The Sandford Files

Holodeck Short Stories
1

(These will be various bits and pieces but mainly personal logs of the somewhat embittered Medic John Sandford)

2

Personal Log.

When I first got here, I was ready to hate Deep Space 13. I’m in their fairly large medical department and I’m not CMO anymore, so my opinion doesn’t matter to the Doctors here. I was expecting them to give me a wide berth, stick me in a lab analyzing the common cold and carrying PADDs and Patient charts between Doctors and specialists.

Well, that IS what happened but I don’t hate it. I like it. Also, the station staff have been kind to me, despite Starfleet’s ruling. I’m just waiting for someone to come up to me and say “Your negligence killed Maggie. I hate you.”

I was given mandatory counseling on the Orion but Counselor Gerard chose our sessions to get out his frustration on me. He was sweet on Maggie, I later found out. So, to make things easier, I accepted the reprimand and the demotion from full LT and requested this transfer because life on the Orion would have been unbearable. I’m just surprised a starbase like Deep Space 13 accepted me. I was sure I would be forced upon some poor outpost where they’d all whisper behind my back before sabotaging something and then calling on Starfleet to send me somewhere else.

Anyway, all my despondence came to an end when I walked into their main bar on the Promenade, or ‘Event Horizon’ as it is known. I met an operations Ensign who has also just started here. I’ve never been so captivated by somebody’s spirit before. My first good friend whom I’m starting to really like. I say starting but it’s snowballing on my end. I need to check myself.

I’ve never been one for romance at all before. I never had any serious girlfriends. It was all casual because I was always working hard and then when I was CMO, I had absolutely no time for it. Now I’m not a CMO anymore and it will take me a long time before they even consider me for one again. But you know what? I’m good with it. Addie, she brings me out of the doom and the gloom. I find myself infected by her nature, her drive. If I was still a CMO, I may have missed her. Just seen her as another patient under my care. But she’s not. I CAN feel!

Maybe this is a second chance at everything? Question is, what do I do now??

End Log

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3

Sickbay
0600 hours

John opened his eyes then instantly squinted, holding up his hand lazily to shield them as the lights blazed down upon him. His hand had some help though as a shadow of a person loomed over him.

“Oh good grief,” Sandford moaned. “What time is it, Veneela?”

“Oh-Six-Hundred” A voice that certainly did not belong to Veneela replied.

“Wha? Who are you?” Sandford asked groggily, stifling a yawn, his eyes not focused yet.

“Lieutenant Commander Nick Loxton. You drunk my Saurian Brandy. My special Saurian Brandy that I was saving for a special occasion.”

John swung his legs and sat up. “Ah…ha…yeah. I drank a lot of things last night, sir. I’m sorry. I take full responsibility for everything.”

“How gallant of you, Lieutenant.” Nick remarked dryly, then looked at his PADD. “You dipped into almost every bottle in the Embassy bar. Including some Romulan ale that is only to be served at diplomatic functions.”

John blinked, shrugging. “It was a diplomatic function! I was entertaining a delegation of my fellow junior officers, sir!”

Nick turned away so John couldn’t see the wry smile forming. “Yes, so I heard. Playing bartender and, as this delegation was predominantly female, using some terrible pick up lines.”

Sandford remembered that, smiling. “It was a good night. I wasn’t seriously trying to pick them up though…” He stopped, another memory coming to him.

“Did Addie and Thyzee kiss or was that just a dream?” He muttered aloud. Loxton held his hand up, turning around.

“A question I recommend you pose to them. I’m not interested in the fraternization of the lower decks nor your dreams, Lieutenant. Unless either of those prove useful to an ongoing investigation, of course.”

Sandford nodded, slipping off the biobed.

“Anyway,” Loxton continued. “You’ve had your night of pleasure and as the Deferi are fond of saying, ‘All things must be in balance’. So today, your pain begins. You owe me a bottle of Saurian Brandy, top shelf, from Sauria. Also, the bottle of Romulan Ale you drank must be replaced too. I want them both there by Friday at 0900.”

Sandford blinked. “But sir! Saurian Brandy is a hot commodity. Doesn’t it take months for an order from Sauria to be shipped?! Heck! The shipping from Sauria and New Romulus will take at least a week.”

Loxton nodded. “Which is why you shouldn’t waste any time, Lieutenant. I’d start pulling some strings and calling in all the favours if I were you.”

Sandford shook his head, crossing his arms. “I’m a Doctor, not a bootlegger!”

Loxton eyed Sandford. “Not. Yet.”

Sandford sighed. “It cannot be done so I’m going to have to take my punishment, sir.”

Loxton perked a brow at Sandford. “I’d replace those bottles by next Friday if I were you, because the alternative is less than ideal, and I am putting it mildly.”

“What exactly is the alternative, sir?”

Loxton took a dramatic pause.

“Lobsfie.”

Sandford blinked. “Who or what is Lobsfie?”

“If you have to ask who Lobsfie is, then you clearly are new to DS13.”

“I am new to DS13 and who is Lobsfie?!” Sandford asked.

“Lobsfie is Lobsfie. If you don’t get that alcohol by Friday, you’re going to the ball pit to hose down Lobsfie under Cadet Aetah’s supervision.”

“What species is Lobsfie?”

“You’ll find out if you don’t get what I requested by Friday. Good luck, Lieutenant. Let me know when you have secured the items.”

Sandford sighed. “Yes sir.”

Loxton nodded, then departed Sickbay in a few strides. Sandford slumped his shoulders.

“Computer, put a priority call through to the Chief Surgeon’s office on Orestes…”

Sandford stomped off to the back office to begin his work.

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4

Sandford’s Quarters
0300 Hours

“Computer, compose message to send to the following comm code, Night-Eight-Four-Seven.”

The computer acknowledged his request. “Ready. Begin message.”

Sandford sighed before he spoke, then cleared his throat.

“Kila, it’s John. I know you owe me nothing but I’m just concerned. You left abruptly and I thought we were getting on well. I spoke to George and he said Jena had said nothing to him either. I hope you both are alright. Please, respond when you get this message. Just a word to let me know everything’s fine?”

John paused for a moment before standing. “Computer send message and confirm it’s delivery.”

“Message sent.” The computer responded. “Delivery confirmed.”

Sandford nervously tapped his fingers before trying to distract himself with some work. Before he knew it, three hours had passed when the computer spoke again.

“Message received from comm code Night-Eight-Four-Seven.”

Sandford looked up. “Play message!” He said urgently.

The sound of a busy street could be heard then a mutter close to the microphone before Kila’s voice spoke.

“John, Hey, good to hear from you? Hope you’re okay. DS13 is a pretty cool place. We had to leave because, uh, our Uncle is probably going to Federation prison and we don’t want to get involved in all of that. We have our own lives…HEY! DON’T TOUCH ME ASHHOLE!”

“Sorry! I thought you were available for hire!” a Ferengi accented voice said.

“I’m available to fup you up if you touch me there again! Go before I do just that!” Kila growled then muttered.

“Listen, John, I’m on Freecloud. Place is wild! Jena and I, well, we’re going our separate ways now. I think she went back to Aldeberan. I have to go now though but it was…”

She paused and the sounds of the street took over for a moment.

“It was good to hear from you. Nobody cared enough before. Tell George I said hi!”

The message ended abruptly.

“End of message. Would you like to replay?”

“No.” Sandford said, then let out a little laugh. “Begin recording this response…”

“Nobody cared enough before, but they do now. Watch your caboose, Kila. Maybe come back to DS13 sometime so I can watch it too?”

Sandford shook his head then nodded, standing. “Send that reply.”

“Reply sent.”

“That was possibly worse than the tricorder line but I can live with it.” He muttered to himself before returning to his desk and reading the screen.

“…I CAN live with it.” He said out-loud.

Sandford facepalmed. “Computer un-send last reply and erase.”

“Unable to comply, message already played and a response is being recorded by recipient.”

Sandford gulped as he waited for the response.

5

Personal Log.

So, Kila has ordered I cease contacting her. I’m confused and a little hurt but I’ll get over it. I had a great pep talk from Commander Nathes and Lieutenant Commander Valore who sold it to me straight. I am an egotist. Delusional too. I also don’t know where home is.

I don’t know where I belong. This makes me feel incredibly sad.

Maybe I should speak to a counsellor. Maybe Valore and Nathes are qualified enough to give it to me straight. Maybe not.

This has turned into a depressing personal log. I should probably stop talking.

Why do I have no confidence?? What happened to me? Oh. Yes. I was demoted from CMO and transferred. I’ve been rejected more times than I can count while on DS13.

Maybe I need to get out more like some people have told me!

End Log

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