Posted by Ensign Nala Shai’Mori t’Liriena (Science Officer) in Nala’s Medical Intake — USS Ark Angel

Posted by Lieutenant Spenn (Chief Medical Officer) in Nala’s Medical Intake — USS Ark Angel

Posted by Ensign Nala Shai’Mori t’Liriena (Science Officer) in Nala’s Medical Intake — USS Ark Angel
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Sickbay doors parted with a brisk, efficient chime.

Nala stepped through and immediately felt the difference.

The Ark Angel wasn’t quieter here.

It was busy.

The deep structural hum of the ship was still present, but layered over it now were sharper sounds: diagnostic tones chiming in uneven rhythms, biobeds cycling through readiness checks, carts rolling across the deck with soft but constant vibration. Voices overlapped not loud, but numerous, clipped and professional and moving too quickly for her ears to fully separate.

Her ears flattened partway on instinct.

Different loud, she registered. Not better. Just… narrower. More focused. No place for sound to dissipate.

She adjusted her stance, grounding through her feet, claws flexing subtly inside her boots. The air smelled clean, sterile, edged with antiseptic and recycled oxygen. Too crisp. Too precise.

She approached the duty station, posture straight, tail carefully controlled.

“Ensign Nala Shai’Mori t’Liriena,” she said, voice fast but steady. “Here for my intake physical.”

The nurse glanced up, nodded once, and tapped something into a console.

“Have a seat. I’ll let the doctor know you’re here.”

Then they were already moving heels clicking away, voice joining another conversation before Nala could even respond.

She blinked once.

“…Thank you,” she said to empty air, then turned and did as instructed.

The waiting area was functional. Clean. Bright. Too bright.

She chose a seat at the edge rather than the center, positioning herself so she could see the room without being surrounded by it. Her tail curled tightly around her leg, ears angled back not flat, just guarded.

Minutes passed.

A biobed chimed. Someone laughed softly somewhere behind a curtain. A monitor emitted a sharp alert tone before being silenced almost immediately. Each sound landed cleanly, distinctly, without blending no mercy for senses that noticed everything.

Nala focused on her breathing.

In.
Out.
Count the rhythm.

She kept her gaze fixed on a point along the far bulkhead, refusing to let her attention scatter. Her tail flicked once, sharp, then stilled again. She clasped her hands together, claws pressing lightly into her own skin just enough sensation to anchor her.

You’re fine, she told herself. This is routine. This is controlled. This is survivable.

Her leg bounced once before she consciously stopped it.

She didn’t look at the time.

She didn’t pace.

She waited.

And beneath the professional calm she maintained, the ship continued to hum and chime and whisper around her testing her limits without yet demanding she cross them.

ensign Nala

Spenn approached the waiting area with the next task on his list. Another check-in. “Is there an ensign by the name of Nala Shai’Mori t’Liriena present?”

Lieutenant Spenn
Chief Medical Officer

Nala’s ears twitched immediately at the sound of her name picked out of the surrounding noise faster than she would’ve liked.

She straightened from her seat, tail drawing in close behind her as she rose. The ship was loud this early in the day foot traffic, carts, distant voices but she had it bracketed, filed away into manageable layers. Uncomfortable, yes. Overwhelming, not yet.

“Yes,” she said, a little too quickly, then corrected herself mid-breath. “Yes Ensign Nala Shai’Mori t’Liriena. Present.”

She stepped forward, hands clasped neatly in front of her, posture crisp and by-the-book. Her ears angled forward in attentive politeness even as her tail gave a small, betraying flick.

Routine, she reminded herself. This is routine. Baseline scans. No surprises.

Her heart rate ticked up anyway.

She smoothed the front of her uniform without realizing she’d done it, then steadied her breathing, amber eyes focused and alert as she waited for what came next handling the noise, the nerves, and the moment all at once.

Ensign Nala

Spenn sensed nervous emitting from the ensign. Luckily, he remember his bedside manner. “Nervousness is illogical, ensign,” He told her bluntly, “Follow me.”

Lieutenant Spenn
Chief Medical Officer

Nala’s ears flattened hard this time, frustration flaring hot and immediate before she could rein it in.

“That’s easy for you to say,” she shot back, the words slipping out before polish or rank could slow them. “You’re used to all this noise.”

Her tail tightened reflexively, curling closer as she stood, claws flexing once inside her boots. She took a breath too fast then forced the next one slower, trying to pull herself back into control as she followed him.

“I know it’s not dangerous,” she added quickly, not apologetic but honest, amber eyes bright with strain. “But that doesn’t make it quiet. Or simple. It just means I’m still adapting.”

She fell into step behind him, posture still Starfleet-straight even as her ears remained pinned, the ship’s hum pressing in while she did her best to keep pace physically and otherwise.

Ensign Nala

He stopped at a biobed. “You may sit down.” He told the ensign, “Tell me, do you have any ailments that would interfere or inhibit your obligations as a member of this starship?”

Lieutenant Spenn
Chief Medical Officer

Nala stepped up to the biobed and sat as instructed, posture straight out of habit. Her tail curled neatly along the edge of the mattress rather than hanging free, a small act of control in a space that felt clinical and exposed.

Her ears flicked once at the question.

“No, Doctor,” she replied promptly.

Then she paused just long enough to make sure she was being precise.

“I do not have any ailments that would interfere with my duties,” she clarified. “No chronic conditions, no mobility limitations, no untreated injuries.”

Her tail tightened slightly before she consciously relaxed it.

“I do have heightened sensory processing,” she added, because omission felt dishonest. “Particularly auditory and vibrational sensitivity. But it is documented, managed, and not disqualifying.”

Her amber eyes held steady.

“I am fully capable of performing my assigned role aboard this vessel.”

The ship hummed faintly beneath the deck plating, present as ever but for now, she remained composed, contained, and ready for whatever scan came next.
Ensign Nala

“If you do have not mobility limitations as you so claim,” Spenn said, secretly appreciating how helpful the Ensign was being with her medical condition. “Then you should have no trouble with performing the stretches as designated on this PADD.” He handed her a PADD.

Lieutenant Spenn
Chief Medical Officer

Nala took the PADD without hesitation.

“Yes, Doctor,” she replied, ears angling forward in professional attentiveness.

Her eyes scanned the exercises quickly far quicker than most would have cataloging range-of-motion expectations, balance shifts, joint articulation points. Nothing complex. Baseline musculoskeletal verification.

“Understood,” she added.

She slid off the biobed smoothly and stepped back enough to give herself space. Her tail adjusted automatically for balance as she moved into the first stretch, digitigrade stance shifting with controlled precision.

Forward extension controlled.
Spinal rotation measured.
Knee articulation stable.
Shoulder flexion clean.

Her movements were fluid and deliberate, athletic without being showy. No tremor. No hesitation. No imbalance.

Halfway through, her ears flicked at a distant clatter in Sickbay, but she didn’t break form.

“Full range,” she said as she transitioned into the final stretch, voice steady. “No discomfort.”

She straightened, tail settling behind her in a neutral line.

“Is there anything specific you would like me to demonstrate further, Doctor?”

ensign Nala

“No, that is all, Ensign,” Spenn answered, “You may leave.”

Lieutenant Spenn
Chief Medical Officer