Pookie has the Sniffles

Posted on Mon Mar 15th, 2010 @ 7:38am by Commander Basil Hart

731 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Preparing The Fleet
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: current

On

Basil was just about finished his shift. He was looking forward to a nice long hot sonic shower, and sick bay was almost empty. He had already sent Nurse Waite home, and was just tidying up when he heard a child's voice.

"Doctor? Doctor? Is anybody here?"

Basil whirled around to face a little five-year-old girl and a forlorn looking cat dangling from her arms. He stooped down to her level and smiled. "Well, young lady, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, I'm fine." She said matter-of-factly. "It's Pookie here I'm worried about."

Basil looked at the cat. Its eyes were watery and its nose was wet. "What do you think is wrong with Pookie?"

"Well, he's got the sniffles." She gave him that, "Don't you know? Aren't you the doctor?" look.

Basil smiled. "Yes, of course. You're absolutely right. Why don't you help me put Pookie up here on the bio-bed, and we'll take a look?"

The little girl obeyed, and Pookie was placed on the bio-bed where both Basil and the little girl could pet her. Activating the bio bed, Basil adjusted it for feline settings, sub-species Felis domesticus. After a short scan, the bio-bed confirmed it. A feline version of rhinovirus was having a field day in Pookie.

"Well, you were right. It looks like Pookie has a cold. By the way, little one, what's your name?"

The little girl straightened up. "I'm Amanda Littlefield. And I'm not little."

Basil smiled again. "No, of course you're not. How could I have been so silly? Now Amanda, I'm not really an expert on kitties, but I think I have a shot that might help Pookie feel better. Would you like me to give Pookie the shot?"

Concerns filled Amanda's eyes. "Will it hurt her?"

"Not at all. She'll just feel me touch the hypo to her neck, and then it will be all done."

Amanda's countenance changed with the childlike faith of absolute trust. "Okay. You can give her the shot."

Basil nodded and prepared a hypo, adjusting for body mass and skin density, and injected the little black cat with a mild antiviral.
"That should do it. Pookie should be able to breathe better in a couple of hours and she'll be back to her old self by tomorrow. Just make sure she gets plenty of water to drink and that you keep her cat box clean, okay Amanda?"

At that moment an attractive young woman in her early 30s hurried into sick bay. She saw the cat on the bio-bed, and the little girl, and looked mortified. "Amanda! Where have you been? You know you're not supposed to run out on mommy and daddy like that." She looked up at Basil. "Has she been bothering you, Doctor?"

Basil chuckled. "Not at all, Mrs. Littlefield. She and I were just working together to treat Pookie, who has a bad case of the sniffles."

"I'm awfully sorry about this, Doctor. We told her to wait until the morning to see someone about the cat, but sometimes she's a little impulsive."

"Oh, that's quite all right." He stroked the now purring cat. "I was glad I could help make her feel better as well as the cat." He turned to Amanda, smiling. "Now you go back to your quarters with mommy, and remember to give Pookie lots of water and keep her litter box clean. That's the best way to keep her from getting sick again. We you do that for me?"

Amanda smiled, picking up the cat. "Yes, sir. I'll take better care of her now that she's going to feel better." She turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, hold Pookie for a minute."

Mrs. Littlefield took the cat, and Amanda turned back to the doctor. "Doctor?"

Basil squatted down so that he could look her in the eye. "Yes, Amanda?"

Without warning she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for making Pookie feel better. When I grow up, I want to be a doctor just like you!" She released him, and turned happily away walking alongside her mother as they exited the sick bay.

Basil was not usually a sentimental person, but he couldn't help wiping a small tear from his eye as mother and daughter left.

OFF

Lieutenant Commander Basil Hart
Chief Medical Officer,
Starbase Typhon

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