Medical Check-up

Posted on 17 Oct 2016 @ 11:16pm by Captain Nathan Cowell MD & Lieutenant Kina Hena MD

Mission: Prelude; Breakfast at Curmudgeon's
Location: Captain's Ready Room, Bridge, USS Arizona
Timeline: MD -1: 1530hrs

Everyone had to do it, but Kina was having difficulty getting one particular member of the crew in for his physical. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised, but she had been unable to get the Captain to come down for a physical. She understood to a point, because she also hated it. Having to sit there while another doctor did things his own way was a form of torture for any doctor.

But, seriously: enough was enough.

She had been unsuccessful at getting the computer to tell her where the Captain was. It beeped at her, so she knew it heard her request, but it didn't reply. Well, two could play at that game. After confirming that no one in medical could get a location on the ship's Commanding Officer, she headed out of Sick Bay and towards the bridge. On the way, she stopped someone in ops gold and asked him to ask the computer where the Captain was. The reply came that he was in his ready room. Kina smiled and thanked him, then continued on her way.

She didn't bother ringing the chime this time; she just walked in. "Sir," she said sternly. "This is ridiculous."

Nathan's right eye slid open and studied her as he reclined comfortably in his chair in his usual napping posture. If he had to make a guess, the Captain postulated that she'd try to nail him down for one of those damnable physicals he didn't care to participate in and had found, much to her obvious chagrin that the computer was none too forthcoming.

"What is?" the Old Man decided that playing ignorant would be the better course of action.

"The fact that you have missed two appointments for your physical," answered Kina. "Shouldn't the Captain set an example for the rest of the crew?"

Nathan grunted at the comment, "I set a pretty damn good example around here, Lieutenant. People know I'm in charge and they do as they should. A doctor not liking another man... or woman... poking and prodding them because Starfleet Medical doesn't account for his centuries of experience doesn't set any kind of example, Miss Hena, it simply speaks to how little I care for some outlandish practice. I know I'm healthy, and as my own personal physician, I know what needs done when I'm not. And I'm sure you feel the same way, even if you won't say it outside of this room because you're damn certain people would take that and run with it."

Truth be told, he was right; she didn't like another doctor checking her over. "That is neither here nor there," she replied. "Starfleet regulations state that a doctor must sign off on the health of each officer, regardless or rank, species, or gender. Believe me, sir, I trust you, but that isn't good enough. Even I have to have a physical done regularly. And anyway, it's just a few scans unless I find something curious. It's not that bad, is it?"

"You know deep down it is. It's an insult to the five hundred years I've practiced medicine. I've seen entire lineages from start to finish, and treated every member of that lineage... and a hundred others. I don't need someone else telling me I'm not skilled enough to hold a tricorder up to myself and read what it says. You know it, I know it, every damn medical professional here knows it's a damn waste of time to have such a ridiculous regulation. I may be a lot of things, Miss Hena, but I've never once given any man or woman under my command an order that was in any way insulting to their intelligence or beneath them. Making a case that I'm not setting a good example for not wanting to follow something I find risible at best is anything but a bad example," the Captain grumbled at length.

In fact, she did agree. There was no reason any doctor in Starfleet couldn't hold up a tricorder and record the results. Add to that the man's experience and it was just utterly ridiculous. Still, rules were rules. Starfleet wanted physicals performed by a second party and that's what they were going to get. She just had to be creative about it. "All right," she said, sitting in one of the chairs opposite his desk with a sigh. "How about this: you let me perform your physical and I'll let you do mine."

Nathan eyeballed the woman for a moment, "That's new... Usually I get the rhetoric and the complaining... You just walk in here with compromises... Knew I liked you for some reason."

The Old Man stood and walked over to the small embedded alcove that housed his replicator and a small storage cabinet hidden from view. From it he produced a medical tricorder that looked rather well used. He approached the woman and opened the device with the practice any physician of even tenth of his experience would have and went about the scanning of the woman without a word. The process took scarcely longer than a minutes and when it was done, Nathan affixed his seal to it and sent it off.

"You're healthy," was the rather obvious declaration.

"Thank you," she replied. "Now, will you let me?"

"A deal is a deal, ain't that what Ferengi say?" the Captain said, folding his tricorder back up.

Without a word, Kina took out her own tricorder, which was always stowed in her jacket pocket and began the scans. She wasn't very familiar with El-Aurians, but the tricorder did not beep or indicate an issue, so she assumed all was well. She would definitely have to study up on the species sometime soon. "All clear," she said cheerfully. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Sheer and utter torture..." Nathan bemoaned as he sank into his chair, "But at least you and I see eye to eye on this whole deal. Anything else, Miss Hena?"

"Just try not to avoid me next time," she replied, standing. "I don't like tracking people down. Oh, and is there a reason the computer won't tell me your location?" she added, eyebrows raised.

"Yes," the Captain said bluntly, "I told it not to. Have a nice day, Doctor."

Nathan gave the woman a wink before kicking his feet up and returning to the nap he'd been interrupted from.