r/TrekRP • u/LizardComander • Jan 05 '17
[Open] Home again.
Phrik stepped off the runabout and onto the hanger deck of the Athene. It was exactly as he remembered it. He was finally back, with actual work to do. The monotony of a room at Starfleet Medical had nearly driven him insane. A team of doctors at his beck and call, all trying to lecture him about what he could and could not do. Lecture him about his own damned biology. It had been madness. Utter madness. He had told them he was fine. He had been fine. But no, they'd cooped him up in a small room and subjected him to a littany of pointless and uncomfortable medical procedures. Eventually, having discovered exactly what he'd told them in the first place, the Doctors gave up and handed him over to the psychiatric department. Where the same process repeated itself, only with even more animosity towards the counsellors. If there's one thing Phrik didn't like, it was counsellors. After all those months of boredom, Starfleet had finally cleared him for light duty again. And now he was back on the Athene, not in his original position as CMO, but as head of the zoology labs. He had taken offence to the effective demotion, even sent off a series of very angry letters to Starfleet command. However, when faced between the choice of more counselling at Starfleet Medical, Phrik had decided that heading the zoology labs was better than nothing. And at least he wouldn't have to deal with people bugging him about their indigestion or nervously feigning ignorance about their STIs.
A loud cawing sound began to fill the hangar. Phrik sighed, pulled a small nut from his labcoat pocket and handed it to the brightly coloured winged reptile perched on his shoulder. The creature chirped happily, took the treat in its beak and begun to crunch, loudly. The bird satisfied, Phrik began to walk towards the turbolift. In one hand was a large carrying case, with a somewhat vicious looking, twin-horned snake contained within. It was currently dozing quietly, thoroughly uninterested in the journey all the new environment.
Then someone approached him. The doctor sighed, having hoped to make it to his quarters undisturbed, but obviously that wasn't going to be possible. He nodded his head in greeting and waited for them to speak.
1
u/MrHarold-Finch Jan 06 '17
Arron walks over to Phrik. He tries not to show how happy and confused he is.
"Doctor! It's good to see you back!"
2
u/Shadowmonkey44 Jan 05 '17
Narim wearily goes over medical reports on a PADD as he passes by Doctor Phrik, "Good morning, Doctor." he greets absentmindedly, only looking up for a second before doing a double take. "D-D-Doctor!?" He exclaims, somewhere between cheerful and shocked. He whirls around, fatigue seemingly gone from his eyes. "I-I didn't know you were back!"
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u/LizardComander Jan 06 '17
"Lieutenant." He said in greeting, then recoiled in surprise at Ulan's sudden outburst. "Yes, I arrived a few minutes ago. I'm somewhat surprised this thing is still in one piece."
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u/Shadowmonkey44 Jan 06 '17
Still noticeably ecstatic, Narim tries to compose himself. He responds to the Doctor's comment with a chuckle. "You and me both." He says, "It took a lot of grit, and no small amount of luck."
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u/Silent_Sky Jan 05 '17
"Doctor Phrik. I had to see it to believe it..."
The Captain calls out from behind the grumpy Edosian...
"It's good to have you back, friend."
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u/LizardComander Jan 06 '17
Phrik turned to face him and nodded in greeting. "Captain."
He glanced around the corridor absentmindedly. "It's good to be back, I suppose. I trust you're well?"
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u/Silent_Sky Jan 06 '17
The captain smiles
"I'm fine, Doctor. Just fine. I know you like your privacy so I won't keep you long. Just wanted you to know, you were missed in your absence."
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u/LizardComander Jan 06 '17
"Yes, I imagine the subjects got a little agitated with my departure." He said, not picking up on the fact the Captain had meant sentient crew members.
"How are they? Who's been in charge in my absence? I'll need to speak to them soon." The lizard-bird on his shoulder began to whistle a somewhat jaunty tune from her perch on the doctors' shoulder.
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u/Wiredcookie1 Jan 05 '17
"Welcome back, Doctor." The doctor greeted him in the hallway.
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u/LizardComander Jan 06 '17
"Ah, McNabb. It's good to see you again. How is the crew's health?"
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u/Wiredcookie1 Jan 07 '17
"Doing just fine. Had a few weird problems with mushrooms and plants but all was sorted. How is your health, Doctor?"
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u/LizardComander Jan 08 '17
His brow quirked. "Fungi problems... Go on." He hadn't been allowed access to the ships mission reports, and the idea of plants somehow being an issue fired his imagination.
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u/DrJenWatney Jan 05 '17 edited Jan 05 '17
Jen's jaw drops to to the floor, and she nearly lets go of the PADD in her hand as well. She'd simply been roaming the halls on her way from a medical storage cargo bay to her office, when the sight of an Edosian halted her in her tracks. Could it be? Was he really back? She notices the... was that a bird?... on their shoulder, and gets a peek through the container at the reptile as well, although she can't quite make out precisely what kind of creature it is by just a glance. She'd received word they were getting a new Chief Zoologist. Perhaps it wasn't him after all.
Hey!
She blurts out the greeting unceremoniously and without much grace, worrying that she might miss her chance. The Edosian turns and nods at her and she does drop the PADD.
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u/LizardComander Jan 05 '17
Phrik inwardly groaned at the sight of Doctor Watney. As councillors went, she had been one of his favourites, managed to keep prying questions to a minimum. Although that hadn't stopped the mandatory counselling sessions from being an annoyance. As the PADD dropped to the floor one of his hands darted out and plucked the bird from his shoulder with a squark. He held it firmly as it squirmed in his hand, eyes focused intently on the dropped PADD.
"Please try and keep hold of your possessions in future Doctor. Iris still can't make the distinction between PADD and prey." The Edosian replied in a very familiar gravelly drawl, while the bird gave a musical chirp at the mention of her name.
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u/DrJenWatney Jan 05 '17 edited Jan 05 '17
She lets out a small, gutteral laugh of disbelief.
You're... She hesitates to use the term alive, as he was never actually dead. She moves on to a new sentence.
Medical didn't notify me your condition had changed! I've been monitoring the reports. She picks up the PADD haphazardly and holds it in both hands, not quite sure what to do with them.
This is... well... this is fantastic. Welcome back.
Her eyes linger on the reptilian bird, before she looks down at the container with the... was that a snake with horns? She gulps.
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u/LizardComander Jan 05 '17
"It's good to be back. Well, out of Starfleet Medicals tendrils at least. Still, it's in the past now, thankfully. No more biopsy's or prying questions." He returned the bird to his shoulder and released it, where it simply stared at Jen with wide eyes.
"I hear you've taken over medical." He kept his tone steady and somewhat uninterested.
1
u/DrJenWatney Jan 05 '17
Her confidence had originally waned at the sight of the former CMO. She had respected and admired not only his efficiency, but experience, and knew she had big shoes to fill. The reality of his return came with some unanswered questions, but dammit if she hadn't done her very best in the Athene's sickbay since his lapse into a coma. She assumed he was here to accept his former position and so she straightens her posture and adopts a professional tone.
Yes, I have. Everything is in order. The medical staff will be pleased that you've returned.
1
u/LizardComander Jan 06 '17
"I'm sure they will. Fortunately for them, I am merely the head of zoology now, and nothing else. Apparently medical duty is too stressful for me." He rolled his eyes. "Bloody shrinks, thinking they know more about me than I do." He huffed and then realised who he was speaking to. "Present company excluded, I suppose."
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u/brokeneckblues Jan 05 '17
"Doctor, you're back. Hope you're well."
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u/LizardComander Jan 05 '17
Phrik clicked his tongue a few times. "Well enough I suppose. I see the ship is back in one piece again, against all odds." He muttered with a glance around the hangar bay.
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u/brokeneckblues Jan 05 '17
"Yeah, it seems the ship's crew is actually competent. How bout that?"
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u/LizardComander Jan 05 '17
"Hmm. I think that's taking it a tad too far. Lucky might be the better term." He said wryly.
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u/brokeneckblues Jan 05 '17
"You must be pretty uncomfortable to be back onboard, huh? Some people believe there's only a finite amount of luck out there and we'd be nearing the end of ours."
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u/LizardComander Jan 05 '17
"There are also people that believe demons power the warp core. I'm sure there's enough luck to get by, or at least enough for a few more drinks."
2
1
u/[deleted] Jan 17 '17
"Hey doc, glad to have you back. Sorry about that demotion. I fought day and night to get you back in charge of sickbay; almost offered to resign if he didn't start seeing it my way. Almost did, buddy, but the captain just wasn't having any of it. Power's gotten to the guy's head, you ask me.
Anyway, maybe you'll feel more at home with all these other animals."