Posted by Ensign Nala Winters (Science Officer) in Snow Leopard at midnight ( Open to all) (ATTN CMO)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Natasha Knight (Chief Medical Officer) in Snow Leopard at midnight ( Open to all) (ATTN CMO)

Posted by 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea (Security Officer) in Snow Leopard at midnight ( Open to all) (ATTN CMO)
Posted by… suppressed (24) by the Post Ghost! 👻

((OOC: This is a collaborative effort between Christina and myself))

Eghimea spotted the furry alien walking into her cargo bay and let out a soft and near silent sigh. She knew Ensign Nala Winters all too well. Nala had become a close friend to Marusaya, Eghimea’s Orion roommate. Marusaya, or Maru as she preferred to be called, was the leader of a group of yakking females that Eghimea had named, the Science Girls Gala. These pests would infest her room on a near daily basis going on about this or that.

They talked about relationships, rumors, and even events happening halfway across the quadrant. Eghimea was sure that if she desired, she could learn anything and everything going on across the Saracen simply by ease dropping on their conversations. Luckily, the Gala would be meeting around the time Eghimea was waking up and getting ready to leave the room. So Eghimea’s exposure to them was limited.

Eghimea didn’t need to check her datapad, she knew why Ensign Winters was here. She wanted to address the matter right away, but she had to finish checking in the last of the cargo being offloaded by the Gun Ho. As she continued her task, she watched from the corner of her eyes as the strange woman paced like a cornered animal.

She had wanted months for this a Snow leopard cub was on his way here in the very next transport. She was over the moon excited she had spent months getting the proper paperwork and permits together for the animal. Today was the day. She paced in the cargo bay wanting Anxiously for the transport to arrive.

” Would he be ok?” She thought then her mind wondered about his name. Given the hour of his arrival midnight seemed fitting. Though she had not decided. Her claws could be heard against the deck plating rarely did she ever wear shoes. Her feet just we’re not made for them. Her tail wiped back and forth and her ears were pinned against her head. Her movement showing more and more patients with every step.
Ensign Nala.

Once the last of the cargo was properly checked in and there were no threats to the ship or personnel, she gave the final all clear to the Deck Master. Who, with a heavy frustrated sigh, started to have the remaining cargo on the shuttle off loaded.

With a hidden smile of a job well done, she turned and approached the Caitian female. “Ensign Winters,” Eghimea said calmly and with a flat tone. She offered no hand or nod. Instead, her posture was perfectly rigid as she stood there before the furry alien. “I am Second Lieutenant Laju Eghimea,” she said formally introducing herself. “It is my duty tonight to check in all cargo that is moving through this bay,” she explained.

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

Nala had caught sight of Eghimea a few times but did not pay her much mind until she started to approach. She carefully looked over her paperwork one more time just to be safe. She remembered Maru saying she was OCD. She did not want any reason for the snow leopard to be held up here for longer then necessary. It was best for the animal to get him in his new home quickly.

She looked up again when Eghimea addressed her. ” I can see that. How is your shift going?” She said with a bright smile. The movement of her tail and the way her ears laid slightly back showed her unease.

Eghimea watched the movements of the tail with curious eyes. Being able to experience so many different alien races aboard the Saracen was something that she wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or curse. Noting that the Ensign was nervous, she decided not to address the question. Instead, she would keep the encounter professional.

” I assume you wish to see my paperwork for the Snow leopard” she asked talking a more confident tone.
Ensign Luna

With a nod, she held out her hand, “that would be a good place to begin. Allow us to start with your documentation.” As normally, her voice was calm and her tone flat. Her movement was sharp and clear. She made no effort to soften her voice or her demeanor.

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

There was a twitch in Nala’s left ear. The movement of her tail shifting becoming faster and in a way sharp like the first of a earh cat’s warnings. ” I can hear far better then you and the hour is late for me. Could you lower your voice just a bit please Ma’am” She said gently as she handed the pad over. She she took a step back as she waited for Eghimea to go over the paper work.

Eghimea heard the request and was caught slightly off guard by it. ‘Was the hearing of this alien so much better that even normal conversation tones were too loud for her,’ she pondered. She concluded that it was something worthwhile to research at a later date. In the meantime, she chose not to do further harm to this strange creature, so she remained silent.

A clump of hair on her Hand caught her attention. She took a comb from her pocket. She carefully occupied herself fixing the fur and forcing it to lay flat and neat again. Once the comb was put away she looked back to Eghimea. A sound from the unloading of transport caught her attention briefly. Her ears moved like radar dishes to pinpoint and identify the sound before she returned her attention. To the Bajoran once more. Still patiently waiting for her.
Ensign Nala

As Ensign Nala’s appendages moved about, Eghimea caught the motion from the edges of her eyes. She refused to allow herself to be so easily distracted from her duties. ‘I am not surprised she carries a comb,’ she mocked in her own thoughts. ‘Though if she started to lick her fur, I would have called Doctor Knight down here,’ she added.

After triple checking the documentation, she brought her eyes back to the alien before her. “I am surprised that your documentation is all in order,” Eghimea said in her normal calm and flat tone. “I mean, considering the complexity of what you are trying to do,” she added. She had seen so many attempts to bring animals aboard and so many failed to follow the proper protocols.

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

” This has been months in the making. I also had my father’s help and some of my friends” Nala said a bit excitedly. She knew dam well that rules could not be broken when Eghimea was on duty and it was simply best to avoid the need to fix the paperwork. Especially when she had months to make sure it was right.

Eghimea raised an eyebrow at the statement and then gave a soft nod of acceptance, “I am glad you sought help to ensure that your documentation was correct.”

” Have you ever seen a snow leopard? The cubs are ridiculously cute. The adults are stunning there’s no cat quite like them.” Nala said in a whisper. Despite her whispering, a slight purr could be heard in her voice.
Ensign Nala

“Ensign, I am sure that these qualities are appealing to someone like you,” she said calmly. “However, you cannot have your animal. Starbase 38, which your animal passed through, has reported multiple cases of Mugarian Feline disease. Due to this, your animal as well as any other cargo that passed through this facility must be quarantined and cleared before allowing it aboard,” Echimea explained.

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

Nala growled her ears pinning against her head here tail wiped back and forth. ” Not if the animal has be fascinated for the for it. It” she explained as calmly as she could. She took her data pad a quickly pulled up the Cubs Vetinary records. ” Here right here he is care to come about. Besides no way in hell I let him around the crew for at least a month” She said the growl and strained patients clear in her voice.
Ensign Nala

The growl was not missed by Eghimea as she slightly frowned. She was disappointed that this alien, who was trained by Star Fleet, would so blatantly show hostility. She could feel the fires of conflict slowly burning within her. Memories of the fights that she had been in flashed in her mind. Struggling against the temptation to meet hostility with hostility, she tried to remain neutral to the situation.

She had a job to do and would not disappoint again. She felt the burden of the Captain’s words upon her once more. She had to prove herself to him and earn his trust. And that meant doing her very best each and every day. Taking in a short breath and letting go her emotional reaction to the growl, she spoke in her calm and flat tone.

“It matters not, Ensign,” she explained. “The animal must be screened before allowing it aboard.” Her memory kicked in as she recalled Lieutenant Ruby and Rex. Lieutenant Ruby was literally the closest thing she had to a friend aboard. And that gave her an idea of how to deescalate the situation. “While the threat to sentient life is minimal. Consider this, Ensign. If I were to bend the rules for you, and your animal is a carrier of this disease. I would bare the guilt of other beloved pets suffering and possibly dying from bending the rules where I should have done my duties to the utmost of my ability.”

She held up a hand to halt any possible protest as she continued, “while I concede that this is not my field of expertise. I do accept that this is a medical issue, and the medical department is the best ones suited to answer this question.” She made a visible effort to soften her tone as she further added, “I can see this animal means a great deal to you. Wouldn’t you like to place its health in the very best of hands?”

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

Nala took a deep breath and listened carefully. ” I can agree that a medical assistant is necessary and it is the part of any living being shanchent or not coming onboard the ship,” She said simply. She took a moment to take a deep breath as she know it was late. She was at the end of her rope and as of now may only get two hours of sleep before tomorrow’s shift.

” I had planned on taking him to medical tomorrow but I will take him as soon. As he drives” She said.
Ensign Nala

Eghimea’s frown returned and was even slightly deeper than before. ‘Was this creature so…’ she caught herself in mid thought. ‘Be calm Eghimea and be patient,’ she once more drew in a deep breath.

“I apologize Ensign Winters,” she said returning her voice back to its normal flat and even tone. “I didn’t mean to give you the wrong impression. Your animal can not leave its quarantine until it has been cleared by Medical.”

‘Maybe, if she sees that her creature is safe and sound, she will stop acting like a disgruntled, demanding child,’ Eghimea thought to herself. She eyed the Caitian with judgmental eyes as Eghimea motioned to a shipping container on the far side of the cargo bay. It was secure behind a force field that shimmered. “You see, the animal is safe and sound,” she explained.

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

Nala growled and bared her teeth. She claws normally retracted made them self’s visible. Nearly two inches long and radar sharp. Nala had hit her limet. ” Fine then call whoever the hell you need to clear him so I can get him home and go to bed before my next shift” She snaped. Probably not a proper response but she was to tired to care at this moment. She would most likely be apologizing for her laps in judgment later.
Ensign Nala

Eghimea stood there as Ensign Winters growled at her. ‘Here we go again,’ she thought as a wave of disappointment washed over her. ‘Don’t they realize I am just doing what is expected of me,’ she shook her head softly to the overt show of hostilities. ‘Let’s try something else,’ her mind came up with a possible solution.

“It’s clear that you are tired and worried more about your performance at your duties tomorrow,” Eghimea explained in her best militaristic and professional tone she could muster. “Why don’t you return to your quarters and head to bed. By the time you are off duty tomorrow, your little…” ‘Keep her calm Eghimea, keep her calm,’ she thought as her mind worked through the problem. “friend. Your little Friend, will be ready to be picked up.”

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

” Like hell, I am staying right here I sigest you call them Lieutenat Laju” she snapped.
Ensign Nala

Taking a deep breath, ‘I could just end this with a stun shot to this creature’s chest,’ she thought. The idea of watching this mouthy Ensign flopping helplessly to the deck brought a slight smile to her lips. Her hand made no motion towards her Bajoran Phaser. ‘I would be well within my rights,’ she justified in her mind. ‘But this isn’t a StarGuard ship, and I have to follow the Federation Rules,’ the thought hit her with sour disappointment.

“Ensign Winters,” Eghimea said softly. The strain of keeping her voice calm and level was starting to be evident. “It is the middle of the night,” she said with a bit of frustration in her voice. She had meant to say more, but Nala cut her off. ‘Calm, Eghimea. Breathe,’ she thought allowing the Ensign to say her peace.

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

” I don’t want to hear excuses, then again I should have known you would pull something like this. Why the hell they let a tarrist on this ship is behind me” She snarled at Eghimea.
Ensign Nala

Eghimea’s eye twitched, ‘terrorist,’ the word stung in her mind as her anger filled her heart. ‘I’m not about to allow this self-righteous little twit….’ her thoughts cut off by Sheleah’s words during one of their sessions.

‘Everybody has a center. Some thought or thought of something that ground them. Find that and keep it with you,’ the wise counselor had once advised.

She hadn’t realized her right hand had snapped to the top of her phaser’s holster. ‘Emissary, please forgive me,’ she pleaded. Eghimea drew in a deep breath and remembered what her father had told her.

‘We don’t only fight for ourselves, but even for those who would mock and ridicule us for all that we believe in.’

She moved her right hand from her holster, to her Bajoran ComBadge, “Lieutenant Laju to Sick Bay,” she said softly. ‘Calm Eghimea,’ she thought. ‘This is what they want you to do. Act foolishly, act recklessly, and then get sent home in disgrace once more. Be calm, girl,’ her mind instructed over and over again.

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

=/\=This is Commander Knight,=/\= Natasha said taking a sip of her coffee. It was quiet right now in sickbay mostly because of the time of day.

Natasha Knight CMO

Eghimea felt her anxiety rocket through the vaulted ceilings of the cargo bay when she heard Commander Knight’s voice. Broken memories of her first day aboard filled her mind. As did the sense of fear, regret, and personal failure. ‘Of all the people in medical, of course it had to be the Captain’s wife,’ she thought as she felt the situation had just escalated once more.

With a great deal of effort, she gave a smile to the disrespectful Caitian, “give me a moment please.” Her voice cracked with the frustration of the situation. On that, Eghimea turned her back on Ensign Winters and walked ten paces away. During this vital moment, Eghimea calmed her mind and attempted to bring her anger under control.

=/\= Commander Knight, I apologize for the late hour. I have Ensign Winters down here demanding that her live animal be released to her. Unfortunately, one of the port of calls that the animal passed through has reported cases of Mugarian Feline disease. I have already submitted the proper documentation to have the animal screened in the morning before releasing it from quarantine. =/\= Eghimea explained while doing her best to keep her voice calm and her tone flat. She drew in a deep breath as she attempted to conceal her frustration over the situation, =/\= Commander, the situation down here has come close to crossing certain lines. I would like to deescalate this situation. Could you please send someone down to clear the animal so we can release it to the Ensign. =/\=

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

(OOC: please ignore this I realised it was not well placed. Christina)

Natasha took another long sip of her coffee as she listened to Laju. =/\=Wait are you calling to ask me to come down to check out a pet?=/\= Drumming her fingers on the desk, Natasha looked out her window. Usually, the EMH handled pet-related issues but right now Polly Porter had just strolled into her sickbay with another invisible condition that the tricorders would not be able to diagnose and the human eye could not see.

“Polly Porter....tiny kitty....Polly Porter…tiny kitty,” Natasha spoke in a sing-song voice. Neither choice appealed to her much. She had just fired up GetFlix with the newest OMAP rom-com and that was what she had planned for her events for the evening. A glance from the duty nurse Mayvonne Washington instantly had Natasha on her feet. =/\=On my way=/\= Natasha stood up knowing what the glance met.

Already Polly had begun citing her issues with her foot and throwing out random conditions to Mayvonne who was looking less than impressed. “Gangrene…Gangrene,” Mayvonne wrinkled up her nose at the self-made diagnosis. “Girl what you been smokin’ gangrene.” Polly was the resident hypochondriac and malingerer. The fact Polly was standing here meant the night was going to take a turn for the worse as Mayvonne tried to convince the woman in front of her there was nothing wrong with her and the woman bleating like a goat that there was. “Doc....Knight....Natasha,” Mayvonne yelled over her shoulder.

As Natasha walked out of her office, Mayvonne stood up with far more grace than one would expect knowing the doc was leaving and not coming to help. “Uhh uh…no ma’am you are not leaving me like this,” she began to shake her finger at Natasha as is she was the CMO and not a nurse. Glancing down she saw Polly already had stripped her foot of its boot and sock and placed it on the nurse’s reception desk. “No ma’am,” Mayvonne said in her sassy twang. “Girl you best get your knobby arse foot off my desk or I am gonna stick it where the god lord split it.”

“May…gotta go,” Natasha grabbed a med bag and started towards the door.

“Scott,” Mayvonne yelled for the other doc on duty. “You got a patient. Nat and I are making a house call.”

===========================
Arriving at Laju and Nala location
============================

Natasha let out a deep breath as Mayvonne finished her tirade in the turbo about loyalty and what happened to those that turned their backs on people. “Laju,” Natasha said cutting off the duty nurse that was now tagging along with her. “What’s up.”

Natasha Knight.

Natasha’s eyes slipped from Laju to Nala who stepped up and clearly was not so thrilled by the Saracen’s newest security officer’s dedication to his duty.

” Oh Docter thank you so much that you are here. Lieutenant Eghimea has been completely unhelpful. I spent months doing all the research and getting all my paperwork together for the snow leopard cub and she is trying to keep him from boarding the ship” Nala said.

Her ears were pined against her head and her tail swished back and forth in a clearly agitated manner. Her stance showed she was agitated but something else. Nala was tired she had been up for way to long.
Ensign Nala

Natasha could not help but smile at the situation. Nala looked like she was about to kill Laju and Laju looked like she needed a drink. It felt more like a counseling situation than she normally came into. When people came to medical angry, they were either drunk and pissed off at something that happened on their shift to land them there. Rarely was no one hurt and angry around her? “Okay let me,” Nat started to say before Mayvonne immediately interrupted.

“Excuse me did you just say leopard ‘cause I know I did not hear we are down here for some damn cat and I sure as hell know there is not some damn leopard rollin’ around here.” Mayvonne raised an eyebrow at Nala as she started to survey the space. Mayvonne was not typically one for animals rolling about the halls which she told the cap’n and his wife each time they rolled that damn lizard into her sick bay.

“No no,” Natasha said waving her hand. “They don’t mean like a leopard as in raarrrr,” she hooked her hands into claws and let out a growl. “They mean leopard like I call Bruce a dinosaur,” Nat assured the woman next to her.

“Well that Kalani has got a rarrr,” Mayvonne imitated Natasha causing the CMO to wrinkle up her nose.

“Ralph is a fennec fox and about the size of a dachshund,” Natasha began to defend her friend.

“Fox.....Fox! It’s a damn rodent with long fur and do not,” she raised a finger warningly, “start with me about it being a mammal no ma’am don’t you start with me.” The sassy tones of Mayvonne immediately quashed the side conversation causing Natasha to look over at Laju.

Nala almost burst into a fit of giggels.

Watching Doctor Knight walk into the cargo bay, Eghimea felt a sense of dread that she was unaccustomed to. ‘Wonderful,’ she thought in despair as the Caitian jump the gun and started ranting on and on about all the work she had done for her new pet. ‘If it was that important, then why did you not research proper quarantine procedures,’ Eghimea’s cattiness got the better of her private thoughts. She reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to let the frustration go. ‘Why couldn’t it had just been some nurse or anyone else….anyone besides the Captain’s wife,’ she screamed in to the back of her mind.

Letting the breath, she just realized she had been holding, slip through her lips, she brought her eyes up to Doctor Knight. Her voice slightly strained due to the encounter and the sudden escalation, “Doctor Knight, as I had explained. All that is needed is a clearance for Ensign Winter’s pet,” Eghimea said trying to keep her voice calm and only after the fact realizing that she failed on the word pet. The word has slipped Eghimea’s lips more than hinting at the frustration and anger that had been slowly building during the course of the encounter. “If you could please facilitate such a clearance we can send the Ensign and her friend on their way,” she added, this time being more successful at keeping her voice calm and even.

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea

“See pet,” Natasha looked at Mayvonne slightly smugly. “Not raaar but pehhhh tahhhh,” she emphasized the word.

“And you ain’t no damn vehhhhhhh tahhhhhh,” Mayvonne shot back without missing a bet. “Call Teller,” she immediately ordered.

Holding up her hand, Natasha looked at Laju. “Okay, Mayvonne is right. I normally don’t make housecalls for pets. We tend to let sciences do live animal stuff like that but since we are here we can take a look at .....what’s the kitty’s name?”

Natasha Knight. CMO

” I could have cleared him myself” Nala said shooting Eghimea a glare. At the question of the animals name nala smiled a bit sheepishly.

Eghimea felt her teeth grind with frustration once more. Speaking through them she countered, “No Ensign, you can’t clear him yourself.” Drawing in a long and frustrated breath she turned to the two medical officers.

‘However,’ Eghimea thought struggling to keep her temper at bay.

“I apologize, the documentation for the clearance referred to a medical screening. I assumed that meant through Medical. An official request for clearance has been submitted. I am sure that once the reviewing officer, who’s task it is to issue the clearance, receives the request, the person will be on their way. Again, I apologize for bothering you, Doctor Knight.”

” I have not yet named him I was considering midnight given the late time of his arrival but I have yet to actually chose a name for him. Many Sol or Ryan.” She said with a smile.
Ensign nala

The tips of her lips slightly curled upward, “the animal in question is a two-month-old Panthera uncia.” She couldn’t explain why, but the actions of the nurse were breaking the tension. And for that reprieve, she was grateful. She turned to Mayvonne, “so yes, you are correct.” Her voice shifted to a more relaxed and calm voice as she continued to explain, “it is a carnivorous feline predator from a region of Earth called Southern Asia.”

She turned back to both Ensign Winters and Doctor Knight, “the animal is in quarantine,” she said motioning to the location of the section of the cargo bay secured behind a force field. “There were several other items and animals that came aboard from the same transport. They too will need to be scanned before they are allowed to proceed to their destination.” She turned back to the two women, “If this is a matter for the Science division, then I am confident that they will send someone once the request has been properly addressed on their end.”

Her eyes turned to Nala as the Bajorian made a visible effort to regain her calm and even tone. She spoke softly yet clearly, “we cannot allow personal feelings to blind us to proper procedures.”

• 2nd Lieutenant Laju Eghimea