Tense Reunions

Posted on 21 Dec 2017 @ 6:15am by Lieutenant Colonel Cassandra Blackburn & Major Keisha Afton

1,109 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Errand of Mercy
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: ED6

ON:

Blackburn stared at the deck of the sickbay, surrounded by medical staff and still in pain. Her mind was focused elsewhere, however, as seeing Keisha Afton so suddenly had thrown her completely. Why was she still on board? Surely she'd had enough of an excuse to leave after the events of the past year. She kept her head down, more to avoid the awkwardness of the meeting more than anything else. A sudden sharp pain in her midriff snapped her mind back to the events at hand, simultaneously causing her to take a sharp inhale.

"Come along Major. Up on the table- so I can examine you properly." Her voice had more warmth than it had previously. The turmoil of the other woman was clear to view in her eyes and the body language.

Blackburn hesitated, before slowly rising up. A young nurse moved over to take the rifle she had captured on the moon form her. "Get your own." She growled aggressively, pulling it away from him. Sitting on the edge of the table she ran her hand through her dirty, matted hair before finally looking at Ashton for the first time. "Doc." She said.

"Come on Cassandra, no-one here will take your weapon. " she said softly, in that quiet way of hers that at one point inspired trust and confidence in others. "We just need it out of the way at the moment."

She paused for a moment, staring directly at the Doctor. She broke eye contact and pushed the weapon away from her on the table. She breathed quietly to herself a few times before making eye contact again. "Okay, Keisha." She said, quietly. "Sorry." She added, after a pause.

"Don't be. You've been through hell and back again" Keisha's fingers stroked away her dirty hair before she clasped her hand tightly. "What happened with this injury? How was it inflicted."

"The arm?" Blackburn asked, glancing over at the black and blue infection that had spread through her bicep. "No idea, I was in a crash, into acidic water on the nearby moon. I assume I cut it getting out of the ship." She looked at it again. "Can't feel a thing there." As for the pain in my abdomen, you tell me. It's not as bad now." Blackburn then eyed a nervous nurse hovering nearby with suspicion. "If you think you're sticking that hypospray in me, I'll really ruin your day" She hissed at him.

The nurse backed off slightly, looking at Afton for guidance on how to handle the difficult patient.

"Oh for heavens sake. Cassandra! Do you honestly think that I am going to let anyone hurt you here in my sickbay?" Her blue eyes flashed with frustration as she slapped her hand down on the table, her tattoo's showing up brightly against the white of her skin.

"I'm not the one in danger of being hurt" Blackburn muttered to herself, still eyeing the nurse cautiously. She opened her mouth to argue further but the glare from the doctor caused her to shut it. She eventually gave in and sighed. "Go on. Jab me." Pausing in reflection as the nurse administered the hypospray, the immediate anger left her. "Starfleet medical have not exactly been kind to me in the past, Afton. You know, the whole forced treatment thing."

"I know. You have good reason. " Keisha sighed as she focused her scanners, and took up a tiny excision laser.

Blackburn paused in her thoughts for a few moments. "I know I can be hard work sometimes." She muttered eventually. "What are you doing with that thing?" She asked, eyeing the laser.

Before Keisha could reply, William Bourne walked into the sickbay, his presence dominating the room like it always did. He showed little emotion as he strolled over to the bed where Blackburn was laying. "Ma'am." He said, firmly.

Blackburn rummaged around in the leg pocket of her mud spatter trousers, pulling out the sets of dog tags that she had recovered planetside. She tossed them over to Bourne, who caught them instantly, turning them onto their side to read them. "Three KIA, including our baby Lieutenant." She said, matter of factly. "Tell Cagney he's down an AWACs bird too. And write to the families." She rested her head back down onto the bed. After a few moments she glanced back at the senior marine. "What?" She asked.

"I'm writing to the families?" Bourne's question was posed as more of a statement than a question. Blackburn turned her head to look at Keisha.

"Hold still." she muttered as she was gently excising the blue infected tissue from her arm and all the movement made it impossible. Blood welled under the laser scalpel and her mouth quirked upwards at that sight. Switching on a stasis field, she applied it to the arm as she worked she expanded the field so that Cassandra didn't bleed.

Blackburn looked down at her arm without expression before looking back at Bourne, feeling the weight of his presence. "Fine. I'll write." She said to him, not without resentment. "Ow." She said deliberately, turning back to her doctor.

"Is the pain management inadequate Cassandra?" she asked softly, ignoring the other marine in the room.

"Story of my life." She replied under her breath. "It's fine, Keisha. What is it anyway?" She said louder, also ignoring the Sergeant Major.

"Is it fine?" She asked softly as she shook her head softly. "Ive never seen an infection like it, which is why I am removing it. I want to be sure its nowhere else."

"It's fine." Blackburn lied. "Just, try to leave some of my arm left?" She turned to Bourne. "What's been happening?" She asked.

"The ship was attacked by unknown vessels. They were beaten back but it took some time." He said. "The Captain wants to see you."

"I'm sure he does." Blackburn said, eyes narrowing. "I need to see someone else first." She turned back to the doctor. "Can I go, Keisha?"

"When I am done." she said softly and then pinned Bourne with a glare "Get out of my sickbay. This could have waited and I will not permit it further."

Bourne showed no emotion, engaging the Doctor's eye contact for a moment before looking at Blackburn who nodded silently. "Ma'am", he said gruffly, turning and leaving with his usual commanding posture. Blackburn started to push herself up off the bed before the doctor pushed her gently back down.

"No, and for once you're going to do as you're told" She said.

OFF

Major Keisha Afton
Chief Medical Officer
USS Redemption

Major Cassandra Blackburn
Detachment Commander
USS Redemption

 

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