Luna was midway through her duties for the day when she got the notification.  The poor worker who had to deliver the PADD to her all the way out at docking bay 3 was perspiring and gasping for air from the run.

“Sorry, Lieutenant, this came in this morning but was lost in the shuffle.”

She sent the poor fellow to go get a rest and a drink of water before turning her attention to the PADD.  Lt. Luna “Princess” Stellari to report to Sick Bay for routine medical examination.  ‘routine’, yeah right.  She’d had enough of these ‘routine’ examinations during her time at the academy.  Starfleet still wasn’t sure just what the Calypso had been through and what she‘d been exposed to.

She passed her duties off to the nearest Deck Officer and headed towards Sickbay, already in a bad mood.  Might as well get this over with.  The entire turbolift ride, she thought about how to make this as quick as possible.  She just knew she’d get some newbie for her examination.

Her thoughts turned out to be right on the money, with some newbie blue-adorned officer attempting to run through the examination. He didn’t get far before she stopped him.  “I’d really just rather get someone more experienced for this.”  She tried to break it to him gently, but he somehow looked more hurt by that than the rejection.

Cassidy stood at her holographic board as she shifted around the duty rosters with one hand and a PADD in the other.  Her office was decorated at last with the vestments of her past.  It brought a warm layer of comfort to her.  Starbase 72 was a massive undertaking.  The General Medicine Department covered many physicians, nurses, orderlies, and more.  The buzz from Frontier Day was quickly spreading across the various departments.  They had been charged with getting the refugee and humanitarian patients on their feet in time for the celebrations.  Montgomery grimaced.  It was quite literally all hands and feet on deck for this thing.  She wasn’t sure how she felt about the actual celebration – these kinds of events hadn’t been her thing for a long time.  Maybe she was getting too old for the pomp and circumstance?

“Doctor Montgomery?”  Her assistant had peaked her head in the door, “We’ve got a…situation in main sickbay.”  Cassidy waved her in, accepting a PADD from Ensign Parker, who reported, “Lieutenant Stellari arrived for her routine examination, and it didn’t go well.  She’s demanding to speak to a senior officer to complete the exam.”

The Deputy Director scoffed, “Her nickname has made it to her file.  That’s…something.”  She stood, “I’ll take it from here, Parker.”  She left the office, carrying the PADD and cup of coffee to Parker’s amusement.  Cassidy walked the long way from corridor to corridor to the waiting area to the nurse’s station and ended up at the door to the exam room.  She tapped the door open and stepped in, nodding to Stellari, “Lieutenant, my name is Doctor Cassidy Montgomery, and I am the Deputy Director of General Medicine here on Starbase 72.”  She tapped at her PADD, “I understand you have concerns about the level of care you’re receiving.”

“Hello, Doctor Montgomery.  No offense to Doctor Schmidt, but I’d rather have an experienced professional do this examination.  I know Starfleet has a tendency to call me in for these ‘examinations’ whenever they want more data about what happened to Calypso.  The last three times, it has confused newbie doctors left and right.”

Cassidy raised her eyebrows.  She sat on a hover stool, eyeing the Lieutenant while scrolling through the PADD, “It’s not common practice for a Deputy Director to take on a routine examination.  From what I can tell, Doctor Schmidt was running the standard battery of tests – blood pressure, blood samples, and he was just getting started on the physical overview.”  She held up the PADD, “The Calypso and the events that occurred are well documented from a medical perspective.  Within the scope of what our doctors do here…unless directed by a senior staff member or Starfleet medical – we’re more concerned about your current conditions…not the past.”  The doctor asked, “Have you had adequate time to process the events?”

“You mean, have I had adequate time to realize I’m likely to look like a teenager for the rest of my life?  Yes.  I’d like to apologize as well, you go through enough examinations after something like that, and you start to distrust the medics.  You, however, seem more trustworthy than the Doctor back at the academy.”  She made a small noise. “I swear he’d take forever on the most simple blood test.”

The doctor stood, slipping out her tricorder, “I think you may have more to work to do on you than you think, Luna. Twenty-five years is a long time to be stranded.  That tough outer layer of armor of yours is indicative of a traumatic experience.”  She recorded the scan results, “You weren’t made at Doctor Schmidt.  You were mad at the doctor at The Academy.”  Cassidy slipped out a larger scanning device, “…and that’s just based on my first five minutes with you.”  She tapped her PADD as the results transferred, “Healthwise, you pass the standards.”  She let her words hang in the air for a moment before she continued, “Emotionally and psychologically…we’ve got some work to do.”

Shrugging, Luna accepted this.  “So, when should I expect to be called in again for the psychology stuff?”  If it were anything like the counseling she received from Doctor Lana growing up, she’d actually enjoy it. 

Montgomery chuckled at the ‘psychology stuff’ comment.  I’ll refer you to our Deputy Director of Psychiatry, Lieutenant Elegy Weld.  He should be in contact sometime this week.”  She was startled that the officer was so quick to accept the recommendation for therapy care and made a note to follow up with Elegy later.  She stood and gestured to the door, “You’re free to return to duty, Ensign Stellari.”

Saying her goodbyes to Doctor Cass, she made her way back to find that poor Ensign she’d dumped all her work on.  Starbase Bravo could use every hand at work.

Cassidy picked up her lukewarm coffee and grumbled.  She needed a fresh cup.