Taking Stock

Posted on 01 Apr 2026 @ 2:15pm by Lieutenant Commander Claire Dunross MD & Lieutenant Nicholas Miller

1,401 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Arawyn’s Itchy Trigger Finger
Location: Corridor Outside of Auxiliary Sickbay, USS Arawyn

=*= Auxillary Sickbay =*=

With recent events Nick had quickly learned that not all his training would be of the mental health variety of which he was most comfortable with. In this situation he was leaning heavily on his medical experience, knowing just enough to step aside when more experienced doctors knew how to respond. As always his goal; was to assist and be of use and for a rare moment he found himself between areas of concern. There were injuries to be dealt with but also a slew of officers not sure how to respond, himself one of them, and so Miller spent the time hustling between areas doing his best to stay out of the way and still find a way to be of service.

Claire caught sight of him in passing, the hesitation, the lack of anchor in the middle of controlled chaos. She adjusted course without breaking stride, catching a medical cart that was setup to treat minor injuries and guiding it toward him with practiced ease.

“Counselor,” she said, bringing it to a stop in front of him, voice calm but carrying, “you look like you want to help but are not sure where to start, aye?”

She nudged the cart toward him.

“Stay with the ambulatory cases. Cuts, burns, anything we can treat quickly and keep moving. If it looks worse than that, you call for one of us.”

Her hand rested briefly on the edge of the cart, grounding the instruction.

“And lean into what you do best,” she added, tone softening just slightly. “A lot of them are still in the moment of impact. Shock, confusion, fear. They’ll need a steady voice as much as they need a bandage.”

Her gaze shifted briefly to a nearby patient, then back to him.

“Keep them here. Talking. Breathing. You’ll steady them while we get through the rest.”

"Aye Doctor." Nick replied, breathing out slowly and nodding. It had been quite some time since he'd had to use his medical knowledge but the simple and clear instructions were a great place to put his focus. True to the plan he started off with just the simple injuries that the other Doctors began sending his way while they looked for the more serious issues. Miller started to get into his groove, and much like Dr Dunross had predicted a few of the officers seemed to need a calming presence as much as first aid. It was a revelation that he was not the only one going through this type of situation for the first time.

"Just rest here, you'll feel better as the medication takes effect. Someone will check on that shortly and you'll likely be discharged." Nick commented to the patient, glancing around until he spotted other minor injuries heading his way. While there was a bit of uncertainty with his surroundings to be contributing, even handling minor cuts and bruises, was doing a lot for his confidence. Counseling was one thing, emergency response another entirely. Miller reminded himself again that the more trained and experienced medical officers could handle the serious issues, his job was to take some of the triage and first aid off their lists. "Keep moving..... keep helping...." became a quietly whispered mantra, keeping Nick locked in as the injuries kept coming.

Claire circled back as the pace shifted, not slower, but steadier. The sharp edge of chaos had dulled into something more controlled, more sustainable.

She paused near his station, taking in the cleared patients, the ones waiting, the rhythm he had found.

“Aye,” she said quietly, a note of approval threading through. “That’s exactly what I needed down here.”

Her eyes moved briefly over one of his recently treated patients, checking the work without interfering, then returned to him.

“Thank you, Counselor. You’ve taken a fair weight off the floor.”

A small breath, less urgency in it now, though not fully gone.

She studied him for a moment, not clinically this time, but with a different sort of assessment.

“First trauma event on a ship?” she asked, tone gentler than before, though still direct.

Nicholas smiled despite the stress, a few fond memories coming to mind. They were more enjoyable now than when he'd first endured similar events. "Aye Doctor. I was assigned previously to Zetari Station. It was a large base so there were always ships coming and going." He gave the cart a quick glance, worried for a moment that it was getting low on supplies but a fast scan let him continue. "We had a large Medical department, there was always more experience and skill to rely on. Admittedly I was....."

He shook his head. "A small fish in a very large pond." It had been difficult at times to find the balance between dad's hardcore Security mindset and his mother's knack for seeing the other side of every argument. His previous assignment had left him at the bottom of a long roster but his yearning for relevance at that time was coming back to haunt him, one of his father's strongest warnings had always been to be careful of what one desired."

Claire’s smile lingered, soft but thoughtful, as the memory settled in behind her eyes.

“I didn’t know you came from Zetari,” she said, voice warm, touched with that quiet Highland lilt she never quite acknowledged. “I spent a bit of my internship there. Feels like a lifetime ago now.”

Her gaze drifted for a moment, not away from him, but somewhere just beyond, as if she could still see the pale corridors and hear the distant hum of a facility that had once shaped her.

“My mum was Chief Medical Officer there for a time,” she added, almost lightly. “A million years ago, before I was born.”

There was a faint breath of amusement in it, but also something steadier beneath. Not quite nostalgia. Not quite distance. Just the quiet weight of a place that had mattered, even if she rarely said so aloud.

Her attention returned fully to him then, present again, composed.

“Strange, the places that circle back around, aye?”

"Agreed Doctor. I suppose we all seek out a place to...." Words lost him for a moment as his attention pivoted to making sure he'd documented everything properly, the best way to ensure any casualties he'd handled were seen to as needed. "Well.. I'm for sure not the only one that's never been here today in this moment. Just doing the best we can with what we have." Part of Nick wanted to roll his eyes at another of his father's catchphrases but in the current circumstances it fit.

Miller realized he was rambling and shook his head, he was giving far more information than his superior required. Dad had always been strict on that, one was only to give the details needed and react to the situation accordingly. At times Nick had an axe to grind with his father's ways but on the other hand occasionally had to admit that the old man had merit for his views however strict. He heard a call over the chaos for supplies and gave a brief, apologetic nod to Claire before rushing off to deliver the needed materials.

Most of the minor wounds and injuries had been dealt with and for a brief moment Nick felt like he was helping. Things had gone wrong and somehow he'd found a way to be present for the better. It only provided more motivation to continue even as the moments passed. knowing wasn't staying within his comfort zone. A unique experience for any counselor certianly. A thought crossed his mind but another injured officer was sent his way, needing only minor first aid as the more experienced doctors dealt with the serious casualties.

Claire watched him go for a moment, expression settling into something thoughtful, almost curious.

“A bit odd, that one,” she murmured under her breath, not unkindly.

Her gaze shifted over the patients he had steadied, the ones now sitting a little calmer, breathing easier, waiting instead of unraveling.

“…but exactly what we needed.”

She reached for a fresh set of gloves, already turning back into the work, voice lifting just enough to carry across the space.

“Keep it up, Counselor. You’re doing more good than you realize.”

Lt Nicholas Miller
Counselor

LtCmd Claire Dunross, MD
Asst Chief Medical Officer

 

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