Tis but a scratch

Posted on Fri Oct 6th, 2023 @ 1:48am by Cadet Senior Grade Toareth Darqa & Cadet Senior Grade René Rouen

1,620 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: **ARCHIVED** 1 - Cruising through the galaxy
Location: Academy infirmary
Timeline: 1 Day Before Boarding the Stardancer

René entered the infirmary in the garb he kept for holosuite excursions to 17th century France. He held his folded cloak close to his side and only winced slightly as he looked about the deserted reception area. He wondered for a moment if he should just leave and head into San Francisco and go to one of the hospitals there. He was about to do just that when a young woman came out of one of the treatment rooms.

"And let that be a lesson to you," Toareth said to the patient still in the room, "shock batons are not meant for...well that." She pressed on further into the infirmary seeing another patient. He appeared as though he stepped straight out of a medieval holonovel. 'With safety protocols turned off I take it,' she thought.

"Let me guess," she said as she strolled up to him, "sword laceration, arrow puncture? Black Plague?" She stopped before him, eyeing him over and looking for his injury.

René gave Toareth a curious once over glance. His initial thought was quite the beautiful young woman. It was a heartbeat before he placed more emphasis on the young over the beautiful as he guessed (incorrectly) that this woman was younger or certainly no older than his sister. Probably a Hospital Corpsman straight out of A School, he thought. He kept the cloak on the wound. "Sword wound. Not too deep. I slipped on a wet piece of cobblestone and was in the process of terminating the holosuite program when Rouchfort struck while I was down." He glanced passed her for a moment to see if someone else would emerge from the treatment room before returning his gaze to her. "No offense but, erm, I think it is serious enough to warrant a doctor looking at and not just a corpsman."

And someone did emerge from the treatment room. It was Toareth's previous patient. He looked awkwardly at them both before making his exit.

"I am all that you have at the moment," she said. "Everyone else is out putting out the proverbial fire." And she motioned about the empty room. "Besides, I may not look it, but I do have plenty of experience and way above...sword wound...did you say? Not too deep? Sounds but a flesh wound. Nothing a dermal regenerator cannot handle." Toareth held out an arm motioning him toward the nearest bed. "If you will allow, I will show you my skills."

René shrugged with a bit of a wince. It was what it was he gathered. He took a deep breath and let it out as he slowly pulled back the cloak. Blood began seeping from the wound, fortunately most landed on his cloak. "I don't guess I have much choice. Hopefully you're skills are up to the task." He was still apprehensive allowing a girl of 16 or 17 years old treat hum. He hoped she wasn’t the squeamish type that fainted at the sight of blood stemming from a wound.

Toareth guided him over to the bed where she aided him in sitting then lying back. She proceeded to help him roll onto his side for a better look at the wound. "Considering that I have had to stuff someone's intestines back into their abdomen a time or two," she stood straight and went to the equipment cabinet, "I think this will compare to little more than a scratch." She returned donning scrubbed gloves and had towels and a couple of medical equipment.

After sopping up the freshly seeped blood, she ran a medical wand over the wound. Looking at the adjoining tricorder, "No foreign debris appears to be present." She looked at the shape of the wound as well as the clean slice. "What manner of sword were you struck with?"

René bit his bottom lip to fight the urge to yelp in pain. His voice came out a little strained. "Uh, French rapier circa early 1600s Era Old Earth Calander." He took a deep breath. "I am supposed to have a date tomorrow. This won't interfere with that will it?"

Toareth nearly scoffed at his overacting. None of this was supposed to hurt. Then again, Toareth was not exactly being gentle. "Don't worry, your date will be able to recognize you." Toar shook her head minutely as she put the tricorder away and brought up the dermal regenerator. 'Dating,' she thought. It was not something she had much time for. That was something for the younger generation; something for those who did not live for centuries on end. "At least you can tell your date you were cut open with a French rapier, circa...whatever it was you said." She waved the regenerator over the wound and watched as it slowly and visibly started to close up.

René breathed a sigh of relief as the wound closed. Perhaps he had been too quick to judge the young woman. He rose from the BioBed and gave a slight torso twist. He gave Toar a grateful smile. "You did a great job Corpsman. I shall be ever in your debt." He extended his right hand towards her. "Cadet Senior Grade René Rouen at your service. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Cadet Senior Grade Toareth Darqa," she said. It took a second but she did take his hand and shook it. "If you are in my debt, you can make sure you don't get that," she pointed to where his wound used to be, "again. And, if you do, I will not be here to fix you up. I am about to be the Cadet CMO aboard the Stardancer." She started putting away her devices. "And a long way from here."

René was surprised to find out the young woman before him was a fourth year Cadet. He was curious about the name. "Well no worries there then. I'm slated for a billet on the USS Stardancer myself." He paused for a moment.

Toareth gave a slight 'Oh really' styled expression.

"You must be an extraordinarily bright young woman to have entered the Academy at a young age."

"Age is but a number and is always relative. Truth be told, I am a bit older than I appear." She stepped back a step or two. "And you, early twenties human I gather. You seem to enjoy history. You must be the Science type."

Rene appeared a bit curious for a moment. He assumed Toar was Human when he first saw her. There were a number of species throughout the Federation that appeared identical to humans. "I am 21 years old. Born in Paris, France. I do enjoy learning history, but I am a Tactical/Security track officer working on my Bachelors in Defense and Strategic Studies." His curiosity seemed to intensify. "Pardon me for asking, but are you not human?"

"I pass for one all the time." She shrugged. "It keeps the questions to a minimum." She paused a quick second. "El-Aurian. I am El-Aurian. You may have heard of us; a race of listeners."

René nodded his head slowly. He knew a little about the El-Aurians from his studies in comparative species relations. "Humanoid species gifted with longevity and remarkable intuitiveness that some would say borders on precognition."

"Empathic, is the simpler term. We can feel pain, strong emotions at times. With a bit of focus, I can even tell who is nearby." She was at least thankful he was not emoting any form of sorrow regarding the loss of her home planet. "And you do appear the type for Tactical," Toar continued. "Security, on the other hand, well I am sure looks can be deceiving. I am confident you can hold your own in a fight. I am something of a martial artist myself, though not a master."

René chuckled slightly. "The thing about studying unarmed combat techniques, you always run the chance of encountering someone who knows more."

"When we are aboard the Stardancer and settled in, remind me to show you the Verelan Gek'Ha Gen. It's a Romulan martial art; taught to me by the Qowat Milat. I am not master by any stretch but the Qowat Milat thought I did good."

He was thankful for Toareth treating his wound. "I know that medical personnel have to pull long duty shifts. Could I go get you something to eat as a thank you?" He paused in thought for a moment. "Or if you are getting off soon...maybe take you dinner...just as a thank you of course."

Toar hoped to avoid but understood she also needed to make nice with the security types. Especially if some of her researches that she kept very private were to ever come to the knowledge of others. "Sure. Dinner. And my shift actually ends when the next medical cadet walks through that door," she pointed toward the door as it opened. Sure enough, a cadet in medical garb stepped through. "See? Empathy."

René smiled as he gave a nod of his head. He was about to suggest a French restaurant in San Francisco he liked when his PADD alerted him to an incoming message. He pulled out his PADD and looked at the message with a slight sigh. He raised his eyes. "Seems that the Tactical and Security personnel have had a bump in their orders. I have to report to the Stardancer in an hour. Rain check on dinner?"

Toareth was not one for rainchecks, though the last time this had happened was long, long ago. She also understood the nature of orders. She managed a nod. "I suppose I should check my messages as well."

 

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