=/\= Sick Bay =/\= Shortly after Athena, Scott and Melissa departed, Sickbay was left in a state of calm. Rangi withdrew to her office for some privacy and to prepare for a medical interview for the new staff they picked up on Kinsi, while the nurses busied themselves in the main room. A quiet half hour later, the doors opened and Andersen Foster entered, looked around, caught Lucy Fleming's attention, and told her he was here for an appointment with the CMO. Nodding toward the CMO’s office, Lucy replied: "She's waiting for you, sir." and led the way across sickbay. "Rangi?” she said, “Lieutenant Foster is here." Rangi looked up from the padd she was reading. "Lieutenant. Please take a seat," she said and turning toward the nurse added, "Thank you Lucy." Nurse Fleming turned away giving the Lieutenant a friendly smile as she did so. Andy sat, nodding a greeting to the doctor, wondering what was in store for him. There had been veiled intimations on what Doctor Summer's physical exams were like, and he didn't like what he'd heard. It took him back to the months after which he'd been cloned from his original self, who'd died two years earlier. Months in a sickbay, under intense scrutiny, while physicians poked, prodded, and experimented on him and his alien hybrid DNA. Andy had good reason to be wary of doctors. "Don’t look so worried, Lieutenant," Rangi said with a small smile. "I don’t bite...often." She leaned against her desk and looked at the man in front of her. "I wanted to discuss your medical history," she said in a more serious tone. "I realize you've probably had more examinations than you care to recall. This wont be another one. But your history ..." she tapped her fingers on the PADD, "... intrigues me, as I'm sure you'll understand. Would you be agreeable to talking about it?" Andy chuckled. "Talking about it? Sure." Rangi moved to her chair, sat down and scooted it nearer her desk. "During the last mission,” she began, “the incident on Kinsi. Though exposed to the pollen, you didn’t have any symptoms. Is that correct?" "Yes, Ma'am. I was a little surprised, actually, considering I was the one who found the flower on the shuttle we recovered. I figured if Seamore and Loveless were infected, it should have gotten me as well. It didn't occur to me until I was sitting in Sick Bay, realizing that I *wasn't* getting sick, that I might be immune to it. I didn't know if the immunity was because of my DNA, or some other factor.” Andy looked at the doctor curiously. “You know of any other crew here or on Kinsi who were exposed and not affected?" "No I don’t ... that’s why I asked to see you. Have you had any other situations such as this? I mean, have there been instances where you alone have been unaffected by illness that has struck others you're working with for example?” Andy thought for a bit. “No, not really. Then again, it's only been three years since I was ... Um.” Andy grumbled to himself, never knowing exactly what to call his unique creation. “I've only been like this for 3 years. The differences usually come from avoiding minor injury.” He chuckled. “I remember during a combat training exercise on the Archer some time ago,” Andy continued, “being hit by simulated phaser fire. The weapons on the holodeck were designed to numb the area that was hit to tell you you'd been injured. It took me a while to realize I was just absorbing it, rather than just being lucky by not being hit. Lt. Mumacick decided that I wasn't to be disqualified, because that was something that would work in my favor in ‘real life’.” His tone changed to one of bitter amusement. “Honestly, that's why I think I was transferred to this ship -- to ODA, I mean -- except that Gen. Bretam took me out of that assignment to put me on the Bridge. You knew that, right?” Rangi nodded, and Andy whistled quietly to himself. “I'll tell you, that was a relief.” "I can imagine," replied the Doctor. She sat back in her chair and read over the medpadd in her hands. "It says in this report ... where is it ... mmm yes, here it is: ‘the effect this energy absorption has upon the subject's body is a change in his cellular structure. Although the subject will maintain his shape, his cells will undergo a transformation where they will turn into liquids of varying density and viscosity. Bones and organs become pliable, and can withstand great pressure, effectively giving his body a rubberized/elastic property..." Glancing up at Andersen she asked, "and you can’t control this, right? It comes to the point where your structure begins to lose its integrity?" Andy nodded, and she read more: "Subject finds difficulty in walking, or pushing, carrying or manipulating heavy objects …” How often has that happened?" she queried, laying the padd down and meeting his eyes. “To that extent? Only once, during the initial testing phase. It's happened to much lesser effect several times, however ... localized ... like I'd get hit by a spark, or be subject to low doses of radiation ... it's made my skin kind of more pliable, gives me a little bit of extended reach, that kinda stuff.” "Right ... so ... getting back to the pollen. It had no effect, either then. That's very interesting." She paused as though choosing her next words carefully. "Lieutenant? I don’t profess to be a counselor, other than my basic training of course, but I'm wondering what effect it has on you psychologically. I imagine that to be immune to so much ... it must quite something to deal with." Andy’s face grew thoughtful. “It's a mixed bag, y'know? Sure, it's handy to not be hurt by things ... but I'm hardly ‘immune to all things.’ I can still be physically harmed. If I'm in my ‘regular’ human form, which is like nearly all the time, I can still be hit, get hurt, get bruises and all that. I imagine I can still break my bones,” he snorted quietly, “though I haven't tried -- and I'd rather not, thanks. “And in either state,” he added, “I can still be cut …” he trailed off, and chewed the inside of his cheek. “But you were talking about the psychological impact, weren’t you?” And sighed. “Honestly, I'd just like to forget that I'm different ... and often I do. “I try not to think about my family much. My relationship with my parents isn't that good. When I was cloned, the original Andy Foster had been dead for 3 years, along with the rest of the crew of the t'Rathna. My parents had been told, and they went through this big grieving process ... even a funeral.” He laughed softly. ”You'd think they would have been happy to learn that I'd come back ... but some people are just ... uncomfortable, I guess ... or maybe it's a prejudice.” He adopted a sarcastic authoritarian tone. “Clones aren't supposed to exist -- they're abominations! … add to it that I'm not even completely human anymore, and well hell, I'm not their son, I'm this ... this ... thing.” Andy’s voice started shaking growing more and more bitter. “It doesn't matter that I still have all of their son's memories, that I remember growing up with them, that I didn't even fucking know that it wasn't *me* who woke up in that containment field.” Andy felt tears beginning to well up and shook his head, frowning. “Damn. I’m sorry,” he said wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “I thought I’d moved through this a while ago.” Rangi leaned forward with concern. She tilted her head the better to see the lieutenant’s face and straightened up as he did so. "Lieutenant," she said quietly, "I can’t imagine how difficult it is ... to deal with this yourself ... to deal with your family’s reaction, your friends, people who know and those who will find out ... to deal with 'us', all the doctors you've seen, and our endless questions …" she slowly trailed off, standing up and slowly moved to the front of her desk, near to where the lieutenant sat on his chair. "I would like you to make an appointment to see Lt. Wellington." she said after a moment passed. "In my opinion there have been too many examinations, too many tests and though, to be honest, I would like to conduct some myself, it isn’t strictly necessary. I have it all well documented in there," she said, indicating the medpadd, "and I'm going to leave it at that -- with one proviso. “From now on,” she said, “I want you to see me if anything – *anything* at all happens to you that hasn’t happened before. I don’t care how small and irrelevant it might seem, I want to know about it. Will you agree to that?" Andy gave a short laugh. “I've pretty well grown to expect that, Doctor,” he replied. “It was standing orders on the Archer; don't see why it should be any different here.” Rangi paused, raised her brows and replied, "It IS different here Lieutenant. This is an Starfleet Special Forces ship. Someone decided that you were an ideal addition to our crew. The General is happy for you to be on the bridge but he doesn't always have the final say. Your position could change. That’s why I need to know 'everything' about you. Every … little … thing. Every headache, every sneeze, every itch. Everything. Do you understand me?" Her tone implied a no nonsense answer was expected. Andy opens his mouth planning a sharp response, but better judgment prevailed and he held his tongue for a few long moments before responding. “Aye, Ma'am,” he said quietly. "Good. Thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate your cooperation." Rangi gave a small sigh. She really had no wish to alienate the officer. "I DO realize that it’s hard for you. We're not unfeeling, regardless of how it might seem to you. We’re not going to look on you as a 'thing' or a specimen. You're part of this crew and we depend on you as an individual, just as you do on us." That seemed to relax him a bit, and after a long silence passed between the two of them, Andy finally asked in a resigned tone if there was certain time by which she expected him to see the counselor.” "No; I'll leave it up to you,” she said. “Within reason, of course." Rangi returned to her seat and as she sat down asked, "Lieutenant?” Andy glanced at her somewhat reproachfully. “Do you have any questions for me?" She was interested in his response and wondered what he might say. Andy regained his composure quickly and gave a brief snort of derision. “I don't think so. My main question all along has been why I was transferred to an SSF ship in the first place ...” he shook his head in bewildered annoyance, “ … why Starfleet intelligence would make that kind of decision without consulting either the crewman or the CO first? “I'm not qualified to be on ODA ... I've no combat training ... the only good I'd do on a special forces team is if they painted a big target on my chest and shoved me in front of them. And believe me,” he added sardonically, “that's not what I joined Starfleet to do. There seemed to a ring of bitterness in his voice, "I see ... So ... why did you join?" she probed further. “A good career move, I suppose,” replied Andy with a non-committal shrug. “A good way to travel and see different places. I was never big into the adventuring side of things ... I just wanted to meet people. I figured a nice safe job pushing buttons on a starship ...” he trailed off and shrugged again. Rangi looked down at the padd and considered his answer. "Things don’t always turn out as we hope do they?" She looked across at him and decided that was enough for the time being. “Thank you then, Lieutenant. We'll leave it at that for now. Please remember to make that appointment." ------------------ Lt. Andersen Foster Operations Officer Cmdr. Rangi Summers Chief Medical Officer