The Real Situation

Posted on Fri 28th Apr, 2023 @ 2:02am by Elizabeth Anderson M.D. & Lieutenant Commander Cadence Marshall

1,214 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Neither Yours Nor Mine
Location: Brown Sector, Dr. s'Siedhri's Clinic
Timeline: MD 1, 1600

Navarra took everything in as she, Dr. Marshall, and Cowley made their way through Brown Sector to get to Dr. s'Seidhri's clinic.

"Remind me, Dr. Marshall, what are your staffing numbers for Brown Sector alone?" Navarra knew the answer to the question, but she wanted to let the doctors with her answer, to let them ask for anything they wanted or needed, and to make them more comfortable being in Brown Sector.

Cade took a moment to answer, merely because he'd been in awe of where he was. Looking around, he saw much need, but he also saw pride and community. This was actually a lovely place if you looked past the surface. "Ma'am. I have two doctors and four nurses dedicated to assisting in Brown Sector, but I'm looking at it and ... I'm sure we could use another two doctors to assist and possibly two more techs and nurses." He looked around again. "Brown Sector is definitely understaffed for the number of people I see here."

Ensign Cowley was observing as carefully as the new CMO as they walked briskly through the area near the Romulan doctor's clinic. He'd been in the Sector before, but he hadn't spent a great deal of time there. What he'd read about it sounded fascinating, and what he saw was interesting. He determined he would come back in his free time and explore some. He knew they didn't have a dedicated police force, but maybe they didn't need one. Maybe refugees were self-policing people. Having lost at least one home, and sometimes more, maybe they didn't want to lose what they had here.

Matthew spoke up before Captain Navarra could say anything. "If we want to set up a Starfleet presence here, maybe a benign one like a medical clinic would be a place to start."

"I think a clinic might be a good idea," Cade agreed out loud. "But, I think we should let the doctor down here dictate and run the whole thing." He added, "I know that I would resent a crew of medical staff coming in and taking over where I had already established a rapport with the people." He was thinking about a rotation of his staff that included a daily shift in Brown Sector. He'd ask for volunteers first, but adding it to the shift rotation would help him budget his personnel.

Matthew made notes for the captain, as he waited for her to comment on Dr. Marshall's thoughts. He could understand what the doctor meant, because he would also hate to have someone come in and start rearranging all the organization he had put in place while waiting for the new commander.

Navarra walked and took in everything she was seeing. "How long have things been this way? And more importantly, why?" The captain looked over at Dr. Marshall and the contingent of health workers walking with her.

"If you mean the lack of involvement with Starfleet down here, I may have some answers for you, Ma'am," the ensign said. "I've been reading the history of this place, in preparation for your coming. I had a feeling things would need to change a little here, because we haven't followed Starfleet regulations and ways with these decks."

At Navarra's nod, he continued, "Largely, it's a function of our turning the base over to Civilians during the Dominion War, but not entirely. When Starfleet took control of the base again, certain ... laxities, I suppose you could say, had crept into relationships between the people who lived here, and the people who lived in the main part of the base. The refugees had gained a lot of independence and autonomy, learned to look out for themselves, and liked not having Starfleet - or the civilians, either - in control of their home here.

"I don't know this for a fact, but what I speculate is that the people here, without ever having political parties or legal representation or other ways of dealing with outside groups, came to do things a certain way, and those ways they developed created a certain ... unwieldiness, a certain ... maze of ways to deal with those outside of this sector. When Starfleet took over, there were a lot of things that needed doing, and what was here was working well, so ..." Matthew shrugged, "that's how things have mostly stayed. We're more involved than the civilians were, but we haven't fully taken on the responsibility for the people here. And I might add, I don't think they want us to do so. They haven't facilitated that kind of conversation with anyone."

Navarra paused for a moment and looked at the ensign. "Well, to be quite frank, Ensign, it isn't their choice. This is a Starfleet Starbase and there are regulations that must be followed. I know things were different during the war but, thankfully, those times are over, and it is high time that we bring things back into standing order."

Cade was still looking around. "The medical facilities could be brought up to Starfleet standards pretty easily," He thought out loud as he was both answering his Commander's statement as well. "We'd have to requisition the updated equipment, instruments and bio-beds...And get the input from their medical team of course." He realized he'd just done what he said he didn't want to do by making plans for the clinic without consulting the Medical doctor who'd been running it all along.

Navarra looked over at Cowley. "Ensign, make note of the Lt. Commander's recommendation. Dr. Marshall, I want you to coordinate with their medical team and find out what they need and what they want. I don't see any good doctor turning down needed equipment. This is still a Starbase facility, and I at least want medical running at Starfleet standard."

Matthew had already started noting what the doctor said. He looked between the two officers and said, tentatively, "You know, there is another private doctor down here. She used to be Starfleet, but is a civilian with her main office in Tivoli Gardens now, near the River Walk, and a branch down here. She has dual certification in medical and in counseling, but does only counseling now. She might have some insights we could use."

'Would this be Dr. Elizabeth Anderson?" Navarra asked.

"I was reading her personnel record before I arrived on the Starbase." Navarra said as she continued to soak in her environment. "Would she be willing to step up a little more? Maybe even be willing to make a career comeback if needed?" Navarra looked over to Cowley.

"I don't know, Ma'am. You'd have to ask her. Did you notice the ..." he glanced at Dr. Marshall, not sure of his clearance. Still, he was a department head and medical knew a lot of secrets, so it should be high, so he continued, with barely a pause, "tags on her file? They seem to go to Starfleet intelligence, as well as medical."

"Ensign." Navarra called. "Pull up the doctor's record, specifically the contract she has going with Starfleet. I want to know the gist of it."

"Aye, aye, Ma'am," he replied, recognizing an order when he heard it. "It will take me a minute to load the relevant sections, since her record is long and involved."

 

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