Seen The Elephant
Seen the Elephant
Summary: Camille and Castor discuss the loss of family, tradition, and religion.
Date: PHD050
Related Logs: None
Players:
Castor..Camille..

Castor Leda is once again in the mess hall, well, then again everyone has to eat. Tonight it is another round of regulation food, it may be bland but it is nourishing and more importantly warm. Warm meals give the pilot comfort for some reason and this meal is no exception. He sits by himself as marines, deckhands, and other assorted crew members flock together to eat their dinners.

Camille is here -late-. It's certainly past the early or mid shift dinner time, but then even third shift people need to eat. Surgery, and a long day in sickbay, and she's only now dragging herself in to get some food. She's in her scrubs, though her hands have been washed very clean of the antispetic smell that almost always lingers around doctors…

Castor spots the Lieutenant and says politely to Camille, "Doc Locke." It would seem that Leda is eating so late since he ussually flies fourth watch. He takes a moment to offer a seat to the good doctor. "No news on the pitterpatter of any feet coming anywhere on this ship?"

Camille blinks to Castor and chuckles softly, scooping up a mug of coffee for dinner and possibly little else. It is a double shifting doctor's best friend. "No, no… I think the Commander would have a fit even if we did." She admits quietly, her voice firm but a touch apologetic. She settles down, uninvited, to his table.

Castor lets of a small chuckle, "Well, that is why the Commander is in charge, someone has to keep us all under the regs." He begins to pick at his food, "Doc, if you don't mind my saying shouldn't you eat something, I mean I cleared first aid and they kept mentioning regular meals were important. Though you'd know better than I would, sir."

Camille waves it off quietly…"I have yet to see it proved that there is any nutritional value to the slop they're serving these days…" She teases gently, knowing that the military puts everything that is needed into the rations…"And I'm not hungry, really. Just want something warm and then I should go to prayers…"

Castor looks at his food, "Well, I suppose we should be glad that it isn't fried then, Sir." He then continues to eat his food which would appear to be a mixture of rice, vegetables, and meat. It looks like Leda mixed it all together himself in a bowl and it looks like there is a bit of egg in there with some sort of red sauce mixed in, "Prayers?" He then asks as polite as he can muster given his feelings on the Lords, "Who do you pray too?"

Camille gives a faint smile…"Well, most of the lords… but Demeter is my chosen Goddess… the seasons were always helpful to those in my profession. I was a… healer, long before I was a -doctor-." Camille admits with a strange touch of Sagittaron pride in her voice.

Castor nods his head, "Makes sense." He then attempts to steer the topic away from religion, a known hot topic for the pilot, "So, Doc, what do you mean you were a healer long before you were a doctor?" He asks with genuine curiousity.

Camille might not be quite so smart as her Chaplain cohort and, especially with him asking, she will remain with religion despite his negative views. Someone just needs to be show the path, sometimes. "My mother was a traditional healer on Sagittaron… medicine of the gods, I suppose you could call it. She taught me her craft before she passed on and I worked as an herbalist and healer for the village where I grew up… Before joining the academy."

Castor takes a moment to do some mental gymnastics as he places both of his hands down on the table, "Sir, how is it that you became a doctor because I didn't think Sagittarons much cared for modern medicine?" He asks without any real judging tones after all he doesn't believe in the Lords so he simply sees the Sagittarons as another culture rather than religious lunatics however it suprises him to meet someone who he knows is religious and who seems to be a paradox among his knowledge of her people.

Camille chuckles faintly…"We don't believe in… well, yes. Most of modern medicine. Because it revolves around things that are inherently artificial. Polluting the gift of the gods, your body… with manmade things, to sway the will of fate. But surgery… well, that is different. The practice is refined. But cutting off a tumor or away dead flesh to help the living is no different with a scalpel than with a hand sharpened knife. More precise, but the same… Idea. Why I'm a surgeon and not a pharmacist. And… my father was a surgeon for the fleet. He said my mum was the only person to teach him anything about medicine in decades. So… I meld the worlds."

Castor has offically seen the elephant or so he thinks and it shows on his face, "Well, Sir, I know that if I end up under the knife it is good to know that I will have such a dedicated Doctor." he then takes a moment to eat his mixed rice, "So, how did your Mom and Dad meet with him being fleet and all?" He asks again with genuine curiousity.
(OOC note - to see the elephant means to have seen it all and I am ready to come home - it comes from the idea that an elephant is the last thing one sees at the circus. For the sake of RP consider this an Aquarian Idiom.)

Camille takes another good drink of her coffee, laughing silkly. She's got a lovely, mellow voice…especially this time of the night. "The riots on Sagittaron. he was assigned to medical duty… came through our community, decided to learn from the locals. Promote a bit of peace. She was the closest thing he had to a colleage and… boom. Just worked out. For a few years, at least. Long enough to have me before their differences permanently removed the love between them."

Castor frowns a bit at hearing about the split between her parents, he'd normally make a snarky remark about the Lords here but he refrains for a multitude of reasons, "I know what it is like to be caught up in a weird place my parents died when I was a kid." He offers, "Freak accident, I'm told they didn't suffer." He then takes a moment to eat another spoonfull of rice as he gets quiet for a moment. He then says as he attempts to change the direction to something else again, "I think Captain Marek is from Sagittaron as is Ensign Roubani."

Camille nods quietly. "It's… always hard to lose a parent. Much less both. I am… sorry. I saw my mother die… cancer… when chamalla… nor herbs, nor anything… helped. I joined the fleet after that. Still… resolving things for myself, really. But… most of what -I- practice falls in Sagittaron beliefs. Just don't ask for special drugs from me. Turn to John, or the other doctors on board. I'll just cut it open and stitch it up." She admits with a drowsy chuckle.

Castor chuckles softly, "If I so much as scratch myself I demand the finest morpha available." He then adds teasingly, "And if it really bad just knock me out until I can't wake up completely healed, I reckon you don't need drugs for that one you could just whack me on the head." He says, "How old were you when you lost your Mom?"

Camille frowns slightly…"16…" It's not something she's really thought about in a long time. 20 years, really, from the looks of her nearing middle age face. She takes a finishing sip of her coffee then settles the empty mug aside…"And your parents? Though…this is not a comfortable…discussion.."

Castor says softly, "Thirteen, it was a plane crash." He then says, "and nine years later I lost my brother to a landing accident with a Viper." He gets quiet, "I saw my brother die. We were twins." He then takes a breath, "And it is okay to talk about it I think, catharsis and all." He says, "The funny thing is I let go of my folks along time ago."

Camille nods quietly. "I… did not. My mother is always with me, and the Gods..her practice in my hands. Part of why I continue, even in this setting…where the herbs and plants do not often measure nearly in strength to the morpha…even if they are better for overall health." She seems to genuinely believe that, the typical Sagittaron stubborn passion in her voice.

Castor asks again with a honest and curious voice, "Sir, if you don't mind my asking, how is it that your Mother is always with you? I ask because well, I don't believe in the Lords so in your own perspective and from your faith how is she with you?" He doesn't seem to be angry in fact this is an odd question for Castor to ask.

Camille doesn't seem to mind. She smiles quietly, peacefully… the sort of smile that says she is truly alright with this. "My soma bracelet…it was her's… the way I know to grind herbs, and grow plants… even in space. The prayers for a good harvest… everything she taught me. Just as her mother taught her. It keeps them all alive, with tradition… handed down well over a thousand years now.."

Castor listens closely, "And so as the scriptures say all of this has happened before and will happen again. So, you are saying knowledge becomes a link to the past and the future?" He then considers, "I suppose tradition is a link to the past and to be fair tradition it is a huge deal for us on Aquaria."

Camille bows her head gently. "Absolutely. We follow and enforce scripture by keepign to tradition… Keep the Gods strong and they will give back to us." Camille admits warmly, no doubt of wavering to her voice despite the gods clear disregard of their current situation.

Castor isn't going to attack Camille about the Lords she has been honest with him and he is still hearing Cygnus's voice reminding him of what it was like on the other side of the religious coin, "Well, I'd like to think that we go where destiny leads us." He offers as if to share some of his agnostic beliefs. He then takes a breath before he adds, "I mean we are all alive and that means something right, I even agree with the Padre on that one however don't tell him I told you that."

Camille bows her head gently, "Yes… it does. We all walk the circle, somehow… and while we have room to play, the path is still there… the path to where we are most needed, no matter how hard it might seem. And if we are willing to embrace it… our lives will truly… Truly be meaningful. Now more than ever."

Castor teases, "Well, we have room to play and everyday of my life is meaningful." He then grins and says smoothly, "I am a viper pilot after all." He then takes a second to say, "And you are a hotshot surgeon so between the two of us we can keep people alive on this tub." His tone becomes supportive and encouraging.

Camille bows her head in affirmation and stands, her coffee cup empty and time for sleep on her mind. "Absolutely, Lietuenant. We'll get through it… it is our destiny." She offers with a strange surity in her voice, before reaching her hand across the table for a warm, strong shake to his palm. "It was good seeing you again."

Castor reciprocates the palm shake though slightly less strong, he doesn't want to set about hurting a surgeons hands. "It was good to see you to Doc Locke." He then says, "Good luck with your prayers." He offers.

Camille says, "And you with yours… whether you say them or not."

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