In a Crunch
Posted on Tue Aug 24th, 2010 @ 10:29pm by Captain Elsie Halliwell & Lieutenant JG Lucy Carter
806 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
Stealth
Location: Sickbay, Deck 5
Timeline: Current
ON:
Marching into sickbay, Elsie surveyed the room quickly and spotted a crewman nurse leaning over the sole occupied biobed. The captain, now narrowing her eyes at the scene, stormed over with intent and accosted the nurse as she worked.
“Nurse Sellman,� she said, a tone of annoyance and worry cutting through her voice. “Where’s Doctor Reise?�
“In surgery,� she replied worriedly, looking up to Elsie beneath her hair. “Crewman J’Lon was caught in that last explosion. He’s being operated on in Surgery Bay two.� Her hands shook as the deployable hand scanner moved over Dover’s prone body. Elsie couldn’t read her expression as she stood on the opposite side of the bed, looking on helplessly.
“How is he?� Elsie asked, looking now down at the pilot.
“Unconscious,� she replied factually, reading from the tricorder. “Lack of oxygen.�
Elsie met Sellman’s eyes and nodded. “Can you revive him? I need to talk to him.�
Sellman shook her head with frustration, looking like she was on the verge of tears. “I – I don’t know. He could suffer long-term effects if I do. And –� she looked up to the captain, a moment of still silence between them and said, “And I don’t have the medical authority to make that call.�
Elsie stood up fully, now looking out into the middle distance with a hand on her chin in though. Then it hit her. Looking up into the air, she spoke quickly. “Computer, transfer the EMH’s program to sickbay immediately.�
Within a second, the familiar sound that clung on to the particles that fizzed into life could be heard before them both. After he had materialised, the EMH looked blankly on them both.
"Well that really is quite charming," said the EMH, curtly. He removed the holographic napkin from his neck, wiped some holographic soup from his chin, screwed the napkin swiftly into a ball and threw it behind his head. It landed perfectly in the sick bay bin.
"I must say, Captain, that when you gave me the freedom of the ship, I didn't appreciate I would be at your beck and call at the mere snap of your organic fingers." He put his hands on his hips and raised his eyebrows at her. "I doubt you would expect your other crew members to have to drop their spoons into their midday meal." He paused, straightened his arms and drew breath as they looked at him. "Perhaps a little warning next time before I am summoned like a servant?"
“We don’t have time to discuss your civil liberties at present, Doctor,� Elsie chastised flatly. “Lieutenant Dover here needs assistance.�
The EMH grabbed a tricorder from the shelf and scanned the patient. "Mmm. This man has a deficiency of oxygen. We need to introduce a rich haemoglobin substitute into his circulation immediately. Nurse? Don't just stand there blubbering! Help me! Pass me that hypospray."
The EMH twisted the bottom of the hypospray and pressed it, hissing, to the man's neck. "There," he added, for good measure.
The pilot inhaled deeply and came to, coughing. "It's OK," said the EMH, "You are in sickbay."
The searing pain to his head was the first sensation to thump through him. His eyes hurt under the bright lights as the visage of Elsie stood over him. “The… the…�
“Shh,� Elsie said quietly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder as he still lay prone and in pain. “Lieutenant, I know that you’re in some discomfort, but I need to know what’s happened on the QAR vessel.�
Dover’s eyes closed tightly, creasing the skin around their corners, as his brow locked with disease. “There was an explosion,� he managed, opening his eyes a little and looking up towards his captain. The memories surfaced slowly and in a somewhat disordered fashion. He was trying to make sense of the events as they came to his mind. “Commander Michaels ordered me to… to leave them.�
Halliwell’s eyes widened a little. “They were alive when you left?� she asked, an element of hope hooked into her voice. “After the explosion?�
Dover didn’t say anything and then just silently nodded.
Tapping her combadge, she said, “Halliwell to T’kaarch. Engage thrusters only into the nebula. Find that QAR vessel and the away team. I’m on my way up to the bridge.�
She turned to the EMH and nodded her thanks. Then, turning to face Dover she smiled. “Thank you, Lieutenant. And don’t worry. We’ll get them both back.�
OFF:
Elsie Halliwell
Commanding Officer
USS Ranger
AND
Emergency Medical Hologram
(Played by Emma “Lucy Carter� Smith
USS Ranger
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