| Episode: | Season 1, Episode 2 – Every Station A Menagerie |
| Location: | Helix Medical Center |
| Written By: | Hayashi Elle Valencia Roma |
| Date: | 09/01/2026 |
| Word Count: | 1,092 |
Valencia Roma leaned over the edge of the nurse’s station and grabbed the data pad she’d needed. It contained her study materials for an upcoming test, even in her residency she still had tests and other requirements she’d needed to meet. That only led to her believing she’d made an incorrect choice in profession.
She looked around, saw some of the other medical students with one of the doctors and immediately remembered why she chose this field. A smile played across her face, it was her way of giving back to the station and community. Her way of helping the people who, in some ways, couldn’t help themselves.
“You ready?” Elle asked, her arms were crossed over her chest, and she stared at the young woman and future doctor standing there in front of her. “I mean, I can only help you if you’re ready.” A smile played across her face.
Valencia nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Elle’s voice. She spun around pressing the data pad into the center of her chest. “Yeah,” She mumbled before getting herself into stride. “I must admit though,” Valencia began to say, “After the other day I thought you’d take some time off Doctor Hayashi.”
Elle smirked, “It really wasn’t that big of a deal. Though, I’m fairly certain that Jonah should have shot the idiot instead of just standing there staring at him while he held that disruptor against me.”
Valencia tilted her head slightly as they continued to walk through the halls of the emergency sector of the hospital. “Didn’t you tell me if Jonah had done that there was a very real possibility of him killing you? I didn’t know you had a death wish.”
“I don’t,” Elle reassured the young student. “But, at the time my life over the others in that room didn’t really matter. If that makes any sense?” She questioned, not sure if she’d worded that very well or not. Elle shrugged, “Eh, it makes no difference anyway. Mister Webb and I have been friends for a very long time.”
Valencia had heard Elle talk about him in passing a few times. She didn’t really know him all that well as he was a few years older than she was. “Someday you gotta show me a picture of him or something so I can put a face to a name.”
Elle nodded, “Oh I can do that now,” She said and she pulled out her portable communicator that she kept in her pocket. She flipped it open because they’d been friends for so long she had over a dozen of them. She let the other doctor see it, “Here you go.”
Valencia looked over at the image then up toward Doctor Hayashi, “Okay I’m very confused by something. Perhaps you could help clear it up for me?”
Elle stopped, pausing in her motion as she turned and looked at the young doctor in training. Now she had to admit she was rather curious about it, “Okay?”
Valencia nodded, “Now please don’t take this the wrong way Doctor Hayashi, but you talk a lot about this man as if he were your best friend. But, how can you be friends with a man as cute as him?” Valencia asked her. “I mean, if I knew this man I would have probably asked him on a date or six by now.”
Elle laughed, it wasn’t a nervous laugh or anything. “Oh, I know he’s cute,” She admitted rather sheepishly. Perhaps a bit more sheepishly than she may have intended. Her voice was low, “But, the truth of the matter is that I see him more as a brother.” She shrugged, “I won’t get into details as to why that is.”
Valencia found that to be a rather foreign concept, but she wasn’t about to ask any questions about it. “So, you wouldn’t have a problem introducing me to him then?”
Elle nearly rolled her eyes, but then she thought about it for a moment. She was aware that Jonah liked her, even if he’d never said anything to her it was rather obvious to her. If she introduced him to Valencia, then perhaps it would broaden his options? “What’s in it for me?”
Valencia nearly choked as she laughed, once she’d calmed down she shrugged. “I know a man who’s close to your age. I could introduce you to him?” She asked, maybe that would be enough to get Elle to do it.
Elle shook her head, “That’s a fascinating offer, but nah.” She answered, “He’s probably not my taste either.” She said without elaborating further, “I’ll introduce you to Mister Webb. You don’t owe me anything, okay?”
Valencia tilted her head slightly, she’d just about asked what that meant. And, chose better of it while smiling warmly. “Okay,” She answered. Then she started to walk again toward one of the empty examination rooms. Part of her upcoming test was an oral examination. She needed to walk the test giver through some different scenarios.
“Are you ready to go through the things we were going to discuss?” Elle asked, ready to change the subject to anything but what they’d been talking about in the first place. She didn’t want to tell Valencia that she, Elle, wasn’t really interested in men. She really wasn’t interested in anyone at all like that, she had her work after all.
Valencia entered the empty examination room first, “Yeah,” She answered. Ready to change the subject though making a mental note to ask Doctor Hayashi some questions at a later time. “How do these things go?” This was going to be her first one.
“Well,” Elle said as she activated the lights to the room, “You won’t be alone testing. You’ll be assigned to a team of your fellow students. Typically each team is three or four medical residency students. And, you’ll have to work together.”
“Do they tell us who we’re working with?” Valencia asked.
Elle shook her head, “I wish it worked that way, but sadly it doesn’t. They want you to be able to work together under pressure. You’ll verbally walk through the scenario as if you’re treating a patient in real life.”
Valencia swallowed, “Oh.” She said. That was something she’d been dreading, but she said nothing about it. She just looked around in the room trying to think about every detail she’d need for this exercise. “No practice?”
Elle shook her head, “Nope.” She crossed her arms, “Whenever you’re ready to begin…” Elle told her and waited.