That Can't Be Right (JP x2)

Posted on Sat 24th Sep, 2016 @ 3:40am by Lieutenant Commander Lanis Dhuro MD
Edited on on Sat 24th Sep, 2016 @ 9:20pm

1,531 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Prologue
Location: Dhuro's Quarters, Sickbay, and Dr. Addams' Office
Timeline: 09151.7
Tags: dhurolanis, Addams, Thing

ON:

Dhuro Lanis drummed the fingertips of his right hand lightly against his thigh and shifted the duffel bag on his left shoulder as he waited to board Starbase Vanguard. After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the front of the line. Lanis went to attention, saluted the Federation flag, and then saluted the Officer of the Day. "I request permission to come aboard, Ma'am. Lt. Dhuro Lanis reporting for duty." He handed the OOD the PADD containing his orders, which she confirmed before returning his PADD to him.

The OOD smiled. "All seems in order. Welcome aboard, Lieutenant Dhuro."

Well, at least she had gotten his surname right. So many non-Bajorans messed it up. "Thank you," Lanis replied with a nod and headed for the station entrance.

He had only ever been on Terok Nor and a Regula-class space station before; Vanguard was orders of magnitudes larger than Langley. Lanis gave a low whistle as he got his first real sense of the interior size of the starbase. How much must it cost to maintain life support for this behemoth, he wondered? Being accustomed to living in cramped quarters for much of his life, the amount of unused space that met his eye seemed almost wasteful to him.

This aspect of living among Federation people had been the most difficult for him to get used to, Lanis thought. The Federation oozed wealth and an unconscious love of comfort that still shocked him at times, even though he had been part of Starfleet for almost twenty years by now. He had spent most of his life sleeping either in a barracks or in tiny family quarters. Sharing his dorm room at the Academy with only one other medical student had stunned him. It had seemed like unimaginable luxury. Having an entire cabin to himself as a lieutenant surprised him further.

By now, he was more used to it. When he reached his new quarters, whose size was more than adequate, he only gave a momentary sigh of pleasure mingled with disapproval of the excess space. He hung up and put away his clothing, unpacked his cast-iron teapot, and then arranged his desk.

"Computer, who is the Chief Medical Officer or OIC of Sickbay at Starbase Vanguard?"

The computer chimed back at him and replied in the usual female voice that all Federation computers seemed to use, "The Chief Medical Officer of Starbase Vanguard is Lt. Commander Dr. Chlamydia Addams, MD."

Lanis blinked. "I must not have heard that right. Repeat the name."

"Lt. Commander Dr. Chlamydia Addams, MD," the computer voice repeated.

"Chlamydia," Lanis echoed. "As in, the disease?"

"The spelling is consistent with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis," the computer responded, "an obligate intracellular parasite pathological to humanoids."

"Obviously," Lanis drawled. "So how is it that this doctor is here on Starbase Vanguard and not serving prison time for the absolutely-justified slow murder of both of her parents?"

The computer paused for at least 15 seconds before coming back with, "Insufficient data provided to answer this query. No penal incarceration records exist for query subject Chlamydia Addams."

"Coward," Lanis shot back.

"Comment does not compute," the computer voice said.

Lanis snorted. "You keep telling yourself that." He continued. "Compose a message to Dr. Addams as follows: Dr. Addams, I have just boarded Starbase Vanguard and am ready to report for duty at your convenience. Please advise. Sign it Lt. Dhuro Lanis MD."

"Done. Message sent," the computer told him.

"Excellent," Lanis said. "Now, do you think you could rustle me up some ginger tea and hasperat? I like it spicy."

* * *

The Corpsman at the desk inside the main doors of Sickbay looked up as Dhuro entered. "Good morning, Doctor," he said. "Doctor Addams told me to expect you." He pointed at the corridor to his right. "Just follow the sound of the violin, sir."

Lanis furrowed his brows at the word and then remembered that it was the name of a Terran musical instrument. "Thank you," he said and took the corridor to his left. The music emanated from behind the third door on his right, and Lanis realized that it sounded as if it were being played live rather than being a recording. He hoped he wasn't disturbing the CMO during her lunch. On the other hand, she was the CMO and could see him whenever she wanted, and she apparently wanted to see him now. With that concern resolved, Lanis pressed the chime.

The sound of the violin ceased, and a moment later, a woman's contralto voice called, "enter freely, and of your own will!"

Lanis paused and then chuckled in amusement. He stepped in range of the door sensors, and the office door hissed open.

A woman stood behind the desk. She was unusually tall for a Human, dressed in the black and blue uniform of Starfleet Medical. Her hair was flowing black silk, worn long and unbound, which was certainly against regulations. She held a wooden, stringed instrument in her left hand and the bow in her right. She studied Dhuro for a moment, taking in the ridges on his nose, the pendant earring in his right ear. "Doctor Dhuro, I presume?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Lanis stepped inside Addams' office so the door could close behind him. He nodded at her violin. "Nice playing. I'm not a terribly good judge, but I enjoyed listening to it."

He had never seen a humanoid so pale and wondered if she had spent her entire life onboard ships or starbases. She was also taller than he, which surprised him. "Do you use that as a meditation or relaxation technique, or are you part of a musical group on the base?"

"It does help me think," she said, turning away from him to set the instrument on a stand. "Tell me, Dr. Dhuro, are you familiar with the Terran mythological figure The Devil?" She turned back and sat, gesturing at the chair across the desk from herself in invitation. "He is depicted as the Divine Adversary, the embodiment of wickedness. In many traditions, he is depicted as a violin player. I suppose the comparison amuses me."

That was an odd question, Lanis thought. "Mm...Something like the Pah-Wraiths of the Fire Caves, isn't it?" he said. "I'm afraid I didn't research much in the way of Terran religious beliefs while I was on Earth. I was too buried in med school assignments." He considered her for a moment as he took the seat she gestured for him to use. She had graceful, thin, long-fingered hands. "You don't look anything like a Pah-Wraith, so I don't plan to worry. Play on."

Addams inclined her head slightly in acquiescence. "Ah," she said, "but where are my manners? I am Doctor Addams -- Chlamydia Addams, of the New York Addamses."

"Dhuro Lanis of the Rakantha Province Dhuros," Lanis said. "If I may be so rude as to ask--Why did your parents name you after a disease?"

Addams smiled slightly. "A pathogen, actually," she answered. "Have you ever looked at Chlamydia? They're quite lovely. Perfectly adapted to their life cycle... they even carry their own RNA transcriptase inside their elementary bodies." She looked like she was about to say more, but motion on her desk attracted her attention. What had appeared to be an anatomical model of a male human hand stretched its fingers, stood on its fingertips, and walked across the desk to a PADD. It tapped its index finger on the PADD. "Ah, thank you, Thing," Addams said, picking up the PADD.

"Mm, you're right--a pathogen," Lanis said. "As for being lovely...depends on what color they're stained. I like them best stained purple. I will say they're prettier than gonorrhea, which looks positively scary under a microscope."

Lanis had not paid any attention to the anatomical hand model--until it moved. He blinked and then stared as it seemed to point out something on a PADD to Addams. "Does it play the violin, too?" he asked, glancing at it.

"No," Addams answered, sounding distracted as she glanced at the PADD. "But sometimes, the harpsichord." She looked up from the PADD. "You have an impressive resume in trauma care, Doctor. More surgical experience than I have, myself. How would you feel about serving as chief surgeon here?"

Lanis blinked in surprise and then paused to consider the position and its responsibilities for a moment. "All right," he said. "It's likely to be more staff than I've supervised before, but I'm up for it. Thank you for the offer, Dr. Addams."

"You've earned it, and more," Addams responded, setting the PADD back on the desk. "See the Corpsman at the desk for authorization codes and instructions to the Surgical Suites. Let me know if there's anything you need."

"I'll go do that," Lanis said. "Once I have the codes, I'll read over the surgeons' personnel files and get a feel for what we have to work with. I'll do informal rounds this afternoon, to meet the patients, and then we'll go from there."

OFF

Lt. Commander Chlamydia Addams, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Starbase Vanguard

Lt. Dhuro Lanis, MD
Chief Surgeon
Starbase Vanguard

 

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