Posted by Captain Benjamin Gillespie (Incoming Commanding Officer) in Infirmary - Boarding evaluation

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Nisihe Odraavi (Chief Medical Officer) in Infirmary - Boarding evaluation

Posted by Captain Benjamin Gillespie (Incoming Commanding Officer) in Infirmary - Boarding evaluation
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻
After walking with his welcoming party and being given as subtle a briefing as was appropriate un a public space, Ben had parted ways with the CSO and accompanied the CMO to the Infirmary for his boarding evaluation. They had walked the length of the promenade on the upper level to avoid the busy bustle of shops, cafes and bars on the lower level.

At one point, Ben seemed to pause and it would not take a betazoid to realise he had been distracted.

“Just old memories,” Ben offered when he realised that the CMO would be able to sense the dread and fear that had come over him in that particular place. It was the spot where he had last seen his father face to face.

“Then Magellan, or her face, is not unfamiliar to you?” Nisihe chose not to press, leaving the question open to the Captain’s comfort. He was, in her mind, under no obligation to answer her.

“I served here as an ensign. Fresh out of the Academy,” Ben answered, “She didn’t have a name back then, just a number. I was so young and naive then.”

“There is no better opportunity to reflect your journey from naivete to sophistication,” Nisihe offered an optimistic counter.

The short walk towards the infirmary continued and once there he waited for the Doctors direction…

-Ben

“Please, have a seat, sir.” Nisihe gestured to an open biobed in their reception bay. For a second it seemed the stout woman had disappeared, returning moments later with a small device and PaDD in hand.

Ben sat as instructed.

“How have you been feeling?” She asked, pulling up his file from their roster. “Any unusual aches or pains? Contact with diseased persons in the last fourteen days? Illness or other ailments? The usual, mundane questions, I know.” She smiled.

Dr. Odraavi, CMO

“Physically I’ve been feeling just fine. I’ve spent the last two weeks on the Vorak’s ship and in his… company,” Ben coughed to suggest that the word ‘company’ meant more than just being on the same ship. Ben had to be completely honest with his doctor to so that she could do her job, “We have known each other a long time. I trust him so didn’t ask him any questions about any changes to his health beforehand.”

“I see.” A minute smirk tugged at the corners of her lips, disappearing as quickly as it had come. “So long as you were practicing safe measures, there shouldn’t be an issue. Luckily, our technology is capable of detecting abnormalities with ease. So, if there is something wrong, we’ll know and we can fix it.”

Ben blushed slightly. “Discretion would be appreciated. Whilst my husband and I have an open understanding, Vorak’s wife would not be so appreciative if she knew,” the new CO added.

-Ben

“Oh..the wife. I hear they’re the jealous type, those wives.” There was a razzing undertone to her comment. She was in no position to comment on Ben’s personal life, in no place to give him advice or condemn him for his choices. So, she kept her commentary neutral; lively.

“Thank you,” Ben said smiling, appreciating Odraavi’s humour.

Waving a medical device to scan his structure for any signs of ailment or disease, Nisihe smiled. “Where are you from, Captain?” She asked to make conversation.

Dr. Odraavi, CMO

“My heritage is Northern English, but I was an officer’s kid so grew up moving from ship to ship. The Admiral,” Ben said referring to his father, “He was sooo proud of me when I got into the Academy. Following the family tradition. He wasn’t so proud of me when he did this.”

“Most parents are, as long as the child is following their wishes.” There was a hint of sarcasm behind her voice, but it could be easily dismissed as a part of her frivolity. “When he..?”

Ben gestured to his torso where the tricorder scan would show scar tissue that would be visible. The scan would also confirm that Ben’s artificial heart behind the scar tissue was function in optimal condition. The metadata the tricorder picked up indicated that the device was had been put in place in the Starbase’s sickbay, some 15 years earlier.

“Oh.” She hovered the tricorder over his abdomen, quirking an eyebrow at the sight. Artificial organs were not uncommon in their era, but she was left to speculate the necessity for one. “Good news is, your heart’s working with peak efficiency!”

“I keep the scar to remind me not to become him,” Ben continued knowing that doctors were fond of pointing out that they could easily remove the visible scar.

-Ben

“Scars can have their value, if you know to look for it.” Odraavi remarked, considering his purpose for keeping the scar despite advancements in modern technology. “What, if you don’t mind me asking, do you want to become, if not your father?” She wasn’t aware of his father beyond name, so she was curious of the type of man Ben wanted to be.

Falling quiet, Odraavi ran a series of scans to determine his health..aside from the machine mocking the heart.

Odraavi, CMO

The CO’s heartrate & blood pressure were slightly increased, but this was to be expected for anyone taking up a new post. All his other vitals were within their normal ranges. The scans would indicate that Ben’s eyeseght had deteriorated slightly since his previous examination, but nothing that a slight tweak to his Retnax prescription would not correct.

“When was the last time you had a Retinax treatment?” Odraavi inquired, reading over the scan’s indications of deteriorating vision. His blood pressure did not bother her. In fact, she would have been more concerned if it were lower than it read.

“It’s been a while,” Ben said, genuinely unable to recall before he went on to answer the CMO’s question about his father.

“My father was selfish, arrogant control freak,” Ben replied, “He was an Admiral that was used to having officers follow his orders without question. If they didn’t he would threaten them with court marshall. Threats like that don’t work with your family and even if I’d wanted to do what he ordered me to, I couldn’t. I’m simply not wired that way.”

Ben sighed, “A good man will never get others to follow by micromanaging and beating them with a stick. Instead he should set the objective and trust staff to do their job, providing an overseeing guidance to ensure unity. You know that I wouldn’t have the faintest idea how to be a doctor, so how could I tell you how to be one?”

-Ben

Ben waited as the tricorder hummed and whistled, recording everything about Ben and his health…

-Ben

“You’ll find the people around here don’t respond well to that kind of leadership, anyways. Nobody wants to feel belittled or controlled by their superiors–it’s great that you understand that.” She glanced up briefly from the tricorder. “True. Then again, if you tried to tell me how to take care of my patients, you’d find yourself sedated into next Tuesday..just for future reference.” She winked, although she was only half joking.

“I’ll remember that if I have trouble sleeping,” Ben replied appreaciating the doctor’s humour

“Aside from a Retinax dose, it doesn’t seem you’ve done extensive damage to your body.. at least, nothing that isn’t warranted by your service.” She set the tricorder down, contemplating him a second. “How do you feel?” She asked this question multiple times, each one she searched for a different answer. It was a measure of progression; if his answer was worse than before, she knew she had failed at her purpose as a doctor.

Dr. Odraavi, CMO

“As far as things that fall under your remit rather than the counsellors? I feel fine,” the CO answered, “And regards to the non-physical things, I think it’s just a combination of nerves and the past.”

-Ben

“I would expect no less,” Odraavi admitted, “you’ve got quite the future ahead of you with Magellan, Captain. In the time since you served, I doubt she has become any easier to handle.”

“If you ever need anything, sir, don’t be afraid to stop by. I cannot promise you won’t find me hunched over a crazed patient with a hypospray in hand..but my staff and I are here if you need us.” She smiled.

“On a happier note,” she gestured to the PaDD, “you seem to have kept yourself healthy over the years. As far as physical medicine goes, you’re cleared for duty.”

Dr. Odraavi, CMO