Reporting in with the Captain

Posted on Wed Oct 20th, 2021 @ 10:37pm by Lieutenant Kennedy Ryan Walsh & Captain Björn Kodak

Mission: The Place of Skulls
Location: The Bridge
Timeline: Mission Day 6 at 1700

[The Bridge]
[MD6: 1700 Hours]

Doctor Kennedy Ryan Walsh nervously stepped off of the turbolift and onto the Bridge. He was nerve-stricken as he had never stepped foot on the Bridge before. He was familiar with being the lower deck-type of being a medical officer but in the past few days, he had more responsibilities that weighed heavy on him. He had only met the Captain and spoken with him briefly before they headed down to Ch'othil and the few times they spoke planet-side.

The Bridge itself was busy with motion and discussion. He walked down and around, waiting for the Captain's attention. He wasn't sure if it was his place to greet him or wait until spoken to. He stood there at attention, firmly with a data PADD behind his back. A droplet of nervous sweat started to come down from his forehead. What was seconds felt like an eternity.

"Doctor," came the warm rasp of the Captain. "I didn't expect to see you up here. What can I do for you?" Kodak asked, offering the young man a supportive smile. He didn't have Emni's gift for reading emotions empathically but years in Starfleet had made him a student of the human condition. The Captain could tell that the doctor was nervous and perhaps felt out of place on the Bridge; he desired to help Ryan Walsh feel more comfortable. "Care to have a seat? Our acting XO won't mind," he smiled, gesturing to the open seat at his left.

Doctor Kennedy Ryan Walsh was nervous as he looked down at the seat next to the Captain, "Are you sure, Captain? I... I don't have my bridge qualification certificate.." He looked around nervously at the Captain's suggestion before finding himself sitting at the corner of the seat unless he changed his mind, "I wanted to fill you in.... on a..." Kennedy trailed off as he was trying to focus on what he had to say to the Captain but his presence on the bridge... was uncomfortable at best. He took in a long deep breath and exhaled deeply, "Sorry, Captain." He pushed himself further into the seat, "I apologize if that came across, rude, Captain."

"I came by to provide you with a full rundown report of the autopsy conducted by Doctor Munro and myself on the specimens... people... we brought up from... the surface of Ch'othil."

"Not rude at all," Kodak encouraged. "And no Bridge Officer test needed to cop a squat and report, Doctor," the Chameloid smiled wide, his golden eyes sparkling in the light. As conversation turned towards the remains, however, the man's eyes grew dimmer -- heavier, even -- as he considered the potential reports Ryan Walsh might have to offer. "And I see," the Captain nodded slowly. "I won't lie; I've been very, very curious what you two might have found. Were they Chameloids then?" Had the Sojourner indeed found evidence that his people had been down on that world?

"Do you want the long form or the short form answer, Captain?" He heard some talking behind them between a few other officers on the bridge distracting him from the conversation. He refocused on the Captain, "In short, yes. Long form, Chameloid DNA is very complex. Something I've never seen before. Are you okay if, I... take a blood sample from you, Captain? Or use your sample on file to compare with the extractions from the other two?"

"Do you always answer your own questions?" Kodak couldn't help but smirk despite the seriousness of the conversation. He even threw in a wink for the Doctor, to make it clear that he was kidding. "Long, short...sounds like the answer is the same. And this is our first, true step perhaps to finding my people. Seems we're definitely on The Path that holographic message spoke of for sure," Kodak nodded.

As Ryan Walsh asked for a blood sample, the Chameloid held his arm out. "You're welcome to use whatever's in the database but I don't mind a fresh donation if needed. Certainly wouldn't be the first time I've donated for science," Kodak reflected. "If I had a strip of gold-pressed latinum for every blood sample I've given over the years, I'd own my own moon," he smirked again, raising the sleeve of his uniform to give access to his bare arm.

The Doctor rose an eyebrow at the Captain's joke as it went over his head. He reached into his Doctor's Coat and grabbed the tool he required and pressed it up against the Captain's arm, "This won't hurt." He pushed the button on it to draw the blood. He left the catridge in the unit before placing it back into his pocket, "I do have a personal request if I can make one, please?"

"As if taking my blood isn't personal?" Again came a wink from the Captain, who was clearly in good spirits today. "Of course, Doctor. What can I do for you?" Kodak asked, lowering both his arm and his sleeve after the blood was taken. He sat there in his chair, looking relaxed as he regarded the young doctor before him.

The young Doctor blushed at the Captain's comment, "I am sure that Starfleet Medical would probably like to thoroughly examine outlined in the table of my report as specimen number two, I would like to request a burial of some kind for specimen 2 to lie to rest. When we can. I've been calling her "Madame" which is in my report. She's been deceased, carbon dating puts the time of her death almost eight hundred years ago." He bit his lip, "I was raised in a religious household while I don't share that faith anymore myself, I feel this is the best way to deal with this. Unless, you prefer, to bury both which I will be also grateful for."

His voice was emotional as he spoke but also clearheaded. He couldn't divorce himself from what happened to them and to him on that planet as he was still living through every day of it.

The question drew seriousness from the Captain and, with a heavy nod, he confirmed his agreement. "I think a burial would be fitting. We can no longer place them back in that chamber on Ch'othil but, if we do find my people, Doctor, perhaps we can enlist their help? I don't know how to properly bury a Chameloid. Are there funerary rights that must be observed? What kind of landscapes should host the bodies? These are things I can only hope my people can answer. So for now, perhaps we can preserve the bodies until we reach the end of The Path?"

The young Doctor was very pleased to hear the Captain's answer. He nodded his head, "Yes, Captain. I very much would like to be a part of this. When we do, find, your people, sir. I'll happy offer my services to make any preparations they'd request. I wish I knew the answers, Captain but I do not. We will make sure to honor them in any way they see fit."

"I appreciate you, Doctor," Kodak nodded back, sincere in his statement. "We'll hold them in stasis for now then. Thank you for coming up here to share your findings," he said, rising from his chair and indicating Ryan Walsh to do the same. "I'll of course read your full report but, if you and Mr. Munro come up with any other tidbits of interest, please let me know." And with that, the impromptu meeting had ended, the Captain obviously grateful for the check-in.

“Thank, you, Captain, sir.” The Doctor rose back to his feet, “Speak with you, soon?” He blushed and made a 180 degree turn to depart from the bridge.

=/\= A joint-post by... =/\=

Lieutenant JG Kennedy Ryan Walsh
Acting Chief Medical Officer

and

Captain Björn Kodak
Commanding Officer