001 Paging Dr. Kolding

[tinywife]

Pinoko was glad that she had managed to save the map that Mr. Baker had sent her. After a ride on the train (which was adorable), and somehow managing not to get lost, she had managed to make her way to Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital. Mr. Baker had said that it was "old fashioned" but Pinoko had said that it provided good service.

And after finding herself in the future and in space, Pinoko figured that old fashioned might not be that bad. The hospital was reassuring in that it didn't remind her of any of the skeevy Japanese hospitals from back home - the kind that the Doctor told her never to work in. So there was that at least.

But now that she was here, she was waiting for a meeting with the Doctor that she would have to talk to. Some of the nurses and techs had directed her to a small waiting room. She was glad that the paperwork that she had submitted at the Renaissance Center earlier in the week had apparently gone through without a hitch. Now apparently she just had to wait for the supervising doctor to see her. She was really hoping that there wouldn't be any tests beforehand. She hadn't even learned alien biology yet!

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[crux_npcs]

A doctor with white hair, and his eyes concealed behind very dark glare-shades steps out a few moments later, his hands holding a communications tablet. He looks her up and down for a few moments and snaps, "Well, what is it?"

[tinywife]

This feels familiar, Pinoko thought at the Doctor's demeanor. But she didn't snap back. She didn't even seem perturbed by the Doctor's appearance. She had seen stranger.

She jumped up out of the chair and tried to be as professional (and polite) as possible.

"Sir. My name is Pinoko. I was a nurse back home." A very unorthodox and unlicensed nurse, but no need to bring that part up just yet. "Pinoko was told that I had to submit some paperwork, which I did. Mr. Baker suggested that I come here to try and be a nurse. Pinoko is willing to do whatever it takes to catch up on what I need to learn to be a nurse here in the Fleet."

There. Now hopefully he would take her seriously. She'd already been mistaken for a little girl a few times since she arrived at the Fleet.

[crux_npcs]

"Were you now? You seem a bit young for a nurse." He crosses to her, and stands near Pinoko. Kolding isn't tall for a full grown adult, but he is rather slender and -exceptionally- pale. "Also, why do you sometimes refer to yourself in the third person?"

[tinywife]

"It's a habit," Pinoko said, answering the question. "Pino-- I do it more when I'm nervous." She took a breath. "I'm short. Not young. I'm twenty four."

She frowned a little, looking down, and trying to figure out how to explain this. She had never had to explain it before. "The Doctor... Doctor Black Jack... I lived with him. But before I lived with the Doctor, I lived inside my twin sister. Pinoko started out life as a tumor - a parasitic twin. The Doctor did an operation on my sister. He made me a body. And I came to live with him after that."

Pinoko looked up at Kolding then. "That is why I'm short. It's why Pinoko won't get any taller. But I am a competent nurse! I have helped Doctor Black Jack operate, and I have gone all over the world with him!"

And that wasn't something that she was ashamed of. And it wasn't something that this man could take away from her.

[crux_npcs]

"I see, so you have an artificial body. Would you prefer one that is slightly older?"

He nods at her words abotu being a nurse, and says, "Do you have any certifications, documentation of this? I rather doubt it, considering things, but it might have been among your personal effects." He doesn't sound hopeful, but he is at least willing to entertain the possibility, it would seem.

[tinywife]

For a few moments, Pinoko was stunned into silence. She had always wanted to be a real grown-up lady. But... to have it offered just like that...

"Pinoko will think about it. but... you can do that?"

They probably could. This was the future.

At the Doctor's other question, Pinoko sighed softly. How to answer this question without admitting she was unlicensed. There might not be a way to get around that. Maybe just a direct answer?

"I didn't have any documentation of being a nurse. Even if I did, I didn't have it on me at the time I was brought to the Fleet."

[crux_npcs]

"It would require more cybertechnology and some other specialists being involved, but it would be possible." Especially if it meant she would stop bothering him.

"Then you'll have to take the standard aptitude test, I'm afraid. If you arrange it with the educational facilities, I am sure you will do fine, however, you may need to familiarize yourself with fleet technology first."

[tinywife]

Bothering? How is you offering to make Pinoko a new body her bothering you, Doctor? Be glad Pinoko can't read thoughts. Anymore. Still, she had to think about getting a real grown up body. It was a lot to think about.

"Aptitude test? All right." Pinoko knew how to be a nurse. She did. She just had to prove that. That wouldn't be too scary. Not too scary. No hyperventilating Pinoko. But... there was something else that the Doctor had pointed out.

"Who do I talk to about getting familiar with current technology? A lot is different here."

[crux_npcs]

"One of the educational academies. Given the nature of your appearance here, we're offering you all training, and it will be considered your service towards the fleet, so it would be advantageous for you to attend such trainings anyway, if you want to stay."

He makes a gesture with his omnicommunicator, and a holographic syllabus is displayed in front of Pinoko, "This is the sort of thing you'll be taught. Cellular regeneration techniques, some basic cybernetic replacements, that sort of thing, if you test out of the basic coursework."

[tinywife]

So... school. Learning wasn't scary. Though there was that scary test word again. But Pinoko just had to prove that she wasn't stupid and she knew about nursing. That wasn't scary. That wasn't hard. She knew how to stitch and assist during surgery and other nurse-stuff.

She was just unlicensed. She could do this. A license didn't prove you were competent, after all. She'd met plenty of licensed doctors that were morons. And Pinoko's Doctor was the best doctor in the whole world, and he didn't have a license!

Pinoko did stare at the syllabus a little. "That's so neat," she breathed. Though whether it was in regards to the hologram or all the futuristic medicine stuff she would be learning was hard to say. Maybe Pinoko would learn how to be a Doctor herself.

She took a breath and looked at Kolding with determination then. "So. When do I start?" Because the sooner she got hooked up learning and taking the totally not-scary tests, the sooner she could work on being a nurse.

[crux_npcs]

Kolding snapped off the holodisplay and adjusted his eyegear with his middle finger. "Once you've taken the aptitude test and caught up on the technology and scientific developments, you can immediately begin an internship here. But keep this in mind: We are an elite. The others call us 'old-fashioned', but our successes are the greatest in the Fleet and our doctors are most skilled, most profession-"

It was then that screams come down the hall, along with stomping feet. Turning the corner, a human has a blue-skinned, four-armed alien seated on his shoulders. The alien had all four arms stretched out, and both of them wore doctor's uniforms. He tilted his head back and called out in an echoing screech, "EAAAAAAAAGLEEEEEEEEEE!"

And, just like that, they were gone, rounding another corner. The rest of the staff never even blinked.

...My, that was an unhealthy-looking vein in Kolding's temple.

[tinywife]

Pinoko, for her part, was trying valiantly not to laugh at that... rather amazing display. She was trying really hard not to sparkle too. But she couldn't hide her smile. Which might have been a little more on the smirk side, but who was counting?

"Pinoko believes you were saying something about how your doctors were the most skilled and professional in the Fleet?" she said sweetly.

She noticed the vein and bit her lip.

"Doctor, are you all right? Do you need to sit down?"

Yes. Pinoko was fairly sure that once she passed the test and got caught up that she could fit in at this hospital rather nicely. Even if Dr. Kolding was kind of a jerk.

[crux_npcs]

"Yes, well..." Kolding's scowl deepens. "I'm fine, thank you. I suppose you should probably start studying, soon."

His already pale fingers turn almost green as they clench the edges of his omnicorder device. Those two are ALWAYS trouble for him. Always.

[tinywife]

Well. Pinoko almost felt sorry for those other Doctors. She had a feeling Dr. Kolding was going to give them what for later. But... he was right. She should probably get to that.

"Well... if Pinoko has to study and get caught up at one of the educational academies around here, are there any that the Doctor can recommend?"

Pinoko had been at the Fleet for a little over a week, after all. It wasn't like she had any idea where a lot of things were. And she and her communicator had a... working relationship on the best days.

[crux_npcs]

"The rosewood institute has a fairly strong nursing program that includes integration of the more high-tech aspects of what we do, of course they'll have to adjust the course of study for any of our new arrivals, but I'm sure the professors won't mind too much.

He brings up the building and a brochure on it onto a holoscreen and "hands" it to Pinoko.

[tinywife]

"Thank you!" Pinoko said, favoring Dr. Kolding with a true smile as she looked over the brochure. This would work out just fine. She'd actually get to be a real nurse! With cool future technology in space and everything!

And maybe she'd get to be a doctor someday.

"I'll work really hard!"

[crux_npcs]

"I'm sure you will. Good luck." The Dr almost smiles. For just a moment. A very, very brief moment.

[tinywife]

Pinoko saw that. An almost-smile was probably the closest thing she might get out of Dr. Kolding. But it was good enough. For now, anyway.

She decided not to hug him. Some professionalism was probably warranted. So she settled for a slight bow, and then headed out. Studying was going to be in order. And then testing.

But then she'd get to be a nurse! Maybe a doctor! And tests in space couldn't be that scary... right?