Reasonable Accommodations

Posted on Sat Nov 22nd, 2025 @ 3:10pm by Captain Remy Johansen & Lieutenant Commander Eirly Andersen & Lieutenant Alexandra Blackstone MD/DSAPM

1,784 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Peril at the Unification Accords
Location: Captain’s Ready Room
Timeline: MD003

ON
Alex stepped off the bridge and glanced around for the Captain; hoping she hadn’t missed her with the late shift that she herself had just come off of. She caught her reflection in an inactive console and grimaced at the clear evidence of a rough couple of days. I am gonna have to get a relief day while I am up here at this rate; yikes.

Captain Johansen was sitting next to a young ensign at the auxillary science station when the turbolift doors made the barely audible swish, opening up to let Dr. Blackstone onto the Bridge. She took a quick glance to see who it was, and when she recognized Dr. Blackstone the Captain excused herself and stood up to greet the newcomer. The medical officers didn't often find their way to the Bridge, though Dr. Blackstone seemed to be more comfortable there than others.

"Dr. Blackstone, hello. Can I do something for you, or are you just up here for a visit?" Remy asked.

Alex rubbed at the back of her neck for a second before answering. "I have a medical brief that you need to be aware of, Captain."
Her words were chosen carefully and the delivery was slower than her usual pace of dialogue; they were also delivered in a voice meant just for Remy to hear. She was careful not to reveal anything publicly as she was a firm believer in Doctor/Patient Confidentiality and the matter at hand was a tenuous one.

"Of course," Remy held an open palm in the direction of her Ready Room. "Ready Room?" She asked.

"That would be best, I think." Alex gave a soft smile and stepped toward the Ready Room. Once inside she took a position leaning against the wall, sagging slightly with exhaustion. After Remy was also in the room and the door had slid shut she let out a breath and pulled her PaDD out of the clip on her belt. Finally after a moment she sat across from the Captain's own chair and set the PaDD on the desk. "Now that there are fewer ears; I have an update on Commander Eirly. It is a little bit delayed from my initial visit with her at her own request so that she could discuss it with her family. I am bordering official guidelines with that delay but I felt that some compassion for her was in order."

"I'm sure I'll understand, Doctor. Don't worry about that," Remy stated shaking her head slightly. "Tell me, what's going on?"

"Eirly came into Sickbay after the Expanse; around the same time that everybody on the ship should have been recovering. The symptoms that were attributed to the Expanse that she shared with the rest of the crew still hadn't faded for her and upon examination and discussion she had a few that didn't fit. I ran some scans and bloodwork for her.” Alex looked to the door. “She should be meeting us here any minute; if you don’t mind waiting.”

"No, of course not," Remy answered. "I hope it's nothing serious." she said, a look of concern drawing on her face.

It was right on cue that the doors to the Ready Room opened and Eirly walked in. It had been a bit of time since her diagnosis and she had finally managed to wrap her mind around what her future was going to look like. She had told Malcolm and he had been amazingly supportive, same with Kasper, but now telling Remy was going to be the next hardest thing. Eirly respected her captain so much and knew she was going to be just as supportive, but there was just the feeling of being a burden in the future that would weight things down.

"My apologies for being late, I um, forgot that we had this meeting scheduled." Eirly admitted with an apologetic half smile as she took a seat. Looking to Alex, "Thank you for being here as well."

“Of course, Commander. How are you doing? It has been a little while since we last spoke.” Alex gave Eirly a reassuring smile and her fingers flexed around the edge of the PaDD before her.

"I've," Eirly started as she thought for a moment on how she'd actually been, "I've been okay, just taking the time to take things in and appreciate what's around me." She didn't know how long the Doctor had been there with Remy so she couldn't be sure of what had already been said.

“I am glad for that. I believe that is the best we all can do to find stability and balance.” She looked round the room for a moment. “I’ve only just arrived so your timing is quite perfect.” She leaned back in her seat to allow Eirly a moment to situate herself.

Remy couldn't help but grow more concerned as she took in the interaction between the doctor and Eirly. She remained patient, understanding that the information they were about to share was something personal and possibly difficult for her second officer to share.

"I'll let you lead the conversation, Commander." Alex' fingers drummed on the desk slowly.

Eirly felt the anxiety settle internally as she took a breath in and out to center herself. "Okay. Since the Expanse, I've been noticing some things happening with me. There had been a couple of days of nausea and headaches, my body felt like it's aching everywhere, constant tiredness and bruises that take forever to heal, just to name a few,"

"I saw Doctor Blackstone here a little while ago and she indicated that there were some mutations to some of my genes," she looked to Alex for the confirmation she was correct before continuing, "and all indicators were leading to having an up until now undiagnosed condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which she explained there is no cure for at this point in time." It had taken Eirly a while to come to grips with it but she was finally at a stage where she could openly talk about it.

Alex pushed the PaDD toward Remy and leaned back in her chair finally; a slight edge of tension releasing from her body visibly. She gave Remy a moment to hear the news and ask any questions that were immediate. She gently touched Eirly's arm reassuringly.

"No cure? How serious is it?" Remy asked. "What is the prognosis? Surely there is something that can be done?"

"I am confident that because we caught it early, Commander Andersen will be able to maintain full duty capacities though there are a couple of slight alterations that I would like to see made to allay the progression of the EDS." Alex met Remy's eyes first, her own firm and resolute.

"Of course. The health and safety of my crew come first," Remy stated with conviction. "I mean that."

Alex smiled and touched Eirly's arm lightly, giving her a soft smile. "I would like to keep her in her current duties of course though I think that a split duty shift would be beneficial for her, with at least a two hour break built in for her to rest and relax for a minute. That is barring any form of emergency or combat scenario of course."

"We had actually recently moved her into more of an administrative role, so this schedule shouldn't be much of an issue," Remy responded with casual ease. "Whatever is best, we can certainly negotiate her hours as the two of you figure out what seems to be working best."

"I suspected you were more than happy to support the changes. I'll ensure I do everything I can to ensure Eirly's successful transition and keep her functional. I am going to reach out to an old colleague of mine that works in regenerative medicine R&D, see what I might be able to glean from her research that may apply." Alex held a slight tone of concern but overall her voice was pleased and she wore a soft smile, nearly imperceptible to those without a trained eye.

There was a sense of calm that came over Eirly as she listened to Dr Blackstone and Remy talking, and she felt confident that no matter what happened in the long run she had a growing circle of support, even if she hadn't told her brother yet. Deciding to speak up with a soft tone and smile, "I know it's not cureable yet, but I'm hoping that we'll be able to find some kind of a balance where it's not going to limit me too much." Her next words were more directed towards Remy, "Thank you so much for being so understanding about this all too, it really means the world that I have the support."

"I have some requests for details from a couple of friends and colleagues in the field; I am confident that once I get their replies I should be able to address things a little bit more effectively. I will also have access to the newest research on the condition." Alex toned in; nodding her head as she thought through things and relieved that the meeting had gone so well as it had.

"Of course, whatever you need," Remy replied seriously the look of concern never leaving her face. "That goes without saying."

Eirly looked between the other two and then down towards her hands, flexing them and feeling a small ache in her left hand. "Thank you both again, like really, thank you. If there isn't anything else you need me for, I have a couple of things I need to take care of, including telling my brother about this before he finds out from someone else, if that's all good with you?" She asked the question more to Remy than to Alex as she stood up.

Remy stood up. "Yes, go be with family. Take a few days if you need it," Remy suggested. We've got things under control here."

Eirly stood up, "I'll be sure to let you know. Have a good rest of the day." With a nod, she turned to leave and walk out the door, leaving Remy and Alex to talk.

---

Captain Remira Johansen
Commanding Officer
USS Astrea


Lt. Commander Eirly Andersen
Second Officer
USS Astrea


Lieutenant Alexandra Blackstone
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Astrea

 

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