Doctor Maxwell and Ensign Ukinix - A Performance in Sickbay

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Danny Lee

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Dec 26, 2018, 7:55:43 AM12/26/18
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(( Flashback - Sickbay - USS Veritas, stardate 239512.21 ))

 

:: Cole had pulled the guts out of the malfunctioning biobed. Isolinear chips were strewn on the bed’s soft padding and ODN cabling was dangling from various access points. The human doctor had been at it for the better part of an hour; pulling out components and running diagnostics. He was currently on the floor of sickbay looking up at the bottom of the biobed. Another panel had been taken off and Cole was scanning more of the components trying to find the fault. ::

 

::Wil walked in to the Veritas sickbay, with some trepidation.  He hadn’t been in there yet, nor had he met Dr Maxwell.  He never enjoyed going to see a doctor, and historically had did what he could to avoid it.  But, Starfleet regulations required that he had to have a medical.

 

At first when he walked in, he thought someone from engineering was fixing one of the biobeds. Or at the very least, pulling one apart.  That was, until he spotted a small part of the person’s blue uniform.  He sensed frustration in the person.::

 

Ukinix: oO Hmm, well I’ve heard of the “engineer’s own starship” phrase, but a “doctor’s own biobed?” Oo

 

Maxwell: ::out loud, but to nobody in particular:: Someone did call this in to Engineering, right?!

 

Ukinix: ::Smirking:: You rang?

 

:: Cole shuffled his way from underneath the biobed and looked up at the man who was wearing the gold operations colors. Cole was holding an ODN coupler in his right hand and his sleeves were rolled up. ::

 

Maxwell: ::pointing at the  biobed with a look of frustration:: This stupid biobed’s sensors have been on the fritz all morning. Someone from Engineering was supposed to come and fix it, but nobody showed up.

 

::Wil couldn’t help but hold back a cheeky smile.  He placed his hands behind his back::

 

Ukinix: So instead, you decided to pull it apart like a Pakled?

 

Maxwell: Well I just thought…

 

:: Cole rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat as he let the coupler fall into his chest. ::

 

Maxwell: oO We are Pakled. We are very smart. Oo You’re right. I should have just left well enough alone and waited for one of you to come and take care of it.

 

:: The human doctor did a sit up and then, with as much dignity as he could muster, got to his feet and let out a breath to signal he was ready to move on. ::

 

::Wil watched as the man got up off the floor, resigned to the fact that he was just going to have to rely on someone from Engineering after all. Maybe that someone could be Wil...::

 

Maxwell: Sorry to have kept you waiting Ensign Ukinix.

 

Ukinix: Ah no worries, Doctor Maxwell, great to finally meet you.  How are you?

 

Maxwell: Very well thank you. ::pointing at the mess he’d made:: Aside from that of course. Um… I guess we can use this biobed over here.

 

:: Cole gestured to another biobed close to the one that he’d been futilely working on. ::

 

::Wil walked past the bed that Cole had been working on, and saw the extent of the “repairs”.  His eyes opened a little wider, it looked worse from this angle.::

 

Maxwell: Have a seat if you’d like.

 

::Wil sat on the edge of the biobed, looking at the other pulled apart biobed.::  

 

Ukinix: oO Maybe if I offer to fix it, it will get me out of the medical! Oo

 

Ukinix: Actually, if you like I could maybe just, I dunno, fix the biobed?  We can do the medical another time.

 

:: The doctor reached into one of the supply drawers and pulled out a medical tricorder. He then turned back to the engineer and put on his best smile, both to help calm his patient and in response to the engineer’s attempt to subvert the exam. ::

 

Maxwell: I’m pretty sure that’s the oldest trick in the book.

 

Ukinix: ::Shrugging, cheeky grin:: Well, it was worth a shot.

 

Maxwell:  Alright then, do I have your consent to begin Mr. Ukinix?

 

::Still smiling, Wil nodded sheepishly, and rolled his eyes slightly.  He resigned to the fact that he wasn’t going to get out of it.::

 

Ukinix: Yeah, OK.

 

:: Cole nodded and began using the hand scanner to examine the engineer, while keeping an eye on the tricorder readout and also observing how his patient was reacting to the scan. ::

 

::Wil gently clenched his teeth, and inhaled through them.  He knew he had an issue with his ankle, but he decided to keep quiet about it - just in case it would otherwise mean he would miss time on duty.::

 

Maxwell: Not a big fan of visiting the doctor I take it?

 

Ukinix: Hmm, no not that keen on anything medical, really.  No offense of course, Doctor.

 

Maxwell: ::shaking his head with an understanding grin:: None taken Ensign. Not many people do. I don’t take it personal.

 

:: It was something Cole’s mother had taught him a long time ago about being a good doctor. People usually don’t go to see a doctor under good circumstances. The empathy of the physician through their bedside manner can go a long way to helping the patient during the visit. ::

 

::Wil offered his hand to Cole.::

 

Ukinix: You can call me Wil, that’s OK with me.

 

:: Cole took the scanner into his left hand and juggled the scanner and tricorder while he took the offered hand and shook it. ::

 

Maxwell: Well then Wil, you can call me Doctor when I’m on duty and Cole when I’m not.

 

:: Cole gave his patient a knowing wink and another smile as he went back to scanning. The doctor recalled Ukinix’s medical record as he started again. ::

 

::Wil smiled and chucked a little when Cole gave him a sly wink and smile, which relaxed him::  

 

Ukinix:  Doctor it is.

 

Maxwell: You’re only part human, right?

 

Ukinix: Um - yep, part Betazoid.  But I think of myself as human.

 

Maxwell: Is that right?

 

:: Another thing Cole’s mother had taught him: Sometimes it’s better to let the patient just talk and tell their story. Lots of questions might put them off, but for the most part - people love talking about themselves. ::

 

Ukinix: My grandfather was born on Betazed, but left. He got fed up with it.

 

Maxwell: ::with some incredulity in his voice:: Fed up with Betazed? I’ve never been, but I’ve heard it’s quite a paradise...

 

Ukinix: ::Staring, thinking:: He just wanted to have a simple life.  He doesn’t talk about it much.  His family was one of the houses of the noble classes, and had a marriage pre-arranged for him.  He had a falling out with his parents, then one day he just ::looking at Cole, shrugging:: up and left.  He didn’t want anything to do with their religions, their class systems.  So he ended up on Earth, met my Grandmother, and took over a winery in Australia.  The rest is history I guess.

 

:: Cole was starting to wrap up the scan, but decided to ask about the other part of the medical record that had jumped out at him before the engineer had arrived. ::

 

::Wil sensed there was something else Cole wanted to ask him.  He had a feeling he knew what it was::

 

Maxwell: And you’re an empath as well…?

 

Ukinix: Yeah.... ::smiling awkwardly:: unfortunately.  Doctor-patient confidentiality, right?

 

:: Cole smiled again and nodded. ::

 

Maxwell: Absolutely.

 

::Wil blew out a breath through his cheeks.::

 

Ukinix: I inherited it from my grandfather.  Dad had it a little bit, but he only really ever felt Mum’s emotions. ::Chuckling:: Which was actually kinda funny, because they never really fought - he knew when he was in the doghouse, so he’d just keep quiet until Mum got over it.

 

Maxwell: We men should all be so lucky.

 

:: Cole smiled at his own joke, hoping it would continue to help Wil feel at ease. ::

 

::Wil smiled again.  It was something his Grandfather would say.  He felt his chest relaxing even more.::

 

Maxwell: Have you been dealing with your abilities for a long time?

 

Ukinix: I was sixteen.  Maybe fifteen.  I’m not really sure when it started, it just kinda grew. When I got to sixteen, it was driving me crazy.  I had ::thinking:: Seven? No, eight counsellors in that year.  All Betazoid.  Two of them helped a bit.  ::Rolling his eyes:: The rest were as useful screen doors on a starship.

 

:: The doctor smiled at Wil’s quip. But he continued with his questions. ::

 

Maxwell: What about now? Are you able to keep your empathic abilities under control after getting that help?

 

::Wil knew there was no medical or scientific evidence to back up what he was about to ask.  But - what the hell, this was Starfleet.  Maybe they had some new evidence?::

 

Ukinix: Abilities? I certainly don’t think of it in that way.  I dunno Doctor, I’m not sure the human part of me can cope with it.  Has there ever been any recorded cases of it affecting someone in that way?

 

Maxwell: Hmm…

 

:: Cole turned off the tricorder and placed it and the scanner on the biobed. He then crossed his arms and began thinking about what he could remember of Betazoid physiology from the Medical Academy. He started scratching his chin with his right hand while leaving his left arm across his chest. ::

 

Maxwell: I’ll admit that I’m no expert when it comes to Human-Betazoid hybrids. I do remember from my first year though that part-Betazoids have varying degrees of telepathic or empathic abilities. Tell me, you say that you’re not sure if your human side can cope, can you give me an example of how you are affected when you use your abilities?

 

::Wil sighed.  He had told himself what happened in the holodeck at Starbase 118 before he joined the Veritas was a one off incident.  But he also realised that in another situation like that, he could potentially let his team down - which could be catastrophic.  He was trusting Cole more and more as his examination went on, so he decided to spill the beans.::

 

Ukinix: ::Nodding:: OK.  I may as well tell you.  I was overconfident for the holodeck simulations on Starbase 118 during training.  We were in a ship that went down on a planet, and I couldn’t stop smiling - it was fun.  And you go in knowing it’s only a hologram, right?

 

Maxwell: Right…

 

:: Cole remembered his own cadet training cruise… and how cold it had been. Wil continued. ::

 

Ukinix: But, it got scary.  And weird.  Intense.  In mine, I was with two other people, a human Lieutenant and a Bajoran Cadet.  We went into a dark room in the bowels of a crashed ship, and something moved in the shadows, and they shot at it. But they reacted with really sharp, intense emotions.  Shock and fear.  Like ::clicking his fingers:: bang.  I mean, so did I!  But the mix of my reactions and theirs, it was just one big emotion soup I couldn't handle.  I got dizzy, and had to get down on one knee.  Then a nearby bomb armed itself, ::rolling his eyes:: of course.

 

Maxwell: ::sarcastically:: I hate when that happens.

 

Ukinix:  ::Smiling:: Well you know what those holodeck training programs are like, they throw everything at you.  ::Staring ahead, recalling::  I felt the other two reacting to that, and I got dizzier.  I disarmed the bomb - kinda - with a tricorder, but I was laying on the ground doing it, I couldn’t stand.  ::Looking at Cole:: The person that ultimately helped me when I was seventeen was a Vulcan. She taught me to deal with other people’s emotions like background noises you’d hear when walking through a forest.  Birds, the wind, that sort of thing.  But those sharp, intense emotions during that holodeck program?  They were like the sound of a few trees sharply falling behind you.  I’ve never experienced that before.  ::Shrugging:: What if it happens again?  I don’t want to let my ship mates down.  Anyway, ::smiling:: that’s why I asked.

 

:: Cole let the engineer’s query linger for a moment. He thought about the best way to respond. ::

 

Maxwell: If I was a pessimistic man, I’d say you weren’t keen on your Betazoid blood.

 

Ukinix: I don’t hate being part Betazoid, it’s kinda exotic.  I really want to go and visit Betazed one day.  Their culture is fascinating.  But the empathic part? Up until I got to the Veritas, I’d prefer it wasn’t there.  I asked Starfleet to remove it from my personnel file, twice, and they said they would but they didn’t.  I knew it would be in my medical file, there’s no avoiding that.  ::Smiling:: Well, that was a long winded way of saying I wish I wasn’t empathic!

 

Maxwell: Understandable.

 

Ukinix: Remember Jihab Ekal, our time traveller friend?  Teller looked at my personnel file and asked me to sense if Ekal was trustworthy or not.  It’s the first time I’d used my empathy in that way. 

 

Maxwell: Were you able to use it without harming yourself?

 

:: Cole remembered reading the after action report about the previous mission. The part Ukinix was describing had been omitted from the logs. ::

 

Ukinix: ::Pondering:: Yeah.  ::Nodding:: Yeah, I was.  I’m more worried about those split second, intense situations though.

 

:: The doctor nodded. He wasn’t sure what the best option was for the part-Betazoid man sitting before him. It was time for some options. ::

 

::Wil sensed something in Cole - genuine concern, rather than concern with doubt.  Wil breathed a sigh of relief.  It was the first time a health professional had not immediately dismissed his suggestion about the human part of him not coping.::

 

Maxwell: First and foremost, if you ever feel like your empathic abilities are negatively affecting your duties, or any other time for that matter, I want you to report to Sickbay. My concern would be damage to you physiologically, and it's always best to catch something like that early. Can you accept that?

 

Ukinix: Absolutely. One-hundred percent.

 

Maxwell: ::smiling and nodding:: Good. Now, as for treating your abilities right now, it might be best to try something conservative to start with. You mentioned you had assistance with a Vulcan teacher. Maybe we can find someone on board who can perform a similar function for you; help you learn to control the ability so you can keep it in check in tough situations.

 

::Wil had kept in touch with T’Rav over the years since she helped him, on an irregular basis.  She still offered guidance on those occasions when he needed it.  He felt someone else could potentially mess with that.  But his life situation was different now, so he decided to be open to it.  Cole was genuinely trying to help.  Besides, if they were Betazoid, he would just humour them and then move on.::

 

Ukinix: OK, sounds interesting.

 

Maxwell: I can check the ship’s database and see if it comes up with someone suitable. I’ll check with you first of course and then either I can approach the person or we can do it together to see if they would be willing to help.

 

:: Cole paused, letting the idea sink in before continuing. ::

 

Maxwell: Only if that doesn’t work would I feel comfortable pursuing more invasive options. Whether that be pharmaceutical or surgical in nature…

 

Ukinix: ::Hands up:: Woah, nah.  I’d rather not.  ::Curious face:: What would that be, out of interest?

 

Maxwell: I don’t want to speculate just yet. I would need to do some research on the subject. But don’t worry… ::smiling wryly:: I wouldn’t lobotomize you or anything.

 

::Wil let out a small, loud laugh, he liked Cole’s sense of humour. Cole chuckled in return; he was glad that Ukinix joined him. ::

 

Ukinix: Hmm, that might actually result in an overall general performance improvement!

 

Maxwell: I’ll let you know as soon as I find something out. ::clapping his hands together:: Otherwise, is there anything else bothering you that I may be able to help with?

 

Ukinix: oO You beauty, medical over. That wasn’t so bad! Oo

 

Ukinix: ::Cheerily:: Nope, that’s it Doctor, thanks, I’ll fix that biobed for you if you like!

 

Maxwell: Hmm…

 

:: Cole took up the tricorder and scanner and waved the instrument over the engineer’s ankle. ::

 

::Wil watched as Cole concentrated on his ankle.::

 

Ukinix: oO Dammit, thought I was going to get away with it. Oo

 

Maxwell: Definitely some inflammation there. How long has this been bothering you?

 

Ukinix: Ah - well - I injured it when I was seventeen.  Playing Footy - football.  ::Sheepish smile:: Got it at training, but didn’t tell anyone.  We were playing a final the following weekend, I wasn’t going to miss that match.  Never bothered to get it looked at after that.

 

Maxwell: Ah, yes. Soccer is pretty popular where I come from too.

 

Ukinix: No, it’s a different football code.  It’s a full contact sport, originally indigenous to my region of Earth, but has spread its wings a little outside of that.  It’s not that well known.

 

Maxwell: I see… ankle injuries are pretty common with that kind of activity. ::he turned off the tricorder and straightened up::

 

Ukinix: So you’ve played some sort of football before?

 

Maxwell: No, I’ve never played it. I did distance running in school, and played a little baseball but wasn’t really that great.

 

Ukinix: ::Surprised:: Baseball?

 

Maxwell: Oh yeah, it's very popular where I come from. It was an Earth sport in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries before it fell out of favor. Found a following on Cestus III and has several professional teams now. I’ll have to show you a game on the holodeck sometime.

 

Ukinix: Yeah, I know baseball!  I’d definitely be up for that.  I went and watched a game in New York before I joined starfleet.  It was fun.

 

:: Cole smiled. He knew that there was a small following on Earth, he’d even caught a few of the games while studying at the Academy, but it was not nearly as popular as it was on his home planet. ::

 

Maxwell: ::changing the subject:: Back to your ankle pain, I’d like to do a more comprehensive scan to see what the issue is before I recommend a treatment. Ok?

 

::Wil nodded, and rolled his eyes, smiling.  It had been eight years since he’d sustained the injury, it was probably time.::

 

Ukinix: I suppose I had better, huh.

 

Maxwell: Good, right this way.

 

:: Cole led Ukinix over to the primary biobed in the middle of the room. Wil felt the slight, familiar pain in his ankle as he jumped a little up on to the biobed that Cole had led him to.::

 

Maxwell: Go ahead and lay back and try to relax. I’m going to do an imaging scan of your foot and ankle to pinpoint the issue. It should only take a few minutes to get a detailed enough scan.

 

Ukinix: ::Nodding:: OK.

 

::Will lay back and closed his eyes.::

 

:: The doctor took a place at the standing console near the biobed which was situated to Ukinix’s right. The imaging came online behind Cole on the large display on the wall when he activated the sensor cluster. As he began the scan, the human doctor starting humming a tune he knew from an old rock and roll band from Earth’s 20th century. It was one of their more popular songs, and for good reason since it was so catchy. At that point, he couldn’t help but just start singing... ::

 

Maxwell: ::aloud, but quietly:: … take a sad song… and make it better

 

::Wil opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling of the medical bay.  What Cole just sang sounded vaguely familiar.::

 

Maxwell: Remember… to let her under your skin...

 

::As Wil listened to Cole, the penny dropped.  He was singing a 20th century Earth song, that Wil had listened to a few years ago.  He lifted his head to look at Cole, interrupting him.::

 

Ukinix: ::Singing quietly:: Then you’ll begin... to make it better.

 

:: Cole looked to this patient and smiled, realizing he had a partner. ::

 

Maxwell: Better… better...

 

Ukinix: … better, better, better!

 

::Wil smiled as he knew what was coming next.  He and Cole were about to turn sickbay into a Karaoke bar.::

 

Maxwell and Ukinix together: Naaaaaaa. Naaa Naa, Na Na Na, Naaaaa ::inhaling:: Na Na Na, Naaaaa, Heeeeey Juuuuude!

 

:: Before the duet could continue their impromptu performance, the computer beeped and spoke aloud. ::

 

Computer: =/\= IMAGING SCAN COMPLETE =/\=

 

:: The two men stopped their song abruptly at the computer’s report. Cole looked around and saw several medical personnel and patients staring at the two men. Cole looked back to Wil and figured he was blushing in embarrassment.  He brought his fist to his mouth and made a show of clearing his throat to play off the embarrassment, then walked around the console to the biobed. ::

 

::Wil’s bottom lip retreated into his mouth.  He could sense Cole’s embarrassment along with his own.  As a little smirk appeared on his face, he looked down, chest shaking from laughing quietly.  He could feel his cheeks burning.::

 

Ukinix: Wait, how - ::smiling, furrowing his brow:: how do you know that song?

 

Maxwell: ::grinning:: My mother. She loves old Earth music like that and would sing some to my brother and me. When I got older, we would all listen to it together. What about you?

 

Ukinix: When I was sixteen I discovered Earth music of that era, there’s so much of it, been listening to it ever since.  That’s amazing.  Who composed it?

 

:: Cole chuckled at the term “composed”. ::

 

Maxwell: Back then they didn’t say it was “composed.” It was written. Two gents from Liverpool wrote the song and it was performed by their band. The Beatles. One of the more popular groups from that time.

 

Ukinix: “Band”, huh. ::Nodding:: OK, I’ll have to look them up.  I like lots of genres from that era, but especially rock.  Recently I discovered the Starfleet database only has the most popular stuff from that time.  I’ve got more in my own collection.  Actually - ::looking up::  Computer.

 

::Wil was greeted with the computer’s familiar confirmation tone::

 

Ukinix: Give Ensign Cole Maxwell access to all music files from my personal data storage, authorisation Ukinix-Alpha-Gamma-Seven-Delta.

 

Computer: =/\= Access Granted =/\=.

 

Maxwell: Well thank you. I’ll have to return the favor. My mom has a big collection too and she gave me a copy when I left for medical school. She even bought me a guitar...

 

::Wil opened his eyes wide in delightful shock::

 

Ukinix: Nooo!  Really?  A real electric guitar?

 

Maxwell: Oh yeah. A replica Gibson ES-335, just like Chuck Berry would play.

 

Ukinix: oO “Chuck Berry”. Look that up later. Oo

 

Ukinix: Mate, I gotta hear you play it sometime.  That would be awesome.

 

:: Cole shook his head. ::

 

Maxwell: I’m not really that good. I just play for myself. ::waving his hands:: Anyway…

 

:: The doctor walked over to the display and looked over the imaging readout. ::

 

::Wil watched as Cole suddenly walked over to the nearby display, which he sensed was to deliberately distract from Wil’s suggestion.  But from Wil’s point of view, the mental note was made, and he would play the long game to get to see Cole’s guitar.::

 

Maxwell: Looks like there was a small tear in one of your peroneal tendons... ::he pointed to part of the screen:: … which went overlooked and has degenerated over the years. That would explain the sporadic pain, inflammation and weakness. ::turning back to the engineer:: We can take care of that right now if you’d like?

 

::Wil was surprised and relieved.  He smiled and shrugged.::

 

Ukinix: I’m here, may as well.  But maybe no more singalongs - I think we freaked everyone out.

 

:: It only took fifteen or so minutes for the anabolic protoplaser to fully repair the tendon tear. Cole then injected the area with a hypospray. ::

 

Maxwell: That’s a light anti inflammatory to help the healing as well. I would suggest you take it easy on the ankle for the next few days. Nothing too strenuous, but regular duty would be OK. If you have any further pain or discomfort, just come on back to Sickbay.

 

::Wil thought about the treadmill in the gym he had found by accident on Deck 4. He had promised himself multiple times during the last mission he was going to get there… ::

 

Ukinix: oO Maybe just one little run won’t hurt though. Oo

 

Uknix: Will do, Doctor.

 

::Will looked down, and smiled.  It was surprisingly refreshing to have someone listen to him about his empathic abilities.  Wil was so used to bottling it up.::

 

Ukinix: ::Quietly:: Thank you so much for this.  ::Smiling, looking up again:: And the singalong.

 

Maxwell: ::smiling:: My pleasure Wil. And maybe we can do a few more of those songs on the holodeck sometime. I’ll also send you my mother’s music collection when I’m off duty. I think you’ll enjoy it.

 

Ukinix: Great thank you.  More to add to my collection.  Seeya, Doc.

 

::Wil leaned forward to shake Cole’s hand again, before he reached up to tap his comm badge.  Sometimes a bit of prompting from someone else in engineering got repairs moving quicker than normal::

 

Ukinix: =/\= Ukinix to Engineering.  Hey, quick one, just bumped into Doctor Maxwell, do we have an ETA on that bio bed repair? =/\=

 

::Wil smiled as he walked out of sickbay, waiting for a response from one of his fellow engineering officers.  He was looking forward to catching up with Cole again, and over the moon that he’d found someone that shared his interest in the same type of music.::

 

:: Cole watched the engineer leave and smiled again, happy that he’d made another friend. ::

 

***

 

A Joint Post by:

 

Ensign Wil Ukinix

Engineering Officer

USS Veritas

V239511WU0

 

and

 

Ensign Cole Maxwell, M.D.

Medical Officer

USS Veritas

V239512CM0

 

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