More Space

Posted on Thu May 9th, 2019 @ 4:53pm by Commander Sthilg

Mission: Episode 1: Hell is a four letter word
Location: sickbay
Timeline: after the inspection, before Estelle's shore leave
559 words - 1.1 OF Standard Post Measure

"Well, this couldn't have gone better", Estelle remarked to Sthilg as she cleaned and polished her unusually shaped teapot. "We should have inspections more often, who knows what else might turn up if people start looking thoroughly?"

"Indeed." the Gorn politely responded with a nod as he continued his restock of the medical supplies. "At leassst my arm didn't ssstart playing up, that would have made it even worssse."

"I thought about just spending the entire morning in bed, but I wanted to come in early because of Ensign Case", Estelle said. "I've got three days of leave, planning to take it with Liorga on Bajor, and when I'm back, I wanted to start the fine work on his new leg. It's been growing fairly nicely. Can we schedule things so I won't have anything else planned for that afternoon?"

"I don't sssee why not. I have no booked in patientsss ssso I was going to clean the animalsss." the Gorn said glancing over at the sickbay's small cages in which were kept a few animals used for medical purposes.

"About that...", Estelle said. She'd wanted to bring up the subject before. "Some of those cages look awfully small, can't we give them a more appealing habitat? I mean, this ship is big enough."

"I guess we could, though the cagesss are the correct sssize according to the regulationsss and none of them seem to be in any dissscomfort." The Gorn said as he walked by and dropped an orange slice into the zeadon beetle tank.

"I'm just thinking, if we're using them for our own ends, the least we can do in return is make sure they're as comfortable as possible", Estelle said. "It seems only fair."

The Gorn nodded. It did seem fair. "I'll ask engineering about it as sssoon asss possible. Well, asss sssoon asss the inssspectionsss are over. Don't want to give them a new thing to complain about."

"Of course", Estelle nodded. "I think they may have been upset about me arriving mid-inspection. Did they think I was late? I guess I should have told them it wasn't even my shift."

"You'd think they'd have checked the board." The Gorn said, glancing to the large blackboard on one of the walls which bore the list of who was on what shift and what tasks were needed to be done.

"Or they may have expected a full turn-out", Estelle shrugged. "We should have thrown a bucket of paint over our molecular imaging scanner, but the bucket might have got stuck up there. I'd have to explain that it's our new neutron reflector, and then I'd end up on report for now having painted it before the inspection."

"We're an active medical bay on a federation ssship. You'd think they'd know I can't order my ssstaff to jump out of the ssshifts for a sssurprise inssspection. Oh, I doubt they could tell a molecular imaging ssscanner from the fridge, but ssstill it could have gone better." The old lizard said as he continued his work.

"Well, I'm going to get in three days of Bajor with Liorga", Estelle said. "And we're meeting my sister there, too. So wish me luck." Estelle turned towards the door and waved.

"Have a nice time." Sthilg said, waving back as he got back to his work. Always more to do.