Extraterrestrial beings -- Fiction; Medical students -- Fiction; Science fiction
As he worked on his inventories, Dal Timgar thought of Doctor Arnquist's
words to him after the council had handed down its decision. "Remember
that judgment and skill are two different things," he had said. "Without
skill in the basic principles of diagnosis and treatment, medical
judgment isn't much help, but skill without the judgment to know how and
when to use it can be downright dangerous. You'll be judged both on the
judgment you use in deciding the right thing to do, and on the skill you
use in doing it." He had given Dal the box with the coveted collar and
cuff. "The colors are pretty, but never forget what they stand for.
Until you can convince the council that you have both the skill and the
judgment of a good physician, you will never get your Star. And you will
be watched closely; Black Doctor Tanner and certain others will be
waiting for the slightest excuse to recall you from the _Lancet_. If you
give them the opportunity, nothing I can do will stop it."
And now, as they worked to prepare the ship for service, Dal was
determined that the opportunity would not arise. When he was not working
in the storerooms, he was in the computer room, reviewing the thousands
of tapes that carried the basic information about the contract planets
where they would be visiting, and the races that inhabited them. If
errors and fumbles and mistakes were made by the crew of the _Lancet_,
he thought grimly, it would not be Dal Timgar who made them.
The first night they met in the control room to divide the many
extracurricular jobs involved in maintaining a patrol ship.
Tiger's interest in electronics and communications made him the best man
to handle the radio; he accepted the post without comment. "Jack, you
should be in charge of the computer," he said, "because you'll be the
one who'll need the information first. The lab is probably your field
too. Dal can be responsible for stores and supplies as well as his own
surgical instruments."
Jack shrugged. "I'd just as soon handle supplies, too," he said.
"Well, there's no need to overload one man," Tiger said.
"I wouldn't mind that. But when there's something I need, I want to be
sure it's going to be there without any goof-ups," Jack said.
"I can handle it all right," Dal said.
Jack just scowled. "What about the contact man when we make landings?"
he asked Tiger.
"Seems to me Dal would be the one for that, too," Tiger said. "His
people are traders and bargainers; right, Dal? And first contact with
the people on unfamiliar planets can be important."
"It sure can," Jack said. "Too important to take chances with. Look,
this is a ship from Hospital Earth. When somebody calls for help, they
expect to see an Earthman turn up in response. What are they going to
think when a patrol ship lands and _he_ walks out?"
Tiger's face darkened. "They'll be able to see his collar and cuff,
won't they?"
"Maybe. But they may wonder what he's doing wearing them."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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