It’s better than drinking alone

Posted on Mon Dec 24th, 2018 @ 9:14am by Lieutenant Danica Kovitz

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: en route
806 words - 1.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Dani’s mood had still been simmering since her counseling session. It’d gone well honestly, minus her full on breakdown. But the idea of removing Liam’s combadge, as healthy a choice as it may be, wasn’t sitting well with her. To deal with her emotion, the only real thing she could think of was blowing off steam. But she needed her doctor’s approval on that. It wouldn’t do her any good if her attempt at recreation got her holed up in sickbay all over again. Plus, she could use a drinking buddy.

She finally arrived in sickbay, looking around for the first friend she’d made on Elysium. “Estelle, you in here?”

Estelle's voice came from around the corner, where the primary biobed was. "I'm here!" She was performing surgery on a Cardassian man, half the skull open and the brain exposed, with lots of wires sticking out of it. "I'm trying to remove this..." she started to explain, then there was a loud, angry beeping from the instruments, followed by the characteristic sound of a flatline EKG. "Damn it, not again!"

Dani rounded the corner just in time to take in the sight as the man flatlined. She nearly leapt from her skin in response. “Oh god! Uhhhhh...sorry. You definitely are in the middle of something. I’ll come back.”

"Well, I was", Estelle said. "Computer, end programme." She turned around as the Cardassian disappeared. "It's the third time I've tried this procedure. The patient has never survived. I'm determined to get it right eventually."

“Oh thank god! It was a hologram. I thought I’d killed your patient.” Danica leaned over, hands on her knees as she let out a long breath. “Sorry that your procedure didn’t go well. It looked...complicated?” She knew literally nothing about medicine.

"It's something simply known as 'the wire', implanted by the Obsidian Order in their own agents. One was removed by one of the best surgeons in Starfleet over twenty years ago, and all I have to go by is the publications from the medical journals. It's incredibly difficult, and the only reason he didn't kill his patient was he had help from the head of the Order." All of this had been declassified shortly after the war. "It's easier on the hologram, as I don't have to worry about getting it right on the first attempt, but it's really just a very complicated puzzle I'm trying to figure out, to prove to myself I can do it", Estelle explained.

“I can respect that,” Danica said. “I read a little about the procedure once. It doesn’t exactly sound easy. I think if you manage to pull it off, you’d be among a very select group. Though honestly your work on me was enough to convince me of that.” She gave Estelle an appreciative tap on the shoulder.

"I'm not trying to compete or out-do anyone", Estelle said. "That would look too much like a sport, anyway, and I've never liked competition. But I want to be the best surgeon I can be, regardless of others." She paused, then asked, "So, what did you want to see me about?"

“Oh, it’s kinda stupid.” Dani shifted back and forth awkwardly. “I went to see the counselor today. It went decently well...if by decently well you mean he told me I had to stop wearing Liam’s combadge and I had a teary breakdown on his couch. So...I’m going to do what he told me, because he hit the nail right on the head. I’ve been fixating. I’ve already switched it out.”

She tried to put on a more positive mood. “Anyway, I wanted to balance it out with a good experience. So I was wondering if you’d be up for some sort of festivities tonight. Drinking, partying, whatever. As my only friend on Elysium, I’m sort of relying on you to entertain me.” With the last line, she gave her best puppy dog eyes face.

"Are you sure you're willing to run that risk?" Estelle grinned. "But certainly, I'd be happy to join you. What did you have in mind, and can I bring my girlfriend?"

“I’m pretty open minded. And you know Elysium better than I do.” Dani relaxed against the counter. “Yeah, your girlfriend can definitely come. I’m basically asking you to go have fun and let me tag along, so it wouldn’t be fair of me to dictate who could come.”

"How about you meet us in the spa at the end of beta shift, then?" Estelle suggested. "Warm water, fruity drinks and a tropical breeze, even if it's simulated."

“Sounds perfect!” Dani said heading for the door. “I’ll see you in a bit then.”