The Treatment Begins

[John Randall 0]

OFFICIAL LOG

LIEUTENANT JOHN RANDALL

USS CHALLENGER

 

(Personal Log Stardate 11603.08)

 

The Challenger ran on full impulse power toward Starbase 179, the Einstein cruising along beside her. A little while later, however, the long range sensors indicated four starships zeroing in on their coordinates. The Challenger came to a halt, and communications were exchanged between the ships. The four starships then connected tractor beams to the Challenger, and were able to tow her at warp speed to the starbase.

 

The Challenger eased itself into the docking bay, and the starbase repair teams wasted no time reporting for duty. Work began on the crippled ship, and Captain Ja'Lale informed the crew they would be able to take shore leave while the ship was being repaired.

 

In the sickbay of the Challenger, preparations were made to beam the body of Lieutenant Randall to the starbase hospital. The medical team then gently placed John on a medical anti-grav cart, and took it over to the medical transporter. Just before the beamout, Commander Erica Rinax, the executive officer of the Challenger, burst through the sickbay door. She quickly spotted the CMO, and strode over to him.

 

"Doctor, I have been cleared by the captain to accompany the lieutenant to the starbase hospital," she said. The CMO nodded. "You may beam over after we send the body," he replied, and Rinax nodded. Coordinates were exchanged, and the anti-grav cart containing Randall's body shimmered out of existence, Rinax following a few seconds later.

 

The cart materialized in the transporter room of the starbase hospital, and the medical team present quickly descended the dais with it. They went out the door of the room just as Rinax materialized on the pad. She was hurriedly out the door, joining the med team as they took John's body down the corridor.

 

They went into the designated room for John, and the med team quickly began assembling their instruments, devices, and probes they would be using. Another doctor came into the room, and began issuing orders. Rinax stood by for a moment, then the doctor spotted her. "And who are you?" he asked. "I'm Commander Erica Rinax, first officer of the Challenger," she replied, and the doctor nodded.

 

"What is your business here, Commander?" he asked, and Rinax replied, "I wish to receive hourly updates on the condition of our chief engineer." The doctor rolled his eyes and said, "We will provide updates when we get them, Commander. You could help me more by telling me what happened to this officer." "I'm afraid that's classified, doctor," she said, and the doctor gave her an exasperated look.

 

"For pete's sake, Commander, I don't have time for this bureaucratic nonsense!" he snapped at her. "All I need to know is very generally what happened to him. No more than what I would get from a press release. Now help your engineer out!" Rinax regarded him a moment, then gave the barest details of what had happened to John.

 

The doctor nodded when she finished. "Thank you, Commander," he said. "That gives me a better idea of what we're up against here. Now, if you wish to see him, you have five minutes before we clear the room." He then abruptly left her and went over to his medical team.

 

Rinax walked over to the long, clear tube that housed Randall's body. He was clothed only in a white sheet, and there were bandages over the entire left side of his body. She looked at him a moment, then glanced around the room, but the medical personnel were on the other side of the room, giving her privacy. She bent down close over the tube.

 

"Lieutenant," she began in a whisper, then angrily shook her head. "John," she began again, "if you can hear me, get well quickly. The whole ship is pulling for you, so don't let us down. We need you back." She straightened, and angrily brushed tears from her eyes. She looked at him a moment longer, then the doctor announced that all non-medical personnel should leave the room. She turned and left.

 

The doctor stared after her a moment, then turned back to his team, and they began to work on Randall. A half hour later, however, an alarm sounded, and John's vital signs dropped. The team worked feverishly to boost his vitals, and after a tense fifteen minutes, John's vitals returned to the levels they had been at. The team glanced at one another, sighed in relief, and continued their work.

 

END LOG