[center][b]=====Tempest Mess Hall to Wing====[/b][/center]

Joseph knew when to quit. That time had come the moment when Ms. Shitric had grown tired of his digging; the younger woman easily chose now to take her leave. The old man’s eyes just sighed in disappointment, a brief closing of his lids, as he placed his pen down upon the pad and reached over to take up his mug. The coffee had finally cooled to a tolerable level and he took a deep drink. He didn’t say a word while she took her leave, merely nodded in understanding then watched her leave. Inwardly, he wasn’t pleased with the result he gained during this unexpected meeting which caused his eyes to lower down to the pad and brush over the few scribbled words that danced across the page. Barely anything of any use in an emergency and currently, if she ever needed it, Joseph was wary to even give the woman morphine for pain due to any possibly negative effects.

He mentally sighed, lost in his own idleness while he mulled over several things that came to his mind. Namely associated with the reason Ms. Shitric kept her medical history so private and how in Lord’s name even allowed to be on the ship? The latter was more of a mulling curiosity since this project was from his understanding considered to be highly government operated and classified project, but he merely shrugged it off in flavor of the reasons why she needed sealed medical records.

In his attempts to seek out a reasonable answer, Joseph’s mind drifted over his first encounter with such measures. It was when a loving grandmother wanted to hide the fact she was dying from her family. It was hard case that quickly declined into a messy spiral after he had diagnosed her with lung cancer, the fourth physician and last, into the fatal stages. And shortly after, a lawyer suddenly showed up, forced the files and urged Joseph’s own mouth shut much to the doctor’s bitterness. It wasn’t easy for Joseph to look into the woman’s only child’s eyes and stay silent, one of the worse experiences he ever had in his life was seeing the quiet suffering and know he could’ve possibly eased it. The woman chose to suffer alone but ended up bring her family along when she sentenced herself to death, ODed on prescriptions given by another doctor for the pain. One of the few cases that Joseph felt frustrated with himself over. However, he pondered, the doctor doubted Ms. Shitric would’ve came on board just to risk dying somewhere along the voyage. It seemed wrong with how she portrayed herself and that bothered him, his hand visibly gripped the mug tighter then released.

Gently he set his half empty drink back down beside the pad, his fingers started to tap it up and down. His mind no longer distracted by either Ms. Shitric or thoughts, his arm’s throbbing returned again. It seemed to remind him he had a job to get to back to. Joseph felt it was going to be a long day filled with much paperwork, aiding patients, and more before he would be allowed to rest again but that was what he signed up for when he became a doctor. Slowly, he rose and gathered up his things into his good arm alongside his left over coffee, then turned heel for the exit.

The trip back to the medical office had been easy and uneventful one…until Joseph had walked after the admission of another patient recently. Instantly Dr. Niven looked up from his conversation and turned to spot Joseph enter, his body turned to deposit his coffee at his desk. Within seconds the Department Head held up his hand to end the current conversation, mumbled something, then was at Sterling’s side soon enough. Already Joseph had been making himself comfortable while his computer hummed to life and flickered on.

“Ahmm. Dr. Sterling? Joseph… I need you to do something for me.”

Joseph’s back leaned back to acknowledge Dr. Niven hovered at his side, his eyes blinked then narrowed. “Yes? What is it?”

“I need you to monitor a recent patient,” He began and passed over a pale blue clip board, the papers latched to contained medical details about the patient’s condition and arrival situation. While Joseph’s hand took to read, Dr. Niven continued to explain. “Currently much of the staff is stretched thin from earlier and with your injury, you’re not going to be much-

The clip board was immediately set down causing Dr. Niven to slightly jump at the unexpected sound. Joseph however, kept his steady eyes upon the Department Head and faced him completely. “You’re basically need someone to babysit the patient and because I’m injured, I’m the best choice. Dr. Niven… please, it’s easier not to beat around the bush and get to the point. We are both professionals here.”

There was a moment of silence until Joseph’s words began again.” It says here, he’s a Caucasian male about forty-nine, bald and suffering from electrical malfunctions that witnesses say sent the poor man backwards? Am I reading this right? And he suffered this?” He turned and thumb shifted towards the bottom to point at the injuries received with a curious look, one that edged towards disbelief the more he looked at it.

“Yes, that’s about right. Witnesses said a QESU machine malfunctioned for reasons yet unknown, possibly damaged during the shifting event and unknown until now.”

Joseph eyes scanned the clipboard again, this time a minute longer before he sighed. He started to rise to his feet and started to return his computer to its offsetting, his sudden movement caused Dr. Niven to back up slightly for room and to allow him to gather up his things. “Very well, Dr. Niven, I’ll check in on him. The only thing I’ve got to do all day is paperwork, seeking a loophole around Ms. Shitric’s damn lawyer or hounding her all day. The later would likely have me arrested before dinner time anyway…”

With coffee and clipboard in hand, he made his way into the recovery ward. His path was a beeline for the man pictured on the clipboard’s left corner. His steps sharp and direct didn’t delay him for very long as he came to Bob Bishop’s bedside shortly. Setting his coffee and clipboard down, a task made harder because his other arm hung close to his side and useless for the task, Joseph then quietly checked the monitors carefully. When he was satisfied everything was normal, he then pulled up a chair to patiently wait.