place the roots properly into the pot as she left to get something for the rose bush. He continued on his process till all the roots were covered and looked secured. He had to admit that the plant was looking better to him. As he touched the bush he saw the closest roses to his hands as they started to change colors at his touch it was an easy change and not a long process as it did before the change of soil and extra water that was given to it.

Ensing Trax Suder - Jo Doctor -Off Duty