"A Break in the Action"

Posted on 16 Sep 2025 @ 1:25pm by Lieutenant Commander Riah Amberlyn XMD & Crewman Clara Barton

773 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Fractured Accord
Location: Sickbay :: Coffee Break area
Timeline: Right before Nanobot discovery

// Coffee Break Room in Sickbay Suite //

Riah entered and marched right to the replicator. "1 Mug, hot coffee, strong, 5 creams and a half an egg salad sandwich, no celery, brioche bun," Then she turned and smiled at Clara where she sat at one of the two tables in the break room. "Hey. Can you get you anything? A refill?"

Clara tried to keep the "deer in the headlights" reaction from betraying her startled expression. Well, so much for her plan to be more proactive establishing some kind of comradery with her fellow crewmates. It was actually the head of the ship's entire medical system who had preempted her. Dr. Riah Amberlyn was well-known back on earth, and along with that fame was a great admiration from fellow physicians across the planet. Dr. Amberlyn was known to be brilliant and innovative, and her success stories with sick or injured patients were astounding. Clara couldn't believe the esteemed physician was actually asking if she could get her subordinate a coffee refill.

"Um, thank you, Ma'am, a little more coffee sounds great," Clara replied, trying hard to pull off being nonchalant. And that was as far as she got before becoming tongue tied.

"Cream? Sugar?," asked Riah.

"Maybe just a splash of cream?" Clara made her response sound like a question rather than an answer. She wondered if her nervousness was flashing like neon lights in a Vegas casino.

Riah made the coffee per Clara's request and came with the two cups to the table. "We've had a full day of it, haven't we? You did great. Hope you know that. You work well with the patients." She took a bite of her sandwich, chewing as she reviewed the day. Clara took a sip of her coffee. "How long have you been in active nursing, Clara?"

"Oh, you could say that nursing has been my whole career as well as my passion since I graduated from university. I rotated through every specialty until I found my niche in Emergency and Critical Care. Maybe I’m an adrenalin junkie, but I like the fast pace and the challenge of helping my patients beat the odds, and in my previous position back in a hospital on Earth, we won more battles against death than we lost.

"Now I’m looking forward to expanding my own personal universe by acquiring new knowledge in a world beyond where I’ve spent my whole life feeling secure and proficient. I hope I don’t sound narcissistic, because feeling secure and being proficient only happens when you are part of a team. I think I may have my work cut out for me finding that comfort zone of shared comradery here because I’m basically a dyed-in-the-wool introvert. Maybe my biggest challenge will be reinventing myself."

Suddenly, Clara looked embarrassed. “I’m so sorry, Doctor. You asked a simple question and here I am giving you my whole autobiography!”

"No, that okay," Riah assured her. "I love it. I'm an introvert too. Got to have that alone, solitary time to recharge. I don't think you need to reinvent yourself; you need to allow yourself to be exactly who you are. People will like the real natural you a lot better than someone they feel is a reinvented version of themselves. And working in camaraderie is about getting to know people. That's not always easy in a new situation like we have here.

She continued. "I hope to do some team-building exercises and am opening most Staff Meetings to anyone who would like to attend so we do get to know each other. We need to know each others little strengths and powers, as well as their real weaknesses so we know when to make allowances, then to ask help of someone with that strength. So, just be you. We'll know you are not aloof and snooty when you take off by yourself for lunch; we'll know it is because you are recharging your energy. Yes, we all push our boundaries in a crisis, but if we know that so and so has a real gift with children for example, we assign that person to special care for a kid who comes through here. Honest engagement is critical when lives are on the line. Don't you think?"

"I couldn't agree more, Doctor," Clara began, but anymore conversation ended at that moment when the Sickbay comm system summoned them both of them back to work. Obviously, duty called.

"Let's see what's happening," said Riah, rising. "Thanks for the conversation."

~~~~~
LtCmdr Riah Amberlyn, XMD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Arawyn
&
Crewman Clara Barton
Nursing Staff
USS Arawyn

 

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