Office Hours

Posted on Sat 9th Dec, 2017 @ 3:41am by Lieutenant Anjohl Gaden MD

810 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: A Phaser as Deadly as a Candlestick
Location: Sickbay, Deck 4
Timeline: MD 3, 1200

Anjhol had woke around 0430 and been unable to go back to sleep. No matter how much he tossed and turned, no matter how much he tried to relax. He was wide awake. An hour or so later he gave up on the idea of getting any more rest. He got out of bed, showered, shaved and headed to sickbay reliving that Gamma shift doctor, who was more than glad to be able to leave a couple of hours early.

The Bajoran sat at the reception desk in the waiting room, pulled out his PADD and began to look through it.

---

Once they were on Deck 4, off the turbolift, Anthony set his daughter down to walk, taking her small hand in his large one. She grew quiet as they neared the door of Sickbay.

"There's nothing to be scared of, Arabella. You know I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you," her father said.

"I know," her sweet little voice said, with only a minor tremor. Anthony wondered what had happened to make her so afraid of doctors, and vowed to ask Janetta later. They approached the doors, which slid open automatically, and entered Sickbay.

Anjohl had just set the leg of an overly enthusiastic seventeen-year-old would be gymnast who dismounted off the pommel horse drastically wrong and moved onto the next patient. When he saw the man and the small girl, whom he assumed was his daughter, he paused, almost freezing in place before recovering. "Yes," he asked, "how are you two doing. Which one is going to be my patient today?"

Bella's eyes grew round as she looked at the tall Bajoran. Everyone was tall to her. She gripped her father's hand tightly, and said tentatively, "Me?"

Tony smiled and said, "My daughter needs a physical for school. She's a little nervous about it, so I'm asking you not to give her any sprays if that's okay."

Anjohl's childhood had been less than pleasant, it was what drove him to a career in medicine. He'd seen too many children that never made it to Bella's age, the Cardassians weren't the most gentle people in the universe. Seeing her didn't give him flashbacks, but it did make him feel a little awkward.

He managed a wan smile as he looked first at her, then at her father. He started to explain that shots didn't really hurt, not like the ancient Terran ones when needles were actually used but stopped himself from a history lecture. "Well, I don't know if the school requires any vaccinations, but how about today we just focus on getting the physical done and no sprays. How does that sound?"

Arabella nodded and said, "Good. Do you hab lollipots?" She looked around Sickbay with interest, now that she knew she wouldn't have to deal with her fear. "Back home, when I good, the doctow gibs me a lollipot. I like green ones best," she confided, stepping closer to the doctor.

Kudos to you, Doc! Anthony thought. I had no clue what sprays were, and you knew instantly. Plus, she's moving closer to you of her own accord. Way to go!

Gaden scratched his head not quite sure what to do next. He saw the little girl moving closer to him so he smiled a little wider. At first, it was forced, he'd never really been good around children, but then it turned more natural, "Well, I'm not sure where they keep the lollipops, but I tell you what. If you're brave and all, we'll go looking for them when we're done, and I'll let you pick one for each of us."

Bella smiled like angel. "Awight. I be bwave." She turned to Anthony. "You stay, Daddy. The doctow take care ob me good." Turning back, she put her hand up for the doctor's as if it were the most natural thing in the world that he would take it and lead her wherever they needed to go. He was now part of her trust circle. "Do you hab a wittle gull like me?" she asked him.

It took Gaden about three seconds for him to realize what Bella was doing and what she wanted him to do, but then he quickly reacted and reached down taking her hand. "No," he said, "I don't have any children." Then looking at Tony as he started walking with the toddler he said, "Coming?"

Anthony laughed. "You heard her, Doctor Gaden. Daddy stays here. We don't mess around when the Princess issues an order."

"He be awight," Arabella assured the doctor. "He stay out ob trouble most times."

Her last remark brought a genuine chuckle from the Bajorn, "Well if you're sure he can behave, we'll let him stay behind. He led her to bio bed that was in an alcove and pulled out his tricorder.

 

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