Disarming the Doctor

Posted on Fri May 30th, 2025 @ 2:25pm by Lieutenant Xavier & Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus

1,186 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Preservation Instinct
Location: Medical Bay | USS Ontario

ON:

Xavier had one more item to check off his list, medical. He wasn't too worried about it. He made his way to the small waiting area in sickbay book in hand just in case he needed to wait longer. He was deep into the complete works of Sherlock Holmes a comfort read for him.

The doors parted with a hiss and he looked up at the shiny bay. It was different from his previous ship but stunning non the less. It smelled fresh and clean. Others ran from that smell but he loved the smell of a sterile place. It calmed his mild phobia of all things disorganized, and dirty.

It was, to his surprise, empty. He paused and looked at the time. He was exactly one minute early. "Hello? Doctor?"

Aaron had sat at his desk sipping his scotch and reading the latest research on Bendii Syndrome. This where he had been for the past few hours and where he planned to be for the next few hours. However, the sound of a new voice entering sick bay both ruined and changed those plans. "For f*s sake." He said to the empty office as he stood and hobbled over to get his cane.

A moment later Aaron stepped into Sick Bay proper and saw a young man there in a red uniform. "The ship is on shore leave. What in the hell could bring you here, we are not under attack or anything of that nature. The Doctor on the station can provide you with prophylactics. So what the hell do you want?"

tag

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Good afternoon doctor. I am here for my onboarding medical so that I may start my duties." He simply watched the doctor. He wondered if Ellard Hansen could out grump this one. "I do not require .... prophylactics as I do not know what they are I do not think I need them. Thank you for letting me know where I can get them should the need ever arise."

Aaron stopped dead in his tracks. The very idea that someone did not know what a contraceptive was amazed him and for the first time in a very long time he stood slack jawed. He was happy that Babe and Thorny were not there to witness it. "Very well..." His voice trailed off as he looked at the newcomer's collar. "...Lieutenant. What is your name? Let me get this over with as quickly as possible so we can both go about our lives." Aaron reached for a medical tricorder from the equipment cart.

"Thank you doctor. That would be appreciated. I am grateful for your speedy efficiency." He walked over and sat on the bio bed. "I am Lieutenant Xavier the new pilot of this fine ship." He placed his Complete works of Sherlock Holmes on the bio bed. "I had brought a book in case this exam grew long. I find that humans tend to talk in these situations. I prefer silence but I shall adhere to your protocol."

Aaron would have been beyond content with silence while he got this done. However, the site of the book piqued his curiosity. "You are a Holmsean. That is something. There is a lot to be said for someone who can follow the puzzles of Sherlock Holmes."

"He is one of my favorites. I must admit that I am not good with change and this," he motioned to the book. "This is a comfort read. Also a favored holodeck program."

"Pah, holodeck program. I don't need any physical representations save for what is in my head. There are not many of us left out there to the best of my knowledge. Fans of Holmes I mean." Aaron continued the scan. But, he was impressed by the young man who liked Holmes. It was rare that Aaron Marcus found himself impressed.

Xavier smiled a little, a rare thing. "The brilliance of Holmes, it is hard to describe and for me no matter how many times I read the stories they pull me in." He flushed green. "I...learned the Violin because of Holmes." He studied the doctor. "You are right. Not many fans but I find that it is because they cannot appreciate the puzzle, the mystery, the sheer poetry within the way the stories are crafted." He shrugged. "May I ask a question? What is your favorite story?"

This pilot became more of an enigma to Aaron the longer that they spoke. "I play the violin and the fiddle for the same reason. As to my favorite story it would be the final one, The Valley of Fear. Moriarty has always been the greatest of villains."

Another smile played at the corners of Xavier's lips. "Oddly The Adventure of the Final Problem and The Valley of Fear are two of my favorites as well. You're right the way Moriarty is portrayed makes him a greatest of villains and I find I was oddly melancholy when The Valley of Fear ended. Holmes vowed to take Moriarty down but we never got to see it. I found their interaction in the Final Problem to be thrilling." He paused. "Despite being on opposite sides I do believe that both Holmes and Moriarty found a deep intellectual stimulation in one another. It was a rivalry but there was a mutual respect of genius in one another. The rivalry was...an obsession for both that I find fascinating. I think that were they not on opposite sides they could have been friends." He flushed green. "I'm sorry I tend to...speak a lot when a topic is of interest to me. My apologies if I have been talking your ear off...I believe that is the right phrase..."

"No apologies needed. You are correct Holmes and Moriarity are like the yin and the yang. You simply cannot have one without the other. There are some Holmes scholars who believe that they may have been the same person. That Holmes may have had split personality. Of course that is only a theory, but imagine for a moment that it were true. Just imagine the possibilities." Aaron closed the scans as he spoke. "Well Lieutenant it seems that you are in good health and fit for duty. I am sure the Lady in Charge will be happy to put the ship into your hands."

Xavier hopped off the bio bed. "Thank you doctor." He paused. "I will be honored to serve with you. I have very much enjoyed speaking with you."

Aaron looked down at the ground and then up at Xavier with a smirk. It had been quite some time since someone said something like that to him and meant it. "You may regret those words Lieutenant. Just keep the course true and we will have plenty of time to discuss Holmes." He nodded and made his way toward his office on his cane. This was as close to a compliment as anyone can get from Aaron.


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Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ontario

&

Lieutenant Xavier
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Ontario

 

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