RP Log: Continuing Studies
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Stardate:
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| 2024-08-04 20:00 | |
- Chief Medical Officer's Office -- U.S.S. Kestrel
- The powderblue carpets, the three small armchairs to one corner and the large desk in the opposite corner give this room a sense of duality; the large white oak desk with its large, high backed chair behind it and the two smaller seats in front imparts a sense of professionalism. This is offset by the powderblue coloured and cushioned armchairs in the other corner, suggesting that more personal meetings are also often conducted here. A replicator is set into the wall near the armchairs, and on the opposite side of the room are several shelves. There is an LCARS panel behind the desk.
Nolan is sitting at his desk, thumbing through a physical book. It's cover appears to be the same blue as Medical uniforms. It has gold inlain text reading "Treatise on Frontier Medicine". "Lieutenant" he greets, looking up.
Hauser smiles at the CMO. "Hi there, Doctor. I'm sorry if your replicator wasn't working this morning. Someone's oversight. They switched us to external power, and then turned off all the ship's systems. Honest mistake."
Hauser grins. "I think one of our ensigns was trying to do a good thing. Hey, we should be thankful they remembered to turn on external power to the station before depowering everyting. That includes life support, ya know."
"I've seen how quickly the air can go stale in the absence of the recyclers. What can I do for you Lieutenant?" Nolan asks
Hauser smiles and plops in a chair. "Nothing urgent. I'm not hurt and everyone seems to be ok," she says. "But, hey, you know I've been doing my studies for my line officer certification here aboard ship, right?"
"I think I recall something to that effect, yes" Nolan nods. "Or I had at least heard as much"
Hauser nods. "While we're sitting here, I wanted to ask you a question," she says. "I shadowed one of your nurses for part of a shift, and that was interesting. But I guess my question, doctor is, just this. What do you think it important for a command officer to understand about your department or medicine? I know that's vague, but take it where you like."
Nolan purses his lips and glances down at the book. He opens it up and flips to a couple different pages before finding something he likes. "This is a very very old book. Centuries in fact. It was written by one of the first Starfleet doctors, a Denobulan by the name of Phlox" he states. "This book has been required reading for almost every Starfleet doctor save for the most early. In it, he focuses on the unique challenges presented by practicing medicine where, as we like to say, nobody has gone before" Nolan slides the book across. "There are a lot of anecdotes, but here's a good one. The needs and requirements of practicing medicine may not line up with the policies and procedures of the Fleet. In fact, we will often come to blows. It's important to understand that your medical personnel have an obligation and duty to the patient that will sometimes trump the duty we feel towards Starfleet"
Hauser reads the passage for herself and nods. "Ok. Have you ever had a time like that? Maybe you can tell me about it so I understand what you're saying."
Nolan puts his eyes to the top of his head, thinking. "I've been decently lucky to have a supportive command staff as well as rarely being in positions in which I felt I needed to disregard my orders. There have, however, been times wherein I have needed to remind my command staff that until my patients were discharged into the care of another competent and qualified doctor, I wouldn't be able to leave them"
Hauser nods. "You know, in some ways, your authority stands equal to or greater than the commanding officer. If you relieve someone of duty, the CO can't naysay that. You can even relieve the CO of duty if you feel you need to. You ever had to think about that kind of dynamic?" She grins. "Better have a good reason though, I suppose."
"I once did relieve a CO of duty. Inappropriately" Nolan sighs. "It was after the destruction of the Versailles. I had already been transfered to the Phoenix but Captain Svetzvani was... Well, she was the only other survivor given that she was miraculously off ship at the moment. Everyone else perished. It was my first posting and where I had served as Chief Medical Officer for the first time. Small compliment. Knew every last one of them" Nolan puts his hands on the desk and pauses for a moment. "In an attempt to save her some grief from what was then an overbearing command section which was attempting to press her into duty too soon, I relieved her of duty. Problem was, I was overstepping my bounds when she was already in the care of a dedicated psychologist" Nolan grimaces but then smiles a bit. "He called me an overgrown dentist. I deserved it, I suppose"
"Yikes," Hauser says, wincing. "I've only met Admiral Svetzvani once or twice, but she strikes me as rather gratious. Doesn't she have a med background?"
"She herself was a councilor" Nolan nods. "And she's a fine Admiral. I need to see about visiting the memorial with her when we have a chance"
"The memorial?" Hauser asks.
"You don't have a whole ship explode without any defense and not at least give the poor fellas some kind of rememberance" Nolan says. "Memorial Hall on the campus of the Academy. Did you ever get a chance to go?"
Hauser nods. "That memorial wasn't there, but yes," she says. "It was put in place after my graduation and I haven't been back to campus," she adds.
"Oh" Nolan says. "Fair enough. But really, if you're looking for the inner working of most any Starfleet Doctor, you'll find it in this book" Nolan says tapping his copy. "You can find it in the ship's library. It does a pretty good job of explaining why we're fairly irreverent when it comes to the finer machinations of military tradition most of the time" Nolan laughs. "I didn't even know they promoted me until I replicated a new uniform"
Hauser grins. "I guess that's fair. If I was gonna observe something in sickbay, you know, to improve my understanding of how fleet medicine works, is there anything you'd want me to see? Or just shadow any nurse or doctor and I'll get the idea."
Nolan purses his lips and grabs a PADD. "Let me see if I can reach out to any of my regularly scheduled appointments and see if they'd be alright with a sit-in. The thing I would say you'd most benefit from seeing is the day to day functions we perform when people aren't missing fingers" Nolan says, tapping a few things and setting the PADD down. "We're a source of crew morale. We often represent a safe space for folks who feel that they're out of their depth. We also help folks with things like fitness programs and family planning. It's a rather enjoyable part of my job" Nolan smiles. "Speaking of, how are you Lieutenant, all things given?"
Hauser smiles. "No pressure, doc. I'm not sure I'd want some engineer sitting in on my exam either," she says. "You know, I'm ok. They're taking out our ablative armor system because it's got a virus in the nanotech, but they're giving us something else. So, some of the crew are on one ship out there or another, testing the new system. We're in drydock right now, taking out the old and waiting to install the new stuff. The skipper left me in nominal charge of those of us left aboard. Mostly engineers and medical folks."
Nolan nods. "Well, Captain pro temporate, you'll be happy to know that aside from those routines I mentioned, it's just a lot of cleaning up and supply counting down here" Nolan sighs. "A welcome change of pace from before. Doing anything hobby wise?"
"Still trying to break the warp 10 barrier?" She offers. She smiles. "You know, I always liked building models. Not engineering drafting, but actual ship models by hand. It's something my father and I would do when I was a kid. I've been getting back into it."
"Models of the bottle persuasion or just regular?" Nolan asks. "And any specific time period?"
"Regular," she says. "I've been playing around with bluewater navy ships. I mean, I grew up on the moon. No ocean. And even on Earth, who sails on the oceans anymore for any purpose other than sport?"
"Your old boss, so I hear" Nolan offers. "I had once conversed with him. He sailed a lot as a child, still rather likes it as I understand"
"I'll have to ask him about that," she says. Her remote monitor chirps quietly. She looks at it and frowns. "Well, Doctor, there goes my coffee break. I need to get upstairs and straighten out some confusion about who has rank on the bridge right now." She rolls her eyes.
"Good luck. I don't envy you in the slightest. Drop by with more questions or for tea anytime" Nolan says.
Hauser smiles. "I will, and hey, if I can ever do anything to help, let me know." She heads out.