STAR TREK - SCE - 16 - Oaths

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Other eBooks in the Star Trek Starfleet Corps of Engineers series from Pocket Books

1 The Belly of the Beast by Dean Wesley Smith

2 Fatal Error by Keith R.A. DeCandido

3 Hard Crash by Christie Golden

4 Interphase Book 1 by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

5 Interphase Book 2 by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

6 Cold Fusion by Keith R.A. DeCandido

7 Invincible Book 1 by David Mack & Keith R.A. DeCandido

8 Invincible Book 2 by David Mack & Keith R.A. DeCandido

9 The Riddled Post by Aaron Rosenberg

10 Gateways Epilogue Here There Be Monsters by Keith R.A. DeCandido

11 Ambush by Dave Galanter & Greg Brodeur

12 Some Assembly Required by Scott Ciencin & Dan Jolley

13 No Surrender by Jeff Mariotte

14 Caveat Emptor by Ian Edginton & Mike Collins

15 Past Life by Robert Greenberger

16 Oaths by Glenn Hauman

coming soon

17 Foundations Book 1 by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

18 Foundations Book 2 by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

19 Foundations Book 3 by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

Glenn Haumanapprox. 15000 words

71 Hauxhurst Ave.

Weehawken, NJ 07086-6803

Star Trek S.C.E. 16

OATHS

Glenn Hauman

To Peter, who taught me that anyone can write

and to Harlan, who taught me that anybody who can write, should write.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, my medical advisor, Dr. Matthew Sims, who went above and beyond the call in

answering my questions. Any errors that crept in are my fault, not his.

Keith DeCandido, who through strange circumstances is responsible for most of my professional writing

sales to date.

David Mack, who spent a lot of time working with me on the last Plague I was exposed to. I'm still not

sure if he's forgiven me for introducing him to John Ordover.

And finally, my own twin towers, Lisa Sullivan and Brandy Hauman.

"It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath."

-Aeschylus

"Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity."

-Hippocrates

Chapter 1

Lense focused.

The sickbay of the da Vinci was quiet, with Vance Hawkins the only patient in, being treated for a

fractured ulna and torn ligament injury sustained during a security drill. Dr. Elizabeth Lense was ignoring

him. She continued to sit in her office and stare at the computer screen on her desk.

Emmett, the Emergency Medical Hologram treating the injury, closed the tricorder. "You are free to go,

Mr. Hawkins. Your injury will be fine by the end of the week. May I suggest that you be more careful

next time?"

"Sorry. Occupational hazard."

"Yes, well, perhaps a change of occupation might be better for you. You've visited sickbay more than

any other member of security. You may wish to consider a less hazardous line of work."

"What? And give up show business?"

"I'm sorry, I don't quite get the reference."

"Never mind. Doctor, is there anything else I should do?"

"No," Emmett said. "Avoid overuse of the arm, and general rest should be fine."

"Doctor?" He looked past Emmett and addressed Dr. Lense.

"Hmm?" Dr. Lense looked up, distracted.

"Is there anything else I should be doing for my arm?"

"No, what Emmett said is just fine."

"Okay. Thanks. And thank you, Emmett."

"You're more than welcome. Always happy to see you. Not happy to see you hurt, of course, but-"

"I know what you meant, you big lug. Don't use too much electricity."

Emmett watched him leave, then said, "Dr. Lense, I've filed a full report. Is there anything else you need

me for?"

"No, Emmett. Switch off, but reactivate if anybody else comes in. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Doctor." Emmett vanished.

"Good boy," she said to the empty air.

She went back to her terminal, tapping occasionally at different places on the screen. Eleven minutes

later, her communicator beeped. "Gold to Lense."

"Go ahead, Captain."

"Doctor, I'd like to see you in my ready room."

"Certainly. I can be up by the end of the-"

"Now, Doctor, if you don't mind."

Lense hesitated. "All right. I'll be there in five minutes."

"Thank you. Gold out."

Resigned, Dr. Lense got up to leave-abandoning the problem she had been working on and was so close

to solving.

She didn't see that by moving the red nine to the black ten, she would free up the ace of clubs.

Captain's Personal Log, Stardate 53661.9.

I've just summoned Dr. Lense to my office. Actually, "ordered" is probably the correct word.

I hate to actually pull rank on my crew. The fact that I have just done so merely indicates to me that my

course of action is an appropriate one.

Because of the nature of that action, I am going to record the transcript of our upcoming conversation

here. Should it be necessary later, I will transfer it to an official log entry, although it's my hope that can

be avoided.

Times like this, I wish Rachel was here. She always reads people better than I do. It was good to see

her, Daniel, Esther, and the twins-not to mention Esther's new beau, Khor, son of Lantar. That meeting

went off without a-

The doorchime just rang. Starting transcript now.

TRANSCRIPT STARTS

GCome.

LSir.

GCome in, Doctor. Have a seat.

LThank you.

GA drink?

LNothing for me, thanks.

GCongratulations, Doctor. You're the first officer on board the da Vinci I've actually had to call in for a

performance review.

LReally, sir.

GYes. And would you like to know why? [pause] It's because I know almost nothing new about

you-nothing that isn't already in your official file.

LI see.

GI never see you outside of meetings that I call. I don't see you in the mess hall. I don't see you

interacting with the crew, except in a professional capacity-and lately, I've been getting reports you

haven't even been doing that. I understand that you've been letting the Emergency Medical Hologram do

most of your patient work.

LYes, I have. Emmett's supposed to learn procedure, and there's no other way to do that than to let him

do the work, interacting with patients and situations in the field.

GThe specifications on this EMH gave him a huge medical database. Yes, it had the personality of a

first-year resident, but that was to make it seem eager and helpful. Not burned out and abrasive.

LWell, that may be what was planned. He's still rough around the edges. I believe he needed real-world

experience, and I've been giving it to him. And to be fair, you don't have the expertise in the field to make

that decision as to his medical skills and expertise.

GWe're digressing, Doctor. This isn't about the EMH. It's about you. I'm beginning to think that you're

the one that's burned out.

LI see.

GYou know, I have records here going all the way back to your time in the Academy. I have this glowing

recommendation from the then-head of Starfleet Medical, Dr. Crusher. Have you ever seen it?

LNo. I only took one class with her, then she went back to duty on the Enterprise.

GLet me quote "Elizabeth Lense is one of the fastest studies I've ever come across. Brilliant and incisive

diagnosis." An outstanding school career, first in your class at the Academy, all of it leading to being

appointed CMO of the U.S.S. Lexington right out of Starfleet Medical. Unprecedented in Starfleet

history in peacetime. A truly great honor... and then you end up here.

LHere? Captain Gold, the da Vinci is a fine ship-

GA damn fine ship, and thank you for the compliment. But after serving on the Lexington, with a crew

complement of hundreds, this is a bit of a reduction of duties, wouldn't you say? Going down to a ship

with only forty crewmembers? A ship so small you go from a suite of your own to sharing a room? A

ship so small that it doesn't even have a ship's counselor.

LPardon me, but could I take you up on that offer for a glass of water?

GCertainly. You don't mind if I continue?

LCould I stop you?

GNot particularly.

LWell. Go ahead, then.

GThank you. Computer, a glass of water, please. [replicator hum] Here you go.

LThank you, sir.

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