Physical Abrasion

Posted on Wed Dec 1st, 2010 @ 4:17am by Lieutenant Commander Joseph Thompson & Commander Michael Evans M.D.

Mission: Episode 1.3 - "The Time of Trial"
Location: Main Sickbay
Timeline: MD07, 0830

::BACKPOST::

ON: [[USS Pandora, Main Sickbay, MD07, 0830hrs]]

Lieutenant Commander Joe Thompson walked into Sickbay and looked around immediately for the doctor. Per regulations, he was supposed to have a physical; he might as well get it over with. He didn't necessarily dislike them - for the most part, they were painless and rather quick. Still, it was something that needed to be done.

Nurse Caceres (NPC) looked up from his PADD and stepped towards Thompson as he entered. "Yes, Commander, what can I do for you?"

"I'm here for my physical checkup," Joe told the nurse. "Is the doctor in?"

Caceres nodded. "Dr. Haelen, you have a patient," he called over the comm.

=A="Understood,"=A= was the response.

"He'll be with you in just a moment," said Caceres as he retreated into an adjacent room.

The air shifted briefly before a balding man wearing Sciences Teal materialized. "I'm Doctor Haelen (PNPC)," he greeted. "You're here for your physical, then?"

Joe blinked. "I'm sorry," he said. "You're the doctor?" He wondered if something had happened to the CMO.

Tony's face immediately fell from bright professionalism to a droll deadpan. "Yes. I am the doctor," he said perhaps a little too dryly. He quickly collected a medical tricorder and moved towards a biobed. "If you'll have a seat, please," he said, recovering his professional manner slightly.

"Sure," Joe said, moving to the biobed and sliding onto it. "Are you always active, then?" Unlike many people he had met, he didn't necessarily look down on holograms. For the most part, they were tools and nothing more, but he knew that programs like this doctor were made with the ability to expand on their original programming. As far as he knew, this basically allowed them to have original thoughts and ideas (if they could be called that) - and was that really different from what creatures of flesh and blood called sentience? Unfortunately, though all these thoughts passed through Joe's mind, they didn't seem to fully translate into the tone of his speech; in fact, he could easily have been mistaken for being disdainful or dismissive of the doctor.

"More and more, it seems," was Haelen's dry reply. Then he realized that this probably wasn't the best way to start a patient/doctor relationship. Trying a little harder, he continued, "We don't yet have a replacement Chief Surgeon and Doctor Evans has been... more occupied of late, so my duties as the Assistant CMO have been temporarily expanded." He began the standard full-body scan with the tricorder, moving the detatchable sensor to the key exam points.

"So you do hold an actual officer position," Joe said with a nod. "Interesting. I don't think I've ever met another EMH that could say the same."

Tony glanced up briefly at the "actual officer" remark, then poked a few buttons and continued to scan. "To my knowledge there's only one other," he said, his tone colored with something not quite discernable. "That would of course be Voyager's EMH. Lie down, please." He put the tricorder down and move to the biobed's instrument panel.

Complying with the doctor's instructions, Joe laid back on the bed and did his best to relax. "So you're quite unique," Joe remarked. "I noticed that you weren't 'activated', so to speak. I take it that you have complete control of yourself, then?" Inwardly, Joe winced. That could sound a lot worse than he intended it, he realized.

Dr. Haelen fitted the cranial scanner over Thompson's forehead. "Captain Iluvar has been gracious enough to grant me autonomy over my own program. In fact he has gone so far as to order me to expand my programming," he said a little more conversationally. The 'unique' comment had flattered him somewhat. "I feel very privileged," he said, some warmth coloring his tone in gratification to Iluvar.

Tony flipped the cranial scanner back to its standby position. "You may sit up," he said as he reached for a PADD and began the rote medical interview: "Are you feeling well and healthy today? Any medical concerns while you're here; new or unusual symptoms?"

"Nothing new of note," Joe replied as he sat up. "From what I've heard, the captain seems more than decent. What about other officers? Do you ever have trouble interacting with them?" Joe knew that many members of Starfleet would just as soon treat all holograms as mere tools - even ones like this doctor that could go beyond their original assignments and become something better.

There was the briefest of pauses before Tony said, "Some are easier to get along with than others. Most are more than tolerable however, and many are downright pleasant." It wasn't clear if he was joking or not, but there seemed to be a twinkle in his holographic eye. "Are you planning any physiological changes, interspecies relationships, or rituals designed to alter your current 'normal' state of awareness or being?" He waited, poised to enter the response into the PADD.

"Not unless you count basic training to keep myself as aware as possible," Joe replied. "For what it's worth, I think it's quite admirable for a hologram like you to be able to function as a normal member of the crew."

Tony again looked sideways at the Commander, not sure whether to take the comment as a compliment or a prejudiced insult. Maybe he was just being sensetive; or maybe he was sensetive enough to catch the slight. Choosing to professionally ignore it for now, however, he continued, "We of course have received a copy of your medical file, but is there anything in your medical history you'd like to make us particularly aware of, or is there anything you would like to add?"

"Oh, I don't know," Joe said with a shrug. "I assume the record holds everything. The only major injuries that might still cause issues would be when I got shot by the spine and when I got shot by the heart. According to the doctors I had at the time, though, they shouldn't cause me any problems under normal circumstances." In each case, mere centimeters had separated Joe from death, but he didn't tend to dwell on what might have happened.

"Duly noted," Dr. Haelen said, tapping into the PADD. "Please be sure to report to Sickbay in the event that they do cause problems, won't you? In the mean time I'll be sure to review your file." He slipped the tricorder back into its slot and flipped the PADD onto a nearby counter.

Tony was about to dismiss his patient with curt word, but something made him check himself. He turned to Joe. "Commander, thank you for reporting for your physical. I'm sorry if I've seemed... abrasive. Recent events have left me a little disconcerted and I'm afraid it's affecting my bedside manner. I think I just need some time," he finished a little distantly. He looked back at Joe. "Welcome aboard, Commander."

"Thank you," Joe said, standing. "A pleasure meeting you, Doctor." He held out a hand to shake the doctor's, then headed for the exit. It was going to be interesting serving on a ship with a hologram like that. He wondered what other surprises were hidden around the ship.

OFF

A Post By:

Lieutenant Commander Joseph Thompson
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Pandora

AND

Dr. Anthony Haelen (PNPC)
Asst CMO
USS Pandora
Played by: Lt. Cmdr. Michael Evans