Tour: Sickbay

Posted on 19 Mar 2025 @ 9:38pm by Lieutenant Commander Kennedy Monroe M.D. & Commodore Harvey Geisler

1,494 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Bait and Switch
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: June 29, 2390 || 0845 hours

As was common for the first morning of a new mission, Harvey took it upon himself to tour the vessel, stopping by each of the major locations aboard the ship and check in with his senior staff. This leg of the journey brought him to Sickbay. Now that they were more than a day away from Gavara, and all of the wounded and extra personnel offloaded, he was certain the medical staff was enjoying a reprieve, even if they all knew they had little choice but to remain on standby until the next red alert.

He entered sickbay and started to look around for Doctor Monroe, hoping to find her close by.

Harvey didn't have to look far. Kennedy was facing an empty biobed, a stack of med kits and supplies easily visible on its surface. So lost was she in her inventory review, she barely registered the footsteps approaching her. "We could use some more preloaded painkiller hypos."

"Bicaridine? Metroapan?" Harvey found himself instantly asking, naming some general analgesics from memory. "Or are you looking for something stronger like neurozine?"

Of course Kennedy wasn't expecting the Captain to answer, but she was more surprised than mortified. Monroe knew Geisler was a doctor and she decided to tease him in good fun. Turning to face him, her eyes sparkling, she said, "The first three, actually, sir, though I doubt you carry those with you at this stage of your career. Unless you're a magician, that is?"

He smirked, "I am a magician of sorts." Though he was not carrying those supplies personally, he knew exactly where to find them. The pharmaceutical dispensary was close by, so he stepped up to the control panel. A moment later, he returned to Doctor Monroe with a tray of vials. "There's four of each of those here. But I don't have the hypos themselves."

Kennedy watched Harvey head to the dispensary, a hand covering her mouth in mock surprise. Monroe already felt a kinship with him because of their shared background as healers, but interacting with him personally and watching him pitch in like any member of staff, herrespect for him grew deeper. Meeting his eyes as he set the tray down, she offered a sincere "thank you" before adding, "I'd give you the hypos too, but I have a feeling my boss is watching and I don't want him to think I'm slacking."

"Well," he said, picking up a vial and handing it to Kennedy for the kit she was working on, "I won't tell if you don't. But..." he transitioned with a chuckle, "this is a good time to ask. How are the doldrums? I hate that lately it's been busy for you down here. And it seems... really quiet in sickbay."

"Honestly, the quiet hasn't been unwelcome given how intense things were following Unity," Kennedy replied. "I think the staff is still processing all they did to manage that chaos now that we have had some time to regroup. My goal is to connect with others more outside this place, but for now, I figure the least I can do is roll up my sleeves and help get us re-set."

The Commodore nodded, recalling how busy sickbay could get, especially during moments of disaster. "And one can only hope that it stays that way. If only that was something I could promise. But it's very possible that this situation could be the greatest and most dangerous we've ever faced."

Kennedy didn't know Harvey well, but she didn't have to be a close friend or longtime colleague to notice the emotional burden behind his words. No one got to become a captain by disregarding the welfare of his crew, but not every commanding officer was as open with his feelings or as genuine. "I can only imagine what it's like to carry this kind of responsibility when it's obvious you care so much about the crew. Would it be impertinent of me to ask how you're doing in light of everything that has happened and what could happen?"

Perhaps it was the coffee. Perhaps it was the fatigue. Regardless of the reason, Harvey found his response to be more blunt than he would have liked. "Is it wrong to say that I think I'm a little desensitized? I have seen so much death and destruction since the war, and that was only fifteen years ago. I've gone from asking myself when I wake up 'What dangers await today?' to 'What must I do for us all to survive today?' Don't get me wrong. I love a good mystery. I just don't like it when so many people suffer because of them."

"I'm glad to hear that. I would've thought you were a psychopath if you did," she responded with a small smile. More seriously, she added, "I wouldn't say you were desensitized, sir. You care about us and don't see us as expendable, which tells me you haven't lost any sensitivity where it counts. Perhaps you're a bit more wary than you are eager, but I think that makes sense given all you and the crew have been through, and is sign of wisdom and experience in my book. There's also no doubt tragedy and trauma require us to compartmentalize to survive, at least as a temporary means of coping. There comes a time when we all need space to drop the armor, you know?"

Harvey chuckled at the mention of the word psychopath. He never would have considered himself one; although times like this made him wonder if the great bird fit the description instead. "And such a time is overdue. I can only hope that when it all is over, that the dust can settle and we can actually do something I haven't been a part of in years, and that's a bit of true exploration. Well, exploration without some unexpected turns." With a smile, he then nodded at Kennedy. "Thank you, Doctor. With advice like that, one would wonder if you could be a counselor in another life."

Kennedy smiled and assumed a mocking Superwoman stance. "I'm told as a senior medical officer, I'm supposed to be like a Girl Scout of the galaxy: Prepared for anything! When all of this is over, perhaps we can talk about creating space to drop the armor, whether or not Starfleet deems us fit to do some actual exploration, huh?"

A gentle laugh came from the Commodore, surprised at the doctor's improvised stance. He was actually quite impressed that, amidst all of their recent strife, at least one person on board who used humor to keep themselves going. "When this is over, I believe we shall."

Kennedy was glad she could put Harvey at ease by making him laugh. With all he had on his shoulders, she was happy to provide him even a moment of pleasure and distraction. Considering his words for a moment, the doctor grew thoughtful. "As you said, sir, it doesn't look like we're going to be getting a break anytime soon. I fear if we wait until something is over, we will be waiting for a long time. I'd like to do something, or perhaps several things, to support morale, but at the moment, you know these people, particularly your senior staff, better than I do. Any suggestions from one doctor to another about how I can help them without sounding like a Starfleet after Academy special?"

"Honestly?" Harvey asked in reply. He took a moment to consider a full response. Some of his senior staff he'd known for several years. Others, it felt like he'd known them for years as well, even though they'd only been together for a month. And other faces were still very fresh and very new. "I think offering help would be a turn off. I'd suggest just start to getting to know them. Be present and engaged. I think as you do, you'll find ways to be of help."

Kennedy nodded. It was a fair answer and not unexpected, but a small part of her was hoping for an answer that required less patience. "It is what I desire most," she offered simply. "In the meantime, thank you, sir, for seeking me out. I hope to get out a bit more now that things have even temporarily calmed down."

"If there's one thing I've learned," Harvey said, "it's to take advantage of the lulls. You never know when they're coming, and you always miss them when they're gone. As such, Doctor, I'll take my leave so you can make the best of the one we have now." With a swift nod, the Commodore dismissed himself and departed sickbay, leaving the good doctor to continue her restocking efforts unimpeded.

Kennedy took a moment to smile as she watched Geisler go. She appreciated a commanding officer who would take time like this to connect with his people. She hoped to follow his example.

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