Learn to duck ladders

Posted on Fri Sep 12th, 2025 @ 8:27pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Shailyn Lothian & Lieutenant Commander Rafael Montoya

1,786 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mini Mission-Adjustments [USS Orcrist]
Location: Medical

Shailyn had been avoiding medical, well with the exception of seeing Doctor Marlow. The other doctors on the Majestic, she avoided like the plague.

A new ship, it was necessary to check on the status of it and also to get acquainted with the jefferies tubes. Among other areas. She had come out of the tubes onto the flight deck of the Orcrist. She had made certain all was clear, and in her initial trek to the exit, she got hit by someone not paying attention which way they were going. She had avoided the others but wasn't able to avoid this.

Shailyn was hit by a ladder.

When she came to, Shailyn found herself in medical.

"Oh what in the he--" she barely stifled the curse word that was coming from her mouth.

"Once I get out of here, I am going to kick someone's butt." Shailyn moving to get off the bio-bed.

"Sorry miss you're not leaving here until you get the okay from Doctor Montoya." one of the nursing staff said firmly.

Hearing his name he made his way to the biobed, and looked down at the engineer. "Ahh she awakes. And ready to send me more patients?"

Shailyn paused in her struggles to get out of the bio-bed finding that she was in someway being restrained.

"I would love to do such." Shailyn grumped, "But I want to find out just exactly who put me here. Then I will add them to your patient list." ceasing her struggling for a moment.

"Don't paint yourself into a corner now. If some poor member of the deck crew were to get mysteriously injured I'd have no choice but report to Security that a certain engineer...who happens to have a history of accidents from time to time...popped off about getting revenge for finding herself victim of another accident."

With a smirk Raf continued as he raised a single brow. "However, if said engineer cools her jets we could chalk her comment up as a side effect of getting her bell rung."

Shailyn gave out a huff of frustration, "Okay Doctor, its just that I don't appreciate people making me look inept. I am not inept except for my so called personal investigation as to who is doing this, to me."

She winced as she was feeling a bit of pain start to show. "And with how often the security command staff has changed. It's better that I do my own investigation. And no, I've not spoken to anyone about this. There's no one to talk to. Except for Teach but he's just been a little bit busy with his family and other things around the ship."

Seeing her wince he took another set of scans. "The osteo-regenerator had knitted your fracture, but there will still be a bit of sensitivity were ladder met cranium...and no one is calling you inept. Quite the opposite. If anyone got ridiculed it was the guy that knock you cold for not looking where he was swinging that ladder."

Closing the tricoder he handed it to the nurse who had a hypo with another dose of pain meds, to which he shook his head. "I'll take care of it." Reaching for her head.

"Uh so- what are you doing?" Shailyn wasn't certain as to what this doctor. Looking a bit worried.

"Trust your doctor....I'm just not one for pharmaceuticals for every little ache and pain." Placing one hand on the back of her head he closed his eyes, taking deep regular breaths.

Shailyn's brow furrowed, "Wh-what are you doing?" feeling all confused at what was happening.

Keeping his eyes closed, "Just relax." Focusing his empathic abilities on the source of her pain.

Shailyn struggled for a moment to relax, his soothing meditative breathing calmed her and she closed her own eyes. Her whole body relaxing.

Letting his Deltan abilities soothe her pain he opened his eyes after a few moments. "How that?'

"Thank you. H-how did you do that?" Shailyn looking bewildered and surprised.

"I'm half Deltan," adding a wink. "Now, what were you doing popping up from behind containers on the flightdeck while ladders were being swung around?"

"Half Deltan?" Shailyn's face turned a bit pale at the doctor mentioning this, pulling away from him.

"Uh um...Oh gosh, am I in danger of falling in love with you?" Shailyn scrunching her eyes closed. "Oh gosh, oh gosh. what am I going to do." a small whimper came from her.

He laughed. "No, there's nothing to worry about. At least not from my being Deltan. But if you start pinning up images of me and staring at them all day be sure to let Lt. Keading know."

One eye slowly opened, Shailyn raising an eyebrow. "Uh... I've heard that Deltans were like Nymphs you look at them and you instantly fall in love with them. Or even by being touched, or is that connected to Succubus. Or is it an Incubus. "

Her other eye then opened.

Raf smirked and the nurse giggled slightly. Although Raf played on her misconceptions, just for the fun of it. "Well it would be an incubus for a guy and a succubus if a woman. However just so you know...nobody turns into 'nymphs' but it's the other races that can have issues around Deltans due to the pheromones that we give off. That and the sexual immaturity of other races..." with a wink, "...they just can't handle it.

"Seriously, though. For most races it can be very dangerous to be intimate with a full blooded Deltan."

"Okay- so I want to tell you that I take a bit of umbrage with you going on about the er sexual immaturity of other races. Everyone has their own sexual developments. " Shailyn glowering at Raf. "It just sounds like there is a superiority complex going on here."

Besides the fire in her eyes, Shailyn also looked a bit hurt. "Is that truly how Deltans feel about other races, that we're just beneath their dignity, not worthy of any respect? Just immature? "

Raf had expected her to fire back given her earlier display. "Now now...don't conflate the outlook on a single attribute to mean the outlook on or the opinion of a race as a whole. Beside, the only place you'd find that type of attitude is among some elder Deltans especially those who have never left Delta IV."

Crossing his arms, "You also have to remember that different races can have similar all the way up to vastly different outlooks, beliefs, rituals, opinions, and taboos on any number of things be it religion, relationships, honor, logic, birth, death, and yes sex. Unfortunately, it's been my experience that it doesn't matter what race, their are those that think they are superior. Whether over members of their own or other races.

"Hey. Like I said, I'm only half Deltan with the other half being Human..." shrugging, "...so take that however you like. But I look at it this way. Every culture, every individual has different ways of looking at and doing things, as long as they respect the rights of others to do the same, then there shouldn't be an issue."

The ire that was in her eyes, faded away, along with the hurt as well.

"You are right." her shoulders lowering. "It just peeves me when others are judgmental, and well I can toss myself on that pyre. I was judgmental myself. You explained things rather nicely. And I am sorry for being so-prickly. You've been nothing but nice and making certain to defuse a volatile petty officer." Shailyn giving an embarrassed laugh.

Raf nodded to the nurse who went to see to other things. As she departed Raf took a seat on the bio-bed next to his patient. "I get that, but that fire could get you into trouble one day. Any reason why you think you go from zero to warp 10?"

"Could possibly be the quick changes from one ship to another. Or perhaps finding out that the Majestic had contact with a station that was run by an AI. Who had gone crazy. And had sentient Holograms in one of the holodecks."

Shailyn shuddered.

"Previously I had been on a station which had an alien device attached to the station's computer system."

The biobed sensors were indicating a rise in blood pressure for Shailyn.

"The device infected the AI which was running the old station, Deep Space 21 was the name of the station. Can you imagine, having fears being pumped through your mind, like being trapped somewhere and feeling like you're suffocating?" Shailyn gave out a gulp.

Lifting a hand. "Easy...you're safe now. Were you in one of those holodecks?"

"I went in to check on something. And found the refugees from Adna Station there. I didn't stay long. They were nice enough but it just gave me issues. From what I have been told, the photonic people were transferred off the Majestic. Thank goodness." Shaiiyn taking a moment to let her reaction to die down.

It was obvious she was still having issues getting through and it wouldn't be the first time a short fuse had been a symptom. "Have you talked to the counselor about what you went through?"

"Have I gone to talk to a counselor. Not when I was on the Majestic, I did before I came to the Majestic. Just not after I ran into the photonics. It hadn't really been a problem I couldn't handle." Shailyn giving a shrug. "Just gotta work through it, and keep on moving."

Hopping off the bio-bed he gave her a bump to her knee. "Just remember you don't have to work through it alone."

"I will get around to seeking out help. I have to decide who I will see. Or not. I'll get things worked out though. Thanks for fixing me up, and listening to me." Shaillyn answered with a slight smile. "Am I free to go?"

Wagging a finger with a reassuring smile, "As long as you don't go after the deck crew and you promise me to talk to someone."

"I will do my best to not go after any of them. Though I will be a bit more vigilant or just be a bit more choosy as to where I come out from the Jeffieries tubes. Thank you again. I'll see your around away from Medical, sound good?" Shailyn giving a grin.

He grinned. "Sounds like a plan. But in the interim...be sure to duck."

Shailyn gave out a laugh, " I'll do my best to do so."

---

Lt. Commander Rafael Montoya
CMO

P01C Shailyn Lothien
Engineer

 

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