Doctor Standish, I Presume?

Posted on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 @ 8:07pm by Lieutenant Commander Kim Standish & Lieutenant Commander Curh Thyvn

Mission: Prelude: The Gathering
Location: USS Proxima: Sickbay
Timeline: Mission Day 2 at 1000

[FEDERATION STARSHIP PROXIMA]
[SICKBAY]
[DAY 2 1000 HRS]

Curh stepped through the doors as they slid open and entered the sickbay. He had been down in engineering working on the impulse injectors before having been pulled from his work to get a physical. He hated being pulled from his work, having finally gotten his hands dirty after being idle for so long, but he understood the necessity of the requirement. Plus, he was due for his yearly anyhow. He scanned the room before spotting the Chief Medical Officer. He was still trying to put names to faces with his fellow officers.

"Dr. Standish," Curh asked, his antenna reacting to convey his greeting, "Lieutenant Commander Thyvn."

Kim was just lifting a fresh cup of black coffee to her lips when Curh approached and introduced himself. Comically her mouth was poised just within reach of the mug, though her lips hadn't quite made the rim. The look she gave the Andorian was half surprise and half irritation at being interrupted mid-sip. She continued the movement of her mug, taking a long draught of the hot liquid before lowering it and nodding her affirmation while she swallowed.

"Commander," she said in greeting, swallowing quickly as she stuck her free hand out to shake. She eyed the Andorian with curiosity, eyes starting at the tips of his antennae and working their way down in a sort of awkward professional catalog. "It's god to see you again. I think I mentioned this morning, but you're the first Andorian I've evaluated in a while," she commented at the look on his face. "Don't worry. I'm perfectly qualified. Biobed 6 if you would." She pointed in the direction of the bed and then disappeared into her office with her coffee.

"My apologies for interrupting your coffee," Curh said as he shook her proffered hand before giving her a slightly wary look. His antenna reacted by moving erect in surprise, yet he did as she instructed. He stepped over to the indicated biobed. As he did so, he unfastened his uniform coat and removed it and laid it on the adjacent bed. Taking a seat, he noted the display react instantly by displaying his vital signs. "If you don't mind me asking, when is the last time you screened an Andorian Doctor," he asked when she returned.

Kim returned sans coffee mug having shotgunned the rest of the liquid before setting the mug on her desk. Her tongue protested the slightly too warm liquid, but otherwise she considered it a success.

"Oh, sometime in the last 6 months I am sure. We had Andorians serving on my last posting. I just didn't always get to do the evaluation. Your genetics are fascinating," she elaborated. "I assure you I shall be entirely professional though." As she spoke she had already moved into action pulling his record up on his device.

"Any complaints I should be aware of before we start?" She asked.

"No, nothing new doctor," he said as he sat on the biobed and watched her. For human females, Curh had to admit she was beautiful, but his nervousness was due more to her being a doctor than anything else. "My previous physician on the Shiloh told me I had been one of the first Andorian patients he had had. That was an experience I'd rather like to forget," he said as the doctor placed her PADD aside and approached him.

"Dr. Travertine?" Kim asked, digging that random connection from the recesses of her brain somewhere. "His bedside manner did always need some work." As she spoke she had switched from the PADD to her medical tricorder, running the device up one side of the Andorian and down the other. "Although we all have a first with every species; even our own."

She shrugged lightly, looking up and noting the twitch of Curh's antennae as she spoke. They'd shifted back slightly not exactly lying along his hair, but not upright and attentive. She glanced back down to his face, eyebrows creeping up slightly. "I don't bite Commander," she said with a flick of her eyes back to his antennae.

Curh shifted a little uneasily whilst avoiding her gaze. He hadn't realized that his antenna had reacted to her tricorder. It was something he subconsciously did when being examined. He knew it wasn't a rational response since she was a medical professional, but he'd been so used to it all his life. "My apologies, these kinds of procedures always make me uncomfortable considering my antenna length," he said before trailing off. While he could disguise it well, one of his antennae was shorter than the other. While it may seem like a non-issue, in Andorian culture it was a sort of stigma.

"Their length?" Kim asked. The question was conversational, curious, but not meant to press should he prefer not to clarify. She continued her examination as she spoke, setting the tricorder aside and then pointing at a display of letters in increasingly smaller sizes across from the biobed. "Read the smallest row you can see out loud please."

Curh looked at the image the doctor had indicated. He chose the smallest line he could read, which was one of the smallest rows, and began repeating the letters, "E, G P, M, C, X, B, Y," he said as he watched Kim take notes. "I'm sure it's noted in my medical history that my left antenna is shorter than the right one," he said answering her question. "It's nothing serious, but to an Andorian our antenna length is a sensitive issue," he said with a slight pause, "When I was growing up I had to disguise it. My parents said it could tarnish my father's...image..."

The Cerean made a face before she could catch herself, but she did so quickly, schooling her features before looking up from her notes. "Every species has a standard of beauty and for so many honor and image gets attached to it. I've never truly understood it and besides," here she stopped to actually examine the man's antennae with more than a passing glance. "The fact doesn't appear to be visibly noticeably. They're different by... what... a few microns?"

Her eyes dropped for a moment, offering the Andorian on the biobed a reassuring smile. "Beyond social and aesthetic norms has the difference caused you any physical difficulty? Movement for both is unaffected I assume?"

Curh gave her an upraised eyebrow as his antenna took on a curious posture. He shook his head in response to her question, "No, they are perfectly functional with no issues to report. If you'd like I could school you in the various societal taboos of my people regarding our antenna," he said before he stopped himself and looking away from her. He knew his antenna were showing his embarrassment at being so forward with her. "On second thought, that discussion would take more time than you possibly have in this physical, Doctor," he said attempting to shift the conversation along.

"Arms straight out from your sides, parallel to the floor please," Kim said, not missing a beat. "I am going to put pressure on your arms. Don't let me push them down." Giving him only long enough to confirm he heard she stepped closer placing her hands palm down on his biceps and pressing gently, but firmly, downward.

"You know you could always school me some other time Mr. Thyvn." She released his arms as she said it, a small smirk settling on her features as she used the term he had chosen. "Arms straight over your head as if you are pointing at the ceiling. Don't let me pull them apart."

Curh did as she said, his arms stretched over his head as he avoided her eyes. There was something about her that made him nervous, and it wasn't just her being a doctor. He had noticed this feeling earlier when they had first met. As she stepped closer to him, his antenna twitched slightly revealing his interest in her invitation. "That would be," he said before clearing his throat and continuing, "a pleasure....doctor." He resisted her as she pulled at his arms, her touch making his antenna stand straighter.

If Kim noticed the shifts in the Andorian's antennae she didn't comment. Instead she stepped back and to the side, picking up her PADD to make some notes. Curh was still sitting, now somewhat awkwardly, on the side of the biobed as she made notes and when she put the PADD back down he was watching her with something that seemed like curiosity to the red haired Cerean. "You pick the time and place and I'll be there ready to be schooled," she informed him, picking up on the conversation as if there hadn't just been an awkward pause. "If you could stand and walk from here to there for me please." She pointed to a spot across the sickbay.

Curh gave a slight nod as he stood and walked in the direction indicated by Kim. He tried to do so normally, but he couldn't shake the awkwardness of his movements. Upon reaching the spot, he turned to face Kim who was staring at him with a sort of bemused look on her face. "Umm," he said before pausing, "I've been told I have excellent posture." He tried to give her a relaxed and confident smile, but his antenna betrayed his anxiousness. "And I'll be sure to let you know, though it may be sometime after we depart. I promised the captain I'd have the ship ready on schedule," he said continuing their previous conversation whilst waiting for his next instructions.

It was difficult to keep a straight face, even for someone as practiced at the neutral doctor's visage necessary for moments like this as Kim was. "That's fine," she said, acknowledging his comment about the now theoretical get together they were discussing. She was curious if he actually would follow through and pick a time or if he'd happily dispense with ever needing to speak to her again. She was certain he was nervous around her now, but couldn't think of much reason to be beyond the usual nerves folks got around medical practitioners. "And that test isn't about posture," she commented before adding. "You can come back and sit on the biobed again."

He did as she instructed, sitting back on the biobed. He thought for a moment before looking back at her as she scribbled out notes on her PADD. "I think I should have some time, tomorrow, around 1900hrs," he asked his antenna perking up as he waited for her response to his question.

Eyebrows lifting slightly Kim darted a glance at the Andorian sitting next to her. "Oh?" she said simply. "I'm certain I can be free at that time. Do you have someplace specific in mind or should I ask the ship to advise me where you are at when we get to 1900 tomorrow?" She asked the entire question deadpan, the dryness of her humor hopefully not entirely lost on the man. She was surprised, after he had said he didn't think he'd have time any time soon, at the quick change. More nerves she assumed. Perhaps learning the ins and outs of Andorian societal views on antennae outside of Sickbay would give her a chance to push on why.

"No, no," Curh said quickly before recovering, "How does the officer's mess sound?" He waited tentatively for her response as his antenna twitched slightly in anticipation.

Without skipping a beat in her notes the Cerean doctor nodded. "Officer's Mess at 1900. I'll be there with bells on."

Curh was in the process of putting his uniform coat back on, but he paused briefly and looked at the doctor with a curious expression. His antenna were poised expectantly as he asked, "'Bells on'? Forgive me, but I've never heard that phrase."

This did cause Standish to look up and frown slightly. "Apologies. It's a human idiom. It means..." here her cheeks colored ever so slightly. It was one thing to say the phrase another to explain. "It's used to convey eagerness or enthusiasm. I, umm, will look forward to our... meeting."

She hadn't been sure what else to call it. They were, ostensibly, meeting in the crew's mess to discuss Andorian cultural mores surrounding antennae length. It wasn't work, per se, but it was a very specific task. Then again, humans often came up with specific tasks as an excuse to spend time with someone and get to know them. She wondered if Andorians did the same or if Curh really did simply intend to educate her on the topic.

Curh's antennae twitched slightly, but he offered a small smile and nod. "Of course, Doctor. I will look forward to it as well," he said as he finished buckling his uniform belt and began fastening the flap to his shoulder tab. "Is there anything else you require for my physical," he asked his antennae shifting expectantly.

Standish had already turned back to her notes and was just closing the engineer's file at his question. "Nope. I've got everything I need and you can now avoid visiting Sickbay again until your next physical is due. She shot him a wry grin, amused at her own commentary.

With another nod he made his way towards the exit. His mind was reeling from the interaction. There was something about Kim that made him feel slightly nervous, but he couldn't put his finger on it. She was attractive, but she was a colleague and fellow senior officer. As he made his way though the entrance doors he pause in the passage way to contemplate his feelings. Curh was one to keep his personal and professional lives separate, but then again he'd never really pursued another woman, much less a human. He decided to go in to this evening with an open mind, for all he knew she was genuinely curious about his culture.

One of the many things one learned as a doctor was how not to appear to stare as a patient left the room, so Kim didn't wait for Curh's exit before making her way back toward her office. With a huff of air she flopped back into her chair, pulling up on her personal console the next appointment for review. There would be plenty of time to consider her new acquaintance off duty, so she put her upcoming schooling to the back of her mind and focused on the next set of information on her screen.