JDL | CDR Jake Sate (XO) & CDR Valeese (CMO) | "From Wine to Water"

Posted on Wed Oct 11th, 2017 @ 4:59pm by Captain Jacob Satie & Commander Valeese Stacker

Mission: The Round Table
Location: Sickbay | Cold Station Theta
Timeline: The Morning After

It had been some time since Jake had imbibed so much real alcohol. The lasting and bitter end of the bottle was the nagging headache from which he was now suffering. The shower hadn't helped much, sonics were good for getting you clean but didn't relax you like warm water. After dressing, Jake had decided to head to the medical decks. He had been remiss in meeting with the new Chief Medical Officer and the headache was as good an excuse as he needed. Fortunately for Jake, Sickbay was in the upper saucer where most of the crew was quartered and it only took two minutes on the lift. He had wondered around the station the first few days he had been here and was amazed at the scale of medical then. There were two full decks devoted to practicing medicine on the station and every type of medical specialist imaginable had an office or surgical suite at their disposal. There was even a small section on the lower deck that catered veterinary concerns. The receptionist on duty had been the one that had given him his tour of the medical facilities and he smiled at her warmly.

When Jake walked up to the receptionist he was all smiles. She smiled back and said, "How can I help you today, Commander?"

"I need to see the Chief Medical Officer. Is she in?" Jake ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to rub out the headache.

"One moment please, Sir. I'll see if she is available." She quickly keyed in something on her PADD. She'll be with you in just a sec, Commander."

"Thank you," Jake searched his memory for the name and said, "Carrie." The woman was civilian and the wife of a young Ensign in Engineering if Jake could recall correctly. He took his seat in the waiting area and gently massaged his temples with his pointer and middle fingers. He had met so many people in the past days it was hard to believe he could remember any of their names.

He wouldn't have to wait long. Skeleton crew meant few in sickbay and most of the civilians wandering along the promenade were loathe to allow themselves to be caught and subjected to Starfleet medicine. In many ways Valeese had become a bit of a pariah; doctor... Vorta... Bad day for someone trying to get along and make a life for themselves within the Federation's hold. She may as well have been Cardassian - rumor had it one of them had risen to a position of high esteem aboard one of Starfleet's flagship vessels and more than accepted, he was loved by his peers. "Commander Satie," She greeted, putting on her happy face as she came in to the exam room, her bright violet eyes already working to assess his physical stature, color, whatever she could make out. What interested her most, however, was the sound of his heart beating steadily in his chest and the soft whoosh of air inflating his lungs. He wasn't sick, not in the bacterial or viral sense, but it was clear that he was suffering a degree of discomfort, "What can I do for you today?" There was a fine tilt to her head as she rested her hip against a counter and took another listen to the large muscle pounding away. Maybe it was sluggish, a little slow... Combined with the rest of what she could see, her money was on dehydration, albeit mild.

Jake stood up and gave the best smile he could muster with the dull thud in his head. "Commander Valeese, It's nice to finally meet you. I was hoping to schedule a meeting for early this week but since I needed to stop by for a little tonic this morning it seemed like a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone." Jake's eyes were slightly drawn and his brow was lowered in an attempt to shield them from the light of Sickbay. "So, how does a Vorta find herself this far from the Founders? Should I be on the lookout for a Founder in a bucket somewhere?" Jake was joking but almost instantly regretted his words. To the Vorta the founders were the equivalent of gods and to poke fun at her belief system was rudely insensitive. "I don't mean any disrespect. That was a poor attempt at humor. Blame it on the headache." Jake gave her another weak smile.

For several seconds she let him suffer in silence while she simply blinked at him and ruffled an eyebrow towards the ceiling. It wasn't every day that she got a chance to make someone squirm for non-medical reasons, and in many ways it felt completely and utterly delicious. "I flushed it." She deadpanned, not bothering to search for the words necessary to explain who she was or how she'd got there or how far advanced her people had become. Letting them all continue to guess, keeping them on their tippy toes, would suit her purposes just as well. Instead of playing her hand further, however, she reached for a hypo. The light sensitivity and the early hour gave him away, and just as well - the man had been drinking, not that it was any of her concern... Unless, of course, he made it a habit to come in seeking pain relief. "I'm going to give you a fast acting, non-drowsy pain reliever and a dose of electrolytes, Commander, and then demand that you drink at least a gallon of water today to help re-hydrate you. No caffeine, just water." She leveled with him, readying her supplies, double checking them, and then approaching with a gentle motion asking him to tilt his head and give her better access to the tough muscle at the side of his neck, "You don't tell anyone I flushed a Founder, I don't tell anyone you were hung over and we all go home happy, deal?"

"Deal" Jake was grinning and the muscles of his stomach were dancing with mirth despite the pounding it caused in his head. "Please don't think this is a regular occurrence. Last night was the first time in four years I had the real stuff. It was a... special occasion." Jake added. "I look forward to working with you, Doctor. But for the sake of diplomacy please refrain from flushing sentient beings. I wouldn't want to cause any problems with the plumbing." Jake smiled again and exposed his neck for the injection.

"Someone has to keep the engineers on their toes..." Valeese retorted, depressing the first of the two hypos against the Commander's neck, hardly able to ignore the quicker pitter patter pattern of his heart as he spoke. It must have been a fantastic evening, if heart rate and goofy grins were anything to go by, "But I'll do my best to refrain. Too many missing Founders and people are bound to start asking questions." She sighed, reaching behind her to find hypo two and bringing it to his flesh. It hissed as it sent sweet relief directly into his circulatory system. "There. Good as new so long as you stay hydrated and go easy on the booze."

Jake held out his hands, "I was planing on throwing a killer party tonight but I'll let everyone know, no drinking." He shook his head in defeat. "While I'm here, how are the station's medical facilities treating you? Everything operational. I know sometimes we worry more about phaser banks than blood banks." Jake rolled his head on his neck feeling better already.

"Admiral Red was very proficient in keeping us well fed with supplies. Our records will show that we were more than able to handle the in flow of injured after the USS Vindicator-E met her unfortunate end, and, though she used her own physician, Commodore Ivanova remained with us through the birth of her child instead of heading back to Earth." None of it had anything to really do with her, but it was still a matter of pride that the station - at that point so antiquated - had stood up to the test and taken quite a hit but kept on soldiering through, saving lives. "Plus... Doctor Carrol was able to save the Admiral's life after her attack. She should be dead by all accounts, it's enough of a miracle that she lived to make one reconsider religion. Now," Valeese finished her notes and folded her hands in front of herself, "Is there anything else I can do for you, Commander Satie? I know you're a very busy man and I wouldn't want to keep you from Captain DiAgessi for long."

"I would appreciate it if you keep me apprised if anything out of the ordinary happens, but other than that, I can get out of your hair, Doctor. We should schedule an on boarding physical soon. I'm sure there is nothing amiss but you know Starfleet, the more paperwork the better." Jake rolled his head on his neck again the headache was completely gone now. "Thank you, I'll drink lots of water, no coffee, and stop being a drunkard. You've cured me, Doc." Jake smiled as he spouted his doctor's orders in a sing song manner. "Don't be a stranger, my door is always open." With that, he turned and walked out to the receptionist to make his physical appointment.

---

Commander Jake Satie
Executive Officer
Cold Station Theta, SB-1170

&

Commander Valeese
Chief Medical Officer
Cold Station Theta, SB-1170