It's nothing

Posted on Wed Oct 7th, 2026 @ 3:50am by Centurion Nancy Gable & Lieutenant Commander Savin

1,787 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Chapter IX: Shady Business
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: 2387-10-20, following sparring session

After his solo instruction with Hatham, a barefooted and barely clad counselor made his way into the ship's medical facility. Since it was torn to strips, Savin carried the remainder of his tunic across his arm. He moved a little stiffly, knowing this was likely only to get worse as he hadn't enjoyed such a sparring session in quite some time.

Savin paused in the middle of the facility, his eyes scanning the room for the chief medical officer. "Doctor Gable?" He called out.

Responding to the call, Nancy stepped out of her office and took in the sight. When she was a new doctor, she might have rushed over scanned in hand. But that was a lifetime ago. Now, she looked him up and down, hands on hips and a Don't-You-Know-Better look on her face. "Sparring?" she asked with a sardonic lift of brows.

"Yes ma'am," Savin answered, more out of habit than an actual requirement to be polite. "Of a sort. I met with Perez and Hatham for an instruction on the use of a dagger in combination with a sword. I have... much to learn," he admitted readily, "but I will. I had not anticipated the safeties being lowered during our session."

Gable puffed an irritated breath. "Welcome to being a Romulan," she snarked and pointed him to the nearest biobed. As glad as she was to see someone in medical willing to learn to fight, she foresaw any number of such visits, possibly with more to mend if he reached the stage of getting cocky about his progress. "At least Hatham didn't have to carry you in, so it can't be too bad."

"I shall endeavour not to let such an instance occur, but I cannot make such a promise. It is perhaps, fortunate that I already know how to wield a sword, it is the combination with a secondary weapon that is proving to be a challenge." Savin sat as directed, dropping the remains of his tunic next to him on the bed. "I attempted to bandage the injury but doing so on my dominant side was a challenge on its own. Hatham is an excellent instructor, as is Perez."

After running the medscanner, it looked like there were a few deep cuts, but nothing he was going bleed out from (despite the impression of attempted 'death by a thousand cuts' from all the visible angry green lines). "If you felt the need to bandage that one, we'll tend to it first," she said, snipping off the bandage. The doctor made a small 'tsk' at the sight of the wound, but simply began applying the dermal regenerator. "Learning something new with your off hand always has a longer awkward stage. I suppose I should put your training sessions on my calendar so time for patching you up will be blocked in."

"Or I could do it myself," Savin offered, "I could have this time but chose not to. I would not hide an injury from you doctor, because that is dangerous. However, even though I will try to avoid injury, I fear with instructors like them it may prove futile. You have known them longer than I... anything I should watch out for?"

She nodded. "I appreciate not hiding injuries." Especially so many little ones... She didn't say it. God knew she almost wished Gunnar were here just so she could look pointedly at him. "As to Hatham and Perez, I don't spar with them so I can't really say. Mostly, given what I've seen in actual combat, expect them to use whatever comes to hand. Based on a few conversations over drinks, I know Hatham's father was particularly keen on teaching him that anything can be a weapon."

"That makes sense, and I agree with that sentiment. But for now I need to focus on just using a secondary weapon. Anything else that comes along will be a bonus." He briefly glanced away to examine himself. "The only one that really bothered me was the one on my arm, when I tried to deflect a bat'leth."

"Then you'll probably not to worry about his bent for improv for awhile," she remarked, moving on to the next deepest gash. "But you're likely to get cut up a bit until you learn to block. As you've seen, Romulan instruction is more like Klingon in that it involves fewer safeties and more consequences to drive the lessons home."

"So I have noticed. The lowering of the safeties did surprise me. I was told you are quite formidable yourself. Do you have any useful advice fore?"

"Well, I was trained by someone who was trained the Klingon way," she replied, mouth going a bit sideways. "So mostly, lose the habit of thinking that holodeck safeties mean you're safe."

"I shall remember that," he promised, "I should like to see your skill sometime. Another day, perhaps?"

"Once you've rested up," she replied. "Since I know you're going to be sore tomorrow. But I am interested in seeing how well you handle a weapon since I've wound up defending medbay from boarders more than once and it would be nice to have back up."

"I am qualified to use a phaser, and I have been training with traditional Vulcan weapons since I was about two. My sword, since I was about sixteen maybe? I remember my father presenting it to me but I do not recall what age I was, exactly."

"Better than half the medics I've served with," Nancy remarked tersely as she finished the worst of the cuts. "Though I'd also like to have you ready to help with casualties. We're likely to have more of those than anyone willing to talk to a counselor."

"I will be available whenever you need me doctor," he promised, her terse tone lost on him, "just roster me in and I will be happy to run a few shifts. I am qualified, as you know."

"I'm aware, and I will be having you work shifts," she replied as finished up. "The question is what experience do you have? A medical degree is one thing, actually working a MassCal during combat is another."

"I was chief medical officer in my last assignment. I had recently switched due to the prior chief being reassigned. Prior to that I have been acting chief medical officer in numerous occasions. The last time we actually had endured a massive attack which had resulted in a great many casualties. I will admit it was a little overwhelming especially as we were severely understaffed. NVeid was there too, during that crisis. All I can say is that I will do the best I am able to do, more I cannot promise."

Well, it was better than most counselors... "It can be overwhelming, but at least you have been through one. And if Nveid's voice prosthetic isn't working by then, you can assist him."

"It was very overwhelming," Savin admitted freely, "there were more wounded than sickbay could handle. I have no issue with assisting NVeid, if anything he can also be of assistance to me if necessary. I do hope for him it works out though, he deserves to have something go right for once."

"I do hope it works for him," Gable agreed. It would drive her crazy to not be able to perform surgery because of an issue like that. Of course, it would also be incredibly irritating to see a qualified surgeon sidelined in an emergency because of it. "Though I'll admit the reasons are partly selfish. If this goes the way so many of our missions have, we'll need every doctor able to work to their fullest."

"I understand. And if not Jerant or I will be able to help. I am not a surgeon but I can perform basic procedures if necessary. And I can learn anything you want me to expand on. What is the progress on his procedure?"

Nancy nodded. "Jerant can be his voice then." As long as Jerant didn't have any trouble with blood or observing surgery, but if he was with two doctors he should be okay. "At the moment, we're still waiting on our engineer to finalize the design."

"Let me know when that happens, I wish to be available for psychological support when the installation happens. I still do not understand how this surgery failed to remain successful. As far as I am aware, he did nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing strenuous that would endanger its function either."

There were a few possibilities Gable could think of, related either to compound issues from past trauma (though a good surgeon should have caught those) or his hybrid physiology. She knew all too well from her own and her family's that hybrids often had rare reactions and complications. "He's a hybrid, like me, and complications come with the territory. Sometimes hybrid vigor works in your favor, but just as often, medical science can't fully account for genetic oddity. The more rare the hybrid, the more unexpected complications can crop up simply because there's little prior data to lean on. And Romulan/Betazoid is very rare. I'm almost surprised Starfleet Medical didn't keep at HQ just for study."

"I remember the doctor in question, while extremely brilliant, also lacked experience," the counselor offered, "the decline was gradual, but was complete by the time we arrived here. It was extremely frustrating to him to have to use his PADD again." A look of sympathy passed across his features. "He deserves better," he finally said, "and I will support him no matter what."

Gable agreed that he deserved better, but couldn't help thinking that better would've meant not being sent to a colony where everyone would view him with suspicion and fear. It wasn't a topic to bring up again, however, so she simply nodded. "The device Mila's working on is primarily mechanical, and she's extremely good, so once it's working it should continue to work."

"Thant is good to hear." Savin nodded once in acknowledgement of the engineer's skill. "Meanwhile, while I am here is there anything I could assist with?"

Nancy looked around the currently quiet medbay. "Not at the moment. Though you should probably spend a little time familiarizing yourself with the equipment. It's not far off Starfleet, but there are enough differences and in the middle of an emergency is a bad time to discover them."

"I will get changed into proper attire and then I will join you," Savin agreed, "assuming you have completed healing my injuries." Which he still considered to be very minor.

"Yes, I'm finished," she confirmed, adding with a slight smile, "And yes, please change first."

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