=/-\= Main Hospital * SB Unity =/-\=
Cortez sat up in his bed staring at the wall in front of him. It was
nearly time for his latest checkup and from what he'd been told by
Natalie, Summers was going to make an appearance herself. 'Good', he
thought. He hadn't really seen her since he woke up and had a few
questions and complaints as it were. Taking a deep breath he
swallowed and shifted in the bed, 'she'd better not be late', he
grumbled to himself irking his head to the side.
The report from Aeran III followed by the conversation with the CMO
had delayed Rangis usual routine so she was later than expected by the
time she arrived in the hospital. {At least I have some 'good' news}
she thought as she made her way towards the side room that Major
Cortez had been occupying for the last three weeks. { That will make a
pleasant change this morning}
Richards head moved to the sound of the door opening and Summers
stepping through it. "Its about damn time", he said moving his body
so that he was sitting up and his legs were draped over the bed with
his feet touching the floor. "I figured you'd bailed once you'd
realized you gave me a faulty pair of lungs".
She paused for the slightest second uncertain whether or not he was
joking. " Good morning to you too." she replied quite brightly. " How
are feeling today?...been doing the exercises?" She picked up the
medpadd from the locker beside his bed and began to read it.
"Yes I've been doing the damn exercises", he answered sharply. "But
it feels like I've got razor blades in my chest every time I try and
do anything more than walk slowly". He stared at Summers as she
looked at the medpadd. "Where the hell have you been anyways, I
haven't seen you for two weeks".
Rangi read to the end of the latest paragraph then looked at him.
"You've missed me...how sweet." she said replacing the padd to its
previous position." despite my non appearance I 'have' been keeping an
eye on you..." she continued. "... you're an interesting case."
Cortez laughed painfully, "And is that your professional opinion
Doctor"?, he said sarcastically.
"Yes actually it is." she said. " We don't have the opportunity to
carry out advanced procedures very often and as you know, you've had
some cutting edge surgery."
"So I was your little guinea pig then", Richard spat out, "Someone you
could experiment on so you could write a few more chapters in your
memoirs...is that it?". He paused for a moment and then completely
changed the subject. "So who is this Stephen guy", he asked looking
straight at Rangi's eyes. It had been a few days since his meeting
with the stranger and couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't
right about him. He figured he'd test Summers reaction to the
question to see if his suspicions were right.
"Not quite a guinea pig." she replied and answered him
seriously."..but your case will indeed be documented and learned
from." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. " Now that
you mention it, I wanted to ask you about one of your little
excursions.Perhaps you can tell me why your blood test results were
normal in the morning but had an alcohol content three hours later?"
Richard smiled. "Yes, I admit it, you caught me, I drank a gallon of
Romulan Ale....Does this mean your discharging me since I've failed to
follow the rules?", he said smugly.
"Much as I hate to end our meeting like this.." she said "...the answer is yes."
Cortez looked back up at Rangi immediately. "What?", he replied.
"Yes I'm discharging you." she repeated, enjoying catching him off
guard." There will be a few restrictions of course." she added,
immediately curtailing his pleasure." You'll need weekly examinations,
you need to continue to see the physio but I plan to remove all but
three of the implants and then you can return to your quarters." She
gave him a small smile.
Richard was surprised. "So I can report back for duty on my ship
then", he asked as he stood up and pushed his feet into the slippers
waiting by the bed.
"Nooooo..." Rangi replied slowly and when he met her eyes again she
added: " I said Im releasing you from the hospital...back to your
quarters.....its going to be quite a while until you're fit for duty
and even longer before you'll be back on the front line."
Cortez sighed. "Fine", he finally said after a few moments, clearly
disappointed at the prospect of not being able to return to duty.
"It's not so bad is it?" she asked when a second or two had passed. "
You must remember that you've had a massive surgery and things don't
miraculously get to a hundred percent over night. " He didn't look
convinced. " You really have done very well." she said,speaking
truthfully. " Getting this far in so short a time is tremendously
encouraging."
"So how long then", Cortez asked stepping around the bed to a dresser
and opening it.
"Well....difficult to put a time limit on it." she answered inclining
her head as she considered it "...but I'd hazard a guess as light
duties in...say....a couple of weeks?...possibly less."
He pulled out a clean shirt and pants from the dresser. "Light
duties?", he said turning towards Summers. "You mean a desk job". He
shook his head and sighed. "Do you have any other terrible news for
me?".
"Yes, a desk job." She confirmed his suspicion. "You should be fit for
that and then..we'll see how it goes." She stood looking at him as he
closed the door and slung the clothes on the bed. At the back of her
mind was the thought that he wouldn't take this lying down, that he
would find a holodeck and begin a training program of some kind and
yet... The shirt began to slide to the floor. Rangi reached out to
rescue it and held it out to him. "I know its not what you want." she
said.
Cortez smiled and chuckled as he took the clothes from her. "I can't
have what I want", he said stepping away from her and moving towards
the bathroom. "If there isn't anything else, then could you tell
Doctor Natalie that I need a sponge-bath on your way out?", he irked a
smile and glanced back at Summers.
Rangi raised the glimmer of a smile in return. She had, she thought,
effectively crushed him by denying him the chance to return to his
duties. She had known from the outset that a desk job would be worse
than time spent in the Brig for a man like Cortez but there was no
other way for him to go. "I'll do that." she replied.
Richard smiled, "Unless of course you'd like to help me with that?",
he responded stopping short of the entrance to the bath. He enjoyed
catching Summers off guard and waited for her response.
Her eyebrows raised in surprise but a moment later she replied: "We
don't want to get you over excited Major, now do we?"
Cortez laughed at her response and stepped into the bathroom. "Give
the Admiral my regards", he shouted as the door closed.
Rangi left the room and found, hovering near the door way, the nurse
whom Cortez had mentioned. She looked at Rangi enquiringly. " Is
..is..is everything alright ma'am?" she asked. Rangi gave a nod. "
Yes....just give him a few minutes, he's had a bit of a shock."
Natalie looked at the closed at the closed and Rangi stepped away.
(He'll be alright} she told herself...Cortez will always be alright}
=/-\= END LOG =/-\=
Commander Rangi Summers
CMO
SB Unity
Major Richard Cortez
CSEC
USS Chimera
