Chapter 12: Work in the Medical Bunks

The next day, Rose was up and ready for a new day. The cut on her arm was healing and the bandage had to stay on until the wound was properly closed. Right now, she was getting everything organized to help any injured crew members. Captain Amelia decided to have Dr. Doppler stay in the medical bunks to keep an eye on Rose and to make sure the crew make no attempt to harm her again. The canid was out of his space suit, to reveal his slender figure with a white dress shirt, a tan vest, a green tie, a red coat, brown pants, white socks, and brown shoes.

In the medical bunks, Delbert sat in a chair and watched Rose setting up her area with diligence and integrity. Then she heard a knocking on the door from outside.

"Just a second, I'm coming," she said, making her way to the door.

She opened it and in front of her was Onus. The short eight-eyed slug was clutching onto his arm and his face was filled with pain.

"What can I help you with, Mr. Onus?"

"Nurse, me arm has a cut. I was doing some labor and then I fell back and cut me arm against the railing."

He removed his coat to reveal a medium length cut with small drips of blood slipping down his arm. The redhead kept her calm and guided Onus to the observation table and helped him up. Delbert looked to watch making sure Onus didn't harm her, but he began to feel queasy and green when he saw Onus's bloody arm.

"Why don't you rest here for a little while, and I'll go prepare myself to help you," she said.

Rose covered her hair with a net, and placed on an apron. She went to a sink, removed her jewelry, and placed them in a cabinet. The girl washed her hands thoroughly with warm water and soap; she scrubbed them firmly, but gently with friction until they were clean and aseptic. She turned back, placed on a pair of gloves, grabbed a first aid kit, and started to treat Onus.

She opened the kit to reveal medicines, bandages, needles, and gauze pads. Rose helped the slug remove his shirt in order to clean the wound. Delbert brought over a bowl of warm water with clean towels, the girl thanked him, and she dipped the towel in the water. Then she squeezed the excess water out and took Onus's arm in one hand and held the cloth in the other.

"All right, I'll clean your wound first and then I'll start treating it," she said. "But I need you to hold still, as this may sting a little."

Onus nodded, gritted his teeth, and shut his eyes tightly. Rose gently placed the cloth on his flesh and Onus winced from the pressure as she cleaned the blood off the skin. After a few strokes, the blood was cleaned off and all that was left was the open wound. Rose reached for a syringe and attached a needle to the hub, firmly tightening it. Once it was ready, she injected the medication into the syringe and filled it up to the right amount. She places it down and took out a stitching needle and pulled a suture through the eye and settled it down on the tray and made her way to Onus.

"I have injected a local anesthetic that will numb your wound, since it will require a few stitches. With the anesthetic, you won't feel anything as I will place the stitches through your wound," she said.

"Right," Onus said.

Rose pushed the anesthetic into the slug's arm as the medicine went through the needle into the wound. Onus flinched for a moment as the needle poked him and gave a sigh of relief as it was pulled out. As Delbert watched, he began to feel uneasy and lightheaded as he was not used to seeing blood and being able to stomach it. When Rose attached the cap needle to the syringe, she noticed the canid's eyes rolling back into his eyes and was about to faint.

"Excuse me for a moment," she said to Onus.

The girl hurried towards Delbert and managed to guide him to a bed, lying him down and placed up his legs. His head was placed on a pillow and soon he was out. The girl tilted up the canine's head and he toppled it forward. After she finished helping Delbert and turned her attention back to Onus, switched to a new pair of gloves and started to stitch up his wound.


As this was occurring, Artemis noticed an unconscious Delbert sitting up on the bed. The chameleon climbed up on the bed and stood on his shoulder. Seeing him out, she decided to wake him up. She slapped his cheek with her paw, and flinched back blending into the color of his red coat. Still unconscious, the chameleon turned around and smacked him a couple of times with her tail, and poked him.

Artemis sighed, knowing she had to wake him up the hard way. She turned around, and shot out her slimy tongue right into his ear. Delbert shot up from his sleep and yelped. Artemis jumped up, squeaked, and landed on the bed.

Onus noticed the commotion and snorted in laughter at the chameleon's trick on the Doctor. But he winced from the needle being pulled through his wound. Delbert soon fainted again as he sat up. Rose continued to stitch up the wound, cut the suture, and covered it with a bandage. She nodded at the completion.

"There. You're all set, Mr. Onus," she said. "Rest for a few days, and I'll remove the bandage. Do less physical work so your arm can heal."

"Thanks, nurse," he said.

Onus pulled on his sweater and coat and made his way outside. Rose nodded and began to clean up. She disposed the needle and syringe needle into the sharp safety bin and turned over to the sink area. The girl removed her gloves, apron, and hair bouffant, throwing the gloves and bouffant into the trash can. She washed up her hands and dried them. The redhead decided to go back and check on Dr. Doppler.


Delbert slowly woke up from his faint, and felt that something was sticking deep in his ear canal. His eyes traveled over in his peripheral vision to see the small lizard sitting on his left shoulder with her long tongue in his ear. He screamed in terror and the lizard jumped up in fright, landing on the mattress.

"Will you stop that?" Delbert exclaimed angrily wiping his ear. "Great! Not only did I get offended by the Captain, but I get a rude awakening from a little frog!"

Artemis turned red and hissed at the doctor, and she did not liked being called a 'frog'. Delbert backed away, hopping to his feet, and yelped. Rose knelt down and picked up her chameleon. She hid her chuckle at the doctor's reaction.

"I'm sorry about that Dr. Doppler," the girl said softly, with her thumb gently stroking her pet. "Artemis doesn't trust strangers, and gets very defensive. And for your information, she's a chameleon, not a frog."

"I see," Delbert said, keeping a guarded face. "I was hoping this would be a fantastic adventure, but instead I get stuck with looking after the captain's ward!"

Rose's soft smile disappeared from her face and looked away, she suspected that Delbert didn't see eye to eye with her adoptive mother. Whenever others in lower ranks would be around Captain Amelia, they gave her upmost respect, whether they like it or not.

"I suspect that the heat isn't off your chest from what the captain said to you yesterday," she said.

"Yeah, and I don't understand how you can handle that woman," he replied, giving her a skeptical look.

"Well," she started, before sighing and scratching the back of her neck. "The captain has her reasons for making the rules. It's certainly not my idea to have anyone watch me and keep me out of trouble. I'm more of a rule follower most of the time to stay out of trouble." She sighed. "It's orders."

The canine man looked at the girl as his defensive expression softened. He was rather amazed that the human was so quiet, soft-spoken, and demure, and not as outspoken, stern, and confrontational like her guardians.

"Hmm… you're not at all like the Captain and Mr. Arrow," he said.

"Thank you. Though I'll admit, I'm not exactly the best confident person like they are. I just never felt that I could be just like them," she turned away nervously. "Do you sometimes feel that you want to feel useful, but then for a reason you don't?"

The canine looked at the redhead shocked. He thought for a moment before coming up with an answer.

"Well, optionally… er…optimally… no… I mean occasionally," he stuttered. "Well, who am I kidding? Some people do find me useful, and others, including a few rivals not really. Just my bad luck the captain doesn't see me that way and as I said before, you're not at all like her."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't judge people when you get to know them," Rose said with a small smile.

This left the canine speechless at the redhead's words. He was mostly used to hearing only positive comments from close friends, and never from a stranger. However, this wouldn't be the last time him or anyone else would ever learn about the Captain's daughter.