From: MFielding@aol.com
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 12:16:16 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: USS NEBULA --> USS CHESAPEAKE: From Blue to Green...

SD 90701.1511

---------------------------------------------------------------------
CMO's Quarters, with real-time link to USS CHESAPEAKE aCSciO's Office
---------------------------------------------------------------------

MD 5.0700

      "You've got to be *kidding*!" squealed Melissa Fielding, jumping up 
and down on her bed.  She heard the springs groan in protest, but she 
didn't care.

      "No, I'm not kidding," said Derek Fielding calmly.  "And start acting
your age, will you?  This *isn't* a private channel."

      "Just *where* are you calling me from, then?" demanded Melissa 
suspiciously.

      "My office.  Now will you *watch it*, please?  If my superior hears 
the racket you're making, she'll have my head!"

      "*Your* head?  Don't you mean *mine*?"

      "No, mine.  She likes to think everything's my fault.  Now let me ask
you something.  Are you *sure* you're going to be okay with being a regular
staff physician?  The CMO and aCMO are doing a terrific job here, and 
they're not going to move over just to make room for you."

      "Are you *kidding*?" shrilled Melissa again, then hurriedly quieted.
"Derek, I have had it with administration.  I have to make decisions I 
don't want to make, deal with people I don't want to deal with, treat 
patients I don't want to treat..."

      "Huh?"

      "Ever try to calm an angry Romulan?  *I* got to do that, because I 
was the CMO." She said the last sentence in the almost whiny tone Mathieson
had adopted right before she had ordered him out of her sight while on 
the T'LISS.

      "No Romulans here," promised Derek.  "Oh, except the Second Officer."

      "What is it," demanded Melissa, "about Romulans and Second Officers?
Did I tell you that *our*..."

      "Yes, you told me," interrupted Derek, even though she probably
hadn't.  "Look, 'Lisa, Anne just came back into the suite.  I'd better 
go... she looks mad."

      "What did you do *now*?"

      "Nothing!  I just told her that she should go look in the physics
lab to see the new experiments the students are doing.  I guess she
wasn't impressed."

      Suspicious that her cousin had been playing practical jokes again, 
Melissa was about to ask *what* the experiment was when she heard a loud 
*RAP RAP RAP* on Derek's door.

      "Derek Fielding!" she heard as she prepared to cut the link, "what 
do you mean by letting our students make POPCORN in the science labs?!"

-----------------------
Medical Conference Room
-----------------------

MD 5.1215

	Melissa looked around at the former members of the Virus 
Eradication Team and smiled warmly.  She was so proud to have been able to 
serve with them, if only for a short time.  She would miss them...

	"Thank you for coming on such short notice," she said.  "As
you may know, I will be leaving the NEBULA once we are at SB GAMMA.
I just wanted to say that it's been a privilege working with each
one of you during our recent crisis and that my one regret in leaving
is that I will have to leave you as well."

	She gazed at each person in turn; at Lieutenant Fremik, sitting
quietly with just a hint of a smile; at Lieutenant Walsh, two PADDs
clutched in his hands, looking just a touch uneasy; at Lieutenant 
Trinkanto, a box of new medical tricorders by his side; at Ensign 
Gelaya, sitting primly and unemotionally next to her husband.  
Yes, she would miss them.

	"I just wanted to say," said Melissa, feeling rather foolish
and melodramatic, "thank you... to each of you.

	"Thank you, Lieutenant Walsh, for your brilliant work... and
your willingness to risk infection by coming to help us out in an
emergency.  You could have backed out, but you didn't."

     The Science Officer did something Melissa hadn't ever seen
him do before; he blushed.  Maybe it was the sudden spotlight
she had put on him, she realized.  He had been so calm and
cool during the crisis that she hadn't taken his potential shyness
into account.  She quickly shifted her remarks to the next officer.

	"Thank you, Ensign Gelaya, for your persistence and
cool-headedness.  I doubt any of us would have thought to look at
Romulan herbs for the cure of Dinver.

	"Thank you, Dr. Trinkanto, for taking over tthe Sickbay while
I was away... and for your sense of humor.  I can leave knowing that
the Medical Department is in good hands.

	"And thank you, Lieutenant Fremik.  You've shown me how to
perform our duties and to have fun at the same time.  And I *still*
can't believe that you're doing triple handsprings already!"

	She took out a PADD and a set of data chips.

	"You know," she said, inserting a chip into the PADD,
"so many people come and go in the blink of an eye... why, we've had
three Chief Science Officers in the last four days!  But I'm a more...
*permanent* kind of person.  I like to leave something behind when
I go places." She took out the chip, then inserted another.  "I
especially think that you might want this," she continued, "if only
because you have worked yourselves to the bone these past two days...
first to combat the virus, then to deal with the aftermath."

	She was donw with the data chips.  She handed one to each
person seated at the table, then returned to her seat.

	"Don't worry, it's not a virus," she joked, and received
a groan from Lieutenants Walsh and Trinkanto.  "It's a program by
someone my former First Officer knew.  A holodeck program designed to
simulate an old-fashioned office.  Very bright, very quiet... and 
probably very relaxing, too.  Something, if you ever feel so inclined, to 
remember me by.  I hear," she said, with a mischievous smile, "that it has
a very *sunny* disposition!"

	She stood up.

	"I never say farewell," she said, "but I *will* say...
take care.  Thanks, everybody.  You're each of you a gem."

	Then, suddenly, she was gone...

		*****		*****		*****

-------------------
CHESAPEAKE Quarters
-------------------

MD 12.1200

	Okay, thought Melissa, suppressing a yawn, maybe it hadn't been
such a wonderful idea to report so *early*.  0400 was obscenely early to 
wake up in the morning, as far as she was concerned, and 0500 was probably
a shade too early for a new officer reporting to a ship.  But at least 
someone had been on duty, he hadn't bitten her head off, and she had been 
allowed to board.  And anyway, she was on Derek's ship, right?

	Right.

	She hummed as she combed her hair.  She would go meet the
CMO soon... after she called up Derek, of course.

	"Derek!"

	[Mmmm?]

	"What kind of an answer is *that*, Derek?" demanded Melissa.

	[Oh, sorry, 'Lisa.  I thought it was Anne.]

	"Is that how we're supposed to address our superior officers
on this here ship?" asked Melissa curiously.

	[No, just mine.]

	I'll just bet, thought Melissa.  She would have to speak with
the CSciO to make sure she understood what Derek liked to think was
his sense of humor.

	"Where's the CMO right now?"

	[Probably in Sickbay, where else?]

	"Well, FYI, Mr. Fielding, *I* was chasing down a... a...
horde of little green monkeys at this very hour some days ago!"

	She had almost said "a most interesting unclad Vulcan," but
had thought better of it.  She didn't want to ruin Lieutenant Fremik's
reputation, after all.

	[That's because you're such a weirdo,] teased Derek.  [OUR
CMO is very sedate, quiet, and *nice*!]

	Melissa let the implication slide off her.  She thanked Derek
and set off to find Sickbay.

		*****		*****		*****

------------
CMO's Office
------------

MD 12.1230

	LCDR Catherine Ledoux was sitting in her office... having
lunch, Melissa gathered.  Alone.  Nibbling on a sandwich.  Odd, that.  
Perhaps she was shy.  Maybe Derek hadn't been merely kidding when he had 
said that the CMO was very quiet.  Melissa shrugged and pressed the chime 
to get the doctor's attention.

	"Yes?  What can I do for you?" asked Catherine quietly, looking up
from her sandwich.  A pile of PADDs stood next to her plate, as if
she had been studying something.

	"Hello, Dr. Ledoux," said Melissa.  She hurriedly came to
attention.  "Lieutenant Commander Melissa Kirk Fielding reporting to duty,
sir!" she said, her eyes twinkling.

	Oh, it was wonderful to be a normal doctor again.

Respectfully submitted,

Masako Goto
LCDR Melissa Fielding, MD
former CMO
USS NEBULA NCC-2001
MFielding@aol.com and mgoto@indiana.edu

<<NRPG>>

First off, apologies to Chris F.: I know you'll get this twice.  :(

NEBULA crew:

Well, this should pave the way for Dr. Trinkanto's promotion and his
assumption of duties as CMO.  Congratulations, Igor, and thanks for all
the work you put into this just-completed mission!

Jeff J.: Thanks for the nice wrap-up... enjoyed it very much!

         Sorry to see you go... best wishes in your other
         RPing adventures!

Jeff F.: Glad LaPlace could put in a cameo appearance... ;)

         I will be posting Alexandra Vivnakovekovitch Hartigan's arrival
         later today... she needs to go to VADM Montgomery's office,
         correct? (and yes, this *was* also another excuse to write out
         my favorite long name...)

Mary Ann: It just occurred to me that Fremik wouldn't have been a part of
          the VET... but I'm sure Melissa had her reasons... :)

Chris F.: Volunteer work?  Neat-o!  Will be awaiting your boardedness with
          great anticipation!  :)

Igor: Sorry I didn't wait to post before I heard from you... :( I seem to
      be doing that a lot these days...

      Also, Mathieson is now in your hands... whatever you decide to do
      with him is fine with me.  :)

Sean: I hope Rolly's doing well!

Andrew: I hope Tzak is doing well, too... and will Riverlights take well
        to having lots more Sivaoans on board?  ;)

Keath: So what does Max think about his last couple of days...?  Well,
       we'll be home soon... if SB GAMMA could be called home...

CHESAPEAKE crew:

No, this isn't supposed to be spam... ::duck::

Takako: Dr. Fielding all aboard... I figure she'll see the XO from afar
        or something in the next day or two... <EG> Please list her as
        Protectedissimo (if there is such a term) NPC in the Medical
        Department, staff physician.  Bio ready on request.  :)

        Also, I hope you're having/you had a nice time in California!

Chris F.: Yes, Catherine has a good reputation with the Science
          Department... and not just from Anne's say-so, either.  :)

Lynnaea: Will it make you happier if I were to refer to Derek Fielding
         as "Derek" and Melissa Fielding as "Melissa"?  You can almost
         forget that they have the same last name!  :) ::duck::

         And my cross-use of characters doesn't end with ALB... <EG>

Fabian: Melissa is considerably more outgoing than Anne.  :)  Hope you're
        doing well!

Naomi: Hope all is well with you and that you are enjoying/enjoyed
       your trip!

James: How's Stavay?  How's the Little Green Ensign doing?  I was just
       looking over the science department, and I saw Ensign  Little Green
       written in there.  Any name/gender yet?  :)

Melvin: I hope Sereh is feeling right at home in Sciences... <G>


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