"Doing The Right Thing Is Never Easy"
[Previous post: "Executive Contemplation", written by the sleepy Serena Switt]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Med Lab 1
Captain Rikar had been kind enough to allow their conversation to be
off the record. Lea had been even happier that the two of them had moved
out of Sickbay and into the lab. This way Susan would not hear what
Lea had to say, which actually might have made matters worse.
The CMO had been searching for aw ay to explain why she had asked for
Susan to be transferred to the ANUBIS. The words just refused to come
to Lea which left her aimlessly walking about the lab.
"Lea, just tell me what is going on with Susan," Sabrina said noticing
that one of the screens had been showing Susan in her bed. "Doctor
Halliwell has found *nothing* wrong with her, so what is going on? Did
the two of you had a fight and you thought this was the best way to
handle it?"
The CMO perked up. "At this point I almost wish it had been that
simple. At least I could face Susan and tell her why I did it," Lea said
looking at the screen Sabrina had noticed.
"Okay, so it was not a fight," the CO said folding her arms across her
chest. Lea immediately recognized the gesture as to mean that
Sabrina's patience was starting to wear thin. The CO had allowed for this to
be as painless as possible for Lea, but this had been under the
condition of a hasty explanation.
"I wanted to protect her," Lea admitted. The words had seemed wrong
yet they had been the truth. That had exactly been what the CMO had
wanted, to protect her best friend, nothing more, nothing less.
"A noble sentiment," Sabrina nodded glad to have gotten to the truth.
"A little excessive though. It might have been easier on everyone if
you have just talked to her."
Lea looked at Sabrina wide-eyed. "I can't tell her that I was scared
for her life. I just couldn't."
Sabrina leaned against the nearest counter and looked at Lea. If the
CO was going to get to the bottom of this she needed to be a friend for
Lea, and not an officer. "I'm sure she would understand that you
wanted her to be safe. The alternative is to leave her believing that there
is something medically wrong with her," the CO explained. It was easy
to see that Sabrina had a great deal of experience in such matters.
Lea appreciated the time being spent on her behalf and vowed to do as
had been suggested. This though did not make what needed to be done any
easier. As a Cns Susan would likely try to analyse the why Lea had
done what she had. In time Lea would have to admit that it was because
Susan was the first *true* friend the CMO had for a very long time. She
had felt a connection with David but it was not the same. With Susan
nearby Lea felt instantly better, more relaxed and better equipped to
deal with whatever got in their way.
"The longer you wait, the harder it will be to tell her," Sabrina said
seeing the hesitation in Lea's posture. This was not going to be easy
for Lea but the CMO knew that it needed to be done.
From the corner of their eyes the two women saw an increase amount of
activity on the screen showing Susan and her bed. Nothing was happening
to the Cns, but several people had been caught running between the
camera and the bed.
Lea and Sabrina looked at each other, both thinking the same thing.
Something had happened.
=-=
"What happened?" Sabrina asked watching Prav being taken to one of the
biobeds.
"There was something *inside* the probe," Maya replied following the
Marines who had carried their commander here.
"Something?" The ANUBIS' CO asked wondering if the normally overly
verbal woman could have been any more vague with her answer.
"It was a large robot," one of the Marines replied. "We came in as it
had a grip on his neck."
"An Imperian! Inside the probe?" Sabrina gasped.
"Tissue and muscle lacerations and what appears to be a severely
bruised larynx," Liz said more concerned with her new patient. The aCMO had
wasted no time in attending to the Marine, not even waiting for him to
be on the biobed before scanning his injuries.
"I'm fine," Prav argued, barely managing to speak the two words.
"Sure you are," Doctor Halliwell said holding the man down on the
biobed.
"Listen to her, you need medical attention," Maya added. "That thing
had you by the neck for several seconds and your eyes actually rolled in
the back of your head. That is a clear indication of oxygen
deprivation and you need medical care."
Pravat rolled his eyes, not because of any lack of oxygen but because
of Maya. As much as he cared for her, there were times when he wondered
what he had seen, and still saw in her.
"Speaking of medical care," Lea said looking at the CSciO's neck. Even
without a tricorder the CMO could tell that the markings there matched
those on Prav's neck. "Did that thing, whatever it was, get a hold of
you too?"
Maya nodded yes. She had wanted to stay by Pravat's side but that
would no longer be possible. Even Sabrina had motioned for her to comply,
which of course Maya did reluctantly.
While taking care of Maya, Lea's eyes kept glancing up at Susan who was
in the next bed. This had provided the CMO with a respite but had in
no way cancelled what Lea had needed to do. To talk to her friend and
admit to having overreacted, maybe just a little.
=-=
Lt. J.G. Lea Summers 2006 post #059
Stardate: 60341.0915
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 60341.0930
Tiffany Rose {lady_tiffany_rose@mail.com}
Chief Medical Officer
USS HATHOR
