Irish Mocha and Jamaican Blend "
By: Dr. James McIntyre , Doctor , [NPC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.29 1800

Dr. McIntyre stood at the foot of a bio bed making notations. It was the last patient in his rounds. "Your doing very well Ensign, in fact, we're going to let you out this afternoon," he said looking up, "You'll need to rest in your quarters though." With a nod and a wink to his patient, he handed the attending nurse the padd and headed toward his office. He was ready for his Irish Mocha, but then remembered Dane's offer.

He changed course halfway across the floor and came up to Dane's door. It was open but he paused at the door way and rapped softly on the wall as a polite gesture, even though Dane saw him coming.

"I just finished up my rounds, I thought I would come and see if that olive branch has grown," he said with a wink.

Teilani smiled. "Well lets see if it has, come on in."

He came in and looked around. "you know, every time I come in here," he said, "I can't get over how big this office is... and you have decorated it very nicely," he added.

"Thanks, its the colours you know, I like yellow." Teilani walked over to the planet and scanned it. "It has grown 0.002 millimeter in the last hour."

He laughed because he knew that Dane was joking, after all, it came from the replicator.

"Coffee," she asked. "What kind?"

"I thought I would try that Jamaican blend you were bragging about."

"Ah you will not be sorry. She placed the tricorder in her pocket and walked towards the replicator. "2 coffee, Jamaican blend, double strong, double sweet. 1 small can of cream."

In an instance the mugs appeared and inhaling the fresh, well as long as you could call replicated coffee fresh, fragrance Teilani took the mugs and handed one to McIntyre.

He took the mug and let it warm his palms. He smiled at the coffee's armoma, "indeed," he said with a pleasant smile.

He took a sip and and asked, Dane, "So, where did you study? Terran system?"

Teilani nodded. "Yes good old starfleet medical. Who did you have for xenobiology? I had old turtleneck, or better yet Professor Innes."

McIntyre rolled his eyes, "oh, my yes... Innes, How I've tried to forget," he said with a chuckle, "He had this stuffed denebian slime devil and one night we..." he bit his lip, "oh, geeze, never mind, " he said with a wink.

Teilani grinned. "Don't tell me that you were one of the culprits who released the beastie!!"

"well, I won't say how it got into the bathroom," he said as a smile split his face.

"Oh my goodness our whole dorm was in panic!! It was hilarious." Teilani now laughed outloud.

"Its obvious, some have never seen one alive," replied McIntyre.

"Say, what year did you graduate then?"

Teilani smiled. "That would have been,hmmm 2375

"Of course, I graduated 2 years later," he said.

"Who did you have for antropology?"

"I honestly don't remember," he said trying to recall. "I was bored to death. It wasn't the subject it was the professor, uhm.. short round man, wore facial hair...."

"Oh wait, I know who you mean....... Oh what was his name,.... big beard, looked like a bear. Wait I know... Doctor Tha'dan.

McIntyre snapped his fingers, "yes! that's him."

"I was scared to death of him in the first semester. So imposing!!" Teilani grinned as she sipped her last coffee.

McIntyre chuckled.

"Well what you think of it?"

"Well, I wasn't scared..."

"From the coffee I mean." she said with a grin.

McIntyre peered into the nearly empty mug. "Its a real pick me up."

She leaned back in her chair. "Now some thing more serious. When we engaged the other ships there was some hesitation amongst the staff did you notice?"

"I guess amoung some of the nurses, but .... war is never easy."

"No it is not, but it caused a lapse in response time. I don't want to put them through training just now but do you have any idea to avoid it?"

"Well," said McIntyre, "when I interned, the attending was a great doctor. Uhm, Dr. Collins.... well, he had unique bedside manners. I found I had innately the same skills, I just needed to learn to use them." He shifted in his chair a little, "Its hard to explain," he continued, "but when you are working with nurses and medics, and the moment is tense, everyone is looking at you. They're following your cues. If you breath stress, they inhale it. If you make the best of it, so will they."

He swiveled he chair enough to look out into the sickbay at several nurses tending to patients. "You see your staff out there?" he said taking a sip of coffee, not really expecting Dane to answer, "They're out there, not because they have to be, but because they want to be."

He looked at Dane over his shoulders, "They choose to be nurses and medics, just as you choose to be a doctor... you have to nurture that, and at the same time be their glue when everything else seems to be coming apart."

"No wonder I feel so sticky sometimes but I guess I know what you mean. They did a perfect job despite the first hesitation. Sometimes I wonder if I am not too hard on them."

"That's not to say you shouldn't challenge them to do better or be lack on discipline."

Teilani smiled. " Your right of course. More coffee??"

McIntyre smiled, "Sure, why not?"