Just a simple follow-up

Posted on 01 Dec 2020 @ 7:38pm by Lieutenant Lamia ‘Mia’ Kildare & Ensign Geoffrey Hale MD
Edited on on 03 Dec 2020 @ 5:10pm

1,325 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: Main Sickbay
Timeline: Shortly after Arrival of Lieutenant Hale

[ON]

Geoff, Ensign Geoffrey Hale, looked over the list of files that had arrived in his inbox, he wondered if an actual stack of papers would be more or less daunting at this point in the morning, before concluding that he probably didn't care to find out either way. A doctor's work was never done, and that was true of the 'paperwork' as well, true in triplicate. He was granted a reprieve when he noticed an indicator in the 'notes' tab, the message was short: "Follow-up with Lt. Arderne" it said, along with today's date.

=/\= Hale to Arderne, excuse me Lieutenant are you able to come to sickbay for a short time? =/\=

Lamia was sitting in her office going through crew evaluations when Hale’s voice came over the comms. =/\= Arderne here, I’m on my way. =/\= Getting up she headed out of her office.

Arriving at Sickbay not long afterwards Lamia entered still feeling a little apprehensive deep down inside, but she needed to get over that. She walked over to the only male member of staff she could see. “Doctor Hale, I presume?”

"That's right, I'm Hale, and I suppose you must be Lieutenant Arderne, pleased to meet you if so." Geoff offered with a professional smile. "I have some minor follow up to do, just making sure things are healing properly from your last mission. Would you like to take a seat?" he asked, indicating a nearby biobed. "Or would you prefer we did this with more privacy?" his hand now gestured toward the open door of a small office.

“Here will be fine” Lamia offered a nervous smile. “Sorry ... after what happened to me I’m still not entirely comfortable being in Sickbay. Sounds odd for a Counsellor I know.” She walked over to the nearest biobed and sat down.

"That was going to be my first question actually, if you don't feel like I'm stepping on your toes," Geoff let out a small chuckle. "From what I read in your file you've been through a lot recently, how are you coping?"

“I’m getting there” Lamia offered a smile. “I’ve been having Counselling and my boyfriend has been helping with my recovery as well. I’m fortunate to have good friends who help too.”

"It's good to hear you have a support system, though I'm sure you know that better than I do." Geoff said as he took out his tricorder and began a simple scan. He waived the probe over the counselor and studied the readings on his screen intently. "You haven't felt any abdominal pain? Any stomach issues?" he asked, snapping his eyes back up to Lamia's

“I was uncomfortable for a while but that has gone now.” Lamia’s cheery exterior was slowly starting to drift away as she talked. Just talking about how she felt after the loss of her daughter was difficult. “I err ... haven’t had any stomach issues.”

"That's something at least," Geoff remarked as he pulled out a small fiber pad from a sealed packet. "So far you're recovering rather well, physically at least. May I see your wrist?"

Lamia nodded and held out her wrist as Geoff had asked.

Geoff reached out and gently took hold of Lamia's wrist with a soft "Thank you." He wiped the fiber pad over the underside a few times and then sealed it in a capsule "We'll scan this in high-resolution to make sure none of the physiological changes are lingering." He let go of her wrist and straightened up. "Just a few more questions, Have you noticed any changes in taste or smell recently?"

Lamia paused to think. “No I ... don’t think so.” She offered a brief smile. “When I first arrived back the pheromones were still bothering me I think I wore out my poor boyfriend at the time but it hasn’t bothered me since.”

"That's encouraging to hear," Geoff began and the furrowed his brow as he noticed the double meaning in what he'd said, "that it hasn't bothered you I mean." He cleared his throat before continuing, keeping his expression professional. "That brings me to the next few questions, Have you noticed and recent changes in behavior? Any unusual impulses?"

Lamia paused a small grin coming across her face. “Depends on the kind of impulses!” She smiled as she thought about downtime with Chris and the demands she’d put on him. Maybe it was the pheromone but she’d become more aggressive in her love making of late. “In the bedroom ... yes, but apart from that I’d say no.”

"Oh," Geoff's eyebrow quirked upward inquisitively, "I don't mean to pry but as your condition is pheromone related, could you elaborate?"

She blushed as she looked at Geoff. “I’ve become more ... aggressive in my bedroom behaviour. Before I wasn’t one for taking control or asking for what I wanted. Now ...” she paused. “You could say I’m more in all ways.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Chris hasn’t complained yet.”

A bit of genuine amusement shone through Geoff's professional mask. "As long as you don't feel it's impacting you negatively, I don't think that calls for any treatment. One last question: have you noticed any recent changes in others' behavior toward you?"

“Not in a bad way, no.” Lamia offered a warm smile. “I’ve made more friends from it all and am closer with Lieutenant Dodd, especially after what happened between us. We both lost a daughter. Apart from that the crew have been wonderful.”

"It seems like you have a lot to be thankful for lieutenant," Geoff suggested, brightening just a little more. "It's my assessment that you're well on your way to recovery on the biomedical side. Regarding the rest, I'm happy to help how I can if you ever want a sympathetic ear."

Lamia nodded, “I appreciate that Doctor, we’ll be working more closely together now I’m a member of the Counselling staff. If I need to talk I’ll know where to find you.” She paused. “Ohh I don’t remember if I asked Doctor Cahill this before but ... given my miscarriage, I’d still be able to have children in the future wouldn’t I?”

"Well," Geoff began, drawing out the pause between words as long as he could, "Based on your scans there would most likely be no issue. I can give you more detailed answers after I get the results from your pheromone swab. It looks like you'll be able to have more children, but I would recommend careful monitoring during the first trimester, and there is a small chance you and your partner may have to use a surrogate." He explained the best he could, speaking with the slightly strained positivity of a doctor delivering difficult news.

“A surrogate” Lamia nodded. “It’s not something that we’ll be thinking about anytime soon, I appreciate your honesty.” She almost wished she hadn’t asked. “Am I free to get back to work?”

"That's all for this checkup, yes." Geoff answered evenly. "I do want to speak with you soon in your professional capacity. I'd like to talk about how we might improve cooperation between Medical and Counseling."

Lamia nodded. “That’s fine, I’ve only just started my position in the counselling department so my schedule is pretty free. I’m available whenever you’d like.”

"Alright, I'll let you know some times that I'm available in the coming week, and we'll be able to find something that works." Geoff affirmed crisply. "Now, you said earlier sickbay still puts you on edge, so I won't keep you any longer. I look forward to working with you Lieutenant, and good luck in your work."

“Thank you Doctor” Lamia offered a smile before heading on her way, right now she needed to talk to Chris.

[OFF]

Ensign Geoffrey Hale
ACMO

Lieutenant Lamia Arderne
Asst Ch Counsellor

 

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