Doctor Doctor - Give me the News
Posted on Tue Aug 3rd, 2021 @ 3:02am by Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell & Lieutenant Sarah Wilson
Mission:
Gamma Quadrant
Location: Sick Bay
Timeline: On Route to DS9 - Apparently
The day after the Chill Party invite, Bonnie's day off, she found herself morbidly standing outside the holodeck debating on whether to enter. So far her morning had not been horrible. One run in with her sheets, a broken brush, and a mismatched pair of socks despite them all supposedly being the exact same. All in all pretty tame.
Her ride on what she considered grey luck for the day meant she was looking to push her boundaries and after watching person after person take recertifications she stood beyond the doors wondering what it was like.
She took a breath and then "Computer activate program, Command recertification Baker 2, safeties at minimum."
The computer chirped and the doors parted. She straightened her uniform, held her head up high, then boldly walked through the doors and onto the bridge of the Sunfire.
An hour later, blood oozing from her head, one arm gripping the other as if holding it in place, and limping because her foot now had a hole in it, she entered sick bay and immediately spotted Doctor Sarah Wilson. "Hey doc." She let out in a weakened voice.
Sarah looked up from the research she was doing as the doors of sickbay opened, revealing a bruised and battered Bonnie.
"Oh dear, what happened?" She questioned kindly as she guided the computer technician towards the nearest biobed.
"I, um, saw everyone else doing their recerts and thought I should practice, you know, in case someday I decide to try my hand at command one day. I guess it didn't go so well." She said grimacing.
"The command recerts?" Sarah's eyes widened at the thought of someone as young and innocent as Bonnie working through the horrors of the command scenarios. "Bonnie, even the toughest of officers struggle with those". Her words were kind but supervised as she grabbed the tools she would need. Hyposprays, dermal regenerators, medical tricorder and the like.
"I know, but you never truly know what you are capable of until you try, right?" She was beating herself up a bit inside, part of her wanting to tell the doctor what happened, part of her feeling embarrassed for her plight in the whole mess. "Besides, you are acting CMO, did you have to take them?" She redirected.
"Nope, at least I don't think so, but Dr Thesis most likely will when she returns. Just cos someone is a senior officer doesn't mean they're up for command, although the two generally go hand in hand" Sarah shrugged as she started to tend to Bonnie's injuries. "So how did yours go, apart from the obvious"
“Oh, I just assumed because you would take command should the bridge crew were incapacitated or something, but I suppose you’re right.” She started. “As for my little adventure, well, I didn’t die. The ship is still intact, mostly.” She shrugged debating whether or not to go into details.
“ You’re probably right, I guess if the situation were dire anyone could really take command, I mean we all have basic command and crew resource training don’t we?” Sarah mused hypothetically as she scanned Bonnie. “Not dying is always beneficial, I heard from some of the other crew that their scenario’s were downright brutal. I hope yours wasn’t as bad”
Recalling the scenario and the carnage that followed, Bonnie could only shrug. “It’s weird isn’t it? Knowing that you are going into a simulation takes away much of the fear and emotion akin to the real thing. I know while I was in the seat and shit was going to pots around me, it felt real, but in the back of my mind I knew it wasn’t.”
While Sarah worked, she thought about the mission on the Liberty where she stepped up and took charge ever so briefly. “I mean, when I took charge of the Liberty to get our crew back during the electrical storm, that was real. I felt the urgency and the need to safeguard real lives. That was the reason I even tried the recertification training in the first place, but even as I had a spear shoved through my foot, it almost felt funny to me. Is that weird?”
“ So because you knew it was an assessment - it felt as though it wasn’t real, so what’s the point of it then?” Sarah mused as she grabbed the dermal regenerator and began to run it over some of the minor injuries. “Are they just trying to freak everyone out so soon after the war? I mean geez, the timing wasn’t exactly stellar”
“Right. I mean it’s been three years, but it’s still fresh on everyone's mind.” She shook her head and grimaced as Sarah removed her boot. “I just think they are trying to remind everyone that the threat is real and we need to be on our guard at all times, like we don’t already know that.”
“Being out here, the first line of defense. We’ve seen it all. The Dominion, the Breen, the Romulans, the Nefarri, hell even the Borg. It’s a mental thing, I guess.” She smiled. “Meaning I think their bloody mental for putting us through this.” She laughed and then winced at the pain of laughing.
“ I agree with you on that one. Whoever was the bright spark at the Admiralty who thought putting everything through that kind of assessment was just cruel. There’s gonna be so much post traumatic illness…” Sarah let her voice trail off, realising that she was getting emotionally involved. “ Sorry, I’m rambling…” She pressed a spot on Bonnie’s ankle and looked to see if there was a response “This hurt?”
Mildly yes but Bonnie, trying to be brave, shook her head no while gritting her teeth. When Sarah let go Bonnie shifted and asked, "So, any idea if Anna will be coming back anytime soon?" And then she pivoted, "Not that you're bad or anything, just, well, you know .."
"I heard she may be returning, I'm not sure of the time frame though, I hope she gives me notice, I've kinda moved into her office" Sarah snorted, looking at the chaos on the desk that belonged to the CMO. "Your pain receptors are tripping.. don't suppress your pain otherwise I can't fix it" Sarah gave Bonnie a look.
“Sorry. Just I was trying… um, nevermind, um, sorry.” Bonnie stammered. “Well if you do talk with her, can you let her know I, I mean we, miss her?” Bonnie blushed at her small gaffe. She really wanted to say how much she missed her friend and how much she had enjoyed their time together. While they were in the Gamma, they had lost contact with all but the most secure channels.
Sarah noticed the change in tone and softed her own accordingly “We all miss her, although I’m sure she doesn’t miss the paperwork” The 2IC retorted as she worked her magic on Bonnie’s bruises. “ Hey, you realise you’re a valued member of the crew, and not to mention my friend?”
Rolling her eyes, Bonnie jested, “Maybe that second part is true. All I do is sit behind a computer terminal and push buttons. Avarak and I were trying to get the communications relay working and I can’t even get that right. The only thing useful I’ve done lately is make Dean’s weapon bounce, and even then it was Avarak who saw what I couldn’t.”
She was looking at Sarah dead on, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make this a sob story about me. Papa would have already lambasted me about belittling myself.”
“So correct me if I’m wrong but we’re currently in the wormhole and not being shaken to bits because of a patch that YOU installed, yes?” Sarah prodded, grabbing another instrument.
“Not really, that was all of us. I just noticed we were being bombarded by a large amount of particles and suggested we adjust for them. It really was a team effort kind of thing. Really.” She said trying to prop herself up as much as everyone else.
Sarah raised an eyebrow and gave Bonnie a look before speaking again “ Take the compliment Bonnie, you did good work, you helped a lot of people not get killed, and you prevented a buttload more work for me”
But Bonnie was too stubborn to see it. The good within her, the ability she had to not only think on her feet, but to stay calm under pressure. She couldn’t even see the effect she held on others when it came to team building and friendship making. So blinded by her own foul luck for so long, this was just who Bonnie had become at heart.
“Glad I could help keep you free of paperwork. From the looks of your desk, well... “ She smiled a knowing smile. She wiggled her foot and flexed her shoulder, “Are we good? Feels good.”
“No pain? No discomfort?” the doctor enquired, stepping back as though to admire her handiwork.
“No, no, I think I feel okay. I probably won’t face off with any more Naussicans any time soon, not that I would want to anyway.” She hopped down off the biobed. “Thanks Doc. for the, well, for everything.”
“You’re welcome young lady, and remember, my door is always open, and not just for the bumps and bruises” Sarah replied honestly, hoping to broach a friendship between them.
Bonnie smiled, then bounced out of sickbay, giving a little wave behind her as she went. It was good to talk with some people. Certain people always seemed so nice and easy to get along with. Bonnie was happy. Not happy she allowed the Naussicans to kill all of her friends and the Captain, but happy she was no longer in pain.
