2100 Hours

Dr Deuc Endoll found himself coming the final dictation of the day, he sighed deeply as he moved around a few PADDs on his desk to free up some space and rested his elbows on the now cleared desk. “Computer access patient file Miran, Tandaria” as the computer acknowledged his request he lent his weight onto his elbows and interlocked his fingers to wrest his chin upon.  The room was still filled with the subtle scent of sandalwood mingled with the natural scent produced by the young Human Ensign.  One aspect of his heritage was an almost extraordinary sense of smell, he would often recognise people but their scent alone, and if positioned far from an air recycling unit could follow the scent to the person over several hundred metres; should he wish.

 The holographic display in front of him changed from his usual LCARS holding screen to the file of the Ensign.  He verbally navigated until he reached the transcription of his last notes. He scanned them quickly before he lifted his head from resting on his interlaced fingers and pressed the record button “I reviewed Ensign Miran today in my clinic as agreed.  She feels the recent increase in her medication has been of marked benefit in her overall mental state and her engagement with more social activities outside of duty hours has also been of benefit.  She spent time telling me of her new found interest in an ancient Earth game called Dungeons and Dragons which allows her to play a self-created character in fictional fantasy universe governed by procedural rules and dice rolling. I would suggest this fictional universe allows her to explore her ability for social engagement with no potential negative consequences on herself due to the role playing aspect of the activity.  I have encouraged her to continue with the pastime as it also allows for her increased socialisation with others of similar interests.  Of note is that Ensign Miran has yet to under-take my suggested Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, but she is aware that this is available to her with Counsellor Kincaed should she wish.  I have no plans on seeing Ensign Miran again, and therefore discharge her back to the care of her primary physician.”

He ended the recording as he saw his words transcribed on the screen.  He brought up her regular prescription and signed it off before recording a message to be sent to her physician “Dear Dr T’Mel, I have discharged Ensign Tandaria Miran back to your care.  Please find attached latest clinic notes as well as current prescription which I would be grateful for you to assume responsibility for.  Should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to re-refer her” he tapped a few commands and the message would be available to Dr T’Mel the next time they accessed their system. After doing so he lent his head back and rolled it around anti-clockwise feeling his neck ridges click slightly as he did so, one of the few little pleasures he allowed himself at the end of a day of drudgery: Oralius save him from the WWW – walking worried well. Deuc could remember the days when he treated people with mental illnesses, when he had been the faint glimmer of hope during the darkest time in someone’s life.  The times when he had walked the path with someone who was on the precipice of the void, and guided them back to light. Now he was a glorified sounding board. Pushing his chair back he gathered the remaining PADDs and stacked them to one side of the desk for Petty Officer Derri to collect and sort once Deuc had finished for the day.  He stood up and lent forward to turn off LCARS display “Computer turn off lights” as he approached the door it opened to reveal Lieutenant Commander Sawa Al’Najjir.

Her dark brown eyes fixed on his as she held up a PADD, “Do you want to explain this to me?”

Deuc tilted his head slightly, “It’s a PADD”

“Once again your observational skills are second to none” she thrust the PADD out and waited as Deuc read it, “You’re transfer request has been approved” she pulled the PADD back, “The transfer request I had no idea about!” her voice rose slightly, she was clearly angry but trying her best to contain it.

 Deuc rand his fingers through his tousled hair, as he moved his hand back down her saw a stray brown hair caught between his fingers.  Dying his hair light brown from it’s default black was a habit he had picked after his time volunteering in the Bajoran camps as a teenager, he needed a way to differentiate himself from Cardassians, “I didn’t realise I had to inform you” he said as he gestured for her to walk with him. He looked to her as she fell into step beside him, and raised his hand to stop her from responding, “I have made it quite clear that I have not enjoyed my posting her, I want to seek new experiences, I want to explore”

She sighed “You had a moral duty to tell me, I’m the Head Physician on the station” the anger still evident in her voice.

“Morality is quite subjective as your know Sawa” he stopped mid-stride to look at her, “I made the request yesterday, I have not seen you since I made the request, I had expected at-least a few weeks before a response came”

 “I felt so embaressed when the XO came down and said command had approved your transfer request”

“You are Head Physician, I am Head Psychiatrist, please don’t tell me you’ve been under the impression you have been my boss for the last 2 years?” he laughed slightly.

She paused before she responded “Well I am Head Physician, you are a physician”

“I am also a Psychiatrist, and do you equally think you are the superior to GanTor the Head Surgeon?”

“Well no, he’s a surgeon”

“And I am a psychiatrist…”

“I don’t understand what you are getting out”

Deuc rolled his eyes “I don’t really think I have the time, nor the crayons to explain this to you” he resumed his ‘One clue should be the extra solid pip on my collar” he said with a wry smile on his lips, “the other should be that there is not a Chief Medical Officer at the hospital here, but three Heads of Fields” he let out a long breath, “I mean c’mon Sawa both GanTor and I underwent general medical training like you, but then specialised into our fields; which means we can both do your job, but you certainly can’t do ours” as he reached the turbolift he stepped inside, turning around briefly to snatch the PADD out of her hands as the door closed “Catch you around sunshine”.

::2100::

Deuc looked at the three large foot lookers stood on-top of one another in the centre of the living room.  He was sure that his new posting would not have quarters as luxurious as those od DS13, on most starships even the Captain’s quarters would pale in comparison to his current ones.  It wasn’t something he would miss, if anything there was too much space and in the two year he had been there he had managed to fill most of the room with unnecessary clutter:  he had a harp, he couldn’t even play the harp.  In fact he considered himself quite literally tone deaf; excellent olfactory skills but somewhat limited auditory ones. The last 3 hours of methodically going through his possessions and selecting those he felt necessary for this new posting gave him a sense of clarity that he had lacked for a long time.  He placed the wooden recitation mask gently on top of his clothes in the final footlocker and covered it with a deep green robe before closing the lid.  He tapped his communicator “Endoll to transporter control”

“Go ahead Dr Endoll”

“My items are ready for transport over to the runabout”

“Understood…energising”

With those words the three large footlockers demateralised in front of him, leaving no evidence of their ever existing. He looked around the cavernous room, everything else would be packed away by station staff and sent to his family home on Vandora; the USS Venture would be his new start.  He tapped his communicator again, he still would like to officially say goodbye to the CO before he left, but the Captain had made a point of avoiding Endoll at every opportunity she had, likewise the XO.  Endoll was unsure if it was because they had both served in the Dominion War and held a somewhat understandable distrust of people who looked like him, or if they were just scared of psychiatrists.  With the XO he assumed it was both and a third reason.  To call the Bolian officious was an insult to bureaucrats the galaxy over, the man was nothing more than an administrator who enjoyed the power that came with refusing requests, he often spoke of his ‘time on the front’ but a quick scan of his service record showed the closest he had come to any conflict was as a supply officer on Starbase Indira a good 2 months warp away from any major conflict in the past 50 years. Endoll knew what annoyed him was that Endoll was the only member of the crew who didn’t have to call him sir as they held the same rank.  It was something that Endoll made use of the few times he had met the XO, and doubtless why the XO had gone to Sawa with news on the transfer and not directly to Endoll.

Knowing that lingering would serve no purpose, he lifted the small rucksack over his shoulder and walked out of the room that had been his home for the last 2 years, and opn reaching the turbolift at the end of his corridor commanded it to take him to the runabout docking area.