Judgement – An Outpatient Appointment
by Lieutenant Vincent Tan & Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton
Post Details
::ON::
Vincent hobbled along the corridor, his head held up, his face a mask of determination. Due to the very nature of his job in strategic operations, not many of the other personnel on DS5 knew him. But they did know the determined look on his face, the casual air of command, and the fierce-set eyebrows that promised trouble to anyone to crossed him. These were features acquired from years as a professor. All these and the limp from his cast combined to effectively clear a path for him through the crew and junior officers as Vincent made his way to sickbay.
It had been 24 hours since his surgery to repair the ruptured achilles tendon. Vincent had taken a look at the scans and his wound himself, and thought them to be OK. But orthopedics was not his specialty (not in a non-traumatic setting at least), and he decided it would be better to keep his appointment with Dr. Stapleton.
Vincent entered sickbay and, squinting, looked around for Dr Stapleton. He had, once again, neglected to wear his glasses.
She looked up as an orderly told her that someone was here to see her. Chronometer check - he's early. No problem, she wasn't incredibly busy at the moment. Approaching the lieutenant, she smiled and held out a freshly-washed hand.
"Doctor Stapleton. You must be Lieutenant Tan?"
"That is correct," Vincent shook her extended hand. "I never got the chance to thank you, Dr Stapleton, for the surgery. I was discharged overnight when you were off duty."
"Ah, well I'd love to take complete credit for that, but I'm just the one who follows up after the surgical procedure. Once you go under anesthesia, that's the purview of Doctor Murdoch." She almost said that he'd be pleased to hear the thanks... but she hesitated, not wanting to expose the patient to the surgeon's manner around anyone who was conscious.
"Ah, Mr Murdoch," Vincent said, using the proper honorific for a surgeon. "I've heard stories about him." At the look on Dr Stapleton's face, he quickly added, "All good stories, of course."
"So why don't we head over here, and we can discuss the before and after scans, while I take a look at the dressing." She gestured forward and then led the way to an empty biobed that had been reserved for the follow-up appointment.
"How's that ankle feeling?" She gestured for a nurse's aide to get the patient's chart and then turned her full attention to Vincent as she lowered the bio bed, allowing him to sit on it without extending himself.
"Thank you," Vincent said as he took a seat. "The joint is feeling OK, but there's still some muscular pain up the back here," he said, pointing along his calf. He winced slightly as she removed the bandages and temporary plaster. "How does it look, doctor?"
"Well, the sutures look good, there's a tiny bit of seepage but that's not unusual. I'll scan it and see if we can find anything else. Lie back and stretch out."
He did so, and she turned on the arch that crossed over the bed. It moved down his body from head to knee, and then a visible bluish light came on, scanning slowly the rest of the way to his toes.
"Alright, everything looks good, Mister Tan. You'll need to stay in that cast for the next month or so. You can sit up, now."
"How are you doing getting around with the cast?"
"I'm managing," Vincent replied. "Analgesia is taking care of the pain. The limp I can live with. Mind you, I'm not rushing out to buy a walking stick or frame or anything like that..."
Bridget chuckled, and put the bed back down so that the Lieutenant could stand up. "I hope this hasn't put too much of a cramp in your social life."
It was a rather intimate question; but spoken in her slightly midwest-accented, country doctor tone of voice so as to seem casually conversational. Bridget believed that treating the man included treating the whole man, both body and soul. So while she wasn't qualified to give counseling, she could check to see if there were any signs of obvious psychological distress that might need addressing.
"Things are going as well as they can be," Vincent responded vaguely. "I miss my family and my home, but don't we all? Social life on this station is hampered by work rather than my leg. But I can say that my department is doing quite well - we've even taken on some extra work doing the customs inspections that normally falls to security. On the whole Dr. Stapleton, I would have to say that life is going well enough."
Here, Vincent paused, knowing that he had not really answered the question. "But who am I to talk about workloads to you? The medical department is the most overworked and unappreciated of all. So tell me, doctor, how are things with you?"
She looked at him and blinked, a half-smile forming on her lips. It was deftly done, she had to admit. He'd not only practically dismissed the question, but had turned the tables on the conversation.
"Things are going a well as they can be," she repeated with a smirk, folding her arms across her chest and leaning against the railing at the foot of the bed, all pretense of the simple country doctor gone. "I miss my family, too. We have children and grandchildren on Earth, and this is our first time away from them for an extended period. And you're right, the work load can be rather daunting at times. But we all do what we need to do and make the best of it, eh?"
Unfolding her arms, she glanced at his chart. Wife and kidlets back on Earth, just like so many men and women aboard this station. The combination of missing them and working in a co-ed environment always took it's toll, whether a man remained true to his spouse or cheated. Stress was certainly a factor, working in Ops, too.
"Do you get enough off-duty relaxation, Mister Tan?" She was thinking maybe she and Ed could help, if the lieutenant didn't have much in the way of friends.
"I try to, but it's hard being department head. You always have to make sure that everything being done is that best and then you have to make the best even better," Vincent said, shaking his head at the futility of working in strategic operations. "There's a competition, which is good for the station, but some take it more seriously than others."
Thinking immediately of her -disagreement- with Lance Murdoch, a rueful smile swept her face and then was gone. "Yes, I can certainly agree with that. Sometimes people just don't get the whole concept of teamwork."
"But otherwise, I assure you, I am fine," Vincent said. "I do catch up with friends for a coffee or a drink. I tend to avoid more "vigorous" entertainment - I'm not young anymore. But life here has been adequate."
Vincent looked up realizing he was being rude. "But I am subject to the rules and regulations of Starfleet as an officer. You however... a civilian giving up private practice and a safe home for all this?"
"Crazy, isn't it?" Her grin was lopsided. "At least, that's what the kids said when we told them. They said I was too old to enter Starfleet, tried to pull my heart strings by saying we should stay for the grand-babies."
Vincent gave the doctor a sideways glance. "Kids can be like that," he said, "but you hardly look old enough to have grandchildren. You and your husband must have had started your family really early..."
"Yeah, we did. We wanted to be young enough that when they were teenagers, we had the energy to run around and do things with them. It paid off - they keep us thinking young, you know? So how about you - did you and your wife plan on having children right away?"
"That could be difficult with us being so far apart," Vincent said with a chuckle. "We do have children - and my eldest is nearing the terrible teenage years. God help me. Or any boy that so much as looks at her!"
With a sad sigh, Vincent stood up. "Thank you very much for your time doctor. If or when you are free, how about we catch up to share parenting tactics? I know being so far away doesn't help, but I could use a few pointers anyway..."
"Mister Tan," she held out her hand for a parting shake. "I'd like that. And I think my husband would, too. Let's get together for a meal or drink in a couple of days?"
"Sounds good, Dr Staplton. I'll see you then," and with a quick salute, Vincent hobbled out of sickbay.
::OFF::
Ensign Bridget Stapleton
Doctor (general practictitioner) - DS5
&
Lieutenant Vincent Tan
Chief of Strategic Operations - DS5
by Lieutenant Vincent Tan & Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton
Post Details
| Title | An Outpatient Appointment | |
| Mission | Judgement | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant Vincent Tan & Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton | |
| Posted | Sat Apr 02, 2011 @ 2:15am | |
| Location | Sickbay | |
| Timeline | SD37 - 0800 |
Vincent hobbled along the corridor, his head held up, his face a mask of determination. Due to the very nature of his job in strategic operations, not many of the other personnel on DS5 knew him. But they did know the determined look on his face, the casual air of command, and the fierce-set eyebrows that promised trouble to anyone to crossed him. These were features acquired from years as a professor. All these and the limp from his cast combined to effectively clear a path for him through the crew and junior officers as Vincent made his way to sickbay.
It had been 24 hours since his surgery to repair the ruptured achilles tendon. Vincent had taken a look at the scans and his wound himself, and thought them to be OK. But orthopedics was not his specialty (not in a non-traumatic setting at least), and he decided it would be better to keep his appointment with Dr. Stapleton.
Vincent entered sickbay and, squinting, looked around for Dr Stapleton. He had, once again, neglected to wear his glasses.
She looked up as an orderly told her that someone was here to see her. Chronometer check - he's early. No problem, she wasn't incredibly busy at the moment. Approaching the lieutenant, she smiled and held out a freshly-washed hand.
"Doctor Stapleton. You must be Lieutenant Tan?"
"That is correct," Vincent shook her extended hand. "I never got the chance to thank you, Dr Stapleton, for the surgery. I was discharged overnight when you were off duty."
"Ah, well I'd love to take complete credit for that, but I'm just the one who follows up after the surgical procedure. Once you go under anesthesia, that's the purview of Doctor Murdoch." She almost said that he'd be pleased to hear the thanks... but she hesitated, not wanting to expose the patient to the surgeon's manner around anyone who was conscious.
"Ah, Mr Murdoch," Vincent said, using the proper honorific for a surgeon. "I've heard stories about him." At the look on Dr Stapleton's face, he quickly added, "All good stories, of course."
"So why don't we head over here, and we can discuss the before and after scans, while I take a look at the dressing." She gestured forward and then led the way to an empty biobed that had been reserved for the follow-up appointment.
"How's that ankle feeling?" She gestured for a nurse's aide to get the patient's chart and then turned her full attention to Vincent as she lowered the bio bed, allowing him to sit on it without extending himself.
"Thank you," Vincent said as he took a seat. "The joint is feeling OK, but there's still some muscular pain up the back here," he said, pointing along his calf. He winced slightly as she removed the bandages and temporary plaster. "How does it look, doctor?"
"Well, the sutures look good, there's a tiny bit of seepage but that's not unusual. I'll scan it and see if we can find anything else. Lie back and stretch out."
He did so, and she turned on the arch that crossed over the bed. It moved down his body from head to knee, and then a visible bluish light came on, scanning slowly the rest of the way to his toes.
"Alright, everything looks good, Mister Tan. You'll need to stay in that cast for the next month or so. You can sit up, now."
"How are you doing getting around with the cast?"
"I'm managing," Vincent replied. "Analgesia is taking care of the pain. The limp I can live with. Mind you, I'm not rushing out to buy a walking stick or frame or anything like that..."
Bridget chuckled, and put the bed back down so that the Lieutenant could stand up. "I hope this hasn't put too much of a cramp in your social life."
It was a rather intimate question; but spoken in her slightly midwest-accented, country doctor tone of voice so as to seem casually conversational. Bridget believed that treating the man included treating the whole man, both body and soul. So while she wasn't qualified to give counseling, she could check to see if there were any signs of obvious psychological distress that might need addressing.
"Things are going as well as they can be," Vincent responded vaguely. "I miss my family and my home, but don't we all? Social life on this station is hampered by work rather than my leg. But I can say that my department is doing quite well - we've even taken on some extra work doing the customs inspections that normally falls to security. On the whole Dr. Stapleton, I would have to say that life is going well enough."
Here, Vincent paused, knowing that he had not really answered the question. "But who am I to talk about workloads to you? The medical department is the most overworked and unappreciated of all. So tell me, doctor, how are things with you?"
She looked at him and blinked, a half-smile forming on her lips. It was deftly done, she had to admit. He'd not only practically dismissed the question, but had turned the tables on the conversation.
"Things are going a well as they can be," she repeated with a smirk, folding her arms across her chest and leaning against the railing at the foot of the bed, all pretense of the simple country doctor gone. "I miss my family, too. We have children and grandchildren on Earth, and this is our first time away from them for an extended period. And you're right, the work load can be rather daunting at times. But we all do what we need to do and make the best of it, eh?"
Unfolding her arms, she glanced at his chart. Wife and kidlets back on Earth, just like so many men and women aboard this station. The combination of missing them and working in a co-ed environment always took it's toll, whether a man remained true to his spouse or cheated. Stress was certainly a factor, working in Ops, too.
"Do you get enough off-duty relaxation, Mister Tan?" She was thinking maybe she and Ed could help, if the lieutenant didn't have much in the way of friends.
"I try to, but it's hard being department head. You always have to make sure that everything being done is that best and then you have to make the best even better," Vincent said, shaking his head at the futility of working in strategic operations. "There's a competition, which is good for the station, but some take it more seriously than others."
Thinking immediately of her -disagreement- with Lance Murdoch, a rueful smile swept her face and then was gone. "Yes, I can certainly agree with that. Sometimes people just don't get the whole concept of teamwork."
"But otherwise, I assure you, I am fine," Vincent said. "I do catch up with friends for a coffee or a drink. I tend to avoid more "vigorous" entertainment - I'm not young anymore. But life here has been adequate."
Vincent looked up realizing he was being rude. "But I am subject to the rules and regulations of Starfleet as an officer. You however... a civilian giving up private practice and a safe home for all this?"
"Crazy, isn't it?" Her grin was lopsided. "At least, that's what the kids said when we told them. They said I was too old to enter Starfleet, tried to pull my heart strings by saying we should stay for the grand-babies."
Vincent gave the doctor a sideways glance. "Kids can be like that," he said, "but you hardly look old enough to have grandchildren. You and your husband must have had started your family really early..."
"Yeah, we did. We wanted to be young enough that when they were teenagers, we had the energy to run around and do things with them. It paid off - they keep us thinking young, you know? So how about you - did you and your wife plan on having children right away?"
"That could be difficult with us being so far apart," Vincent said with a chuckle. "We do have children - and my eldest is nearing the terrible teenage years. God help me. Or any boy that so much as looks at her!"
With a sad sigh, Vincent stood up. "Thank you very much for your time doctor. If or when you are free, how about we catch up to share parenting tactics? I know being so far away doesn't help, but I could use a few pointers anyway..."
"Mister Tan," she held out her hand for a parting shake. "I'd like that. And I think my husband would, too. Let's get together for a meal or drink in a couple of days?"
"Sounds good, Dr Staplton. I'll see you then," and with a quick salute, Vincent hobbled out of sickbay.
::OFF::
Ensign Bridget Stapleton
Doctor (general practictitioner) - DS5
&
Lieutenant Vincent Tan
Chief of Strategic Operations - DS5