The Team Approach
Posted on Thu Jul 29th, 2021 @ 6:45pm by Lieutenant Rukil Vodaan & Commander Sorek
Mission:
Episode 05: "Deep Water"
Location: Corridor - Deck Nine, USS Vesta
Timeline: Day 3 at 0730
ON: [[Corridor - Deck Nine, USS Vesta, Mission Day 03, 0738 Hours]]
Vodaan made his way quickly, though not hurriedly, along one of the corridors of deck nine. He had intended to meet with the Vesta’s chief medical officer first thing. Unfortunately, an issue with one of his and Duhrat’s transfer containers was taking a bit longer than expected to resolve, and the supply officer they had been working with was proving less than helpful.
He rounded the final bend and slowed his pace. Regardless of whatever else was going on, the last thing he needed to do was give his colleague (a Vulcan) the impression he was harried. As he was thinking this to himself, a passing officer in services gold offered him a friendly smile. Vodaan returned it with one of his own and then entered the main sickbay complex.
Sorek had just finished touring the Vesta's sickbay and medical facilities, and while it was logical to expect the most advanced ship in Starfleet to have cutting edge facilities, it did not abate the impressive appearance and functionality. Expectation and reality were often two different things, one was in the mind, the other was to be experienced.
He was heading to his office when the door hissed open and a new arrival walked in. According to the files he reviewed on the staff, this would appear to be the Vesta's chief counselor.
"Greetings, Lieutenant. I am Doctor Sorek. Would you be Lieutenant Vodaan?" He said as agreeably as he could.
“Yes, commander,” Vodaan replied, “I was hoping to touch base with you, check-in…as colleagues. Is now a good time?”
"Of course. I was getting acquainted with the new facilities, so it seems appropriate to also get acquainted with peers and colleagues." Sorek said, and led the way into his new office. There were still a few small boxes of personal effects waiting to be opened up, but they were not obstructing anything.
"The mental and emotional well-being of the crew is just as vital as their physical health, and from the overview I was able to read, I believe you are well suited to the task." Sorek said once they were seated, "I was pressed for time so an in depth look at the entire staff's personnel files was not possible."
"But I find it agreeable and productive to maintain an open relationship among the medical staff, so if you have questions, I am open to them, present and future." Sorek added, with a gesture to open the proverbial floor to the counselor.
"I appreciate that, doctor." Vodaan was genuinely glad to hear the physician saw things the way he did, especially considering the nature of their mission. He knew that the next several months, in particular, were going to be critical for the crew's mental and emotional well-being. There would be no way off, no opportunity for re-assignment if things didn't work out. Having an ally in the ship's chief medical officer was going to be important.
And then there was the matter of what they might find when they got to the other end...
Vodaan quickly pushed those thoughts aside. There would be plenty of time for figuring out the next phase later. Right now, it was about making connections and getting ready for departure. "It sounds like you've been doing your homework," he continued, "To be honest, I'm still trying to familiarize myself with everything, too. My partner and I just came aboard yesterday."
"A reasonable response. In this situation, we are indeed being placed in a situation not generally experienced in Starfleet. But this does present unique opportunities." Sorek replied, "Indeed, we are faced with the unknown, a daunting prospect. But in a way, it is that very thing that we all hope to experience in our careers."
"I will admit to that same sense of anticipation and trepidation. Perhaps not in the same manner that others experience it, but I suspect it will be a common theme among many you speak to." Sorek said, "As for...doing my homework...it was only logical to make sure I knew who would be my peers and staff, as well as what to expect serving aboard what can be argued to be the most advanced vessel in Starfleet."
"The unknown may excite the imagination, but it presents variables that can become complications if not understood." Sorek added.
The Rigelian nodded in agreement. Sorek's words, both about the ship itself and the potential for unexpected variables, resonated with him. He had served aboard several ships in his time and would have considered each of them to have been sturdy, capable vessels. Most had undergone at least one refit by the time he came aboard, though some (like his most recent assignment, the Omaha) had been through many more. And yet, none came anywhere close to what he'd seen of the Vesta so far.
"Makes you feel a bit better about our chances, doesn't it," he asked, "knowing this is what the Vesta was made for?"
"I do feel it improves our chances, but consider that Voyager was far less prepared and came out of the situation quite successfully." Sorek commented with a tilt of the head, "We, in the end, create our own framework for our success."
"We have the tools, but they are tools. Only we can utilize them appropriately and correctly." Sorek paused to consider, "Though, we will be likely be primarily reacting to matters. Medicine is a reactionary science of sorts, environments act; we react."
Vodaan was a bit surprised by his colleague’s assessment of their field as “reactionary”. True, one often thought of medical personnel (especially aboard ship) as the ones responding to emergency situations. And yet, there was also an element of preparedness, a need to be concerned with future well-being for the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
“I like to stay ahead of the curve where I can,” Vodaan said, “Of course, the team approach to patient care is something I think we can all take for granted, but I would like to make sure you and I in particular are staying connected, especially in light of our current mission. My hope is that we could preempt any concern before it were to get out of hand.. Does that seem agreeable to you?”
"Of course. As I stated earlier, I prefer operating with an open environment. It facilitates better exchange of ideas and overall capability. Rigidity is useful in some environments, but not when the work we do quite literally saves lives." Sorek said, "All I ask is that if there is a dispute, please make me aware of it. But otherwise, if you have concerns, you are free to bring them to me at any time."
Vodaan nodded to show that he understood. “Now that we’ve addressed that, how are you settling in?”
"The Vesta is certainly unique, as unique as its mission and design. It is different for me, I spent most of my career on second-line vessels, but challenging one's self helps one expand their horizons." Sorek said, "I may not show it, for obvious reasons, but I also have what can be best described as a sense of anticipation."
"I can empathize with that," Vodaan said. Most people in Starfleet got used to moving around pretty quickly, given that it tended to happen on a fairly regular basis. In fact, more often than not, it was the long-term assignments (eight, ten, twelve plus years) that usually seemed out-of-place. And yet, that didn't mean one never felt like a fish out of water after their first time. "My last posting was aboard the Omaha," he continued, "The ship itself was older, but they had just finished a major refit when I came aboard. We were assigned to a pretty standard patrol. This...this is a long ways from the Omaha..."
"I also agree with that. My first two postings were aboard Willow Springs and Shasta, California classes. Ticonderoga was even older, an Excelsior." Sorek replied, "So I fully understand the feeling of...the change in pace, as it were. But we all will rise to meet the challenges ahead, each according to our gifts."
“We do, indeed,” Vodaan agreed, “Well, I won’t keep you any longer. I’m sure we will have plenty more time to get to know one another once we’re underway.”
"Indeed we shall. Thank you for bringing your concerns to me directly and taking the time to discuss them. My office remains open should future concerns need to be addressed." Sorek said.
OFF
Commander Sorek
Chief Medical Officer
USS Vesta NX-94200
Lieutenant Rukil Vodaan
Chief Counselor
USS Vesta NX-94200
