Jayme and Marki stood with their backs to Kama's and fired steadily until one of the Mullurans triggered a sonic weapon that enveloped all three in a blue vibrating cloud, eating along their nerve endings and freezing all synaptic responses -- they dropped to the ground.
The Mullurans shook their heads and the lead barked in Nausicaan, "Take them in that room and secure them. The blonde is wearing the marking of a leader. Interrogate them and I don't care what it takes to get answers..." With a sneer he added, "Have all the fun you like, just find out where the rest of her damn team's stationed and how to get to the bridge."
Several of the guys found the zip ties that the girls had been using to restrain their captives and thought it was just to use them. They dragged all three of the women into the room where they'd just trashed several medical work stations, and killed a dozen patients and about as many staff members.
Kama opened her eyes. She felt her whole body hurt, her head was throbbing, she felt some hands searching her body, but she could not respond, not yet...
Marki opened her eyes, her whole body hurt too especially when she felt the needle sting, but she couldn't say anything yet either.
Jayme was restrained to the biobed with both hands over her head. She was coughing and trying to get a decent breath when she was punched in the chest by one of the Nausicaans. "Grrrrup!" Every nerve was on fire and she was nauseated from the blow to her chest and the lack of air... everything went dark.
The Nausicaans at her legs restrained them to the far sides of the bed, not together. They moved to finish restraining the other two while their leader contemplated his tactics with the blonde.
Kama felt what they were doing, but she decided to keep calm, they would pay for it! But not now, now she better stayed calm, and act like she was unconscious... but she was listening, feeling and remembering.
Marki felt another hypo needle, heard one of the Nausicaans saying something about it being a better med, before she passed out.
Jayme woke as iced water was dumped on her and found that her tunic had been opened. She shivered and tried to shake water from her eyes and saw one of the Mullurians that was on the "most wanted " notices put out by the Federation. He was a known torturer. He stood beside her and grinned and picked up a laser scalpel and taking Jayme's ear just nicked it and held his hand up and let the blood drip into her eyes.
Kama looked between a split of her eye lashes. That bastard! How dared he! She had to do something, but what! She felt terrified, but did her best to suppress the feelings of being plain scared and helpless.
Marki awoke somewhat seeing figures and other things, as if in some kind of nightmare. Jayme tasted blood in her mouth and her one eye was stuck shut... didn't feel like it was swollen just gummed up... then she remember the blow to her ribs, and the blood being dripped into her face and she noticed that it appeared Marki and Kama had put up some fight and were now unconscious in various states of undress. "Psst," Jayme hissed at them and saw neither of them twitch but saw two huge male Nausicaans turn and walk towards her.
Rape, while ugly, is not unheard of under war conditions. Hell, Jayme had already been a victim of that from her own company... Jayme spent the next hour maintaining her composure and silence no matter what the two did to her. She spotted movement from where Kama was restrained.
She felt her clothes being ripped off her, and someone bending over her, anger flooded into her, being raped was not on the list, being raped by a creep was even worse. She tried to move, but was not able to.
Now Jayme was torn, bruised and bleeding, and unable to change position or cover herself or help her team. She found a spot on the ceiling and concentrated on just one spot and sent her mind to that quiet meadow that Kassia had introduced her too.
Sometime later...
She faded back into reality and looked around and spotted the three Nausicaans standing off in a small group. She saw marki was unconscuous and could see Kama moving a bit and moaning. Jayme's face and right side hurt from being struck repeatedly. "Hey Ugly." She yelled and saw one of them turn slightly and stare at her, and she added raising her head up, "Yeah, you..."
Kama froze, what stunt was she trying to pull? She was already hurt the worst...
Now all three of the Nausicaans were looking at her and she attempted to spit on the closest. She shook her head and laughed.
"Stupid human," one growled.
Jayme ignored Kama and hoped this gamble paid off or she was dead... "Oh, look he's afraid of one human female... has to tie her up and beat her silly to mate." Jayme saw anger flash in at least one pair of eyes.
"Are you crazy?" It spat out of Kama before she knew it. She could not stand this, seeing Jayme playing with her life, and for what? "Jayme, stop!" she pleaded, her voice softer that she wanted it to be, looking at the Nausicaans who did not seem to hear her, looking at Jayme, who did hear her, she knew it!
"I know you types like your partners feisty and with teeth... taking a tied up hostage couldn't have been much fun... I promise to be a challenge." She spotted the one she thought to be the youngest male take a step but a hand from one of the others stayed his position.
"Draw straws... see who's going to be the lucky one... to release me and take me." Jayme had to swallow and once again she tried the restraints only to find they were well and truly secure.
"Jayme!" she growled, looking at her superior officer in disgust, but she knew what she was trying to do: create a diversion, to make it possible for all three of them to escape, she did not approve of the method, but what she did or did not approve would not matter one bit. Kama wriggled with her restraints, trying to loosen them up a bit, but to no avail, she was securely stuck...
Finally two of the invaders moved and snapped the ties binding her legs but Jayme had pretty much lost circulation in them temporarily they had been that tight. After several minutes each one took and arm and the third one cut the restraints. Oh shit, Jayme thought to herself -- she could probably take one, but two or all...
She composed herself and knew there were no guarantees that this would be a fair fight and not gang rape and torture, but this is what she'd asked for when she baited them.
With a quick yank she pulled her left arm and hand out of the grasp of the youngster, sent two finger spear thrust into the eyes of the one holding her right arm, which he didn't release but let up on and with a kick as she came off the biobed to his head made him release the hand and she came up from the deck with his own dagger and slit his throat as both the others came for her on either side.
She tested the weight of the knife and spotted the dead Nausicaan's disrupter on the floor next to Kama. After several fast kicks she shoulder-rolled and came up with the weapon in hand, fired, and down to one. She took just a second to free Kama's right hand and drop the dagger into her lap before charging into the middle of the third invader.
Kama released her other hand, and joined into the mayhem. Jayme was not going into that fight without her!
Jayme caught Kama's movement out of the corner of her eye and between her injuries and exhaustion her concentration broke for a fraction of a second, long enough for the Nausicaan she faced to take a swipe across her arm with his blade. Instantly hot blood poured down her upper arm. She stumbled and turned only to take a kick to the side of her head. She went with the momentum of the blow and reeled away and attempted to apply pressure to her bleeding right arm.
Kama jumped on the Nausicaan, driving her dagger deep into his back, she heard the spine snap, and the Nausicaan scream out in pain and agony.
A second well-aimed stab ended his life for good. "Jayme! Are you all right?"
"Damn it..." Jayme swore through clenched teeth, then mumbled, "Yeah, check on Marki!" She spotted a towel, grabbed it and wound it around her upper arm and reapplied as much pressure as she could.
"Why is she unconscious, and we aren't?" she asked seeing Kama retrieve her tricorder and scan her downed team mate.
"She has a nasty concussion, and you and I are only a bit bruised." Kama scanned her and whistled... "Hello... Jayme, look at this." She pointed at the readouts. "She was injected with Aravar..."
Jayme relaxed back down to lay flat on the deck with her arm higher then her heart and really concentrating on maintaining pressure, and asked, "What's Aravar?"
"A sleeping agent that Nausicaans use, and it has the effect of a large dosage of drugs, cocaine or ecstasy. Have you never followed ancient medicine classes? This has the same effect."
"Don't lecture me." Jayme turned her head so she could watch Kama for a second and then said, "Ok. Run an area search and see if you can tell if they've left a guard on the door and where everyone else is."
Jayme rolled onto her side and then up to her knees and using the wall for support stood and saw her fanny pack on the counter and she worked her way over to it slowly limping and taking stock of the rib pain, shortness of breath, and the waves of dizziness. Jayme carefully dug in the pouch and found a reversal agent for narcotic overdoses and made her way to sit down beside Marki and administer the dose.
Marki barely opened her eyes trying to remember what happened. She slowly opened her eyes the rest of the way. Marki looked over at Jayme, still foggy on what's going on, she looks at her scared.
Kama scanned the doors. She found three guards in front of it. Those bastards did not take any chances it seems. She scanned further, and found the other squad at the end of the hallway, where also two Nausicaans were posted. Damn.
"I take it we're screwed?" Jayme asked monitoring Marki's condition and saw Kama nod with a frown. She leaned against the wall and dug through the pack and found Acetominophen-3's and gave one to Marki, took two herself, and carefully stood and walked to Kama to hand her two. "Take them! That's an order... it will take the edge off these bumps and bruises," Jayme ordered leaning against the wall and thinking about the layout of the recovery level... We should be able to find an air shaft or secured Jeffries tube in this room or the next one."
Jayme slid down the wall and sat there watching as Kama checked out their escape hatch. Marki now was sitting up and looking around unsure of what had happened. "It's okay, we're getting out of here," Jayme reassured the younger woman.
"Yeah, I hope we get out of here soon, Jayme," Marki said looking at Kama while she was checking out the hatch.
"It is clear, we can use it without taking any risks...." Kama looked inside the hatch.
"We will end up in the hallway if we take this way. Behind the other squad, I think." She straightened her uniform and flinched, she felt one of her bruises hurt more than she liked.
With a sigh, Jayme said, "We don't have a choice... if we wait much longer they'll come in here and we'll be dead. Kama, grab a trauma pack and come redress this knife wound. It's beginning to soak through the towel."
Kama nodded. She grabbed the pack and started to treat the wound, disinfecting it, and bandaging it. She did it fast and without saying a word. "I should stitch it, but those idiots have destroyed every dermal regenerator here... and a needle and thread is not a good option..."
Jayme bit her lip to keep from crying out as she cinched down the wrap several more times. "...Needle and thread's a great option," Jayme choked out, "but not one I'm about to let you perform." She took several deep breaths and knew she was a mess but took the other woman's outstretched hand for help up.
"That was what I'd figured you would say.' Kama had made sure the wound was very tightly bandaged, she just hoped it would be enough...
All three of them climbed in and pulled the cover closed over their heads and crawled slowly and silently away from the squad Kama had spotted. Kama took the lead, she let Jayme who was the weakest take the middle and Marki took the rear, she scanned every way completely and thoroughly, watching Jayme with concern, she was so pale.
"How are you holding up, Jayme?" Marki asked while keeping an eye on their backs watching for more Nausicaans.
Jayme stopped moving and just rested her head on her arm and tried to keep from coughing in the dust they stirred up. She was shivering and couldn't get control of it. She felt a hand rest on her back and Kama whispered, "I am going to scan you; stay still..." She ran the medical tricorder on her, and sighed. "Like it or not, I am going to have to close that wound, you lost way too much blood." She pointed at the blood soaked bandage.
"No. I'll be fine. Kama, we should be close to the triage/emergency treatment bay where you guys met up with me." Jayme's teeth clattered and made her face ache. "Marki can stay with me... you scout around and find help. That's an order." She looked from one Marine to the other... "You can't sedate me and we don't have supplies with us to sew this up... go!"
"I'm sorry, Jayme," Marki said, "but Kama's, right. We have to stop your bleeding and we have to do it now."
Kama reached into her fanny pack and pulled out the disinfectant, needle and thread, and said, "Yes. We do have the supplies. I lifted them when we left the recovery area. No, we can't sedate you and we won't leave you here to bleed to death."
"In my pack... Marki, is a topical numbing agent, and more Acetaminophen 3's. Kama, are you sure you can do this once you start... once you place the tourniquet on and remove the old dressing you'll have to go and not stop... remember the sims we did?" Jayme forced herself to keep talking in a whisper. She saw Marki move to put the tablets in her mouth and chewed even though it was royally bitter. "Marki, you hold the light, run scans, and cover my mouth if I make a sound... You guys ready?"
"Yes, Jayme, we're ready," Marki said, nodding to her and Kama. Marki turned on the light, then began running her tricorder over Jayme before rubbing the sedative on her.
"I can do this, I have done it one time before. Marki, do what she told you." Kama's voice was curt. She took the equipment from her pack, needle, thread, disinfectants. She used the tourniquet and removed the bandage, then cleaned up the wound and started her work.
She felt Jayme move. "Sit still, it will only hurt more if you move." She pulled the needle through again, and kept it going, not looking at anything else.
"Captain, slow your breathing or you're going to pass out," a voice said next to her ear. Jayme worked on controlling her breathing, her lips pursed together and her hand clinched into a fist -- nails biting into her palm. About five minutes into the procedure Jayme gasped and Marki's hand instantly covered her mouth and Marki hisses a curse but the captain got control and sitting rigid stared at a spot on the opposite wall and fought to breathe.
Calm down, Captain!" Kama said in a commanding tone. She soon finished her work and wrapped a clean fresh bandage around the arm. "Here, drink this." She handed Jayme a flask filled with cool fresh water.
"Kama, Jayme's going into shock!" Marki said. "One of us needs to stay with her while the other goes to find help.
Jayme shook her head, 'No' and then rested it on her knees, unable to stop shivering. Finally, in a soft voice she said, "I want you both to move out... take out those two Nausicaans in the triage/emergency area and then come back here and get me. Marki's right, I'm in shock, and I wouldn't be any good if I went with you... most likely I'd make a mistake and get us all killed."
"Agreed. But you must promise us to stay alive. Here, you take the reserve phaser, set it to kill and shoot everyone who enters to hurt you." Kama motioned Marki to follow her, they needed to get to that room, and fast, or they could very well loose Jayme!
"We've got to be silent and take them out fast, Kama," Marki told her.
Jayme sat trying to hold pressure against the wound that Kama had just sutured and dressed... she'd have to remember that the numbing jell doesn't work for future reference but the small amounts of narcotics in the doses of AC&C were helping and she felt like she could follow her pair as long as she went slowly. Creeping along with the phaser in her hand she made her way but before she'd gone twenty-five yards Marki and Kama appeared out of the darkness with angry looks on their faces that were a matched set. "Oh, thank god." Jayme sat and leaned against the side of the tube.
Marki went over to Jayme. "We've got trouble," she said while checking Jayme over. "I thought you were going to stay put!" Kama looked at her, frowning.
Jayme closed her eyes and said, "I was warmer moving around... I know, that's an illusion but it made me feel better." With Marki and Kama encouraging her she made it the rest of the way and with help stood. She only remembered being pulled through the opening into a lot of light, wrapped in a blanket and laid out on the floor.
Kama narrowed her eyes when she saw the light, she felt tired, leaned against the wall, she ran the tricorder over herself, and knew she was not touched... but that Marki and her captain were... She saw Jayme being wrapped in a blanket, and herself being placed on a biobed and scanned over...
Jayme opened her eyes and looked around and saw that both Marki and Kama were nearby. "I'm fine, damn it!" she growled at the physician's assistant and the two nurses. "I just need a shower and a clean uniform..." She struggled to sit up.
"Can't you see you are not fine, and no arguing with me, you are far from fine, and I dare to say Marki and I can use some rest, without you snapping at everyone." Kama's look was ice.
"You know what?" Jayme laid back down still unable to stop shivering, said to the PA, "I wasn't the only one that was held captive... Lieutenant, those two were with me and need to be checked out too! That's an order from a Captain."
Kama looked at her. "Fine, you can check us, all you will find is a few bruises." Kama was not willing to let Jayme get on her neck.
Marki looked at Kama and Jayme. She wished they'd both settle down because they're all tired. Marki looked over at Jayme, thinking she was being too stubborn with wanting to do this mission herself. Marki agreed with Kama that they needed to watch Jayme's back.
Jayme closed her eyes and forced herself to relax and not respond to the poking and prodding of the medical team that was working on her. Until a voice she didn't want to hear broke the chaos around them, and Jaymes' mother took over examining her... Frack, Jayme said to herself mentally.
"Open your eyes, Jayme," her mother ordered. Jayme not wanting to risk disobeying and an even deeper examination did as ordered. She made eye contact with her mother, and said, "Mother."
The older woman nodded started removing the bandage on her right arm to examine the emergency sutures that Kama had done on her right arm and all but screamed when her mother started palpating the area.
"Give her three cc's terakine, start an intravenous line and hydrate her and give a broad spectrum antibiotic, check her records for a blood type and match it." Her mother said crossing her arms over her chest and watching the monitor above the biobed.
Marki watched Jayme and her mother, thinking to herself their relationship doesn't look very good.
Kama looked at Jayme, she knew she did not like the fact her mother took this over, and it was not exactly the thing Kama would have liked herself if she was in the same situation...
She allowed the medics to prod her, she knew she only had a few bruises and a cut, nothing life threatening.
Marki let the medic poke and prod her, knowing she only had a few bumps, bruises and a blow to the jaw.
Jayme woke and looked around and couldn't spot either Kama or Marki and started to sit up and felt the ache of quick healed ribs, but still ached all over. A nurse walked over and rested a hand on her shoulder, and said, "lay back down, captain."
"Where's my team?" Jayme asked as the nurse medicated her with the hypospray.
"Probably showering. How's your pain?"
Jayme shrugged and looked over at her right arm and saw that it was bandaged, but asked, "Can I have something to drink? And where is Dr. Alcon hiding?"
"Dr. Alcon is treating another patient in area B. You are okay for clear liquids only." The nurse handed her a squeeze bottle with some ice water in it.
"Thanks," Jayme said after a few swallows.
Kama took a long shower, they healed her bruises, she felt the warm water clear up the rest of her stiff muscles and sad feelings, she just hoped Jayme would not be too insulted that she refused to let her go out of the way, she had to be healed up...
Jayme watched as the nurse walked over to treat another patient and while her back was to her Jayme slid off the biobed and walked with the blanket around her to the locker room that wasn't too far away to shower and throw on a pair of scrubs, before heading back to work.
Kama just came out of the shower, looking at Jayme. "What are you doing here, you are supposed to rest, captain!"
Jayme pulled her t-shirt off and was amazed that the medical team hadn't cut it off when they examined her but she was grateful they hadn't. "Kama, back off. I'm at about 80% and until we get all of the invaders off this damn ship it's going to have to be good enough."
"You know I cannot allow you to do this, captain. You go back to bed, or I tell your mother exactly what happened to us. I kept quiet because I know she will make your life a living hell, but it is my last resort. I will use it." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Jayme, who can clearly see Kama meant it.
"Fine," Jayme sighed and nodded, then said, "I'm going to take a shower -- you can stay or you can return to the main area and claim no knowledge of the fact I'm up." Jayme walked over and turned on the jets of warm water and stepped under it and added, "It would probably be better for you if you returned to the main room and claimed no knowledge of this as it could really piss off my mother that I'm up."
"I know, and you better get back fast. You have fifteen minutes, and then I am making sure hell breaks lose, and I did see you, remember that." She left the area, pissed.
After a quick shower and pulling on scrubs she walked back into the main room and found her mother and the duty nurse talking next to her empty bed. "Sorry, but I HAD to go shower... couldn't stand it any longer." Jayme sat on the edge of the bed and waited for the screaming to begin but was mildly surprised when her mother scanned her and asked, "You need anything else, captain?"
"No."
"Fine. I've ordered you be dosed with a sedative for the next five hours -- regardless of what's going on here. Good night!"
Marki after having heard that stifled a smile, thinking to herself that was a good precaution. Kama grinned, thinking the captain got what she deserved for being so damn stubborn.
Jayme drank the juice and took the medication that was handed to her and saw Kama watching from a lounger across the room. Anxious and half tempted to gather up her gear and head out she decided not to as she didn't know which med she'd just taken and didn't want to get halfway down the hall and fall asleep.
Jayme wasn't sure how long she'd slept but she woke and looked around and noticed that Marki and Kama were still sleeping... She noted that the staff appeared busy and not wanting to create a disturbance decided when she saw her kit leaning against the near wall that she'd go get it and sort through it since she was just hanging out.
Sitting up she thought she felt better and swung her legs over the side and eased off, only to have the light above her bed come on and an alarm go off. Staff turned and with a frown Jayme cussed and sat back down. A nurse walked her direction and said, "Captain." The alarm quieted and quit. "Need something?"
"That was rude!" Jayme exclaimed noticing that she'd woken half the patients in the bay. "Yeah, I would like my pack please..."
The nurse looked over to where the pack sat, then shook her head and asked, "Why?"
"I wanted to get my PADD out of it to read or listen to music... is that acceptable?" Jayme thought she was going to refuse, but then the nurse walked over and got the pack, and handed it to her. She found her combat tricorder and the PADD in a side pocket but only took the PADD out and set the whole thing down along side of the bed. She held it out for inspection and the nurse turned and walked away.
Kama groaned when the alarms went off, she was just dreaming nicely, she shifted her weight and sat up herself, looking at the captain. "What are you doing, Jayme?" she asked, walking up to her, frowning. She did not trust that Jayme sat there with that PADD, she knew her, and that made her suspicious.
"Nothing." Jayme keyed the PADD on and made a file selection and untangled the ear pieces, and said, "but now, I'm going to listen to some music."
"Alright, I hope you will not wake me up, I was in the middle of a very relaxing dream, you know..." Kama yawned, and went back to her bed.
Watching the other woman retreat she laid back down noting that her side and her arm were acting up but said nothing as she closed her eyes and listened to the digital recordings. An hour later she opened her eyes and took the ear plugs out and said to the nurse on duty who was checking on her and asked, "I'd like to get up to the bathroom."
The nurse nodded and said, "Ok, computer bed fourteen alarm reset and gave a voice code. Jayme sat up at the side of the bed for a minute before proceeding. When she returned the staff was talking on the comlink with her back to Jayme. Marki and Kama were still sleeping and Jayme quickly stamped her feet into her boots and started pulling on her lightweight armor someone had found and returned to her from the recovery room area where she'd been held captive.
She grabbed her combat tricorder and fanny pack and crossed through the doors with only the swish of the pneumatic pump.
Kama looked up, she only closed her eyes, but she was not sleeping, she tippy-toed out behind Jayme, placing a hand on her shoulder...
"Frack!" she exclaimed when the hand touched her shoulder, but she dropped and struck with a back thrust kick which was blocked by Kama who stood there with her gear on. "Damn it!"
"I knew you were not going to listen, and wherever you go, you are not going without me. Got that, captain?" Kama said curtly.
In a very quiet voice she asked, "What do you mean by that?" Then said, "Never mind... we should have been back on duty six to eight hours ago. What about Marki? She coming too?"
"She wouldn't have noticed you guys anyway... you're just Marines," Jayme said and started off down the corridor tracking with her combat tricorder. "Three Mullurans to the right. Kama you take the lead."
"She would, she told that irritating EMH to keep an eye on us. I had to deactivate that thing first," Kama responded. She took her phaser and set it to kill. She would not take any chances.
Jayme shook her head, her mother didn't care about the Marines... "On three, one... two... three." With that the women jumped out and fired, not pausing to check the bodies but moving to the next intersection that showed activity on Jayme's tricorder. Two decks up they repeated this process several times before Jayme's hand shot out and stopped Kama from going forward. "Psst." She tossed her head to the right and motioned with one hand three and pointed to Kama and Marki. Jayme saw the door and punched in a code and bounded through it before it was hardly wide enough and found three of her marines hiding out. "Ronning, Tagye, and Dante, are you okay?" She asked keeping her weapon loose and ready.
The threesome nodded and relaxed as the others took up position by the door. Jayme moved in and examined a cut that Matt Hasek had above his left eye and smiled when she saw that one of the others had done first aid.
Kama looked at them with relief. Good, being with six is better than with three, that is one thing she knew for sure. Her look crossed with her captain. "How will we proceed, captain?" she asked, while scanning the perimeter.
"Same teams as before... objective to keep taking out the intruders," Jayme ordered leaning against the wall and taking a sip out of the offered canteen before handing it back. "We'll stay on this level and lower... you three head up and cover to the top." She made eye contact with Kama and Marki who filed out the door.
"Ready," Kama signaled. She saw the next group was Nausicaan, two straight ahead, she took her tricorder and phaser. "Nausicaan, 200 meters to the west, they are armed with phaser rifles."
Within thirty seconds they had engaged the enemy in a firefight and moments later sprinted past the bodies of the dead. Jayme checked her own tricorder and saw the three friendly green dots moving in the opposite direction towards a set of Jeffries tubes. She also noted that three Mullurans were in the room just to their left. She stopped them and indicated three and the left. This time Jayme didn't hesitate going through the door and firing.
Kama followed her, firing two quick shots, killing two of the Nausicaans. She stretched her arm, because she had some cramps. Then she pulled the tricorder out, and waited for the next command. She looked at Marki, the junior of their team. "Are you holding up, Marki?"
"I'm holding up fine, Kama," Marki said looking at her own tricorder.
Jayme turned and frowned at Kama and asked, "How about you? You holding up?"
"Yes, I just have some cramps from having my arm and hand in the same position for too long. I am fine,' Kama answered.
"Okay, I'll continue to lead, Marki and then you with rear guard, Kama." For the next five hours they worked their way through their half of the ship and finally made it back down to the landing bay to check in with the three man team that was guarding the Hawkes. Just before entering the bay Jayme tapped her comgear twice and paused to wait for the return signal she'd set up previously. "Kama, go to the right. Marki you have left."
"Right, Jayme," Marki said, taking the left position as ordered.
Both women entered the bay and did a sweep as Jayme moved through watching their backs. All three made their way to the where the Hawkes sat on their skids. Jayme coded through the door of the middle one, pulled off her helmet and sat down on one of the seats and took several deep breathes before taking the canteen that she wore at her side off for a sip. "We're taking an hour break," she ordered leaning back and closing her eyes, and said, "You scan me Kama... so help me god... I'll punch you!"
"And you think I want to lose some valuable resting and relaxing time by annoying you? Fat chance!" She leaned back in the chair next to the captain, and motioned Marki to scan the captain. They had made that silent agreement before they left sickbay.
Marki took her tricorder and began her scans of Jayme.
"Corporal Rashan, do it and face the same consequences!" Jayme said without opening her eyes.
Marki frowned, but decided it'd be worth it.
"Touch her, and you get to do with me!" Kama growled. She was tired, she had no patience for her captain. She took out the tricorder and started scanning.
Jayme sat forward, stood, and walked away to the other end of the medical transport ship and took a seat. She was technically still within scanning no matter where she sat on this ship... but that was about all they could do without provoking Jayme into action. "Should have gone with the other team." She mumbled taking another sip of water.
"I would not have allowed you to set a foot forward without me scanning you over, captain," Kama said with an ice cold tone of voice.
"Kama, Marki, lets get this straight right now... I'm captain of this group. And until this situation is resolved as long as I am able I will lead this unit. Don't like it... figure out which two of Kaplan, Neil or Zacks is going back out with me in less then an hour. Or take this break and shut up."
Kama looked insulted, she turned her back on Marki and Jayme. She hated it when people pulled rank on her, she took her tricorder and scanned herself over.
With a sigh Jayme rested her head back against the seat and rubbed at the headache that was starting. After a couple more sips of water and part of a protein bar she set her timer and closed her eyes.
Marki just sat down in her seat deciding to scan herself, then ate a bite before taking a rest as well. Kama took that opportunity to scan her over, she soon found out that the dear captain overdid it, she should have stayed in sick bay. Kama sighed and promised herself to keep an eye on Jayme, whether she would like that or not. She leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes.
The timer went off and caused Jayme to jump and nearly drop her canteen. She rubbed her eyes and then her arm which ached then decided to dig in her fanny pack for more AC&C tabs. She decided she wasn't hurting bad enough to chew that fracken things so she took them with a bit more water and the rest of her rations bar which was sitting like a brick. She saw the other two check their weapons and fall out of the medivac unit. Jayme followed and watched as Kama exchanged a few words with the others.
Jayme noted that Marki avoided contact with this group at all cost. Jayme clapped her on the shoulder and asked, "Ready to rock and roll?"
"Yes, I'm ready," Marki said to Jayme, not even looking at the others.
Kama looked at her. "Are you certain you feel alright?" Her eyes seem to pierce straight through Jayme, she did not trust it one bit.
"I'm fine." Jayme said, checking her weapon and heading out. "Lets work our way up to the bridge and check on the Lieutenant." Jayme led the way out and for the next hour taking out over two dozen invaders... She whispered, "We should be close to running out of bad guys."
Kama nodded in agreement, her no-nonsense attitude showed through her work, her eyes kept watching out for any aliens, and she had a watchful eye lurking out for Jayme.
Finally, Jaymes' group reached the fire blast doors that led to the bridge. She keyed her mic and said, "Medco to Medsec?" Jayme asked knowing no one else in the unit knew these codes that Sara and herself had agreed upon ten days ago.
"Medsec -- go," Sara said crisply.
"Open hanger bay doors, red leader," Jayme said. The doors started opening and the three rushed back through and barely before they started closing... As soon as the blast doors were closed Jayme waited for the main doors to open and admit them to the bridge. Sara and Roxxane and Moria lowered their weapons although Maria had an almost pained expression on her face at having to have to do so.
Kama followed her captain onto the bridge, she was not sure what to think, but this part of the operation went smoothly at least.
The ship's captain walked over and greeted Jayme and nodded when she asked, "Sir, request you run a ship-wide scan for the intruders."
"What will that show you, captain? We've had Mulluran, Cardassian, and Nausicaan patients. How will you separate the intruders from the patients?"
"Do a time lapse scan of two minute intervals... do this three times and overlap the scans. The patients will remain in the same place and the intruders won't. Jayme walked over and slid down the bulkhead and watched and waited. Less then ten minutes later he turned smiling. Jayme noted that Kama and Marki were talking with their back to her, to Lieutenant Sidle. "Print out a hard copy and transfer it to the Lieutenant's tricorder."
Kama looked at her, "Everything like it should be, captain?" She rubbed her eyes, feeling she could sleep in the first bed she saw, even a floor would feel right. No one had seen the small dart in Kama's shoulder, one of the Nausicaans hit her with it before she took him out.
"Ah shit!" Jayme yelled when Kama did a partial turn and dropped to the deck. Sara having been directly across from her was the first to reach her and check for a pulse. Jayme moved fast and had her tricorder out and found the dart. "Same as the stuff they hit us with when they took us captive..." Sara grunted, only briefly considering what Captain Alcon had said, an asked, "I take it there's an antidote?"
"Yes, its based on a narcotic polymer... and a standard reversal agent worked. Jayme remembered that she hadn't refilled her kit before escaping sickbay herself but saw that Marki was one step ahead of her and had one out and administered the hypospray to Kama's carotid artery. Jayme watched her scanners and saw that her pulse had lowered, respirations were back to normal and that there was a faint flutter to her eye lashes. "She'll be sleepy for a while. I'll stay here and watch over her and man the communications station. Sara you take your team and sweep for those intruders that our good ship's Captain has found for you."
Kama felt disoriented, what the hell happened to her, the world was turning, and she felt a splitting headache. When she opened her eyes, she looked into one of the overhead lights, and immediately closed her eyes again. She groaned softly.
Sara remembered what the two corporals had been telling her before this happened and walked over and took Jayme's elbow and led her away leaving Marki to take care of Kama.
"Their report confirms the message we got from the chief medical officer eight hours ago... what were you thinking? You could have notified me and had me take over the patrols."
"We all have jobs to do and yours was here! Now, take your team and finish this. You have any further concerns you can take this up with MEF 28's CO, General Tarik." Jayme turned and walked back over and knelt by Marki and Kama.
"She'll be okay, Jayme," Marki said running her tricorder over Kama.
"Jay... Jay... me..." Kama mumbled. She could not focus, all she wanted was sleep, and she had to take care of Jayme, she had to!
"Sleep it off, Marine," Jayme ordered. "We're going to hold this position while the Lieutenant's team cleans up." She clapped a hand on the shoulder of the sleepy corporal watching as a secondary communications officer took the seat that Roxanne vacated. The doors parted for a second and she watched as they slipped out and said under her breath, "Good hunting."
Marki looked at Jayme, thinking to herself I know she wishes she was out there with them.
Jayme paced around the bridge and watched the techs at work and listened to the fleet action. There were multiple ships requesting medical aid and she crossed her arms and walked to another station. She keyed her team's private coms and ordered, "Sergeant Berke's team to the Hawkes... " She heard the acknowledgement of the order and then gave the order, "Prepare Hawkes one and two for launch." She heard the acknowledgement from the flight crews.
She walked over and knelt down next to Marki and noticed the young woman was rubbing her lower abdomen and rocking slightly. "Marki?"
"Lousy, Jayme," Marki said, wishing her abdomen wouldn't hurt.
Jayme dug into her fanny pack and took out two AC&C tabs and handed them to the other woman. "Take them... that's an order and then go relax against that wall." Jayme ran a scan of Kama and shook her head, adjusted the hypospray that Marki had handed her before leaving, checked the med and the dose and administered a second dose.
"Kama." Jayme lightly slapped her cheek and said, "Kama, wake up." A moment later her eyes opened. "How are you feeling?" Jayme rested a hand on her shoulder to reassure here and also to prevent her from getting up.
"Please, let me sleep... hurts," she mumbled, she rolled up and held her hands on her lower stomach. She drifted back into a half sleeping state, not willing to wake up, not willing to feel the pain, or to remember what they had done to her... She was not ready to face reality just yet...
Jayme positioned her back to the rest of the bridge and palpated Kama's abdomen and saw her grimace in her half awake state, and saw her attempt to draw her knees up. "Just a couple of cuts and bruises... hmmmm."
"Yes... nothing... more..." she mumbled, and drifted back to sleep, dreaming of better times, shutting out the world around her, she wanted to forget everything else.
"Okay. Just rest." Jayme stood and gave her teams that were standing by at Hawkes one and two directions to the ships that needed their help the most. Jayme listened to the progress of her teams flight as she knelt down next to Kama.
Kama just stared at her, she was not really awake yet, but it was dawning on her, that she could not stay in a fantasy world forever. She blinked and looked at the captain. Her abdomen did not hurt as much anymore, that was good.
[Lieutenant Sidle to Captain Alcon.]
"Go Lieutenant."
[We have a clean sweep. Orders?]
"Send me some help to get the Corporals back to sickbay."
[Received.] Sara clicked off allowing PFCs Cummings and Esteva in quarters. She used ship's com to pull Berke and Carter from their stations to join her in five. The lieutenant paused to reload and grab two blankets from the supply closet in barracks and head up ship to grab Berke and Carter. A total of ten minutes from the time of the request they were outside the doors to the bridge, "Medsec to Medco."
"Go."
"Open hanger bay doors." Jayme waved to the tech and the doors started parting. Her team entered and the Lieutenant waved both Corpsmen to each of their downed team.
"Captain?" Sara asked.
"Yes?" Jayme asked listening to her field team's report. "Received. We will prepare for fifteen criticals with explosive concussion injuries and plasma burns.
"How are you holding up?" Sidle asked.
"Fine, we have about fifteen minutes to get them to sickbay and treat their assault injuries before we have several hours of work piled on top of everything." Jayme rubbed her temples and nodded to Berke and Carter to lead the way.
Kama narrowed her eyes. Sickbay? Fine, but she knew that what happened to her, happened to all of them, also to Jayme, who really should consider some treatment herself. She looked at Marki, Jayme and waited.
Marki looked over at Kama and gave her a nod.
Jayme followed and continued to listen to the second Hawke's sitrep and said, "Received." Jayme shook her head and keyed her comms. "All Marine Corpsmen report to triage, now. Thirty incoming."
"Sara, I have to admit I'm not 100% right now and need to report that I too was assaulted by Nausicaans... and yes, I too withheld the information from sickbay... I'll need to be worked up but it can wait until after we see to the incoming."
The six entered the emergency/treatment area and both sergeants escorted the corporals to a private area. Sara went with Marki and Jayme followed Kama and watched while the sergeants started working up members of their team. Jayme sat down and watched and documented the exams and treatment.
Kama just stared at Jayme, keeping her eyes fixated on the captain, she felt people checking her over, but she was concerned, Jayme had to be treated, whether she liked it or not. She soon drifted into a deep sleep, she could not fight anymore... But she had to! Her eyes opened. She was ready to face the world once more.
Sara performed the exam and treatment of Marki finding bruising, tearing, and internal lacerations consistent with rape. Treated and given pain medication and sedation she was sent to quarters with to sleep with Kama while the rest of the team worked.
Jayme stood and walked over to Kama as she dressed, and said, "You and Marki return to barracks. Berke, you have Corporal Malarky stand watch over them while they sleep." Jayme stepped out and joined Sara and Berke in the hallway. Team one just arriving with the first fifteen. Everyone moved and headed to the bay to help bring the patients to triage where they helped treat and sort and it was just before the second unit arrived that both the Captain and the Lieutenant got called to help in surgery.
Kama narrowed her eyes, she was sick and tired of sitting still! She wanted action and she wanted it now, not later, she wanted distraction, as long as she had that, she would not have to remember what just happened to her... She looked at Marki, and hoped she would get her thoughts and feelings straightened out.
Marki looked back over at Kama. She tried to give her an okay nod even though she knew she wasn't okay.
Twelve hours later...
Jayme stepped out of the surgical unit, pulled off the protective equipment and walked away as her mother lectured about some finer point or technique... blah... blah... blah was all that Jayme was hearing and she just wanted a shower and to fall unconscious on her bunk for a day. She entered the locker room to silence and found no one there but stripped down and stepped under the hot spray, leaning against the wall. Minutes later she heard the door, voices, and the lockers clanging.
She picked out Sara's voice and decided to get out to dry off and pull on clean scrubs as she didn't have a clean uniform in any of the lockers but back in barracks -- which was her next destination. They'd treated one hundred and eight patients in twelve hours... she had a headache the size of all of Starfleet.
"Jayme?"
Jayme looked at Sara as she pulled on a scrub top. "Yeah, what?"
"Are Marki and Kama confined to quarters?"
"No. I take it Sean is calling asking?"
Sara nodded. "They're cleared for whatever." Jayme just sat there and waited for Sara to shower and join her on the bench before heading out.
Kama entered the sickbay's locker room, she looked like her normal self, inside she was burning up however, feeling like she wanted to cry. She just looked at Jayme. "Did you get yourself treated, captain?" She asked worried, seeing the pale face of Jayme. "You do not look so great..."
"I still did not get an answer from you, Captain!" Her tone was ice cold and not very friendly.
Jayme and Sara both just stared at the Corporal who was standing with her hands on her hips blocking the exit from the locker room. "Excuse me... did I just hear what I thought you said?" Jayme asked rolling her head on her shoulders.
Sara frowned, cleared her throat and asked, "Did the corporal wake on the wrong side of the bed?"
"You heard me, Jayme!" She looked sternly at her. "You know I hate sick bays, but that will certainly not stop me from getting you into one, and yes I did step out of bed on the wrong side, Sara!" She looked angry, and did not bulge.
Jayme, Sara and Kama stepped out in the corridor and found Berke leaning against the wall waiting. "Kama, we've pulled three days of combat and I just finished twelve hours of duty as a surgical assistant for that 'bitch'." With a sigh she knew she was feverish and ached in rude places and could happily sleep on the floor if people would just shut up. "The Lieutenant and Sergeant can do the workup and treatment and you corporal can be the record keeper and..." Jaymes mind was drawing a blank, "You're armed and I'm sure you'll use it. But let's get this straight. Any ideas of keeping me here are not going to happen... lock me in my quarters where that 'bitch' can't get to me... please."
"Who are you bitching at? At me? Or at your mother, I have orders to keep you to sickbay, captain, you can growl and mutter all you like! I am not letting you leave, unless you opt for the closest medical ship, it is up to you."
Berke shook his head and started down the corridor and let the group into a private exam/treatment room, before stepping out so the Captain could change and Sara and the Corporal were both capable of treating the rape. For the next hour Jayme just laid there, eyes closed, listening and basically ignoring what was going on. Finally Sara sat on a stool beside her and nudged her arm. "Jayme?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know how the Chief Medical officer missed this but you had a major bruise to your right kidney which has now caused a major UTI, which is why you have a 40C temp. The trauma was bad enough and we've treated it. You're bruised but will live."
Jayme swung herself around and sat up facing Sara. Her back to Kama, "Don't admit me Lieutenant!"
"You're confined to your quarters with one-to-one supervision, and have no say in treatment..."
"Fine, lets go. The sooner I get horizontal the better." Sara nodded to Kama worried by the willingness to play. Jayme pulled her scrubs back on.
Kama looked at Sara, frowning and worried. Jayme and listening??? "Request permission to keep a close eye on the captain." She blurted it out, she did not trust that willingness one bit.
Sara nodded, and they walked out of the emergency room/treatment area and walked to quarters. Most of the unit was already present and asleep except Marki who was reading on her bunk. Jayme walked into her office/quarters a nice little 3 meter by 5 meters with bath. Jayme walked over pulled the covers back and laid down. Berke had already pulled the squad's comprehensive med kit out of storage and set it on the captains desk. Sara being almost as exhausted as Jayme took a seat and nodded to Berke to head out.
Marki looked up from her book, and seeing Berke leave, got up and headed to the room. Marki entered before the door closed. "Set up two large bore IV's and run in Hemo replacement, three liters of fluids and then run electrolyte and antibiotics. Pain meds as needed, Lorazapam for sedation, and AC&C as needed for fever. oh and cath her -- she's not to get up at all!" Sara said and watched while the two Corporals started working -- as they'd been the only ones with 8 hrs sleep.
Kama nodded, she was not planning to keep her eyes off the captain, and did all Sara instructed her to do with efficiency. "I hope you forgive me for this, captain..." she whispered when she knelt down to inspect her work.
Marki looked at Kama while they treated their Captain.
Kama nodded, she was not planning to keep her eyes off the captain, and did all Sara instructed her to do with efficiency. "I hope you forgive me for this, captain..." She whispered when she knelt down to inspect her work.
Sara moved to leave and said, "treat the fever, heart rate and low blood pressure with fluids, keep her down with the meds...Theres restraints in the kit if it comes to that but try to manage with the meds. I'll be asleep in my quarters wake me if you need help."
"We'll be okay Sara," Marki says to her, while looking at Kama.
"We can handle it, go to your bed, you look like a rag doll." Kama ushered her out, she saw that the last couple of hours left some strain on Sara as well as on Jayme. She administered more medication and saw Jayme drift off to sleep, good... that was what she needed most, rest... and her, and Marki keeping a close watch on her.
Eight hours later the door opened and Sara walked in with a cup of coffee and a stack of PADDs, "Okay, you two, rest period, and then you're on call for Hawke one. I'm on with her for the next eight. No arguments, just give me report and get out."
Kama looked at her. "I am not going anywhere." She placed her hands on her hips, and looked straight at Sara.
"I'm capable of watching her, Kama. You have your orders, Marine! I have a guard standing armed outside the door. She's not going anywhere."
"I'm not going anywhere either, Sara," Marki said going over to a chair with one of the PADDs.
"I am off duty, and that means I do not have to take your orders, got it, I am staying here, and that is final!" She did not know what was wrong with her, why she reacted like that, but she only felt one thing, the need to argue, to fight!
"On duty or off duty, you will take my orders, Corporal!" Sara set her stuff down and stepped into the other woman, and added, "It's not going to help your CO with you fighting with me... you know as well as I that she can here us..."
"Hear us and then! What will she do? She cannot do anything but laying there and listen, I am not going! I failed her once, and I just won't do that again, got that!"
Jayme could hear them quietly arguing in the distance, and it made her head ache to listen to them. She wanted to get up and throw the whole damn unit out of her quarters... she reached up and rubbed her eyes and managed to throw one leg over the side of her bunk and she started to sit up. "Everyone just shut up, MOG!" She could feel her pulse speed up but she managed to sit there and stare at them.
Marki got up to go over to Jayme and gently push her back into the bed.
"Lie down!" Kama growled at her. She pushed her gently back in the pillows. "Stay out, this is between Sara and me."
"Fine, then take it outside." Jayme said closing her eyes and resting her forearm across them.
Kama just sat down, and refused to move a centimeter. She did not look at Sara, she just ignored her, like she was not there at all.
"You can spend your whole rest period in that chair," Sara said moving in to take a comprehensive tricorder reading of the Captains condition and was happy to see the fever was down and her vital signs for the most part were normal. Marki sat quietly studying from one of her PADDs while Kama stared at Sara as she watched over Jayme and worked on her reports.
Kama's eyes fell shut, she did not have to move, she would be on top of things, not fail anyone... she is blaming herself for what is happened, and is not feeling so great still...
"Marki," Sara said, "Take Kama down to the gym for a quick workout, shower, eat a meal and then come back and relieve me. I'll adjust the duty schedule."
"Thanks, Sara," Marki said, going over to Kama to wake her up.
"No... I am going to sleep.." Kama mumbled, she was here sitting quiet, if they would let her stay, she would be fine, it was all a dream, a bad dream, she would wake up and find out she was dreaming...
"Kama, get the hell out of here," Jayme said rolling over on her side and pulling the blankets up around her head. "Don't make me get up and kick your asses!" Sara stood and walked over and rested her hand on Jayme's forehead then wrist and nodded. She then added a medication to the IV's and moved back to her seat.
There was a knock on the door and Marki stood and hit the lock override... and it was several of the advanced Corpsmen/Sergeants with food for them.
Marki let them in and took a tray and sat back down on the floor and with Matt between her and everyone else made a quick move that had the hypospray to her neck and instantly administered the med. "Oh hell, Lieutenant she just collapsed... he said pocketing the hypospray, moving the tray aside and checking Marki for a pulse as one of the others grabbed the tricorder from the desk and got involved.
"Huh? Marki!" Kama woke up from her self pity and kneeled down after pushing past the guys, she ran a tricorder over her friend, hoping to find nothing seriously wrong!
Matt stepped off the side as several more people moved to stand in the door way of the Captains quarters... Matt quickly pulled the second hypospray out of his pocket and hit Kama with it on the back of her arm.
She felt the sting and, she wanted to scream, but it was to no avail, she dropped down on the floor, giving Matt a very angry ice cold look, before she closed her eyes.
"Good work guys," Sara said checking to make sure the drama of the last few minutes hadn't woken the captain before she ordered, "Get them on their bunks and check them over. Carter, Dante -- relieve me. Instructions or on the PADD as well as a report and a running treatment log. No one's allowed in. I'll be back in a few hours." Both husband and wife team took places and changed the lockout on the door to one only they knew. Both worked and noticed that every little while the light indicating a message was being stored to the captain's message buffer.
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