A New Start

Posted on Fri Aug 27th, 2021 @ 2:09am by Commander Samantha Howard & Captain Shran dh'Klar & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T’ghann-Travis Dr

Mission: Breen in Paradise
Location: USS Washington
Timeline: Shortly after DS9 departure

Dex stepped out of her quarters refreshed and rejuvenated after a good nights sleep along with two hours meditation. She had also managed to take Puss out for a walk along the deserted corridors of the ship during the night. They had only met one person and Puss had enjoyed the interaction. She was not really sure the stranger had also enjoyed it though but, after all Puss only wanted to lick his hand. It was a shame that most people recoiled when they met a Vulcan Sehlat but with his human feline genes he looked more like an indeterminate mix. The problem though was his size . She had left him preparing for his sixteen hour sleep after his breakfast. It had been good to have someone familiar in all this strange newness. Now she needed to officially report in.

She took a breath and tapped her communicator. =/\= Dex to Captain Shran.=/\=

=^=This is Shran =^=

=/\= Captain Shran I am sure you know I am the new Assistant CMO. On my last posting it was required I check in with the Captain as well as my CMO. It seems Dr Howard is somewhat out of commission currently so I thought I would do it the other way round. Do you wish to see me?=/\=

=^= Very well doctor. My ready room in 20 minutes. =^= Shran took a moment to consider the situation. He hit his comm badge once more, =^=Shran to Howard. Sam, your new medical officer is coming up to meet with me. Assuming you are free, can you come up to my ready room? =^=

Sam had been curled up in her quarters, her body nearly fully recovered from the aftermath of the previous mission. She had yet to meet her new ACMO, and the counselor, although she had a funny feeling she was going to meet both in quick succession if she ever wanted to be cleared for duty again.

"Of course Captain, give me a few minutes"

Dressing quickly and freshening up she made herself look presentable and headed out the door, arriving at the Captain's ready room doors and signalling her arrival.

Shran called for her to come in and the doors opened presenting him Sam at the door. He smiled as she entered and asked her to take a seat.

"Captain, It's good to see you, and not the...other...you" Sam smiled warmly as she entered. She made her way inside the Ready Room and took a seat.

Dex arrived at the door to the Captain’s ready room. She smoothed her hair and tunic, breathed deeply and pressed the chime.

Shran glanced over at Samantha. She wasn't in uniform, though her civilian attire was quite appropriate for this particular meeting. He made a mental note to speak with the counselor about when he might get Samantha and Jon back to duty. So many things seemed to be going on it seemed. "Come" he said in an authoritative tone and the doors opened.

Dex considered the rather stern tone that was the precursor to her entering the ready room so she decided to do things by the book as she entered. The Chief Medical Officer was sitting in the chair neatest his desk. Dex thought she looked pale but that was only to be expected after what she had been through.

Captain Shran was a typical Andorian, although he was only an inch taller than her he seemed much more so. She remembered she had roomed with an Andorian during her exobiology degree and his eyes had been ice blue. Captain Shran’s eyes however looked like iced pools with no discernible depth. She stood, hands clasped behind her back to attention “Lieutenant Dex reporting for duty”. She looked at Shran “Captain,” then Doctor Howard. “Commander.”. She fell silent, waiting.

Shran stood and looked over the lieutenant and then extended his hand to greet her, "Welcome aboard lieutenant. You obviously know our CMO Cmdr Howard. Be seated. Care for something to drink?" The Andorian was being stern and by the book, yet polite in his own way. New officers rotating in was nothing new, but considering the recent events, this seemed different.

Dex smiled and took a seat. “Thank you Captain, I would like a mineral water.” She smiled at Commander Howard. “I'm afraid the Commander and I have not yet met.” She hesitated, “ I did not want to….intrude on her healing time.” She cleared her throat. “Thank you for having me aboard the Washington, she is a beautiful ship and I hope my work will do justice to the crew and anyone else we may find who needs help.” ‘Well that was an embarrassing thing to say’ she thought to herself. Then she remembered Puss. “And thank you for giving permission for me to bring my Sehlat with me. He has been with me since I was born.”

Sam sat quietly, taking in this woman who would be her new ACMO. The Washington was a big ship and the addition to the medical staff was both a welcome one and a reprieve. It would allow the medical team to split in times of crisis, become two effective teams rather than Sam trying to juggle everything herself.

"Welcome Aboard Doctor Dex... is that how you prefer to be referred to?" Sam stood and extended her hand.

Shoniara took the proffered hand it was warm and firm, she shook it nodding. “That would be fine Commander, thank you. On Vulcan I would be known as Dex T’ghann, which…” she raised an eyebrow. “Which is quite a mouthful.” She smiled.

" Doctor Dex it is" Sam shook the Vulcan's hand and sat back down with the barest of winces. She hadn't had the opportunity to read Dex's profile so thought she may as well make the most of their meeting. " So Doctor, tell me a bit about yourself, what brings you to the Washington?"

Shran got the drink from the replicator and brought it over, setting it in front of Dex. "Happy to have you aboard, though I think Samantha will be the one that truly appreciates it the most. She has been short staffed for some time. I know I am happy to have a more full medical staff, considering how active things seem to be aboard the Washington."

" Why is that Captain?" Sam retorted in good nature towards the Washington's CO. There had never been a more capable Captain of a Starship - maybe that was why they got all the tough gigs. " But yes we can always use the extra hands"

Shran gave a look to Samantha then returned his focus to Dex.

Shoniara took a sip of the mineral water. “ As far as I know I am the only Vulcan Riasan in Starfleet. I was raised with Vulcan values and follow Vulcan teachings but my Riasan heritage has given me more choices despite the problems faced by people of mixed race. It has been difficult over the years especially since my family was killed and I went through depression and addiction so I understand the problems that great loss can bring .

If I am being honest, which I always am.” She smiled. “I was offered the Chief Medical Officers post on the Vulcan cruiser T’Planna Hath but the thought of living solely with Vulcans is not what I want my life to be. My Vulcan race is known to be able to suppress their emotions but that is something I feel is very difficult for me. Emotions are what helps us to live a fuller life. I love healing, the everyday minutiae of caring and problem solving. My love for Virology,” she paused, “ there is no plague or mass illness that cannot be cured it is just finding out what the organism needs to survive and proliferate and then reverse engineer it.”

Dex knew she was perhaps giving out more information than needed but she felt the need to explain fully. “As to my qualifications I have degrees in emergent medicine, exobiology, exopsychology, psychology, viral genetics, virology and am no mean pilot.” She felt quite breathless after that but she got the distinct feeling that Commander Howard was phishing.

Shran was used to Vulcans and their long lists of academic achievements. They usually listed them with that typical air of arrogance all Vulcans are noted for, even though they say they didn't express emotion. Dex was different though. She was only half Vulcan, and while many of the features were present, her Risian heritage seemed to push past some of that Vulcan discipline. Shran liked that. While his people and the Vulcans had found a way to coexist since the birth of the Federation, Andorians still had personal difficulty dealing with Vulcans at times, and Shran was now different. He had Vulcan friends and colleagues, he just couldn't be around them all the time. He gave a smile and looked at Samantha, "It would seem StarFleet finally sent you the rest of your requested medical staff, rolled up neatly into a single doctor."

" Fabulous, does this mean I can retire to Risa next week then?" Howard laughed, lightening the tone of the conversation " Seriously though, I have a funny feeling all of those skills are going to be utilized quite fully. We tend to see more than our fair share of action on this particular ship, not that I'm complaining of course, it keeps one very busy"

Shran gave a light chuckle to Sam's joke before returning to a more serious state. "She isn't wrong. Your skills will likely be put to use far more often than you may imagine here. And you will be pushed often into things that go far outside your comfort level. I hope you are prepared for that" he said as he stared at Dex, his eyes burning holes through her as he awaited her response.

Her eyes grew silver as she felt strong emotion rising up inside, “Captain my whole adult life has been ‘outside my comfort level’”. She bristled and thought ‘nothing prepares one for this kind of life than watching your child and husband burn and realizing you failed to save them’. For a moment the scars on her back felt like ignited plasma. She had not expected to respond to the Captain’s question like that and tried to collect herself, at times like this she wished she was purely Vulcan. She finished her mineral water and cleared her throat “I expect to be challenged and for me there is nothing worse than a quiet life.”

"You won't find much quiet here" Shran responded. "I suspect you will fit in here nicely. You may need a bit of time to find your place among the greater whole, but I suspect you won't mind that much. Perhaps you'd like to take a look at sickbay and the science labs with Samantha, a tour of your personal spaces as it were. We won't be at Casperia for another few days, and you will be running things in medical until Samantha is cleared to return to duty."

“Thank you for welcoming me Captain Shran, this has been an..” she paused “…an interesting conversation. I look forward to working as part of the team and contributing above and beyond duty as much as I can.

"Indeed" Shran responded as he stood. "Welcome aboard doctor." Shran looked at Sam, "Don't have too much fun on the tour" he said with a smile.

" Oh she'll be too busy to have too much fun" Sam snorted as she too rose, nodding in deference to the Captain. " Thank you Captain, I'll let you know when I'm cleared for duty again" She said as she headed for the door, letting the new Doc have free reign off sickbay until she was back on duty.