Checking on the wounded

Posted on 12 May 2009 @ 11:38am by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal & Colonel Stadi Andrus

854 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: M2: Aggressive Negotiations
Location: Sick bay
Timeline: prior to 'Returning Home'

Da`nal had left the assembled officers at the brig to deal with Nniol. His anger flashed at the mere thought of the man. Stepping into sick bay he saw bothe the Doctor and the EMH tending to those in need. Walking up to the biobed she was at he looked down at the crewman lying there as she treated what look like a burn from a ruptured EPS conduit or relay.

"Feeling better?"

"Much better sir....thank you."

Looking up to the Doctor, "What are our casualties doctor?"

"Second degree burns." She nodded to the crewman. "One seriously lacerated arm, a concussion, three broken bones...no major casualities. All the rest are quite minor and I have sent them back to work until the crisis is over."


Da`nal was pleasently surprised. "Thats good to hear. Do you need any assistance?"

"Perhaps finding me a full staff would be nice...or perhaps someone besides the EMH?" She replied.

Da`nal could see the EMH straighten at her comment, but he continued his work. "A full staff will have to wait. As to the EMH, was his program damaged or is he not capable? He's a Mark 5 program if I'm not mistaken, thus he should be state of the art."

"It isn't that Captain...pleas can we talk in my office?" She asked leaving the EMH and the scared ensign treating the last of the wounded.

Motioning towards her office he followed her in. Catching the programs glance in there direction as they walked off. Once in her office, "So whats the problem?"

"The problem is that when Dr. Bailey Brashares asked me to rejoin Starfleet she promised me a full staff in my sickbay. Sickbay was a mess when I arrived and trying to get the EMH to do anything was like pulling teeth from an angry warthog. I need people here Captain. We were lucky this time, we were not overwhelmed by injuries, had we been, we could of lost members of this crew due to negligence. I am not prepared to send a family a data stream to inform them that their son or daughter died because my sickbay was not fully staffed!"

Talar always said her temper would one day get her into trouble with a superior officer and it looked like today she might have just done that. She would not backdown from this though. She would not see good Starfleet personnel die because she was understaffed.

He knew a several medical officers that would have said the same thing, on in particular. "I don't know what you were promised Doctor, but ever department on this ship is either short handed or operating below capacity in some form or another. We didn't even have torpedo launchers until a short tim ago so spare me your whining! In battle you you make do with what you have, and until we get back to the station to get you that staff, you will just have to make do. You have a fully functional, top of the line EMH that is programmed to carry out ny medical procedure needed. If he refused to do something it was probably outside his program! Now you have patience to see to, an Ensign that was taken captive, and injured Romulan Ambassador that I will want check out upon their arrival. I expect you to do your duty...like everyother member of this crew. Is that clear?"

"I have never not done my duty as a doctor Captain. I will do my best to treat any and all injuries that the Ambassador and the Ensign may have."

Da`nal turn to leave and stopped at the door turning. "And if anyone dies under my command it will be MY responsibility to contact their family...regardless of the circumstance of that death." Turning once again he headed out into the sick bay.

"Yes sir." It had happened more than once that she was the one that had to inform a family of a death. It looked like this captain had more balls than the one that made her tell the families.

Stopping as he heard her reply, he looked back over his shoulder. "If I may ask....why did you assume that task would fall to you. That is a commanding officers duty."

"Because the task fell on me when my commanding officer refused to do it."

Turning to face her fully, the distain he felt for such an officer was clear by the expression on his face. "Then he was a coward and failed in his duty. The contacting of next of kin is the responsibility of command, you should not have had to bare that burden."

"He was. Thank you Captain."

Da`nal was about to make another comment when I was notified that their 'guests' were ready to beam aboard. Tapping his commbadge, "Understood, I will meet them in the transporter room."

Nodding to the doctor. "If you'll excuse me. Oh anf when we return to the station I will see to filling your staff."

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Lt Cmdr Da`nal
CO

Lt Hemmingway
CMO

 

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