He who never leaves his country is full of prejudices

Posted on Sunday 25 September 2022 @ 20:12 by Lieutenant Nir’anyar & Lieutenant JG Zirvell Khen

Mission: Revelations
Location: Deep Space 21 - Central Core - Ward Room
1753 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

To say the Benzite was angry would be an understatement. She knew she could come across as acerbic, caustic and pig headed at times but she was never blatantly prejudiced against someone because of skin colour, blood or race and it made her own blood boil even more so when it was directed at one of her most promising officers from another Starfleet Officer. As the ships CMO tasked with maintaining the health of its crew and as the ships Second Officer she could not allow this to stand and to this end had called both men together. She was hoping to remain calm and discuss the situation with both of them... after all she needed to remain both professional and detached from any emotional involvement.

She sat back in her chair, casting a look through the immense oval windows that lined one wall of the room appreciating the view of the habitat and docking rings, the myriad of smaller ships and worker bee's swarming around the station. It was oddly soothing... but it would not last long as she tapped her combadge.
"Lieutenant Zirvell and Mitchell. Please report to the Ward Room on Deep Space 21, central core, deck seven section three!"

Stood on the promenade to examine a nearby shop, after speaking with a fellow Cardassian only -what was it?- hours ago, Zirvell froze just as he'd been about to walk in to said shop. "Uhm...yes ma'am," he answered after a moment of hesitation. "On my way." It took asking the computer for directions, to get to the ward room even though she had said exactly where to find it and it took him several minutes to get there too. "Doctor?" he queried as he entered the room, a sense of dread filling him as the door closed behind him.

Pete had taken a stroll about the station. He found his thoughts dwelt on Marjani and not on the ship or mission that laid ahead of him. When he heard the message from the Merlin's Chief Medical Officer his skin went pale. In the pilot's mind the only reason the Doctor could have to call was that there was something wrong with his physical. He tapped his comm badge and acknowledged. About ten short minutes later he found himself in the ward room and the Benzite Doctor had been seated at a table along with the Cardassian Nurse. Now his anxiety kicked into high gear, he knew there was a possibility that the psych caught up to him finally. "You wanted to see me Doctor?" Pete decided not to acknowledge the Caradassian, they did not merit it.

Zirvell didn't give any visible reaction to the chief's arrival, beyond a simple nod of acknowledgement, though inside his emotions were awhirl. He noticed the lack of acknowledgement and he clenched his teeth in reigned in anger, which he simply refused to show. He simply sighed softly, the only indication that he had noticed. Instead, he turned his head sideways to Anya, giving her an expectant look as she'd been the one who had summoned them both.

"I wanted to see both of you... Something has been brought to my attention and the Captain wanted me as the ships Second Officer to sit down with you both to discuss this!"
She was deliberately and carefully choosing her words, like navigating a minefield. Her usual reaction to something like this would have been to wade in and not take of prisoners... Now she had a higher responsibility
"I have been lead to believe that the pair of you had something of a heated exchange in sickbay shortly after the Captain and I departed... Is this true?"

"No sir I do not believe that to be true. We did have an exchange but as I recall it was not heated. The Nurse offered to perform my physical and I said that I would rather wait for you to be available. Nothing more." Pete had no idea why this was going on, there was no argument in Sick Bay, at least not one that he could remember.

"Heated no, filled with disdain from you, yes," Zirvell answered slowly. "The way you said it made it very clear that it was me in particular that you didn't want to complete your physical."

"Well you are correct there. However, by reasoning had nothing to do with where you come from. It had to do with your job. I just feel more comfortable being examined by a doctor and not a nurse. It is after all my body and my comfort is it not. So, there is nothing to discuss as far as I am concerned." That was all Pete had to say about the matter, and all he would say about the matter.

"That's not how it sounded," the Cardassian answered, "from the way you said it, it had everything to do with who I am. I'm fully qualified to perform physicals, at the very least the basics to clear someone for duty."

"No one is doubting your qualifications. As you are no doubt aware medicine hinges on the patient's comfort level. I am simply not comfortable with a Nurse performing a physical on me. It wouldn't matter what race your were, or gender that is simply the way I feel." The fact was Pete hated Cardassians but he was not about to say it here. He never forgave them for the death of his father. Besides what he just said was the truth as well.

"In that case Lieutenant you either need to adjust your comfort levels or find yourself unfit for duty on this ship. The medical staff have a limited number of Doctors available and we have a crew of almost two thousand to tend to from Starfleet officers and crew to an entire civilian population... I have given the order that the Nursing Staff are ultimately responsible for performing annual physicals to free the rest of my team up to deal with more important tasks and freeing myself up to complete my split duties as Chief Medical Officer and the ships Second Officer. Further more I would direct you to more carefully choose how you phrase or frame things in future because it was noted how you reacted to the idea of the Lieutenant here performing your physical."

In truth, the Lieutenant had done nothing wrong but his reaction to the Cardassian Officer had raised some questions... It turned out that this wasn't an isolated incident either and Anya had every intention of speaking to Zirvell about it in regards to Lieutenant Oakham.
"The war ended a long time ago now Lieutenant. It's time to let sleeping dogs rest!"

"Adding to that, my generation and those born after the war have nothing to do with it. You can't keep blaming us for what our elders may have done." Zirvell sighed softly and shook his head. "And since the doctor just stated her standing orders, I still believe it had everything to do with me."

"You can believe what you want. Doesn't mean it is correct. Add to that Nurse you should have noted that I had been reporting in for my new arrival physical. As such there is no way that I would have known any such standing order. That is until right this minute when the Doctor stated it." Peter paused to grit his teeth silently at the the thought to let sleeping dogs rest. They have no idea what they did to me and my family. he thought. As the thought passed he continued to speak. "You are too right that you had nothing to do with the war, and you have to understand that not everyone is discriminating against you." A slight tilt of the head and an adjustment to his posture brought Maverick to attention and face to face with the Doctor. "Doctor Nir'anyar since I am now aware of your standing order I take heed of it in the future. Permission to leave sir?"

Anya's eyebrows would have been raising so much that they would have been disappearing into her hairline... if she had either! She was no Counsellor by any stretch of the term but even she was picking up on the animosity towards Zirvell, the last comment from Mitchell 'Doesn't mean it is correct' as a stand alone comment in itself proved the man had some hang ups and Anya's suspicion was that it was due to Zirvell being Cardassian.
"Permission granted but just before you go, you will address the man by his rank of Lieutenant or his name which is Zirvell and not the term Nurse as it comes across with derogatory connotations in the context you have used the term... Do I make myself clear Lieutenant!"

"Sir yes sir!" The sirs were a courtesy to the Doctor's position as Second Officer on the ship. Pete and the Doctor shared the same rank. He performed an about face and glanced at Zirvell. "Have a good day Lieutenant." Maverick left the room and thought that if he needed medical, he would simply check the duty roster and schedule his appointments around the Cardassian's work schedule. There was after all more than one way to skin a cat as the saying went.

Anya turned to Zirvell and could see he was visibly hurt... In the same breath could she really blame Lieutenant Mitchell for his own feelings and belief's. When she considered her own prejudices against the Romulans and their treatment of her during her internment... In truth she could fully understand his point of view. That did not make it right however.
"You ok Zirvell?"

Zirvell nodded slowly, still stunned over what just happened. "I'm fine. I just wish people weren't so narrow-minded and just acknowledge something is amiss. And work towards a common goal. I wish people wouldn't see me as the enemy, they don't know half of what I've gone through to get where I am. They don't even know what my own family did, to me. Or my own people, for that matter."

OFF

●● Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell
Chief Flight Control Officer
Commander Air Group
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Nir’anyar
Chief Medical Officer
USS Merlin


○● Lieutenant j.g. Zirvell Khen
Chief Nurse
USS Merlin