by Chris Hechtl
“Easy enough since I don't have a clue,” she said, shaking her head as she followed in his wake. Her heart felt a brief thrill at the idea of being in the infirmary though. Did it mean they were giving up on her? Something told her no. But still …
* * * *
“You, young lady, are going to be working your butt off, what little you have of one,” the mahogany skinned human doctor said, looking at Qilaq as she entered his office. He waved a tablet before he set it down. “I've got your course load, the courses you've been taking, and the ones you were about to take. Your GPA is good. We have to cut back on your load of course. You've got other duties, but you are going to have to find a balance here.”
“Balance, sir?” she asked carefully.
“Balance, as my intern, if you can hack it at the conn,” he said.
“So is this a sort of carrot and stick thing, sir?” she asked, fighting the resentment that lingered in her mind at such tactics.
He cocked his head then flashed a brief white smile. “You can think of it that way if it helps you get your head out of your nonexistent ass and back to where it belongs. We all have to do things unpleasant. You as a medic should know that by now.” She nodded briefly. She'd had some experience handling jobs like changing diapers or dressings or other things. “Normally we dump some of it on the nurses, but we don't get that luxury all the time,” he warned, “especially on ship.”
She nodded.
“So, get it done. Get squared away, do the job. You've got a busy load, busier than the others. The question is, are you up for the challenge?” he demanded, eying her.
She was clearly going to have to respond properly, and a lot of her future depended on how she responded. She knew that, and she waffled a bit. “I can't do the hands-on expected. I know I can't do the OB/GYN course next semester, nor my internship in the hospital,” she said thoughtfully.
“You take what we've got. This is me and your crewmates going out of our way to make sure your career isn't on hold. Are you going to give us a kick in the teeth or step up?”
“I'll … try, sir.”
“Try to kick?” he asked, eying her.
“No, sir. Try to do what is required of me.”
“I don't just want try. You better put your heart in it young lady, all your tasks. If you can't get it, ask for help. Patience. Take the conn gig as another test, this one of patience and of physical practice. I hear its good exercise,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “It is at that. I've been tired. And doing the normal exercise routine …”
“Well, you are excused from it since you have conn duty,” he said. She blinked. “You didn't know that?”
“No, sir.”
“Damn it, okay, I'll let the others know as well. I need to check in with each anyway so I can get my own baseline. You'll be on hand.”
“Yes, sir. But I thought I was supposed to be with the JTO now?”
“She handed you off to me. Consider your free time now nonexistent. Got a problem with that?”
“No, sir. Apparently not.”
“Good. Now, let's give you a quick tour,” he said, rising from behind his desk, “and by tour I mean you give me the tour, and I'll fill in any blanks you might have left out. Then we'll introduce you to the staff on shift and then we'll have to work out your class load. We're going lighter than what you had, even I can't keep up with grading papers and doing my job,” he warned.
“That's okay, sir,” she said, feeling a knot within her start to loosen up.
“Good. Glad you understand that,” the Doctor said, rubbing the small of his back. “The good news is, people are disgustingly healthy on this ship.”
“Disgustingly healthy is a bad thing?” she asked as he motioned her to leave a head of him.
“Yes. It means we don't get as much practice as we like. It means I too do a lot of sim work to stay current and flexible. Get used to that. Being a medic on a ship is a bit like guard duty. You get bored fast, but you dread the brief moments of insanity that makes you do your job. In our cases it's a matter of life or death that we go from neutral to our peak performance,” he said, grabbing his smock and putting it on. He grabbed a smaller one and tossed it to her. She caught it and put it on.
“Well, sir, I'm looking forward to learning everything I can.”
“Finally, the proper attitude,” he said caustically. She winced but then nodded.
* * * *
Tyjon was surprisingly the first to be injured. When he exited the water tank in hydroponics one morning, he slipped on the ladder and broke two of his long toes and bruised sensitive rear portions of his anatomy. Qilaq had been on shift at the helm so she missed out on his treatment. When she found out, she resented the distraction of the helm all over again.
She resented it even more when she learned the injury would keep the middy off duty for several days until the quick heal finished knitting his bones together.
The bosun and XO scolded the middy for being careless, but they didn't have their heart in it. He and Kapueo had long toes; there was no helping it. Their toes were four times longer than a human’s, with webbing in-between to allow them to function like flippers. They could curl up to allow the chimeras to walk on land, but it wasn't easy.
Salt water mixed with their bare feet on the ladders rungs made for a dangerous situation. The bosun worked with the engineering crew to come up with a no slip fix to keep the accident from happening again.
That meant the water dwellers couldn't use the small tank while the engineers tinkered, which meant they could only float and relax in the grav tank or at least float. Relaxing was out of the question.
* * * *
Falling Leaf noted the shift in attitude, sort of a wave running through Qilaq. She wasn't as carefree as expected, but a lot of the resentment was gone. She did the job but had an air of impatience and a clear desire to be elsewhere.
But whenever she couldn't work in the infirmary, the funk came back. In order to help break through her funk, hopefully once and for all, Falling Leaf and Lieutenant Brock did a bit of research. None of the middies qualified for a hyperdog initiation, which was a pity. Nor did anyone else on the crew, so they couldn't have a bit of fun at someone else's expense. That meant they had to find some other method to let loose and have a bit of fun to bond with the middy.
The research led them to the obvious answer. She had the bosun and some of the crew rig a water slip and slide in a companionway for Qilaq to celebrate her tenth birthday. The Neo-sea-lion had a blast. So did her companions and the crew who gave it a shot when they were off shift. Even the captain and XO came by to watch or cheer them on.
The fun ended when the bosun slipped and fell on his ass and wrenched his knee making him go to the infirmary. “All's fun till someone gets hurt,” he grumbled, clutching at his knee in pain. His implants managed most of the pain, but it still bugged him. The brace the SBA had put on him didn't help.
“Yeah, but seeing it was worth it, Chief,” the XO said, giggling. The bosun shot her a look of disgust. “And we get to see it over and over again,” she added.
“Tell me you didn't record it,” the bosun groaned.
“Okay, I won't,” she said with a second giggle that elicited a groan and growl from the bosun. She snickered. “Nothing hurt but your pride and knee,” she said.
“I'm more worried about my image,” he sighed.
“Don't worry, we'll only trot it out when you get too uppity,” she said, “or during the holidays.”
“Right,” he drawled, silently plotting his revenge.
* * * *
Once the chief was carted away, the XO turned to Qilaq while the rest of the group slipped and slid or tried to get around the mess. The middy stiffened to attention. “At ease,” the XO said. The middy moved to a parade rest stand. “I'm sorry you are getting your career screwed. I can't change that. It's a raw deal; we know it. We're all in the same boat. While we're on this mission, our careers are in hi
atus too, at least until it's done. I hope you won't hold it against your shipmates for being here.”
Qilaq didn't say anything, just stared above the woman's head.
The XO sighed. “Just think about it. Don't ruin what's left of your career before it's even started. A bad performance review for this won't help any. The chief has a saying,” she said, taking on a more relaxed pose. “Slipping down the ladder rung by rung. Don't do that. You deserve better. Keep your chin up, do the job, and we'll see you right in the end.”
“I'll try, ma'am. But I don't think a navy career is for me anymore,” Qilaq said.
“Well, the good news is, you've got a while to reconsider that thought,” the XO said. “Now, let's go see if the galley made you a cake and see if we can find some ear plugs,” she said.
“Ear plugs, ma'am?” the middy asked carefully.
“You haven't had to listen to our chief engineer howl happy birthday before, have you?” the XO asked wryly.
The middy snorted. “No, ma'am. Tulimak is bad enough.”
“Well, we'll need to double up on those earplugs,” the XO said with a chuckle.
* * * *
That evening Qilaq, normally asleep in her rack during the captain's dinner, was set upon to attend the captain's mess. The invitation was more of a command of her presence than a polite request she knew, so she dampened her annoyance and got dressed up in her formal uniform to attend.
Much to her chagrin, the other middies were also in attendance as were all but one of the senior officers. The XO had the bridge. They had a relatively quiet dinner of some citrus flavored salmon that was topped by the captain's Veraxin steward dimming the lights and then bringing out a fish-shaped cake decorated by ten candles.
The captain led a rendition of “Happy Birthday,” embarrassing and mortifying the middy. She also cringed; the XO's warning of the chief engineer's signing ability had been spot on. And she'd been silly enough not to remember to bring her ear plugs.
She did her best to tune it out. She could see from his rolling eye when he finished the chorus, nose to the ceiling that he was enjoying the reaction of the other officers. “Now that Lieutenant Galavant has set our ears ringing and has us all fervently wishing to trade places with the XO…,” the captain drawled, earning a laugh “Miss Qilaq will do the honors of blowing out the candles.”
Qilaq nodded dutifully. She inhaled but before she could exhale Lieutenant Brock snorted. “Don't forget to make a wish,” he teased.
“Got that covered,” she answered. She puckered her lips and blew, knocking down the flames one by one until they were all extinguished.
The other officers clapped and then the captain stepped aside to let Z'k'zz in to take the cake to his pantry to cut and pass the pieces out.
“And to many more indeed. To a bright future. Long live the Federation,” the captain said, raising his glass in toast.
“Here here. A bright and shiny future,” the various officers echoed before they drank.
* * * *
“In for a checkup, Bosun?” Qilaq asked, smiling politely as the bosun hobbled in. She was stuck doing inventory, but it was at least in her chosen profession.
“Still sore. I thought this'd go away,” he said.
“You didn't warrant a dunk in the regen tank,” the Neo sea lion said, shaking her head as she continued the inventory. “Count your blessing.”
“I'm not counting anything except paperwork. You have any idea how to say what you don't want to say in an injury report?” the bosun demanded as an SBA helped him up on a bed. He grunted as the SBA accessed his implants to get his vital signs then noted them on the tablet in her hands and then took off to find Doctor Naroob.
“Um … well, it was an accident, but …”
“Trust me; you don't want investigations to start just because you fudged the details to keep from getting more embarrassed than you already are. I'd thought of putting down that I slipped in the shower or something, but it won't wash. I'm already getting enough egg on my face since the XO put the video up on the ship's net,” the bosun growled in disgust.
“I'm surprised you took the slide at all,” the young sea lion said, smothering a chuckle.
“One of us had to. I've done it before,” the bosun said.
“Run that by me again?” Qilaq said.
“The senior staff is a … stuffy bunch. One of us usually lets our hair down to give the crew something to talk about and to bond with the crew. The captain and XO have to maintain decorum. That left some of the other officers. Lieutenant Brock might have done it, but he's been wrapped up in simulating the rapids as you know.” she nodded. “So, I did the honors,” he said, exhaling noisily as he lifted his leg up and stretched it out onto the bed.
“Have you been using the brace?” Doctor Naroob asked, coming into the room.
The bosun snorted. The doctor could see it wasn't on, so the answer was obvious. “I'm going to get a lecture here, aren't I?”
“Medication and material do not do you any good if you don't use them properly,” the doctor scolded gently. The brace and wrap are there to support your knee until the quick heal finishes its job. You might not know this, but tendons are a pain in the butt to heal, even with quick heal. Blood vessels and skin are simple. But you had to be difficult,” the doctor said, shaking his head.
“Story of my life,” the bosun replied adjusting his rear end to get more comfortable. “It's a bit rough getting around the ship with that thing on, Doctor.”
“That's the point. You stay relatively immobile for a couple of days or you stay immobile here,” the doctor pointed to the bed, “for a week to ten days. You choose.”
The bosun groaned.
“Think of it as a way to stay in place and do paperwork,” the doctor supplied.
“So not helping, sir,” the bosun said, shaking his head. “I'm more worried about what the chickadees will get into while I'm laid up,” he admitted.
“Then you should have been more careful,” the doctor scolded again. “So, swelling, range of motion …”
“The pain blocks aren't working,” the bosun said hissing between clenched teeth while the doctor probed his knee.
“That's because they are disabled unless there is an emergency. The pain blocks constrict blood flow and disable your nerve receptors in the limb. Over time that can cause permanent damage. You don't want me to have to amputate.”
“No, thank you no,” the bosun replied, shaking his head.
“Let me go see if I can find something that is more flexible and replicate it. Stay put,” the doctor said, patting his thigh. He went over to the sink, washed up, and then went to his office.
“I'm not going anywhere,” the bosun said, shaking his head.
“I see that,” Qilaq said finishing part of the inventory. She fetched him an extra pillow and then a cup of water.
“Thanks. It seems you aren't going anywhere either. I'm surprised you got in here,” he said, indicating their surroundings.
“Someone took pity on me I suppose, threw me a bone,” the middy replied.
“A bit more than that or you'd never gotten here at all.”
“Am I going to get another lecture on growing up? That we don't get what we want and I should just be thankful someone's handing me something? That they have a job for me so I should be useful?” the Neo-sea-lion asked.
“Not if you aren't ready to hear it,” the bosun said, eying her. “But I get your drift. And I'd throw in the usual about right way, wrong way, navy way, or something else, or patience is a virtue, but you probably already know all that.”
“Yes I do,” she said with a suffering sigh.
“And you are young and don't give a damn. You just see a wall someone threw in your life to make things difficult. Bitterness is there,” the bosun said.
“And I'm not ready to let it go?”
“I think you are wallowing in it.”
“Time to get over it?” she asked.
&nbs
p; “That is up to you. I'd hope you'd figure it out on your own. I think you will. Hopefully you'll look back ten or more years from now and say with pride that you were here when we did this. That this was another turning point in restoring the Federation.”
“It's that important?” she asked, eying him.
“Vital. And if the chief's phone is half right as I think it is, it will not be so much as a game changer as a means to maybe keep us from losing totally—if things start falling our way.”
“You …”
He eyed her. She frowned thoughtfully, cocking her head. “I'm not sure I'm following.”
“There are things in the works. Things we can't talk about. But rest assured, this mission is vital. It isn't on a whim. There was a reason the admiral himself was trying to get to Bek. He was going to try the rapids alone.”
“Alone? I've run some of the easy Sims and …,” she shook her head.
“Yeah. You've got the skills even if you don't want to use them. Do what you can. You're a doctor, keep us alive.”
“Well, I'm not a doctor yet,” she said.
“You're getting there. Give it time,” he said, tucking one hand behind his head. “I'll just do some paperwork here while you finish up.”
“Thanks, Bosun,” she murmured as she left him to finish up her task.
3
Caroline had an uneventful arrival in B101a1. Once they were in real space, the engineer declared the hyperdrive secured.
“IFF challenge, sir. It's from Voyager,” the comm rating said.
“Give them our response and our IFF. Then prep them for dispatch download,” the captain intoned.
“Aye aye, sir. IFF response sent and accepted. IFF ping accepted. Captain Hathaway's compliments, sir.”
“Is she asking to talk?”
“Not yet, sir. It's automated, not her signature,” the rating reported.
“Send the dispatches. Helm, move us out,” the captain ordered.
“Aye, sir. Course for the B102c jump point plotted and loaded. Course set and we're underway,” the rating replied.