"Good Company - A Sickbay Stay"

[Sam_SemaJ 0]

Good Company - A Sickbay Stay

Joint log from Dr. Porter and LtJG Sema'J

SD 10712.29

 

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Sam Sama'J lay on a biobed in sickbay as Katherine Swan tended to him. His head bobbed back and forth as sleep threatened to overtake him, a result of the concussion a turbolift door had given him 5 minutes ago. As he began to drift off, Dr. Miranda Porter walked in and made a bee line for the bed.

 

"Come on sleepy head, don't fall asleep on me"

 

Sam's eyes fluttered open and he looked up at her..."I'm just resting my eyes Dr. Miranda....really". He managed a weak smile.

 

Miranda smirked, "I've heard that one before. I need you to stay awake for a bit, ok?" She searched her mind for ways to engage his mind, "Tell me, how is Rosie doing"

 

Sam laughed absently, "Rosie...that's the reason I called you Dr. Miranda", he said with a grin, "She's good, started playing the viola...my sister plays the cello....that's who Rosie lives with. She asks about you a lot..." Sam craned his neck to look up at her, "Dr. Miranda".

 

Miranda chuckled at this, "I'm glad to hear she's doing well...now stop calling me Doctor, how long have we known each other?"

 

Sam smiled, "Long enough to know you're a great doctor and a great friend, Miranda".

 

She smiled, "That's what they all say...". She saw him drifting off again and changed the subject, "How is your new post treating you?"

 

He opened his eyes, "Well...I miss that helm like you wouldn't believe, but engineering is a whole different animal. It's like it has nothing to do with repairing things and everything to do with leading and managing people."

 

"Yes, I know what you mean. I will never understand how I got put in charge down here." She said with a laugh as she administered a hypospray to manage the effects of the concussion.

 

Sam smiled, "Oh come on...you're a great doctor. At least you've always taken great care of me".

 

"You're just saying that because you want a lollypop!" She retorted, "Well flattery will get you nowhere, my friend".

 

Sam laughed and then glanced in the other room where Nurse Ratchet was working, he noticed that her hair was growing longer. He propped himself up on one shoulder, feeling somewhat stronger from the hypospray. "First off, is that word 'lollypop' even allowed in this sickbay?" he asked with a grin.

 

Miranda looked at Ratchet, then back at Sam, "Hey now, she forgave me ok? It's not like I meant to get that lollypop stuck in her hair"

 

Sam smiled and continued, "And second...I'm not flattering for the sake of flattery." He sat up on the bed, the hypospray having cleared his perceptions, "I'm serious...you've always shown great professional care and bedside manner...and those are just my observations as a fellow officer. What you've really been is a great friend, Miranda...and I mean that.

 

Miranda smiled back at him, "Thanks Sam, it's great to have a few friends on board".

 

Sam ran a hand along his newly patched wound as they exchanged smiles, "Well a few friends I have...but I feel like the two of us particularly have really stuck close as long as we've known each other. And we were posted here pretty close to each other, so I guess maybe it just seems like we've always been in it together, you know?" Sam slid his feet to the floor and began to lift his weight off the bio bed, but then he suddenly stopped. "Woah..." Sam looked around quickly as he grabbed the bio bed. "Where's my cane? I'm a kinda dizzy." He gripped the bed more tightly.

 

Miranda grabbed Sam's arm and steadied him, "Not so fast, Sam. I may be your good friend but I'm still your doctor."

 

Sam put a hand on hers as she steadied him, "It seems like I still can't quite manage my balance and visual focus....sorta frustrating."

 

"Nothing happens overnight. You didn't expect to be perfect right after you got hurt, did you?"

 

Sam nodded, then grinned, "Well, maybe I thought since I had such a great doctor that I could survive anything." He smiled at her, his hand still on hers.

 

She looked at him, "I told you flattery wouldn't get you anywhere..." She looked down at their hands and suddenly got a bit flustered. "Why don't you sit back down..."

 

Sam frowned as he eased back onto the bed, "Yes, ma'am."

 

She paused, "I'm sorry, Sam...I didn't mean it like that..."

 

"Miranda, I didn't mean to flatter you too much, It's just that your medical attention, and moreso your friendship mean a great deal to me..."

 

She turned back to him and smiled, "Yours too, Sam".

 

Sam looked at her for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject, "I was distracted earlier today, on my duty shift...I couldn't stop thinking about my wife, it was strange. It's never really interfered with my work before, or at least not for a very long time..."

 

Miranda quickly began to busy herself with her medical tricorder, "...Well I'm sure it's hard to lose someone that close to you...I'm sure you will always think about her to some extent..."

 

Sam nodded absently, "...I dunno...It's like I was specifically missing actually having someone close to me. I'm sorry. If I'm going to bore someone with all of this it should probably be Merri...I'm sorry. I've probably made you uncomfortable." Sam looked at her, feeling slightly awkward.

 

She placed a hand on his arm, "It's alright. If you need someone to talk to I'm always around. I could be busying myself with other work right now, but I enjoy being bored by you." She smirked, having dodged the awkward moment.

 

"Bored?! Sitting at the engineering console on the bridge is boring, Miranda. As much as my head hurts...this is the highlight of my day."

 

She laughed, "Hey, you were the one who said it was boring."

 

Sam laughed and shook his head, then looked up at her, "Weit...I'm lost...Who's bored?"

 

She chuckled, "Nevermind. But seriously, are you alright? I mean, about your wife?"

 

He nodded assuringly, "Yes, Miranda. I just suddenly felt alone earlier and it took my mind off of what was happening on the bridge...but the turbolift door did an even better job of that. And now I'm in good company." Sam smiled as he looked at her.

 

"Well I'm glad you're here too," she replied. " That is...that you're doing better. I would like you to stay for a bit so I can monitor you, ok?"

 

Sam grinned and held his cane up in the air, "Actually, Miranda, this time I don't even feel comfortable leaving myself. That dizziness hit me like a ton of bricks when I tried to stand up." Sam looked at her for a moment and then added, "I'm content staying here for a while."

 

She smiled back at him, "Well I'm glad to hear for once that someone isn't going to argue with the doctor."

 

Sam continued to smile at her for a moment, not knowing what to say. Then it came to him, "...Well Miranda, I decided I don't want to argue with my friend."

 

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