From: Christine Fontaine 
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 19:17:22 -0500
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: Sickbay: LCDR Ledoux's Physical

SD 90328.1915
MD 04.1400
Scene: USS CHESAPEAKE: Sickbay
Doctor Caitlin Donne was busy tending to a sprained ankle.  One of the young 
science students, working in the computer science department, had come 
limping into sickbay, favouring his left ankle.  With a crimson coloured 
face he had confessed, looking awfully embarrassed, that he had, umm, 
tripped over something.  Exactly *what* he had tripped over, Caitlin had 
never determined, and the Irish doctor couldn't help but wonder what there 
was to trip over in a computer lab?  Making an effort to keep from grinning 
at the young man's embarrassed explanation, Doctor Donne endeavoured to put 
the student at ease.
"So, what's your name, young man?" she asked, hoping to help him relax.
"Jay.  Jayson Mirian, ma'am."
Caitlin smiled.  She couldn't help but find it quaint when someone addressed 
her as "ma'am".
"And you're a student in the Science Department?" Caitlin queried while 
running a medical tricorder over the injured ankle.
"Yes, ma'am.  Computer science division."
Caitlin smiled and nodded pleasantly.  "Tell me about what you do there," 
the Irish doctor prompted.
As the young man haltingly explained his duties, Caitlin carefully tended to 
his sprained ankle.  Before he even knew what had happened, Doctor Donne was 
smiling brightly at him.  "There we go.  All done," she said.  "Now if you 
have any problems with it, don't hesitate to come back."
"I won't ma'am," Jay replied, the blush returning to his cheeks.  "Thank 
you," he said, and then scurried out of sickbay, hoping that he wouldn't be 
late for whatever he was supposed to be doing next.  What exactly that was, 
well, Jay wasn't quite sure; her just knew he'd better not be late.
Caitlin smiled to herself as the young man left sickbay, snapping her 
tricorder shut and returning to the cart from which she had snagged it.  
Then her gaze drifted towards the CMO's Office.  Perhaps now would be a good 
time to broach the matter of a physical examination with Doctor Ledoux?  Not 
only was it required, but Caitlin was worried about the CMO.  Doctor Ledoux 
simply didn't look well.
Armed with a slew of responses that could rebut any objections that the 
Chief Medical Officer might care to voice, Doctor Donne crossed sickbay, 
headed towards Doctor Ledoux's office.  Caitlin intended to plonk herself 
down in front of the CMO's desk, refusing to budge until Doctor Ledoux 
acquiesed to Caitlin's demands for a physical.
Ringing the door chime before popping her head around the corner into the 
CMO's Office, Caitlin discovered Doctor Ledoux sitting at her desk, 
apparently going over some files.  At the sound of the chime Catherine 
looked up and Caitlin, with a smile of her face, walked into the office.
"Good afternoon, Doctor Ledoux," Caitlin announced pleasantly, just a trace 
of an Irish accent in her voice.
"Good afternoon, Doctor Donne," Catherine replied, softly.  "What can I do 
for you."
"Well, I just thought I'd remind you that even CMO's have to have their 
routine physical examinations.  I have some free time right now, so, seeing 
as you aren't too busy yet, I thought it would be a good time to get yours 
over with."
Catherine blinked her eyes a few times in surprise.  Her physical?  It 
wasn't something that she had thought of.  Knowing that she was not in the 
best of condition, the vet quietly replied, "now?"
"Now," Caitlin affirmed, with a firm nod of her head.  "You might as well 
get it over and done with, right?  You don't want me to be on your back for 
the next several days, now do you?  Of course not," Doctor Donne answered 
her own question.  "Now, hop to it."
Catherine, feeling like a lost foal who couldn't find its mother, blinked 
her eyes another few times.  Then, noticing the resolute look of 
determination on Doctor Donne's face, the vet decided that it would be wise 
to follow this doctor's orders.  Especially since Catherine had to ask 
Doctor Donne to supervise her residency requirements for her medical degree.
Tucking a loose curl behind one ear, Catherine let out a sigh.  "All right."
	***		***		***		***		***		***
Scene: Sickbay: Examination Room
Catherine found herself perched on a biobed, her long legs swinging off the 
edge.  It was disconcerting, being the patient instead of the physician, and 
the vet grapsed her hands together, holding them in her lap, just to keep 
them from straying to her long locks of hair.
Doctor Donne had unlatched a diagnostic cart from its recess in the wall and 
had wheeled it over to Catherine's biobed.  Setting the cart's brake with a 
touch of her foot, Doctor Donne retrieved the PADD containing Commander 
Ledoux's medical file, and turned towards the CMO, a smile on her face.
"A little different being on the other side of the fence, isn't it?" Caitlin 
asked, noticing Catherine's discomfort.
Doctor Ledoux simply nodded her head, and Caitlin continued to smile 
reassuringly.
"Now I know all of the pertinent data should be in your medical files, but 
I'm going to ask you the standard questions anyhow," Caitlin explained.  
"Ready?"
Again, Catherine simply nodded.  She didn't feel that she'd ever be ready 
for this.
 
"Any major illnesses?"
Catherine thought for a moment.  "No," she stated a little hesitantly.  Then 
stronger, shaking her head, "no."  After all, she hadn't really been 'ill', 
although she realized she could be playing with semantics here.
"Any major injuries?"
"No," she whispered.
"Have you ever had any surgery?"
"No, thank goodness."
"Any enforced stay in a sickbay or hospital?"
Again, Catherine hesitated.  Technically, she had been at a clinic, not a 
sickbay or hospital.  "No," she finally answered.
"Anything else I should know about?"
Catherine just shook her head, not trusting her voice.  If it wasn't part of 
her permanent record, and it didn't endanger her health at this point in 
time, then she didn't have to say anything.
"All right, now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Caitlin said in a friendly 
tone of voice as she placed the PADD on the diagnostic cart.
"Now if you'll please lie down."
Catherine laid herself out, prone on the biobed, feeling rather odd.  The 
only time that she had been injured while serving aboard the REGENT she had 
been treated in a make-shift sickbay in the cargo bay of the USS FALCON, the 
ship that had been sent to rescue the survivors of the REGENT-A's 
destruction.  Lying on a biobed simply did not feel natural, nor 
comfortable.  Catherine fought to concentrate on her breathing, keeping its 
rhythm steady and even.
Even as Catherine endeavoured to calm herself, Doctor Donne was already at 
work.  "Computer," she stated, "begin recording.  Standard medical 
examination, patient Ledoux, Catherine, this stardate."  Caitlin smiled 
again at the vet.
Retrieving a medical tricorder, Doctor Donne began scanning.  "First, we'll 
check your vital signs," she told Catherine.  "Hmmm, body temperature is on 
the low side, although still within the normal range.  Hmmm, metabolic rate 
is on the low side too."  Caitlin was becoming more and more concerned.
"Now let's check your height and weight, you look much too thin, doctor."  
The readouts confirmed Caitlin's suspicions.  At 1.73 metres (5'8") Doctor 
Ledoux only weighed 47.6 kilograms (105 lbs)  "Catherine!" Caitlin 
exclaimed.  "Excuse me, Doctor Ledoux.  You weigh far too little for someone 
your height doctor.  Your body mass index is near the dangerously low range."
Catherine closed her eyes, not wanting to hear this, and wishing she could 
close her ears as easily.
"Have you been eating well doctor?"
"No," Catherine admitted, feeling her cheeks flush.
"Are you trying to lose weight?"
"No!"  It came out just a bit too loud.  Catherine's cheeks began to burn.  
"No," she reaffirmed quietly.
"All right," Caitlin said, filing the information away for future reference.
Continuing to scan the CMO's prone form, Doctor Donne noticed some other 
problem areas.  "Your bone mass and bone density are a bit low for someone 
your age, doctor."
"I know," Catherine replied softly.  "I've been taking calcium supplements 
and engaging in weight bearing exercise to help build more bone."
"For how long?"
Catherine tried to count back, "quite a number of years."
Doctor Donne put down the medical recorder and picked up the PADD containing 
Commander Ledoux's file.  Scrolling through the information, she finally 
said, "I don't see it mentioned here."
"It's not there," Catherine sighed.
"Why?"
"It doesn't seriously affect my health."  The vet could feel the flush upon
her face.
Caitlin just *looked* at Doctor Ledoux for a few moments.  Then, after 
making a few notations on the PADD, she exchanged it for the medical
tricorder.
"Computer," she stated.  "Blood component analysis, identify any components 
outside normal range."
Caitlin watched in dismay as a short list scrolled across the biobed's 
display panel.  "Low iron, electrolyte imbalance, low potassium, and your 
hormones are out-of-whack," Caitlin stated, shaking here head. 
She turned to Catherine, concern etched upon her countenance.  "Doctor 
Ledoux, if you don't start looking after yourself you are going to end up in 
serious trouble."
Sighing, Catherine closed her eyes once again.
"Now, I'd like a blood sample," Caitlin stated.  "I'd like to verify these 
results directly, and make sure there are no other serious problems."
Catherine nodded, pulling herself upright as Doctor Donne went to fetch a 
tissue/fluid sampler from a nearby shelf.
Seated once again on the edge of the biobed, her legs dangling over the 
side, Catherine felt just about ready to cry.  This examination was not 
going well at all.
Caitlin returned, the sampler in hand.  "Which arm?"
Rolling up the left sleeve of her uniform, Catherine extended her arm.
"All right, let's see if we can find a nice vein," some friendliness had 
returned to Caitlin's tone of voice, although she was still worried about 
the CMO.
Finding a suitable vein, Caitlin retreived a small sample of Doctor Ledoux's 
blood that she would use for further analysis.
"Thank you doctor."  Caitlin smiled at Catherine, although her smile was 
tempered with concern.  Catherine was just staring at the floor, her blue 
eyes fixed upon a single point.
 
"Now Doctor Ledoux...  Catherine..."  Catherine looked up as the other 
doctor used her first name.  "You're going to have to take care of yourself, 
Catherine, otherwise you'll end up in here... as a patient."  Caitlin 
paused, letting her words sink in.  "Please make sure you eat, that you eat 
well, and that you eat enough."  She stepped a little closer to the vet.  
"Catherine, soon your body is going to start feeding on itself, and then 
you'll be in a lot of trouble.  You'll start losing muscle, and you'll be 
putting your health in danger.  Please take care."
Catherine closed her eyes, nodding.  Sighing, she whispered, "I'll do my
best."
"Catherine, I'm serious," Caitlin stated.  "If you don't start looking after 
yourself I'll have to file a report stating that I don't believe that you're 
fit for duty.  Catherine, I'm worried about you, and I just want you to be 
all right."
Catherine pressed her lips together, fighting to keep the tears at bay.
"I suggest weekly examinations, doctor, until everything is back to the 
'normal' range."
Catherine simply nodded, then slid off of the biobed.  Before she could 
leave, Caitlin placed a hand gently on Catherine's shoulder.  "Please take 
care, Catherine."
With another nod, Catherine left, biting back the tears.  Caitlin watched 
her go, concern written clearly upon her face, already mentally composing 
the message that she would be sending to the ship's counsellor.

Respectfully submitted,
Chris Fontaine
LCDR Catherine Ledoux, DVM		LT Caitlin Donne, MD
Chief Medical Officer			Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS CHESAPEAKE				USS CHESAPEAKE
<< NRPG >>
Yes, even doctors have to undergo the dreaded physicals...
Everything mentioned in this post is a result of the 'abuse' Catherine has 
been placing on her body since mid-way through the REGENT's last mission.  
During that mission, she was working herself 24 hours a day, without eating 
or sleeping, in an effort to save the life of the ship's counsellor, who was 
suffering from a drug addiction.  Eventually, when the REGENT's senior staff 
traveled forwards in time (see my last post when Scott MacMillan is talking 
about it) Catherine lost consciousness from fatigue, etc.  She hasn't yet 
regained the weight she lost, and she's still not eating much, if at all, 
since she has no appetite, so she's in fact, losing even more weight.
James:  Did Caitlin's message get to Tats-Marush by the time Catherine has 
her counselling session?  I don't know...   More reason to recommend that 
vacation?  Up to you, our dear counsellor. :)
Masako: Jay Mirian: M Human (Terran)  (Okay, so I'm not terribly creative 
when it comes to races. )
All those who haven't reported in for physicals yet:  ::poke::  ::poke::  
I promise, physicals aren't *that* bad.  It doesn't hurt!  Honest! 
Happy Easter Weekend everyone. :)
Chris

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