Ryan Rose: Have Supplies, Will Deliver

Posted on Sunday, 24 May 2020 - 12:37am by Lieutenant Ryan Rose MD

Mission: Operation: Recall
Location: Vashti

Ensign Lu'Sura and Doctor Rose had taken the nuns to the Runabout to unload some of the supplies. A few nuns helped carry supplies while others were clearly there to keep spectators away. "Doctor, how do you do it? How do you find the balance of wearing a Starfleet uniform and holding true to your Hippocratic Oath?" asked the Caitian.

"What do you mean?" Ryan asked, genuinely curious. He had a large crate of supplies he was carrying. He was already hot and sweaty, but didn't mind the work. "I've never actually had a conflict of interest between Starfleet and my hippocratic oath. Starfleet doesn't expect doctors to be soldiers." He replied. "Which is a very good thing, because I would make a very poor soldier."

The Caitian gestured to the planet around them. "I'm only an ensign albeit a grad student currently" she stated. "Vashti was the hub of the Romulan relocation efforts which the Federation ordered Starfleet to withdrawal from. It ultimately resulted in far more lives being lost. More lives could have been saved. How do you live with that?"

Ryan thought seriously about the question. "If I tried to think such large scale, I don't think I'd ever sleep. There is war, famine, disease, any number of other issues that affect trillions of sentient life forms. I can't save them all, I can't even realistically put a dent in any of it. But what I can do, is save that one life, cure that one disease, feed that one child. Starfleet and the Federation are such large, almost living entities within themselves that I don't think I could play moral judge about any of their actions." Ryan shrugged then. "I focus on the here, the now, and what I can do, and have to accept that most things are out of my control."

"I envy you, Doctor" replied that Caitian with a lowly purring. "You have such a beautiful caring and compassionate soul, and a tiny little mind" she said jokingly. "No, no. You are a brilliant physician and skillful surgeon. What I mean to say is you don't waste your time and energy wondering about what could be. You focus on what is and what is within your ability to influence."

"Well I try. But I admit it's more a survival skill than anything else. When I was younger, I was quite the social campaigner, and I think that's a worthy calling. But I don't have the gift of speeches or drawing people in. When I realized I was never going to be Martin Luther King, I had to focus on what I was good at. But your passion suits you Lu'Sura." He smiled.

She purred and sighed. "If only it were appreciated by Commander Soral" she replied. "I meant no disrespect to these people, but I am a chemist, a pharmacist in the making. I believe in science. Science and medicine could have made a difference, ignoring that added to the problem."

"He's got his own concerns, beliefs and responsibilities." Ryan commented. His tone casual, not judgmental of either Lu'Sura or Soral. He actually saw both their points. "Science and medicine are going to make a difference now." He laid his load of supplies down. "That is if we can get these unloaded." He started rummaging for a bottle of water.

"We have the power of muscular nuns" she countered, her tail happily swaying about. Her whiskers twitched. "I just wish he'd get the stick out of his tight Vulcan ass" added Lu'Sura. "Pon Farr cannot come soon enough."

Ryan spewed out the water he was currently trying to get down his throat. He started coughing while laughing, which just made for some very odd sounds.

The Caitian approached the Chief Medical Officer and gave his back a few swift pats between his shoulders. Her tail moved about showing concern. "Did your mother not teach you how to swallow, Doctor?" she teased with an amused pur. "Don't die here on Vashti. Soral would blame me."

Ryan had seen the pats coming, and managed not to flinch. He decided not to make her feel bad about the mother comment, and just left it alone. He recovered, just a couple last chuckles emerging. "Sorry. I'll do my best." He smiled. "He is Vulcan though. I think the stick is formed in utero." Ryan actually teased, putting a finger over his lips as if it was a secret.

"Poor thing" she replied. "A good lay may do him wonders, but I am not volunteering. I don't have the patience needed for that man" she said shaking her head. "I have never been a Vulcans cup of tea, but that's alright. I rather not be as bland as paste."

Ryan just shook his head with a grin. He finished his water, this time not choking. "Well let's get this done." Ryan headed back for another load. "You know, he's not that bad, or bland." Ryan went on to tell her how Soral had roped him into hosting comedy night as revenge for being called into sickbay unnecessarily.

As Lu'Sura listened to the Doctor's take of what happened that lead to the infamous comedy night, the nuns had cleared most of the supplies. "Oh it pleases me so that he got his comeuppance. I don't know what soured everyone's milk; I thought Commander Victrix was tastefully vicious."

Ryan just shrugged. He was just trying to show that even Soral had emotions, and wasn't above doing something so simple as getting revenge. He hadn't meant to speak ill of the XO. The CO, well that was something he wasn't touching with a ten foot pole as the saying went.

 

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