No, I have still not learned bedside manners

Posted on 23 Jun 2025 @ 2:25pm by Commander Kristiana Petrova & Lieutenant Commander Amelia Warner

1,019 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Miranda
Location: Sickbay

Rhythmic footfalls carried the ship's XO into sickbay. She looked like a woman on a mission, but then, she always looked like a woman on a mission, stepping with purpose. Now though, her purpose was a chat with a certain someone, of the medical persuasion.

"Commander Warner, you in here?" Kristiana called out, stopping to look around.

"Yes, Commander?" Amelia seemingly appeared out of nowhere, although it was really just a corner behind biobed three that was somewhat obscured from the door into sickbay. Her eyes took a quick inventory of the other woman and didn't spot any injury, so this was perhaps not a medical call.

"Commander," Kris nodded in greet. "I'll get right to the point. I need you to take over as chief medical - at least for the foreseeable future," Kris didn't waste any time on pleasantries, preferring to keep everything business. She never particularly liked medical facilities. Not because she had bad experiences with them, just the atmosphere and energy of the place didn't sit right with her. "Commander Martin is moving to a specialist spot, something about studies - I don't fully understand all the medical jargon."

The blunt approach may have taken her by surprise, if she hadn't worked from time to time with Commander Petrova in the past. Still, the news surprised her. She would have thought that Doctor Martin would give her a heads up, as his deputy chief, but... Well, things moved fast on the Odin sometimes. "I see," she said, taking a moment to process it. "As I have served in the role, temporarily, before, I feel capable of handling it until such time as someone else takes it over."

"That's what I was hoping to hear," Petrova managed a ghost of a smile, for just a moment. "How are things here? Everything under control? Is there anything you need, personnel, materials, equipment?" she asked.

Amelia tilted her head thoughtfully. "Everything is going well, but if you could give us an engineer for a little while to help us with some integration issues that our medical database seems to be having with the liaison and transfer with the Sal'kiiran medical bases as we get closer to Sal'kiir, that would be helpful."

"I'll be sure to send one over. If I recall correctly Commander Taliborn has been studying up on Sal'kiiran technology, maybe he can help," Kristiana offered. "Anything else?"

"I don't believe so, Commander," the doctor replied. "Commander Taliborn's assistance would be greatly appreciated." She paused for a moment, thoughtfully. "Actually, come to think of it... Several senior staff are about due for their annual physicals, however, but that particular ship demographic tends to be particularly difficult to convince to come here in a timely fashion. I may need some assistance with that?" She smiled with a trace of amusement.

"I suppose I could send out a team-wide memo," Kristiana offered, rubbing her neck. "And probably lead by example, since I'm here anyways. No real complaints, appetite normal, sleep normal, just - ... " She hesitated a moment, rolling her left shoulder and wincing everso softly. "Ever since that time the ship got boarded by those squid things and I got mauled, my left shoulder hasn't been one hundred percent. Just a little residual soreness that I figured would go away with time. Except it didn't."

Amelia nodded slightly and waved at the biobed. "Well, I can certainly get that looked at and see if anything is going on. If you'd like to do that now?" As the first officer took a seat, the doctor pulled out her tricorder and scanner. She waved it around Petrova's shoulder. "I don't see any functional abnormalities aside from, well, colloquially just wear and tear. I say this both from the scan and what I already know of you and your medical history but, bluntly, you push yourself too hard."

"Yeah, I know. You're - ... " Kris sighed, softening her voice and rolling her shoulder a bit with a slight wince. "You're not wrong," she admitted, a defeated tone to her words. "It's just - work is all I have, know what I mean? And if I don't give it my all, what worth am I?" The question was rhetorical, as if she was trying to convince herself more than the doctor.

"Frankly, Commander," Amelia said, completing her scan of the rest of the woman. "That sounds like something I highly recommend you take up with Commander Elloyia."

It is said that the first thought that goes through your mind is how society and your upbringing has raised you, and the second thought was a lot more indicative of your true personality. Kristiana's first instinct at LtCmdr Warner's comment was annoyance, and it showed on her face. Her expression then changed to defeat though, as she realised the doctor was right. "Yeah. I probably should," Petrova quietly answered after a moment of silence. Maybe as the years added up she became softer. Or maybe she was just tired of beating herself up with very little to show for it. Maybe it *was* time to have a talk with the counselor.

To be fair, Amelia was pretty much used to that facial expression being the first reaction whenever she made that suggestion. The rare occasions when it wasn't generally seemed tied to other conditions that still required the good counselor's intervention. Smiling sympathetically, she closed her tricorder and dropped it in her pocket. "Otherwise, you're in good health. You just need to take it a little easier on yourself, rest and eat well, so on. I can give you a hypo of a vitamin supplement that should help your shoulder joint ease a bit, if you like."

"Thanks, but - I'll tough it out. It's not *that* bad, and I can always come back later if it gets worse," Kristiana offered, rising from the biobed again. "If there's nothing else I'll go send that memo to the officer team, then schedule a meeting with the counselor," she added.

"Certainly, Commander," Amelia agreed, inclining her head. "You know where to find me if you need anything else."

 

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