=/-\= Vulcan =/-\=
After the devastating events which took place in orbit of the planet on which he now stood, Doctor Paul Jennings had requested an immediate reassignment from Starfleet Medical, which had seen fit to put him on detached duty. At the earliest opportunity the doctor had beamed down to Vulcan's surface, where he had offered his services as a physician and psychiatrist to the beings there.
For the last several days he had done nothing but oversee recovering patients in a temporary ward that had been erected for the influx of incoming wounded and, when there was time, meeting with privately with the recovering patients to ascertain their mental status. Most were checking out as well as could be expected, and only a handful had been marked as needing further examination.
Regardless of the good being done by him and his colleagues on Vulcan, it was not difficult to see why Paul was longing for the comforts home.
"Another long day?" asked Camellia Candela, another of the Starfleet medical officers who had taken up residence on Vulcan during the aftermath of the crisis.
Paul nodded as he settled down into a cushioned sofa with a heavy sigh, "An understatement, if I've ever heard one."
The pre-fabricated buildings the temporary hospital was constructed with left a lot to be desired. The walls were a bland grey coupled with the bright lights just enough to make one wish for shade. The furniture in the small doctors' lounge was an off-shade of dark blue or purple, Paul wasn't sure which. There was a mobile replicator unit resting against a wall, and along with a pair of not-so-comfortable sofas were a number of small round tables surrounded by simple chairs.
At this time of night the room was empty save for Paul and Camellia. Those physicians who were not staying up on call that evening had all long since turned in for the evening.
Resting on the sofa across from Paul, Camellia had her lithe legs pulled up behind her. Her brunette hair had been let down from the tail she kept in pulled back in while on duty, and now neatly framed her olive-skinned face. She was still wearing her teal-collared duty uniform, though the jacket had been opened.
"Things should start calming down soon," she suggested with a slight shrug, one hand absently rubbing at the soles of her feet. Their duties had led to more than their fair share of standing, and it was certainly taking its toll. "The Starfleet relief aid should help us out a lot. You could probably even return to the Charon when they get here."
There was a moment of silence between them. This was something he had given a lot of thought to, and a decision had been made. "I'm not going back to the Charon. They have a more than adequate staff of physicians. The program that took me there no longer needs me to remain, so I've decided to remain closer to home."
Camellia looked slightly shocked, "Really? What do you plan on doing then?"
"Oh, I don't know," mused Paul has he reached down to pull off one shoe, then the other. "I could return to the research labs at Starfleet Medical, or I could look into teaching in San Francisco. There are plenty of opportunities for me without having to go back into deep space. I've been around long enough to make a few contacts here and there."
Camellia nodded as he went through the list he had put together over the last day and a half. When he had finished she smiled at him, "Well, at least you know what you might want to do. When they're done with me here I have no idea where I might end up."
"I've got a friend, been around longer than I have, and I have it from a good source that he recently received his own command," Jennings offered, his toes flexing in and out as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "A station that they're putting together, Sentinel Station I believe. I could always ask if he's found himself a medical officer yet."
Despite the fatigue she was surely feeling, she had moved from her sofa across the gap between them and was sitting beside him, "Oh, could you? That would be perfect!"
"I'll see what I can do," Paul replied with a chuckle. Of all the medical officers working on Vulcan through the emergency, Camellia had been the one that Paul had bonded with the most, as their shifts often matched up together. It had been a fast friendship. "Give give me until tomorrow to make the call? If I don't get some sleep I just might go crazy."
Without a word she reached out and hugged Jennings around the shoulders, "Thank you!" She pushed herself up off the sofa, but paused just long enough to peck Paul's cheek, "You're the best, Doctor Jennings."
As Camellia left the lounge, Paul sighed and shook his head in silent entertainment. Moving from post to post as often as he had over the last few years, it was difficult to build and maintain any sort of relationship with his colleagues, and it was nice to find someone he could relate to so unexpectedly. It was a pity it would most likely be ending so soon.
Tomorrow, after his duty shift, he would put a call into Sentinel Station. It had been a couple months since he had spoken to his friend, now Captain King rather than Doctor King, and it would be nice to catch up…
=/-\= End Log =/-\=
Commander Paul Jennings, M.D.
Senior Medical Officer
Detached Duty, Starfleet Medical
