Carpathia IV: Episode 290 - Making a Difference
Shuttle Bay, NCCS Shadowdancer-A
Ramei: We got 'em, Captain! Go! Go! Go!
Smoke from the skidding tires rose as the rear hatch popped open. Sorchae and her team rushed over, rolling the gurney along with them while the ship's engines powered up. Within seconds, the rescue team, nearly all with injuries, frantically pointed the medics toward the open hatch, the blood covering their bodies doing nothing to alleviate Ramei's concerns. Tamati came out last, bloodiest of them all, just as the medics arrived.
Darius: Mikado!
Sorchae: Get him on the gurney now!
The medical team went to work while Sorchae paused for a brief conversation with Tamati.
Sorchae: Is anyone else injured as badly?
Tamati: Minor to moderate. Commander Joust hit his head pretty hard. He's been in an out of consciousness since it happened.
Sorchae: You take care of the rest and get someone to take care of you. I'll tend to Mikado. Darius, with me. Mikado will want you there. The rest of you, to your assigned places!
Tamati: Right away, Doctor.
Sorchae: Kit, are you injured?
Kit: No, Doctor.
Sorchae: Wait in the triage bay lab.
Half the medical staff present, a dozen of them, stayed with the rescue team while the others, along with Kit, darted to the triage bay. Sorchae followed, but turned around one last time, now facing Ramei.
Sorchae: Ramei!
Ramei's ears stood tall and his tail stiffened.
Ramei: Mreyow?
Sorchae: Tell Aire that I need every tokki on the ship down here now to be screened for blood donation!
Ramei: Right away, Doctor!
Sorchae disappeared into the triage bay in a flash while the other nurses triaged the rescue team.
Bridge, NCCS Shadowdancer-A
On the bridge, though the tension waned, each of the crew remained vigilant.
Aire: Any sign of pursuit?
Nalma: None, Captain.
Aire: Steady on to Polaris Deep at Q13.
Phobos: On course to Polaris Deep, Captain.
Baal: I hope they all made it.
Aire: We'll find out soon enough. For now, focus on your tasks.
Easier said than done, Aire thought, for he desperately wanted to know too, but he did not want to interrupt anything in the shuttle bay even for a second, especially if something important was happening. He did, however, contemplate contacting Ramei, for he would be the least likely to be in the middle of a medical emergency.
Ramei: Shuttle bay to bridge!
And there he was. Good news, bad news, impossible to tell. Aire answered swiftly.
Aire: Go ahead!
Ramei: The Doctor wants all tokki on the ship to come to the triage bay for blood donation screening immediately. Kit is already waiting.
If not Kit, then Mikado. There was no other explanation, but he had to find out about the others too.
Aire: I'll do that right away. How's everyone else?
Ramei: Nothing critical. Sylvar and Quenya are back with us and medical is taking care of everyone. Mikado, though... I couldn't see well and they had him gone in a flash. He's alive but he was definitely missing a lot of pieces.
All Aire could do was trust in Sorchae. In the meantime, he had a job to do.
Aire: I see. Stay down there and organize the tokki. You're going to have 76 of them down there quite shortly.
Aire: Understood, Captain. Ramei out.
Aire: Baal, shipwide channel.
Baal nodded and tapped at his console.
Baal: You're live, Captain.
Aire: Attention Shadowdancer crew. Our rescue team has returned successfully. Sylvar and Quenya are with us again. Unfortunately, Mikado was gravely wounded during the mission. He is alive and I am ordering all tokki to the triage bay in Shuttle Bay 1 for blood donation screening. Dr. Teagan is doing all she can right now and I ask you all to keep Mikado in your thoughts and hearts. I will keep you updated. Aire out.
Aire slumped in his chair. Again, more waiting. Nobody ever told him how much waiting would be involved when he became Captain. Let the experts do their jobs. His was to make sure everyone was in the right place with the right equipment. As he sulked the lift doors opened and out popped Amenaru covered in grime and blood and wearing naught but his skivvies.
Amenaru: Captain, sick bay released me first since I have no injuries. Do you need me for anything?
Aire's mouth opened and just before he told Amenaru to get his uniform on and take a damned shower, he had a different idea.
Aire: Actually, Amenaru, would you be up for a debriefing? I want to know everyone's condition and I want your thoughts while they're still fresh.
First, Amenaru nodded, keeping his lips pressed tightly together, which continued for longer than was normal until he finally spoke and stepped forward with a slight wobble.
Amenaru: Yes, I can do that.
There was a waver in his voice as well. Aire thought it might be better for him to wait, but he wanted information. He indicated the commander's chair for Amenaru to sit.
Aire: Right here, then.
Amenaru rounded the chair and sat on the end of the cushion, feet tucked under the seat and hands clasped together. He looked generally in Aire's direction, but evidently unable to meet his eyes.
Aire: I've got the basics on Mikado. How is everyone else?
Amenaru: Nothing life-threatening. Joust took a nasty hit to the head and I heard he's going to need a lot of rest. Sick bay put top priority on him. Tuomas has some burns from when he was fighting The Hand. Tamati got at least one stab wound. Shep has at least two. Trex has a lot of scratches and cuts. I don't know all of it. There was a lot going on.
Aire leaned forward in his chair, folding his arms on his legs, a more casual pose that he hoped would put Amenaru more at ease.
Aire: It's okay, Amenaru. I don't need every little detail.
Amenaru nodded and continued after a deep breath.
Amenaru: Quenya seems fine, but they want to give her a full exam anyway. Sylvar is in much worse shape. I don't know what they did to him, but he has burn marks all over. Kit and I are the only ones undamaged. We spent most of the mission transformed and the vashtari overlooked us most of the time.
Aire: That's good. I hope your stealth in that form was useful.
Amenaru: Very. Mikado though... We wouldn't have made it out of there alive without him. You should have seen it. Racing through the heat vent with the car and sentry bots closing in around us. He climbed out onto the hood and started slashing them down by the dozens with his scythe. All until the explosion from the munitions storage broke his concentration. I should have set the sunstone grenades to go off later...
It was plainly obvious to Aire that Amenaru was starting to lose composure and he decided that he heard plenty for now.
Aire: You did exceptionally well and you all got out, and that's what's important. Go get yourself cleaned up and enjoy some time off until we get to Polaris.
Amenaru sniffled and nodded.
Amenaru: Yes, Captain.
Amenaru rose and plodded to the lift doors, disappearing inside.
Baal: I look forward to hearing the full story. Sounds like Mikado should get a medal for that.
Aire: I'll wait to hear the full report, but you are probably right. All that will come in due time. For now, focus on your duty.
Triage Bay, NCCS Shadowdancer
To the untrained eye, the triage bay would look like chaos, with everyone running around, but there was organization, with everyone tending to assigned tasks, getting equipment, medicine, and computers ready and Sorchae barking orders the entire time. Darius's job, at least for now, was to stay with Mikado and watch him.
Sorchae: We need to get another sedative in him! Get Midazolam ready now!
While one of the nurses got the sedative ready, Darius did what he was told and observed. The clamps on his arm and leg were working, but he suddenly realized there was nothing for his missing ear.
Darius: Doctor, there's nothing on his missing ear. We should clamp that too.
Sorchae rushed over and saw that Mikado, indeed, had only one ear.
Sorchae: You're right. Someone get a clamp on that!
Darius, presuming that the others were busy, nearly ran to get one himself, but Mikado's remaining hand suddenly squeezed his paw.
Mikado: Dar...ius...
Darius: I'm here, Mikado.
Mikado: Sylvar... once asked me... why I joined the fleet.
Mikado rolled his head on his pillow to look Darius in the eye.
Darius: Yes. The Doctor also asked me that once.
Mikado: I said that my enclave was too stuffy and I needed to get away, but now I understand the real reason...
Darius leaned in closer, listening intently while Mikado's eyes became glassy.
Mikado: I wanted to go someplace where I could make a difference. Did I make a difference?
Darius clasped his other paw to the back of Mikado's hand and nodded.
Darius: Absolutely you did, to everyone, and especially me.
But there was work to do, and for a time, Darius barely noticed what was happening around him until one of the nurses pushed a jet injector into Mikado's neck. The sedative worked quickly and Mikado spoke no more. Sorchae put another clamp on Mikado's ear stump and then grabbed Darius's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Sorchae: Darius, go help with the blood screening. I see we already have two dozen tokki out there.
Darius ran his sleeve across his eyes and nodded.
Darius: Yes, Doctor.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Colourbrand
Falke2009
