Dr. Majel, the STAR KOBOL’s chief medical officer, entered the commander’s quarters unannounced.
“I don’t care of you are the ship’s commanding officer. When it comes to your helath you’ll follow MY orders.”
Phoenix put down her writing stylus and looked up at the woman standing before her desk. Majel looked to be in a huff, but it was early in the morning and the Commander hadn’t even finished her first cup of kaffa yet so the snark level was hardly under control.
“Are we having hormonal problems today, Doctor?”
“My hormonal levels or any other mood altered mental, emotional or physical levels are none of your business, however according to the Colonial Warrior’s guidelines for health especially as pertaining to the command ranks IS mine.”
“I’ve never heard you utter so many words at this early centar of the morning, Majel. Who pulled your tail?”
“You did,” came the unamused reply. The doctor set a glass of vile looking opaque liquid on the desk next to the reports the younger woman had been reviewing. “Drink it!”
“You never did waste time getting to the point, Doctor. Before I willingly commit suicide do you mind telling me which one of your probably illegal and definitely toxic brews I’m poisioning myself with this time?”
“Hight protein nutrient. The same thing I had to force down your throat for two days after we learned of the Fifth Fleet’s destruction at Molikey,” Majel returned.
Phoenix inhaled deeply and her body went tought at the mention of the disaster. While the memories were hazy, the feelings associated with that event ran so deep that to this day almost two yahrens later it still troubled her to think about.
“Majel realized that she’d unintentionally triggered bad feelings with her mere mention of the doomed fleet. “You’ve lost six point eight kilograms in the past two sectons because from what I’ve heard you’ve been too busy to eat.”
“Majel, you damned well know I can’t ‘eat’, and you know why.”
“Oh I will never be able to forget I’m treating the only person in recorded medical history of surviving Doromine poisoning. I didn’t like the way your case was shoved onto me back then or the fact that I was not allowed to ask any questions that could have helped me understand HOW you came to injest the poison of a supposedly extinct flower in the first place so I better treat you.”
“You know why you weren’t told the details surrounding my condition.”
Majel held up one hand in a dismissive gesture.
“I know. Military Security I was told. Colonial Secret Service classified. It’s all a bunch of feldergarb. I’ve been thinking about it since the destruction of our worlds and I’ve come to toe conclusion that unless we find any survivors who actually issued me that order I am hereby released from any and all threats made against me by said branch of the now deceased secret governmental cabal you used to work for. May they all rot in Hades. Now drink your meal before I have security drag you down to Life Center and feed you through a tube again.”
Memories of the vile concoction came flooding back to Phoenix with an almost tangent churning of her stomach. Whatever sick sadist created the formula for the nutrient rich drink must have also gotten their kicks out of dissecting live crawlons.
“You’re scanties really ARE in a bunch this morning.”
“You can leave my scanties out of this, too. Drink up.”
Raising the glass to her lips. Phoenix sniffed it, fearing it might smell as bad as it looked. This concoction was not her normal nutrient formula packed with all the daily essential vitamins and minerals that Majel had sent to her quarters three times a day. This was the super formula that was packed with everything a sick or injured person was given in the event they were unable or unwilling to eat solid foods. In Phoenix’s case solid food was out of the question. When injested Doromine poison literally ate a person from the inside out. The effects were immediate and always deadly if not diagnosed and treated within a few short centars. Most never made it to medical facilities before expiring from the shock of their internal organs being eaten alive. By the time she was able to leave the medical facility under her own power Phoenix was left with a partial stomach and damage to nearby internal organs. It was only the quick actions of her then partner and former training officer that had saved her life. Her career as an active status agent for the Colonial Secret Service was over.
She looked up over the rim of the glass to see the doctor frown. Bracing herself, she decided that cannonballing the stuff was probably the best way to deal with the brew and satisfy the doctor.
It was around the third gulp that the woman realized thewre was no dusty chalk coating her mouth and tongue. Surprisingly enough, its taste was very similar to a sweet, malted dairy product she hadn’t had since she was a teenager.
“That’s… almost good,” she said, wiping a drop of the liquid from the corner of her mouth with a thumb. “That is NOT the same drink.”
Majel nodded, smiling.
“Yes it is. Well, almost. I did tweak the formula around a bit after I myself had to drink it when I contracted the flu about four months ago. It’s not perfect yet, but I’m working on it. Are you finished yet?”
Phoenix drained the glass and handed it back.
You know you are one big pain in the astrobes, doctor.”
“Just be thankful I’m not a pun filed proctologist.”
Phoenix grimaced and pointed to the door.
“On that note you can leave, doctor. I have work to do that’s less agrivating than you are.”
Majel forced a small chuckle as she turned towards the door.
“Funny.”
“Oh, and I’ll need that report from your department before the end of the day.”
“I’ll send it up later this afternoon. I still haven’t milked every last one of our warriors of their blood yet. Which reminds me, we haven’t gotten out fangs into you either.”
“I’ve been busy,” the redhead replied, dropping another report file onto the large pile of papers that threatened to flow over a good portion of the carpet behind her desk. The only reason it stayed upright for the centon was the box and the wall bracing it in support. “I don’t get much sleep because of all this.”
no subject
“I don’t care of you are the ship’s commanding officer. When it comes to your helath you’ll follow MY orders.”
Phoenix put down her writing stylus and looked up at the woman standing before her desk. Majel looked to be in a huff, but it was early in the morning and the Commander hadn’t even finished her first cup of kaffa yet so the snark level was hardly under control.
“Are we having hormonal problems today, Doctor?”
“My hormonal levels or any other mood altered mental, emotional or physical levels are none of your business, however according to the Colonial Warrior’s guidelines for health especially as pertaining to the command ranks IS mine.”
“I’ve never heard you utter so many words at this early centar of the morning, Majel. Who pulled your tail?”
“You did,” came the unamused reply. The doctor set a glass of vile looking opaque liquid on the desk next to the reports the younger woman had been reviewing. “Drink it!”
“You never did waste time getting to the point, Doctor. Before I willingly commit suicide do you mind telling me which one of your probably illegal and definitely toxic brews I’m poisioning myself with this time?”
“Hight protein nutrient. The same thing I had to force down your throat for two days after we learned of the Fifth Fleet’s destruction at Molikey,” Majel returned.
Phoenix inhaled deeply and her body went tought at the mention of the disaster. While the memories were hazy, the feelings associated with that event ran so deep that to this day almost two yahrens later it still troubled her to think about.
“Majel realized that she’d unintentionally triggered bad feelings with her mere mention of the doomed fleet. “You’ve lost six point eight kilograms in the past two sectons because from what I’ve heard you’ve been too busy to eat.”
“Majel, you damned well know I can’t ‘eat’, and you know why.”
“Oh I will never be able to forget I’m treating the only person in recorded medical history of surviving Doromine poisoning. I didn’t like the way your case was shoved onto me back then or the fact that I was not allowed to ask any questions that could have helped me understand HOW you came to injest the poison of a supposedly extinct flower in the first place so I better treat you.”
“You know why you weren’t told the details surrounding my condition.”
Majel held up one hand in a dismissive gesture.
“I know. Military Security I was told. Colonial Secret Service classified. It’s all a bunch of feldergarb. I’ve been thinking about it since the destruction of our worlds and I’ve come to toe conclusion that unless we find any survivors who actually issued me that order I am hereby released from any and all threats made against me by said branch of the now deceased secret governmental cabal you used to work for. May they all rot in Hades. Now drink your meal before I have security drag you down to Life Center and feed you through a tube again.”
Memories of the vile concoction came flooding back to Phoenix with an almost tangent churning of her stomach. Whatever sick sadist created the formula for the nutrient rich drink must have also gotten their kicks out of dissecting live crawlons.
“You’re scanties really ARE in a bunch this morning.”
“You can leave my scanties out of this, too. Drink up.”
Raising the glass to her lips. Phoenix sniffed it, fearing it might smell as bad as it looked. This concoction was not her normal nutrient formula packed with all the daily essential vitamins and minerals that Majel had sent to her quarters three times a day. This was the super formula that was packed with everything a sick or injured person was given in the event they were unable or unwilling to eat solid foods. In Phoenix’s case solid food was out of the question. When injested Doromine poison literally ate a person from the inside out. The effects were immediate and always deadly if not diagnosed and treated within a few short centars. Most never made it to medical facilities before expiring from the shock of their internal organs being eaten alive. By the time she was able to leave the medical facility under her own power Phoenix was left with a partial stomach and damage to nearby internal organs. It was only the quick actions of her then partner and former training officer that had saved her life. Her career as an active status agent for the Colonial Secret Service was over.
She looked up over the rim of the glass to see the doctor frown. Bracing herself, she decided that cannonballing the stuff was probably the best way to deal with the brew and satisfy the doctor.
It was around the third gulp that the woman realized thewre was no dusty chalk coating her mouth and tongue. Surprisingly enough, its taste was very similar to a sweet, malted dairy product she hadn’t had since she was a teenager.
“That’s… almost good,” she said, wiping a drop of the liquid from the corner of her mouth with a thumb. “That is NOT the same drink.”
Majel nodded, smiling.
“Yes it is. Well, almost. I did tweak the formula around a bit after I myself had to drink it when I contracted the flu about four months ago. It’s not perfect yet, but I’m working on it. Are you finished yet?”
Phoenix drained the glass and handed it back.
You know you are one big pain in the astrobes, doctor.”
“Just be thankful I’m not a pun filed proctologist.”
Phoenix grimaced and pointed to the door.
“On that note you can leave, doctor. I have work to do that’s less agrivating than you are.”
Majel forced a small chuckle as she turned towards the door.
“Funny.”
“Oh, and I’ll need that report from your department before the end of the day.”
“I’ll send it up later this afternoon. I still haven’t milked every last one of our warriors of their blood yet. Which reminds me, we haven’t gotten out fangs into you either.”
“I’ve been busy,” the redhead replied, dropping another report file onto the large pile of papers that threatened to flow over a good portion of the carpet behind her desk. The only reason it stayed upright for the centon was the box and the wall bracing it in support. “I don’t get much sleep because of all this.”