News From the Medical Tent II ((Matthews/Caine))

[C.T. Caine 0]

God Almighty, that stings... Caine thought, gritting her teeth as one of the medtechs quickly disinfected and wrapped the wound she had received from the Avaros prisoner in the next tent over. The little jacktah had bitten her, sunk his teeth a good half an inch into her leg in blind panic. A frustrating wound more than an actively painful one -- God knew Caine had suffered much worse -- but certainly an inconvenience in an uncertain situation. She sat on the small cot, drumming her fingers impatiently against the mattress as she waited for the tech to finish his ministrations on her.

 

Owen entered the tent, a wrapped sandwich in one hand, the other holding one which he was happily munching. "Yo, Junior, I brought you something. You can carry it around and next time someone's hungry, offer them the sandwich instead of your leg." He couldn't resist teasing her about the little incident during their investigation.

 

Caine shot him a dirty look. "Hey, I can't help it if I'm more appealing than camp rations," she said dryly, but took the sandwich with a nod of thanks. Biting off the corner, she let herself lean back to rest against the wall. "Our guest waking up at all?"

 

Without even asking if it was OK, Owen sat down on the cot next to Caine and kept eating his sandwich. "Harvey's still out cold. The doc said it might take an hour or so until we can interrogate him again." He broke off and shot a glance at her, grinning. "We could have some fun in the meantime."

 

Caine slowly raised one pointed eyebrow at him, biting down on a grin at his eternal incorrigibility. What she, and probably most of the crew at this point, really wanted was a catnap somewhere where the ground didn't shake and buildings weren't falling on people, but that wasn't looking all that promising for any point in the near future. Thank God for Vulcan endurance. "Really...what did you have in mind?"

 

Buddha shrugged and leaned back so that he was propped up on his elbows. "Dunno, play poker?"

 

Caine laughed. "I've always preferred blackjack, myself," she said with some amusement. "Though I'm sure I could give you a run for your money."

 

"Gotta work on your pokerface, Caine. You're not as good at it as other Vulcans. You even have a nice smile, and trust me, I never thought I'd say that to a Vulcan or even half-Vulcan." Owen was surprised at his own honesty. He was good at BS-ing women but this time the compliment was real.

 

That "nice smile" at the moment, however, was more of a smirk. "Maybe I'm just lulling you into a false sense of security; I could be a card shark of the highest order," Caine said, raising the other eyebrow into an open, innocent expression. "I've certainly been around barracks rooms enough."

 

Owen grinned broadly. "Yeah, and I'm sure cards weren't the only thing you were playing, Junior. Anyway," he added quickly to change the subject. "Got any idea how we're going to get more information out of Harvey?"

 

Caine snorted and gave him a solid backhanded crack across the shoulder (taking care not to aim for his sore one) but allowed him to move the conversation onward; they unfortunately had more to concern themselves with than just banter. "He clearly knows more than he's letting on," she said. "You heard what he was mumbling about." She gave him a meaningful look -- both of them had definitely heard the word "Soltan" in the terrorist's half-coherent mutters, and both of them had to know what that could mean. "I think we need to get back to him while he's still a little woozy, see if we can catch him with his guard down."

 

"Agreed, and if he doesn't talk I might get a little more persuasive. If the Soltans are behind this, we could be in for a lot of trouble. I don't like this one bit, Caine." Owen was still leaning on his elbows, looking up and studying some stains on the ceiling, idly wondering what substance might have caused those.

 

"Neither do I," Caine said grimly, reflecting not for the first time on how thoroughly the mention of the Soltans could put a damper on conversation in certain company, including hers. "We're not the type to go gently into a situation where we don't have all the variables. And there's sure as hell something more going on here than meets the eye."

 

"True. I just hope we'll find out before the Soltans actually show up. It might get quite messy if they do while we're still here." His eyes still fixed on the stain, Owen tried hard not to think about the Gideon, Earth and everything that had gone so terribly wrong ever since the Soltans showed up in his life.

 

"You or I?" he asked after a pause.

 

Caine quirked an eyebrow and took a bite of the sandwich again. "Hmm?" she asked around the mouthful.

 

"Who's gonna tell Medusa? I'm sure she won't like the news."

 

Except for a short introduction after the recent marine brawl, Caine hadn't had much occasion to speak to Agincourt's Marine CO; she didn't know enough to judge the exact veracity of Owen's statement. However, it was pretty much general understanding that bringing the bad news to the higher-ups was never a particularly fun experience. "I don't suppose we could wrestle for the privilege?" she asked dryly, knowing perfectly well that the report on the investigation was her responsibility. "Me with a gimp leg, you might actually beat me."

 

"What do you mean 'actually beat you'? I'd beat you with my hands tied behind my back even if your leg hadn't been turned into a steak, Caine." Owen grinned again, thinking that a sparring fight with Caine might actually be fun.

 

Caine laughed. "One of these days we'll have to test that, but I suppose now isn't the appropriate time. I'll contact the CO and you can owe me one."

 

"Alright, alright," Owen laughed, sitting up. "Just let me know if you need backup."

 

"I am sure you will be the first one I call," Caine said cheerfully. The medtech had finished his work and she pushed herself off the cot, testing the healed muscle and finding it to feel sound.

 

Owen jumped to his feet as Caine got up. "And now let's see how Harvey's doing. You coming?"

 

"Wouldn't miss it," Caine said, and fell into step with him as they left the tent.

[Kansas 0]

"Who's gonna tell Medusa? I'm sure she won't like the news."

 

Except for a short introduction after the recent marine brawl, Caine hadn't had much occasion to speak to Agincourt's Marine CO; she didn't know enough to judge the exact veracity of Owen's statement. However, it was pretty much general understanding that bringing the bad news to the higher-ups was never a particularly fun experience. "I don't suppose we could wrestle for the privilege?"

 

I don't understand this whole Fear of Colonel Harper thing. 'Dusa's a total pussycat!

 

(Nice Log, Junior and Buddha)

[C.T. Caine 0]

I don't understand this whole Fear of Colonel Harper thing. 'Dusa's a total pussycat!

 

Mmmm...yes, and we all know what pushovers cats are, right? :(

[Col. C.E. Harper 0]

I don't understand this whole Fear of Colonel Harper thing. 'Dusa's a total pussycat!

 

(Nice Log, Junior and Buddha)

 

 

Pussycat. Right.

 

 

Pussycat.