Leading by Example

Posted on Wed May 21st, 2025 @ 5:02pm by Captain T’Kal & Lieutenant CASTIEL 'Cas' Johnson MD

898 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: ARYL 1X01: Bound for Cold Frontier
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Before launch, after "Meet and Greet"

ON

Meetings with Starfleet Command prevented T’Kal from meeting her new Chief Medical Officer as he came aboard, like she had with her XO and the Counselor (the latter being the CMO’s wife, who arrived a day earlier than her husband).

She made arrangements to meet him in his own office in the ship’s extensive medical complex.

The tall and broad shouldered man was not hard to miss. “Doctor Johnson, I presume?” she asked.

"You would be correct." Castiel replied as he turned. "What can I do for you Captain."

"I am simply introducing myself to my senior staff," she answered. "I am T'Kal, and as you deduced, I am Captain of this ship. It is good to meet you."

"Likewise." Cas replied as he took out a medical tricorder. "As long as you are here... lets get this out of the way."

She raised an eyebrow in interest, but then nodded her assent. Her jacket was unclipped, removed, and hung up on the wall, permitting her to sit comfortably on the biobed. “Do you find the sickbay facilities satisfactory?” she asked.

"As you Vulcans would say, they are adequate for the purpose they will be used for." Cas replied as he started the scan. "Have you visited any of the tropical planets near the Vulcan system lately?"

“I have not been anywhere near Vulcan in five years,” T’Kal answered, her voice tense in her answer. “Tropical planets or otherwise.”

"How about... extramarital affairs..." Thomas replied as he prepared a hypo, "Reading a mild case of a virus thats usually found on Vulcan, or passed through... intimate contact between people." He paused. "Though this kind of virus can lay dormant for quite a long time... in which case this can be... not new." He pressed the hypo to the Captains arm. "Similar to a common cold, though it lingers, and can cause gastro issues to the most strong vulcans digestive systems, looks like I caught it just in time."

The Captain realized that a human might be put off by such a question. A Vulcan though would have no such issues. She decided to meet the doctor head-on. “I can assure you that I have not been intimate with anyone, marital or otherwise, for quite a long time. Also five years in fact,” she answered.

"Well... then... it was probably something else then. Any how the hypo will rid you of any discomfort, though I am sure you would handle it very... vulcanlike."

“Doctor, I cannot say I have suffered any discomfort in recent weeks,” T’Kal informed him. “Did you find an infection of some kind? If so, I’ve been asymptomatic.”

"There are people who are carriers, and this type of virus can only be transmitted via some intimate closeness, perhaps seeing as vulcans don't give in to the urges as others." He paused. "My best guess is you are probably a carrier, and before you and your betrothed... given your state of five years... if my math is correct you have another two. Get checked out."

"You're evaluating my health now," T'Kal observed. "I will need to think about how I may have come into contact with such an illness. Asymptomatic or not, it is most peculiar."

"My role as a doctor... is to evaluate your health."

“Yes?” T’Kal said, raising an eyebrow. “I apologize, doctor, if I am not understanding. You suggested that I ‘get checked out’ within the next two years. I am asking you to do it right now, as part of my physical.”

"Some things are not always that easy Captain, truth is, the main cause of the issue at hand is through intimate contact. But any contact, including contact of bodily fluids... including blood can cause the transmission of said issue. When i say two years, I take it thats when your... betrothed is due for his Pon Farr."

“I am as well,” she admitted.

"If you are a carrier, these things lay dormant, I want you to make sure that... neither of you become ill while you are going through your Pon Farr. Or anytime afterwards."

“Is this something you can treat?” T’Kal asked.

"It is treatable, but the chances of reoccurance when getting it, remain high, kinda like human diseases, since your body has the antibodies or traces of it in the system..." He paused as he looked over. "Don't fret... its not a death sentence."

“It is still an inconvenience,” T’Kal replied, her stoicism yielding to a bit of annoyance. “I would be grateful for any additional reading material on the subject, so that I understand the treatment and the risks of recurrence.”

Handing her a pad. "Heres all you need, risks is minimal. Just be careful, it can transmit other ways."

“Many thanks,” the Captain said, taking the PADD. “Any other concerns for my health?”

"Negative. You are dismissed Captain."

Satisfied (though perhaps that was not the right word) with her sickbay meeting, the Captain left the Doctor to his domain. She still had much to do. So much preparation before the ship could leave Spacedock.

And now this apparently included study of some infection she never knew she had.

What a troublesome message she would need to write to Sten.


END

Captain T'Kal
Commanding Officer, USS Ark Royal

Lieutenant Castiel Johnson, MD
Chief Medical Officer, USS Ark Royal

 

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