<SNIP>

Although it was clear only one or two of the beds in sickbay were long term patients, Sickbay was busy. Like Rowe a few new staff members had come aboard, while others had come for their required check-ups or routine physicals. Although it was busy the turnover was steady with the nurses and doctors on shift working through each appointment as they came through.

To a less observant eye it looked like a standard smooth Sickbay operation, but someone attentive to details would notice that there was an almost nervous eager energy to the younger lower ranked staff, like students sitting their first test. The older and clearly more experienced staff seemed unphased but every now and again they’d steal a glance at a young female figure in blue uniform talking to a patient in the middle of the room. The female doctor herself seemed to be absorbed in what she was doing and her focus on her patient or the PADD in her hand.

As Rowe watched she finished up with her patient and dismissing them. She looked down at her PADD reading who her next patient was and her eyes scanned the room before fixing on Rowe and making the way across the room to him.

“Dr Elaine Janvier,” she introduced herself once she was right in front of him, “Junior Lieutenant Rowe I presume?”

Lt. Janvier, CMO

James offered his right hand in greeting as he responded, “One and the same. Pleased to meet you, Doctor Janvier. Would it be too forward to call you Doc?” A hint of levity in his voice.

The handshake was firm and easy, the sort born from experience rather than formality. Rowe fell into step beside Elaine as she turned toward the examination area, his eyes briefly tracking the activity around Sickbay before returning forward again.

“Before we get too far into things,” he said evenly, “previous intakes have taught me that my file brings certain questions.” His tone was matter-of-fact, no hint of any real concern. “Nothing too dramatic. Some chronic pain management… My old boss would simply call it a side effect of living too long.” Rowe cracked a genuine smile, “Then again, that old man treated cynicism like a professional obligation…”

As he moved, there was a faint hitch in his stride that appeared more connected to stiffness than weakness. Subtle enough that most people likely would have missed it without already knowing to look.

“It’s not a big deal,” Rowe added simply. “More of a quality-of-life annoyance than a functional impairment.”

• Rowe

Elaine hadn’t gotten to a CMO position so young without having a good eye, and although it was faint she noticed the hitch in his stride but chose not to comment. Instead, she remained quiet and simply listened to him as he talked. As chance would have had it, his file had been one of the more recent files she had read before the hustle and bustle of Sickbay had called her away from her reviewing and out to join her staff in treating patients and examinations. It meant it was still fresh in her brain, and she felt he was dismissing things a little bit too easily; ‘Catastrophic trauma’ wasn’t something she wanted to take lightly.

Not after what had happened to junior Lieutenant Bailey.

“Still pain is pain,” she said softly, then gestured to the bed in the examination area, “Sit, please.”

“What have been doing to manage that pain?” she asked, followed by the question, “And when was the last time you did?”

Lt. Janvier, CMO

Rowe complied without complaint, taking a seat on the biobed. He shifted his weight a time or two to find a more comfortable position before responding to her query.

“A lot of the management deals with routine. I get up at 0430 to stretch and roll out with a lacrosse ball. I’m in the gym or holodeck by 0530, pretty standard strength routine and a walk. I had a coach one time who said ‘movement is medicine’ so I try to do what I can. Breakfast and a shower by 0700. I don’t work first shift, so that usually leaves me some time to read or entertain myself in other ways. I grab a quick bite before my duty rotation and go to work. I try not to sit or stand too long while I’m in the lab. When my shift ends, I grab dinner and go back to my quarters where I have a low stress yoga routine.” He shrugs.

“As far as more direct treatments go, I have weekly EMDR Pain Protocol sessions. It’ll bump to twice weekly on tough weeks. Previous docs have prescribed anti-inflammatories and nerve blockers, but I honestly don’t take those unless it gets bad or I can’t sleep. A good Old Fashioned or two have also been self prescribed from time to time.” He says casually.

Rowe