Reporting in for Initial Medical Check-up

Posted on Tue May 31st, 2022 @ 11:23pm by Ensign Kitiuas Thenis & Lieutenant Anna S. Thesia M.D.

Mission: *CD*
Location: Sickbay - CMO
Timeline: Current

Ensign Kitiuas Thenis made her way to the Sunfire's sickbay to report to Lieutenant Anna S. Thesia, Chief Medical Officer, and her initial medical check in. She was not sure what to make of her new Department Head Lieutenant JG Avarak, he was strange for a Vulcan. She knew from personal experience that Vulcans could come off as aloof and standoffish, but Lieutenant Avarak seemed downright cold and even arrogant. She sighed inwardly and thought about the next onerous task, reporting to the CMO and having to explain why she needed the Deltan medication to diminish her pheromonal effect (administered via small dosages in her food through custom programing of her replicator and once a month hypospray injections (at start of her menses cycle). She only hoped that the Doctor wouldn't press the issue. With that she stepped through the door and into sickbay. Nice thing about this ship, medical and science are on the same deck.

Anna had her back turned towards the door. She was standing there as though directing traffic. Her staff was busy putting things where Anna wanted them, as well as clearly labelling what was in which box. Anna thought this was important in case an emergency required personnel from other departments helping out. They would not automatically know where everything was.

Settling into a new sickbay always required a lot oft work, and Anna knew that her staff wasn't exactly happy with all the changes she was making, and making them implement. But the Akira class had a much smaller sickbay than the ship she had previously worked on. At least the systems had received an update since the ship was commissioned. "No, not there", Anna said. "That's where the privacy screen will go." Anna wanted a screen between main sickbay and the primary biobed, to be placed there for delicate procedures, as well as the routine physicals which many patients would prefer not to be carried out in full view of everyone else. Anna didn't particularly care either way, but if it made some people less uncomfortable, there was no harm in doing it.

She heard the door open and close, and so she turned around and saw the other Orion woman walking in. "Well, looks like I've got my first customer for today." She smiled. "Hi, I'm Anna, the new surgeon."

Ensign Kitiuas Thenis was pleasantly shocked to see another Orion female on board, and she appeared to be the Chief Medical Officer.
Sickbay looked like someone had kicked a Terran ant hive as personnel where busy putting medical supplies away and carefully labeling everything they put away. She smiled and stated to the Orion female in front of her "Ensign Kitiuas Thenis reporting to sick bay for my initial on boarding physical as prescribed by Star Fleet regulations." With that she stuck her PADD out for the Medical Officer to take. 'At least I shouldn't need to explain to her why I need to take a Deltan medication to diminish my pheromonal effect', she thought.

"Wonderful, and I didn't even have to chase you down", Anna smiled. "Could you spread the word amongst the crew that this is a really good idea?" She winked, pointing towards the primary biobed, as that was the only area already set up properly. "Please, have a seat. Would you like to tell me about anything in particular I should be aware of? I haven't had the chance to look at everyone's file yet, seeing as I've only just arrived."

Suddenly Thenis started sweating and trembling. She could feel her heart rate increase and was having hot flashes. She felt dizzy and nauseous. 'Not now', she thought, 'I cannot be having a panic attack now.' Her vision began to narrow and she stumbled forward, blackout and fell to the deck. As she fell the PADD she was holding dropped out of her hand.

Anna frowned. That was certainly unexpected. She picked the woman up and put her in the biobed, running the scans. There seemed to be nothing organically wrong with her. Yet the body was showing all signs of stress. Anna decided to wait. She should be regaining consciousness soon, and Anna didn't want to add medication to her system that wasn't strictly necessary.

Kitiuas slowly came around and realized her worse fear had come true, she had a panic attack. She was still working on her Nosocomephobia, fear of hospitals, but was struggling to bring it under control. She slowly opened her eyes to see a female Orion standing over her and she had an instant flash back to the last time she had seen a female doctor. She had been five years old and her father had beaten her so severely he put her in a coma for three months. She took several deep breaths and started doing the Vulcan meditative techniques she had been taught to ease her anxiety and bring herself under control. Once she was sure she had herself fully composed she spoke up “Sorry for that, had a momentary anxiety attack. I have a phobia known as Nosocomephobia, a fear of hospitals. Sickbay and all the smells and activity must have triggered me.”

"Oh", Anna replied simply. That explained it. "Well, at least it gave me a chance to monitor how your body recovered, and behaved under stress. I've noticed that you've had quite a few injuries in the past. They're not a concern presently, but they do show up on scans. You spent a lot of time in hospitals when you were younger?"

Thenis smiled a wicked smile and replied "Yes, and if I ever see the individual that made that happen I plan to make him enjoy time in the hospital with my Dancerknife set on the slowest speed possible. Now, I believe you asked about any pertinent medical information, well I have two phobias; Nosocomephobia, which is a fear of hospitals as you just seen, and Tonitrophobia , the fear of thunder. I suppose though that those are issues for the ship counselor to handle, even though I know several Vulcan techniques to help me deal with them. Medical wise I am to use a Deltan medication to diminish my pheromonal effect, administered via small dosages in my food through custom programing of my replicator and once a month hypospray injections at start of my menses cycle, but I am sure you are familiar with the protocol yourself. Only other major issue is I have had a previous traumatic brain injury." She smiled "Does that answer your questions about pertinent medical history?"

Anna nodded. "I will take a look at your file to make sure I know the details of the brain injury, but yes." She smiled at her and placed her hand on her patient's shoulder. "I would like to take a blood sample for later lab analysis, and... well, unless it's a major emergency, I'll happily make house calls so you won't have to come here if that makes you uncomfortable."

“Very well, I have no qualms with you drawing blood. I actually have no issues with having a physical. I greatly appreciate the offer of house calls, but as my former counselor says ‘Best to face one’s fears’. Typical Vulcan logic, though he did show me several Vulcan mental techniques to manage my phobias.” Replied Kitiuas with a gentle smile.

"The counsellor knows best, I suppose", Anna said. "However, if your body is already under stress because an injury, it's not usually a good idea to expose it to any more of it. Just food for thought." She proceeded to draw the blood sample. "Though, if I do make house calls, I expect to be served tea."

Kitiuas chuckled "Well I suppose I should take you up on that offer then. At the Academy everyone called me the "Monster Hunter" because I was studying and received my Doctoral degrees in Entomology/Arachnology and Cryptozoology. Good chance given what I am trained to do I will be bitten or stung by something. Also it would be nice to share a cup of tea with someone. Who knows maybe I might be able to share a fine plate of Orion wing-slug or Irinari Drunken Insect."

Anna chuckled. "I suppose you won't find many around here who will share in these." She labelled the sample and put it on the tray that would go to the lab for analysis. "Have you ever noticed any allergic symptoms to venoms?"

Kitiuas thought for a moment "Nope. I never had any true allergic symptoms. Sure I get the localized reactions, but no true allergic reactions. I will let you know if and when I ever do."

"Heh, yes. You certainly will", Anna agreed. "But it's good you haven't developed any allergies just yet." She switched the sensors off and smiled. "I think you're good to go. But, say, would you be willing to take me on a tour through your lab, show me the animals you're working with?"

She smiled and replied "It would be my pleasure, of course I need to put the Xenozoology Lab and my office back in order. Not sure who the last individual to hold the position of Xenozoology was but they left the lab in disarray. They also left a Cestoda, subclass Eucestoda; a flatworm or tapeworm for the lay person, in a stasis field tray with a force field erected around it. You would not have happened to remove one from a patient lately, have you? This one is somehow managing to move in a stasis field, and I want to get to the bottom of this mystery."

"It... moves in stasis?" That was unheard of. That was what stasis fields were supposed to prevent after all. "But no, I haven't. I've only just arrived myself. But I'll have a look at the logs. Is there no labelling of specimen tradition in your field?"

Ensign Kitiuas looked at Lieutenant Thesia with dead serious eyes "There is a strict adherence to labelling specimens in my field, no different than it is in your field doctor. This is why I am so upset and confounded. Whoever let this happen needs to be drummed out of Star Fleet. not allowed to ever work in any science institute, and their degrees revoked." The anger was almost palatable coming off her, and one could detect the faint smell best described as that of cinnamon and roses off her, a small sign of her pheromonal scents that were being suppressed by the medicine she took, but only to one trained to recognize it as such.

Anna laughed. "Relax, I'm having a laugh at your predecessor's expense." She could tell that Kitiuas was getting excited, and probably not in a good way. "If you like, I'll come by and have a look, maybe I'll have a few ideas."

Kitiuas reminded herself to calm down as when she got excited or had strong emotions she was told her scent from her pheromones would kick in, but not the effects, thank the Thousand Gods for that small miracle she thought. “I would appreciate that, but please allow me to at least get the lab and office back into a semblance of order. “ She said with a smile. “Will there be anything else or am I good to go for this physical?”

"You're golden", Anna said. "Obviously, you won't be getting the same kind of silly questions about Orion physiology from me that you've probably came in prepared to answer. I'll let you know if we uncover anything surprising in your blood sample, of course." She understood the need to get the lab into working order, she'd have to do the same thing. The smaller size was not to her liking. Not at all. "Let me know immediately if that thing shows any signs of escaping its confinement, though."

“Thanks, Doctor. I will let you know if my Flatworm friend decides to try and make an escape for it.” Kitiuas replied with a smile as she jumped of the table and made a quick beeline for the door out of sick bay. She turned back and looked at Lieutenant Thesia and with a smile said “You’re not to bad for a Doctor.” And slipped out the door.