Laid Up - Fed Up (Part II)

[Sam_SemaJ 0]

"Laid Up - Fed Up (Part II)"

Personal Log - S.K. Sema'J

SD 10809.16

 

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Sam had time to think while he lay there under the skeletal regenerator. But he was sick of thinking...he was ready for acting. The situation he found himself in just wasn't good. He was chief of a department that besides not peaking his interest 100% had him at a disadvantage to his seemingly maverick staff. Thankfully they were all good team players and this problem wasn't causing many problems outside Sam's own worries. But this wasn't the only thing vexing him. The physical demands of his post, always running around fixing and maintaining things, required physical endurance and agility. Because of his injury almost a year ago, he did not exactly have an abundance of these things. The job was keeping him from gaining any kind of upper hand with physical therapy, both because the hard labor was counteractive to his healing, and his schedule did not leave room for the therapy anyway. He had been over this with Dr. Tynte a few times. Ty had tried to convince him to work with him to adapt a program around Sam's work...but Sam was convinced it just couldn't be done. So he was at the alternative. Sam could no longer maintain his post as Chief Engineer and simultaneously maintain his physical and mental health. And because he felt this way, he was currently writing a letter to his mother.

 

This letter was not from a son, it was from a colleague. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Sam, of course sought sympathy, advice and caring from his mother, but he also sought a recommendation. Sam's mother was Dr. Anna Griggs-Sema'J, professor of psychology at Starfleet Academy. He had studied with her and her department colleagues at the academy to receive a minor in Psychology. This was to supplement his main focus, helm/navigation studies. It had started as a side interest, really. A slight interest in his mother's work, and an opportunity to have something stable under his helm certification and broaden his posting opportunities. Sam had decided to pursue it more, though, completing all of the coursework while on active duty on Arcadia, then on his medical leave to become fully certified...and with his mother's recommendation and his misgivings about his current post, it was time for all that work to come in handy.

 

Once Sam received confirmation that the recommendation was in his file, he filed a formal transfer request to Captain Lo'Ami and Commander Alces. This of course was not attended to until the situation on Nevulez was settled and Arcadia was on it's way out of that confused system. The ship now had some downtime, and Lt. Sema'J was asked in to see his commanding officers. He plainly explained how he felt about his situation, he offered notes from Dr. Tynte about the necessity and conditions of his physical therapy, and the recommendation from Dr. Griggs-Sema'J about his professional qualifications for the position he now desired. Sam also spoke of his observations about Lt. Black from his engineering team. He had been putting her into the "fire" increasingly in the last couple missions, partly because it allowed for less strain on his condition, but it also allowed him to see her in action. Sam observed her to have high academic qualification, keen senses, even keener sensibilities, and a certain spunk that he could see effectively rounding a staff together. Sam reported this all to the Captain and Commander, and to his satisfaction (and relief) they granted him the position of Ship's Counselor. He was somewhat excited to have this "department" to himself. It had kind of been passed around the medical staff for a while and he knew how much the crew could benefit from having a dedicated crewman to see to those matters. Sam now had a month to cozy into a new office and then it was a whole new terrain. Sam's mood almost immediately lifted to the dissatisfaction he had been feeling to a curious optimism for what was now in store for him...this was of course until Lt. Samantha Kent walked into his office...

 

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