Marco Domici: Double Barium on the Rocks

"Hey Doc, your boyfriend is back." Vradok said. One seldom referred to Melissa Altomanni as 'Chief Surgeon' on the Intrepid. She was, in fact, Chief surgeon. She was also a highly published researcher with an academic pedigree that would get her scrubs an honorary Masters. Everyone knew that Lt Commander Altomanni, Chief Surgeon, preferred to be 'Doc'.

In the short time Vradok had been aboard the Intrepid he had seen a lot of the other men eyeing Dr Altomanni. While she was certainly an eyeful her manner was a friendly "go elsewhere for your conquest" sort of snub. Vradok had even seen the captain of a patrol cruiser do down in flames. So he didn't have much hope for the Rent-A-Hero in his commercial battle dress. He was probably one of the free-lancer's aboard. For some reason the Star Confederation had contracted a unit of commercial Marines for the upcoming show of force. The expectation was that everyone shows up in their dress uniform and the locals get mightily impressed. Not much action, but Vradok was assistant medical officer in one of the Confederation's most advanced shiboard Emergency Treatment facilities. And he got to watch Dr Altomanni break hearts.

"He looks like wine." Corpsman Jensen said under his breath. "Five creds says that box has a bottle of wine in it."

"Again?" Dr Altomanni had looked up and the Marine waved at her through the clearsteel observation wall. "Vradok, can you see what he wants this time? I guess he didn't get the hint."

Vradok walked over to the door and waved the Marine in. "Dr Altomanni is busy, soldier. Can I help you with something?"

"It...it's personal." The Marine looked at Vradok hopefully. "I scheduled an appointment like she asked. Would you check with her? Please?"

Vradok caught Doc's eye and she seemed to sigh. "Jensen, take care of the inventory, will you?" She said.

"But Doc, I..."

"Now, Jensen. Dr. Joranger and I need to tend to this soldier's illness. Medical privacy, and all that."

As Jensen headed back in to the stock room Vradok noticed that indeed, the Marine had brought a bottle of wine. He presented it to Melissa.

"Sorry, ma'am. I'll try not to take up much of your time. I..." He laughed self-consciously. "Sorry, I'm not normally this tongue tied."

"Corporal, isn't it?"

"Yes ma'am. Corporal Marco Domici. Not a soldier, sorry ma'am, a Marine. Lanze Spezzatt Bravo, Prince Allesandro's Light Jump."

"One would think someone who jumps out of perfectly good star ships could talk to a lady, don't you, Corporal?"

The Marine straightened up. "Yes ma'am. Sorry. It's just that the matter is a bit personal. And delicate." He glanced at Vradok. "Could we speak alone?"

"Dr. Joranger and I have to work together for the benefit of the crew, Corporal." She looked at her crono.

"Sorry ma'am." He looked at her and smiled. "Trianhydrous barium phozene, ma'am."

Melissa just stared at the Marine for a long moment. "Most men have other things on their mind when they bring me wine, corporal. Care to explain yourself?"

"Yes ma'am." He quickly brought out an old data pad and tapped into a report. "Your report on trianhydrous barium phozene, ma'am. From NavMedSci eight years ago. I read it a few years ago, your research came in handy."

"That compound was used for Nanogenerian pre-cancer treatments, Mr Domici. You seem a bit young to need it." She looked at him critically. "What, were you a PhD in grade school?"

"High school, ma'am, and only an Associate's. Sorry." Domici nodded. "Injured on a mission trip and the local witch doctors used a really smelly goo to leech poisonous nemocysts from my shoulder and arm. I did some research on what they used, it replicated several of the results of your studies on TBP."

"Corporal, I'm not sure what surprises me more. That you aren't staring at my chest or that you can pronounce trianhydrous without batting an eye." She shrugged. "Sorry to say, the research was dropped. A better compound came out that did the same work much faster. TBP didn't have a chance in the commercial market."

"Maybe." Domici grinned. "Maybe you were just looking to solve the wrong problem, doctor. My girl...a friend of mine is a heavy worlder. Her dad takes expensive treatments and is still aging rapidly." He pushed the pad over and tapped a screen. "You never tested for stray calcium resorption, did you? The compound the witch doctors used isolated and altered the calcium in the nemocysts. That's pretty much what saved my life. TBP does about the same thing, but slower." He expanded the image showing the aging effects of high gravity on a skeletal structure. "What if someone took TBP on a long term maintenance dosage? It wouldn't resorb enough calcium to induce Perrier's disease because it's mild. Yet it could offset the arthritic build ups as they are forming."

"There's no..." Melissa leaned forward and looked at the screen. "Crap. Vradok, go grab some Ringen flasks. Corporal Domici needs some place to pour that wine."