This could have Gorn better...

Posted on Fri Jul 27th, 2018 @ 6:15pm by Commander Sthilg

Mission: Season 2: Mission 2: Just Breath
Location: Eclipse sickbay & casino
Timeline: start of the chase
1321 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Estelle walked into the Eclipse's sickbay. She looked around. Intrepid. Again. Only this one was without the personal touches she had introduced to the sickbay of the Tirpitz. At least her new boss wasn't hard to find. Gorn tended to be conspicuous. She approached the senior physician and confidently extended her hand in greeting, even though she wasn't going to be able to shake more than one finger at a time. "Greetings, Doctor Sthilg", she said, trying her best not to mangle the pronunciation of the alien name even though her vocal organs weren't made for the sounds which were required. "I'm Dr. Estelle Hertz, the new surgeon on your team."

A smile spread over the reptile's face as he took the offered hand and gave it a gentle shake. You could tell he had mastered handshakes without crushing hands a long time ago as he handled it masterfully. "Hello, Dr. Estelle Hertz it'sss a pleasssure to meet you." He replied through in his species well known voice pattern.

"Likewise. So, where do I start?" From what little she knew of their present situation, she expected there to be a significant number of casualties, and from experience on the Tirpitz she knew Intrepid class sickbays were not set up to handle more than a handful with any degree of efficiency and effectiveness.

"Ssstart replicating the following blood. We have a few crew with very rare blood and I don't want to be caught without any. I hope we don't have ensign Tr'Wooka in here we are not equipped for surgery on a methane based lifeform." the Horn said as he pulled out a padd from his uniform#s pocket and handed it to the woman. The Gorn was already assembling several emergency surgery kits. "I hope whoever'sss ssstolen our ssship haven't touched my booksss or hurt any of my medicinal animalsss."

"We're not equipped for much of anything here", Estelle muttered. "I took this post in parts to get away from an Intrepid and onto a ship with proper medical facilities. And where do I end up? On another bloody Intrepid." She complained quietly enough so that the Eclipse's crew could not hear. She knew many people were proud of serving on an Intrepid, and it was a good ship from any point of view other than medical. "I can set up an emergency surgical suite in the casino. It's two decks above it, facing forward. It's not ideal but it's the closest room that's a designated shelter area. The cargo bay is closer but nobody has thought to equip it with an autonomous backup life support system."

"Life rarely calls on usss at a moment of our choosing. The casssino does sssound like a good idea. Can you activate the EMH to take over here and I'll give you a hand. This computer doesssn't understand my voice correctly." The Gorn politely explained.

Estelle was unable to suppress a chuckle. "Computer, activate the EMH." She assumed that if the computer couldn't manage, the EMH wouldn't be able to either. Thus, she quickly briefed the EMH with their situational report, including the instruction to deliver the blood types which her new boss had just requested to the Casino, where they'd be needed. Turning back to Sthilg, she asked, "Would you help me with the surgical frame? You can probably lift it with a single finger. Takes three of me to shuffle it about."

The Gorn nodded as he reached down and picked up the surgical frame. His arm made a few whirring noises as the old yet strong artificial parts adjusted to holding the new weight. "Lead on." He said with another warm grin on his face.

Estelle opened a hatch and took out a ready-made bag of medical instruments which she was glad to see the Eclipse's personnel had kept in the same place she had put hers back on the Tirpitz, and headed out towards the lift. "You make some unusual noises", she said conversationally. "What's up with that?"

" Old Klingon artificial limbsss. My right arm and left leg and hip bones all had to be replaced along with a few organsss. I'm an old sssaw bonesss ssso I've lossst a few parts of me over the yearsss." The old reptile explained. " What about you, have any scars from your career?" He asked politely.

Estelle shook her head. "No, I'm pretty handy with a dermal regenerator", she smirked. "I've once put an Andorian's face back together after she'd been mauled by a bear. Good as new." She did not understand why people enjoyed having scars to tell the tale of their deeds. Her service record, she felt, was enough.

"Ah, the dermal regenerator, one of the finest inventionsss the federation came up with. I remember the one I was able to obtain when I worked with the KDF. It wasss asss large asss my head and made a burning plastic..." The Gorn said before he stopped and looked at his new colleague. " Sssoory my dear I'm rambling again."

"Been a while since they were that large", Estelle smirked. Of course she had looked up what information was available on her new CMO before even putting in for this transfer. He was probably older than most El-Aurians serving with the fleet, she figured.

Arriving in the mess hall, Estelle pointed at the unknown faces running the place. Probably Eclipse personnel. "You, you and you. Surgical ward, over by the replicator. You and you, group the tables together in pairs of two, makeshift biobeds." Then, a sixth one, "You, large thermoflask of coffee. Just in case the replicators fail." Casino staff was trained in these things, they'd know what to do.

Estelle put her bag down on the countertop. She looked at the towering Gorn and smiled. "We'll have everything well in hand here. Just send me three or four nurses along with the casualties." One of the aims she wanted to achieve was make sure Sthilg would see she was a competent physician despite the age difference and her relative lack of experience.

The Gorn was very impressed by the organisation capabilities of his new colleague. "Very good I'll have the nurse sssent up asss sssoon as they arrive. Here'sss hoping we won't be needed." He replied with a hopeful look on his face.

In Estelle's experience, they were always needed when there was potential for combat escalation. "So, is there anything I should know about working in your department that I couldn't get from the files?" she asked. When the technicians brought in the sterilisation field generators and placed them where the surgical ward was being erected, Estelle started calibrating the field's output for maximum effect, while listening for Sthilg's answer.

"The team'sss good and I would trussst them with my life. Nurse Catherina Zahra is one year out of the academy and ssshe'sss given me no trouble, but keep an eye on her if she endsss up here." the Gorn replied calmly as he helped move yet another heavy item into place.

"What am I looking for with her?" Estelle asked. One year of working as a nurse, she figured was plenty. But then, she wasn't centuries old and was working with a different definition of 'sufficient experience', she assumed.

"Jussst keep an eye on her. Ssshe's never done thisss before. I care for my ssstaff Esstelle. If you need anything call me." The Gorn said, his mind already thinking of the chaos that would be upon them in a few short minutes.

"Understood", Estelle replied. "As long as we're not getting stormed by hostiles, we should be okay here. If not, I'll cry out."

"Then I'll come running." The Gorn replied with a grin as he hurried back to the ship's main sickbay. He had a good feeling about his new team member, he would have to get to know her better once they took back the ship.