Posted by Ensign Aurelian Vale (Engineer) in Medical Checkin - USS Chimera

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Finn Grady (First Officer) in Medical Checkin - USS Chimera

Posted by Ensign Aurelian Vale (Engineer) in Medical Checkin - USS Chimera
Posted by… suppressed (14) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Following check-in with command…an interview that to some measure in the back of his mind he had dreaded because there was no denying there was a concern of…what if he wasnt good enough? what if he wasnt worth enough? what if he wasnt worthy of being there? To stand before two such figures such as the CO and XO of the Chimera and speak of himself. Making his way through the ship he headed towards Medical and Sickbay- (Deck 3) - before stepping in slowly looking around with curiosity but did not interrupt until one among the staff asked about him and his reasoning for going to medical.

“Ensign Aurelian Vale reporting to medical pending reassignment from Academy to the USS Chimera…” Aurelian spoke calmly and clearly

The medical officer escorted the ensign over to a nearby biobed. “Someone will be with you shortly.” And they hurried off to do other things.

A few minutes later another medical officer approached the biobed, tapping a few things on a PaDD as they approached, not paying attention. As they reached the bed and started tapping commands into the console there they began speaking, “Apologies for the wait, I’m Dr. Goode, I understand you’re here for a… whoa!”

Dr. Goode jumped back slightly as he glanced up, seeing Ensign Vale for the first time. “I mean… hello Ensign. Apologies, I… well… I wasn’t expecting… right.... So you’re here for your boarding check-in? I can take care of that for you. Your file is coming up now…”

He studied a few things on the screen, nodding to himself and then focused back on the ensign. “I’m going to run a few quick scans if you don’t mind. While we’re getting that out of the way, anything I should be aware of medically that’s more recent than the files?”

NE Goode - A doctor

Aurelian was calm and quiet making way with the medical officer that escorted him to the bio bed before he settled onto it relaxing while listening to the sounds of the world around himself to pass time - the steady sounds of the ship itself, the sounds of conversations distantly that he didn’t focus on, the sounds of scans being performed for other crew members being attended to.

With Doctor Good approaching Aurelian looked towards them but did not respond poorly as the jump back when Doctor Goode finally looked at him - it wasn’t something highly unusual after all by this point in his life.

“There is nothing to apologize for, Doctor. I know my situation and circumstance is…unique…to put it lightly…and I am indeed here for boarding check-in during transfer from Starfleet Academy to the USS Chimera for duty within engineering.” Aurelian spoke calmly in answer his baseline low by many standards like a system at idle but still readily functioning for stability and function meaning that the high end for actions of the body could go that much higher.

“There have been no signs of concern or abhorrent behavior…which would be informed toe medical and councelling staff as soon as possible if anything out of place begins - only delayed if they dont impede an immediate and present task.” Aurelian answer honestly

Ensign Aurelian Vale (Engineering)

Areia sat in her office, the soft glow of her data pad lighting her features as she worked her way through a stack of medical files. Reports, evaluations, supply logs—each one reviewed with careful attention. Her fingers moved steadily across the screen, scrolling, annotating, occasionally pausing when something needed a closer look. It was routine work, but she treated it with the same focus she gave everything else.

A faint murmur of voices drifted in from the corridor.

At first, she ignored it. Sickbay was never truly quiet—there was always movement, always conversation—but something about this caught her attention. The tone, maybe. Or the unfamiliar cadence.

Her fingers stilled.

She tilted her head slightly, listening.

Curiosity nudged at her, and after a brief pause, she set the data pad down and stood. As she stepped out of her office, she brushed a loose strand of red hair back behind her ear, smoothing it into place out of habit more than necessity.

The source of the voices became clear almost immediately.

A young ensign stood near one of the diagnostic stations while a doctor conducted an exam. Areia slowed her steps just slightly as she approached, her sharp gaze taking in the details. There was something… different about him. Subtle, but unmistakable if you knew what to look for.

Interesting.

She had studied the Borg extensively during her time at the academy—assimilation patterns, physiological changes, long-term effects on former drones. It had been all theory then. Textbooks, case studies, simulations.

This was not theory.

There was a flicker of professional curiosity behind her eyes, quickly tempered by her usual composure. She didn’t let it show too strongly—no one liked feeling like a subject under a microscope, especially not in a place that was supposed to be safe.

By the time she reached them, her expression had softened into a warm, professional smile.

“Please, don’t let me disturb you,” she said, her tone calm and reassuring, directed first to the doctor before her attention shifted to the ensign. “I just like to meet all our new crew members.”

She offered a small, polite nod.

“I’m Areiana Blackford, Chief Medical Officer,” she introduced, her voice carrying quiet confidence. “It’s nice to see some new faces onboard.”

Her gaze lingered on the ensign for a moment—not intrusive, but attentive. Assessing, in the way all good doctors did, though there was something more thoughtful behind it. Not judgment. Not concern exactly.

Interest.

But she kept it gentle.

“Settling in alright so far?” she asked, her tone easy, giving him space to respond while making it clear he wasn’t being interrogated.

Even as she stood there, relaxed on the surface, her mind was already working—cataloging observations, recalling what she knew, considering what she might need to learn. But none of that showed beyond the calm, welcoming presence she carried so naturally.

To the crew, she was simply their CMO.

Professional. Capable. Approachable.

And, in moments like this, just a little bit curious.

Areiana Blackford

Lieutenant Junior Grade Chief Medical Officer USS Chimera

Areiana Blackford

Lieutenant Junior Grade Chief Medical Officer USS Chimera

”…I do not feel disturbed…” Aurelian spoke calmly looking towards the new approach of the figure - it was after all not unreasonable that within medical that people might approach with questions, inquiries or tests during such events, “It is a pleasure to meet you Lieutenant. I am Ensign Aurelian Vale freshly transferring to the Chimera…it is certainly understandable to want to get to know the new faces as they come onto the ship versus only coming to see them in the course of an emergency.” Aurelian added with a calm measure of clarity and understanding all his own.

“All has been well so far. Upon arrival to the Chimera I was able to check in with security enough to get room assignment to secure my bags and have since checked in with command…saving department checkin for last in case I am added to immediate roster so there is no interruptions from duties to do checkins…” Aurelian spoke in calm and gentle answer in regards to settling in to the new ‘home’, “If you happen to have any questions…please do not be afraid to ask…I am most willing to answer any questions from my experiences and perceptions.” he added in looking towards her respectfully while heartrate maintained steady if low calm baseline. Aware of the ‘uniqueness’ of his situation and accepting and making the most of all that he was step by step into the life - unshunning of the cards he was dealt.

Ensign Aurelian Vale (Engineering)

Areiana picked up the data PADD with practiced ease, her fingers gliding across the surface as she pulled up his file. The soft glow reflected faintly in her green eyes as lines of medical history, vitals, and recent scans scrolled past. For a moment, the room was filled only with the quiet hum of the equipment and the subtle tapping of her fingertips.

“Alright…” she murmured, more to herself than to him, as she reviewed the readings. “Vitals are stable… neural activity within normal range… no flagged anomalies.” A small, approving nod followed as she skimmed further, clearly thorough in her work.

“Everything looks good so far,” she said at last, her voice calm but attentive. She shifted her weight slightly, still holding the PADD as her eyes moved back and forth across the data, double-checking entries rather than rushing through them.

After another brief pause, she looked up at him, her expression softening into something more approachable—professional, but not cold. “Any pain? Discomfort? Even something minor you might not think is important?” she asked, tilting her head just slightly as she studied his face for any hint of hesitation.

Her gaze flicked back to the PADD for a second before returning to him. “Any recent illness? Changes in appetite, sleep patterns, headaches, dizziness… anything out of the ordinary?” she added, her tone gentle but thorough, making it clear she expected honesty more than a “perfect” answer.

She stepped a little closer, lowering the PADD just enough to give him her full attention. A strand of her long red hair slipped loose from where it had been tucked back, and she absently brushed it behind her ear without breaking eye contact.

“I know some people try to brush things off, especially on a new assignment,” she continued, a faint, understanding smile crossing her lips. “But I’d rather catch something small now than have it turn into a bigger problem later.”

Her posture relaxed just a touch, though her focus never wavered. “So take a second and think about it,” she said, her voice steady and reassuring. “Anything at all you’ve noticed?”

Areiana Blackford

Lieutenant Junior Grade Chief Medical Officer USS Chimera

“Sleep diminishment…not extensively…but not unexpected going from academy to a first duty station…no notice or identification of change in appetite and no medical malady in course. Dietary was in fact increased with meals in addition to supplements to make sure all was clear and ready for the transfer. A certainty wanted to be able to make sure I was bringing in what I would need even in the course of increased stressors.” Aurelian answers calmly and honestly in regards to the initial course of questions presented about wellbeing.

“From an engineering standpoint - I can be agreeable in that finding the smallest unpleasantness and treating it early is ideal over allowing it to be stressed to the point it becomes something far more extreme. I can relate your perception of the crew being your focus for wellbeing…while for me mine is the ship…but I cant properly serve as the ships medic if my wellbeing is diminished as well.” Aurelian answered after a pause, “The Chimera too has its own forms of neural, senses, flow, energy cycling, mobility, reactions…I have meanwhile taken no notice of aberrant behaviors in myself that drew concern or would be unexpected. All three measures of my nature are acting as expected all things considered. If any concerns would arise I would be apt and willing to request aid…”

Ensign Aurelian Vale (Engineering)

NE Goode glanced between the two. Then tapped a few commands on the biobed.

“I guess I’ll leave you all to it.”

He turned and went to find something else to do, leaving the CMO to finish.

NE Goode - A doctor

Areia drew in a sharp breath, the sound quiet but noticeable to her own ears. She did it again. She needed to stop doing that—stepping in without thinking, letting her curiosity get ahead of her manners. It wasn’t appropriate, not here, not in the middle of someone else’s work.

She straightened slightly and looked back at the ensign, offering a small, apologetic smile. “Give me just a moment,” she said gently.

Turning, she stepped aside and moved quickly to catch up with the doctor, lowering her voice out of respect for the patient. “Doctor, I’m sorry about that,” she began, brushing a strand of red hair behind her ear in a nervous habit. “I have a tendency to step in when I’m not needed—or wanted. Old habits I’m still working on breaking.”

Her gaze flicked briefly back toward the ensign before returning to the doctor, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “I just… found him very interesting. I think you can understand why.”

Dr. Goode nodded slowly. “I definitely can see why.”

She let out a quiet breath, composing herself again before giving a polite nod. “Please, go ahead and finish the exam. I have quite a bit to get through in my office anyway.” She hesitated for half a second, then added more warmly, “If you need anything—anything at all—please don’t hesitate to let me know. My door is always open.”

With that, she offered one last apologetic smile before stepping back, giving the doctor the space to continue, though her mind lingered on the ensign just a moment longer than it probably should have.

Areiana Blackford

Lieutenant Junior Grade Chief Medical Officer USS Chimera

Dr. Goode stared after the CMO. What a weird couple of shifts this was turning out to be. He plastered on a smile and stepped back over to Ensign Vale.

“Apologies, ensign. I think Dr. Blackford and I had our scheduling wires crossed and well we were both caught up in the moment. Now that she’s here I think things will get a lot more normal down in sickbay. Weird word ‘normal’ right?” he shook his head and tapped back into the biobed.

“So I heard things are going well with sleep and diet and systems seem to be functioning as you expect. Your scans don’t seem to be showing anything out of the ordinary. Forgive the question but… how do you sleep? I’ve seen some case reports that some former drones require specialized equipment above and beyond the normal bed.”

NE Goode - A doctor

“During my time at academy I was able to sleep in a bed because I was not entirely reliant on the augments that I have…while a restoration chamber would be effective…it could also cause a discomfort…a chamber would bear benefit in recovery without full reliance on the nanites and would help with recharge and repair of the augments. The pod might help with recovery without having everything else based on self-recovery systems…” Aurelian explained calmly, “If needed I could certainly find rest in a standard style of bed as needed to avoid causing discomforts among those who might otherwise be…unsure. With pod I could still process and monitor even while in a resting state.”

Ensign Aurelian Vale (Engineering)

Areiana returned to her office, the doors sliding open with a soft hiss before settling behind her—left deliberately ajar. It was a quiet signal to the crew: if the door was open, she was available. If it was closed, then whatever she was handling required her full attention, and interruptions were only for the most critical of emergencies. She tried to keep it open as often as possible. People needed to know they could come to her.

She had just settled behind her desk, picking up her PADD to resume the endless stream of reports, when it chimed softly. The sound pulled her attention immediately. She glanced down, and the moment she saw the sender, her expression softened.

Wyatt.

She opened the message, and almost instantly his face appeared, animated and full of energy. He was talking quickly—faster than usual—clearly excited as he explained how the XO had come across him while he was working. Somehow, that had turned into a conversation with the captain… and now there was a possibility—an actual possibility—that their project might be included in survival packs for an upcoming training exercise.

Areiana couldn’t help the small smile that formed as she listened.

The project… it had started as something small between them back at the academy. Late nights, scattered notes, trial and error. They had wanted to create something practical—something that could help. A compact nutritional powder, lightweight and easy to store, something that only needed water but could sustain a person as if they’d eaten a full meal. Not just nutrients, but something that would actually make a person feel full. Something real.

She had spent hours sending him medical data—everything the body needed to function and survive under stress. It had taken them a long time to get the formula even close to right. It still wasn’t perfect.

But it was close.

And now… now it might actually be used.

Hearing the excitement in Wyatt’s voice—seeing it, unfiltered and bright—warmed something deep in her chest. He sounded happy. Proud. Hopeful.

She tapped her PADD and began typing a response.

“That’s amazing, Wyatt. Please let me know what the captain says. And if they approve it, I’d like to see the data so I can help you adjust anything that needs refining.”

She paused for a moment, her fingers hovering over the screen before adding another line, softer this time.

“I’m so glad you’re doing well. And remember what I told you—try to be a little more social.”

A faint smile tugged at her lips as she hit send.

Leaning back in her chair, she let out a quiet breath, her focus drifting far from the reports waiting on her desk. For a moment, all she could think about was her brother.

Wyatt hadn’t had an easy childhood. She had done everything she could to shield him from the worst of it, stepping into roles she shouldn’t have had to at such a young age. When the time had come, she had wanted him with her—safe, close, somewhere she could keep an eye on him.

But he had refused.

Said he didn’t need a babysitter. Said he needed to do this on his own.

At the time, it had been hard to let him go.

Now… she found herself quietly grateful that she had.

He was finding his place. Growing into himself in ways she couldn’t have forced, no matter how much she wanted to protect him. Hearing him like this—excited, confident—it reassured her in a way nothing else could.

Areiana rubbed at her eyes briefly, pushing away the lingering thoughts before straightening in her chair again. She picked up her PADD, the screen lighting up with the work she had momentarily forgotten.

Duty called, as it always did.

But the small smile remained as she returned to her tasks.

Areiana Blackford

Lieutenant Junior Grade Chief Medical Officer USS Chimera

Dr. Goode pondered the ensign’s response for a moment. “Does Starfleet have a supply of those regeneration pods? Or… would you be able to build one? I think its worth having if it would be helpful to you. I can put in a medical order for it.”

NE Goode - A doctor

“I am certain that a supply would be available or could be arranged for acquisition at a proper starfleet station…though that could well take time…an option does remain aboard the Chimera with its potential and industrial replicators to be able to craft a regeneration pod. Though it would take time and resources. So either way would take time…but less time for replication…and less planning versus trying to arrive to a station that it has arrived to or would arrive to especially to avoid such a thing floating via secondary transports…it would be a matter of planning to a station we would need to route to and having the pod requested in that path…if required and requested I could operate replication in times when not in use for other tasks.” Aurelian speaks calmly actively considering the time, resources, and ease between the two tasked options as he shows estimation between the resources and time required to manufacture a pod on the Chimera versus estimation of putting a pod enroute to a starfleet station that the Chimera would need to route to for acquisition.

Ensign Aurelian Vale (Engineering)

NE Goode nodded as he listened to the ensign explain the situation. “Well, I’m happy to put in the orders for you to build one here on the ship. I think you deserve to have the option to make you the most efficient person you can be. We can have your quarters modified so that you can have the option of regeneration pod or bed depending on how you’re feeling that day.”

He leaned back against the console and looked expectantly at the ensign, “What do you think?”

NE Goode - A doctor

“I could most certainly work with that…and would be most thankful for the opportunities and possibilities of being able to be the most efficient version of myself I can.” Aurelian answers calmly and honestly after a moment of considering the presented offer

Ensign Aurelian Vale (Engineering)

The doctor clapped his hands together excitedly. “Excellent, I will put the orders in right away.”

He turned and started tapping away furiously on the biobed console, humming contentedly to himself for a moment before he realized he was still in the middle of the visit.

“Oh, sorry ensign. I was getting carried away with the project. I think I can official clear you for duty medically. I’ll just finish up getting your file updated and you’ll be cleared to make the modifications to your quarters at your convenience. It’s lovely to have met you and I’m sure I’ll see you again soon… umm well I guess maybe I don’t want to see you again soon…I mean… well you know what I mean,” he fumbled over his words. “Sickbay is always open if you need us.”

With that, he turned and went back to what he was doing, leaving the ensign free to return to his duties.

NE Goode - A doctor