Medical Craic

Posted on Fri Jan 10th, 2025 @ 2:35pm by Lieutenant Aidan O'Connor & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T’ghann-Travis MD

Mission: Family
Location: USS Washington

After checking in with bridge and meeting Cmdr Celes and Lt Hillis, followed by a chance encounter with the sister of Cmdr Celes on his way to Engineering, Aidan thought he would be happy to reach his destination. He found himself instead in another conundrum when he discovered that Lt Antoinette was also a female, as was a majority of the Engineering staff. He had settled things a bit, made sure things were in order, and then left to do another task, his medical checkup.

As he entered sickbay and looked around, all he saw were female medical personnel. "Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph, it this ship some sort of ship of the Valkyries?" he questioned under his breath. He saw somebody who appeared to be in charge and walked over to her, "Excuse me doctor, I'm here for my medical checkup."

Shon had been on the warpath, not something she often was but the day was turning out to be 'one of those days'. She spun around, "WHAT?" she said then realized how she was acting and smiled. "It's Lieutenant Aiden O'Connor isn't it? here for your medical. I am Doctor T'ghann Travis Assistant CMO. Please step this way." she indicated a spare biobed.

Aidan looked at the woman, saw the ears, and then suddenly was very confused. He slowly walked towards the biobed, "Feelings alright doctor?" he questioned, still trying to understand why a Vulcan would be showing emotion.

"Shon laughed, "I am feeling fine thank you." Shon then realized what he was confused about. "Ah, the ears got you, I am only half Vulcan Lieutenant," she raised an eyebrow. "I can laugh with the best of them, a habit I am trying to leave behind." She picked up her medical tricorder. "Welcome to the Washington." she said as she began her scan from head to hip.

"Sounds like you came around on that Vulcan stoicism later on in life then. I would tell you not to give up the laughter though. I've found laughter can be truly cathartic and excellent medicine for the soul" Aidan responded. "So, my insides looking as good as my outside?" Aidan questioned in jest.

Shon smiled reaching for a neural analyzer. Her smile began to fade. "Lieutenant when were you last off a ship or off world and where was it?"

"Spent Christmas with my parents and siblings in Ireland actually. I was actually called in to StarFleet Command and given my orders while still on holiday" Aidan replied. "And you doctor? You get off the ship while it has been docked here at the station, maybe visit Earth?"

“I visited Earth last year with my husband and daughters. It was beautiful, but back to you, I asked because you have a parasite in your Dura Mata which is one of the linings of your brain. Don’t worry it is treatable but very infective. Transmission is spread by very close contact.” She smiled reassuringly. “Tell me have you had intimate relations with anyone in the last three months?”

"Parasite? Not sure how I would've gotten that. No intimate relations in the time period you are suggesting, though not for lack of trying" Aidan said with a chuckle. "I did try some interesting food at a Bolian restaurant."

“Bolian, hmm, no, not unless you kissed one Lieutenant.” She turned. “Nurse, will you get me five cc’s of Strontobaramine?”
She turned back to him. “You will need another injection and scan in three weeks and, I’m sorry no……. intimate relations during that time.” The nurse returned and handed Shon a hypo. “Thank you.” She said and injected him. “Now, please take a seat for thirty minutes just to ensure you do not have a reaction to the medication. Would you like a drink?”

"Sounds like I am going to need a drink doctor. Three weeks? Surely you can give me something that clears this up faster than that" Aidan replied in a bit of a panic. "Somebody get me a whisky."

Shon laughed, “now see what you made me do twice since I met you, laugh. You’ll need a bar for the whiskey, I can only offer you tea, coffee, water, orange, lemonade, you get the idea. As for clearing this up faster, then yes it can be done in three days but that would mean a three day stay in sickbay. It’s up to you Lieutenant?

"Three days in sickbay or three weeks..." Aidan said aloud. "I'm going with the three days in sickbay. I can give orders from here to make sure everything gets done in my absence. Now, I could do with some tea I suppose. My mum thinks tea will cure everything."

Shon nodded, “If you are sure? Nurse, can you get the lieutenant a cup of tea.” She gathered some equipment. “I am going to have to give you a more thorough brain scan, so, after your tea you will need to jump onto this biobed. Please call me Shon if you would like and I would like to call you Aiden?” She asked. “Please don’t be frightened it may all look very ‘medical’, but it’s all designed to ensure your safety and get you well more quickly.”

"Sounds lovely doctor. Tea and medical procedures. Quite an interesting first few days I am having here" Aidan replied with a smile.

The nurse handed him some tea. "Do you want to ask me anything?" Shon said.

"No doc. Think I'll just let you do your work. Be gentle" he teased.

"I'm always gentle until I am not." she said cryptically.

Later that day as she began another treatment, she noted something akin to anxiety, or was it boredom on his face. "So, tell me a little about yourself?" she asked in order to engage him in conversation.

Aidan was being contemplative. He didn't talk much about his family, not at least when he was just now starting a new duty assignment. "Not much to tell you doctor. Come from a StarFleet family going back to before the Federation existed. Both my parents are retired officers, living on Earth, enjoying life as it were. I am the oldest of eleven children, all of which are serving in StarFleet in various postings. My siblings and I are almost all security, tactical, or engineering officers, the exception being my sister Ciara who is a diplomatic attaché, and my two youngest sisters who are currently at the Academy. Suppose my mum wishes some of us had gone into the sciences, and maybe one of my two sisters at the Academy will, but it has been a lost cause on us as we've taken up after my da thus far."

"Ten siblings!" Shon announced surprised. "I suppose there must not have been much to do in the evenings." she said.

Aidan gave a soft chuckle. "You could say that. I like to think my mum and da like to put theories into practice, being a science officer and an engineer. Suppose it could also be that we are an Irish family. Despite all efforts, Irish families continue to remain large, as we continue to people the planet and take over gradually" he joked. Aidan laid back, "Don't worry too much about me doctor. Just trying to adjust to my new ship. Seems like it is a ship full of Valkyries. Do we have any other male officers aboard this ship?"

“There are, of course our Captain and First Officer are male. You are right though there is a large number of females in higher positions. Why, does it bother you?” She smiled as she took another scanner and began to scan him.

"Bother me?" Aidan questioned with a smile. "Doctor, I am overjoyed at the prospects here. Just wondered about the competition is all. I already was told the captain was off the ship with his family, so I don't suppose I have anything to worry about with him. As for the XO, I suppose I'll meet him when he is back aboard. Met the 2XO, Lt Cmdr Celes, and a beautiful security officer, a Lt Hillis. As you said, quite a few female officers in positions of authority. Even my XO in Engineering is a female. My mates and I would call this a target rich environment, when we are being a bit crude. What about you doctor? You have yourself a man?"

Shon realized he had obviously not been listening earlier, and she felt the question was rather out of place. But decided to give him the benefit of the doubt seeing he was being treated medically. "I am married to a Diplomatic officer on board, and we have two daughters.” She certainly wasn’t going to tell him she was pregnant. “I hope you do not view women as just sexual objects, that sort of thinking went out centuries ago?”


Aidan smiled, "I believe you told me some of that before. Apologies for me being absentminded. And to answer your question, no doctor, I don't view women as sexual objects, though they certainly have the ability to bring out that aspect in me. You'll have to excuse me though doctor, I get a little out of sorts when I am at a new assignment. Also, first time as a Chief Engineer."

The doors to sickbay opened and a Vulcan ensign entered. He scanned sickbay and then approached, "Pardon me doctor, but I have information for the lieutenant." He walked over and handed the PaDD to Aidan.

"Thank you, ensign" Aidan responded as he took the PaDD. He looked at the data. "Inform Lt Antoinette to get a second team working on the flow regulators. Full warp capability needs to be up in 6 hours. No excuses. And I want those lateral sensors back online in one hour. If they have a problem with that, you tell them to come see me."

"Understood sir" the Vulcan responded dispassionately.

As the Vulcan exited Aidan looked to Shon, "Apologies doctor. I am a bit of a taskmaster when it comes to my work. Engineers need to have a strong hand at times to prod them along."

“No problem I understand the pressures. I will perform your treatments with alacrity, and you will be able to get back to your department as soon as possible. It has been good to meet you and medical wise I will be able to discharge you as fit for duty. The parasitic infection has almost gone, you have responded to the treatment better than I had expected so I will be able to discharge you today. If you have any problems such as dizzy spells or nausea return to sick bay immediately. Nice to meet you Lieutenant Aiden O'Connor.

"Brilliant" Aidan replied with a smile. "I will most certainly return should anything warrant it doctor. And yes, it was nice meeting you as well doctor." He got up from the biobed, took a deep breath, patted his chest as he let it out and smiled. "I feel tip top. You do fine work doctor. My compliments.' And with that the young lieutenant exited sickbay, off to crack the whip in Engineering.