Getting to know the doctors

[Nicolas Lepage 0]

Amreis, seeing the chaos on the Control Tower, decided to check off one of her top To-Do things while everyone is busy. She slipped quietly into a turbo lift, leaving her eager security escort behind, and waited until the doors closed before speaking. "Sickbay," she addressed the computer, and felt the smooth system engage and begin the descent. She sighed, wondering again why she had fallen for this little trick of Starfleets. Her musing was cut short when the doors of the turbolift opened revealing the hallway to Sickbay. Fortunately, it was currently empty as she walked down to and entered the medical center of the station.

 

Nick was just standing at the doors of his office, looking around sickbay. He noticed a woman enter. She looked familiar somehow but he couldn't place her. After thinking for a few seconds he decided she must have been his patient before. Seeing that all the others were busy, Nick walked up to the newcomer and smiled. "What can I do for you?"

 

Amreis winced at the title, "Well, I hope you can help me. I get this sharp pain anytime someone calls me that." She smiled, absently pushing the green lock of hair back behind her ear. "I'm Betile Amreis. I've been shanghaied into service here, and I always make it a point to get to know the doctors, so here I am."

 

Nick grinned. Betile...now he remembered. The science officer who had helped him with the research on the Rixian Plague...what had been her name.....Amelin...Betile Amelin. The resemblance was striking. The woman in front of him looked older but otherwise almost the same, except for the hair. "It's always good to know the doctors, and it's never a bad idea to be nice to them. I haven't had the chance to review your file, yet. I hope there is no medical reason why you come to see the doctors first thing you arrive. As for the pain you get... I fear you'll just have to get used to it. I'm Doctor Lepage, by the way, Nick, if you prefer."

 

She grimaced, "I don't think I'll ever get used to it, Nick. And no, no medical reason specifically. I just don't want to be a virtual stranger if I DO ever need your services... which I probably will at some time."

 

"Everybody needs our services sometime. It's strange how they usually avoid you and as soon as they have the slightest cold they come running to you pretending they are dying." Nick leaned in a bit and continued in a conspiratorial whisper. "It's usually the men who are "dying". You're our new chief of science I take it?"

 

She nodded, "That's what they tell me. So, I suppose being the data gurus you are, you probably also want a baseline scan? And you are.. CMO?"

 

Smiling Nick led Betile to a biobed. "Yes and yes. To be a bit more elaborate...I'd like to get the physical out of the way. It's not so much for the data itself than to have something to compare your vitals to when you're sick. And...yeah...someone was crazy enough to put me in charge of this department. Mind you...it doesn't change much except the amount of paperwork. It's about three times as much as before. Who did you kill that they assigned you to this station?"

 

She blinked, "Recently kill? No one that I can recall. The rest is history. But someone has a wicked sense of karma at Starfleet... and I haven't figured out yet if the Cardassians are the butt of their little joke, or if I am." She took a seat on the biobed, once again pushing back the stray lock of hair that had worked itself loose.

 

Nick picked up a tricorder that was lying next to the biobed and started scanning Betile. "I see I had better be careful around you," he said grinning broadly. "I can understand that being out here can be...problematic for a Bajoran." Just as he had said this Nick noticed some strange readouts as he moved the peripheral along Betile's left arm. "Someone did a pretty good job there," he said pointing at the arm.

 

Briefly, a hard look crossed her face, so quickly as to almost seem to be an aberation. "Hence one of the reasons I like to know the doctors.. and the engineers." The smile returned, "So, how long have you been out here in the smelly armpit of the galaxy?"

 

Nick noticed the brief change of Amreis' expression and he had to admit that he understood her. " I've been out here for...euh...just over two years now. Haven't seen my family since." He lowered the tricorder and frowned. "It's the price you pay for having a job like this. I actually enjoy being here....when the station is not blowing up, that is."

 

The smile turned into a true grin, along with a small chuckle, "This must be your first assignment in Starfleet. Things blow up all over the place. Why don't you take a leave to visit your family?"

 

Nick shrugged. The thought of taking a leave had crossed his mind just after the Breen attack. But with Aegis rebuilt it wasn't reall an otpion...not for him at any rate. "Yes it is my first assignment. To be quite honest, right after the Breen attack I had thought about going back to Earth for good. But then they told us the station would be rebuilt. I couldn't just leave this business unfinished if you like. Then I was made chief and taking a leave now would be impossible. I'll have to live with only reading their letters. I haven't even seen my youngest brother, yet. He was born after I left.

 

"So, then get them to come out here? I know, I know.. the risk. But family is ultimately all you have. Course, that is coming from me, who left husband and child back home on Bajor." She sighed.

 

Nick laughed. "Get my dad to give up his job back in Montreal ? That's the best joke I've heard in ages. Besides, I doubt Starfleet has quarters to accomodate15 people... well 11 if the oldes kids got their own quarters." He shrugged. "I'm glad to know I still have a home back on Earth and I don't even want to know how I would feel if the station was attacked again and they were here. It's better the way it is, trust me."

 

Somewhat glumly, she nodded. "So, what is there to do here in the spare seconds between blowings-up? I don't suppose there's a rock wall?"

 

"Hmm... there's the holodecks. I don't have much time between shifts so I usually eat and sleep. When I have time I go running on the holodeck. As for today...I could show you around the station after my shift."

 

"Holodecks are highly overrated for that kind of thing. But, assuming we don't blow up before the end of the shift, I'd love a tour. It didn't look like I'd be likely to get it from anyone on the Control Tower."

 

Chuckling, Nick put the tricorder aside. "Ah yes, guess they are busy up there what with the attacks. How about I pick you up at your quarters at 1800 hours? I'll show you the station and then we can have dinner...if you don't mind." He smiled and hoped she wouldn't get the idea that he had any hidden agenda. She nodded agreement, and thanking him, left Sickbay.