Posted Sept. 20, 2020, 5:39 p.m. by Commander Brad Walker (Chief Of Staff/Second Officer) (Brandon Irvine)
Posted by Lieutenant Alexis Bonner (Assistant Chief Medical Officer) in pre-sim Bonner checks in with Walker
Posted by Commander Brad Walker (Chief Of Staff/Second Officer) in pre-sim Bonner checks in with Walker
<snip>He fixed her a look. “First and foremost, while the first word in your job title is ‘Assistant’, I want you focused on the second, which is ‘Chief’. You’re learning how to be a supervisor and manager here, the basics of commanding a top-tier medical department; whether that’s on board another hospital ship in the future, a station’s Infirmary or even a planetary installation. I’ll be giving you opportunities to learn things it took me the better part of a decade to pick up, and thought it may seem like I’m expecting you to sink or swim, even failure can teach a lesson.”
Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of StaffAlexis took in his words and smiled. “I am happy to hear you say that Cmdr. I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m not afraid of failure. It can chafe to not always get things right, especially in medicine when it affects someone else’s life and well being, but I never make the same mistake twice.”
Lt. Bonner, AMO“That’s equally good to hear, although I’d imagine you wouldn’t have advanced as quick as you have if you weren’t devastatingly competent.”
Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of StaffAlexis actually liked that wording, devastatingly competent. She was, and she knew it. “Thank you Cmdr. I hope to live up to my reputation.” Of course she had no doubt she would. She’d worked hard to get to where she was and to earn her spot on Ogawa. She intended to prove she deserved to keep it. But unlike her previous assignment keeping this position does not rely on her amazing set of medical skills, but her ability to work and lead others. And the biggest group she had led to date was a surgical team. She’d never trained for command, in any capacity and she knew there would be a strict learning curve that she would have to scale quickly. “Any immediate advice, Cmdr?”
Lt. Bonner, AMO“Stand your ground once you make a decision,” Brad said. “Some of our staff like to argue, if an instruction isn’t specifically to their liking.” He was obliquely referring to Marshall and Jarvis, here, but he figured she was bright enough to pick up on that. “Some of them are equal in rank to you, some are junior, but they all have a doctor’s ego and don’t like being told ‘no.’ If you give an order, stand firm and don’t countermand yourself. The only one in our department who can countermand you is me.”
Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of StaffAlexis chuckled, “No problem there, Cmdr. I haven’t met a brick wall yet, that could stand up to me.” She’d actually had a professor write that about her once, and she’d found it immensely accurate and funny. The problem with being a child prodigy was she was always right. Well 98% of the time. And it had been a long time since she was wrong. “My last CMO worked hard with me to curb my tendency to jump to an answer, a diagnosis, and to double check myself. He worked with me on listening to other experts on board. It had been a hard lesson to learn, but I had learned the value of it. I intend to make good use of that lesson while I’m here.” Alexis examined everything, even her own habits and behaviors from an intellectual point of view. And, well Alexis, was a stubborn as any room full of stodgy old doctors from a teaching hospital.
Lt. Bonner, AMO“Good,” Brad replied. “And at the same time, I’m going to issue you a caution about some of the expert opinion you’ll receive here. From the aforementioned Dr. Jarvis in particular. He’s an expert in cardiology, but while the information he gives you may be technically correct, there may be a whole host of moral, ethical and even legal issues in implementing any advice he offers.”
Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff
Even the One He Wishes Was Not On His StaffThis was the 3rd time Dr. Walker had mentioned Dr. Jarvis. “Cmdr. if he’s such a problem, why is he here? Why is he still being allowed to practice medicine? Should he have a psychiatric evaluation done to see if he is fit to work? He might be brilliant but if he’s not safe....” She let the question trail off. So far nothing that had been said about this man made her want to work or even consult with him. And if it wasn’t moral, legal, or ethical how could she in good conscious let him around patients.
Lt. Bonner, AMO“He’s here over the objections of both myself and Captain Taylor. He was in prison for illegal experimentation, and some moron of a counselor got convinced he was rehabilitated and deserved a second chance, and got him released on the condition he join Starfleet. The Admiralty looked at his qualifications and assigned him to the Ogawa. He is not allowed to perform any procedure, no matter how mundane, without supervision, and that’s as restrictive as I can be without being hauled before the brass for insubordination,” Brad explained with a grimace.
Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of StaffThe more Walker talked the wider Alexis’ eyes got. illegal experimentation, prison? How did the man have a license after that. “What kind of counselor would approve him to work with people? Did they alter is memory? But in some kind of positronic system to control his morals and ethics? Does the crew know this? I mean they should know if a doctor isn’t fit to see them?” Alexis was young, and her moral compass wasn’t happy with this, but then the logistics kicked in. “So his duty shift needs to be carefully scheduled. Is there anyone I should or should not put him with? Maybe it would be better to put him on my shift. I’m assuming he’s not allowed access to the labs either?” And this would be the first time she’s actually been faced with the fact that the brass isn’t as competent as the Academy would have you believe.
Lt. Bonner, AMO
“Keep him away from Dr. Marshall whenever possible. Which is problematic, because Jarvis is also a surgeon and Dr. Marshall is our Head of Surgery,” Brad said. “I had to dress them both down in my office a few months back because they couldn’t stop needling each other. As far as how Jarvis still has his license, and how he conned Commander Pope into certifying him for service, I have no idea. There are parts of his file I can’t even access. He is allowed in the labs, again, under supervision. I actually had to have him in a Medlab with me our last mission to do a heart replacement. Terrifying inclinations, but technically perfect.”
He gave a small shudder as he remembered Jarvis’ request to preserve Ens. Hart’s shredded heart in formaldehyde, of all things. “I’ve mostly had him doing busywork. He’s only seen patients when I had no other options available.”
Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff
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