Dralis Family Health Check

Posted on Mon Dec 22nd, 2025 @ 9:16pm by Major Blez Dralis & Commander Cressida Vale MD

1,950 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Prologue
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: After "Requisitioning Personnel"

The newest member of the Federation Ground Forces unit had arrived today. Dr. Cressida Vale had ensured that his schedule included seeing her for his arrival exam. Thankfully, security and FGF types tended to be disciplined enough to keep their sickbay appointments.

The time slot was approaching, and without much else to do for the moment, she waited near the biobed, medical tricorder in hand, waiting patiently for him to arrive.

A hiss indicated Major Blez Dralis' arrival as the door opened. Three 10-year-old boys currently roughhousing each other, they'd all dropped off their duffle bags in their quarters after Major Moriarty met them at the transporter room. He'd met with Sergeant Jace Morven about some Starfleet Security orders to reassign 2 of Morven's squadmates to Military Police duty. It went well, Blez had thought again as he proceeded guiding them inside Sickbay.

The unjoined Trill man had a bemused expression at his sons while he pushed them to one of the biobeds, which happened to have a woman Medical officer by it. Blez simply folded his arms across his chest as he eyed his active sons.

It was Jhaen who noticed their father's stare first, and that immediately quieted him. Kaedens was mid-sentence when he saw his brother's shift in behaviour and turned to look at their father as well, he did take a step back to be beside Jhaen. Dhomynik had stopped talking when Jhaen had, but was now the only one left with his back to their father. His eyes widened slightly at his brothers' shared barely covered fear, he stepped forward and gracefully turned around to form a line with his siblings.

"That's better, now the lovely medical officer standing there," Blez smiled at her but returned his focus on his sons, "will be examining us and clearing us to join the rest of the crew." Blez said, each word to be taken seriously.

All three boys snapped to attention with a crisp salute, clearly Blez had deployed security training and discipline onto his sons. Blez smiled again. "Cause any trouble for the Doctor and..."

"Yes sir," Jhaen, Dhomynik and Kaedens replied in unison before Blez could finish. They were good boys most of the time, but the sudden move to a starship from the comfortable life on a Starbase had shaken their 10-year-old lives in the snow globe of having a Starfleet father.

They'd seen their father at his worst and loved him for all the freedoms he'd allowed them to have since their mother left. Their father rarely asked anything of them except to learn self-defence and survival skills, he'd spoiled them so much. They did visit their mother a few times, but she'd been far too concerned with her own life.

"That's my boys," Blez's tone softened along with another smile. "Soon we will have our quarters and get settled."

The three Dralis boys seemed content to reverse their earlier movements and assumed a line in front of their father facing the Medical officer. Blez's hands went to a shoulder on either end of the boys line. "Sorry for that," he noticed the rank, "Commander, Major Blez Dralis reporting for boarding medical with my triplets, Jhaen, Dhomynik and Kaedens Dralis."

“Welcome aboard, Major,” Cressida told him. She then bent forward at the waist to be closer to eye level with the boys and smiled warmly. “Jhaen, Dhomynik, Kaedens, is that right?” she asked, looking them each in the eye in turn. “My name’s Doctor Cressida Vale. Sounds like you all know what’s about to happen. Do you think I should make your dad go first?”

Each of the boys nodded as their names were called, but when asked if the Doctor should make their father go first. That was slightly different as they seemed to shrink back the slightest bit. It wasn't really fear yet, more it was that their father would want to know how they are first.

Their father had always put them first, and sure they didn't quite understand it all, that just seemed like it would upset him otherwise. Jhaen stepped forward, "I'd like to go first actually," he said and the other two as well as Blez gasped.

This seemed to be out of the ordinary for Jhaen. "You never want to go first," Dhomynik said, though he stepped forward as well. "I'll go next. It doesn't hurt or anything, so," that got the boys all facing each other and chuckling.

Blez laughed, "looks like you have your queue, and thank you for the welcome Doctor." He smiled, "where and how do you want us?" He inquired.

“Over here,” she answered, gesturing to a biobed that, knowing kids were coming, she’d lowered earlier in the morning. “Hop on up, Jhaen, and we’ll get you scanned.”

Jhaen smiled. "Okay," the human Trill hybrid began to climb onto the biobed, his brothers simply watched him and giggling.

As the boy got onto the biobed, Cressida hung back to speak to Blez in a low voice. “Sorry if my suggestion tripped them up. Sickbay freaks a lot of kids out, and seeing their parent go first usually helps.”

He sighed as Dhomynik and Kaedens began giggling at Jhaen, Blez turned to Cressida as she spoke to him. "Understandable and thank you, they do tend to take the initiative nowadays, I'm quite proud of that." He smiled as Jhaen got comfortable on the bed, he had his tongue out at his brothers, who poked theirs out back at him. "Ugh, boys will be boys," Blez's tone had that parent annoyance in it as he made the comment.

"Boys." Blez stated in a that same parent annoyed tone and all three boys turned to face their father with slightly wide eyes.

“Now, little man,” Cressida said to Jhaen, smiling at the exchanges among the brothers and with their father. “Let’s get you scanned. Take some deep breaths as I go, in through the nose,” she took a deep breath in, “and out through the mouth,” she pushed her breath out through her mouth.

As she passed her scanner over him, she asked, “Any health complaints recently?”

"Nope," Jhaen's tone was full of pride.

“That’s good to hear!” Cressida said. “Eating your vegetables?”

The frustration and annoyance was so clear as Jhaen sighed. "Yes," he stretched out the word with all that annoyance.

Blez chuckled where he stood.

“Well that’s good to hear,” Cressida answered. “Keep it up.”

She closed her tricorder. “Alright, you’re good to go. A clean bill of health. Now, slide on off and let your brother have a turn. You’re up, Dhomynik. Same questions for you. Health issues? Vegetables?” She smiled and waited with her tricorder and scanner.

Dhomynik's sigh was just as bad as Jhaen's. "Yes," he replied as he lay on the bed, but he distracted himself with looking around Sickbay.

This time, Blez cackled with a grin on his face. "No vegies, no sweets," he announced, and Kaedens joined in the boys' collective sigh a moment later.

“That’s a good approach!” Cressida said as she scanned the next kid. “There are some good family facilities here on the Guinevere. Way more than you’d expect for a ship her size.”

Within a few minutes all three boys’ scans were done. “The pictures of health. A triad of very well looked after young men. Now, it’s dad’s turn.”

"They'll always be boys to me, well I suppose until they get married." Blez moved to the biobed and was lying comfortably back on it in moments, "so good to get off my feet," he said absently.

The doctor smiled and started scanning the father.

All three boys made a disgusted sound and went to the middle of Sickbay. Kaedens slapped both his brothers on their shoulders. "Not it!" He ran off around the main surgical bed, Jhaen charged after Kaedens after a short battle cry of a loud grunt mixed with a yell. Dhomynik's sigh was so loud, Blez could hear it but joined in as he ran after his brothers.

"10 year olds," Blez muttered in both joy and annoyance.

Cressida giggled at the happiness and exasperation of those three little words. "I hope to find out myself one day," she said as she worked. She spoke a little louder so the boys could hear her. "You're good for now but if another patient comes in you'll need to stop, okay?"

"Okay!" All three replied in unison, in a brief pause of their shenanigans. Immediately they were back at it, thankfully they were not climbing all over the beds. Blez was glad after he had briefly glanced their way. He focused on Cressida. "Are you?" He inquired. "If we are on the same ship when you do, I am happy to assist," it wasn't much, and he didn't want to promise too much.

"My wife and I want kids," she answered, "but we're taking our time. Enjoying married life just the two of us before growing our family. But you and I are still on the same ship when that happens, I'll take you up on the offer of help," she added with a smile. "You're looking healthy, Major. Just keep eating those vegetables," she said with a wink.

He couldn't help it, Blez laughed, hearty and deep. It made his sons stop and look over, typical fear of missing out reactions where laughter is heard nearby. "Oh, Doctor, I will. Is your wife aboard?"

"She is," Cressida said. "She's a botanist in the science department. She maintains the arboretum. If you need a relaxing stroll through a green space, it's there for all to use. She handles the hydroponic farm too."

His hand came to his face and it made a slap sound. "Stupid question, apologies," he lowered his hand and smiled. "I will check it out. What does she grow?" Blez leaned towards Cressida slightly.

"Not a stupid question," Cressida said with a smile. "A lot of couples get separated by Starfleet. But she and I met here, and now I'm senior enough to warrant bringing her if I get transferred." She closed up her tricorder and put it away. "As for what she grows, it's a bit of everything. There are quite a few aromatic herbs in the arboretum, as well as some fruit trees. Apple and peach, those I remember. The farm rotates its crops, so I'm not sure what's growing there now."

Blez grinned. "I most certainly will visit her, sure replicated is good for mass consumption, but organic is always advisable as produce allows." He clapped his hands. "Perhaps we should have a families dinner some time?" Blez beamed at the idea.

"I'd like that," Cressida said. "And I know Alina would too." She straightened her back slightly. "Well then, Major, I proclaim you and yours healthy and ready for life aboard the ship. Welcome to USS Guinevere."

"Thank you," he turned to look at his sons. "Boys, here." Blez announced while he got off the biobed. All three of his sons were in front of him facing Cressida in moments. "Thank the doctor for we passed," he instructed.

"Thank you," the sons' chorus said.

"Any time!" she replied with a giggle. "Now, dismissed!" she added in a mock-serious tone.

"See you around, Commander," Blez called over his shoulder as he herded his boys towards the door. The boys managed to stay a step ahead of their father, and waved at Cressida as the door closed.

off

Commander Cressida Vale, MD
Chief Medical Officer and Second Officer

Major Blez Dralis
Provost Marshal, Ground Forces Military Police

RSS Feed