Doppleganger "
By: Dr. James McIntyre , Medical Officer , [NPC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58206.19 1730

"Coffee, Jamaican blend, double strong, double sweet." Teilani ordered for the 4th time. She still couldn't believe it they had captured Birkhoff, but some how he was different. Less cocky then before.

Taking the mug from the replicator she went back to her desk and sat down. Browsing though pads and medical journals. Then the computer beeped indicating that the medical analysis was completed.

Curiously she opened the file. Now that was odd, she thought. The DNA was a 100% match, however, height and seize different slightly. External features were 100% match. " Wait what is this," Teilani mumbled. "That wasn't there the first time. The blood works showed that he had been exposed to tayonradiation, also a fracture in his left tibia. This can not be right!! She looked at the readings again, it wasn't him."

"James, get in here! "Teilani called out as she scouted main sickbay for her assistant.

James rolled his eyes as he heard Dane calling him. He casually shut of the microscope viewer and pushed the console button and supervised as the robotic mechanism emerged from the lid behind the scope and retrieved the sample he was viewing. He stood up and straightened out his lab coat as he emerged from the lab.

"I'm here," he said approaching his high strung and over-charged supervisor.

"Look at this and tell me you see the same. Would you say that if you compare those to records that it is one and the same person??

McIntyre took the padd and studied it. He shook his head, "Birkoff?"

"Well," he said from the stories I've heard of Birkoff, "most of these things a person could have done to be physically altered." He scanned further down the padd. He knew Dane would have ordered the one test that would be all telling: the T-Sig analysis.

The T-Sig was a signature code generated by the transporter system and used to verify any object previously beamed out and then beamed back. It used a complex parody bit checking algorithm to identify changes. It could even generalize for similar objects. It helped a transporter operator identify if a person contained in the pattern buffer were in possession of a weapon or had become infected with some sort of known biological agent which then enabled the biofilters to do its work.

These safety devices had been implemented when one of Star Fleet's most famous captains, Captain Kirk, found himself as two people after a freak transporter malfunction.

The use of transporter technology for medical applications was one of McIntyre's favorite subjects.

He shook his head, "...but this is definitely not the same man," he said reading as he found the report's t-sig summary.

"I thought so, dammit!!" Teilani pounded her fist on the desk, causing her mug with the now cold coffee to shatter on the floor.

McIntyre looked down and moved his foot from the path of coffee trickling slowly across the deck. His hand instinctively retrieved his medical tricorder which promptly scanned Dane.

"Doctor...."

"Yes!" Teilani said with an agitated voice as she browsed through the padd again.

"Ma'am, your central nervous system is extremely agitated." McIntyre studied the read-outs and continued his diagnosis. "the levels of stimulants in your blood is also very high. Blood pressure and pulse are..."

"Thats enough James, put that tricorder away. I'm not one of your patients." She said while starting to pace around.

Finally she stopped by the replicator. "Coffee, Jamaican blend, double strong, double sweet."

"You know, the brass will not like it, this outcome. I mean they all think we have apprehended the real Birkhoff. I guess I should send the report. But perhaps he could wait in the brig a bit longer."

"Teilanie...." said McIntyre with a tone of voice that a parent would use to scold a child.

He took a deep breath and leaned back a little. "Doctor Dane... I think you are a bit overworked... I mean, listen to yourself."

"James, I am perfectly fine," she replied while sipping the hot coffee. "There is a lot of work to be done, I have to file that report, also check on ensign Jones. You do know he had was injured by a plasma burn right." she said, then Teilani mumbled some other words..and managed to maskerade the shaking of her hands by putting them on the table.

"Trust me James, I am alright..., if it makes you feel better I will take a nap shortly."

He squinted at her, "a nap? you need a couple of weeks sleep! When was the last time you had a vacation?"

Carefully Teilani sipped her coffee. "It has been a while but there is too much to see. Besides if we reach QT I will have some days off. Remember there is that convention I wanted to go to."

"Yes, but somehow a seminar on Andorian endocrinology doesn't seem relaxing. Do you have any family to visit?"

"My family? Thats a whole different story James." Teilani said with a sigh. "This is not the time nor the place to talk about it."

James leaned back on the wall as Dane summoned a LMD unit which chimed the door just moments later. He regarded the little circular robotic device as it emitted a light blue laser light which traced the debris field left by Dane's accident as it scanned the floor.

"Are you sure you are alright Doctor?" McIntyre persisted.

Dane moved out of the way as the LMD dissolved away the replicated material which littered the floor. She looked with sad eyes at James.

"Trust me James I'm perfectly fine."

"I'm not so sure. Let me give you physical, just to be sure."

"If it eases your mind, ok." Teilani said with a chuckle. "Let me get some fresh coffee first."

"I'll be in the VIP exam room waiting for you," he said.

When Teilani returned, James motioned for her to hop up on the biobed. He proceeded to scan her.

He shook his head as he did the neural scan. Elevated levels of dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine as well as cortisol. All symptoms of extreme stress inducted syndrome.

James sighed. These days, there were so few things that medical science couldn't cure. Yet, things like this still plagued the modern man. He looked up at Dane... and woman.

He marked the report and continued to scan. Heart rate was fast, blood-pressure was slightly elevated. Digestive organs were normal, She wasn't pregnant, muscle and skeletal systems were fine.

He shook his head, "I'm concerned," he said, turning the padd around so she could see her report.

"There you see, all the readings are perfectly fine. Still within the normal parameters James."

He frowned. "you would never ignore a patient with these symptoms," he protested.

"James your a sweetheart but there are more important things to do then being concerned about me, now scoot, I got a report to file for the Capt'n." Teilani said as she hoped off the bed.

McIntyre squinted, "for now, but I want to recheck you in a week. If you manage to relax and cut back on the coffee, I'll let it go," he said.

"I will, I promise."