"You Never Know"

[Kansas 0]

He sat down because there was this secret rule in combat. When the fighting ended, even for a few minutes, always sit down when you can. ‘Cause you never know … ~ Private John Kane, Doom 3: Worlds On Fire (2008)

 

05.25.09

USS Agincourt NCC-81762

“You Never Know”

 

Avaros Colony World

USS Agincourt crew base camp

 

The shower had felt heavenly. Sonic or not, it wiped away the sweat, blood and grime and soothed my burns a bit. The nurse on call helped me wrap my injuries in medicinal gauze, and then I slipped into light gray Fleet issue gym shorts and matching sweat jacket. The clothes were loose fitting enough to not abrade against any injuries, and offered a bit more modesty then the normal patient scrubs.

 

Now I stood at the entrance to the makeshift hospital shower area, one paw planted firmly on the entry way doorjamb, mentally contemplating the events of the last couple of hours as they zoomed about my decidedly jarred head.

 

I was lucky. Fur and fire do not mix, and that warehouse fire really could have taken me out permanent. As it stood, I had a mild concussion, and multiple second degree burns on my left paw, mid-tail, right foot and knee, and yes, the healing burns hurt like ever lovin’ hell.

 

My general priorities were pretty simple at this point.

 

I had already verbally reported into the Colonel - and my dear gods, I don’t even want to think about how I sounded because I was pretty much at Defcon 5 stupid with the pain meds when I commed her over the ground to air wireless - about the weird grid schematics that I had spotted on the warehouse computer before it all blew. I knew what I saw though on those warehouse computers, and it was important to relay that information.

 

My current priorities were to get my strength back, and heal up.

 

I had also heard through the camp gossip grid that Gunny Hefner and Marine Captain Matthews were responsible for pulling my ass out of the fire, literally. Both men were due a face to face thank you, and they’d get it as soon as I was able to grab the two of them.

 

But for right now, my current priority was getting my butt back down the aisle between the makeshift rows of medical bunks, and planting it back on my assigned bunk before I face planted or some such.

 

“Seriously, in the thirteen years I’ve been serving in the ranks, I don’t think I’ve been hurt so much as I have since taking on the Agincourts Executive Officer post. It’s like there is some higher power at work using me as a convenient outlet to move along some sort of crazy ass science fiction plot.”

 

Marine Medical Sergeant Michael “X-Ray” Boone just smiled at me. “Oh come on Commander – you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It happens when you’re on the front lines, and that’s what the ship’s Ex Oh does.”

 

“ … so you’re saying Ex Oh’s function as a moving target constantly?”

 

We both chuckled, gentle human laughter and purred felinoid laughter intermingling on the air and offering a quick respite from the chaos about us.

 

He was trying to make me feel better. I liked Boonie, and he was decidedly less apt to freak out on me then then some of the other medics. I mean, it was like boom – as soon as I moved, they were on me! I mean come on, the reputation as a bolter is well deserved, but there is no way I can go whooshing across the base camp compound without falling down and being noticed. Yet. Maybe tomorrow.

 

For now though, I needed to sit back down while I had the chance. Or rather, lie down and heal up because I just didn’t know what would happen next on this colony world as the quakes continued, and we had some criminal activity that seemed to be more involved then first realized, if I could believe my own experiences as well as the information finding its way along the camps word of mouth grid.

 

“I know it’s not real far, but I can just carry you real quick sir.”

 

It was pride; I realized this even before the sentence spilled out of my muzzle. “You come near me X Ray and lay one finger on me, I’ll write you up. I can make it on my own.”

 

He hung his head in patient frustration, and then turned his attention on me again. “Speaking of fingers, why don’t we do the finger method sir?”

 

I couldn’t help it. My ears perked and I smiled at him. “You mean I can give you the finger?”

 

He sighed and raised an eyebrow, fixing his blue eyes on me that telegraphed that he was being very patient, but don’t push it. Rule to live by: don’t ever tick off the enlisted officers too much, it really isn’t healthy, especially when the one you are teasing is a medico and has access to the enemas.

 

“Okay, eyebrow on stun, noted – the finger method?”

 

He moved off of his makeshift seat on one of the nearby desks that had been set up an extended an index finger towards me. “Grab it, and I can lead you, just to give you some purchase; your inner ear won’t be right for another few hours at least until the meds fully kick in and complete the medicinal course.”

 

I nodded in silent agreement and clamped my left paw around his meaty finger, and I kept my right paw free for some counterbalance since my primary balancer tail still wasn’t up to snuff with the gauze and bandages around it. My slow but steady walking course took me past Lieutenant Micals bunk, where she was resting comfortably.

 

“She’s going to be alright, right Boone?” I had to get that last question out before I zonked out again. Mical is a good security officer, and I couldn’t quite shake the command guilt that was creeping up on me over her injuries.

 

Maybe if I had been quicker physically and visually sweeping the upper level of the warehouse, realized that things weren’t right sooner, and then we both wouldn’t have gotten caught in the flash fire?

 

Could have, would have, should have, didn’t – the litany that every command officer with common sense asked themselves. Or at least, what I asked myself after every sort of engagement. Maybe it lessened with time and service, but I didn’t think so. From what I could gather from Left Ear and half a dozen other command level soldiers or officers in my family, you always asked yourself those questions or some version thereof if you were in a leadership position. It just went with the territory.

 

“Aye sir. Concussion like you, her burns are first degree and healing. She’ll probably be up and about before you ...”

 

By now, I had reached my own assigned bunk, but whatever else X Ray had said to me I willingly blocked out as my head hit the pillow and I passed on again into the hurt free bliss of a needed healing sleep.