But It Happened To Us

[DrDMatthews 0]

Sitting on the biobed seemed peculiar. She was usually the one standing beside it, monitoring the readouts and guiding the conversation. Not this time. The CMO was the patient and it was her long time associate, Rocco Studly standing beside the bed, monitoring the readouts and guiding the conversation. Although he hadn't said two words since approaching her.

 

That was okay. She knew what he was looking for and she was just as certain he'd found it when they finally made eye contact. The scanners had just verified her identity and none too soon. She'd managed to keep tight control of her emotions since this ordeal began. Now, surrounded by this familiar environment and the people she knew were dead, she felt herself slipping a little.

 

"Where's your chief?" asked Deb quietly.

 

Rocco never blinked. "Apparently, she sitting right here in front of me."

 

She smiled gamely and nodded. "It's good to see you Rocco. Half an hour ago, I was pretty sure I'd never see you again."

 

"Half an hour ago you were talking to a group of us right here in this Sickbay."

 

Deb canted her head slightly and asked. "Then what happened?"

 

"You and bunch of others......disappeared." Studly shrugged and shook his head. "I mean to tell you, all of you simply vanished right before our eyes." He looked toward the injured housed in the far corner of Sickbay. "Even some of the patients disappeared. It was freaky!"

 

"Yeah," whispered Deb. "Freaky is a pretty accurate description."

 

The other physician took a step back and folded his arms across his chest. "What the heck happened?" He looked around the crowded Sickbay as he continued. "You guys look like you've been through a wreck."

 

"That's another accurate description," quipped Debbie wondering where to begin. She looked up at her friend and shook her head. "We came through the wormhole....into Romulan space....right back where we started from."

 

Studly nodded in agreement. "That's right. And the Romulans were waiting for us. Fortunately, that task force was almost here. If it hadn't been for them, I don't know what would have happened to us. "

 

Debbie stared blankly at her fellow physician. "I do," she stated flatly. She drew a deep breath and rubbed her temples. Her head was pounding and her body ached all over. "The task force wasn't close enough. The Romulans attacked. The ship was already damaged. It didn't take long for them to break through our shields." She looked at Rocco while fighting back the tears. "Half of Sickbay was blown away. Only the force field saved the rest of us."

 

"Deb, that didn't happen." asserted Rocco.

 

"Not to you, no," insisted the CMO. "But it happened to us. I don't know how or why but it definitely happened to us. We were ordered to abandon ship. Merina and I and a few others made it to an escape pod. Within a couple of minutes, the Reaent exploded. We felt the shock wave.....we saw the debris....the Reaent was destroyed."

 

A couple of tears managed to escape and slowly wandered down her cheeks. "You didn't make it off the ship, Rocco. You and Russ and Lyle and Gracie....and most of the others were killed....including most of the bridge crew and the Captain and Aidan."

 

"But I'm here, Deb. We all are." Studly stepped closer to her and again checked the biobed's readouts. "You're in shock. Let me give you something...."

 

"No," argued the CMO. "I don't want any drugs. I want to remain clearheaded. I need to remember everything, at least until after the debriefing."

 

Studly didn't attempt to reason with her. He simply stepped away and nodded. A moment later, Deb was startled as a hand came to rest on her shoulder. She whipped around to find her husband standing behind her. She had no idea how long he'd been there. Rocco surely saw him but gave no indication the XO was nearby.

 

Aidan looked directly at the attending physician. There was a question in his eyes that he didn't have to verbalize. Dr. Studly simply nodded in understanding. "We have confirmed this woman is Deborah Matthews, the Chief Medical Officer of the USS Reaent - NCC 3345-G."

 

Rocco walked away leaving Deb looking over her shoulder at Aidan Ridire who hand still rested on that same shoulder. She saw him swallow hard upon hearing Studly's proclamation and then a slight smile appeared.......