Department Head Meetings: Medical and Ops

Posted on Tue Jul 23rd, 2024 @ 5:48pm by Commander Maxwell Fitzroy & Lieutenant Commander Subak Ren & Lieutenant T’Ux

3,885 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: Crew Shakedown
Location: First Officer's Quarters

~Lieutenant Commander Subak Ren, Lieutenant T’Ux: Commander Fitzroy would like to meet you in his quarters~
The voice of Ensign Ferrari came out over the comms.

Commander Fitzroy was excited….he hadn’t had a chance to prepare food for a Caitian since he left for his first duty assignment after Intel. And he was struggling with Ren for cooking. Ren was a challenge. He was experimenting with blending Bajoran and Vulcan vegetables to create an interesting composition.
Meeting with the Ops officer and Chief Medical officer….it was on the list anyway. After talking to the Captain the engineer was next….but….one on one would be better for him.

T'Ux was not a happy kitty. The feline was in the midst of organising things in the medbay when the first officer summoned him. Still, it was good manners to introduce oneself to their XO and his mother had brought him up well. Or as well as she could given his surly behaviour at times. He left detailed instructions to the staff, trusting they would get the job done.

Organising the medbay would take a few iterations from his own experience, and it would be familiarity with it. But Starfleet didn't change their medbay layout that much. But he did prefer to have some things within easy reach, such as lint rollers.

So off he strode purposefully towards the XO's quarters, keeping his facial expression as stoic and unimpassioned as possible. How would this XO be? Strict? Formal? He very much preferred it so, but judging from how the captain behaved, he suspected something similar at least... maybe. Sometimes it was the XO who ran the tighter ship.

Either way, the tuxedo Caitian showed up at Fitzroy's quarters first, checked the Lieutenant Commander's location and waited patiently for the other to arrive. He had decided it would be rude for the junior officer to be earlier than someone of higher rank... especially if there wasn't much of a time difference.

Subak Ren walked up to the replicator in his quarters, having just returned fifteen minutes ago from the meeting with Engineering. It had been quite a busy first few hours on board the Kepler. "Raktajino, black, double-strong," he said, his expression turning grateful once the aroma hits his nostrils. He dropped off one padd on his bedside desk, then picked up another – the draft of the Cat Duty roster – and began to compare it to a screen readout of the crew, sorted by shift, as he plopped himself dutifully in his chair.

It was just then that the summons came from Number One. With a sigh, Subak got up and tapped his comm badge. "Acknowledged," he said, instantly going from put-upon to professional. Raktajino still in hand, Ren headed out the door and toward the Commander's quarters. He was not going to face the prospect of another meeting with senior staff without having his coffee first. He ditched the empty cup in a recycling receptacle a short walk away from Commander Fitzroy's door, then walked with erect posture the rest of the way, hands held loosely behind his back. It seemed the Caitian doctor had gotten there first, so Subak nodded in greeting.

"Hello, Doctor," he said cordially. "Nice to finally meet you. Shall we?" Ren reached out and touched the doorbell.

"Enter" Doctor T'ux and Lt Commander Ren are engaged by posters of movies from the 20th and 21st centuries. Coupled with 22nd and 23rd-century entertainment that are part of those same story worlds. On the table are Caitian food prepared in the proper manner for Caitian.

[ In Caitian] "Doctor: I had my sister pick this up for me when I heard we would be serving together. She got this at a very nice shop on Regulus V. "

A surprising level of fluency for a human, and familiarity with Caitian speech and cadence.

He then turns to Commander Ren who sees Bajoran-Vulcan fusion cuisine. "This was interesting...This food surprisingly works well together. I'm not sure if I appreciate the flavor and texture profile but you might."

He motions for them to take a seat. "I know we are all tying down loose ends before we get out of dock. I want to make sure we all get to know each other and understand how we will execute our mission together."

T'Ux followed Ren, making sure to keep close, but behind the other, he'd carefully watch his footing, although he made it seem natural. And then he was promptly assaulted by all sorts of sights... apparently his XO and Captain were both colourful characters. He on the other hand was fairly monochrome, in more ways than one.

And smells. His eyes were drawn to the Caitian food, and his ears flicked when the XO spoke in Caitian.

"Thank you sir, I appreciate the thought and effort you've put in," he said keeping his tone formal, conversational, but there were tell-tale signs that Fitzroy might pick up upon, having spent enough times around Caitians, that T'Ux was actually feeling distressed... or was it excited, it was hard to tell. His tail flicked some although to the casual observer, all seemed normal.

Regular Caitian movements.

His fur hid any facial expressions he might show, but to be honest, T'Ux didn't have much of a range on it, which was to say his default expression was always a resting cat face.

Subak almost didn't recognize that the Commander wasn't speaking Federation Standard, since he still had his universal translator on and operational. But the lip movements didn't line up with what he would expect, so he understood after a moment. The decor was not altogether unexpected or out of the ordinary; Subak didn't recognize the artwork on paper, but it seemed rather, well, human. The sight of food made the reason for the summons a bit clearer. If he'd known it was an invitation to a meal, Ren would've arrived quite a bit faster and with more enthusiasm.

"You needn't have gone to all the effort," he said to Commander Fitzroy. "But I thank you." He glanced over the prepared meal, not sure what to make of it. Was that hasperat made with redspice? And plomeek soup with kava, and mapa bread on the side? That must've thrown the replicator a loop – Subak doubted that fresh ingredients would be available on the ship. He took his seat and glanced over at the Caitian doctor, who seemed a bit fidgety. Ren had dealt with Caitians more than once over the years, especially during his security tenure on Starbase 227. He still couldn't read them as well as he'd like, but he figured it was probably just the usual nerves of being in the first officer's quarters for dinner so soon. Honestly, Subak was suppressing some nerves himself, if only because of the unknown factor.

"That seems logical to me," he says to Fitzroy, when the purpose behind this get-together was expressed.

Commander Fitzroy studies Doctor T'ux and gives an inscrutable nod. Almost like a practiced behavior to inscrutable Caitian body language. He turns to both and motions for them to take a seat and begin eating.

"My command philosophy is Eyes on and Hands off. I need to know how to execute our mission as communicated through the Captain from Star Fleet Command, so I need to focus on making adjustments and deciding where things need to be adjusted to get us there. That means I need to trust you guys to manage the day-to-day." He turns to Subak "We will work on getting the shifts and other rhythms working at which point I expect to give you a relatively free hand as well. I have a feeling the Kepler is going to be an extraordinary command. And I see a lot of Junior officers pulling in weight above their weight class." He nods in the doctor's direction " I would like to see a lot of our Lt's who are department heads become Lt. Commanders. " He turns back to Subak " I take mentorship and growing leadership seriously."

He takes a bite to eat. "So let me tell you about myself. My family has been in Starfleet since before there was a Federation. My father has served as both Earth and Federation ambassador to a lot of places. Due to my father's generosity of spirit, I ended up with two adopted sisters. One a Caitian, and one an Orion. Due to my unusual background, I was recruited out of the academy into Star Fleet Intelligence. I transitioned into a more mainstream MOS and made my advancement through the ranks." He then waits for the other two officers to speak up.

T’Ux took a seat, but he carefully picked up utensils to eat the food. Though he’d move to cut the main dishes up and portion it out so the other two could get theirs if they wanted a share as he listened to the XO share his history.

“I hope to learn sir,” he said as he placed food on his plate first. “I’m afraid my career progress has been slow due to my skills in interacting with others, or lack of them.”

Which needless to say his technical skills was pretty good.

“My own history is not much to speak of. I’m the third of seven kits, have an aptitude for science and medical knowledge and diagnosis. I play the fiddle in my free time.”

His taxidermy hobby, he had learned, was not dinner table conversation.

He skipped talking about his service record, figuring the other two could look it up if they were curious. But he didn’t see a need to talk about it, glancing at Subak. Did the other mind him speaking first?

The half-Bajoran waited for his superior officer to begin eating first, but then grabbed a hasperat and took a bite. The taste was...original. He gave it that. Ren appreciated the gesture, though eventually he would have to disabuse Fitzroy of the notion that people always prefer the native foods of their progenitors. He raised an eyebrow at the mention of Caitian and Orion adopted siblings.

"That must have made for an interesting childhood," he said. After listening to both Fitzroy's and T'Ux's backstories, Subak realized that it was probably his turn.

"I assume you have read my personnel file," he said to the Commander, before turning toward the doctor. "But for your benefit...I was born on Bajor during the Occupation, to a Vulcan father and Bajoran mother." Subak took another big bite of hasperat, then continued, deciding to be brief and to the point, rather than needlessly detailed about his own backstory. "They both died, and I was raised in hiding by my grandfather until the Occupation ended. Then we left for Vulcan, and a couple years later I decided to go to Starfleet Academy. Graduated right in the middle of the Dominion War; basically went right from graduation to the USS Braddock. Operation Return." Subak decided not to go into any more detail on that event, falling silent for a few moments.

"The food is excellent," he said to the Commander, taking another bite before grabbing some plomeek soup and mapa bread.

Fitzroy smiles at Ren "As did spending time on Orion Prime, Cardassia Prime, and Qo'noS as a kid in the federation embassy. Before I went to the Acadamy. I spent more time on Trill and Cait than I did on Earth." He then points to the old movie posters. "Which is why I have my holo novel hobby. I look for old Earth fiction. Things that had some sort of popularity but might have fallen through the cracks and could have ended up being forgotten. Language, Food, and Culture. Those were my father's foundations when he worked as a diplomat. This will be my second posting as an XO. I was a Chief of Operations on the Roger Young. I had done tactics and security before I got into that. So Lt. Commander....if I do my job right you should be getting promoted to an XO on your next assignment."

Ren seemed amused by that assurance. "If I do my job right as well," he added. "I've taken my good time, as far as promotion goes." He might have looked like a man in his thirties, but knowing that Ren had graduated from Starfleet Academy during the Dominion War would allow anyone to do the math.

The Caitian picked at his food carefully, taking time to chew and savour the flavour. His tail started flicking more as he ate, listening in to Ren as he introduced himself to them.

“It does sound like both of you have had exciting lives.” He was reserved, not sharing much about himself first.

“Your sister picked very good choices sir. I really appreciate the meal,” he added. There was a slight pause.

“How did you manage to reconcile all those different cultures you are exposed to into your identity if you don’t mind me asking? And you as well Lieutenant Commander.”

In all honesty, he was the least culturally exposed in terms of family identity between them.

Fitzroy smiled "Well when you are the child of an Ambassador anything you do can lead to a diplomatic incident." He laughs warmly. "At home it was like you would expect. Two boys and two Girls. My older brother tried to assert authority over the girls. And I learned to negotiate and read them. Sibling rivalry being what it is. And of course brothers protecting sisters from those outside the family.....it's very easy to adapt when you get thrown in the deep end of the pool."

Ren raised an eyebrow, letting Commander Fitzroy answer first, while he enjoyed his soup. "I managed quite well, all things considered," he answered, when it was his turn. Technically a valid response, though probably not exactly what was expected. Changing the subject, Subak turned to the Commander "You said you spent time on Qo'noS," he observed. "What did you think of the food there?"

Fitzroy smiles at Ren "It's....it's very different if you are eating authentic Klingon food. That happened a few times when Klingon dignitaries invited Dad to come and bring his family. Textures of living creatures are very different to non-living ones."

T’Ux considered his own family as Fitzroy shared about his… they were very different. But he refrained from talking about them. He noticed how Ren switched topics as well and wondered if he struggled with the identity aspect. After all he had asked a rather personal question. But he wouldn’t press.

Klingon food had never appealed much to him either, he mused, as the other two spoke about it. He’d take his time savouring the fare, helping himself to the meat. He did like raw meat at times, but as for a living thing, that he did not appreciate. So he ate his meal quietly in silence, listening to the two of them.

Ren wiped up the last of his plomeek soup with the end of his hasperat. Quite the odd juxtaposition of tastes, but Subak guessed that was the intent. "I've eaten live gagh a few times," he admitted. So he certainly didn't hold to Vulcan vegetarianism. "And you're right. 'Very different' is the best way to describe it. Sometimes I wonder if Klingons use their cuisine as a test for outsiders."

"Indeed" Fitzroy nodded. He turns to T'ux "You and the ship's counselor. If there is a pattern of health and mental health issues that suggest a pattern between the two of you: You have the authority to schedule a meeting with Lt. Commander Ren and myself so we can start rectifying that."

He turns to Lt. Commander Ren. "What do you see is your most important duty as Chief of Ops?"

T’Ux nodded his head. He had no issues with identifying patterns and the like. Although whether there was a need to rectify was another matter completely… depending on how things were.

“Yes sir,” came the response after the nod. He didn’t partake in the conversation further, seeing no need to join in for the time being.

Ren raised an eyebrow at Fitzroy's question. "Making sure we know what we're looking at, and who we're talking to, no matter what we run into during our missions," he answered. "And making sure nothing interferes with the workings of the systems that let us do that." Subak wiped his mouth with a napkin, before sliding his empty plate to the side. "Mostly the same as my direct reports, but with the added...opportunity...of keeping them all working as a team."

Fitzroy nods a bit taking Ren's comments seriously. "Well...something I do like to do from time to time is float between teams. I don't think it will be the right time to do it right now, but we will work on that later. It helps me keep a good holistic perspective on the ship and the crew. But right now we will need to get everyone integrated first."

He looks to the two of them "Any other questions?"

T'Ux paused when Fitzroy mentioned he liked to float between teams. "If I may be so bold to ask...are you just talking about Ops or does Medical count among the teams?" The feline watched the XO carefully, his attention entirely focused on the man.

Fitzroy chuckles "I would be glad to assist....but my medical training is probably not up to Nursing or Doctoral par." He regards the Doctor seriously "But I suppose training for a shift might give me a good perspective on sickbay."

T'Ux's tail flicked a little at this. Mild irritation perhaps? "I will see how I can... find ways for you to observe sir. Forgive me if I'm a little forward on this. The most I will allow is your assistance in, perhaps, holding a patient still for a procedure, if necessary. I do not mean to disparage any medical training you've had sir, but when it comes to matters of health, I've seen more damage done to patients by Samaritans with good intentions, so forgive me if I'm a little cautious about letting you be further involved than what I've stipulated. Knowledge is one thing, but a good bit of medical training comes with experience. Should you wish to learn more, I will have to see about scheduling training sessions."

This was probably the most verbose he had been the entire night.

Fitzroy nods "I mean my purpose would be to learn about the flow of your department and your team." He thinks for a moment
"But we will schedule that later in my moving through teams."

Subak gained a bit of respect for T'Ux, when the doctor dared to be a bit, as he put it, forward. Fitzroy had earlier claimed to be a hands-off sort of manager, after all. "I suspect it will take all of us a day or two to get fully acquainted with our teams and establish a flow in the first place," he commented. "So there shouldn't be any hurry." Ren still needed to get that cat management roster fully set, among other things. He poured himself a glass of whatever drink was within reach on the table [Fitzroy feel free to suggest something].

"Do you enjoy music, Commander?" he asked, wanting to get to know a bit more of the first officer's temperament. So long as Fitzroy wasn't the sort prone to bust out a trombone at every opportunity, or something like that.

Fitzroy laughs. "Well, I write holo novels as a hobby. I try to keep Intellectual Properties and Story Worlds from the 20th and 21st centuries alive with new stories. I enjoy the music...but....I tend to listen to music more for my work. I was a lead singer in a Klingon Rock band when I was in the Academy " He ponders for a moment "I play blackjack."

T’Ux once more went quiet again, finishing the food. A day or two would be too quick for the medical team. Possibly a week or more for him. Working together in an emergency was definitely possible but to get to know one another well enough. The feline would have to read more on their psych profiles to get something going while the other two talked about the first officer’s hobbies.

“I prefer poker myself… though I don’t suppose one of your novels would be on the holodeck’s servers to call upon?” the Caitian asked.

Fitzroy smiles "Poker is a fun game. What sort of stories do you like? Action, Fantasy, Romance, Adventure....Science fiction stuff from that era is....quite intriguing."

The corners of Ren's mouth turned upward as he tried to imagine a Klingon rock band. Of course, he wasn't overly familiar with human music, but he'd known several humans over the years who were fond of the genre. "We should start a card game night," he suggested. "Perhaps set in twentieth-century Earth. I could teach you a few Bajoran card games." Subak hadn't actually visited a holodeck in quite a while – too busy with work – but he'd never adopted the Vulcan mindset of leisure avoidance.

"I always do like a good mystery novel... that being said... the other genre I do prefer is... adventure on the seas, back in the days of the sailing ships... or well... some flight... just soaring through the air or the waves, wind in your face... just freedom and a vast horizon ahead," T'Ux said looking... embarrassed. Although there was no mistaking the joy that sparkled in his eyes as he spoke. Perhaps more energetic than he had been otherwise.

"Well....Do you like solving or watching the mysteries unfold?" Fitzroy says sizing the Cait up. "Some people enjoy letting the mystery unfold and some want to try to get ahead of the protagonist. I do have something that might be your speed."

"Historical settings are always fun," Ren agreed. "So long as they are sufficiently in the past." He wouldn't particularly care for anything set on Bajor fifty years ago. "What about sailing through the stars, as Bajoran explorers used to do?" Subak was familiar enough with human history to know that while Fitzroy's ancestors were using boats upon the water, his own had solar sails to ride through space.

The Caitian flicked his ears back curiously when Fitzroy mentioned a story. “I personally prefer solving them… but I do like puzzles. Medical has been a sufficient enough challenge although there’s hardly a chance to gather everyone in the drawing room to go through a who did it kind of thing,” he said with a chuckle before he addressed Subak’s query.

“That would be lovely to try Lieutenant Commander… although I’m afraid I’ll have to require training to use such a craft… unless it’s like a manned ship. Those were always fun.”

"Well...I have something. " Fitzroy thinks for a moment. "Pathologist in a small town. Lives on a house boat and he solves crimes. In the 1970s and 1980s people were very willing to have their fictional crime stories be....outlandish."

 

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