Lieutenant Commander Cadfael Peters: Medical Questions
Zeph
(( Main Sickbay, Deck 5, USS OEB ))
Sickbay was quieter than Engineering ever managed to be. No harmonic vibration through the deck plating. No distant hum of a stressed EPS conduit. Just the soft murmur of medical equipment and the faint antiseptic scent that always suggested things were either about to improve or about to be uncomfortable.
Lieutenant Commander Cadfael Peters stood beside the nearest biobed, hands loosely clasped behind his back. Uniform immaculate. Boots still faintly dusted from the station’s promenade. He regarded the diagnostic arch with polite suspicion, and glanced around for any member of the medical staff he could perceive, then said aloud to no one in particular.
Peters: Lieutenant Commander Cadfael Peters reporting for onboarding physical.
Ragh: Oh? I hope you weren't waiting long. I'm Doctor Ragh and I'd be happy to perform your physical. I don't think we've met—
Peters: Lieutenant Commander Cadfael Peters, doctor. I just transferred in from DS14, actually. Stopped by the BC to get another mug on my way here. (He presented an iso chip.) Can I interest you in a fresh copy of my medical record, just in case LCARS hasn’t caught up yet?
He stepped up onto the biobed platform without prompting, settling back with the air of someone submitting to a systems scan rather than a medical one.
Ragh: (taking the iso chip) Thank you, but I'm sure we have your up to date medical records. (Pauses, checking his PADD) So onboarding physical. Anything I should know before we start?
Peters: No active complaints. No unexplained dizziness, hallucinations, or sudden desire to rewire anything that isn’t mine. And in my defense, I am mostly all original components.
A beat.
The biobed hummed to life, a soft blue wash passing over him. He watched the ceiling rather than the display.
Peters: If you find any duct tape in there, I can assure you it was structural.
Ragh: The scan is complete, feel free to sit up. (Reading the monitor) Everything seems… okay. How are your implants treating you? How long have you had them?
Peters: Had them installed about eleven years ago. Acoustic filtration and adaptive range control — keeps industrial harmonics from turning my skull into a tuning fork.
He gave a small shrug.
Peters: Starbase construction yards are not especially forgiving environments.
A brief pause.
Peters: They’ve held up well, but if you’d like to run a deeper diagnostic I won’t object.
Ragh: Oh, that's good to hear.
It seemed that the engineer’s sense of humor was possibly contagious, as the pun was unintentional. However, when the doc gestured for him to move, he did so.
Ragh: What were you doing on DS14?
Peters: Passing through on my way here, actually. Stopped by the Brew Continuum to add another mug to my collection. Before that, I was working on a resilience study for an SCE initiative.
He paused, not wanting to discuss the matter any further. Project Oakwood was classified, and he didn’t want to go into too much detail for those who hadn’t been read into it or didn’t possess the authorization.
Peters: I’m happy to provide anything relevant for your records, of course — but is there anything in the scan that requires follow-up?
Ragh: Response
Peters: If there’s anything further you’d like me to remain for, Doctor, I’m at your disposal.
Ragh: Response
Peters: Otherwise I can make time for a more detailed implant diagnostic at your convenience.
Ragh: Response