Posted by Captain Rende Asam (Commanding Officer) in Galley/Lounge- A Simple Chat

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Leah Hart (Nurse Practitioner/Counseling) in Galley/Lounge- A Simple Chat

Posted by Captain Rende Asam (Commanding Officer) in Galley/Lounge- A Simple Chat
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“It** is good to have things that are just for fun. Not everything can be about work and deadlines and doing for others. I play a hurdy gurdy. I’m by no means an expert, but at least I don’t break glass when I play.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

She grinned wide and gave a soft chuckle. “Though some might consider that a talent in its own right. And I agree, not everything has to be attached to achievement. So long as you enjoy whatever hobby you do, it matters little how good you are at it.”

As they had ate and chatted, the crew seemed to get used to the captain’s prolonged presence and while they still noticed her here, they seemed to pay less attention to this fact. “And see?” Hart said, dropping her voice lower so it was only between them. “They’ve adjusted. And I for one and very much enjoying the company and conversation,” she said with warmth. It was new for Leah as well, and it had been a nice surprise to know she too could have a friendly working relationship with her commanding officer.

~Leah Hart, NP

Rende laughed quietly and leaned forward just slightly, “And they do seem to have adjusted to you as well. A few hundred more appearances like this, and they won’t even look up when we arrive.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

Leah smirked. “At that point we’ll have to do something now and again to shake things up. Just so they don’t get too comfortable.” She sat back in her chair. “On a side note, I know Dr. Kreed wants me to be available to away teams, and it’s been a topic that has come up, but I figured it would be good to ask if there are any preparatory things I should do to make sure I’m ready for such an occasion. I worked an ER before, but the patients came to us, rather than us going to to find the excitement.”

~Leah Hart, NP

Rende tapped a finger on the table a moment while she thought. “I would make sure Lt Kreed gets you up to date on your field medic training, triage, and primitive first aid. See Chief Johansson about being fit for an environmental protection suit. And see Lt Anders to get up to date on your phaser training.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

She nodded. “That sounds like a plan,” Leah said, her mind percolating through a to-do list. She broke into a small, but excited, smile. “What’s it like, being in a landing party? I assume that most of the time there are a lot of unknowns, but that could be just a romanticized version people are sold at the Academy.”

~Leah Hart, NP

“Dangerous.” Rende replied without hesitation. “It is romanticized and it is exciting. Unless it is a people we already have relations with, we are not usually welcomed. Not to say there is not curtesy. At best they are suspicious, worst they think we are gods. In the middle of that they are hostile. It takes a lot of work to get to a peaceful and open communication where we can trade.”

“That is just the people. The natural environment offers all kinds of unforeseen risks. Actually, you might speak to Cmdr Alden about that. He has done a lot of study of alien planets and animals.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

Leah took all this in with an eager expression, leaning in ever so slightly. “I’ll do that for sure. Anything that would help me prepare. I mean, I know everyone has to have a first experience, but I do feel behind in these areas because this is my first starship posting.” She drew in a steadying breath. “I just want to be an asset on a team, not a liability, you know?”

~Leah Hart, NP

Asam nodded, “I remember the feeling. And it is absolutely an amazing experience, to visit new planets. Just never forget that it isn’t Earth, so nothing can be taken for granted or assumed.”

Leah nodded. “Don’t worry, I was born and raised on Aldebaran, so I am well used to things being different than on Earth.”

Rende nodded, “But there is a lot of culture there based on Earth culture. Either the same or totally different, but because of Earth. So different, but still influenced. It gives a point of shared reference. We don’t have that with other cultures. It can be tricky to navigate as we try to understand others. That is how we think, but finding what we assume are similarities, and sometimes that assumption can lead to conflict.”

Leah nodded. “That’s why my research has been focused on cultures that are non-Human. Though I will admit it has gone slower at times because I only had access to persons of other species that met my criteria occasionally. I’m now having to seek people out.”

“You might also ask Lt Kreed or the other medical staff about some of the medical situations they have encountered on landing teams.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

She mentally added that to the list of consults. “Good idea. Thank you, Rende. I am used to mostly clinical settings, so I want to make sure I’m as prepared as possible. I mean, at the end of the day, medical and mental health care is the same no matter where you are, but I recognize that it could require different skills if we don’t have access to the resources we’re used to having.”

Leah took a sip of her water. “Is there anything you’ve encountered in your travels that you think to yourself ‘yeah, that would be interesting to try someday?’.”

~Leah Hart, NP

“Oh several. I am always interested in trying different cultures martial arts. Learning their techniques and moves. Most are more than just a study of anatomy, but a reflection of culture, beliefs, and values. Whenever I get the chance I always try to learn some.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

She grinned. “I can see that about you. I think that’s why I also fell in love with psychiatric nursing. I love dealing with physiology but at the end of the day people’s bodies are highly affected by the mind. And once you factor in all the external variables that can affect a person’s mental state things are always more complicated. I like the idea of getting know cultures through how they approach a particular skill.”

~Leah Hart, NP