Waiting Games : Part One

Sara sat on the biobed stripped of her cold weather gear, her face had some cold burn and was a little chaffed, and said as they wrapped another warm blanket around her.  "We need to start a line and give you antibiotics--Lieutenant."

"Hell NO!"  Sara said wiggling forward to stand on her own two feet.  "I'm fine--just a little cold!"

Caid walked into the ER it was driving him crazy not to be able to be with Aidan currently, though he knew she was in good hands.  Perhaps his own demons had a hand in all of this.  His gaze met Sara's,  "Thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing.  Besides I owe you a very big thank you."

"I'm fine, but I can't seem to convince these people of that..."  She adjusted the blanket more and then took a step toward Caid.  "You're welcome by-the-way." she said with a smile.

"Well medical staff is like that.  It wouldn't do to have the rescue team passing out due to hypothermia," he paused sounding rather lost for a moment.  "I"m not here to lecture you about that.  Heck it would be like trying to lecture...Storm..." he voice broke leaving Caid unable to finish his thought.  "This is driving me crazy...I know she's in surgery but there's this overwhelming need to see that she'll be ok..that she'll pull through even though I know   how much of a fighter Danar is."

"Let me throw on my uniform and we'll go find out how the Major is doing."  Sara turned to reach for her marine uniform that she had been wearing under the cold weather gear.  She turned her back to him and started pulling on her gear. 

She heard him clear his throat and then she heard a bit of foot shuffling which she guessed was him turning his back on her.  Sara saw one of the staff walking up with a hypospray and heard, "Lieutenant!"

"Touch me with that and I'll break your wrist!"

"I'll...just give you a moment," Caid replied turning his back then waiting for Sara to finish dressing.  In fact it made him smile for the first time since this whole thing started to hear her tell the med staff to back off.  Spoken like a typical marine. 

Sara pulled on her pants and was shoving her feet into her boots and was slightly off balance when the medical team grabbed her.  She blocked the move to nail her with the hypospray, and whipped out a snap kick which followed through on the threat and everyone in the room heard the wet snap of bone breaking.  Well that caused the medical staff to converge on their own and away from her.

He turned around once he was sure Sara was ready.  "Glad to see I'm not the only one capable of ticking off a bunch of medical staff. Do you want to grab something to eat  after we see if we can get a status on Major Danar?" Absently Caid fingered the wedding band he still wore as a memory of his late wife, Lena.

"Actually, with my boss being off base, I should be headed back.  Maybe, they would allow me in to see my Major up on the 3rd floor...or maybe we can sneak in...  First, Lets go find out information on Major Danar"  She moved to follow him out of her treatment area.

"Understood I'll probably be here for a while and I wasn't going to make it very long.  Truthfully I just don't want to be alone right now," Caid replied,  "At somepoint I really should check in with the Hellhawks and see if they need me back there since I'm in charge of the wing at the moment.  I really don't expect us to be doing much other than investigating the cause of her crash.  And no there is nothing romantic between Storm and myself.  She's just a very close friend besides being my CO."

Sara had noted him absently fingering the ring, and she peaked through the curtain area and found Marki tranq'd.  "Well, I guess it's just 'US'."  Sara led the way to the surgical area and found the stairs to the gallery and stood at the window and looked down as the team worked on the Major.  Sara keyed in and spoke to Dr. Fletcher, "How is it going Dr. Fletcher?'

"We've fixed the wrist, leg, and chest injuries.  I'm moving on to her head...this could take several hours Lt. Longer if I have to keep answering questions." Nathan said looking up at the window.

Sara broke the connection and reached over to rest her hand on Caids elbow, knowing it was hard to see people you know on the table...

Several long moments passed before Caid spoke very quietly and nearly in tears,  "Can we get out of here." He thought he could take it but he simply wasn't prepared for its full impact.  Seeing Aidan like that reminded him too much of the day he'd lost Lena.  "I'm sorry it just reminds me too much of my wife...and the Major helped me through it. If I lose her as well I don't know what I'll do..." Torn between staying at the hospital until Danar came out of surgery or returning to the base to wait it out there and not being readily available should they need him right away.

"On second thought, lets go find something to eat and drink."  She tugged on his sleeve and guided him down the stairs and into the hall.  "I'm sorry--I should have known better then to take you up there.  She leaned in and pulled him into a hug."

"You didn't know...Not many people do know that I lost Lena not that long ago.  Since then I've been burried in work with the Hellhawks, raising my young daughter as a single father and generally trying to find some sort of normal life again."  Caid met Sara's gaze as he realized just how much he needed a little comfort right then.  "And no most people haven't seen me at my worst like this...only Major Danar and now you.  I'm sorry to dump on you like this."

"I'm sure there is a lounge  here or a cafeteria.  Lets go sit down.  I think I could use a a drink."  Both pulled apart and shoulder to shoulder walked and followed the signs and finally found a large well appointed cafeteria.  They went through the line and when they had food and drink they found a corner table that was empty and a way away from others.  "How did you lose your wife? "

Caid pulled out a chair for Sara then took a seat across from her.  "It all seems so surreal.  We'd planned to move to Serenity and she was going to go reserve status to raise the kids.  Lena had argeed that my position with the Hellhawks wasn't an opportunity to just pass up, even though I'd told her I'd be willing to turn Storm's offer of becoming the Wing's XO down.  Well one thing led to another and things went crazy the night she went into labor,only a week or so early.  To tell you the truth thats the last time I stood in an OR gallery watching and waiting.

A nurse had come up to hand me Daiyelle to hold, but I watched in silence and total cold fear as my son and wife slipped away... uncontrollable bleeding and the other baby had an undiagnosed condition that made him too fragile to survive."  He took a bite of his meal as he looked as Sara.  "Since then I've relied on the Wing and on making a life for just the two of us."

"I'm sorry."  Sara forced herself to take a bite of her meal and then after  few minutes of silence asked, "how old is your daughter--Daiyelle?"

"Well she just turned 7 months this past week," Caid replied with a smile.  "She makes everything worth fighting for. Its one of the main reasons I'm still here doing what I do..to make the universe a safer place for her to grow up."

For a moment he looked at Sara,  "I'm sorry if I surprised you with that reveleation of my personal life."

"No."  Sara studdered and then brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.  "Seven months ago I was on the hospital ship McCoy as and XO to the Chief Medical Officer and the ships captain." 

Sara took a sip of her cola and then pursed her lips together and looked at the time, and said, "it's going to be a while before they will be out of surgery with the Major and I'm really not hungry...maybe I should go try to see Maj Alcon.  You can wait for me here."

"Took us several months to get the wing ready to deploy to Serenity.  I didn't know that I'd be where I am now.  If you want to go an see the Major go ahead, I"ll wait here.  Beside I'm still torn with whether I should stay here at the hospital at all until Storm is out of surgery."  Caid smiled at Sara then,  "Thank you for just listening."

"I'll be back shortly."  Sara stood and headed out to make the trip to room 301.  Ten minutes later Sara arrived at the room, peaked in through the window, and spotted the cleared area in the middle of the room and saw Jayme working out.  She smiled and reached out to activate the door.  "Jayme--I don't have much time.  How are you doing?"  She asked as she went through the door.

"I'm fine.  This is just a little holiday...  How the f' do you think I am Lt. Sidle.  Did you come to break me out of here?"

"No, Ma'am!  but I did bring you a PADD with updates from base.  Oh hell..."  A nurse entered and exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Just leaving."  Sara said and bolted out the door leaving the nurse sounding an alarm.  Sara found the stairwell and slid down the first level and then hit the door out to the hall and back into the cafeteria and her appearanance startled Caid.

While her sudden appearance startled Caid it also brightened his mood considerably.  "You know I think this medical staff is going to hate all marines."  He wasn't really hungry either but he enjoyed good company.  "How's you're Major doing?"

"Pissed off... but making due and yeah, I think you're right about the 'Marines'...found her doing pushups in the middle of her room."  Sara snickered and took a sip of her cola.  "I almost got caught by one of the nurses who was making bed checks."  Sara winked and then ran her fingers through her hair as she sat back in her chair drawing her right leg up to tuck under her.  "Damn, my face itches."

"Yeah I'd say I'm going to be on Danar's dog house list when she finds out her parents know about the accident," Caid laughed at the image believing that Aidan would try the same kind of thing an soon as she was able, if she pulled through.  "Sara you put yourself at risk for a close friend of mine and I can't thank you enough for that.  I know the line about just doing your job...in reality its far more than that."

Sara scrubbed her face lightly with both hands and knew and knew she shouldn't be rubbing it.  "We still have about another hour before we can go harasss Dr. Fletcher.  Lets walk back out to Rescue 1.  I wonder if CPO Donovan has anything I can put on this burn that will make it stop itching.  No, we aren't going back to the ER to get something for it!"  Sara stood, finished her soda, and headed for the lift that would take them to the landing pad.

"I wasn't about to suggest the ER," Caid laughed as he finished of his soda.  He was tired physically, mentally and emotionally but he owed Aidan far more than he could ever put into words.   "Hopefully you'll find what you need out in the rescue vehicle." Captain Makan followed her to the lift, seeing  more and more why Sidle intrigued him as she did.

They stepped onto the roof and spotted the rescue and her staff.  They entered and found the CPO at the Ops console.  "Chief--your a trauma medic right?"

"Last I checked I was, Ma'am."  He said watching the pair with a smirk.

"Fine can you fix this cold burn my face?  And no, I'm not going back to the ER and don't even think about tranq'ing me."

"Wouldn't hear it.  Have a seat Lieutenant."  He walked over pulled a dermal generator out of a drawer and adjusted it and started on the edges where it was minor and worked inward.

Sara layed on the biobed and then winked at the captain, "You could call the base from here and see if you're needed back and see how your daughter is...then I suggest you borrow a rack from the Chief for a brief nap."

"Good idea.  The next senior pilot is pretty good about keeping things under control.  We won't be able to pick up the fighter's remains until the weather clears anyway."  Caid made a quick call back to base and was told to stay near Major Danar.  After that he turned back to Sara.  "Keisha, my Crew Chief, has Daiyelle down for her nap and things are ok there.  They know how to reach me if needed.  Its pretty clear my duties are here until we know the final results on Storm's condition. Normally I wouldn't admit this but a nap is a good idea."  Caid just hoped he could get some sleep.

"Even if you don't sleep--rest.  I'm sure I have a relativily mild sedative if you want something to help you relax?"  She offered even though she knew he wouldn't accept anything just like she wouldn't.

"Racks are through there and on the starboard bulkhead, pick one."  He looked to Sara and said, "would do you no harm to rest when I'm done Lieutenant."

Caid shook his head,  "Thanks, but no thanks on the sedative.  I'll be fine."

She smiled and was glad that he didn't toss that back at her about needing something... "I'll call you as soon as I learn she's out of surgery, Caid."  Sara said as he turned to head back to the let down bunks.

Sara closed her eyes and relaxed while the chief worked.

The chief finished and applied some light jell to moisturize and tossed a blanket over her and turned out the lights on his way back to the main bay.

"Thank you," Caid replied sincerely before he found a place to lie down and relax...better yet to hopefully catch some shut eye.   It really didn't take him long to drift off into a light sleep.