Basket Case with a Screw Loose

Posted on Mon Aug 19th, 2019 @ 11:41am by Ensign Lunara Hol

Mission: Mission 2: Heaven On Earth
Location: counsellor's office, sickbay
Timeline: Lunara's first day
2238 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure

"...and here's your office, Counselor. Let me know if you have any questions." The receptionist smiled at her and went back to her desk.

"Thank you, I'll try not to bother you too much." Lunara grinned at her before turning to her office door. Here she was, her grand tour of the ship was over. No patients today, she had some time to get things set up in there. She took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway.

"Computer! Li-" Except, the lights were already on. Strange. Was somebody else inside? "...Hello?" She took a few steps into her office, seeing nobody. What she did see, however, was a bowl filled with nuts, next to a gift basket filled with marbles. She smirked. Probably someone playing a joke on her. She went to sit down in her chair, and it made a squeaking noise when she sat in it. Damn, was she going to make a work order? She knelt down, trying to see what was wrong, to find someone had loosened a screw. Upon further inspection, she also found a deck of cards in her desk drawer, with a few missing. She couldn't help but be impressed by the amount of time that was put into this.

Lunara stepped outside and saw her receptionist struggling to keep a straight face. She grinned and went over to her. "Hey there... you wouldn't know who was in my office last, would you?"

"You might try Dr. Hertz?" She suggested innocently.

Lunara smiled. "Thanks, I'll be right back." She left the waiting room into the corridor, starting off towards sickbay with the computer to guide her.

Estelle was in sickbay going over some paperwork that she had to finish regarding the most recent injuries that she had treated. It was tedious, and she amused herself by phrasing her reports in an unorthodox manner.

Beside her on the desk sat her Tea-Rex, steaming and giving off a strawberry scent, and she held her glass of tea with her left hand while writing with her right. Estelle still preferred writing by hand, and the computer later translated it into machine print.

Lunara entered sickbay, and, seeing someone who looked sufficiently like a doctor, walked over to Estelle. "Hello there! Are you Doctor Hertz?"

Looking up, Estelle said, "That's a good question. This is Dr. Hertz's office, Dr. Hertz's chair, Dr. Hertz's Tea-Rex... chances are, I'm not Sthilg. Also on account of not being a lizard."

Lunara rolled her eyes. "Well, it's nice to meet you, then. I'm Lunara Hol. I got your... gifts."

"Oh, you're the new basket case!" Estelle smiled. "Welcome, you're arriving at a very opportune time. I hope you're not planning on actually getting any leisure activities in during our shore leave period."

"Mm." Lunara nodded. "I've heard I'll have my hands full for awhile. Sounds like you've had your hands full, too."

Estelle nodded. "Yes, but the acute cases have been taken care of. I'm planning on doing some cosmetic surgery and then go on leave with my girlfriend, hopefully uninterrupted this time."

Lunara chuckled. "Don't get your hopes up. You know how quickly these things can change..."

"Maybe I'll forget my combadge this time", Estelle grumbled.

"Not a bad idea." Lunara grinned. "Anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"

"I don't know", Estelle shrugged. "Earth isn't my home. But I'm sure there are places to see that I didn't get to visit at the Academy, and maybe Liorga has a few ideas of her own, and of course I'd love to tag along."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck." Lunara smiled. She paused, trying to decide how to phrase her question. "I just got back from talking with Anya Neeze, she told me I should ask you for... advice. She said you knew how to 'reduce baggage'."

"Uhm, depends on what you mean by baggage", Estelle said. "And on where you're going, too. It's fairly dependent on technology. You see, I'm a creature of comfort, and I have pieces of furniture that I've painted in elaborate patterns, or put inlays on for decorative purposes. My trick is, once I'm done with the designing process, I put the information into the computer and that allows me to replicate the pieces wherever I go, rather than having to take them with me when I move. I do the same with my books. Is that what you meant?"

Lunara chuckled and shook her head. "No... nothing so literal." She sighed. "Starship crews tend to carry around a unique emotional weight. Painful memories, failures, combat stress... you name it. She said you might have some advice for me."

"Uh, I'm not sure what she meant. I mean, I can selectively erase memories, though that is not my speciality and there are other doctors who are a lot better at it than I am. But unless that's a last resort, who would want their past erased? It's like the death of a part of yourself, isn't it?" Estelle wondered.

"I guess she had the wrong idea." Lunara frowned. "No, I wouldn't want to do that. People need their pains, it makes them who they are. I'll try not to prescribe that service of yours too often."

"Maybe she means something else?" Estelle said. "I'm known for a peculiar sense of humour around here, and I spend a lot of time with the simple pleasures of life."

Lunara shrugged. "Maybe, I don't know. She didn't go too far into detail. Do you have some... particular type of bedside manner?"

"I usually serve coffee", Estelle said. "I was going to offer you one, but you haven't volunteered your cooperation for a physical yet."

Lunara grinned. "Far be it from your friendly ship's counselor to be a bad patient, God knows I'll deal with enough of them myself. What time would be convenient for you?"

"Gods don't know a thing", Estelle replied. "You have to first exist before you can know anything at all." She looked up to see if the examination room was in use, then said, "And what about right now?"

"Works for me," Lunara said, "What do I do?"

"You've never had a physical before?" Estelle smirked. She got up and retrieved two mugs of coffee. This time, one had the logo of the Andorian Empire on it, as well as a poison warning, on account of caffeine being toxic for Andorians. The other one had Estelle's classic prescription for coffee printed on it. The computer randomly picked a mug from Estelle's selections, and this one had just come up again.

Lunara rolled her eyes. "I've had enough to know each doctor has their own style."

"Me, I take scans and ask you about anything unusual, and take a blood sample", Estelle said. "That's usually enough. And if anything comes back from the analysis of the sample, I'll have to call you back in here." She handed the Andorian mug to Lunara. "And I remind everyone that they're supposed to come here even with small injuries so they don't turn into larger issues due to neglect, and that when they want to do dangerous things like sparring, where they can break bones and what not, they should do that during beta shift because that's when I'm on duty. I like to sleep during half of gamma and half of alpha shift and I hate getting woken up for preventable issues."

Lunara smirked as she took the mug. "I'll try to get hurt during your office hours, then."

"Much appreciated", Estelle smiled, leading her over to the examination room. "That's the secret to a long and amicable working relationship. You wouldn't believe how inconsiderate some of the crew can be."

"Don't mention it," Lunara grinned as she followed her to the exam room. "Us blueshirts have to stick together, right?"

"I have very little reason to expect anyone not to stick together", Estelle said, "Even the annoying inspectors who would have done a lot of harm if left to their own devices didn't all suck, just one of them." That Abright guy, Estelle figured, had no redeeming qualities.

"Come on now, they couldn't have been that bad," Lunara said. She didn't like the brass, but didn't remember them 'doing a lot of harm'.

"One of them wanted to send a refugee back to certain torture and possibly death", Estelle said. "And he knew, it wasn't an oversight."

Lunara raised an eyebrow. "Really? What happened? That's pretty uncharacteristic, even for inspectors."

"The skipper's sister", Estelle said. "Some legal detritus about sisters having a different status than daughters, and with the skipper abducted, he saw his chance. I guess he'd have made a fine Republican back on the earth of four hundred years ago."

"Never heard of them." Lunara shook her head. "But she did end up staying, right?"

Estelle figured they were probably best forgotten, so she didn't explain. "Yes, let's just say there was some opposition within the crew."

Lunara took the hint and dropped it. "Well, I'm glad everything worked out in the end. Do you have any other advice for a new Ensign like me?"

Estelle smirked. "Sure. Remember what state you found your office in. Pay forward the compliment when a chief counsellor is assigned."

"I'll be sure to do that." Lunara chuckled and leaned back. "I've got a few ideas of my own... I hope we get one soon. Counseling's going to be overworked until we do."

Estelle took in the readings. "So tell me, have you had any issues with your joining process? Anything that didn't go smoothly but needs to get looked at? Anything you tell me I promise I won't share with the symbiosis commission unless you agree I should."

Lunara shook her head. "No, nothing I can think of right now. I'm still adjusting to all my new memories, but aside from that..."

"That's good", Estelle smiled. "Have you got an emergency hypospray to help you in case of insect bites and stings? We do keep the arboretum in as natural a state as we can, and some of the insects can escape occasionally."

Lunara frowned. "You know, I hadn't thought about the arboretum. Don't worry, though, I still have one from when I was first joined." She patted her right pocket. "I guess I'll have to pick up a repellant module..."

"I can imagine you'll want to take your patients there sometimes", Estelle said. "It's therapeutic, even if only partially real. I like feeding the ducks in the little pond. If you don't look at the walls, you'd be surprised how real it actually feels."

"That might be a good idea." Lunara nodded. "The one on my last ship had a large dome at the top so you could see the stars and nebulae... is there anything like that here?"

"You can make it so", Estelle said. "Full holographic environment." She sipped her coffee while looking at all the different readouts. "This ship might not look like much on the outside, but it's a marvel of decadent luxury from within. Thankfully, it's also really capable despite the big hole through the middle, or I'd feel guilty about being posted here."

Lunara nodded. "Mm. It's a far cry from what I was first posted on. Except for the hole." She chuckled. "Holes can be nice." The pun was unintentional, but she was quite proud of it.

"Yeah, but only if you fill them with something useful, or pleasant", Estelle quipped, taking the pun in a direction Lunara might or might not have intended.

Definitely not intended. Lunara snorted. "I don't think I'm ready to start renovating the ship yet. I just arrived, after all."

"Leave that to the engineers", Estelle shrugged. "You have some renovating of your own to do. I'm just glad they didn't take my girlfriend this time. Last time was bad enough."

"Yes, I'm not sure what message I'd be sending to my patients if the first thing they saw was a bowl of nuts." Lunara chuckled. "I'm not sure what the finishing touches should be. Maybe a couple of neutered tribbles?" She rested a finger on her chin, staring off into space. "I couldn't bring myself to hate those things, no matter how much trouble they caused."

"I've got tribble fur slippers, they're very comfortable", Estelle smirked. "Hm, those things I put in there were the only things I could think of spontaneously. I'm sure there are more options if you want to be all decked out."

Lunara chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure I'll come up with something fancy. Sounds like I'll have plenty of time before I get a department chief."

"And you'd want to make her feel welcome, no?" Estelle smiled, sipping her coffee. "There's a cadet in your department, you might want to enlist her help." She shrugged. "Me, I'm going back to writing a book. I was meaning to publish a book on the Black Death but I was accused of plaguerism. Now I have to find something else to write about."

"Really? Oh, I'm sorry to hear that! Myself, I've got some Trilling plans on the surface." Lunara smirked.

"Enjoy", Estelle smiled. "Unless I see something strange in your blood sample, you're cleared for duty, shore leave or whatever else it is you want to do."

"No, that's all I had!" She hopped off the table, smiling at Estelle. "I'll see you around, doc!"