Carpathia IV: Episode 157 - Anger Management
Atrium, NCCS Shadowdancer
Darius was well away from the blast when it happened, but it was loud enough to send his ears ringing and powerful enough to nearly knock him over. Uninjured, but momentarily disoriented, Darius needed a moment to collect himself and survey the scene. He was too far away, almost all the way to the shops, to see clearly what was happening, so he grabbed his kit and ran toward the the danger. Only then, as he came closer, could he see the horror. The cots were tossed everywhere and their lightweight, foldable metal frames, now broken, acted as high-speed javelins through the crowd.
A komodo from the Vashta ship caught his eye in the midst of all the debris, flat on the deck with a long piece of cot frame sticking out of his lower chest and blood pooling up around him. Either because of the chaos or because the vashtari didn't want to bother with a komodo, nobody helped him. He was still alive, at least, shifting lazily where he lay. Darius rushed through the crowd to the komodo and opened his kit.
Darius: I'm going to keep you stable until we can get you to sick bay, okay?
The komodo's head rolled from one side to the other and he made a little grunt. Better than nothing, Darius thought. First, he pulled out his scanner and gave it a wave over the injured area while quietly reading the results to himself.
Darius: Bleeding not as bad as it could be... Punctured lung...
Darius cast a glance around him. Sorchae and Tamati, along with the rest of the medical staff, were in disposed, leaving him to act on his own. Again, he reached into his kit and pulled out some small packets. After placing them near, he picked up one and ripped open the top, producing an absorbent pad, which he placed at the puncture wound. Ripping open several more packets, he did the same with them.
Darius: Saline next... 40 degrees is good for komodo...
Darius attached the saline injector to the komodo's arm and then connected the line to another device that would deliver the saline. While he programmed the delivery device to give the right amount at the right temperature, a shadow cast over him from the other side of the komodo he was working on. He glanced up for only a moment to see a young lady vashtari looming over him with a grim expression on her face and clutching her arm with her opposite hand.
Vashta Lady: You! Medicine rat! My arm hurts!
Darius finished programming the saline device and switched it on. Without looking up, he answered the rude vashtari while he carefully adjusted the absorbing pad.
Darius: I'm busy here. We'll get to you after we deal with the critically wounded.
It was, perhaps, too much to hope that would be the end of the exchange, but the young lady would not budge.
Vashta Lady: You'll do it now!
Darius raised his head, not to address the rude vashtari, but to have a quick look to see if anyone was nearby to help. It was hard to tell with all the chaos around, but, at a glance, anyone who might assist were all dealing with other important issues. Darius lowered his head again and kept working.
Darius: No. Wait your turn.
Wrong answer, evidently, for the young lady emitted an ear-splitting shriek.
Vashta Lady: You can't speak to me that way! That is a komodo! Fixing that is no different than fixing a spanner! I ordered you to fix my arm and you will do it! If he's dead, you have to treat me!
Before Darius could even begin to formulate a response to all that nonsense, the vashta lady grabbed the piece of cot sticking out of the komodo and shook it.
Darius: Stop that! Stop it!
The bleeding that Darius had worked to stop now gurgled up again and, with no time to think, opened up his hand and swiped at the young lady's legs leaving behind a bloody, but ultimately superficial scratch. From the way she shrieked again, however, one might think she was passing a kidney stone.
What happened next was a blur. A foot, a crunch, and the vashtari lady was gone, replaced with Mikado.
Mikado: You looked like you needed help.
Darius let out a deep sigh of relief, though his heart still raced and his paws shook, leaving him to wonder if he would still be able to treat the komodo.
Darius: Thanks, I sure did. Can you put some more of these pads around the wound? I need to see what sort of damage she did.
Mikado: For sure!
Mikado knelt on the deck while Darius tossed the remainder of the unopened packets at him. While Mikado got to work and Darius grabbed his scanner, Trex sprinted up from behind.
Trex: I heard a ruckus. Are you okay?
Both Mikado and Darius glanced over at the vashtari lady, who was now getting to her feet and looking even more enraged than ever.
Darius: We're fine. She tried to kill this komodo so that I could treat her arm. Please don't let her get near us again.
Trex spotted the woman quickly and then glanced behind to catch the eye of another security guard. With the snap of her fingers and a point in the woman's direction, the security guard had her subdued and dragged away within seconds.
Darius: This komodo needs to get to sick bay right away. Can you let medical know?
Trex: I'll find someone.
Off in the distance, Trex spotted the Captain, marching toward Nyana at the aft end of the shuttle bay, and Shep, giving her a frantic wave.
Trex: Ho boy, the Captain's up. I'll make sure to tell someone from medical to come to you on my way to him.
Darius: Much appreciated.
Trex gave another snap at another security guard and then pointed at the komodo before darting off. Now, while Darius and Mikado worked, they had a sentry protecting them from anyone else who might cause trouble.
If this was what being dead felt like, Aire didn't think much of it, for it was very painful. Every part of his body ached and all he could hear was a constant muffle, like he was listening to a party with pillows pressed up against his ears. Alive, of that he was certain, but still dizzy and disoriented. He wasn't even sure if he'd been knocked out and was only just waking up.
As he tried to open his eyes, he couldn't make out much. Lots of ill-defined figures running around and a mess of debris were all he could make out through the sting of something in his eyes. That's when he felt a hand on his shoulder, a friendly hand without velocity to help him upright. There, he sat, blinking the dirt from his eyes when he could suddenly hear again from his left ear.
Shep: One moment, Captain, and I'll fix your other ear.
Aire rubbed his head and continued blinking profusely. Little by little, his eyes cleared and he was able to survey the chaos around him.
Aire: Wha... What happened?
Shep: The boy you were speaking to exploded. Commander Unas shielded you from the brunt of the explosion. You mostly have bruises, but you might be feeling dizzy for awhile.
Teren! One of the last things Aire remembered was Teren tackling him. His head whipped back and forth, looking for his security chief.
Shep: Please be still, Captain. I need to fix your right ear.
Not that Aire had a choice. Moving his head around like that only made his headache worse.
Shep: Teren flew much farther than you. Dr. Teagan is looking after him now. I don't know what his condition is, but if she's working on him, there's hope.
Aire's right ear now returned to form and he felt Shep press an injector to his shoulder. Meanwhile, he could see much better now, and gazed in horror at the damage. The cots, and anyone in them, took much of the brunt of the blast and were thrown everywhere and it was the cots themselves that caused the most trouble, their broken legs spearing anyone unfortunate enough to be in their paths. In this sense, Aire and Teren were lucky, as there were no cots between them and Wyn. Medical staff tended the injured while security did their best to keep order. To Aire's right, he spotted Dr. Teagan but could barely see Teren for all the nurses surrounding him.
Shep: I've finished your ears and given you something for the pain. I suggest you leave the atrium immediately. I will accompany you.
Between himself and Teren, Aire noticed Teren's gun laying on the deck, thus far unnoticed by anyone else. At the aft end of the atrium stood Nyana and Lamia, hindered from doing anything by security guards. Nyana shouted something at them which he was too far away to hear.
The medicine got right to work clearing Aire's head, the dizziness rapidly being supplanted by twice the amount of anger. Ignoring Shep entirely, Aire shot up to his feet and stomped toward Nyana, picking up Teren's gun along the way. Shep scrambled to his feet and followed, giving an urgent wave to Trex, far in the distance in the heart of the chaos.
It wasn't long before Nyana and Lamia noticed Aire's approach, careening toward them like a movie supervillain emitting an aura of dread. The two security guards noticed too, and in the second they glanced at Aire in wide-eyed surprise, Lamia took the opportunity to reach for her swords. Aire responded by swiftly raising his disruptor and landing a round in her chest. Lamia crumpled to the ground, still alive, but immobile. Aire felt almost disappointed that Teren's gun was set to stun, though not surprised.
Aire did not stop until he was close enough to press the tip of his gun to Nyana's forehead.
Aire: Was this your plan all along? Get on my ship and destroy it from the inside?
Nyana shook her head only slightly, all she could manage with a gun pressed to her head.
Nyana: I didn't know...
Aire pressed the gun into Nyana's head even harder.
Aire: This disruptor may be set to stun, but at this range, it would likely kill you. Now tell me the truth!
Nyana: I swear I did not know. But...
Nyana's voice trailed off, further testing Aire's patience.
Aire: But what?
Nyana: I have a guess, but it would be better if we speak in private.
Aire's eyes narrowed and his brow pressed against his nose. As much as he wanted to be rid of this problem that stood before him, his curiosity, in the end, won. Aire withdrew his gun and took a step back.
Aire: Have it your way. Take them both to the brig.
The two security guards who had been posted near Nyana and Lamia sprung into action immediately, producing handcuffs and neither resisted while the guards put the cuffs on them. With the two in the security team's capable hands, Aire turned to leave before he felt tempted to do something more drastic.
Trex: Captain, what about Lamia's swords?
Aire stopped and turned his head, casting a glaring side-eye at the others, who stiffly and silently awaited his response.
Aire: Take them.
Lamia: RAWR!
Aire turned again and walked away. It took both of the security guards plus Trex and Shep to wrestle Lamia to the ground, even while handcuffed. As Aire strode away, he could hear Trex talking to Shep.
Trex: We got this. Make sure the Captain leaves the atrium safely.
Shep: Understood, Lieutenant.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
Falke2009
