Red-Handed

Posted on Fri Aug 29th, 2025 @ 6:32pm by Lieutenant Commander Alexander Espersen & Lieutenant JG Kally Kellerman & Ensign Henry Taylor
Edited on on Fri Aug 29th, 2025 @ 6:41pm

Mission: Lower Decks
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: During "Department of Misfit Toys"

As so often happened aboard this ship, moments could go from excellent to horrible within the span of seconds.

Take today for example. In support of the engineering department, and to keep his skills up, XO Espersen had taken a duty shift in engineering and brought along his team of miscreants (Tanikawa had tried to name their group the Department of Misfit Toys, until Benvenuto had reminded them all that the Chimera itself was the Starship of Misfit Toys, and he couldn’t disagree).

They had just finished working on replacing an EPS relay. It turned out that Tanikawa was a good listener. Their conversation had been oddly satisfying. When she trounced off, summoned by Benvenuto to assist in her own relay replacement and dismissed by the Commander, his focus had been broken. Just for a second, but just long enough not to notice the improperly attached panel fall and crush his hand.

And so it was that after a pleasant morning, Alexander Espersen found himself entering Sickbay, cradling his left hand as he searched the room for Doctor Kellerman.

Henry looked up at the sound of the doors opening and walked over quickly. "Commander," the Ensign said, his padd in his hand as he looked at the Commander's. "What happened?"

“Engineering accident,” the XO said tersely, gesturing with his obviously bleeding hand.

Henry nodded. "All right, come over here. I'll alert Doctor Kellerman." He led the commander to a biobed and lowered it so he could sit easily, then returned it to its normal height. He made notes furiously in his padd, sending an alert to the CMO's office.

“Why is she not out here now?” Alexander asked.

"Doctor Kellerman is...busy," Henry said, clearly annoyed. "She's evidently been engaged in administering private physicals...in her office." He grabbed a hypospray, programming it quickly to numb the pain, and pressed it to the Commander's arm.

The relief was sudden, and Alexander let out a sigh as the intensity of the pain subsided. He shook his head and couldn’t help but chuckle. He had read the reports of Kellerman’s proclivities. He could not help but pick up the gossip from those he worked with (for all her faults, Benvenuto was a font of knowledge of how the ship really worked).

Henry blew out a lungful of air. "Technically, she is not violating any regulations," he said, although he was still annoyed. "As Chief Medical Officer, she can attend to the crew's health and morale as she sees fit, and she's not violating any regulations by ensuring their privacy in her office." He shrugged. "But I still feel like she's doing it just to annoy me."

“Not just you,” Alexander replied. “But yes, I expect not a single regulation is being broken. Just enough rules of decorum to merit exile to the Chimera.”

A moment later, the doors to Kally's office opened. She walked out, smoothing out a fresh uniform and smiled at Ensign Xcanti as he exited her office and came to stand beside her. He smiled back, then saw the XO across the room and dropped his smile, nodding professionally. "I should get back to security," he said.

“Yes, you should,” the First Officer said.

"Well if you continue having muscle spasms, come see me immediately," Kally purred. She watched him walk out, then turned and sauntered over to their newest patient. "Commander," she said, her voice light despite the company. She looked down at his hand and her euphoria quickly evaporated. "What happened?" she said, now sounding more serious.

“Doctor,” he said, trying to force formality into what might be an awkward encounter. “A heavy and insufficiently secured panel fell on my hand.” The bleeding had mostly stopped but the bruising and swelling was intense.

Kally took his hand gently and then looked towards her head nurse. "Tricorder," she said.

Henry placed one in her open hand and went to get the instrument tray they would need.

"Two minor transverse fractures," she said. "You were lucky." She looked up as Henry handed her a bone knitter and she placed the Commander's hand flat on an exam tray. "I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable, but it'll be over soon. Try to hold still," she said as she flattened his hand into position.

He winced as she handled him, but he knew that she was setting things just right for healing. You couldn’t fix a machine, or a person, if things weren’t aligned right.

She ran the bone knitter over the area on his hand slowly, sealing the fractures and healing the injury. When she was done, she swapped for a dermal regenerator, repairing the damaged tissue around the break and reducing the swelling. After a minute or two, his hand looked normal again. "Try moving it slowly," she said. "Make a gentle fist."

Alexander flexed his fingers slowly and then balled them into a fist. Not hard, she did say gentle, but enough that he could feel the limits of the repair. It still felt tender. “How long until full functionality?”

Kally took his hand and moved it experimentally. "I would give it a day or two before you do any heavy lifting. Light use should be fine, but avoid striking it, don't carry anything heavy and no prolonged gripping of anything." She stifled a snicker.

“However will I manage?” the XO said dryly.

Kally looked him dead in the eyes, a small, saucy smile playing on her lips. She didn't say anything, but instead patted his hand and picked up a padd, making notes. "If you need any further assistance, I'm only a comm away," she said, sweetly.

Henry rolled his eyes and took the instruments, resetting everything and going to put them away.

Kally ignored him and finished her notes, transferring the information to his file and set the padd back down. "You're free to return to duty, Commander," she said, her tone placidly professional.

Alexander tried to stand, but his brain short-circuited like so many student-made isolinear chips. Did she just say that? Did she mean it?

And what did it say about him that his brain was being split so many ways.

Leave her be; an innocent joke at his expense.
Absolutely inappropriate; deserves a dressing down.
Harmless; and apparently helps with the healing process.
There are lines they all cross almost daily but this one goes beyond.
It's not a problem unless we make it one.
She needs punishment; the brig.
Or a spanking. Could be fun...

"I should go then," was all he said. Crossed wires still not letting him stand up and leave.

Kally nodded, handing her padd over to Henry. "Whenever you're ready, Commander," she said, sweetly. She turned quickly to hide her grin and walked to her office, doing her best not to laugh from the look on his face.

A few seconds later, the First Officer's brain finished rebooting and he realized where he was standing, the doctor having left and the nurse standing there. "Back to it then," he said, as much to himself as the Mr. Taylor. He left sickbay, in less pain but flustered more than he felt was right.

"Aye, Sir," Henry said. He made a note on his padd, adding this latest incident to the list, and returned to his duties.

END


Lieutenant Commander Alexander Espersen
Executive Officer

Lieutenant j.g. Kally Kellerman
Chief Medical Officer

Ensign Henry Taylor
Head Nurse