[USS Tempest] Taking One's Medicine
- From: TKilyle@xxxxxxx
- To: usstempest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, ussgeorgetown@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2006 19:31:05 EDT
Taking One's Medicine
by C'ss'l of Calhoun, Aleksander Singh, Miranda Craid, Johnathan Hale, JD
Orosco, Tawa Pax, Senek Menkara, Soliel, Vevay Harak, B'nn't of Reynam, Niamh
McLaughlin, Eddie Le Beau, Elishvrachen ch'Thane, and Raven Xavier
I find the medicine worse than the malady.
- _Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher_
(http://www.giga-usa.com/gigaweb1/quotes2/quautbeaumontffletcherjx001.htm) ,
Cassiel snorted in outright amusement as he approached Alek. "This has got
to be the most bizarre thing I have ever heard in my life...and I've heard
some pretty strange shit." Bright hazel eyes bored into the man. "You know
why that guy is here?" he asked, pointing at JD.
"I assume he is Dr Matthews' replacement," the Marine replied.
"That, too, but you see what he's got there? Coffee." He tapped Alek's
PADD. "You know what's killing the critters over on the other ship? Coffee
foul enough to melt paint."
"Hmm..." Dark eyes met the doctor's bright hazel. "How many infected do we
have?"
The Xenexian let out a weary sigh. "Not including the two dead and any
beamed to Sick Bay , not too many, thank the gods," he said. He pointed
toward
the wall. "Just them. GT's temp CO says to get it in them until the
creatures start to bore outward. That's when we have to deal with surgery."
"May I assist then?" Alek asked earnestly.
"By all means," Cassiel said immediately. "I sent Renatus back to Sick Bay
so make sure anyone who's near any infected patient is properly dressed."
"I will aid him," Alek nodded as he flowed away.
Leaving FRix to keep an eye on the ill, Cassiel strolled, as much as one
could in such a crowded room, over to the replicator. Georgetown's captain
and
Ensign Craig were there with the new counselor and they seemed to be quite
involved in something. "What goes on, people?" he asked curiously.
"I was asking if it would be safe to give some of the people food as well,"
Miranda replied. "It might help with being confined." She smiled then. "It's
why I kept snacks hidden in my room as a kid. I could pig out whenever I was
grounded."
Cassiel mulled the matter over very quickly then nodded. "Any one who isn't
among the infected can eat whatever the hell they want so long as they drink
the coffee with it. Sick people have to wait because regurgitation during
surgery just gets messy for everyone."
"And the tar first," JD said with a nod at Hale.
Miranda went over to a replicator and started set up a table with cups of
Josh's coffee and a variety of sandwiches. She then started calling people
over.
Tawa had his arm around Bennet again but he turned his head when Miranda
mentioned food. "Good, I'm starving," he said with a grin, starting to lead
her
over before he spotted Senek. "Ah, Commander, you want me to bring you
something over?"
"Very considerate of you to ask, Mr. Pax," the big man said tiredly.
"Anything vegetarian will do."
"Ugh, WHAT IS THIS?!" one young marine asked.
"They can't really expect us to DRINK this!" another protested.
"Can I at least get some sugar...and cream...and maybe a nose plug.." a
third plead.
JD snorted in outright amusement. "Well, expected is a much nicer way of
expressing it than you are ordered to," he said bemusedly. "Honestly, I'll
tell you what I did when I was a kid and my mother used to try and make me the
stuff my grandmother brought over. Hold you breath while you're drinking.
You cut the smell and taste that way."
The first shot JD a look before taking a deep breath and trying it. Gagging
after the first swallow, he shook his head. "I can't...I'm sorry, I just....I
can't..."
Before he could protest further, a young woman in the far corner began to
convulse, her eyes rolling back and her skin beginning to crawl. In less than
a
minute, she was dead. Suddenly, people from around the room flooded into the
line, awaiting their turn to have coffee.
"Nothing like a bad example to get you going I guess," Tawa said with a
shudder.
With each new death, each new wave of raw emotion, Soliel became paler. Her
mental shields couldn't take the overwhelming pressure of so many people in
one cramped place. She was use to being in smaller groups, and she was the one
pushing. She didn't like being on the other end of the spectrum. It was all
she could do to keep it all from flooding her bond with Vevay.
Vevay flinched with the horror she was feeling from Soliel. Her sharp green
eyes found her beloved and marched over to her. She placed firm but gentle
hands on Soliel's cheeks and stared into her eyes. ~~Breathe~~ she ordered.
"See something good, a sweet memory. Stop this, Soliel."
The younger woman smiled weakly. "I wish I could." The idea of retreating
into a pleasant sounded good to her, it could give her what she needed to
rebuild her shields. The memory that came first was a simple one of being
wrapped
in Vevay's arms, so gentle and strong, while she read from her old book. The
sound of the small rock fountain they had in their cabin the only sound other
then Vevay's voice. The warmth of her lover's body as she leans into it, and
the softness and warmth of the well worn throw that was wrapped around them.
Slowly, everything outside that memory started to ease up.
Slowly, Vevay offered up her favourite memory. Water poured around them as
they soaked in her shower unit, playing and laughing. "Life," she whispered
as she kissed her lips, "goes on and so do we even as we watch them pass.
Honour them but don't die with them."
Soliel smiled as she nodded. When she opened her eyes she felt a little
stronger. "Thanks, I'll be more thankful later."
"Promise me you'll take the taste of this crap out of my mouth later,
gorgeous?" Tawa asked Bennet even as he filled himself a cup of the coffee.
Grinning wickedly, Bennet kissed his cheek and took a cup for herself too.
"Only if you promise you'll do the same."
Tawa took a ship and barely resisted spitting it out. "Damn, now I know why
Josh is so quiet," he said, his face screwing up in disgust. "Drinking this
actually melted part of his tongue." He tickled Bennet under the chin
slightly. "Careful, gorgeous, it's really bad."
JD found that he had to approach, if only for one reason. He knew the woman
had originally come just to visit, before the lock down was enforced, and
was stuck there with them. She didn't have to drink the stuff. "Thanks, Miss
Reynam," he said quietly. "That helps."
Bennet grinned at Tawa as she took her first sip then forced back a cough.
"S'okay," she spluttered. "Aisling'd kill me if I left without making sure I
was safe." Besides, she had a feeling it would help for other people to see
a visitor drink it too. She downed the rest in one then handed the cup back
to JD. "No more, please."
JD grinned broadly at her then patted her shoulder. "Now that's nerve. I
like that!" Then he pointed toward the cart where the original batch he
brought was. "Not replicated and a better brew. You, at least, can have some
immediately to get rid of the after taste of that."
"I'll have some then kiss away Tawa's," she chimed brightly, taking Tawa's
hand and pulling him toward the coffee.
JD was still smiling at them as they walked away. It amazed him how some
people could find the best of a situation no matter what. He approached the
Marines from Georgetown, only mildly surprised to see that one of them was
Cardassian. "Sorry about the ugly welcome to our ship but can I bring you
folks
some of our doc's prescription?"
Niamh glanced up at Eddie then nodded. "Dish it out to the men then come
back for the officers, okay?"
"Have you ever actually tasted this stuff?" JD asked curiously. "I did just
before and I have to agree with our doc: it tastes like lacquer thinner.
How about the officers set an example instead? I sure as hell wouldn't drink
it otherwise."
"I'd rather they had a fighting chance first," Niamh countered before Eddie
could say anything. "Make sure they're okay. We might all be grunts to you,
but they're not expendable to us."
JD was taken a bit aback at her statement. He held his arms behind his back
as he watched her curiously. "Begging the lieutenant's pardon but I'm not
the lone barista here," he said, tilting his head toward Hale and Miranda,
"and I never said anyone was less expendable than anyone else."
"Then how's about you serve our men first and come back to us later," Niamh
pushed, her hazel eyes flashing.
JD shrugged slightly. "Your choice, Lieutenant, but I somehow doubt there's
just an officer's concern for her men at work here."
Hale approached as JD's discomfort became more apparent, just in time to
hear Niamh's last comment and JD's response. "Take one and drink up," he said
flatly, looking sternly at his marines. "That's an order, marine. The longer
you stand there arguing about it, the longer it takes us to move on to the next
one. You're wasting valuable time not everyone here has. Now no more
discussions. Just do it." Turning to face the rest of the room, he repeated
the
order louder, even as he continued to pass out the vile liquid. "Nobody passes
on this unless it's at least as dangerous to your physiology as the
parasites. We offer it, you take it. No arguments. Is that clear, people?"
Without
waiting for a reply, he began passing out the cups faster, then went for more,
determined that nobody else would be lost. Not on his watch.
"Hear that people?" Niamh shouted to the Marines. "Drink the shit." She
grabbed a cup, trying not to spit it out at the captain for his chastisement,
and downed it as quickly as she could.
Hale glanced back in her direction, nodding his approval as he continued
passing out cups. He'd been abrupt and he knew it, but now wasn't the time for
kid gloves. If the officers started passing on it, those beneath them might
think they could afford to, too. More would die. He just couldn't allow it. He
needed his officers to be examples. This wasn't optional. Not if they wanted
to save them all.
JD offered Niamh a sympathetic shrug. "Sorry, Lieutenant, but if it helps,
the other coffee's decent. One of your fellow Marine's private stock."
Shooting one last cold stare at the captain, Niamh shrugged. "I really
couldn't give a crap since we're just mindless, selfish idiots." She shoved
her
empty cup back at JD and took another two, as she started pushing them into
the hands of her Marines.
JD stepped back as the Andorian approached. Lish tilted his antennae at
Niamh in greeting. "Nasty swill is it not?" he asked as wryly as his voice
would allow. "I'm not quite sure it still won't kill me."
"Parasites will and you heard the captain," Niamh shrugged.
He hissed in remembered annoyance. and actually used a Human gesture. He
shook his head. "I got a similar speech," he explained, still holding his cup
of the coffee. "except it was more along the line of the fact that coffee
and Andorians do not agree."
"Wouldn't know, too stupid to make that kind of observation," she snorted,
forcing a cup into the hand of another Marine. "Just grunts. No room for
command decisions or matters of priority with the canon fodder." When the boy
sniffed it, she glared. "Drink it, or I'll set the Captain on you."
"Hardly," Lish said as he took another hesitant sip, cringing the entire
time. "If you were stupid, the enarrain would toss you back in another
closet."
"The enarrain, with all due respect, is back on GT and not being faced with
the possibility of being eaten from the inside out," she hissed quietly so
only Lish would hear. "When he's here, when he's second guessed and shut down
by his CO, then he can judge."
"Fair enough," Lish admitted. He kept his tone just as soft. "If nothing
else, Niamh, you are doing as you want your people to do, even if it does
grate the nerves. I offer you the chance later to take your frustrations out
on
me. If not in my office then in the gym."
"You mean rather than trying and failing to beat the living crap out of the
enarrain?" she sniffed in amusement.
"You and I are both on that list of people," Lish told her, eyes clearly
crinkling in amusement. "He never put me in a closet though--just knocked me
flat."
"It was only once and he only did it because he was being obnoxious," she
sniffed.
"Ah, well, once was enough, was it not? He wouldn't let me kill Dr.
tr'Ghaladriel at one point, dragged me off by both arms," Lish told her.
Alright,
now it was almost amusing.
A petite, rather attractive asian woman snorted behind him. "Ooh," she
purred. "Kinky..."
"No, and Niamh will correct me if I am wrong," Lish said mildly, "he is
simply an arrogant and obnoxious individual...who is currently babysitting my
child."
"Let's not forget plan scary," Eddie added as he put a hand on Niamh's
shoulder. The coffee was vile, but he drank it. He only wished he'd been able
to
speak with Niamh himself before the Captain chewed her out. The thought of her
having those things, of her dying the way those other men did. It cause a
pain in his chest that he couldn't explain.
"Do you know how angry he'd be if he had to drink this?" Lish asked.
"Niamh, you ask Sergeant Major Aigremont about their arguments over coffee."
"Aigremont?" the petite oriental woman purred. "I know that name." Laughing
lightly, it dawned on her where. "I have several bottles of exceptional wines
by that name in my quarters. Anyone interested?"
"Ah, not advisable since we are quite confined still," Lish said carefully.
"I'd take me half a minute to go get it," she laughed. "and, trust me,
nobody'd notice I wasn't here. I've been so many different people already in
here
never realize if I was actually still in the room or not. "
"I do no advocate disobeying orders," Lish said plainly. "Not in this
case."
The woman pouted. "I know, but there's not much else to do. I HATE boredom!"
"It certainly is better than the alternative though," Lish stated, nodding
his antennae at the sick.
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