Lieutenant Kyle Morgan - So Was It Worth It?

[Addison MacKenzie]

((Sickbay - Deck 7, USS Artemis-A))

 

Shore leave was generally a time of relative inactivity. Aside from the usual every day run-of-the-mill workplace injuries, Sickbay wasn't inundated with any serious catastrophes. Read: it was quiet, and for that, the interim CMO was grateful. It was also an opportunity for crew members to get their regular physicals out of the way without having to be hunted down by the medical staff, and with Ensign Cole on his biobed, it gave Kyle Morgan the opportunity to forget about the latest issue plaguing him: whoever placed those little rocks in every corner of his office.

Morgan: So, Ensign - any complaints? 

Cole: None, that come to mind, Doctor. I’m fortunate, considering the past few away missions.

He shrugged dismissively.

Morgan: There's not much of note that I can see. Your white blood cell count is a little high, but that's to be expected after an injury - it's one of the ways the body naturally heals itself.

Cole: ::nodding:: That makes sense.

He tapped his finger on the back casing of the tricorder, contemplating whether or not it was appropriate for him to ask the question, despite the fact that he'd already decided he would.

Morgan: So what happened back there? In the Boraxian apartment building after you went into the hallway?

Cole: As I put in my report. I went into the hallway to sweep for others needing medical assistance. I retraced our steps to where our first patients had come from and discovered, ::shifting her vision to recall:: a Boraxian woman nearly startled me, she was covered in wounds similar to the two we already knew about.

 

Morgan: Right. I get that part.

 

Cole: After a brief assessment, she informed me ‘He’s chasing us’ as six additional victims came through the door. Ranging from mild to severe wounds, in that commotion one shouted he was coming. Which is when I called you, informing you of the inbound wounded.

He closed his eyes and nodded.

 

Morgan: I know all that. I'm talking about after that.

 

Cole: Looking down the stairs the attacker made themselves known, and I was faced with a decision. Retreat and either he makes it to you, Lieutenant Bergmen and the wounded or stay and delay attempting to stop him. ::beat:: If faced with the decision again, the only thing I’d have done differently would be to call it in and possibly get reinforcements.

He nodded slightly. Kyle Morgan was not a command-level officer by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, he was only recently (and begrudgingly) designated a member of the senior staff by virtue of his position. What he did know, however, was that officers that exercised quick problem solving skills and erred on the side of caution generally seemed to do better on board, at least in MacKenzie's eyes.

 

Morgan: I'm going to give you a piece of unsolicited advice, as someone who knows the captain better than pretty much anyone aboard: it's a fine line between heroism and recklessness, and it's important to know on which side of the line you fall.

Cole: Response

He offered a smirk and raised his index finger.

Morgan: But it's also important not to try to anticipate what the captain might think of any given decision you make - oftentimes, you'll lose.

Cole: Response

He offered a smirk, a slight shrug, and cheekily flicked his tricorder shut.

Morgan: So I guess the only question is: was getting stabbed worth it?

Cole: Response

Tag, and TBC!

Lieutenant Kyle Morgan
Interim Chief Medical Officer 

USS Artemis-A
V239601AM0