Reluctant Service

Posted on Tue Oct 20th, 2020 @ 9:06am by Lieutenant Avira zh'Kenarh M.D.

Mission: Mission 3 - 100
Location: NX-05 Atlantis, Sickbay
836 words - 1.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Bell entered Sickbay at a fast walk. "You wanted to see me, Doctor?"

After some redistributing of the sickbay's layout Avira was quite pleased with the more efficient walk routes she had created in the room. She made her way over to Bell and gave her a slight nod, "Two things," she gave Bell a PADD, "please familiarise yourself with the new layout, and storage scheme." She stepped back a bit, standing up straight, antennae joining in by straightening up as well, "second, I need you to... socialise with Sloan."

Kate frowned. "Sorry, who? I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about."

"Surely you know the second officer of this vessel you serve on?" Avira didn't know everyone but she had made a point of it to know at least the senior officers on the ship, in case any of them came in profusely bleeding, "Chief Armoury before he was locked up in the brig?"

"Oh, sorry, I have you now. ... You want me to... Socialize with him? The spy? ... Why, Doctor?"

"Because our department is responsible for the mental and physical health of the crew," Avira quirked an eyebrow at her closest colleague, "solitary confinement is very detrimental to any person and from my studies I've found humans are especially susceptible to this."

"Even Romulans dolled up to look human...?" Bell paused a moment. "I suppose I'd better, though I'm not happy about it."

Avira frowned a bit, "I think it's not quite so simple," she wanted to say it was a lot more fascinating, but elected not to talk in those words about someone that was held in such bad regard, "Mister Sloan is facing an identity crisis beyond what you or I will ever have to endure. There's two personalities, two histories, two distinct men, and they both have equal right to their existence."

"Still... you'd have to admit. It's weird having to cosy up to a man that was sent to this ship to possibly kill us all," Bell insisted.

"That's conjecture, and as said before, we're responsible for the health and wellbeing of the entire crew, that includes mister Sloan." Avira crossed her arms, she didn't want to have this conversation, and she definitely didn't want it to devolve into a fight between the two of them. Their department was small and it was important that they continued to work together closely in order to be successful, "I'm sure I don't have to remind you of the oath you took before you were allowed to put on that uniform." Avira was never pushed to take it herself, and there was already an Andorian equivalent that she had taken many years ago, but she had insisted on taking the United Earth one as well. She had argued that she would be working on their ship, in their department, by their rules.

"He's healthy, I'm not harming him." 'even though he's a duplicitous snake Bell still didn't seem all too pleased with how this conversation was pushing her to socialise with a known infiltrator.

Avira's antennae angled forward as her face froze in a stern look, "I will not accept prejudice to stand in the way of our duties, Ensign," She felt her body tensing up, this was the whole reason she had joined the exchange programme, to take away the prejudice between species, to work together, to accept each and everyone for who they were, "the only thing that gains us is mistrust, anger, and foregone conclusions." It was difficult to express these things in a foreign language, she just wanted to call her something rather nasty in Andorian, it's not like she'd be able to find out what it had meant, "Now you will go to mister Sloan, and you will engage him in social conversation, so that we may build towards his reintegration into this crew, do I make myself clear, Ensign?"

Kate slowly shook her head in disbelief, she didn't get why Avi had chosen this particular hill to die on with her, "I just want yo-..."

"I was expecting a Yes Ma'am." Avira interrupted whatever protestation Kate was about to give.

"But I-..."

"Did I make myself clear, Ensign, or do you need me to repeat myself?" Avira's stern tone of voice and angled antennae remained firmly in place.

"Yes... Ma'am." Kate hadn't seen this side of Avira yet, they had always gotten along rather amicably in the past.

"Dismissed, Ensign," Avira added coldly to end that exchange.

"I just want you to kn-..." Bell tried again but was interrupted once more.

"I said, you're dismissed, Ensign." Avira turned on her heels and made her way back over to the desk in the corner. There was still plenty of documentation and reporting to get through and it was a nice excuse to be able to turn her attention away from the nurse. She heard the sickbay doors close behind her and let out a sigh. She'd have to make up to Bell at some point.

 

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