<USS Avalon> Holding Open the Door (Part 2)
- From: TKilyle@xxxxxxx
- To: avalon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2006 19:34:47 EDT
Ming supposed his stare had helped the pilot into making what he considered
the right decision. They were still along side the other shuttle. His
father-in-law took Zachan from him as he moved to look over the pilot's
shoulder.
"Any word, my friend?" he asked quietly.
Vickman thought Lieutenant Li's husband was a bit strange but he was
likeable enough, certainly level headed and calm, unlike some civilians he'd
seen.
"Hold on, Reverend, I'll check," he said before tapping the comm connection
to the other shuttle. "This is Lancelot. Have you got our missing knight?"
****
Melanie stood behind the young engineer who seemed to be holding her breath.
She could empathize with the woman, she'd be out of her mind mad if she
didn't know Vevay was ok, but luckily for her she could feel this wee tickle
in
the back of her mind that told her that her love was alright.
"Mac?" Annabelle asked.
***
"Got him," Mac replied, trying hard not to sound as worried as he felt. "EMH
is with him now. Found someone's little girl there, too. Might want to check
around and see if anyone's reported her missing. I don't recognize her."
***
Ming looked at his son then up at his father-in-law. "And here I thought he
was the eldest aboard," he said dryly.
***
The EMH stabilized the child first, then moved to the Lieutenant,
administering first Triox and other blood oxygen boosters, then a very large
dose of
anacrese piggybacked with high infusion nutritional supplements, commenting
all
the while on the documented inability of certain humans to adequately manage
their own health. He continued fussing even as the young man gasped for
air, coughed weakly, and began to stir, seemingly attempting to move back from
his well-trained and perfectly designed hands. The EMH stepped forward,
placing those hands firmly upon the young man's shoulders to discourage
movement,
only to find himself flying over him into the bulkhead as his patient rolled
and drew himself into a kneeling position, head down as though he were still
trying to clear it.
"Lieutenant!" The EMH huffed.
"Easy, Kid, we got you," Mac spoke as he moved closer to Josh , carefully
stopping just out of his reach. Just in case.
Vevay watched carefully, keeping a close eye on Mac and the Chief Engineer.
"Sir, do you need some help there?"
"You might want to just stay right there and not move for now," Mac
answered, easing closer to his friend. "He's just a little out of it. He's
coming
around, though, aren't you Kid?" Josh sat upon the floor, drawing his knees up
to his chest and resting his head upon them on folded arms, drawing slow deep
breaths. "That's it, Bean. Just take it easy a minute." Mac encouraged.
"See," He told Vevay. "He's coming around."
Vevay still stared warily, her hand on her phaser. The man may be skinny,
but that was never a way to judge. Her own father had once been a slight man,
after all.
Josh murmured something in a language the UT didn't seem familiar with,
causing Mac to lift a brow. "What was that, Kid? Try it in Standard."
"...cold..." Josh murmured again, this time in Standard. Sure enough, he was
shivering as though he were freezing.
"If you'll get back up on the biobed, I can increase the ambient temperature
around you, Lieutenant," the EMH chimed in a huff. "That is assuming you
wouldn't mind too much allowing me to do my job..."
Vevay stayed watching carefully. "You need a hand to get onto the bed, sir?"
Noting how hard Josh was shaking, Mac nodded. "I think you better, thanks.
He don't weigh much, but shaking like that it'd risk dropping him picking him
up myself. Take that arm, will you?" He noticed Josh stiffen as she
approached and quickly reminded Josh, "Vevay here will be taking your arm and
helping
me help you. For God's sake, don't do anything to her, okay?"
Vevay smiled a tight smile as she offered her hand out. "I'm not going to
hurt you, sir."
Josh looked at her, his eyes filled with confusion and distrust.
"Take her hand, Joshua," Mac said sternly as he placed a hand on his other
arm and helped him up.. Slowly, Josh reached out hesitantly and allowed her to
help him as well. Once they had him on the biobed, the EMH raised the
temperature around him as Mac tucked him in with a blanket. "Better?" he
asked.
Josh nodded slightly, sighing deeply, his eyes closing a moment before
snapping
open again, filled with fear. "The ship...Mac the ship..."
"It's okay, Kid," Mac responded, shaking his head at Vevay, hoping she'd
catch on not to say anything of the fate of the Avalon just yet. "know. We're
handling it. You just rest, okay? Just rest." Reassured by his friend, Josh
nodded, allowing his eyes to close again.
***
Melanie patted the engineer's shoulder and smiled. "See, all's well."
Reaching out she tapped the comm button. "Now that we've all our missing ducks
may
we please get this bloody evac on the road? Some of us don't fancy hanging
here in cramped spaces and would rather be able to check on loved ones, not to
mention the fact that I'm bloody pregnant and would like a bloody cup of
tea!"
"Sure thing, princess," Raven replied wryly. "Anything else we can do for
you? A fluffy pillow, maybe..a bit of cheese to go with that whine?"
"How about a room with a force field to put ensigns with the bad habit of
back chatting higher ranking officers." Melanie replied without looking down
at
the woman.
"Sure thing..." Raven answered, adding a sarcastic, "ma'am" as she punched
up a forcefield around the area she was in. "Whatever feather tickles you..."
Melanie rolled her eyes and muttered something about rude American New
Yorkers. "Don't be daft. Take that down."
"Yes, ma'am," Raven said, almost laughing as she complied. "Whatever you
say."
"The only way this could be worse would be if we'd gotten stuck with a
frog." Melanie groaned as she turned to return to the back to sit.
Annabelle blinked and held back a snicker. "Ya know it's not smart to tease
when their hormonal."
"Yeah, well. It gets better. Watch this," Raven said with the wink, morphing
from the red haired blue skinned beauty she was into a frog of equal
stature. "Call her in here," she whispered then. "I dare you."
Annabelle nearly yelped as she watched the woman change into the frog.
"How'd you... Never mind... Lieutenant!"
Melanie sighed and grumbled as she headed back out to the front of the
shuttle.
"What do you think" Raven whispered to Annabelle. "Should I hop to her or
just sit here and croak at her?"
"Just don't send her into labor." Annabelle smirked and shook her head. "And
don't tick off her broach."
"Her broach?" Raven asked curiously. She had an emotional broach?
"Actually," Melanie said from the doorway. "the broach is Auntie Maggie's."
She looked around the cockpit to see only Garrity.
****
Ming dropped back into his shuttle seat with a huge sigh of relief and an
even bigger smile. Nalas sat next to him.
"Thank the Prophets for that, Ming," the older man said. He knew how fond
his little family was of the strangely quiet engineer. He'd hardly ever
spoken to the boy but he was always decent and kind enough. "No one should
have
to go to Them before it's time."
"Speaking from experience are we, sir?" Ming teased as he draped an arm over
him. "But you're right. God didn't want him yet."
***
Raven stretched her frog legs until they nearly touched Annabelle and
croaked lazily before drawing them back and hopping to a position right next
to
Melanie.
Melanie blinked at the actual frog and then glanced at the engineer. "You
wouldn't happen to have any butter would you?"
âSee, I knew it,â Raven laughed. âeveryone loves my legs.â Still
laughing,
she morphed back to her more familiar form. âNot so bad after all, I take it?
â
Melanie laughed and shook her head. "I rather like frogs. I once let a whole
box of them loose in our house in London. I was referring to the French
earlier. Mood swings."
Raven smiled, shaking her head as she flopped back into her chair,
indicating an empty one for Melanie. âI've heard certain somewhat hormonal
women
aboard have that same issue at the moment.â
***
Mac watched the EMH and Joshua closely, cringing at some of the annoying
thing's comments, but not arguing. He'd speak to the real docs once they
reached
Izar, he supposed. As long as the kid was alive, he'd take it for now. Once
he was sure Josh was settled, he headed back to the front of the shuttle.
"Any info come back on the little girl yet?" he asked, wondering who she could
possibly be.
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