Need for Speed

Posted on Mon Jun 19th, 2023 @ 12:45pm by Chief Helmsman Kalahaeia t'Leiya & Dr. Izriel "Jaxx" Lonn

Mission: Fractures
Location: SS Mary Rose, Medical Bay
3916 words - 7.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Kali shuffled awkwardly in place for a moment outside the medical bay, fingers gripping the PADD she was holding just a touch too tightly, blanching her knuckles; then forced herself to take a measured breath and step forward to enter: Eventually, she had to get this one over with; beyond 'having tangentially fessed up to Oliver during the storm'. She hadn't quite been keen to share the records with Evelyn after their awkward first meeting; but the arrival of the new doctor had given her less excuses to put it off for much longer: Either she handed the records over; or inevitably someone would discover most of what they held in a less-under-her-control manner whenever some aspect of whatever they would be getting involved in with the Rangers in the future went south and necessitated any treatment.

The door whooshed open, then closed behind her, and Kali's eyes flicked around the room, looking around for anyone.

Having spent years working his way through seniority levels in a surgical unit of one of Hedaya Province's largest hospitals, it was safe to say that Izriel was completely out of his depths in the newly-upgraded Sickbay of a refurbished starship. In a way, the disorientation had been refreshing, a way to shake him out of the rut of daily routine, such as working in the medical field ever permitted one to become too complacent. It helped that he was not in charge of daily operations, and had accepted his duty roster with the understated gratitude of one who hadn't been forced to participate in its creation. Reynolds seemed a competent administrator and, knowing her type, likely wasn't going to give him any concerns in terms of professional capacity either. It was exactly as Rueben had promised; a place to recoup some lost energy.

A relatively quiet start had seen him sit with the crew files, as it happened, as well as the incident reports from the past year or so. Reynolds hadn't been exaggerating when she'd implied that the ship had seen its fair share of medical anomalies and the specific files she'd asked for a second opinion on were responsible for the slight crease to his forehead as the opening of the doors interrupted his train of thought. It was not an expression that faded immediately, eyes lifted in pensive distraction to stare at the new arrival before a visible effort to rally saw him blink and rise from his chair.

"Injury or social call?" A faint smile affected his eyes mostly. "What can I do for you?"

"Uhh. Neither, really. Though I suppose you could technically call it aftereffects of 'injuries' of a sort; just really, really old ones I wasn't nearly old enough to remember." Kali sighed. "Mostly, I wanted to get my medical records on file before someone inevitably notices half of what's in them if they have need to treat or scan me in the future and then flips out about it."

Eyebrows raised, Jaxx set aside the data padd he'd been working on and leaned back against the desk. "I can't speak for my colleagues but I do try not to 'flip out' about medical data, if I can help it." A slight tug of his lips suggested humour. "But you have me intrigued. Do you have time to talk me through it?"

Kali's eyes flicked around the room a second time just to make sure there wasn't some random crewman around; and sighed again, handing over the PADD she was carrying with the data, thumbing it on for him in the process; her tone shifting to be if not defensive per se, almost a flippant mix between anger, shame, and a challenge to anyone who judged her on the contents. "Sure. The short version is, I don't exactly measure up to 'breed standards' in some ways that go beyond the visible one of being towards the left side of the bell curve for height."

She understood some of what the data she'd just handed over to Jax held; things she'd memorized over the years from various medical staff's mentions: A lung capacity about fifteen percent below the vulcanoid average; with varying but similar reductions in bone density, strength, and endurance. Appended alongside it was various doctor's notes from her time in the fleet recording what little was known into the history of her premature, unattended birth; her first few months of life as her parents hid in a cheap Boston motel room; and various conjecture into likely prenatal exposures to things like maternal malnutrition and badly tuned warp cores and their faulty radiation shielding during her parents journey to the Federation.

There was a moment, perhaps unwisely ignorant or simply foolishly brash, where the Betazoid's attention lingered on the diminutive woman's face, taking note of her posture and the radiating agitation that spoke very viscerally of her reluctance in disclosing any of the information. He did, eventually, lower his gaze to scan the padd, a brusque scrutiny that permitted practised haste, and then he very deliberately set it to the side and folded his hands in front of his slightly-bent lap. He had yet to push away from the desk.

"A genetic pedigree is weighted differently in certain circles," Jaxx acknowledged diplomatically. "How much any of this is an actual medical concern would depend on its impact on your quality of life." The faint smile returned. "You may well be healthier than I am, all things considered." Hazel eyes, an unusual shade for his own heritage, dipped further into boldness before the doctor asked, "Do you have any current concerns?"

Kali suddenly burst out laughing at the first bit of Jaxx's response; and while there was perhaps a hint of bitterness in it, mostly it was a sound of genuine and sudden amusement with a wry grin. "Actually, from those same parties standpoints, I have one hell of a 'genetic pedigree'. The implementation of it my parents did, on the other hand; not so great..." She shrugged her shoulders and eyebrows. "As to the concerns part...Not really."

It might've been nice to a little more durable; but that ship had left port long ago when anything might've actually been better corrected in childhood. She understood exactly why her parents had never been willing to hand her over for medical exams as a child to people they had reasons not to trust; but at the same time, that decision had sealed the rest of it, which she couldn't help but be somewhat annoyed with them for sometimes. "Mostly that when people have run into those readings suddenly on their scanners in the past, sometimes they spend a lot of time wasting time kinda freaking out about them because they don't match what the baseline readings 'should' be, and I figured I'd try to short-circuit that."

"Your concern for my equilibrium is appreciated." The laughter, whilst not provoking any accompaniment, had solidified the twinkle in the Betazoid doctor's eyes. "And, in a way, you are correct to assume that I would be reliant on baseline data for comparisons. I am Federation trained," he reassured, both hands held up in supplication, "but I would be lying if I said I'd worked very often with Romulan physiology. I have met several," he added, pausing for a moment to ponder the recollection. "None of them I would have deemed entirely receptive to the notion of me poking around for educational purposes."

"That's pretty normal, yeah." Kali nodded Earth-style; and considered that the man probably hadn't met Liha yet, or he might've had a fair bit more to say on that topic. "And anyone else you met was probably raised in the Empire and has an...allergy...to providing information in general." She shrugged again. "I wasn't."

"Can I put 'decreased risk of anaphylaxis due to information disclosure" on your file then?" Finally, Jaxx huffed with gentle laughter. "Romulans are not alone when it comes to a heightened sense of privacy, which can take some adjustment." A pair of raised eyebrows considered his perspective. "Especially coming from a society that could be accused of over-sharing. Still, they say the best surgeon is the one that's never required. You seem to have mostly," Jaxx referred to the padd again, "avoided renting a biobed since you joined the crew." His brow puckered. "Though I'm sure last mission was not comfortable."

"Can't say I was a fan of freezing my ass off, no; but hardly the first time I ever have, either. Gets cold where I was born; so I learned the sort of tricks and gear you need to handle it. The sort of stuff we might be getting into going forward though, probably about inevitable most of of us will find ourselves here for some reason at some point." Kali paused, awkwardly. "When that time comes, my reason...may or may not end up having to do with the fact that I've probably ticked off half the petty goons in this sector before joining the Rosie or affiliating with the Rangers."

Pausing to consider, Jaxx was momentarily circumspect. "They'd need to catch up to you first, which they've apparently failed to do so far." A thumb flicked quickly through the information on the screen, ostensibly searching for something whilst clearly taking no time to actually verify its existence. "In fact, for someone claiming to have aggravated an entire sector, you're in remarkably good shape." Offering a wry smile, Jaxx lowered the device and added, "But here I'm admiring the consistency of your blood pressure without so much as an introduction. Izriel," he placed his hand over his chest, "though you will hear several people here refer to me as Jaxx, which works just as well."

Kali laughed, with a sort of devil-may-care grin for a moment at 'they'd need to catch you; and have failed to'. "Well. Not the entire sector - even I'm not stupid enough to seriously annoy, say, the Orion Syndicate. I suppose it's superfluous to introduce myself since it's all over the paperwork - " she waved a hand at the PADD she'd given him " - but I'm Kali. Kalahaiea, actually; but I tend to find it's a mouthful most people kinda botch, so I stick with the short version a lot of the time."

The doctor seemed to consider her pronunciation for a moment. "That's a shame, it's quite pleasing to the ear." A small half-smile followed. "Though I would wager I'd stray into unintentional disrespect if I attempted to mimic. Not an excuse to avoid trying, however...Kalahaiea." He tried the name on for size, though curling his own accent around the syllables fell a little short of perfect to his own ears. Jaxx squinted an eye shut. "As the one apparently responsible for surgical requirements on board, I should probably apologise for butchering that."

"I used it when I was in the Republic for a couple years. The long form that is. Was kinda nice to just have everyone getting it right, and everyone using the language I grew up speaking at home." Kali paused. "Not so nice was having people continually tell me my accent was weird. Though; fair I suppose; it is. So; how'd you end up out this way?"

There was a diplomatic pause, a sense of restraint and deliberation that would have rendered a Vulcan proud were they inclined to indulge, before Izriel formed his response carefully. "A known quantity to your leadership team. Jeassaho and I grew up together and apparently you are all about to embark on a slight change in pace that made it more appealing to have a surgical presence on board. Hopefully that proves unnecessary."

"Oh." Kali nodded sanguinely; the unbothered response of someone who had been raised by people whose response to some hint or outright admission of nepotism or drawing on one's connections to fill a slot wasn't just to accept it but expect it as the way things were done; to serve ones' kin. "You another relative?" She doubted it, with the unusual and different eyes; but you never knew.

Lifting his hand, Jaxx wobbled it to indicate variance within interpretation. "Biologically, no, but our families are connected through mutually-agreed kinship." For a moment, he wondered how Jeassaho would react to him divulging to her crew that they'd spent their entire childhood ritualistically betrothed to each other. It took an exceptionally short amount of time for him to opt out of that particular admission; she could tell them herself. "Our parents are long-time friends, which on Betazed is still a significant bond."

There were, Kali knew, depending on the nature of the relationship and the houses or families involved, plenty of quasi-similar sorts of ways to say, imply, or exist in a 'not kin, but bound to one another's fates' sense in Romulan society; things that in their closest human translations would have come across with terms like political allies or vassal houses and patrons or traditionally aligned. Just as likely to end up in one another's service or call as an actual relation, for the most part. And for all their quirks, she got the feeling some parts of Betazoid society, for that matter, came closer to some of that than most humans did; certain families that traditionally aligned with certain others; and wondered for a moment if that was the sort of thing Jaxx was implying here; or something else entirely. Nia probably would've known whatever it was he actually meant immediately.

"One of my best friends in my fleet days was a Betazoid, actually; my wingman when I was a pilot. Though, she's actually still in the fleet; because she didn't punch out a bunch of admirals." Kali grinned again with her next words. "You guys have a gorgeous planet."

A pair of eyebrows, gently curious, raised slightly. "You've visited then?" Under different circumstances, it might have been tempting to read an element of incredulity into the query but Izriel, far from inexperienced in dealing with visiting races, had spent the last few years holding residency in Hedaya's largest facility for treating non-Betazoid citizens and typically didn't bat an eyelash at the prospect of sharing his planet with a variety of people. His inquisitiveness was more specific to his company; he was trying to wrap his head around anyone finding Betazed particularly comfortable if they had spent time cultivating an entire sector's worth of retribution. His people didn't tend to mince their words.

"Several times with her, yeah. Last time there was this great little outdoor seaside spa we went to. Amazing massages." Kali paused for a moment and blushed a tinge more olive, wondering if the Betazoid tendency to not bat an eye at nudity - and the Romulan tendency to be a bit more modest - was what was driving the man's raised eyebrows. "Though; I admit I didn't quite follow through on the dress code many people were going for. Stuck with a nice bikini, myself."

It didn't quite pass as an awkward silence, not the way it might have done had the visual been painted for someone other than a Betazoid. It was still a pause, however, as Jaxx considered the information and the best way to respond to it. Had it been left to his imagination alone, it wouldn't have required even half the effort, the doctor was exceptionally reserved at least in an expressive sense and tidied his thoughts away neatly in most instances. The waves of psionic battery, however, were a different matter entirely; they were fond memories, apparently. "If it's any consolation," he eventually settled on, "I usually do the same." It was a joke, reflected in the twinkle in his eyes, but carried an element of truth. He was proof that stereotypes could be misleading, though Jaxx was starting to think he was not alone in that distinction.

Kali laughed, trying to forcibly put out of her mind the picture of the doctor in the sort of tight little speedo swimgear some men on Earth wore to the beach. "Pretty sure the entire thing would've appalled my aunt and my parents regardless." Now, there was a bit of an almost-awkward pause; as she considered that given the man's position and what little she'd dug up on him, it was probably safe to level with him on some things as one might with one's friends or allies. "Since most people run into it before long if they hang out around me enough; might as well own up to the ways I don't fit the mold besides the medical records." She waved a hand abortively at the records. "From what they expect from a Romulan; or on the flipside; from what they expect from an Earthling. I'm an acquired taste that a lot of people never acquire." She shrugged again, shoulders and eyebrows. "Being the first one of anything...Kinda sucks, but it is what it is. Suppose it's part of why I liked Betazed - there wasn't this idea hanging out there in everyone's head, near as I could tell at least, of judging me for acting too human, or not human enough." And if I was seen as an outsider, it was at least because I actually was one; not because I just couldn't manage to convince my own that I wasn't, she appended acerbically in her head.

It was tempting, because it always was, to probe a little deeper beneath the surface. Jaxx had travelled a little bit but likely no where near as much as the rest of the crew and thus owed his experience with other species to interactions within his own native territory. Telepathy was the way of things there, the planet itself was an intricate tapestry that pulled people into its weave, and regardless of the sensibilities of those visiting, there was a general sense of acceptance that came with undertones of implied discretion. Being in the medical field had taught him to hold his tongue but being a Betazoid had taught him curiosity and though Izriel was far from the nosiest of representatives, it still took intentional effort to maintain appropriate psionic distance. Oddly enough, by his own people's standards, the man was reserved to the point of being frustratingly guarded and yet, on a relative spectrum, still held the capacity for supported intuition. The only thing bolstering his restraint was the current possibility that the Romulan would tell him whatever he'd pick up eventually anyway.

Hands pressed together in a steeple that would have mimicked prayer in at least one of the societies Kali battled with, the doctor allowed the tips of both index fingers to rest against his lips for a moment, hiding a faint smile that was partially resolved by the time he lowered his hands again. "I shall heartily endeavour to avoid becoming one of the disgruntled masses," he reassured her with a soft huff of laughter. "It may help that I am not often inclined to have expectations based on hearsay."

"Oh, hearsay can be good sometimes for suggesting possibilities, but it's not usually a great place for concrete conclusions, no; and not much use at all if you only have one or two sources." It was an odd observation for a pilot; but not so much for a former intelligence officer; and Kali was silently comparing the doctor's interactions and behavior and 'vibes' so far to what she'd found on or heard on him before coming to the medbay; lining up the prior data with the present. "I suppose it loses a bit of its usefulness at all on a planet full of telepaths, though."

A non-committal dip of his head to the side didn't count as a confession, though Jaxx appeared circumspect enough to concede the point. "When it comes to direct information exchange," he pointed out, "There's some credence to the notion that perception will only ever be as accurate as the person is capable of reflective honesty. Telepathy is simply another form of communication, it is hardly without capacity for error." The Betazoid smiled fainty. "I may be divulging trade secrets here but we are no closer to being mind readers than anyone else, most of the time," Jaxx amended. "Certainly not when it comes to unfamiliar psychic structures. Reciprocation is important, interpretation takes practise, and direct translation isn't always possible." He winked at her. "Just curse me in Romulan and see how much outside a general impression I actually manage."

"Except the curse words are what most people learning a language tend to learn first!" A string of rapid-fire Rihannsu left Kali's mouth with a chuckle at the end before swapping back into Standard. "So; try and translate that instead..."

The telepath held up both hands in mock defeat. "I'll be the first to admit I tend to get distracted by the cadence of other languages." A musician's ear for sound variation and pitch modulation had left him more an admirer than a potential linguist. "At best, I feel partially comforted that I don't seem to have caused offense yet, though your medical history suggests a background that probably means you're no fool when it comes to deceptive mind games." Jaxx grinned, the first fully-fledged expression of good humour he'd allowed, and dipped his head to indicate his jest carried no malice. "You are agile-minded though, I will give you that."

"Most pilots are, honestly. Well. At least the ones that are any good." The certain willingness to push the envelope and take risks that tended to go with the profession - and certainly with many other's perceptions of it - was in all honesty paired most often with a ruthless and continuous assessment of situations that made most of those risks taken actually very calculated ones.

"I'll have to take your word for that." A slight pause was followed by an amused admission. "I'm not usually allowed to drive anything." Jaxx offered no further elaboration, leaving it open to interpretation. If Kali knew Jeassaho well enough, then she'd have a decent idea of what her sisters were also like, and that left nothing to describe her mother. By extension, his own family snuggled nicely into the dynamic, which gave at least a glimpse into why the man might have been perpetually relegated to the passenger seat.

Of course, there was also his over-fondness for speed.

Kali's left eyebrow crept upwards. "Too much competition for the controls; or too many crashes?"

A slow smirk twitched at the corner's of Izriel's lips. "Actually," he confessed, suspecting the understanding of a sympathetic ear, "It's more a case of preferring to be early than late and applying acceleration to match. No crashes though. Well," he amended, "minimal crashes."

"I can't judge." Kali laughed. "Since I'm well known for liking anything fast and maneuverable and having a definite need for speed. I hear there's a air-go-cart racing arena on Freecloud somewhere actually. We should hit it up the next time we're in orbit." She grinned, gave Jaxx a final nod, and turned to make her way back out of the medical bay.