A Talk With The CMO.

[B'Etor Patterson 0]

Thinking she was alone, B'Etor Patterson was actually half sitting up, trying to do sit-ups. Probably not the brightest things to do a day after being shot with a phaser rifle, but heck, is she smart? Who knows. Of course the movement caused her to wince in pain. She shifted, then felling back, panting hard. Even she had a pain threshold and knew when to stop.

 

 

 

“Wakey, wake....err...." Rue eyed the stubborn patient in the last moments of the stomach crunch as she walked into the biobed area, balancing the tray of food in one hand. "I see you're up. Sort of." The Doctor squinted. "I've never seen anyone turn that shade of gray before. You okay?"

 

 

 

"Pain… You have no idea how hard it was to get my abs the way they were. Now, in less than five seconds, they are mush." B’Etor shook her head. "Even with my dark skin tone, I turned gray? Wow... maybe I need more plasma?" She rubbed her stomach, shifting to get comfortable.

 

 

 

"Rome wasn't built in a day." Wydown set the tray of food down. "Brought you some food. Had to use the replicator records to figure out what you'd like that would agree with your current recovery plan. It's not blood worms, but it'll due."

 

 

 

Patterson looked at the covered tray, smirking. "What is on the menu?" She looked at it, wondering what Rue thought she would eat. "Is that..salad?" She looked more gray just thinking about it.

 

 

 

The cover of the tray was removed with a flourish. "It's called 'jello'. Some sort of Earth dish. ‘Watch it wiggle. See it jiggle’. Eh, not a lot of this stuff where I come from." Rue poked at it. "Looks almost like jellied eels. But with better flavor." She leaned against the biobed, reading the vital signs update as she spoke. "How are you feeling anyway?"

 

 

"Jello..." B’Etor shrugged. "I remember that stuff...my grandmother made molds of it out of fruit shapes and…pans... she was a weird human." She started to eat, looking up. "I am tired of the aching. Every time I make a move, if Maria isn't pushing me back down, there is pain in my abdomen. Almost wish I never stood there..." She looked down.

 

 

 

"Scale of one to ten, how bad?" Rue started scribbling some notes on a PADD.

 

 

 

"Normal pain threshold? Or my pain threshold?" While Doctor Patterson knew that was an important issue, the sarcasm was sliding off her tongue. "When I try and move around, it varies between a 5 and an 8." She tried to sit up again, growling.

 

 

 

"It'd help you to heal if you'd learn to take it easy." Rue looked up at B’Etor through her lashes. She scribbled a few more notes then fully looked up. "Of course, if you insist on exercise this soon after you surgery, then we'd be happy to make arrangements for a longer stay here at Chalet de'Medical. 'Cause you know with too much movement you're gonna bust a suture. And don't tell me not to say 'Told you so', when you do...'cause I am."

 

 

 

B’Etor almost laughed, but that would hurt too much. That and when she laughed, people got scared of her face contorting in a way most Klingons never looked. She shook her head. "I work in Chalet de'Medical. Only difference is, I don't go home now. It's like when I was a Resident again."

 

 

 

"Glad to make you feel welcome, then." Rue smirked. "Looks like physically you're recovering. I'd say as long as you behave yourself, we can get you out of here to relax in your own quarters in a few days."

 

 

 

She sighed. "How many more times do I have to talk to Alex? Before I can come back to duty, that is?" She snorted. "I can only imagine what my Jacket looks like..."

 

 

 

"I'm afraid in that area, there is no magic number." While Rue's expression softened, she didn't wasn't going to dance around the issue. "Until Dr. Zier and I feel you're ready to come back 100%, you'll be on sick leave. Believe me, it's for the best for you and your patients."

 

 

She sighed. "I already talked to him once… I kinda…snapped, got angry..." Patterson looked up at her. "I hate this back and forth, back and forth. Hopefully with this change, my hormones won't be so... off..." She looked at Rue.

 

 

 

"It's okay to be angry. And for a while, you may be from time to time." Wydown leaned against the biobed. "It's what you do with those emotions that concerns me." She studied the young woman in the biobed. "Can I speak frankly?"

 

 

 

She looked at her, her arched brows raising. "When don't you?"

 

 

 

Rue rolled her eyes, good humored smile on her face. "Okay, here's my observation. Which might be totally off base, so please correct me if I'm wrong. But I see you as someone who hasn't quite figured out their place in this universe. Where your puzzle piece fits. You react differently because of it." She cocked her head, studying B'Etor. "And I think, given time, you'll get things figured out. You'd get there faster if you took advantage of the resources you have here. Counselor Zier. Friendships you've made with Maria and the other crew members. Oi, even me if you're up to it."

 

 

 

She listened to her and sighed. "Look... Maria is a friend and all, but... much like the academy, and most of my life, I have never really fit in here. I have done my job, I have made acquaintances, but the only friends I had on this ship are gone, and I am not someone who just...makes more." She looked up.

 

 

 

"I can't imagine it'd be easy for you, either."

 

 

 

"No. If people aren't scared of the way I look, or intimidated by it, they think I have no personality, and I am all about fighting and snarling…" She shook her head. "No one ever works on learning that I grew up with humans... and I am more human than either Romulan or Klingon… well...maybe not all Klingon...”

 

 

"You don't strike me as being very comfortable in your own skin?"

 

 

 

"I hate it. I have all the negative aspects of a Klingon, brute strength, bad moods, intimidating appearance… and the neutral parts of a Romulan. Brains, catching onto things fast, and a sense of needing to be better. But if I could be human... normal... for one day..." She looked up at Rue.

 

 

 

"What do you consider 'normal'?" Wydown tilted her head.

 

 

 

She took a deep breath, shrugging. "Not being me. Look at me. I am huge, awkward, moody, and spiteful." She shook her head. "Maria is probably the closest to normal I have seen."

 

 

 

"Whew. Glad to know you didn’t bring up my name first as ‘normal’," Rue flashed a cheesy grin, her nose wrinkling impishly. "I find 'normal' boring.” She tilted her head as she regarded the young wounded doctor. “Want to know what I see?"

 

 

 

"Your gunna tell me anyway..." Patterson looked up at her.

 

 

 

"Spot on, mate." Wydown nudged B’Etor’s arm. "I see a remarkably brave young woman, relentless when it counts, and with a quirky sense of humor. Has a 'can do' attitude in a crisis. And a woman in need of a shot of self-confidence right now." She smiled sadly. "You just have to take the time to sort it all out, mate."

 

 

 

She snorted again. "I have never had Self-confidence. Jaden was the only one who gave me that, and odds of seeing him again... well, we know how that is…"

 

 

 

"What was it about him that made you feel confident? That's something you can tap into B'Etor."

 

 

 

"He was… more like me, but he taught me to be more him. He was funny when it was needed, serious most of the time, and one heck of a sparring partner. Whenever I was in a bad mood, we would...beat each other up…" She looked away, her eyes watering up. "The last words we said to each other... were in anger..."

 

 

 

"And you regret that."

 

 

 

"I dunno... When I found out that it wasn't him... it was an alternate him… I wanted to tell him sorry, but he left before I could... one day he was here, the next... gone..." B’Etor laid flat, sighing deeply. "One moment with him again… just... one... moment... it will never happen now."

 

 

 

"Ever try writing a letter?" Rue folded her arms, she continued on before Patterson could protest. "Okay, I know that sounds insane. Or mundane. But getting it out of your head sometimes helps. Even a holo-chip recording works. Just gives you a chance to...I dunno...close the door on the past and start looking towards the future."

 

 

 

B’Etor laughed, shaking her head. "No... Klingons don’t do things like that. We kill things. Since I can’t beat up a member of the crew, and all of the patients have been listening... I have no one to take it out on." She blinked a few times.

 

 

 

"Try something new. Spread your wings. Test the waters." Rue handed her a PADD. "What could it hurt?"

 

 

 

She took the PADD, looking at it for a moment. "Will it get me back to work faster?"

 

 

 

"Maybe." Rue patted her on the back. "Speaking of getting back to work, I've got other patients to check on. You going to be okay?"

 

 

 

She nodded. "If I move, Maria's got the force field rigged to attack." She shrugged. "I think this is a ploy...but I will try it..."

 

 

 

"Might be interesting to test that theory. Lemme know how that goes for you." She grinned. "I'll check in with you later. Just call me if you need anything. Yeah?"

 

 

 

Patterson nodded. "Don’t worry, I am a doctor, I can handle myself." She shook her head, smirking.

 

 

 

"Sure you can. That's what we all say." Wydown smirked. "Nighty Night, B'Etor."

 

[Guest Laarell]

Awesome log, guys.