Everybody Lies

Posted on Wed Mar 13th, 2024 @ 3:55am by Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus & Lieutenant Amanda Rose

1,635 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Standing By
Location: Sick Bay
Timeline: Before Meetings After Midnight

The journey from Starfleet Medical to the USS Ontario was an uneventful one. In fact the only event was Marcus maintaining his calm as to not toss the ever so chipper pilot out the door. As he walked through the corridor of the Ambassador Class ship he thought Sure is an old girl. Hope they can keep this rust bucket together long enough for me to get off.

Rather than meet the Captain, he decided to simply head to Sick Bay. The Captain would know he was there in due time. When he walked in Sick Bay Aaron saw that the place was relatively empty which suited him just fine. He hoped that once he met everyone and spread his illustrious charm everyone would leave. As he approached what was to be his office, he noticed the only senior officer present was a young woman. "Pardon me miss, but you seem to be blocking the cripple's way to his office." His voice oozed sarcasm as he leaned on his cane.

Amanda had only come out of her office because she suspected that Percy might be at his usual tricks. Instead, she found a man who seemed to have a rather negative attitude. He wore blue, which meant that he was likely a doctor. Given his age and the pips, she suspected that he might be the new Chief Medical Officer.

Her auburn locks draped around her shoulders as her hazel eyes darkened. "There is an old saying, 'Doctor, heal thyself.'" She looked at him again and thought back to the way he walked in and decided something was not right about his gait. "But, if you would like, I could accompany you to your office and you can tell me all about it. I am Amanda Rose, Chief Counselor on the Ontario. May I ask who you are?"

"Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus, your friendly country doctor around these parts...." Aaron's voice still oozed with sarcasm. "...But you can call me Doctor. No need to accompany me, I have my friend pogo here." He waved the cane into the air to emphasize his point. He began to limp and lean on his cane as he made his way past her. "In response to your point of heal thyself. If they would have allowed me to do so I would not need this gorram cane."

"Well, you think very highly of yourself, don't you?" Amanda muttered back. "Seems to be contagious on this ship. You'll fit right in," she replied with some wry wit of her own. "Nonetheless, my lot in life seems to care for the hard cases, so I'll keep you company to make sure that you don't trip over your own ego."

"I don't think very highly of myself, I know... Feel free to look my record speaks for itself. As for my ego, the wheelbarrow will be along shortly to help me get it situated. Look, Counselor I am not good company I will never be good company. I believe the Counselors at Starfleet Medical called me a lost cause. Feel free to walk with me, but I doubt you will find friendship or even good company." Aaron paused and reached into the pocket of his lab coat where his pills were. He shunned the hypospray as it was too obvious. He hated taking the pill in front of anyone. But after all the walking since he arrived it could not be avoided. In a quick motion he popped one of the small white pills into his mouth, swallowed and replaced the bottle in his pocket.

Amanda took notice of the doctor taking the pill. She said nothing as she made a mental note to check his file to make certain that this Chief Medical Officer was not taking something that was not prescribed or self prescribed. "There is no such thing as a lost cause," she informed the Doctor. "So perhaps we can talk about getting your scrubs out of your rear end, as well as what you do when you're not patting yourself so hard on the back. That's bound to cause a great deal of pain."

"When I am not patting myself on the back I am looking for more reasons to pat myself on the back. Also, I tend to not wear scrubs. I like to perform surgeries in the nude. Allows for more freedom that way." Aaron exhaled sharply as he stopped walking again. "Listen I know what you are trying to do. I don't want counseling. I don't need counseling. That said, if you would like to be colleagues that is fine. If you want to try to become my friend, I warn you that most people do not hang around long enough to get that title. But, if you are out to treat me and make me your patient, you should leave now."

Was I trying to counsel? I don't think I was. I was stating a truism and then criticizing him. And what is this with doing surgeries in the nude? He's a nutcase! How's that even permitted? Is that even a sterile field that way? I have a lot of research to do. "Actually, you don't know what I was trying to do, because counseling was not on my mind, Doctor. You seem to have a planet sized case of egotism and paranoia, though. We're colleagues, whether you like it or not. Working alone is not an option."

"Working alone is always an option in the medical field. That is unless a consult is needed based on the patient's needs etc." Aaron said as he began to walk toward his office, and finally he arrived at the door. "Counseling was not on your mind and yet you seem to have diagnosed me." He smiled broadly. "You are right though we are going to have to work together at some point, so I guess we should get along. What do you say? You stay out of my lane and I will stay out of yours."

"I don't think that is going to really be possible. As you say, we're going to be working together and I was using egotism and paranoia colloquially. I cannot officially diagnose you with anything until we have appropriate testing, as I'm certain that you know."

Testing that you will never get. Aaron thought. "Yes of course. But like I said leave the medicine to me and I will leave the psychoanalysis to you." The tone in his voice was a sense of finality. As if that was the last time they would be talking about that.

"So, you wish to push me away, like you said that you did to everyone else," the Counselor replied with a firm lip. "I don't think that is going to be an option."

Aaron sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, in fact it is an option. An option that I am more than happy to take. You see we still have free will and right now I am exercising that free will by, as you say pushing you away. So, I am asking that you please take the damned hint."

"I do not believe in lost causes, so, I'm afraid that you will have to endure me longer."

"Very well... For Science! What can I do for you?" Aaron had made the decision mentally that if there was nothing else he would simply enter his office and seal the door.

"You could start by letting down your guard with me," Amanda answered simply. "I'm not an enemy. I'm here to help in any way that I can."

"I appreciate the offer. However, at the moment I am not in need of assistance. May I enter my office now?" Aaron pointed toward the door with his cane. The Counselor was insufferable, and he needed to get away. If he didn't do it now, he felt that she would never let him go.

"I'm not preventing you," Amanda answered sweetly. "Let me ask you a hypothetical question, Doctor, if you encountered an individual that was in clear need of some emergency treatment, because you cleverly recognized all the signs that all other doctors missed, as I'm sure that you would, and the individual said, 'I'm not in need of assistance,' would you let that person suffer?"

Aaron's eyes narrowed, he saw where she went with this line of questioning and he was not about to fall into her trap. "The short answer is yes. People have free will and if they want to suffer then that is their issue. It is not my place, nor is it my want to interfere with what people want. They know I am here, and if they want assistance they know how to get me. Until that time I am content to let people live their lives. Now good day Counselor." Aaron smiled perhaps a little smugly and walked into his office. When the doors swished closed he locked them. For now he wanted to be warned if he were to be disturbed. He expected that was not the last he would see or hear from the Counselor about this.

Something about Aaron's dismissal made Amanda smile. She knew that somehow she won a point. They both knew that he gave an answer to avoid talking the subject because he was to sanctimonious to allow anyone to potentially die on his watch. I'll save you whether you want to be saved or not, Amanda thought towards Aaron. She tapped her lips with a fingernail thoughtfully. "I just need the right strategy," she whispered aloud, before heading back to her office.


Counselor Amanda Rose
Chief Counselor
USS Ontario

Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ontario

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