[Sickbay]: Round Seven Scans and Vaccines

[ten_fwd_npcs]

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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Room 1629: Chief medical officer's office

[ten_fwd_npcs]

Shortly before the new patient scans are scheduled to begin, Dr. Beverly Crusher can be found in her adjacent office. She should have a few minutes to spare for meeting with potential volunteers or answering vital questions.

Don't be shy, she won't bite.

[writes_with_digital_ink]

Gaila raps on the door, and sticks her head around the doorway.

"Dr Crusher? Do you have a moment?"

She's not dressed in a uniform - hasn't, in fact, been dressed a uniform since she arrived in her ripped and burnt one. But the way she is standing has all the earmarks of 'slightly nervous junior officer'.

[overprotective_hunter]

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."

[ten_fwd_npcs]

Beverly looks up from her current work, a somewhat distracted (but not unfriendly) expression on her face.

"Of course," she says, pushing a few things aside. "Come in. How can I help you?"

The question trails off, as if she's trying to recall the woman's name.

Merlin-Crusher

[themerlin]

Merlin had heard that sometimes people could volunteer, or work here, and he had hoped it was true. With indomitable spirit, he wanted, yet still, to do work here, and help people.

So he knocked, sitting on mid-air, and waited, hoping for a moment of the head doctor's time.

[ten_fwd_npcs]

"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."

[ten_fwd_npcs]

Beverly, invested in what she is doing, calls for him to come in when she hears him knock.

It won't be for several minutes before she looks up and sees his feat of acrobatics, which causes her to double-take immediately.

"H-how can I help you?" she asks, once she's composed herself.

[writes_with_digital_ink]

"Acting Ensign Gaila betIlley," she offers. "Late of the USS Antares the next universe over. I've been here about six months, but haven't had to see the medical docs lately."

Counsellor Troi, on the other hand...

"I have a...uh-um, slight problem coming up," she says, walking in and taking a seat. "So, here I am. Can I ask how familiar you are with Orion physiology?"

[themerlin]

Merlin entered, and smiled, sitting once more on mid-air until she had time. He had the patience. As soon as she noticed him, however, he stood normally and swept a bow.

"Greetings, milady. I hope I did not startle thee too much. I wish to inquire about volunteering in this hall of healing." he bowed his head to her.

[overprotective_hunter]

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?"

[ten_fwd_npcs]

Beverly's eyes clear.

"Right, Ensign betIlley. I believe you know Doctor McCoy?" she ventures, folding her hands across her desk. She and Bones have built something of a rapport in his time here, and Gaila's name rings a few bells.

To answer her question, Gaila might notice the look of realization that springs to her face. "Quite familiar. At least in this universe. Am I right to assume your slight problem has something to do with the Orion estrous cycle?"

[ten_fwd_npcs]

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?"

[ten_fwd_npcs]

Well, that doesn't happen every day.

"I admit, I was a little startled," she answers wryly, bemused by his way of speaking. He sounds like a Shakespearean character. "It's not every day someone floats into my office."

She sets her PADD down and pockets her hands, appraising him not unlike a certain captain might. "Are you a healer of some kind?"

[writes_with_digital_ink]

"Oh, gods, I hope my species hasn't changed, too," she mutters suddenly, biting her golden bottom lip. It's funny!

Kind of.

(Hah.)

"But, yes, I know Doctor McCoy. Aaaand, yes, that's my problem. The high point of my cycle is gonna hit in a few weeks, so in the interests of not disrupting the crew and passengers..."

She's only one female and this is a very large ship. But even the day-to-day effects of being around her are accumulative, and the high levels of aggression and obsession she could provoke in males of most species (not to mention the intense headaches in females) is still a problem.

"I was wonder what kind of protocols you have in place. In my...universe, I'd go into isolation for a week, but..." she gestures, a little helplessly.

She's a long way from her home universe.

[overprotective_hunter]

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."

Any doctor is fine. Agatha is going to be shocked enough as it is.

[agathaheterodyne]

Agatha let herself be led into sick bay, frowning. She was not looking forward to this. She stopped dead when she saw the room, however, saw others being "Examined". She turned to whichever doctor she was led to, before she got onto the bed.

"Am I in the wrong place? I was told I needed to be in the medical area." And this could not possibly be the medical area. There were no straps to tie people down, there were no saws to cut through bone, nothing with claws to push into the flesh. This was unlike any medical area she had ever seen.

[ten_fwd_npcs]

Dr. Crusher looks sympathetic.

"If there are any noticeable differences, I assure you my staff are all well equipped to handle it and give you the right medical attention," she says, in an effort to be comforting. "And you're right, that could definitely pose a problem.

"We could quarantine you to private quarters for the duration of your cycle, that way you wouldn't have to lose your privacy or comfort. We could also make a bed available in a quarantine area here, though I imagine given the choice the former option is a bit more enticing."

[ten_fwd_npcs]

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."

[writes_with_digital_ink]

"I'm sure the universes aren't that different," she says, almost in an effort to reassure herself.

Then she grins, quickly.

"A lot more enticing. My concern is the air-filters in my quarters. Could they handle filtering out pheromones? Or should I just pack some books and my homework and come here?"

[themerlin]

"Forgive me then, I pray thee. I am an old man and muchly set in my ways, but I will seek to stray from them, an it makes you and others more comfortable." Yes, he really wanted to help, and was willing to bend that legendarily stiff neck to do so.

"I am, milady. I am called Merlin, and I am a wizard. One of the types of magic I can do is a form of healing." In truth the way she appraised him reminded him of Arthur's gaze and made him smile yet fonder.

[overprotective_hunter]

"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."

Harry Dresden for... any doctor!

[dresdensluck]

Harry felt odd. And amused. And odd. For the first time in his life, he could handle, touch, and interact with technology and not be afraid of killing it. He could take hot showers and listen to music, and he could actually watch a movie. He'd done all of those and more, and he was glad for it, and grateful, even as he knew he would have to be wary. Gifts from powerful beings were always things to be wary of. And what Q had done was a very powerful gift indeed.

So he came to the sickbay now, wondering and almost grinning, and peering about. Not looking forward to this poking and prodding, but curious, as he had not had a real doctor's appointment since he was ten.

[ten_fwd_npcs]

"Lt. Commander La Forge may be a better person to ask about that," she admits. "But... yes, I think so. I have had to use converted crew quarters to impose quarantines before. If we could work the filtration unit into a closed system for the duration of your, ah, cycle, that should alleviate the problem."

[ten_fwd_npcs]

"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.

[ten_fwd_npcs]

There is a pause.

"Merlin, the wizard," she repeats levelly. Oh, she knows the stories. Not so long ago she even had Robin Hood in her sickbay. But Merlin, a wizard, who can do healing by magic? She laughs quickly; it sounds short, and half-crazed. "There are many types of healing that could be mistaken for magic, but I've never seen real magic before."

She looks skeptical.