"From Sickbay To Paris"
[Previous post: 'Another Day', written by the wonderful Serena Switt]
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Stardate: 60300.0855
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Lea walked into sickbay and immediately wished that she could walk right back out. The room that she had left in such a pristine state had been turned inside out. Lea suspected that the disorder had been why Nguma had called the Assistant CMO here, but this still did not answer the why Sickbay had been the way it was. The answer to the question of what had happened would be given to Lea in the form of an irate CMO.
"What did you do to *my* Sickbay?" Nguma asked, menacingly waving a medical tricoder in Lea's face. "It took me over half an hour to find this instrument. Why did you move everything around? What would have happened if there had been a medical emergency? What was I suppose to do? Treat a patient with nothing more than bandages?"
Still feeling a little shaken by the strange nightmare she had the night before, Lea took her time to explain what had happened. The last thing the Assistant CMO wanted was to have a head-to-head confrontation with the ANUBIS's CMO. "Upon our return to NEW ALEXANDRIA, Cpt. Simmons requested a complete status and inventory from each and every department. In your absence I took care of this, taking the opportunity to organise the equipment in a more efficient manner."
The CMO did not at all seem impressed by Lea's work. In fact he seemed quite put-off by what she had done. The Assistant CMO could see the mounting anger in the Doctor's eyes making her want to leave, but that was not her way. She had done something and if the CMO believed this to have been something bad she would accept the consequences.
Nguma's nostrils flared a couple of times as he stared Lea down without saying a word. On her side the Assistant CMO waited patiently for the ceiling to fall on top of her in retribution for what she had done. Lea figured at that moment where the expression 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions' had meant. Something else she wished she could have avoided.
"Get out!" The CMO said, briefly pointing to the door before storming back into his office. As much as Lea had wanted to help undo the mess that she had created, the Assistant CMO thought it best to do as she had been told. What really bothered Lea had not been that the Doctor Nguma had been so angry, but the report he would send to the CO. Such a mark on her record would likely end any chances Lea had of officially becoming a member of the ANUBIS.
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Stardate: 60300.1115
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Engineering Section
Outcast from Sickbay Lea had returned to NEW ALEXANDRIA and wandered around the gigantic base while she waited for lunch time to arrive. Despite her feeling down and depressed, the Assistant CMO had not wanted to disappoint the ANUBIS' CEO. She had promised to meet him for lunch and that would be exactly what she would do.
Lost in her thought though Lea did not see David and walked right by him without saying anything. The different colour of his uniform had not helped matters not making him stand out as the engineer that he was.
"Why so glum?" David asked, catching up to Lea with ease. "You look like someone just died."
"I'm OK," Lea said, not raising her head to hide the sadness on her face. "I just had a bad run-in with Doctor Nguma."
"Sounds like you need something to change your mind," David said in a cheerful way. He was no Cns so trying to figure out what had happened had not been his idea of something he wanted to do. Doing what he could to make Lea forget what had happened on the other hand feel right up his alley. "Let's get out of here."
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Stardate: 60300.1136
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Engineering Holodeck
Lea and David sat at a small table with the Eiffel Tower clearly in view. The holodeck that they had been in was designed to create engineering models, so the details of the little café were not extraordinary. Nevertheless Lea greatly appreciated what David had done, making her forget for a while what had happened back in Sickbay.
"So are you going to tell me what happened?"
Lea turned her head to look at the large metallic tower, as if looking at it would make her forget the confrontation. "I just don't get it. Some people bend backwards to help others and perform to their best, and all they get is hatred from others. Those who seem to wait in the shadows for the right moments seem to get all of the glory and rewards."
Not at all following his companion, David just nodded. "Life is not fair; you don't have to tell me twice. I have had my share of lousy times."
"I just feel like I am being forced out so that someone else can waltz in to take my place," Lea continued. "Imagine how the crew would feel if the Captain pushed the ExO out and someone else just walked right in to take her place. Would anyone take the time to ask what had happened or would people just accept what happened?"
"You have completely lost me there," David said. "Do you know something about Cmdr. Rikar that I don't?"
"No it was just an example," Lea clarified. "I was just wondering what kind of person steps into the shoes of someone who was driven out? I feel like Nguma doesn't want me in his Sickbay and that he is trying to push me out. I am a good Assistant CMO and I know that I could be a positive addition to the crew."
"Sounds like he's just jealous," David grinned. "Something that seems to be going around this base in more ways than one. Forget about him and anything else like it. Enjoy the moment, because you never know when you will be able to enjoy it again," the CEO said, taking Lea's hands into his own. Lea looked into David's eyes and felt her problems begin to vanish, even if only a little.
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Tiffany Rose {lady_tiffany_rose@mail.com}
Ensign Lea Summers
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS
2005 post #063
