Custom vs Comfort

Posted on Sun Sep 18, 2016 @ 2:40am by Lieutenant Phen Caticasse & Commodore Michael Aravan

Mission: An Orion to Die For
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD 1 || 1700 Hours

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Finn had only been on board for a while. He seemed to have missed, or would have to miss, some of the more interesting things that had been going on so far. Maybe that should have bothered him a bit. As the turbolift came to stop, and the door hissed open, he couldn't help but simply not be worried about it. He stepped out onto the bridge, and it only took a few seconds for an officer to rush up and stop him.

"Sorry sir, you can't be here," A dutiful security officer stopped the Lorillian in civilian clothes.

"Yes, I can," Finn said, barely slowing as he moved across the bridge. "The turbolift brought me here, the door opened," He smirked a bit, and gave a shake of his head. He pulled a padd from under his arm and tapped on the screen, showing the officer, "See?" He said before making his way to the ready room with the officer behind him for a moment before fading back with a quick.

"Of course, sorry sir."

"Not a problem." Finn replied hitting the door chime for the ready room.

"Enter!" Came a deep male voice from the com panel.

After being invited in, Finn gave a quick nod as he stepped into the ready room. "Lieutenant Phen Caticasse," He offered over the padd with his orders and information, "Reporting as ordered."

Captain Michael Aravan sat his seat at the head of a huge black-surfaced table which dominated the center of the room which had a dozen chairs around it. Plants were at the corners of the room and most of one wall was filled with shelves which contained over a dozen species of bonsai trees, some elaborately sculpted around tree houses, some made to look like homes built into the ground and others that looked like they were just starting. Another table off to one side held a decanter of strong black coffee with several cups around it, a bowl containing sweetener and another for some type of cream.

He looked at the short Lorillian Chief Medical Officer who had been assigned to the ship and motioned towards one of the seats around the table. "Please have a seat, Lieutenant Caticasse," he said, frowning a bit at the man's lack of uniform.

"Finn," The Lorillian replied calmly, a warm smile replacing the earlier smile. "Will be fine, sir." He took a few steps over towards the captain, and the seats where he was directed. As he adjusted, he had taken in the room, taking notes in his mind. He hadn't missed the frown either, and it was one that he recognized. He sat the padd on the table where it would be easy to get too, and fell back into a seat.

"Lieutenant Caticasse," Michael began and activated a control built into the table which illuminated into a large LCARS display with the Chief Medical Officer's full personnel file on it before he reached for the PADD. "You may be used to being completely informal on your last posting at Thetis, but here on the Triumphant and especially when meeting your commanding officer, it is customary to wear a Starfleet uniform when on duty. Do you have a reason you are not in uniform?"

Finn's smile didn't fade. He wasn't surprised. He simply shook his head a bit. "It is customary." He adjusted in his seat, leaning forward a bit. "I'm not in uniform because I'm the ship's doctor on board a ship with fifteen hundred civilians. There are doctors in major hospitals on major worlds dealing with less. I want my patients comfortable and honest. The commbadge," He pulled the little gold device out of his pocket for a moment, "Shows I'm Fleet, I have my rank - that doesn't require the uniform." He adjusted a bit and the smile softened "But how many kids are on the ship? How many civilians that don't want to let down an officer on this grand experiment? The uniform helps you do your job, it doesn't help with mine." He gave a grin, "You want me in uniform at all official functions, I will be. That's your prerogative, Captain." He slipped the commbadge back in his pocket and leaned back. "But I'm a doctor first, sir." He gave a nod, "Truth be told, Thetis didn't like it either."

"There are also two thousand officers and enlisted on this ship, Lieutenant," Michael said as he came to his feet and full height of six foot four inches. He straightened his uniform and looked at the Lorillian doctor. "There are also doctors that are civilians on this ship who are contracted to Starfleet. Do you want to know what sets each of them apart from you? I'll tell you. They are all in uniform, which you will also be when you are on duty. This is not negotiable. You said it's my prerogative? You're right, it is. Which is why when you are on duty, you will be in uniform and I am making that an order."

"No." Finn said with the smile drifting from his face. "This isn't some lazy, shirking of duty. Its medical. Comfortable patients, efficient staff, and heading off possible issues. Doctors, medical or psychiatric, are better able to connect with patients without rank or uniform. Any little thing that opens up nearly five thousand people to infection has to be cut out," He watched the captain carefully, "I won't be having two hundred medical staff held back by archaic uniform code. They will wear medical attire when with patients or on the medical deck. They can wear uniforms on the walk from medical quarters to work, or maybe doing administrative duties. But, they won't be risking infections, or wasting their replicator credits or time taking their uniform to be cleaned every night. It is medical necessity on a ship this size that the medical decks operate under the highest quality. That means as sterile as we can get it, to keep the staff and crew safe. That means a rested and collected staff. That means every crew member, every civilian, being willing to talk to a member of the medical staff without worry. Uniforms do not work for that. I can provide you with data, and personal experiences from myself and a number of doctors to that effect," He shook his head and adjusted in the seat. "If you don't like that, that's fine. Just check refused, and I'll go on my way. I'm sure that the Fleet has plenty of doctors who are more willing to try to fit into your views." He stood up, and brushed off his shirt, motioning towards the padd he had brought. "I am offering to be your CMO, to even compromise and where a uniform at official functions. But, I will not endanger this crew, or allow my staff to endanger that crew, in any way."

Michael hesitated for a long moment before he turned away from the table and went to pour a cup of coffee and added two sugars to it. He took a sip while he pondered the options; the ship was in need of a Chief Medical Officer. The upcoming mission was promising to be very dangerous and people were likely to be hurt. The EMH was demonstrating a glitch and the Lieutenant had a track record that went back years. He sighed and turned around.

"Lieutenant Caticasse," he began. "A few things seem to be flawed in your logic. First and foremost, germs and viruses don't care what someone is wearing. We went through a mission where the biofilters couldn't even stop a deadly virus that killed tens of thousands of people before we found a cure. Secondly, your uniforms are provided for you at no expenditure of replicator credits. Thirdly, refusal of a direct order under any circumstances can lead to your dismissal from Starfleet."

Michael paused and took another sip of his coffee. "However, I am willing to overlook that based on what you're saying, but I want you to present this data to my Executive Officer, Commander Weisz, after you leave my office. Until she reviews it and concurs with the findings, you are to wear a uniform while on duty. Once she agrees with the data, then we can reach an agreement regarding your lack of desire to conform to what you view as an archaic uniform code. Can we agree to this?"

Finn gave a smile, and a nod. He didn't agree with all of the statements the captain just made, but it wasn't an argument he could do anything with except likely make it worse, "I think we can work towards something." He said simply giving a pause, "I'll meet with the commander shortly after this." He gave a shake of his head. "Otherwise, despite your likely adjusted mood, I need to know the autonomy of the medical bays, how much we can shift and change them and the layout within the ship, and the like, as well as your style of shifts and if that is required for medical personnel." He twisted to one side a bit, "In addition, I'd like to go ahead and schedule you and your dependents for a physical - to lead by example, get the captain done first, then work down the compliment." He smirked, "If you would prefer, I'll allow another medical officer to do follow-ups after the first exam."

"Alpha shift is from zero eight hundred to sixteen hundred hours. Beta is from sixteen hundred to zero hundred. Gamma is from zero hundred to zero eight hundred," Michael said. "You get two fifteen minute breaks and a hour for lunch, barring emergencies and alerts. All department heads are on Alpha shift. Assistant Chiefs are almost always Gamma shift. Everyone else is at your discretion. The layout stays as it is because it would require a starbase and time we don't have to rearrange everything. In regards to autonomy, you're in the chain of command just like everyone else is and everyone answers to Command. As for the physical, I'll agree to that easily enough. Schedule an appointment for me, my wife and two children. Is there anything else?"

"What's an hour prior to or after your children's educational responsibilities?" Finn said, "I'll mark it for one of those. Whichever works best for them."

"Neither of them are in school yet, so any time after Alpha shift would be fine," Michael said.

"Alright. On the schedule - would you be averse to allowing a staggered schedule for medical personnel - operating eight hundred to sixteen hundred, and twelve hundred to twenty hundred co-currently to keep from any shift changes leaving primary sickbay and patient rooms understaffed." He snapped his fingers, "There was something else, but I can't remember it right now."

"You can experiment with the schedule unless it interferes with other duties your staff has," Michael told him. "On that note, we're going to be heading into the Orion Sector and you should prep everyone to receive casualties. We're going in with very little information and no one likes it."

"Noted. I'll prep an emergency triage protocol specifically for the ship as soon as I can, and have it shipped to you. Then, with your . On that note," He held up a finger, "And god forbid we need it, but in the case we experience incredible numbers of casualties, are there additional triage centers we can make use of? Deck Nine's cargo and conference areas for instance." He pause, "Oh, I remember - is the attached vessel part of the main ship compliment or separate?" He shook his head, "Let me clarify - does it have its own crew, or should I be preparing some medical staff to be stationed aboard it when it is underway?"

"It's part of the main ship compliment," Michael told him. "She holds forty crew, so plan on at least two medical officers to go if it's needed. The Victorious is going to be launched tomorrow morning, but a crew has already been picked for her."

"Mhm," Finn nodded, "Alright. I'd like to look over the sickbay facilities on board the Victorious at some point. However," He waited a moment, "That can wait for a few days if you don't intend on sending the vessel on an extended mission. Otherwise, I can't think of anything further to ask."

"Then I'll see you at the appointment for the physical once Alpha shift ends," Michael said. "Dismissed and welcome to the Triumphant."

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