Chapter Text
The med bay doors slid open behind you. Without looking up from the chart in your hands, you called over your shoulder, "Good morning, Captain Kaneda. Ready for your physical?"
The footsteps stopped. "How did you know?"
You turned with a smile already forming. "Good leaders lead by example. In the month I've known this crew, I've learned you're here because you're an excellent astronaut." You shrugged lightly. "You're also an excellent captain."
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Thank you, Doctor."
You patted the examination table. "Hop up. And while we're at it, call me Stitch. Half the crew has 'doctor' in front of their name."
That earned an actual laugh. "Very well... Stitch."
You wrapped the blood pressure cuff around his arm before slipping a thermometer beneath his tongue. The examination itself was quick. Kaneda was exactly what you expected: healthy, cooperative, and almost impossible to surprise. When you finished entering the last note into his chart, you handed him the tablet back.
"Passed with flying colors, Captain. Send in my next victim." You paused. "Patient."
His shoulders shook with quiet laughter as he headed for the door. "I'll do my best."
About half an hour later Harvey poked his head into Medical. "The captain said you wanted us calling you Stitch?"
You motioned him inside. "I do."
He climbed onto the table, still looking skeptical. "Seriously?"
"I happen to like little blue aliens."
That drew an amused snort. "No way."
"Oh, absolutely." You clipped the pulse oximeter onto his finger. "Though the nickname actually started in clinicals. I usually ended up doing everyone's stitches."
"That..." Harvey nodded thoughtfully. "...actually makes sense."
By the time you finished his exam, he had relaxed completely. As he headed for the door, you called after him. "Send in whoever's next, please."
He answered with a mock salute. "Sure thing, Stitch."
You smiled to yourself. You would never tell any of them the nickname had inspired the tattoo hidden beneath your uniform on your right shoulder blade. The artist had laughed for ten solid minutes.
Corazon knocked softly against the frame before stepping inside. "So..." she said, smiling, "...where would you like me, Stitch?"
You gestured toward the table. "I suspect you're the patient I have to worry about least. You know anatomy almost as well as I do."
She laughed as she sat. "Fair point."
The examination progressed easily until her blood work finished processing. You frowned slightly. "I know you're not going to like this."
Corazon immediately looked suspicious. "What?"
Turning around to her, you showed her the tablet. "Your oxygen saturation is running consistently high."
"...Is that bad?"
"It can become bad." You met her eyes. "I need you outside the oxygen garden for twelve consecutive hours every week."
She sighed dramatically. "But my plants."
Holding up a hand, you gave her a look. "Doctor's orders."
She laughed.
"I'll have Icarus remind you," you added as she left the room.
She paused at the door with a smile. "As if the computer needed another excuse to nag me." Over her shoulder she called. "Capa next?"
"Please."
Nearly an hour later, Capa hurried into Medical looking apologetic. "Sorry. I got caught up in my calculations."
You folded your arms. "You delayed my lunch."
His expression became appropriately guilty. "I'll try to be more conscientious."
"Please do."
He settled onto the table while you worked through the routine examination. "It was Stitch, right?"
"Preferably." You tightened the blood pressure cuff. "Otherwise six out of nine people answer when someone yells 'Doctor.'"
He chuckled. "Fair enough."
A few moments later your attention settled on his blood results. "Hm."
"What?"
You rotated the display so he could see it. "The payload room."
He frowned. "What about it?"
"The metals are affecting your blood chemistry." You pointed to several elevated values. "Nothing dangerous yet, but I'd rather it never becomes dangerous."
"So..." he hedged.
"So if your calculations can be done somewhere else..." You looked up at him. "...do them somewhere else."
He studied the results before nodding. "I can do that."
"Good."
You and Capa walked together toward the galley.
After lunch, Searle wandered into Medical, studying you thoughtfully before speaking. "I find it interesting," he said, "that you distinguish yourself from the other doctors with a nickname rather than your name."
You looked up from your notes. "We can discuss my psychology when it's your turn to examine me." You pointed at the table. "For now... sit."
His amused smile lingered through the entire examination. As he reached the doorway, he glanced back. "Stitch?"
You returned the smile. "Hope you never find out."
He laughed quietly as he disappeared down the corridor.
Trey was so quiet you did not notice him until he was already sitting on the examination table.
"Well, hello."
He gave a small wave. "Hi."
You worked through the first few vitals before glancing up. "You keep talking this much and I'll have to sew your mouth shut."
That finally cracked a smile. "Sorry. I was doing calculations."
"Acceptable excuse."
His blood work finished a few minutes later. You frowned. "I'm prescribing one hour in the Earth Room every day."
He opened his mouth. You raised a finger. "Your cortisol is elevated. This mission is nearly two years long. I need you sane, not simply functional."
His shoulders sagged. "...Okay."
Cassie wandered in next with both hands buried in her pockets. "Hey, Stitch."
"Hey, Cass."
She climbed onto the table grinning. "Did you really ban Corazon from her plants?"
You kept your face perfectly straight. "I cannot discuss my patients." Then you smirked at her. "...But whatever she told you is completely accurate."
Cassie burst into laughter. "I didn't think anyone could drag her out of that garden."
Humming, you nodded. "Everyone needs time away from their station."
She gave you a pointed look. "You sleep in Medical."
Maturely, you stuck your tongue out at her. "I eat every meal in the galley."
She waited.
"And I spend an hour every night in Observation." You stuck the needle into her arm to draw blood.
"Huh."
As you pulled out the needle, you smirked again. "I practice what I prescribe."
She lifted both hands in surrender. "Fair enough."
By the time the lights outside shifted toward the night cycle, Medical had gone quiet.
You were bent over your desk, finishing your report for the captain, when the doors whispered open one last time. Without looking up, you called, "I promise I won't make you turn your head and cough."
Silence. You finally glanced over.
James Mace stood halfway across the room, amusement tugging at one corner of his mouth. "That wasn't in the briefing."
You smiled despite yourself. "I assumed since you skipped your appointment this morning and waited until the end of the day, you must be afraid of something."
He climbed onto the examination table. "Not afraid."
Raising a brow, you began to take his vitals. "No?"
Shrugging, he nodded. "I had repairs."
"Mmm." The skeptical sound earned a roll of his eyes.
He sat patiently while you worked through the examination, though, unlike everyone else, he watched everything you did with quiet curiosity.
When you reached his hands, you frowned. Fresh cuts. Several abrasions. A burn beginning to blister. "You collect these for fun?"
He twitched as you popped the blister. "Occupational hazard."
Your eyes stayed on the wound. "So is paperwork."
He sighed. "...Fair."
You cleaned each scrape before applying medication. "I suppose I should expect you to be the perpetually late patient."
He scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry, Doc."
You finally looked up at him. "Icarus is your patient." You let out a breath. "You're mine."
For just a second he seemed caught off guard. Then the familiar crooked smile returned. "I'll try to be on time next month."
You did not correct the "Doc." Instead, you stepped back and closed his chart. "See that you do, James."
He gave a small nod before heading for the door, leaving you with the strange feeling that the longest physical of the day had also been the shortest.