Meeting new people

Posted on Fri Sep 8th, 2023 @ 10:21pm by Zirvell Khen & Commander Peeq Elyro MD

2,073 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Prelude: Getting Ready to Depart
Location: Sickbay

Despite having a sense of dislike for the place due to having spent a great amount of time there as a patient, Zirvell found himself straying back to sickbay. His innate desire to help seemed to trump his sense of dislike. Additionally, despite his dislike, it was also a place where he had felt safe.

The Cardassian teenager stopped short just after entering the medical facility, openly staring at the creature that walked by. It was very obvious from his reaction that he'd never seen an Elosian before, as he continued to stare, his eyes following the medical officer in a childlike fascination.

Chief Medical Officer Peeq Elyro walked through the Primary Ward of Sickbay checking over the equipment inventory that had been provided by the Corpsman. While the Medical Bay was virtually identical to the complex aboard their former vessel, the Leeds and even the Honshu, there was still some level of unease and the Doctor didn't quite understand why. For all intents and purposes this was no different than any other assignment, yet there was something more to this one.

Maybe Britannic was the key to returning to service with Division 14?

Division 14 was a specialized Starfleet division that handled mysterious scientific or medical-related problems that afflicted personnel. Operating from a Medical Compound on Endicronimas V, Elyro had served on the planet as a Rehabilitative Technician shortly after graduating from the Academy. In some ways the doctor knew that a permanent position at the Farm would have been preferable, but such appointments were highly sought after and Peeq knew that a recent graduate was unlikely to receive such a permanent appointment. Maybe, depending on how things went aboard the Britannic, Elyro would petition for transfer again at some point in the future. At the very least maybe a position on one of the new Osler Class Medical Transports would open that would need a good doctor.

Setting aside the datapad, the Chief Medical Officer noticed that there was a younger person nearby. Turning, "Can I help you?"

"Uhm..." Shyly, the boy inched closer. "Who are you?" He asked uncertainly, "what are you?" He continued to stare at the orange-ish skinned man. "Are you a doctor?"

"Why I'm Commander Peeq Elyro," the Chief Medical Officer said as he rose to his full height, "and I'm an Edosian. What are you?"

The young Cardassian blinked in surprise. "I'm a Cardassian," he replied, his eyes never leaving the man before him. "I'm Zirvell. Are you a doctor?" He asked again. There was a certain pride in his voice when he stated who and what he was, but overall his uncertainty was evident. He hadn't straightened when he spoke, but his bearing also had a sense of ease as if he felt at home here.

Grabbing his Medical Tricorder with his right hand, the Edosian pulled the hand medical scanner from its berth within the device with his central hand and approached the young Cardassian. Engaging a scanning sequence he spoke, "Indeed I am, Zirvell, are you ill or injured? What brings you to Sickbay?" His left hand was typing on the keypad of the Tricorder as he questioned.

The boy watched in fascination and it took a few seconds before he realized he'd been spoken to. "No sir, I'm not injured," he answered politely, "I'm looking for something useful to do." His yes never left the man as he spoke. "I was injured before but I'm fine now. You can see my record sir." Though since he was a minor, additional permission would need to he extended by his guardian. "I asked the prior doctor if I could help but she wasn't...pleasant. I just want to be useful sir."

The Doctor closed the Tricorder and put the hand scanner back into its holder as he looked at the young Cardassian. "I see, Mister Zirvell. I suppose one of the fundamental tenets of all civilization is the desire to be useful. It's what led Humanity to the stars and led the Federation to be focused more on reputation than currency." He crossed his arms as he considered the next steps, "So, what exactly can you do?"

"Just Zirvell sir," the boy offered, "back home i scavenged for food sir, and shared it with those that needed it more. I don't know what else I can do, but I can learn?" He was eager to prove he wasn't like other Cardassians, as obviously he heard crew talk. And most of all he wanted to prove he wasn't anything like his birth father.

"You had to scavenge for food?" The Edosian asked incredulously, picking up on the wrong part of the statement. The tall doctor shifted his weight between his three legs, "It is very noble and brave that you were willing to share what little you had with others over yourself."

The boy nodded slowly. "Yeah... there was not enough power to run all the replicators after most people fled the colony. And surely a nursing mother needed it more than I did?" He couldn't help but stare as the doctor shifted on his legs, finding it just slightly unsettling. He reached for the floppy bunny he seemed to have brought from his quarters, staring at it for a moment as he didn't usually carry it around outside his quarters. He toyed with one of the long ears. "I was left behind, like many others."

The Edosian searched his memory about the Cardassians, having become well acquainted with them during the Dominion War and his assignment to the battlefields. Cardassians were a fairly family oriented culture with strong ties and heredity a constant reminder of who they were and where they were going. That was, however, not always true of those who lacked parents. The Cardassians often threw them away like trash, best not to be thought about. It was disgusting. Peeq glanced down at the rabbit and spoke in a friendly tone, "So, who's this?"

"Uhm..." Zirvell fidgeted with the bunny. "It doesn't have a name sir," he finally confessed, "but it helps me when I'm stressed. It's..." He looked up, feeling flustered. "I got it when the captain took me in. I couldn't sleep at night. I'm told I'm too old for this...am I too old? I never had a bunny..."

The Edosian glanced at the stuffed bunny before answering the young Cardassian before him. "That is not within my purview to decide, my young friend. The only person who would be able to determine if you're too old for something is you. Do you feel that you're too old?"

Zirvell nodded. "I think so, but it helps me feel less stressed. It offers something I've never felt before. But the whispers, they hurt. I can tell people hate Cardassians."

"Most people aren't as cultured as they may believe themselves to be. Take, for example, the Cardassians and the citizens that live there. Some may have difficulty with relating to a Cardassian right now because of their experiences during the war, but not everyone looks at the galaxy in the same way. I served during the Dominion conflict and can tell you that I never once saw a Cardassian, a Human, a Bajoran during the fighting. I saw people, that is the reality of life. People are inherently different."

"You're a doctor," the boy countered, "aren't you supposed to treat everyone equally?"

The Doctor checked details on a datapad that he'd picked up, "That is the ideal, but people sometimes can't live up to them."

"So you would refuse to treat someone you don't like?" Zirvell shook his head "I wouldn't," he vowed, "if I were a doctor, I'd help everyone. Because everyone deserves to be helped, no matter what." It was perhaps the idealism of a traumatized child, but it was really how he felt even if he had no idea yet about what to do with his life.

"That's not what I meant," Peeq answered. "I, personally, have resolved myself to maintain the honor of my profession and help those who are injured. There are some, however, who are not as honorable and don't share my sentiment." He set back aside the PADD, having reviewed the contents while they were talking over things. He glanced at one of the orderlies, "You can arrange for the transition of this equipment to the Hospital Pod when you are ready."

"Then they're not suitable for what they do," the boy all but spat, "isn't the creed first do no harm?" He had read that somewhere, though he couldn't remember where. He forced himself to smile. "I'm glad you're not one of them. Can I see the hospital pod? Is it different from this place?"

The Edosian shook his head, "You misunderstand me again. We don't have the luxury to deal in absolutes in this galaxy. If we do we are truly destined for nothing but failure. Things are not always necessarily black and white, but it takes time to learn that."

Like most of his species, Peeq was able to compartmentalize what he was doing so that he could work on multiple projects at the same time. Sometimes though he got ahead of himself and missed reminders as he was working on other things, one of which was the question that Zirvell had asked. "I haven't, personally, visited the Hospital Pod yet as it has its own Chief Medical Officer working there. I focus here, on this Sickbay," he motioned with his central arm toward his domain.

The boy seemed briefly disappointed. "Is it okay if I stay here?" He then asked, "I won't be in your way, I promise. I'll find some quiet corner to do my homework..."

"You know most people try to avoid their doctor's office," Peeq said with the closest thing he could as a laugh. "It's uncommon for me to find someone so interested in medicine. Most are more interested in piloting the ship, fighting other ships, keeping the ship in operational condition. It's a nice change of pace. Why though? Why stay here when there are so many more interesting places aboard the Britannic?"

"Because it's safe here," the boy answered softly, "I don't get stares or whispers. And I want to learn how to help people, properly. Please sir, I won't be in your way... and my schoolwork won't suffer, I promise." He cast the alien doctor a look of near desperation as he begged for permission to stay. "I'll tell the captain where to find me...I.." he hesitated. "He's my... caretaker."

"Sickbay is not a classroom though," he paused after saying it, thinking carefully about the situation that Zirvell had been through in his lifetime, and the tenacity of the words that the young Cardassian had shared. Sickbay was safe to him. That was probably something that he'd rarely, if ever, felt. Doctor Elyro nodded in silent agreement to allow Zirvell to stay. Inwardly he made notes in his head to look into the history of the child further and to speak with the Captain about his desire to be more involved with medical. "You can stay, just avoid going into the hospital pod."

"Thank you sir," Zirvell answered gratefully, "and I won't go near the pod without permission or supervision. I don't want to get into trouble again for going somewhere I'm not allowed to." He bit his lip, looking down at his feet. "That is, I now know where I can't go, I didn't before." The incident with the shuttle that had accidentally launched was still fresh in his mind. "Can you, perhaps later when you're not busy, show me how a tricorder works? Not now...but ..later? Or maybe a dermal regenerator?"

Peeq did his closest approximation of a smirk at the request from the Cardassian, "I'll see what I can do, but some things I would need to Captain's approval to pursue."

"I understand sir," the younger man answered, "he's my guardian, he'd need to approve anyway."

"Very well then," the alien doctor stood to his full height. "Is there anything else that I can do for you at the moment?"

The boy shook his head. "No sir.. I'll just go find a quiet corner and do my homework. Thank you for your time."

Doctor Elyro nodded, "Feel free to use one of the workstations to complete your studies. I will be in my office should you need me."

 

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