Lieutenant Jack Kessler - Possible Doubts About Health Care

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((Sickbay, Deck 5, U.S.S. Octavia E. Butler))

 

 

Along with talking to the Intelligence Officer, Promontory had made it clear that Jack also get a release from the ships medical department and of course a psych release. This was standard protocol for what Jack had gone though and although he hated jumping through the hoops to get reinstated, he also understood that this was the process. So he would follow protocol and jump through the hoops, get his job back and then get to work.

 

 

Like everything on this new ship the sickbay was state of the art. A formal reception area led to the triage hub, a circular room with three biobeds. A pair of doors on opposing sides of the room led into the deeper inner working of sickbay but today Jack did not find himself venturing past the exam room. The reception nurse had escorted him to a biobed and then departed to find Doctor Toz. It was not long before the Doctor entered the room. A familiar face from the Oumuamua, Doctor Toz was a human/Klingon hybrid and seeing her Jack smiled from ear to ear.

 

Kessler: Hey doc, happy to see you.

Toz: Jack. I heard rumors that you were back. I heard you’d been killed, that you were taken prisoner by the Romulans, and, of course, that you were sent back to earth for some reason or other. ::lightly laughing:: But I also knew you’d be coming back. How are you? I’m so glad to see you. 

 

Kessler: Doing better than I think most think I should be. How have you been.

Jack hopped up on the biobed as the Doctor spoke and he watched each of her actions.

 

Toz: Jack, are you afraid of what I might find? ::smiling:: I promise, this won’t hurt a bit. 

 

Kessler: That’s good. I guess you have your hands full now with Doctor Kel gone.

 

Jack was still somewhat irritated that his best friend Dr. V’Len Kel had transferred to another ship while Jack was gone. In his mind, this was something he would have to rectify soon, somehow.

 

Toz: My workload has increased a bit. You were best friends, weren’t you? ::pause:: You do realize that Starfleet transfers personnel back and forth from ship to ship all the time. You’ll still get to see him once in a while. Besides, there’s always the communication portals. 

 

Kessler: No, I am fine but Commander Promontory wants a full medical work up to make sure I am really ok to return to duty. (beat rolling his eyes) You know, protocol and all that stuff.

 

Toz: ::tilting her head slightly:: This is just protocol. Everyone goes through their medical check ups when coming onto the ship and before every mission. You know all this. 

 

Jack cracked a smile at the comment and knew he was in good hands with his Doctor.

 

Kessler: (grinning) I know Doc but still hoops to jump through.

 

Toz: I’m going to release you for duty but I want to do another checkup in 14 days. 

 

Back in 14 days? Why? Had Toz see or discovered something that he was not aware of? No, he doubted it. She wouldn’t release him back so quickly. Maybe it was just a follow-up and an idea to put the XO’s mind at ease.

 

Kessler: 14 days…sure I can come back for a follow-up. Anything to get back to work.

 

Toz: We need to get around the commander’s concerns and we can’t do that unless there’s positive medical results. Have you spoken with the counselor yet?

 

Kessler: (one more hoop to jump through) No, not yet. You my dear Doctor was my first stop.

 

Toz: I’ll make a note of that. ::waving Jack off the bed:: You are free to go do whatever it is you need to do. Say hi for me to Kel when you talk with him. 

 

Jack, smiling, slid off the biobed and looked back over the sickbay before locking eyes with Toz.

Kessler: Thank you Doc. I’ll tell V’Len but (leaning in and lowering his voice) I won’t tell him how well you have everything under control without him.

 

Jack offered a wink and a grin to the Klingon/Human hybrid and started towards the entry leading to reception and then turned on his heels.

 

Kessler: Doc…the Zet seemed very intent on proper health care. But just playing the safe side, you didn’t see anything out of the ordinary right?

 

Toz: response

 

Shaking his head but allowing his smile to diminish to a question on his face Jack thought more about his time in the prison and several times he was rendered unconscious during his escape attempts.

 

Kessler: Just making sure. I woke up in their infirmary a couple of times after being stunned during my escape attempts. Just making sure they are not tracking me or something weird like that.

 

Jack knew is anything like a tracking device had been seen Toz would not have let him out of sickbay. Unless of course there was an alternate course of action at play here. If he were being tracked, they could use it to bait the Zet after the Butler. Risky tactics but one that would surely draw lots of attention from Starfleet.

 

Toz: response

 

Kessler: Maybe I am just being a little over paranoid too. Don’t want to miss anything.

 

Toz: response

 

 

TBC/TAGS

 

Lieutenant Jack Kessler

Non-Active Duty

USS Octavia E. Butler

T239901JK1