Time to Move On
Posted on Wed Mar 27th, 2024 @ 12:59am by Lieutenant JG T'Mara
928 words; about a 5 minute read
Starfleet Medical Center – San Fransisco, Earth - 2387
T’Mara arrived at the provider workroom off the 20 bed ICU where her locker and workstation were located. Her attending was already there for the morning shift and the human male strode over to her and gave one of his unnerving smiles and handed her a padd. She glanced down at it, thinking that it was nothing more than her patient assignment for the day, but considered it unusual that Commander Becker would wait around to hand deliver something so inconsequential. Normally it was tossed haphazardly on her desk.
“Well, are you going to look at it or not, Lieutenant?” Becker quipped as he stifled a chuckle. The young Vulcan woman was quite an adept physician, but to deal with her on a personal level was well…exasperating at times.
T’Mara tilted her head slightly in question, but being an obedient soul, did as she was told and opened the padd screen and began to read…it was not today’s patient assignment. She had spent 13 years in preparation for this moment…it was her orders.
USS Moore NCC 6581. A Prometheus class starship, crew compliment on average of 141 personnel. Her designation caused a brow raise…Chief Medical Officer? To be given such a prestigious assignment logically spoke to her skill, intellect, and industry that she had demonstrated through her time in training at the academy. However, she had never managed a sickbay or even served on a starship before. There was obviously some error, here.
Becker had been around T’Mara long enough that he could decipher her micro expressions. She had questions, but as usual, he was going to have to pull it from her. Vulcans.
“You have questions, no doubt.”
There. That should be enough to get T’Mara to open up a little.
“Chief? I have never held a leadership position nor have I ever served on a starship, Commander Becker. I do not have the experience to warrant this position.”
“Why on Earth would you think that?”
T’Mara blinked as she attempted to parse the meaning behind Becker’s statement.
“…I believe that I adequately explained my reasoning.” T’Mara said hesitantly.
Becker rolled his eyes, a non-verbal gesture T’Mara had determined meant frustration at her reply. He often performed such a gesture when communicating with her outside of medically oriented conversations.
“You do not give yourself enough credit. You have been running this surgical ICU for the last 2 years. That is a total of 20 patients, plus cases, managing numerous nurses and other ancillary staff, not to mention the residents working under you. You are perfectly capable of running a sick bay. In fact, I think you might be bored with it for the most part. There will be more yearly physicals and sprained ankles than you’ll know what to do with.”
“I do not get bored. I am—”
“Vulcan. Yes. How could I forget?” Becker interjected with a laugh.
“You worry too much, T’Mara. I recommended you for this posting personally. You’re ready for this.”
T’Mara blinked. She respected Commander Becker. He was an exceptionally proficient surgeon, and his bedside manner was personable and competent. His patients spoke highly of him. The nursing staff ‘loved’ him. The interns and residents were afraid of him…and T’Mara?
“You honor me, Osu.” T’Mara replied solemnly. To receive such an endorsement by one she held in such high esteem filled her with a sensation of warmth that she had no word for if she were tasked to describe it. Feeling appreciated was an all but alien sensation for her.
“I rode you hard, Ensign. It was my job to push you to your limits and further. You took everything I threw at you and came back for more.”
Becker watched her expression smooth out to a blankness that he interpreted as confusion. Why had he ever thought she was unreadable?
“I’m sorry. Too many idioms. I didn’t make your fellowship easy for you. It is important to be efficient and effective under pressure, and you have excelled at it. There is more the learn and grow, obviously, but your performance was…satisfactory.” He tried to keep his face neutral, but after a few seconds he smiled again.
“Your explanation was adequate, Commander Becker. I understand…and I thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, Lieutenant. Thank yourself. You earned your posting. I didn’t give you anything.”
T’Mara nodded and placed the padd in front of her workstation.
“Now. Let’s get to work. We need to re-evaluate 742. The nurses are concerned that his pressure is dropping, and his heart rate is picking up. I’m worried that we’ll have to do another ex-lap on him.”
T’Mara turned back to regard Becker, her expression having returned to ‘all business.’
“I verbalized my concerns last night with the increasing output in the AbThera before the end of our shift.”
“True, you did. I should have listened to you. Why don’t you go get scrubbed in? I’ll go talk with his family and we’ll get him back to the OR. This time you’ll lead.”
“Aye sir.”
Becker smiled again. “For what it’s worth, T’Mara. I’m going to miss you. You’re one helluva surgeon. You are going to be a beast once you’re all grown up.”
He saw her expression shift again and couldn’t help but laugh. “Go get ready. We’ll join you shortly.”
RSS Feed