Ikaia Wong/239806.07 House Calls

//Personal Log 239806.07

The past few months moved like a whirlwind to me. We actually ended up in combat with some Klingon revolutionists with one of my patients caught in the middle of it all. Kallo Ver. That’s the name of my patient. You know he actually calls me “Actually” like it’s a name? I’m not even sure where he got that from! But I can honestly say that he’s one of the few patients I’m glad to see the backside of. He’s caused us so. Many. Problems. In trying to protect him on the holodeck, we got clever about it. But ultimately, we had to drop the temperature well below freezing just to take care of the Klingon invaders. You know I was sick for two days following that? TWO. DAYS. And my AI had the audacity to tattle on me to everyone else about it. I never taught him to do that. But I was entirely banned from paperwork at least on four separate occasions during those two days and that was despite my best efforts to sneak something in. I mean eventually, I’d have caught a nosocomial infection at some point even with my amazing vaccination record. I work around the sick all the time. It's going to eventually happen. But this was a LOT more self inflicted. Well. That’s my perfect attendance record on this ship shattered.

But paperwork is now back on track and patients are almost caught up. I just have our new ensigns to square away. But I am reminded of a bigger issue. I’m concerned about the mental welfare of the crew. That conflict hit us hard on so many levels. Even I snapped under the stress! But I see it in my patients too. For some, this was their first combat situation. We need a counsellor on this ship again. I’m going to pitch this to the Captain or the Commander at the first opportunity I get. In the meantime, I have something of an idea. With Space Madness Awareness Week just around the corner, I think we should have our own mental health week filled with all kinds of activities! Make mental health and recovery fun. It’d be like sneaking zucchini into a chocolate loaf! I think I want to refine that pitch a little first. At least have a counsellor here to help with it. So the counsellor pitch will have to come first.

In the meantime, I have a more serious issue that’s been weighing on me - Ensign Thorne. In the battle on the holodeck, she…. withheld support from me because I’m a Klingon. It just doesn’t feel like the Starfleet way. Actually, it feels very UNStarfleet. I’m okay with talking to her like another colleague. But my trust for her just isn’t there. She’s seen me try to talk my way out of problems or try to resolve things without violence. But somehow she thought I needed to have an honour fight? I think this is an issue I will need to bring up with Commander Kelrod.

I guess one more thought I had on and off is my status with the sickbay. I’ve always said that I manage it. I’ve actually never called myself “Acting CMO” even though I DO run it. I don’t think the Captain has ever formally assigned me that. So I’ve hesitated. It doesn’t even feel right for me to call the CMO’s office as mine even though I DO use it. It feels like I may have to give it up someday. But I have given it some thought, though. I’d like to become CMO. You don’t need to become a doctor to be one. It’s a position that’s been held by a variety of medical officers over the years. Why not me? I can at least try. But I think I’d like more leadership training. Maybe my commanding officers might know a thing or two.

Well! We’re at our next stop. Time to see what it has in store for us!