Daisies - Dead Upon Arrival

Posted on Fri Feb 9th, 2024 @ 6:43pm by Lieutenant Percival Bálor Ph.D & Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus
Edited on on Fri Feb 9th, 2024 @ 6:43pm

1,266 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Standing By
Location: USS Ontario | Sickbay
Timeline: Before Grace Returns

ON:

Aboard the aging Ambassador class starship, the USS Ontario even with its latest and greatest refitting, being brought as close to ‘up to pace’ and ‘on par’ with the late 24th century Federation technology as it could be there was curse aboard the Ontario, one that had yet to be broken and seemingly was incurable: The Medical Department. Each and every hand that touched the desk of the Chief Medical Officer be they acting, interim, or intended to be assigned for a durable tenure aboard had been stricken with the curse.

Doctors Myles, Dunne, DuBois, Varik, and Wakefield. Each of them phantoms of the Ontario’s Sickbay aside from Doctor Karen Myles. She had been assigned to the starship but had never set foot aboard, her shuttle transport experienced the dreaded mechanical failure and she was allegedly reassigned to another starship. Nevertheless, several physicians had come and gone aboard the USS Ontario in a relatively short period of time. The latest name on the starship’s manifest: Doctor Aaron Marcus, the third lieutenant commander to fit the bill and be given the vacant posting, and the third male.

The curse did not discriminate though. Male, female, human or not. Ship’s physicians had come and gone, and now a new soul was going to try his hand at it. Was the curse real or just starship scuttlebutt? There was only one way to find out. Of course, the real curse aboard the USS Ontario was that Counselor Amanda Rose was still aboard. At least that was Lieutenant Percy Balor’s take on matters.

A dimly lit and slightly powered down Sickbay was there to greet Doctor Aaron Marcus as he came aboard and undoubtedly would want to settle in a bit, check Sickbay and his Chief Medical Officer’s office. Though Sickbay held more surprises than a rumored curse.

Aaron sat in his office with the lights comfortably dimmed. His cane leaned up against his desk and his feet were up on his desk. In his heads was the latest medical text from Vulcan relating to Bendaii Syndrome. Aaron was hell bent on finding a cure for the disease. So engrossed was he in his reading that he paid no attention to the comings and goings of anyone in Sick Bay. For the moment he knew that they had no patients and one of the other Docs was working the ward, so he was quite content avoiding any true duty of the Chief Medical Officer.

As the lights of Sickbay illuminated, one biobed appeared occupied. With an arm dangling off the side and a hand reaching downward towards the decking, a body approximately 175.26 centimeters in length lye on the bed draped head to toe in a cloth, motionless. What a welcoming gift for the new Chief Medical Officer.

"Hey Doc..." The doctor of the ward called out. Aaron looked up and grumbled under his breath. He grabbed his cane and made his way out to the general medical ward. "Now what medical mystery do you not have a handle on?" Aaron said to the other doctor, ignoring the other officer who was there. He snatched the medical tricorder from the other doctor and scanned the patient. "Oh look he's dead, got any more mysteries for me. I think I will return to my office now and do some real medicine." Aaron turned to leave and began to hobble back to his office.

The 'deceased' made a whaling sound that was on par with an old haunted house attraction, sitting upright with the sheet still covering the body. "Ooooo" it said and snorted.

"Maybe you should check for a pulse instead" added the 'body' that soon pulled the sheet off its head revealing himself to be half-Tellarite "Tinkered with the tricorder a bit" he added "But seriously, check for a pulse once in a while."

Now Aaron was both angry and annoyed as opposed to simply annoyed. "Get out! And that's an order." There was a moment where Aaron thought he was going to whack this newcomer with his cane. But sleeping in the brig was not something he relished so he stopped himself. He began to walk, well hobble really back to his office as quick as possible. Aaron stopped short and turned. "You know I have a mind to put you on report. You tinker with my instruments. What if this was a real emergency and that tricorder prompted me to give a treatment that kills a member of this crew. You are out of order, and out of your mind." He turned and walked to his office without a further word.

"!We're all a little mad here, Doc!," Percy quipped. "If you want me out, sure, but don't come rummaging around the science labs for anything with a bedside manner like that" stated Percy.

He scoffed. "By the way, I came down here to give you a proper hello and welcome you to the Ontario. So, welcome and good luck."

Aaron thought for a second whether or not he would need anything form the Science Labs. At the moment he could not think of anything. If there was something surely he could simply replicate it, however, the question was could he take that chance. "I will make a deal with you. If there comes a time when I need something you will treat it like any other request. In return I will make sure to not tell the Ship's Counselor about your insanity." In truth it didn't matter to Aaron if this guy agreed to the terms or not. Ultimately if he had to Aaron would simply pull rank to get what he had to from the labs.

"Ship's Counselor?" Percy shook his head. "I'll save you the trouble. She's in dire need of counseling herself and needs a man. She will probably clawing at your door soon like a cat in heat" added Percy. "She couldn't get the Chief Intelligence Officer so she tried for the Captain, not Vetur, the perverted one before her."

Percy shrugged "For what its worth though, you have yourself a deal. I'll treat you like would any other request. We'll be working closely, Doc. Better we stay neutral."

At least in that they could agree. "Agreed, Lieutenant" Aaron watched the other officer to see if he would leave or if he would say more. Although the doctor wanted nothing more than to return to his research. All these interruptions were beginning to wear thin on Aaron.

Percy was also someone who valued alone time to do research and be away from distractions. "I can see you would prefer that I leave you be. So, I bid you adieu Doctor, for now at least. I hope to never be in here pushing up daisies for real though" Percy did, however grab the tricorder he had fudged with and set it back to factory standards before placing it back down on a nearby surface. "And on that note, good night."

The Chief Science Officer had nothing more to say to the Chief Medical Officer. I have no idea how Grace is going to handle this one thought Percy wishing that she were back on the Ontario safe and sound again. This new Chief Medical Officer was going to take some getting used to. Better check on Yiv and see how he's doing thought Percy with a long sigh as he walked the corridor.

OFF:

Lieutenant Percival Balor
Chief Science Officer
USS Ontario

Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ontario

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