Stardate: 70617:2212
Title: Invasive Procedure
Author: Ensign Marc Remmick
Time: After 'Extinction'
Scene: Sickbay


The engineer had his hands clamped against his temples, trying to fight down the pounding headache that had launched a full-scale attack on his brain. He couldn't remember when it started, although it could have been when he tried to shout down the Commanding Officer. Or perhaps it was when he'd had to talk to Matthews - again.

The Cardassian hadn't exactly been impolite, although he'd been a little more than professionally distant with the surly Ensign. Then he'd strapped a variety of medical scanners to Remmick's skull and bombarded him with enough scanner energy to power three tricorders for a year. It had been a severely uncomfortable situation - knowing what he did about the Union and its preference for interrogatory techniques and technologies, he could not push away nightmares of abuse and questioning...

The Doctor had been nothing but efficient though. He'd carefully sidestepped Remmick's insistent demands for explanations, collected his results, and was now maintaining a distance. Clearly, he was aware of Remmick's ill-feeling and chances were he'd understand it was his presence that aggravated the engineer - and that was incomprehensible. Was Matthews being polite, and keeping his presence to a minimum? Slowly, the nature of Starfleet sank into Remmick's brain - to encourage, or in this case force, different species to co-exist peacefully. Habits and beliefs built over years into his personality were undergoing minute - but significant - changes...

If they were to share a starship, Remmick would have to overcome his unconscious dislike of Matthews' and his species. Plus, maybe that would increase his chances of getting a painkiller...


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Ensign Marc Remmick
Engineer
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
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