Check Up

Posted on Sun Nov 9th, 2025 @ 1:14am by Ensign Charlotte Dawes & Lieutenant JG Jezra Siv MD & Civilian Meressa Keena & Lieutenant JG Razka Kas

1,579 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Side Plots
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: ??????

[On]


Kas was in his quarters finishing some paperwork, he looked up at the time. The hybrid got up and moved to his daughter’s door and called out. “Little Star< it is almost time to go see the Doctor.”

There was no answer and Kas sighed, “Keena we don’t have time for games. If you don’t see the Doctor we can’t go on shore leave.”

Kas waited a moment for a response before entering, it was bad form to enter another chamber without permission. Even a child, however, if the child wasn’t cooperating… “Keena, where are you!?”

He looked around the room, he checked the bundle of blankets. Kas crouched down and looked under the bed, he could see most of her toys had been crammed under there. Kas sighed and smiled, before moving to the toy chest. He flipped the lid open and looked down at his daughter curled up in the box holding her favorite doll.

“Come a long ’Little Star, the Doctor is waiting.” Kas smiled.

Keena clutched her doll tighter and buried her face in a pillow. “Goba is scared, Papa.”

Kas began to hum in a soothing tone as he picked his child up and held her. “You have to have a check up before we can go on shore leave, tell Goba their safe.”

Keena clung to Kas and buried her head into his chest, Kas began to hum swaying to the soothing tune. It broke Kas’s heart to see his child so scared, he wondered how much she remembered about the plague that had claimed her mother’s life. He didn’t know how to talk to her about it, on the last ship to Doctor had made ‘house calls’ that had helped a little but she need to get through this fear…

=/\= Sickbay to Razka

“Go ahead,” Kas sighed

=/\= Meressa Keena has an appointment with Doctor…

“Yes! I’m aware.” Kas clipped. “We're on our way.”

Kas smiled as he carried his little girl out of their quarters, she was normally too independent to allow herself to be carried. They reached Sickbay and squeezed her Kas tighter as he enter the waiting room.

“I have Meressa Keena here for her check up,” Kas said.

"Hello, Commander, right this way," Charlotte said as she stepped up from around reception. Charlotte was just a couple of years out of the Academy and still had a young face, and children tended to respond to her well.

"Keena, you and your dad are going to come back here to your own room, okay?" Charlotte said, walking them down the hall to the third door on the right.

Keena didn't respond, so Kas nodded and followed the nurse. He entered the room and tried to sit the child on the exam table, but she wasn't let go of him. Kas sighed and sat in a chair with her. He whispered something in her ear and Keena hissed.

"That's enough of that child" Kas said firmly.

"I'll let Dr. Siv know you're here," Charlotte said. Swiftly she reached into a drawer and pulled out a small toy monkey and turned it on so it started making noises if it was played with and dropped it on the table before she walked out to get the doctor.

Keena looked at the toy momentarily before hiding her face behind her doll.

When Charlotte saw Siv she approached them announcing, "Your pediatric physical is ready. Room Three."

Jezra gave Charlotte a 'thanks' before heading to the indicated room. These physicals were probably her favorite ones to do, because each child always did something a little different and it mixed things up. She had skimmed this one's file when the appointment was being scheduled, and knew the child was a little more on the stubborn side, so had asked Charlotte to be on hand for the appointment. Stopping at the correct door, they pressed the time. "This is Doctor Siv, may I enter?"

"Yes Doctor," Kas sighed.

The door slid open, and Jezra entered. The first thing they saw was the dad, a look of what they interpreted as strained patience on his face, and in his lap was a little redheaded girl. Well, a girl shyly hiding behind a doll. "Good afternoon, you two," she said with a warm smile. "I see we brought dad with us for a physical today, and a friend?" Jezra looked at the doll in her hands, knowing it provided some kind of comfort. With some of the kids she worked with, it helped to treat the toy like another family member or patient.

Charlotte followed in behind the doctor and stood by waiting for instructions.

Keena quickly peered at the doctor before hiding her face again, "Goba is scared and I don't want to do this!" Keena cried out.

"I'm sorry Doctor my daughter doesn't like sickbay," Kas made a sound from the back of his throat and the child clicked her tongue at him. "It's going to be okay, my 'Little Star"

Jezra gave Kas a look of understanding. "That's alright. It's a more common reaction than you may think." Briefly glancing to Charlotte, she quietly asked to dim the lights a little with an accompanying gesture toward the ceiling. Sometimes the bright sickbay lights made things stressful for kids.

Charlotte used a remote panel and brought the lights down at the Doctor's suggestion.

Pulling over one of the nearby chairs, the Trill took a seat, using her body language to maintain a calm atmosphere for the child. "It's ok to be scared sometimes," Jezra spoke softly. They put a finger on their chin in thought. "Let's see... we can do the physical together, if you like. Nurse Dawes and I would both love a helper. Or, we can make up a story together as we do the physical. Which one sounds like one you want to try?"

Keena looked at the doctor for a moment, "can Papa help tell the story, he tells good story."

"Of course," Jezra agreed. Knowing the two of them were a mix of Klingon and Bajoran, there was vast knowledge to pull from. "Does Dad know your favorite kind of story?"

"Papa tells a story every night," Keena answered.

"She likes the stories of our people's voyages," Kas smiled.

"Keena, who do you think the star of your Papa's story should be today?" Charlotte asked as she leaned down by the foot of the bed making herself look smaller.

The child whispered Kas's ear and he smiled, "She wants to hear a new story."

Jezra gave a warm smile. "I know of a story about a young warrior who is preparing for a contest that shows how strong and brave each warrior is. But, it's not just any contest." They raised a finger to emphasize the point. "Any who wish to participate must prove that they are strong in body, mind, and spirit. There is a test called The Trials of Readiness that every warrior must pass before they can enter the contest."

Keena lowered her doll and looked at Jezra curiously. Kas smiled, guessing the Doctor's intentions with the story.

Seeing that the story was being well-received so far, Jezra made a playfully serious face, leaning forward ever so slightly as they got into the storytelling role. "The Trials of Readiness aren't won with weapons or strategy. According to legend, this warrior must visit a special healer, someone who has given the Trials of Readiness for many years. The healer looks for balance, because the warrior will only succeed in the contest when the warrior has harmony between their mind and body." Pausing for a few seconds, Jezra pulled her medical tricorder out of her pocket, letting it rest in her palm so the little one could see it. "The first trial is one of courage. Every warrior feels scared, but only the strong ones can turn that fear into courage so they can be brave in battle." Giving Keena a smile, Jezra then asked, "whose courage do you want to see first? Mine, Charlotte's, your dad's, or yours?"

Keena pointed to Charlotte, and Kas chuckled. He was happy to see her interacting with the medical staff.

With a smile, Jezra turned to the nurse while opening the tricorder. It quietly began to beep, and they configured it for the basic checkup before removing the scanning wand, handing it up to the woman. "Charlotte, can you pass this across your chest please?" she asked.

"Of course." Charlotte smiled pleasantly and did as she was asked with the tricorder and then handed it back.

Looking down at the tricorder, Jezra then turned the device so Keena could see the readings. "See those little blips?" she asked, pointing to a line of signals on the screen. "That is Charlotte's heart and breathing. They look very strong and full of courage to me, don't you agree?"

Keena nodded as she set the doll down next to her. Kas nodded approvingly at the Doctor, this was going better than he'd hoped.

Please to see that this was working, Jezra then offered the scanning wand to the child with a smile. It was a silent invitation to let her try it out herself.

"Oh, I think you should see how much courage your daddy's heart has," Charlotte suggest. "I bet it has even more than mine."

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