Post 22 - Doctor's Note

Posted on Wed Sep 9th, 2020 @ 2:44am by Lieutenant Emni t'Nai & Cadet Senior Grade Ezra Gonzalez

Mission: Epilogue 1: The Long March
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: A few days into the Adelphi's mission to the Delta Quadrant

Ezra took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and took a step toward the sickbay doors. The proximity sensors detected his approach and slid open. Ezra poked his head in, subconsciously fingering the edges of the PADD he was holding. Seeing no one, he took a couple of steps inside, then a few more, until he edged around the corner of the CMO's office and saw Lt. t'Nai sitting at the desk.

"Doctor?" Ezra called in a quiet, rather hesitant voice. "Cadet Senior Grade Ezra Gonzalez reporting in. I'm a new addition to the crew, working on a field practicum abroad from the Academy. I...um...I have a doctor's note from the Academy psychologist that I was instructed to pass on to the medical staff."

Emni looked up from the CMO's desk where she had taken up residence. Dr. Grey was off duty and had agreed she could use it to tackle some reports when sickbay was quiet. Ezra's hesitant greeting gave her a bit of a pause and she took a moment to take in his emotional makeup. Not that hesitation in a cadet was surprising, particularly this far from home, but she would be glad of anything she could use to help make him more comfortable.

"Come on in." she said, waving to the chair in front of the CMO's desk. "Can I get you anything?" She stood and went over to the replicator where she ordered a coffee with cream and two sugars. "Coffee? Tea?"

"Tea, please, black. Thank you," said Ezra, slowly sliding himself into the offered chair. He turned the PADD around in his hands and placed it directly in the center of the desk so that it faced Emni when she came to sit back down. He then curled his fingers around the arms of the chair and squeezed lightly, exploring the upholstery by touch as he began his rehearsed explanation.

"I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when I was five. My psychologist at the Academy wrote up this doctor's note on my behalf before I left Earth and asked me to pass it along to the medical staff. It might be able to explain my condition a little bit better than I can. He didn't anticipate any complications or atypical accommodations since I'm considered comparatively low maintenance, but, in his words, 'Just to be on the safe side.' This is my first time traveling in deep space on something that isn't a refugee transport, so he felt it would be helpful for you and the other doctors to be informed."

Feeling that he had included all the necessary information, he sat back and took a sip of his tea, waiting politely for a response.

Emni smiled, glancing over the PADD quickly before setting it back in the place the cadet had proffered it.

"We had a similar variant on Romulus. One of the patients I saw before I left was diagnosed. She was always one of my favorite folks to visit with."

She paused as the cadet sipped his tea, taking a draught of her own. She rarely spoke about her time as a doctor on Romulus so her mention of Rhean caught her off guard in how naturally she shared with the cadet. A pang of intense homesickness hit her at the thought of a home she would never see again. Even years later it still available stung like a fresh wound.

Centering herself back in the present moment she offered the cadet a warm grin. "I am happy to follow whatever recommendations the Academy's physicians have made. Thank you for letting me know."

She felt more than saw the cadet tick that box off of his to do list. "How are you acclimating to deep space life?"

"Well enough, thank you," Ezra said, finding himself starting to relax into the chair a bit more. "I always have some trouble sleeping the first couple of nights in a new bed, so I was a little unsure at first. But then," he added, suddenly smiling despite his nerves, "I realized that the engine hum is very therapeutic! And I programmed the computer to play white noise ASMR sounds before I go to bed to help me fall asleep, and they work so well! I've also found that the sounds the consoles and PADDs make are a really nice auditory stimulus, so they've been really great to help me focus and get my work done. I'm still a little unsure about social interactions with the rest of the crew, but I'm supposed to report to my department head tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to turning in the data file on the Ocampa that I've been working on."

Suddenly realizing that he had been "infodumping," Ezra cut himself off and took more sips of his tea, trying to hide his embarrassed blushing. "I'm sorry," he said, putting the now-empty tea cup back down on the desk, the smile gone. "I have a tendency to get carried away sometimes."

"No apology needed." Emni smiled. "I appreciate your enthusiasm. More people should share things they are excited about so openly."

Emni took a final sip from her own cup giving the cadet a moment before continuing. "The good news is that all of us are new right now, so we'll be settling into the social structures together. Truthfully, having followed a less than traditional path to Starfleet, I am feeling a little unsure of social interactions myself. Should you ever need a familiar face in Ten Forward feel free to sit with me. I will undoubtedly be happy for a friendly face as well."

"Thank you, Doctor," said Ezra. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. It will be good to be able to establish a new routine, since autistics always work best under predictability and routine. Although...I may have spoken too soon. I guess I should have known better than to assume that working for Starfleet would be anything resembling predictable...but in any case, I have some work I need to get back to. Thank you for your help, Doctor. I appreciate it."

He nodded politely and rose to leave.

Emni chuckled lightly as he rose. "I must agree with you there. Active duty is often unpredictable, but I suspect you will find your fair share of predictably in the midst of it all. Enjoy your day cadet."

Ezra nodded at that then turned and headed back through Sickbay.

Emni smiled to herself as she shifted the PADD he had left to the top of a pile. She would be sure to let Dr. Grey know when she came back on shift and until then, patient appointments called.

=/\= A post by... =/\=

Cadet Senior Grade Ezra Gonzalez
Science Midshipmen
USS-Adelphi

Lieutenant Emni i-Rizz t'Nai
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS-Adelphi