"No matter when we are, time presses on"

Posted on Tue Jun 2nd, 2020 @ 11:10am by Lieutenant Tate Sullivan Ph.D.

Mission: Season 3: Episode 4: Cause and Effect
Location: Main infirmary, USS Elysium
644 words - 1.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Tate Sullivan moved through the main infirmary offering small smiles of encouragement to those she passed, patients and staff alike. Those who knew her well might notice the smile didn't quite reach her eyes, the only sign she would allow herself to even hint she was anything but hopeful. It was definitely a clear sign of the stress she and the rest of the staff had experienced since they had passed through the Void and somehow managed to end up in the past, the 17th century to be exact. This was not the first time the ship had been in this kind of shape, but it was the first time Tate could remember in a long time they were facing such circumstances while being trapped in time. Her stomach clenched and she forced herself to exhale slowly even as she resisted slowing her pace. It wouldn't do her or anyone any good to stress about whether they would find a way back to their own time.

Of course, it could've just as easily been the 13th century or the 25th for all that it mattered in the infirmary at the moment. Although Tate knew she didn't have the luxury of ignoring that reality forever, she would never cease to marvel at the persistence and dedication of the medical staff Who managed to tune out all other distractions except for the very personal fight to maintain life, one person at a time. For all of them, it was that simple. The ship could, and was currently, not in the best shape, but to a doctor or a nurse, or even a medical technician, it was treated as a mere obstacle to be overcome, not even cursed or lamented.

Fortunately, triage was beginning to get under control. Injured people were still coming in and there was no time for celebration, but Sullivan had assisted in the infirmary during emergencies enough to know what distinguished the carefully coordinated chaos that was a medical team in rhythm with one another and what represented the true deluge of a team still needing to find its rhythm. Sullivan knew how to recognize that moments and also knew when it was time to go to work, not just sorting patients and mending all manner of physical wounds, but tending to morale amongst patients and staff.

Tate was dismayed to see Lunara, Heather and S'hib among the wounded. It was unsettling to learn one of her colleagues had suffered serious injuries. Equally unsettling was that Heather and S'hib had been injured after all they have been through, although she knew logically no one was immune. She promised herself she would see to them just as soon as things were a bit more under control, and she turned her attention back to her current mission, namely bringing much-needed chamomile tea to a young nurse who was clearly feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"Here we ar--" Tate offered, midway between handing her the mug completely. lSullivan's grip was still on the handle when she was cut off midsentence by a familiar sound, but not a common place one - the sound of someone flatlining. It was a sound that seemed to last forever, but probably only lasted a few seconds before it was mercifully silenced. To their credit, the medical staff pressed on with what they were doing. An outsider would perhaps think they were indifferent to what had just happened, but anyone who had been A member of the crew for any length of time or even a member of the medical profession would note the bowed heads, clenched jaws, and pained expressions fighting between being shared and being suppressed.

It wasn't until a strangled sob escaped the young nurse's lips that Tate realized the hand holding the handle of the mug was shaking.

***

Lieutenant Tate Sullivan, Ph.D.
Assistant Chief Counselor
USS Elysium