Introduction and Consultation

Posted on Thu Sep 10th, 2020 @ 5:05pm by Lieutenant Ronan St. Cyr M.D.

1,135 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: To catch a thief
Location: USS Wolff | Deck 07 | Medical Laboratory III

The changing of the crew was not something new aboard the USS Wolff though it was not routinely done. The last significant change that Dr. El-Azar could recall was that which had triggered his assuming the position of Ship's Counselor following the deaths of several crew members including his predecessor who had also been the Chief Medical Officer. In her place had been Doctor Seleya, a competent physician and someone Deepak had worked closely with for some time now. He was blindsided by the news that she was leaving. It was not as if the two were friends, but they had been colleagues and a sort of trench comradery had formed. He was always the more chatty of the two.

Deepak took no interest in seeing who Starfleet assigned in Seleya's place. He was sure that if the Captain or First Officer had any say in the matter, then the individual chosen would be quite thorough. Ideally, not someone with his background or expertise though. He was actually growing rather fond of serving as Ship's Counselor, and with a starship such as the Wolff it made no sense to have the Chief Medical Officer also shoulder psychiatric care.

He was in the middle of pouring a fluorescent liquid into a reagent bottle when for a split second he lost track of time, only to catch himself before overpowering. Strange he thought to himself, a peculiar sensation came over him. He felt as though he was no longer alone and yet the lab was empty. It was just him and silence until the doorway parted. He was not expecting any company in the med lab.

The lab's lighting was adjusted to UV-A, giving the room and himself a purplish glow. He turned in his seat "Computer, return lighting to normal parameters" he said swiftly. He was not alarmed nor startled by the visitor's presence, but curious because of what he had felt and was still feeling. When the lighting to the room shifted. The visitor was there, standing before Deepak.

This face was familiar, to Deepak, but it did not make sense. It did not quite feel right. He proceeded cautiously. "Hello," he said to the man. The Starfleet uniform gave away the man was in the sciences. Though not whether it was medical or not, and the rank pips of a lieutenant were evident. "May I help you with something?" he inquired.

Ronan had been walking; the original intention being to stop off at his office, make an appointment to see the Counselor, and then finish the details involved in settling in to a new place. But he'd been walking, swept up in thoughts about what he'd seen and heard in the Captain's Ready Room, buoyed along by an undercurrent he wasn't entirely aware of on a conscious level. The tug of the current pulled at him, drew him, and subconsciously at least, he acquiesced. He'd always been perceptive, more than a little intuitive, and he'd learned over the years, not to ignore those feelings.

And so, he stepped into the room, and in response to the man's justifiably cautious demeanor, answered in a friendlier tone, "Hello. Don't know that you can," he said. "I was lost in thought and now, literally lost." He chuckled with a quick shake of the head. "Ronan St. Cyr, recently assigned as Chief Medical Officer."

"Dr. Deepak El-Azar," replied the Counselor giving the other man a brief ocular examination as though he were admiring a sculpture. There was still that sense about him. "Where did you study?" asked Deepak. He was genuinely curious before he realized the potential rudeness in not acknowledging the man was lost.

He smiled. "Sorry, I have a tendency to be...curious," he explained. "Lost you said? Well, that is not difficult to do on a starship unfamiliar to you. What are you searching for...Sickbay? If so, you are not all that lost, just got a bit turned around is all."

Ronan stood within the flurry of conversation; he'd been at this long enough now to understand that people seldom paused after a question or at least not for long. As he listened, the sense of ... something ... returned and held firm in his mind. "Stanford and then the Academy though its been awhile. Curiosity is a ... shared ... trait, I think." He left off the more important point.
There's something about you.

"There's an expression I heard from Humans once about curiosity killing a cat, but I do not believe such ridiculous notions," replied Deepak. "Curiosity is essential for growth and cats are resilient creatures. Their inquisitiveness leads them to great discoveries" added the Counselor. "You are also correct. It is a shared trait, and one I value."

"As do I," Ronan said, nodding, "and I agree about cats being resilient though I'm not sure what would constitute a great discovery for a feline. A new source of mice perhaps? An easily convinced human?"

"Probably being given a new feline supplement from the replicator only to be disinterested after three meals of it" replied Deepak. "I feel they crave exploration as much as Humans do and various species."

"My mother had a fondness for them," Ronan said, his glance straying for a moment as memories assailed him. "She said that they were one of the nicer things she'd found on Earth; used to say that when you won a feline's affection, you'd really accomplished something. I suppose there's some truth in that."

Deepak nodded. "This is true," he replied thinking about his own experiences. "I have had a few of my own. I have had a variety of creatures, but cats are quite majestic and judgmental" he added with a small chuckle. "I think you will like it aboard the Wolff."

"Course," Rowan said, "now I'm thinking about getting a cat. Not the easiest to find out here but they have a way of finding a person."

Deepak smiled and nodded. "They do have a way of finding people, sometimes exactly when we need them to find us," replied Doctor El-Azar. "Cats may not be in abundance, but there are places that would likely transport one to us. I think the ship would benefit from a sort of mascot."

"That could be interesting," Rowan said. "Mystical cat sensing the need and finding his way to me. I like the idea. In any case, I need to get going. It was a pleasure to meet you."

Deepak nodded "Yes, a pleasure to meet you as well. I am sure we will be working together closely soon enough" Doctor El-Azar added. "Have a pleasant day, Doctor, and should you need anything, I do make the occasional house call."

OFF:


Dr. Deepak El-Azar
Chief Counselor

Dr. Ronan St. Cyr
Chief Medical Officer

 

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