Bloodwine and T

[Gidgiddoni 0]

Medical Log

Gidgiddoni, Chief Medical Officer

USS Challenger

 

Patient: Doug T

 

Human male subject presented with multiple deep puncture wounds on palm of right hand, consistent with animal bite. Sterilite antiseptic spray with 2 cc terakin analgesic infusion used to clean and numb injury site, followed by protoplasic tissue reconstruction. No indication of pathogen or infectious transfer. Patient remained on duty during treatment and discharged from sickbay.

 

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Gidgiddoni decided not to mention that the treatment was continually interrupted by the hapless junior lieutenant shouting at some ensign about his errant pet, with Lieutenant Abe Kas trying to keep things in order. Or how she wasn't happy to have the animal making her sickbay less sanitary. And how all three men lost control of the dog and ran out chasing it. Things like that tended to clutter the medical logs.

 

Having discharged her patient, she found herself alone with Dr. Harris in sickbay. Since the ship was now docked at the Klingon orbital base, she wanted to get over there and see and mingle with the aliens that had been their adversaries. She wanted to experience the flavor of their lives, not just see them shouting and glaring on some wide-screen bridge viewer.

 

Some time later, she invited Harris to join her and Lieutenant Kas to explore the station. It was wonderful. As a Deltan, she expected the leering, but the Klingons weren't especially rude about it. There were so many of them. With such huge, armored, physically fit specimens, it was easy to see why they were feared as a warrior race. Even the women she saw rippled with muscles. The air was ripe, but the foods smelled spicy and lively. The three of them picked out an eating establishment and went in, observing the crowd.

 

Around this time, young Doug showed up, flashing a very visible phaser. Lieutenant Kas discretely told him to put it away before turning to share his root beer wares with the nearest table. The security officer ordered something from the bar, as if he were already familiar with their cuisine. After a few minutes listening to him go on about some Klingon trader, Gid found herself suspicious about how the security officer was a little too familiar with the surroundings. Historically, the Klingons had been quite adept at placing spies in the Federation. She remembered that incident at Sherman's Planet. As their enemies, the Klingon Empire had remained basically a closed society to members of the Federation. Travel was restricted, if not prohibited, during their decades of contact. Without the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon and the spectacle of the public trial last year, most Federation citizens wouldn't know anything about Klingon government or whether they even had laws. So how did this young officer come by his familiarity? She narrowed her eyes at Doug warily, resolving to look over his file when she got back to the ship.

 

Challenger had a rare opportunity to see the Klingons in their own environment. As one of the first Starfleet vessels allowed to freely enter their space, they could learn so much that had never been reported. She watched as some of the Klingons dipped empty flagons into a community vat of the thick burgundy-colored liquid someone called bloodwine. She was a sensualist at heart, but found no compulsion to taste the concoction for herself. The thought of drinking what smelled like fermented blood was not only unappetizing, but unsanitary. Still, it might be worth collected a sample to study back in the medlab. She looked over to Abe, who was trying to explain to one of the Klingon how to open a root beer bottle without smashing the neck. Dr. Harris seemed to be taking it all in. Gid grabbed one of the empty metal mugs and walked toward the line of warriors. It wasn't a leap into the darkness of space, but there was some boldness to it. For a doctor, that wasn't too bad.

Edited July 9, 2008 by Gidgiddoni