"Another Day, Another Story"
[Previous post: "Stress Management", written by the devoted Serena Switt]
=-=
Stardate: 60323.0745
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Lea stood in the open doorway to her department as motionless and
silent as a granite statue. The CMO's eyes investigated the room as if
expecting something to leap out at her from the shadows. The night before
Lea had not slept all that well, tossing and turning because of her
dreams. Actually calling what she had endured dreams had not been all
that accurate. Last night Lea had woken up several times, each time
because of horrific nightmares. The kind that would have made the most
battle-harden of Klingon warrior cry out on terror.
Lea could barely control her own breathing, unable to find the strength
of will to move one more step forward. The CMO had managed to get out
of bed easily enough, and out of her quarters, but this was another
story. Lea had dreamt about the TANGIERS ORBITAL and her being tied to
that awful chair. The CMO had also dreamt of that hellish cell where she
had met Luke and their joined hardships. Lastly Lea had several vivid
nightmares about this place, her domain, where she had thought she
would be safe from it all.
"Good morning!" Susan said with the attitude of a morning songbird.
Not having at all expected this, Lea jumped out of her skin to crash on
the floor ahead of where she had stood. "Are you alright?" The Cns
added, rushing after the CMO who was now looking back at her with horror.
Susan could tell that she had started Lea, but she could not realise
the extent of this fright.
"Computer," Lea said barely able to draw breath, "Activate EMH."
"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," the holographic
doctor said. The EMH had been programmed to be friendlier when called
upon, but Doctor Nguma had altered the programming. The former CMO had
claimed that he did not want to have a friendly hologram working with
him. Lea had wanted to ask David to correct this at the earliest
convenience but there had never seen to be time for it. The ANUBIS seemed to
be a magnet for trouble, and the CEO had always been too busy. Now it
seemed that Lea would never get the chance to ask David for his help in
this matter.
"Heart attack!" Lea said pointing to herself. The EMH responded
immediately by reaching for a medical tricorder while Susan watched. While
the holographic doctor ran the instrument over the CMO's chest, Susan
watched in fear. What had she done?
"I am detecting a higher than normal cardiac rate, but no arrhythmia.
My suggestion is for you to relax and maybe take up meditation." With
that the EMH returned the tricoder to the medical tray he had taken it
from and helped Lea back to her feet.
"Thank you for your help doctor," Susan said once the CMO had been
returned to her feet. "Computer, deactivate EMH."
"What the heck were you trying to do? Kill me?" Lea demanded in anger,
breaking away from her friend's hold of her arm.
"Lea, what's wrong?" Susan asked, moving closer to the CMO without
reaching out for her. As the ship's Cns, Susan knew better than to force
anything out of an unwilling patient, what she needed to do was to win
back Lea's confidence.
Lea scrambled to the nearest biobed for support. "Nothing! You just
startled me." Lea spat, her voice filled with anger, but not directed
atthe Cns but towards something or someone else.
Susan remained silent for a few seconds, debating how to approach the
situation. As the ANUBIS' Cns she was bound by duty to investigate.
That responsibility was compounded by Lea being her friend; the question
was how to do it?
"Alright," Susan said with a sigh. "If you want me to leave I will,"
and with that Susan turned around and took one step towards the door.
Terror reappeared on Lea's face. "WAIT! No, please. Stay."
Susan turned around once again, hiding her glee at the success of her
plan. **Make them want your help,** the Cns reminded herself, glad that
this had been so easy. Now she could help Lea deal with whatever had
been troubling her.
=-=
The doors to Sickbay open once more, this time for Cmdr. Rikar and the
ANUBIS' new Sec/Tac officer, Ens. Doratheva.
"And this is Sickbay, I will leave you in the capable hands of our CMO
for your medical," the ExO said before stopping in her tracks. Sabrina
had not expected to find Susan here with Lea, but was happy that the
two of them were present. "Ens. Summers, Ens. Mei, please allow me to
introduce to you Ens. Doratheva, or Eva, our new Assistant Sec/Tac
officer."
Susan slid off the biobed that she had been sitting on to greet the new
officer. Over the last two hours or so Lea had poured out her heart,
and Susan did not think that the CMO had been ready to play houseguest.
"Welcome to the ANUBIS, I am Susan Mei, the ship's Cns, and this is Lea
Summers, our devoted CMO." Susan's introductions had been meant as a
way to get Lea back to reality. In order to keep what had happened
between the two of them, Lea needed to be professional with Eva. That
professionalism was that much more important in the presence of the ExO who
would easily pick up on anything out of the ordinary. Having been a
Cns and CMO, Sabrina knew the ins and outs of the jobs and the signs of
trouble.
"I am pleased to meet you Eva," Lea said, putting on her best poker
face. "I for one already feel safer knowing that you are on the job.
=-=
Ensign Lea Summers 2005 post #240
Stardate: 60323.0930
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Tiffany Rose {lady_tiffany_rose@mail.com}
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS
