Wanna be CMO

Posted on Sat Nov 6th, 2021 @ 12:21am by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Ships Doctor Hiram Maitland M.D.
Edited on on Thu Dec 9th, 2021 @ 10:11am

Mission: Mission 14: Holoworld
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD 02 20:00
1808 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

It was not often that Gregnol got angry or annoyed with a member of his crew but the Chief Medical Officer’s change of mind mid investigation of the other ship tested him in a way he did not like at all. The man had resigned and locked himself away in his quarters until he could get off at the next port. It would be awkward for all involved but at least he was out of the way and they could move forward with investigating what was happening on Holoworld.

Almost stomping into sickbay, he looked around, at least sickbay looked quiet and no one seemed to be in there. “Anyone here?” He called loudly hoping that someone was at least in attendance, and it was not Isaac who should have been on watch.

Given the late hour and the lack of influx of steady patients streaming through the doors, it could be expected that the watch officer were holed up in their office. But Gregnol got a prompt answer almost as soon as he called out, a blond head poking out from a wall at the far side of the room amidst the shelving units there. "Captain," Dr. Maitland, their newest medical arrival, answered with a two-fingered wave. He took a few steps outward, straightened his posture and folded his hands behind his back. "What can I do for you?" his expression-head-tilted, brows arched up, eyes slightly wide-was inviting.

The Captain was not the type to mince his words so came straight out with what was on his mind and what the man could do for him. "Well, Isaac has quit. Seems like the other ship is too much for him and seeing he cannot go anywhere until we leave he had locked himself in his quarters to hold out until we reach our next port of call." Gregnol said the frustration evident on his face if he did not say it aloud.

Hiram's reaction to that bombshell was muted-only in the twitch of his right eyebrow as it leveled higher than the left-but he adjusted easily and took a few beats to process before leveraging a solemn nod in Gregnol's direction. "I'm sorry he left you and this crew in the lurch like that. That's very frustrating," he validated the emotions he could plainly read on his commanding officer's face. "Please be assured I'll do my best to ensure that you don't feel the strain of his loss. If I can assist you in any administrative capacity I'd be happy to do so as well."

"I do not want you to assist. I need you to take on the duties from about two hours ago. You have the medical license and the crew like you enough that no complaints have come in." The Russain said taking a deep breath to calm himself down enough as it was obvious the frustration was slipping out when it was the last thing he wanted when he needed a clear mind to deal with the latest issue. "It seems it was too much investigating the other ship."

"Understood, sir. I'll begin sorting through the backlog immediately," Hiram replied without missing a beat. "You're welcome to have a seat if you'd like. I just put on a pot of herbal tea." He motioned toward one of the ajar chairs near an island separating the primary sickbay from the back end filing area where he'd been only moments before.

The Captain liked a man who just took to it like a duck to water but he dreaded to think what would come up now as the man had just quit. It was not like he could even get the man to answer questions or talk to him about it. He simple quit. "What flavour? My wife is trying to get me off coffee and other drinks this time of the day." The man said finally slumping into the chair. Was the ship cursed with doctors or was it him?

Hiram glided across the room to the replicator and fished out a pot from the pattern buffer, setting a glass down in front of Gregnol and filling it carefully. "I've been partial to licorice spice these days. Trust me, it's not as disgusting as it sounds," he laughed gently. "Licorice root is quite mellow, and a little sweet. You shouldn't even need sugar with it, although-" he set down a tray of sugar cubes and a small carafe of milk beside, taking the opposing chair. "Were you and Dr. Nicoli close?"

Gregnol raised an eyebrow at the replicator that was working finally after five years. Nicoli got something right in getting it repaired. It was hard not having as many replicators onboard as people were used to from Starfleet where every officer had their own or civilian where there was one in every home, school and social place. The man added a sugar cube out of habit before picking the mug up and nursed it out of habit. “Not at all. The only closeness is we both come from the same landmass. Were you close coming onboard at the same time?”

"I'm afraid I didn't have occasion to spend much time with him one-on-one," Hiram admitted, "but I got the impression that he missed his role as a Starfleet officer. Perhaps he will find a way back to doing what he prefers," was Hiram's lasting wish for the individual, given that he very frankly didn't know him at all-and if Hiram harbored any resentment toward him for being saddled with twice the workload out of nowhere, it wasn't evident.

"Time will tell but alas the curse has struck again. I hope you do not mind cursed positions." Gregnol said with a small smirk.

"I do not believe in curses," Hiram assured Gregnol dryly. "But I shall endeavor to watch my six." Hiram plucked up his mug and wrapped his hands around it, warming himself. "You were both from Earth, I presume?" he inquired after the captain's background, curious but not tipping over into interrogative.

Well that was something at the very least but it did not stop curses effecting people at all. Just made them less easier to scare which was needed at the moment with the hologram on the other ship. “Yeah but I did not know him before I employed him. Obviously need to get better references.” He admitted with a small shrug.

"Sometimes you just do not know how it will work out until it happens," the doctor said softly, his tone sympathetic. "Where on Earth did you grow up? I detect a bit of an accent." Hiram's voice, on the other hand, was melodically artificial, lacking in any discernible, familiar regional dialect-but it was easy enough to write him off as not human, given the eyes.

Gregnol did not need the sympathy so he just put the mug to his lips and took a tentative sip of the drink. “A bit of an accent?” The man laughed. “Either the universal translator is doing a better job and is actually active for first time in fifty years, I am actually speaking calmer as J has been requesting for years or you understand thick accents. It’s Russian.”

"That would explain it," Hiram's laugh was somewhat self-deprecating. "I'm not terribly familiar with the different regional influences in Earth but I am trained to filter out a variety of verbal disparities. Whereabouts in Russia are you from?"

“Moscow. It was cold. I lived there for my formative years before moving to London.” The man said thinking of the change from Serbia to London. It had been a confusing time for the teenage version of him.

"I must imagine the two were dissimilar," the doctor observed, but it was an obvious, somewhat surface statement. "My adoptive family lived in Chicago, and I was in San Francisco and Paris for my last assignments. Unfortunately I wasn't able to see more of Earth before I left. Do you miss it there?"

“Very different but no I do not miss it. Gone is where the heart is and my heart is here.” The Captain said with a shrug. It was that simple and that truthful. He could not imagine being anywhere else now.

"That is a very optimistic way of looking at it," Hiram returned, but whether or not it was sincere or merely a surface statement based in expected social contract was difficult to deduce-although Hiram didn't present any reasons why a person should delve deeper into analysis to begin with.

“Well my wife is onboard I need to say that.” Gregnol chuckled into his tea. It might seem like a jovial response to it all but deep down it was the truth, wherever Jeassaho was so was he now. He was not going to be separated again from her.

"That must make it easier to associate this place to home," Hiram murmured with a nod.

"Without a doubt. Then I have my brother in law on board so it is not like I can escape them all." The man said light with a shrug sipping on his sip. He really could not imagine anywhere else in the univer he would rather be. "You been over to the ship yet?" He wondered changing the conversation from him to the other man and the other sip.

"I have," Hiram nodded. "I must admit to some trepidation about its presence," he added softly. "That technology is quite advanced, and it appears unclaimed. Our crew members are visiting on their own recognizance, without a security detail. Given my new role, I feel it prudent to voice an encouragement to caution." His eyebrows arced once, but there was no other expression on his features, which remained mild and at ease.

Gregnol smiled patiently. “This is not Starfleet.” He said softly. Some things held over but most of his crew had security training and none of them were thick or without merit. “But I will take your reminder of caution. Would you like to go across and experience it yourself?” He wondered thinking it might be a good option to see how the man handled a situation outside of sickbay.

It made Hiram chuckle very slightly, and his lips pressed together, taking the response in stride. "I suppose it's somewhat obvious at this point that my history is with Starfleet, hm?" he said, only slightly self-deprecating. "Nevertheless, I would be happy to accompany you," Hiram inclined his head, raising his glass to take a last sip of the remaining dregs of licorice spice.

“Most people onboard are former Starfleet.” The Captain countered standing up putting the cup aside. “I will see you at the gangway in an hour.” He confirmed giving the man enough time to find someone to cover.