Tides of Triage

Posted on Tue Dec 17th, 2013 @ 4:58pm by Commander Jordan Gunning & Lieutenant Commander Miranda Keller MD, MBBS

Mission: Picking Up the Pieces
Location: Medical Centre [Deck 83]
Timeline: After "Butting Heads"

[ON]

Gunning left the Security Centre feeling decidedly uneasy. It was no surprise that, given the stress that they were under, Griffiths and O'Connell were on edge and didn't much like the look of new blood turning up and laying down what could laughably be described as 'the law' but the situation they found themselves in was difficult.

No more difficult in Gunning's mind than having to endure an examination by the medical staff of the station. He was going to walk into a sickbay that not more than a few weeks ago was full to bursting of the dead or dying and request a quick run over with a tricorder. Starfleet's standard Assignment Regulations often overlooked the need for common sense and restraint.

"Deck Eighty Three." He ordered the turbolift.

Deck Eighty Three, he thought to himself, wishing he had brought a book to read on the journey. The scale of the station, although now missing a significant section of its lower decks was astonishing. In his assignments on Starships, and even on Starbase 386, he'd had little time to appreciate the scale of the Stardocks.

Down in sickbay, Miranda was busy finishing up a few minor surgeries she'd passed over for higher priority patients. By now, she'd been awake non-stop for almost 24 hours with barely a ten minute brake to hold her over for the day. Closing up her final patient, Miranda stumbled out into the post-Op area to check on a few of the more complicated cases.

Melissa was standing in the middle of everything giving directions left right and centre trying to maintain some semblance of control over the situation. Although this wasn't her first crisis, the lack of staff for a time had put a great deal of pressure on her.

Gunning's entry into the buzzing Infirmary was understated but he was quickly ushered to the reception desk and given an appointment card. Beyond the spacious foyer lay what had once likely been a thriving and well-appointed Infirmary. It now looked as though a hurricane had blown through. Temporary biobeds and stretchers lay strewn across the floor as medical staff dodged back and forth through the maze of recovering patients and remnants of the disaster.

Looking up from a patient, Miranda spotted someone new standing in sickbay with a bewildered look on his face. Stand up straight, she made her way over to him, "can I help you, Commander?" She asked, her Tricorder still in her hand, ready to start scanning.

"Well, I had come down for my standard Assignment physical but it seems that you're still in Triage mode." It had been weeks since the bomb blast had ripped through 332 but the reports he'd read were clearly true. The station's crew had been abandoned by Starfleet and left to their own devices.

The woman who addressed Jordan, a Lieutenant, was either a surgeon or a painter judging by the deep red patches soaked into her neatly cut white coat and the deep, dark rings around her eyes offset her hazel irises as if they had been designed that way.

"Presumably now isn't a good time?"

Miranda smiled wearily, "to tell you the truth, a standard check-up would be a god send. Follow me into my office and I'll get you through in no time" she said, turning around and heading towards the next room. After a moment, the two of them were in a small office in the corner of the surgical bays, "it may not look like much, but it's a good place to grab twenty winks when there's a low in the chaos"

Gunning regarded the office, a sea of tranquility among this insanity. The only suggestion that anyone had spent any time in the small room was a neatly made cot in the corner where the Doctor had clearly been spending her evenings. "I'm assuming there hasn't been much in the way of respite."

Miranda shook her head, "you'd be right. Ever since that explosion, the medical staff have been working over time. Fortunately, its coming to an end and we can get a good nights sleep"

"It can't help not having additional personnel drafted in." Gunning had observed that almost every department was understaffed from a time before the explosion and worse afterwards. Starfleet seemed to be winding back their interest in the outpost. "When was the last time your department had any relief officers through?"

Miranda raised her hand a little, "your looking at it. I was the last member of the current medical staff to be transferred aboard" she said, walking over to a small bedside table and retrieving a specialised Tricorder, "so, is there anything I should know before we get started? Headaches, nausea, sudden urge to blow something up?" She said, trying in her own way to make light about their current situation.

"I used to be a Security officer, Doctor." Gunning returned a smile. "I'd be worried if I wasn't taken by the urge to blow something up."

Miranda cocked an eyebrow, "right" she said, starting her scans, starting at his head and moving down the body slowly, taking mental notes as she went, "how long have you been in security? if you don't mind me asking"

"Almost fifteen years." Gunning replied, astounded that someone under so much pressure could still have such a pleasant bedside manner. "The transition to Strategic Ops has been a bit of a weird one. When you're so set in your ways, suddenly having everything be new is disconcerting."

Miranda nodded in agreement, "I know what you mean. Every time i transfer to a new post, i have a whole new sickbay to get used to"

"Must be especially difficult given the size of this place," Jordan said as he shifted uncomfortably under the light of the medical tricorder, "I don't think I've ever seen a medical facility as large as this."

"This is my second, so I can get used to this a lot easier. Although, coming from a prototype ship to this is a huge step backwards" Miranda commented, finishing up her scans, "all done, anything else I can do for you?"

"No, I think that's me." Gunning replied as he twisted his neck gently. "What prototype were you on?"

"The USS Vesta. I can't remember what class she was but it had the most advanced tech in the fleet"

"I've been out in the back of beyond for such a long time that the closest thing I've seen to a prototype is Galaxy-class." Gunning chuckled. "I'd best be getting back to having people shout at me. Thanks for the once over."

[OFF]

Commander Jordan Gunning
Strategic Operations Head: Archanis Sector

Lieutenant Miranda Keller
Chief of Medicine
Starbase 332