From: Masako Goto 
Date: Sun, 9 Mar 1997 23:11:11 -0500 (EST)
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: Murray to Medical...

SD 90310.0340
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Sickbay
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MD 2.1400
	Anne paused outside of the door leading into the medical 
facility, leaning against the wall.  She was dead tired; she could hardly 
walk from her office.  She should probably have waited until she was 
up to par physically, but she had decided on a course of action, and 
altering it now would only make her lose her resolve.  
	The nurse who greeted her was of average female humanoid height -- 
which made her shorter than Anne by a good eight inches -- but her simple 
air of brisk, cheerful efficiency made Anne feel rather small.
	Anne murmured a hello, stalling.  She looked around her, drinking 
in the sights, sounds, and smells of the place.  So crude a name, 
sickbay, but so noble a function.  To be a doctor, like her father, had 
been her dream.  If only...
	"Lieutenant," chided Nurse Carol Moore, "we'd better get you 
prepared so the CMO can see you."
	"Oh.  Yes, of course." Anne put on her Vulcan look, decided that 
it was rather inappropriate for the occasion, tried a smile, found it to 
be wanting, and followed the nurse to the examining area, expressively 
completely confused.  <>
	"Now." The nurse tapped the biobed with a practiced air.  "Make 
yourself at home, Lieutenant."
	Home.  Yes, sickbay was home, all right.  She'd even had a biobed 
in her own room when she was younger... "to get you ready for med-school, 
my little Vulcan," her father used to say.
	Anne was so lost in her reverie that she hardly noticed when the 
nurse began to scan her with the medical tricorder.  When she came back 
to the present, Anne gripped the nurse's wrist.
	"What are you doing, Lieutenant Murray?" asked Nurse Moore, her hand 
jerking instinctively.  "This doesn't hurt, you know."
	"Yes..." Anne sighed and let go.  It was stupid, *stupid* to let 
her past ambitions get her so worked up.  "I'm sorry, Nurse Moore.  Carry 
on." She closed her eyes, concentrating on how many of the science 
personnel she could name without referering to her manifest.
	"...will be with you in just a few minutes," said the nurse.  
Anne had a pretty good idea of what had been said a second earlier.  She 
merely nodded and waited for the nurse to depart.
	As soon as she was alone, Anne got up from the biobed and 
examined the diagnostic displays on the wall.  She wouldn't touch them, 
she told herself.  She shouldn't interfere with the CMO's work, after 
all.  She studied the read-outs.  Looking at the data, she was reminded 
of the first time Myron had insisted that she play Chief Medical Officer 
with him.  He had jumped up on the biobed like a little puppy, bouncing 
excitedly and asking how healthy he was.
	"Oh, Myron." Anne smiled, remembering his refusal to believe that 
he had to actually *lie down* for the sensors to work.  She had seen, 
even then, how his readings were different from those of other members of 
her family; how the accident that had traumatized his brain had resulted 
in Myron being... well, being who he was.  She had been nine, and he 
five; how odd that she could still remember it as though it were yesterday...
	Anne turned her attention to the impending meeting with the CMO.  
She hoped that Dr. Ledoux was feeling better today.  She really should 
have sent a message earlier in the day, let her know that she was still 
available... Anne shrugged.  The complete fallout of her department had 
been something for which, ironically, she had been totally unprepared; 
and the recovery had taken more time than she had anticipated.  She'll 
just have to tell the CMO in person.  The thought brought a small smile 
to her lips.  Perhaps, she told herself, it was actually better this way.
Respectfully submitted,
Masako Goto
Lt. Anne Murray, Ph.D.
CSciO
USS CHESAPEAKE NCC-31813
*NRPG*
Chris: Here's Anne, all ready for her physical -- or as ready as she'll 
ever be.  :)  She'll mention last night, of course... she's still 
worried, no matter *what* the doctor said.  It's not the questions she's 
worried about, it's her *style*...  She will, of course, want to make 
amends... though she might not bring it up directly.  I hope I didn't 
misplay Carol Moore...
Lynnaea: Okay, okay, this wasn't exactly out-and-out "fun", but I 
couldn't very well *trash* the place, now, could I?  
All: I admit it, IT WAS ANOTHER GRATUITOUS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT PIECE!  
Guilty as Charged!  :)
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Thought for the Day: Which is better, to be deaf to reason or blind to 
compassion?
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