Lt. JG Ollie Bergmen - Your claim isn't covered under warranty, Lieutenant
CPT Arianus
(( Primary Sickbay, Deck 7, USS Artemis ))
Bergmen sat patiently on the biobed as Dr. Bancroft carried out the examination. With all the readouts, Ollie soon began to feel like a guinea pig. Yet, despite this overwhelming routine, he was happy that the doctor gave him all the needed attention, plus, after all, he had come here voluntarily and had already accepted that this was part of the process.
Bancroft: Irregular inflammation around the supraspinatus insertion point. Bit of fraying on the nearby tendons, too. Not terrible, but not great either. Obviously. Given the pain you’re experiencing.
What might have felt like an eternity to someone else was just a fleeting moment for the lieutenant, and it paid off when the doctor arrived with a diagnosis. The Lieutenant smiled contentedly, relieved that whatever had been troubling him finally had a name. A name meant it was known, and what was known certainly had a solution.
Bergmen: So, what do you need from me, doctor?
The doctor closed the tricorder and placed the device on a tray beside him.
Bancroft: It’s not a red alert ‘crashcart’ situation. Your arm isn’t about to detach and file for independence. No need to alert next-of-kin. That said, if we don’t get some maintenance on the internal scaffolding, it’s going to keep filing formal complaints every time you do anything ambitious, like brushing your hair.
Ollie wasn't certain he liked all those comparisons, at least not in the way he perceived them.
Bergmen: But… your colleague told me they ministered all injuries and everything should be ok when I returned from the planet…
The doctor checked with PADD, which he had on the tray next to the biobed, before he answered.
Bancroft: Oh yes, they did patch you up quite nicely after you returned from the surface, all things considered. But here’s the rub – when it comes to joint trauma, fixing the injury is only half the battle. The surrounding soft tissue? That’s where the real drama lives. Swelling, microtears, destabilized movement patterns… all of which can start throwing tantrums after the main show is over.
What Ollie was hearing made sense. It would have been beneficial to have known this before he dove headfirst into work, likely pushing his body beyond its limits and worsening whatever injuries "needed a little time to heal on their own." However, it probably wasn’t worth it to dwell on the past.
Bergmen: So, what now? Will you give me serum and ground me for a week or two at the desk to allow my body to naturally recover? Biologically, I’m still in my… youth, so my telomeres should still have the ability to fully regenerate.
Bancroft: ::raising his hands in a mock-defensive posture, grinning slightly:: Hey, I get it. You’re a Gideon. And yes – I would have figured that out sooner had I not stopped reading your chart in sheer disbelief at your biological age. Don’t worry, you’re still drinking from the proverbial fountain of youth. That said… even fountains need a little maintenance now and then. ::more seriously, but still light:: A week or two of targeted physical therapy and you’ll be back in fighting form.
The lieutenant seemed a little skeptical about physical therapy. After all, even though he exercised and built his strength regularly, he was still in that "garbage can" phase where he burned more energy than he could take in from food, even if he didn't exercise.
Bergmen: I believe it may not be beneficial, doctor. I exercise daily and strengthen my entire body regularly. So that should have been covered.
Bancroft: Physical therapy doesn’t mean your body’s broken. It just means it’s… momentarily cranky and needs a professional cuddle. And you’ve had a rough go of it lately. This is just a little nudge to help you bounce back faster.
The doctor pointed to Bergmen's shoulder and, like a fairy from his homeworld mythology, sprinkled a bit of imaginary "magical dust" over it.
Bancroft: I’ve no doubt your body would handle things eventually – probably faster than most of the crew, honestly. But pain is optional in the 25th century, which means suffering is… well, kind of a personal hobby at this point. I’m offering you a more comfortable alternative.
Bergmen: Ok, you know how to sell your offer. Any happy medicine included in that all-inclusive treatment?
Bancroft: Response
Ollie chuckled.
oO Fair enough. Oo
Bergmen: So apart from physio, anything else I should do or not to do in the meantime?
Bancroft: Response
Bergmen: Okay, doctor. Understood. And... Is there anything you need from me or the OPS? I'm here, so we can knock it all out at once.
Bancroft: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1