in extremis

[Alexei Juno 0]

Alexei Juno finished filing the last report on the patients from the Cepheus that they had transferred back to the stricken Constellation-class ship. While he was mildly concerned about some of the patients, he knew that they were in good care with the Cepheus medical staff, and at least they were headed out of the warzone.

 

Of course, that left him with the lingering knowledge they were heading into a warzone. The sound of the yellow alert klaxons worried him. War wounds were the worst kind. Not because of their visceral nature, but because of they seemed somehow needless. While Juno understood fully the need for an armed service and the need to defend one’s self, he also didn’t like needless aggression. From what he could tell, the entire conflict the Challenger had been plunged into seemed to fit in that category.

 

Luckily the cost of lives under his care had been small. No Challenger crew member had been seriously injured in the short dust-up with the Troyians while assisting Cepheus and only five crewmembers of the Cepheus had lost their lives. He paused as he clicked through the last of the files.

 

Only? The coldness with which he’d directed the mental commentary stung at him. He was used to people dying. He was, by training, an epidemiologist. He studied infectious diseases that killed millions of people. A million deaths was a statistic, five was supposed to be a tragedy. Wasn’t it?

 

Sighing he leaned back into the blue-padded chair that sat behind his smallish glass-desk behind the glass walls that were the only aesthetic element that delineated his office from the rest of the room. Working on a starship, where you knew your patients and were just as likely to treat someone for a case of Andarn Herpes they picked up as you were to be saving their life from plasma burns, changed the entire assessment a doctor had to have of a situation. Every life was precious, of course. You didn’t go into the medical business because you didn’t care about people; and while he didn’t believe in any particular deity, he’d always held the sanctity of living creatures to be paramount.

 

Dr. Natalie Harris interrupted his train of thought with a smile and cup of coffee. “You look like you could use this, Alexei.”

 

Juno smiled warmly. Harris was a perfect complement to the sometimes reclusive Chief Medical Officer—she was warm, friendly, and always knew exactly when to bring coffee or donuts. He was glad he someone like that to balance out sickbay and he accepted the mug with a nod. “Thanks.”

 

“I am glad that those patients from Cepheus are headed back towards a more proper medical facility and out of the line of fire,” Harris said as she slipped into one of the hard-backed chairs that sat opposite the desk.

 

Nodding he sipped at the lightly almond flavored beverage. “Yes, I wish we were doing the same.”

 

Harris considered for a moment and sipped thoughtfully at her own beverage. “I can’t say I disagree.”

 

Juno sighed. “And with us staying at alert through all of this, we’re going to be so backed up on all the routine stuff. Bet’s on how many people skip out on their routine check-ups?”

 

Grinning Harris nodded. “I know, but at least we can rangle them in or threaten them with confinement.”

 

Amused, with an eye-brow lift, Juno snorted. “I see you’re picking up some of my bedside manner.”

 

“I haven’t a clue what you mean, Doctor. You have a wonderful bedside manner.”

 

“You’re just trying to suck up.”

 

Harris blushed ever so slightly. Before she could protest, Juno changed the subject. “How is Ambassador Praan?”

 

Harris, thankful for the change of subject, went along with it easily. “He’s doing much better. We released him to his quarters. He stopped by this morning for a check up; near as we can tell his heart is doing much better.”

 

“Good,” Juno said. “He gave us quite a scare there for a while. I have to admit, for a species we’ve dealt with for over two hundred years, we still don’t know whole lot about Vulcan physiology.”

 

Harris nodded, then added. “Yes, but if anything this was a real learning experience for most of the staff. I think most of them didn’t know that a Vulcan hearti is where a human liver is.”

 

Juno smirked. “Yeah, well at least he’s doing better. Now if only this damned war would hurry up and be over with.”

 

Harris sipped at her coffee in silent agreement.