Medical Field Trip

Posted on Wed May 29th, 2019 @ 7:06am by Commander Rostra Tang & Major Hailey Weston & Lieutenant JG Siobahn Fallon

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Dalacar - Medical Offices

Siobahn arrived at the medical facility twenty minutes earlier than she was told to be there, taking a seat on the chairs outside, waiting for Hailey and Rostra to arrive. Even though it was technically work, this was something she had been looking forward to her ever since Rostra had mentioned that she might have been able to make it happen. The whole concept of Dalacari medicine was incredibly interesting and she was genuinely looking forward to learning more, not only for herself, but to be able to take it back to the ship as well.

As she sat and waited, she found herself looking around, just watching those walking around her, doing their own thing. It really was a fascinating culture to be part of.

Dalacari families passed her by, and offered a friendly wave as they did. Behind them, carrying bags of groceries of just personal effects, was a drone very similar to the one the station administrator had. In fact, there were an AWFUL lot of drones around. Street corners, intersections, mass transit terminals, information kiosks, driving vehicles, operating machinery.... It was almost difficult to find an angle that DIDN'T have a drone in it somewhere, though for their seeming omnipresence, they almost felt like either part of the scenery or just a fact of life.

Always with a kind greeting, and a friendly nod or a wave.

Rostra arrived first, with the goofiest smile on her faces. "I can't tell you how good it is to be home." she said, almost fit to burst. "Sorry to keep you waiting. You weren't waiting long, were you?" Rostra asked. She seemed to be the only Dalacari that WASN'T being followed by a drone.

Siobahn jumped up as soon as she saw Rostra approaching, her own grin betraying her excitement about their circumstances. "No, it's been wonderful just sitting here and watching. Everything is so interesting! You must be so excited to be home, to be back among your own people, even if it is just for a little while," Siobahn said with a grin, turning her attention back to Rostra again, though she was clearly continuously distracted by everything happening around her.

Rostra just gave a nod, and returned whatever wave or greeting she got as she stood next to Siobahn. "I'm going to be miserable once we have to leave, but for now, soak it up." she giggled. "It feels so good to be around normal, ordinary, binary-instance folks again." she teased.

Hailey didn't quite jog up to them, but the half-skip in her quick steps was an indication of her hurrying along, "Would you believe that just finding the bathroom was difficult?" She asked, then flushed slightly red, "Well, so long as you don't ask someone or a passing drone, that is?"

Rostra paused, and then giggled, "I hope you found one of the guest accommodation restrooms." she paused again. "Eh, you're clever, I'm sure you would figure out a Dalacari restroom."

The Dalacari medical office, though trillions of miles from any human office, had many similarities to one. There were posters on the walls encouraging good health, good hygiene, and regular visits. Of course, all the cartoons on those pictures were Dalacari.

Then there were the other lessons on the posters, mostly for the children. "If you hurt yourself, tell a parent or a drone", "If you need to cross the street, ask for help and look both ways both times", "Never go anywhere dark alone. Bring a friend or a drone". Everytime there was a mention of bringing someone or finding someone to help, and the poster mentioned a drone, there was always a picture of one. They were drawn in a style that was kind and friendly, that plasticreet friend who's there to help.

One of the posters even had a drone in the corner with a word balloon. "We're here to help!"

Upon entry, the drone behind the desk looked over to the trio and gave a nod, "Welcome to the offices of Gallen and Toph. If you have an appointment, what time was it for? Otherwise, would you prefer a Dalacari doctor, or will a drone platform suffice for your needs?"

"I... uh..." Siobahn looked toward Rostra questioningly. "Do we have an appointment?"

"Just a medical check up for myself, and a quick check in for my friends here." Rostra answered the drone, with all the charisma and pleasantness she'd offer any living receptionist. "And a Dalacari doctor would be preferred if possible."

As Rostra spoke to the drone at the desk, Siobahn turned toward Hailey. "Drone platforms provide medical care?" she said in a hushed whisper.

"I could see the use for that... Especially if they could be used on the battlefield." Hailey mused, "But I'm not sure they could be used for more than diagnoses." Her voice was just as hushed.

The drone behind the desk nodded its head, "Understood and welcome. Apologies for the wait, though. The next Dalacari doctor won't be available for, oh, fifteen minutes." oh the horror. "Please take a seat and make yourselves comfortable. You'll be called when your appointment is ready Citizen Tang."

The waiting room was comfortable, and of course, built for a species that came in pairs. There were only four complete Dalacari in the waiting room, one of which was a child. A young girl, no older perhaps than eight, who had the everpresent look of being on the verge of tears. She had one foot wrapped in bandages, while two of the other pairs were obviously her parents. They showed concern, and when the door to the back examination rooms opened a drone stepped out and approached them. Upon seeing the drone, though, the little girl's expression changed instantly.

"Delta seven!!" she exclaimed, and went from the verge of tears to instantly happy. The drone itself, incapable of expression, approached with a slightly faster gait and knelt down next to the child. "Dia's knees look at you. You're a whole six mefs taller than last time you were here. Now, why don't you explain what brought you in today?" the voice was soothing. It had a harmonic element to it that perhaps the Dalacari auditory center of the brain found pleasant or relaxing. Soothing, even.

"We were at the beach, and I was looking for shells and... and... and I found a pretty one and I ... I got so excited I started to jump and I stepped on a shell and..." the child's forms shifted focus, and her previous expression of pain and sadness started to come back. She held up her foot with the bandage on it, "And I stepped on a shell, and it hurt, b.. but I didn't cry a lot."

The drone inspected the offered foot, gently holding it by the ankle to help take some pressure off of the child. "Oh that was brave of you to not cry. This looks a lot worse than it is, but it still needs to be looked at. You should be carried, no need to put any more weight on it." and the little girl looked to her father, "Can Delta Seven carry me?" and the drone's optic turned to the father. Consent was necessary. He gave a nod, "Of course. She's your doctor, after all."

The drone carefully picked up the child with the injured foot in a secure hold. "Now hold on tight." the drone offered, and the rest of the family stood to join the drone in the back examination room.

Rostra seemed unfazed by this. To her, this was just something that happened everyday on Dalacar. Her ears flicked during the dialogue, and once the family was out of earshot Rostra commented. "Huh, the new series sounds a lot better than the old thirty fives."

Siobahn watched the entire interaction play out, her mouth turned up in a smile. In the first instance the concept of a drone treating live patients had been something that just didn't quite sit well with her, but she had supposed really it was no different to an emergency medical hologram being deployed on a starship, but having watched the way the drones interacted, especially with the child, she couldn't help but smile.

"Old thirty fives?" Siobahn queried before turning her attention back to Rostra. "Were they drones as well?"

Rostra gave a nod, "They were. They had a great range of motion and were calibrated for gentle motions, but the vocal unit was always a bit lacking. These *sound* pleasant." she admitted.

"Familiarity like that comes from exposure. That little girl recognized the drone, and the drone was programmed to recognize her. All her medical history, her weight and..."

"... height, everything that could be physically measured was handled the moment she walked in. Over the course of a few visits, and the database the system has on..."

"... just that little girl is so vast that it can almost look like familiarity. Enough visits and, well, you saw for yourself. Responses that almost seem natural." Rostra pointed out. "Expectation of end result, and the paths by which to come to them. That's the trick." she smirked.

"I wouldn't worry though, drones are never going to replace actual living doctors. Sometimes you need the intuition and leaps of logic that the system can't perform." she motioned to the room. "A drone has to try everything at least once. The living can rule out the fantastic."

Siobahn nodded, eyes still slightly widened in surprise. "At first I was a bit kind of, I don't know, I guess, weirded out by the idea of medical care being performed by drones, especially for children, but I suppose it's not really any different than a holographic doctor and I know they are capable of amazing medical care, mostly because they have the knowledge of a computer behind them... but it looks like your drones have a much better bedside manner," Siobahn said with a soft laugh.

"I like the way the drone interacted with the child, even if it is just because of an accumulation of medical facts and history. The familiarity made the child comfortable." Siobahn smiled again as she cast a glance at Rostra. "Pediatrics is my speciality, or at least, it will be if I ever finish studying."

"Out of every drone in this office, only Delta Seven would be sent to see her." Rostra pointed out. Before she could say another word though, the doors opened up and a live Dalacari came out with a PaDD in her hands, "Rostra Tang and guests?" and Rostra perked up. "That's us."

Standing up, Siobahn smoothed the front of her dress, waiting for Rostra to lead the way.

Hailey had watched the whole scenario with a critical eye, but stood when the others did, tugging down on the hem of her shirt briefly, "I think I'd still prefer a flesh-and-blood physician myself. There's just something about a person that makes me more comfortable."

Rostra gave the doctor a warm smile and a greeting as they all passed by. Various examination rooms were off to each side, with drones or living Dalacari attending to various patients and charges. The group was led into one of the available rooms, with a comfy pair of beds and a series of examination instruments along the wall. There was a spot on the floor marked with a blue circle about five feet wide, with places marked for feet to stand.

"Good afternoon. I'm Doctor Neera, I'll be your attending doctor. So what seems to bring you to our offices today Miss Tang?" the doctor asked. Rostra gave a nod, "Routine check up, plus I'd like to start a file for my associates here. They're new arrivals, want to make sure that all their vaccines are up to date."

Doctor Neera took the moments to turn towards Siobahn and Hailey. "It's excellent to meet you both. Do either of you have any textile allergies? Latex, polyvinyl, synthetic fibers?" she started her preliminary, while tapping a few options on her PaDD held in her other form. Being a Dalacari gave her a distinct advantage. She could show attention to her patient WHILE doing the calibration for the equipment.

While Rostra and the doctor had been talking, Siobahn spent a few moments looking around the room. It was very different from any examination room she had ever been in, which was to be expected.

Realizing that she had been spoken to, Siobahn turned to face the doctor and smiled. "Uh, no, I have no textile allergies," she said warmly. "Can I ask what the blue circle on the floor is for?"

"You certainly may. In the floor and the ceiling above that spot, there's a medical scanner. It's a big piece of equipment so we try to find a way to put it somewhere where it won't..."

"... clutter up space. Bulky machines like that interfere with the open feel we like to keep with the office. Though it does make it slightly inconvenient for the maintenance crews." she admitted.

"I'll be adjusting the scanner for single-instance biologics in a few moments but first, someone's file is a little out of date." and the pair of the Doctor turned and smirked towards Rostra. "If you'd be so kind, to stand one instance..."

"... in the aforementioned blue circle on the floor?" she said with a smile, and Rostra gave a groan as she complied. It was almost comical to watch her turn into a grumpy twelve year old again. Once one of the forms of Rostra was in the circle there was a sound, like a distant hum, from the ceiling and the floor. The doctor turned one of her attentions to the PaDD, while the other stayed on Rostra the entire time. "Hmmm, okay good good. Nothing out of place. Heart rate a little elevated." she mentioned, "Though it's nerves. No one likes doctors." she mused, amused.

A few moments of scanning, and then the doctor gave a nod, "Alright, and switch." and Rostra went through the motions to swap out which form was in the scanner circle. A few more moments, a few more nods, and the doctor gave a pair of smiles, "Alright Miss Tang, you're all set. I'm pleased to announce that you're in good health and everything is in sync. Though, if I may, I'd watch your greens." she pointed out.

"Looks like you're eating too many." for a race that evolved from carnivores, that response made sense.

"I keep telling them that." Rostra complained with a smirk. Doctor Neera gave a chuckle, "Well then, I'll write up a prescription for you for a twelve grif steak. You hand that to your doctor aboard your current posting and that'll take care of that."

There was a chuckle shared between the doctor and Rostra as that moment passed. A few taps on the PaDD followed, "Though, in all serious, watch those greens. If you experience any difficulty digesting or passing, send me a message. I'll see what I can do long range."

Embarrassed Rostra was mildly embarrassed.

"As for your companions, give me a moment to reconfigure the scanner for single-instance and we can begin?" though Rostra held up a hand, "Doctor Neere, I consent to the sharing of the scans. I'd like my companions to see them."

The doctor gave a nod, and dimmed the lights before activating the wall emitters of what could only be the Dalacari equivalent of a hologram emitter. The images displayed were intricate deep scans of Rostra's forms, labeled appropriately. Blood flow, hormone and endorphin levels, bone density, respiration... everything one would need for a diagnosis. Very similar to the readouts back on the Wellington. They essentially took the 'Bed' out of the 'Bio Bed'.

"These scans allow us to diagnose issues before they become problems, provided patients keep up on their medical history." there was a lesson there. "But a casual scan allows for everything from bloodborn pathogen detection all the way to degeneration of key tissues or organs. Rostra here is in excellent..."

"... physical shape, and her two bodies are in harmony and sync. Focal shift from brain to brain is optimum." the doctor explained, motioning around the image of Rostra's biology as she explained. "I'd be confident in giving her..."

"... a clean bill to return to her ship, if it were ever questioned."

"Oh, I see!" Siobahn exclaimed, glancing around of smiling sheepishly as she realised exactly how loud her exclamation had been.

"We have a very similar kind of technology, I mean, not anywhere near as comprehensive as yours, just looking at the scan results there if I'm reading it correctly it looks like there are a few things you scan for that we wouldn't on an initial diagnosis scan, and I'm assuming that that would be because your technology is specifically geared toward Dalacari physiology where as our equipment is more generic in nature. But still, it's incredibly fascinating. The Dalacari biology is amazing, I actually wondered how the two forms worked, biologically and neurologically, it's amazing seeing it spelled out like this."

Glancing at Rostra, Siobahn smiled apologetically. "Sorry Commander, I didn't mean to make you into a test subject."

Rostra, to her credit, simply rolled her eyes with a smile. The good doctor, however, actually giggled, "Oh, well she did give her consent. Though, if you're interested in Dalacari biology and the unique characteristics of our species I could give you a few..."

"... educational books and papers. I'll apologize ahead of time in that some of them are aimed at children but it'll help establish a knowledge base, if nothing else."

The doctor paused, "Also, the visuals are amusing if nothing else." a pause, "Though I'm excited that you're taking an interest in our people. Now, while I can't exactly give you Miss Tang's..."

"... medical scans to compare, but I can take a full medical scan of yourself, and certainly give you the results." she smiled and gestured to the blue circle.

"I'm sure the books would be fantastic, regardless of their intended audience," Siobahn replied with a smile as she slipped off her shoes and stepped into the blue circle. Siobahn found herself glancing between Rostra and Hailey, unable to help but feel slightly nervous before turning her attention back to the Dalacari doctor.

With a few taps on the PaDD, the doctor initiated the scan. The same familiar hum was heard, and while it seemed to hardly take any time from the outside, being in the circle sure made it feel like it took forever. Though, as someone who has been examined by the sensors of a Federation Biobed, the sensation was actually quite similar.

Or rather, the lack of sensation.

"And there we go. No need for a second scan. I'll have your results in just a moment." Doctor Neera stated before her PaDD updated. "Ahh, there we go. And here are your results."

With that, Neera brought up Siobahn's results and presented her with the PaDD for her to peruse. Everything seemed in order, just slightly more verbose. "We have to configure the scanners specifically for single-instance life. Otherwise the scanner's initial diagnosis is 'Missing Instance'."

Siobahn laughed. "I'd be worried if it found two life instances," she said with a shake of her head as she scanned through the PaDD. "How do the scanners compensate for the physiological differences between species?" Siobahn asked. "I know with our technology we use on the ship, because we have such a diverse range of species, we have to tell the computer who we're scanning. Strangers or species we haven't dealt with before we have to figure it out as we go."

"There's a very rudimentary scanner in the door as you entered the office. Height, weight, and general physiology. Arms, legs, head, that level of generalism. Then..."

"... the scanner makes a determination on your species based on such, and stores that on your personal media. For guests, that's your wristband." she motioned to her own wrist, which was devoid of such a band obviously.

"Citizens have more varied options. Some opt for subdermal chipping, others opt for identification cards. Whatever is the most convenient for each citizen really." she continued.

"When you stood with the scanner the first thing it looked for, was that identity media. That's how it knew you were human. We still have to manually inform it that..."

"... there's only one of you, though. Since we usually scan Dalacari one instance at a time. Though I hear the next software update should have that distinction ..."

"... built in, trust me, I'll believe it when I see it." she giggled, "Though, if that just means I have a system that works, and I have to push a button extra each time, oh well." she waved it off.

"We started working on scanner equipment that could handle singular-instance life almost immediately after encountering the Ts'usugi. If they were to be our allies we..."

"... had to have a way to sooth their wounds, afterall. As for humanity, and the other races of the Federation, we were given short primers when we applied for alliance..."

"... status, and have slowly been adding to the database with each encounter. We've even made requests for more data through your system and the Ts'usugi Buoy..."

"... network, just to have things ready whenever Federation folks arrive, or are encountered by our systems." she explained.

"As for the scanners themselves, you'd be surprised how similar we are under the surface. Or rather, perhaps you wouldn't." a pause, "Medical training?"

Siobahn nodded slightly. "I'm one of the junior medical officers from Commander Tang's ship," she offered. "I will admit, when I first started practicing on the ship I was very surprised at how similar the base physiology is among different species. There's still not a lot about delta quadrant species taught at the Academy so most of what I've learned has been on the fly, literally."

"Really? Well I must say I'm impressed. Jumping into the unknown and getting an education on the way. Ahhh, frontier medicine." the doctor said with a pair of smiles. She was careful not to show teeth, though. She didn't know Siobahn's heritage, but she didn't want to assume anything. "So, in the spirit of continued education..."

"... I'll include a few primers on Ts'usugi physiology as well. They're our closest allies, in terms of distance and diplomacy both." a giggle, "Though I am required to inform you..."

"... that the information contained therein is not actual patient data, and is only example data collected from volunteers who remain anonymous." standard medical disclaimer. Good to see that bureaucracy exists across the gulf of the stars. A few more taps on the PaDD, and then the pair gave a nod.

"I've also arranged for a courtesy PaDD to be available for you as you leave. Delivery will be waiting just outside the door to the office." a few more taps to finish the deal. "We don't have many medical dealings with..."

"... many other races, but I can include a few footnotes on any species we've encountered in our scouting and survey trips, just for light reading. I'm sorry that there..."

"... won't be much there in regards to those races but, with every encounter we try to keep our databases synced and up to date." a final tap, a final nod. "I award you a clean..."

"... bill of health. Your immunizations and vaccinations are up to date, and I've started your medical file across the visitor center." and then came the wide smile, "Welcome to Dalacar."

After a fleeting look of surprise crossed her face at the generosity being shown by the Dalacari doctor, Siobahn smiled warmly. "Thank you, you are very kind. I look forward to reading it all. I'm sure it will be incredibly interesting."

Stepping back from the blue circle, she slid her feet easily back into her shoes and glanced across at Rostra, still smiling.

Rostra seemed fit to pop, she was so happy. "See? Told you." and the doctor gave a smile, "Now, don't take this the wrong way. I'm just educating a fellow medical professional." Dr. Neera covered. "Also, helping a traveler, which is always a perk."

"Will there be anything else I can assist with?" No matter where you were in the universe, that was the universal question.

"Well, I definitely don't have any more questions," Siobahn replied with a laugh. "I have more than enough information to keep me reading for quite a while it seems!"

"Well, it was certainly a pleasure to meet you all, and help settle your nerves about Dalacari medical practice. Some of you should consider a follow up..."

"... in a year, but the rest of you are free to check in with your primary care center at your convenience. Thanks again for stopping by." and that was it. No bill. No charge. Nothing.

The trip out of the office was as comforting as the trip in might have felt. That young child was back on her feet, with an extra soft sock on one particular foot, and she was waving good bye to her doctor, designate drone Delta Seven. The drone returned the wave back while her parents made the follow up appointment, while the attendant drone behind the counter wished the three of the Wellington crew a good day, and to come back anytime.

Siobahn watched the child leaving unable to help but smile at the vast improvement in the child's demeanor as well as the final interactions between the child and the drone. It was nice to see the end of that particular scenario play out as well as it had started.

The door to the outside swung, and not more then ten feet from that door there was a drone. White and gold styled, the same as all the rest, with a small thin case in its grip. "Apologies for the disturbance." it started. There was a difference in tone between this drone's voice and the drones in the medical office. There was nothing sinister, nor unpleasant, just that pleasant reverb that was present in the medical office was missing here. No need to be soothing if your a courier, perhaps.

"There is a delivery for you." the drone held out the case towards Siobahn. "The sender is Doctor Neema the offices of Gallen and Toph. The contents are one personal data tablet."

Siobahn stopped, caught by surprise despite the fact that she was aware that she would be receiving a PaDD from the doctor. "Oh, well, that was incredibly prompt," she said with a smile, retrieving the package from the drone. "Thank you very much," she said kindly.

The delivery done, the drone gave a nod, "Thank you and have a pleasant day." and the drone departed. The box contained, as expected, a Dalacari PaDD and a slip stating that the device was inspected by customs for transport off planet. Full charge, and a wealth of medical knowledge was loaded in. Even some of the more childish books, "Watching Out For You", "The Day of the Double Ouch" and the timeless classic, "The Terrible Day at the Dentist". Pageturners, all.

Some of the other works sounded slightly more academic. "The Definitive Dalacari: From Predator to Present Day", "Anatomus Dalicarix", and several other medical texts. Loaded in with them were sample, anonymous medical files indexed for reference within some of the other books. At the end of the list were a few sparse notes about some of the other Delta quadrant life forms, nothing that Siobahn hadn't seen before.

Except for the files on the Ts'usugi.

Weight, density, specific density of bone tissues. Density three, four, sometimes even five times the norm for calcium skeletons. Heat distribution, locomotion, perception, auditory... a full field study was here. More medical information than Starfleet probably had access to currently.

Thumbing into the PaDD, Siobahn scanned the index of information quickly, her eyes widening. "Wow, Doctor Neema really wasn't joking when she said she'd provide information for me," she said, closing the PaDD and putting it back into the box before picking up one of the books, laughing softly at the first page she opened it to before shaking her head and setting it back in the box.

Finally, turning her attention to Rostra, Siobahn grinned. "Thank you Commander," she said warmly. "Seriously, I can never thank you enough for arranging this and letting me be part of it. It was fascinating, I loved it!"

Rostra gave an actual giggle, "Oh I'm so happy to hear it! I can't tell you how long I've wanted to share my home with my friends and crew." she was overjoyed at the notion of the moment. Her jubilation caught the attention of a street sweeping drone, who came over at the motion and the ruckus. "Citizen Tang, is everything alright?"

"Yes!" she smiled wide to the drone. "I'm just so happy to be able to share Dalacar with my friends here." and the drone's optic looked over at the pair for a moment. "Well then this is a joyous occasion. There are four locations within walking distance that can properly cater to a joyous moment. Or a vehicle can be summoned. Would you like assistance with either of these options?"

Rostra shook her head, "Not right now, but thank you so so much!" and the drone simply gave a nod, "You're quite welcome citizen. Enjoy the day." and it returned to its duties. Rostra, without missing a beat, returned her full attention to her friends. "You're very welcome. Though now I guess..."

"... you'll have medbay prepped, so no more excuses for me to skip out on physicals." her jubilation quickly deflated.

Siobahn laughed softly. "Well, given that I can attest to the fact that you've just had a medical and been given a clean bill of health, you're safe for another year Commander," She offered with a smile. "But I do like the idea of celebrating, how about cheesecake?!"


===================

Commander Rostra Tang
Advisor / Resident Dalacari
USS Wellington

&

Medical Drone 456-71 Designate "Delta Seven"
Medical Attendant
Dalacar

&

Cindy Luuwhu
Little Girl
Dalacar

&

Ensign Siobahn Fallon
Medical Officer
USS Wellington

&

Major Hailey Weston
Second Officer
USS Wellington