ten_fwd | [Sickbay]: Round Seven Scans and Vaccines

Current Location: Section 23 Baker, Room # 1631: Sickbay

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[Sickbay]: Round Seven Scans and Vaccines

If this is your first trip to Sickbay, you may be surprised to see that it's a fairly ordinary-looking hospital. There are no terrifying devices or humming machines you might see in a sci-fi thriller. The biobeds along the walls are equipped with biofunction monitors, but look fairly standard. Instead of silver trays filled with metal tools and sawblades, there are an array of small devices that look as harmless as cell phones. As for the staff, they're all well-groomed and friendly. As a matter of fact, all personnel look harmless. Well, perhaps excluding the sun avatar, but Trance Gemini is as skilled as the Starfleet officers.

If you're new to the ship, no doubt you've been escorted here by the security team. Nothing to worry about, the doctors just want to make sure you aren't carrying any viruses or are vulnerable to terrible space disease. Once you've been checked over — a quick scan from a tricorder and any necessary vaccines — you'll be free to go. Lollipops are optional.

"All right, step on in," one of them calls out as you enter. "Don't be afraid. It's just a scan and a hypospray, nothing to worry about."

[ooc: Sickbay is, as always, OTA! For new characters: tagging isn't mandatory but IC going to sickbay is. If you'd prefer to skip threading with one of our doctors, you can handwave that your character got a clean bill of health and a shot and were sent on their merry way. For those who are tagging: if you have a preference which doctor sees your character, please specify in the subject line of your tag who you would like (Simon Tam is not available this time). There is a post up in the OOC comm with more details if you have any questions.]

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Alec tries to look calm as he stands outside the doctor's office, but he keeps running his hands through his hair until it looks like it's been styled into spikes. He'd asked if there was a doctor on duty that was from this reality and a friendly medic had pointed him in the right direction.

"Doctor Crusher, maybe I speak to you about some private matters?" His tone sounds too formal, almost wincing at the sound of his own voice but at least he doesn't sound as nervous as he feels. "I was told you might be able to help me with something confidential."

"Confidentiality is my specialty," she says with a smile, nodding him into her office.

She doesn't recognize his face, which may mean this is his first time in sickbay.

"Please, come in and have a seat."

It's difficult not to be nervous since he's never visited a Mundane doctor before. Everything he knows about them is from Catarina or the terrible shows he watches on TV late at night. But doctors are supposed to follow certain rules.. he assume that's true here too.

"Thank you." As he moves inside and sits down, he tells himself that this is no different than the other meetings he's attended. Except he's about to reveal things that are supposed to be forbidden. "Uh - How does confidentiality work here? Will whatever I tell you go into some sort of files?"

Beverly blinks, but stops herself from giving the knee-jerk clinical answer she might otherwise give. She smiles instead.

"Any medical information you divulge to me will be kept in a file, yes," she begins. "So that I or one of the other doctors here can treat you if you become ill. I take doctor/patient confidentiality very seriously, so there are varying levels of security. Some files only I can access, and the captain if there is an emergency."

Now she pauses, tilting her head to one shoulder. "What kind of information do you need to divulge?"

Realizing how ominous that probably sounds, he tries to give Crusher a reassuring smile but his expression falters after a moment. "It's not dangerous to you or anyone on the ship."

Letting out a quiet sigh, he knows he could be exiled for what he might have to tell the doctor but he can't lie. Who knows what they'd do to him if he doesn't tell the truth? He isn't even sure if there are other Shadowhunters in this world but if there are, they probably still believe in secrecy. "Where I'm from there are certain things you don't tell people outside your... kin. If you tell others you can be punished or exiled."

Ah, now she sees. She nods slowly, lips pinched in thought. For Beverly, it's always a fine line between obeying the Prime Directive and giving every person the best possible medical attention. She has been tempted on more than one occasion to break the former in order to fulfill the latter.

"The Enterprise is a Federation ship, and as long as you are here I can assure you that you will not be punished for anything you tell us," she says. "As a Starfleet officer myself, I'm obligated not to interfere with the customs of another culture outside the Federation. If, by any chance, someone else arrived from where you are from, what you tell me now would not be shared or used against anyone. I can promise you that."

"As long as I'm on the ship." It should be reassuring but eventually he'll have to leave the ship. Maybe if he hadn't read about the Clave's punishments he wouldn't be so worried about it. "The information doesn't leave the ship?"

Slowly, he begins picking at the hem of one sleeve. Would they strip his Marks for telling? It was one thing to tell a Mundane teenager about Shadowhunters, Mundane doctors would be another matter. "If my people exist here, the punishment could be severe if I'm studied by doctors."

"Studied?" Dr. Crusher parrots, sounding rather alarmed.

There are people on this ship even now who are medical miracles. People with gifts and abilities, advanced healing, strength, agility; any number of these people could be a boon to medical science. But...

"No," she says firmly. "The information won't leave the ship. You have my word."

He did say he posed no threat to anyone on the ship, so that should remove the possibility of an outbreak.

"Don't doctors study people who are... different?" Isn't that what scientist do? Wouldn't a Mundane want to see if there was any difference between him and what was considered 'normal'?

He probably sounds foolish but Alec has only had healers or other Nephilim take care of him when he was sick or injured.

Finally, his hand stills as he comes to a decision. If he's going to be stuck here, he's going to have to cooperate and Doctor Crusher had promised. There's nothing more he can do. The Clave would have to understand that. "I'm not completely human. I'm part angel."

"Not without their consent," she stresses. "It's true that in our past, in order to better understand evolving DNA and diseases, we have needed to study individuals who present differently than the average person. But Starfleet Medical would never do so against their will."

It goes against everything she believes in, as a doctor and as a mother. Beverly Crusher radiates passion for her job (and a stubbornness not to be cowed or bribed). She's trustworthy.

"I'm sorry," she says, after a pause. "Did you say you're part angel?"

"Thank you." It's almost embarrassing how relieved he sounds. He's been trying to fit in, seem more mature than he truly is, but on the Enterprise he's completely lost in many ways. His instincts tell him that he can trust Doctor Crusher not to do any of the things he'd been worried about since he'd been told he needed to report to sickbay. "I've never been treated by doctors before. We use magic to heal."

Despite his worries, he gives her a small smile. "Yes. I am Nephilim." A hint of pride accompanies the word that even time with Downworlders hasn't completely erased. "Human and angel. There are some Mundanes - humans - that know about us but we're supposed to keep our existence hidden."

Ah, yes. Healing by magic is a concept she hears more and more each day conditions continue as they are on the Enterprise. She doesn't take the opportunity to argue against magic — as she's been forced to acknowledge, many sciences have the appearance of magic to those who aren't familiar with them, and a number of her patients come from universes not like her own — but the slight pursing of her lips might give her feelings away.

Still, it's no stranger than the idea that the boy before her now could be part angel, his closing remarks erasing any further questions on whether it could just be another race or species, perhaps a parent from the planet Angel I. Her brows knit.

"I have heard stories," she says slowly. "Long old stories, from millennia ago. I admit, I find what you're saying hard to believe. It's not something I thought possible.

The stories were just that. Stories.

"Have you already had your medical scans?" she asks.

Thanks to Clary, Alec has been around enough Mundanes that he knows how strange magic must sound. That's part of the reason Shadowhunters exist, to keep the supernatural from colliding with Mundane's lives. "Magic is something that is normal for some races in my world."

At the mention of the stories, Alec gives Crusher a small smile. "Being on a space ship wasn't something I thought would be possible. All religions on my world are based on some truth. An Angel gave my people a gift, making us Nephilim." Which is a subject he'd like to avoid explaining in too much detail but the 'differences' from that gift might become important later.

"I refused to be scanned until I knew what would happen to the records. I think I'm basically the same as a human except there are certain changes because of the angel blood."

Touché, as Jean-Luc would say. Dr. Crusher smiles just slightly, conceding the point.

"Magic is not something we have here on the Enterprise under normal conditions, but as people have been arriving from different places — such as yours — it's something I have been forced to acknowledge may exist," she says, trying to mask her reluctance. "One thing is for sure, there is much in the universe we don't understand. But I'm willing to try."

She leans forward, clasping her hands together and resting her forearms on her desk. "All right. Let me explain a little about the medical scans, particularly the tricorders and biobeds."

She reasons that, being something he wouldn't be familiar with, it's better to prepare him for what the sensors may pick up, particularly given his fear of exposure. Tricorders are sensitive, and can read even minor fluctuations in a person's body; however, they were never designed for Nephilim. If he scans as a human, no doubt the readings will flag any abnormalities caused by the angel blood.

"I'd be happy to conduct your check-up myself," she concludes. "It can be done someplace where we would have privacy, so you wouldn't need to worry about others overhearing. But I assure you, you won't be mistreated while you are aboard."

"We're all learning about a different worlds. Or realities." It's a subject that Alec's been trying to figure out. Is this a completely different reality from his own or did he travel into the future? Whenever he thinks about it, it makes him uneasy so he's been trying to cope with the basics instead of what else all this could mean."

Slowly, Alec begins to relax when he realizes it's not going to be like he expected. He's not going to be studied or dissected so he can be compared to a normal Mundane. She isn't going to hurt him or betray him. "I'd appreciate it if you would, Doctor. I should warn you that I have a lot of scars and Marks that aren't normal."

The mention of being mistreated causes Alec to think of something else that he's been worrying about. "May I ask you something else before you do the check-up? About society here and how they view certain things?"

She smiles thinly.

"I'll need to learn what I can about you so I can give you the best medical treatment possible." Pause. "Assuming you ever need it. For that, I'd appreciate any information you can give me about your physiology, including the cause of any old injuries."

She isn't too worried about scars, unusual or otherwise. "Of course, I expected the question. Go ahead."

"I can treat some injuries on my own because of my gift." It seems strange to phrase it like that. Among his family, it's simply part of what and who they are. Awkwardly, he begins to explain what he does know about his own physiology, trying to ignore how strange it is to talk to a Mundane doctor about it.

As he speaks, the glamours covering his Marks fall away. Most of them are covered by the sleeves of his shirt and by his pants but black Marks curl around his neck and the back of each hand has a black symbol. He explains those briefly, how they're used for healing and to improve skills. A gift from the Angel given to Shadowhunters. "Most of my injuries have been from fighting demons. The patterned scars are from my marks."

After mentioning demons, it shouldn't be so difficult to ask but Alec has been carefully slipping back into the invisibility he'd relied on before. "Where I'm from... It's not... acceptable to prefer... the same gender. There's someone waiting for me back home. I wanted to know if it's safe to mention him or if it's something I should hide."

He'll find nothing but rapt attention from Dr. Crusher as he speaks. The concept of self-healing isn't terribly strange, but the marks and how he acquired them is. She rises from her seat, locating a tricorder, and moves to the other side of her desk to examine them more closely.

"And these are all over your body?" she asks, hovering her tricorder near some of the exposed marks and making sure she has his permission to touch them. "Can you tell me what a Shadowhunter is?"

She can guess that it has something to do with fighting demons, but since the idea is so foreign to her it's better she be thorough.

When he begins to retreat again, she pulls her attention away from her readings and forces herself to listen to what he is saying. It surprises her, perhaps as much as anything else he's said, but once that wears off she smiles encouragingly and touches his hand.

"There's no need to hide your feelings here," she says. "Love is a beautiful and noble emotion, no matter which species or genders share in it. It must be difficult being separated from him."

"Yes, we place them where they'll do the most good." For a moment, he can't help being embarrassed, wondering if he'll have to strip down for the doctor to see them all. "Some places are because of ritual. Others are temporary. Those are the ones that have faded to scars."

He can't help being curious about if the device will show the Marks as something different. "The ritual ones help protect us from demons and other monsters." Monsters is an easier term even if it's not quite accurate. "Shadowhunters protect the world from demons and those who aren't human who would hurt others. We keep Mundanes - humans - never know that the things in the scary stories are true."

Smiling weakly at Doctor Crusher, he tries to absorb what she's said but it still takes time to process. "Most cultures back home aren't so accepting. They would have punished me for who I love." The becomes more genuine when he realizes she had said species even if he misses Magnus. "Because he's male and he's a warlock. We'd be accepted here."

Yes, this all sounds very much like something from an old story. It's hard to think of it in terms of being real, but the scars and marks are unlike anything she's ever seen before.

"I see. So you're a guardian," she says, smiling. "Have you ever been seriously wounded or infected with something, and if so have you recovered fully or do you suffer with lingering effects?"

There are some cultures even in this age that could be likened to the one Alec is talking about, but Beverly doesn't think about them, let alone mention them. "You would be accepted here, absolutely. While I can't guarantee how every person would react to the idea of an angel or a warlock, there are all sorts of people in the Federation. You could find peace here, if you stay."

Pausing for a few moments, Alec considered the title. It isn't one he really considered. Shadowhunter, Nephilim, are the ones that he's used to but 'guardian' fit better with his usual role in the group. "Yes, I am. Was?" How did that work now? He'd never considered not being a Shadowhunter but what could he do aboard a ship? "I'm not sure if I'm one here."

"I haven't been wounded lately." He'd been lucky during the last battle, but the doctor probably would want to know about the worst injury. "I almost died a few months back. A demon clawed up my chest. The claws were poisoned and I almost died from it. My boyfriend healed me. We haven't noticed any permanent damage."

Alec knows that he couldn't expect everything to be perfect but the idea that some cultures would think that it was normal for him to date Magnus awes him. "I wouldn't expect everyone to accept our relationship or to accept us but I hoped that someday there'd be places where it's all right." His expression falters as he thinks of Magnus. That he's not here and how much that hurts. Then a certain word catches Alec's attention. "If I stay?"

She looks sympathetic.

"I'm not sure we have much need for 'Shadowhunters' here. Unless you know what to do for our Q problem," she says lightly.

Though, with new people arriving every day, perhaps that will change.

"Do you know what kind of poison it was?" she asks, switching back to doctor mode. "And is that sort of thing normal for your kind? That is, are you — immortal?"

She pauses, realizing what must have caught his attention. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't want to alarm you but sometimes people do leave the ship as mysteriously as they arrive. We assume Q returns them to their proper places, since he's never shown a desire to harm anyone he's brought to the ship. We don't know for certain, however. I just wanted to assure you that if your lover did show up here, you wouldn't have to hide what you are. And you would be far from the only same-sex union on this ship."

"Hunting wasn't something that I enjoyed. I wanted to protect people, but I killing was always the last resort for me." Except once, but that had been different and he hadn't ever given in to that kind of anger again.

"Q isn't someone I could deal with and there are rules that I promised to follow. As long as a Downworlder isn't hurting others, we let them live in peace." Even if he knew how to deal with someone like Q, from what Alec had heard, the being had never intentionally harmed anyone.

At the question about the poison, he shrugged. "Greater demons can poison their victims. It's part of what they are. We normally die of such wounds if a warlock can't save us." If Magnus hadn't been there... The thought was unpleasant, along with the reminder of the 'third person' who had been in their relationship. "Shadowhunters normally die young. Our gifts make us stronger and faster, but we weren't given immortality."

Hope and relief mixed together so that he wasn't sure which option he hoped for. There was a temptation to want Magnus on the ship, no matter how selfish that might be. But home with his siblings and friends. "I didn't know that I could go home. I thought I'd never see them again." Giving her a reassuring smile, he realized he could be patient if he knew that he'd be home eventually. "Thank you for giving me hope that if he does show up that we'll be safe and that I might get to go home someday."

She shakes her head, grimacing.

"I'm sorry, that was a poor joke," she says, reaching out to touch his arm. "You don't have to worry about Q. In fact, I would recommend against it."

There's no telling what he might do, if given provocation. Just because he is playing nice now doesn't mean he hasn't harmed members of this ship in the past. She purses her lips, nodding as she takes in the medically relevant information, and then she's smiling reassuringly again.

"Trust me, Q or not the captain will find a way to get everyone home," she says, with utter faith. "We're not sure how yet, but if anyone can return you to where you belong it's Jean-Luc Picard. In the meantime, we just want you to feel safe here. We know how strange the situation is, but even though you're not part of our Federation you're still part of our crew."

And that makes everyone brought aboard as good as family. Jean-Luc wouldn't treat them as any less important than the next crewman. She pats Alec's arm, and draws in a breath. "So. If you'd like, I can finish your medical exam in private and clear you from quarantine, so you don't have to worry about others knowing your condition. Unless there's anything else?"

"Beings like Q are what Shadowhunters are supposed to deal with. If they're harming others then we'd find a way to stop them. But just one Shadowhunter..." Alec has his strengths but he knows that there were some beings that he couldn't face alone and win. An archer with an interest in obscure history wouldn't stand a chance against Q. "But I don't plan on taking up my duties here unless it's necessary."

Considering her words, some of the tension in his chest eases. Someday, he'd get back to the people he cared about. "It's good to know that this isn't permanent. And that I'm welcome here." Eventually, he'd find a place for himself and learn to deal with the homesickness. "I don't think there's anything else." Dealing with Mundane medical procedures still seems odd but at least it's not like the things he's seen on TV. "Thank you for keeping everything confidential."

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[Sickbay]: Round Seven Scans and Vaccines

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