A Nursing Day

Posted on Fri Dec 28, 2018 @ 10:00pm by Lieutenant Nicole Anderson

2,145 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Plaga Navis
Location: Various
Timeline: Across the span of the day of the away mission.

"The time is 0700," the computer said.

Maggie's eyes fluttered open and she yawned, stretching and scratching her head. She turned to get out of bed when a hand reached out, grabbed her by the hips and pulled her back into bed. "Danny, c'mon, I have to get up," she purred.

"Nope," he said. His hand moved up to cup her breast and he nuzzled her ear, making her giggle. "Tell that battle axe of a CO of yours that you're deathly ill, and only several hours of strenuous aerobic activity is going to solve it."

Maggie shook her head and turned around, kissing him and running her hands through his hair. "I'm pretty sure that's not going to fly," she said. "But I'll see if that's a reason to get out early." She kissed him again and he grabbed her rear, pulling her close. She squealed and kissed him one more time before prying his hands off her. “I have to go!”

She jumped out of bed and rushed to the sonic shower, giving him a glimpse before disappearing. As she activated the sonic shower, she felt a pair of hands spin her around and as he lifted her up against the wall, she giggled again and wondered if she’d be on time after all.

****

“You’re late,” Nicole said as Maggie walked in.

“I’m sorry, Doctor,” she said, blushing and thinking fast. “I went overtime with my morning aerobic workout.”

Nicole’s nostrils flared and she smiled wryly. “And I’m sure Daniel was most appreciative.” Maggie blushed harder and smiled. “Well on to business,” Nicole continued. “We have three patients due in today for follow ups, six lab projects I need notes on and supply requisitions completed. More bad news: We’ve reached our destination and I’ll be going on the away mission. Make sure Sickbay is in order while I’m gone and that Doctor P’k’ala has everything he needs.”

“Yes, Doctor,” Maggie said. She took a pile of padds from Doctor Anderson and carried them back to the labs, sitting down at an empty station and going through them to see which ones she’d need to work on now and which could wait.

****

Six reports, three patients, one bonus patient who twisted an ankle and department reports coming in every hour, new officers boarding and Maggie was running all over Sickbay. Lunch couldn’t come fast enough.

“You’re about to go on break right? I would lie low for a bit,” Nurse Cannivali said quietly, coming up beside her.

“How come?” she said, looking up from her station.

“The Rascal is coming back,” he said, “but without the XO and the Doctor. I bet the Captain’s going to be furious.”

“Nurse,” Doctor P’k’ala said, calling out for her.

Maggie cursed herself for not going on lunch when she had the chance, and grabbed her medkit, approaching Doctor P’k’ala. “Yes, Doctor?” she said.

“Report to the launch bay to receive a patient and escort him to Sickbay,” Doctor P’k’ala said, his reedy voice making it sound like an ominous order. She nodded and began to pull out a fresh medkit. As she was inspecting the contents, the doors to Sickbay opened.

The sight of an unconscious man being half carried, half dragged into Sickbay was, well sadly not as unusual as the medical staff would have preferred. Maggie was worried to see them carrying him in such a way that could cause further damage, but she saw the other security officer was Daniel Faraday and she smiled shyly in spite of herself.

"What happened?" Maggie questioned, pointing for them to carry their charge to an open bio-bed.

"He called the CEO ‘Mickey.’ I'm thinking the Commander didn't like it," Daniel said.

"Oh my," Maggie said, then turned. "We need a bed!" Two medtechs ran over and helped haul the unconscious man onto a nearby biobed as Maggie brought over a tricorder and a standard instrument tray. Doctor P'k'ala came around as well, his antennae twitching with curiosity.

Maggie ran to get an instrument tray and a fresh tricorder. She handed it to the doctor and began to watch the readouts, anticipating his needs. Bone knitter, dermal regenerator, hypospray and then they were interrupted.

"Anderson to Sickbay, prep beds one and two for exams."

"Yes, Doctor," Dr. P'k'ala said. "And welcome back."

“That was fast,” said Maggie.

“Let us hope it won’t take long,” Doctor P’k’ala said, his antennae twitching with irritation as he continued treatment.

As the Ship’s Counselor came in, Maggie and Doctor P’k’ala backed off, but she was relieved when Doctor Anderson returned. "Maggie! Beds ready?" Nicole said.

"Yes, Doctor," Maggie said. She grabbed a tricorder and scanned Doctor Anderson quickly, but the doctor snatched the tricorder away, cutting the exam short. Maggie had expected it, but she was still a bit surprised.

She walked across Sickbay and sat down at a workstation near their guest. She wasn’t as interested in the man as she was in his guard. “Hey,” she said, smiling shyly.

“Hey yourself,” Daniel Faraday said, grinning down at her. “A little OT isn’t half bad if the company’s good, hm?”

“I suppose so,” Maggie said, smiling. She pretended to work for a moment and glanced at him. “Last night was...nice,” she said. “I kind of like waking up with you there.”

“Hope you weren’t too late for your shift,” he said, sounding only slightly apologetic.

She blushed. “Only by a couple of minutes. Doctor Anderson forgave it. But, I was thinking maybe you should--”

"Maggie," she said, looking over at her head nurse, "prep the bay."

"Yes, Doctor," Maggie said, hurrying out of the room.

Maggie rushed into the surgical bay and activated the SSF and the sensors. The room was usually kept offline except for red alerts or active surgeries. Prep didn’t take long, and Maggie had the room ready in under a minute. She wasn’t sure what surgery was going to take place, but if she was told to be ready, she would be.

She ran into the nearby storeroom and put together two surgical trays on a supply gurney. She came back to the bay but was surprised to find the door shut and, upon inspection, locked with Doctor Anderson’s override.

Maggie walked back into Sickbay and towards Dr. P'k'ala. "That was odd," she said.

"What was?" he replied.

"Doctor Anderson had asked me to set up the surgical bay, but then she locked me out." She turned and saw the now empty biobed their guest had occupied. "Is she in there with that patient?" she said, shocked.

"It appears so," P'k'ala said, his antennae twitching.

"I'll have to prepare another slab in the morgue," Maggie said.

Alec strolled toward the surgical bay, "I think I'll have a look." He said half to himself, walking more quickly towards the bay.

Just as Alec got to the door to the corridor, Nicole came back in. "Shh," she said, "he's having a restful nap." Her eyes flashed red and she winked at him.

She walked up to Maggie and whispered in her ear, “keep him under for a while and let him enjoy the dream.” Maggie blushed hard and nodded. "Yes, Doctor," she said. "Oh, also, we have new science officer aboard. She's yet to report in.

"Grand," Nicole said, grabbing her bag from where she'd left it. "I'll hunt her down. When he comes to, don't let him linger."
"Yes, Doctor," Maggie said, smiling.

*****

The rest of Maggie’s shift was far less eventful. Nathan had been trasnferred back to a regular biobed and was fast asleep, but smiling. Daniel was winking and smiling at her every time their eyes met and she was doing her best to look professional around him. She’d never had a serious boyfriend on this level, and she was tempted to ask if he wanted to move in together. Her quarters were slightly better, but she didn’t mind sharing if it was going to be as enjoyable as the previous night.

At three minutes to 1600, Nicole came over for her usual pre-end consult. “Sickbay’s running smoothly?” she said.

“Yes, Doctor,” Maggie said. “I was wondering though, if I could get your advice on something?”

“Shoot,” Nicole said.

“Well--” Maggie started.

"Crowe to Dr. Anderson, are you available for a medical consultation?"

Nicole shared a glance with Maggie and said, "please state the nature of the medical emergency,” making Maggie step away and stifle a snicker.

"I would appear to have an eight-inch contusion on my right shoulder blade. I would imagine I got it in that Pier Six brawl in the detention center. Would it be possible to come to my quarters and examine this?" Vic sniggered drunkenly at the statement.

"Are you unable to walk to Sickbay?" Nicole said. "I have the necessary tools there."

“Probably can’t walk period from the sound of it,” Maggie said under her breath, getting a smile from Nicole.

Vic sighed. "I am half-in-the-bag”--”called it,” Maggie said,--”and have no desire to careen through the ship. Plus, this thing really hurts and I can't dispense my own meds, more's the pity!"

"All right," Nicole said, a slight sigh in her voice. "I'll be there shortly." Maggie had slipped to Nicole’s office and grabbed her black bag. She held it out and Nicole grabbed it, sighing and heading out the door.

Five minutes later, Maggie’s shift was over and she was ready to leave. Sadly, Daniels’ wasn’t. She blew him a very discreet kiss and he winked at her and mouthed. “0200 hours.”

She mouthed back, “my place?” he nodded and she felt butterflies in her stomach as she walked towards the door. Suddenly the comm system came to life. “Lévesque to Dr. Anderson. Medical emergency in Main Holodeck. Something is happening to Chief Summers.”

“Bollocks,” Maggie said. Doctor Anderson was already on a call so the system had routed it to Sickbay.

“Come along Nurse Cromvell,” Doctor Osika said, her Ukrainian accent clipping her words. Maggie grabbed a medkit and made way for the medtech with the antigrav gurney and followed them to the holodeck where the new Science officer was holding Chief Summers. Maggie hadn’t had much contact with the chief, finding her intimidating. *And unable to properly dress herself,* she thought, looking over the woman’s outfit as she opened her medkit and handed the tricorder to the Doctor.

“Hypospray,” Osika said. Maggie slapped it in her hand and she pressed it against Summers’ neck.

“All right, let’s lift,” Osika said. “Von, two, tree.” They lifted the unconscious woman onto the gurney. “Get her on bed four,” Osika said to the medtech who nodded and pushed her out at a brisk clip.

Maggie repacked the medkit and stood up. “Do we alert Doctor Anderson?”

“She’s off duty,” Osika said. “Besides, she’ll most likely just shoot the patient again.”

Maggie was forced to agree.

Osika turned to the science officer. “Please return these weapons to the armoury. Vee vill see to the patient. Thank you for alerting us.”

Maggie followed Doctor Osika back to Sickbay where Summers was being roughly lifted onto the biobed. A pixie she was not.

Maggie scanned her and Doctor Osika watched the readings. “Neocortex readings are fluctuating,” she said. “Her brain is a scrambled circuit.” She stood in thought only a moment. “Cortical inhibitors. We need to shut her mind down.”

Maggie rushed for the specialized tech and handed them to the doctor, who activated them and placed them near Summers’ temples on the prefrontal lobe. She linked the devices to the biobed and immediately activated them, dialing down Summers’ brain activity and inducing a coma.

Summers’ levels suddenly evened out and her vitals got stronger. After a moment more, she was stable.

“Sent an update to Doctor Anderson,” Osika said. “My recommendations are monitoring for the time being. A night asleep with no brain activity should allow her system to calm down and we can attempt to wake her tomorrow.”

“Aye, Doctor,” Maggie said. She sat down at the nearest station and sent word to Doctor Anderson’s quarters, and the Captain as well. Finally, she was able to close down her station and leave Sickbay, happy to be done.

When she got to her quarters, she saw a message was waiting. *Poker?* she thought, reading the message from the Ship’s Counselor. “Well, if I can’t be with Danny, why not some girl time?” she thought, changing into shorts and a t-shirt and heading for Cassandra’s quarters. It had been a long day, and she was ready to unwind.

 

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