Field Hospital - An Old Friend

Posted on Tue Nov 20th, 2018 @ 7:02am by

Mission: Season 2: Episode 3: Determination is not always a good thing
Location: Cortic
469 words - 0.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Estelle's small team had joined the relief effort of the colony's Home Guard, medical division. Situated right outside the capital, Cortic, sheds and tents had been put up and somehow the seemingly disorderly collection of impermanent structures clustered around a shuttle landing pad worked as a busy field hospital.

"I want her first", Estelle told one of the nurses whose name she had yet to learn.

"But she's only got a broken arm and a few bruises", the man said. "There are other people more severely wounded."

"I know her. She's a doctor. Once that arm's fixed, she'll ease the load", Estelle insisted. "Get her in here, move." She shooed him out into the triage area to hurry him up. A competent man, but without emergency experience, Estelle figured.

She scrubbed up and threw a white coat over her uniform before entering the surgical ward, which had three beds lined up side-by-side, each with surgical staff standing by, and two other doctors already hard at work. "Hi. I'm Estelle, from the Elysium, here to assist", she greeted the room. She noticed immediately that the instruments were quite a bit out of date, by Starfleet standards, but by no means in a bad state of repair. She was pleased.

There were mumblings and stares when Estelle's chosen patient was led in. Estelle didn't feel the need to explain, it would all become clear soon enough. "Julia, how good of you to join me", she exclaimed.

"Stella!" Julia was surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm fixing your arm so you can help us", Estelle said. "Just hold still." She asked for a very small dose of a local anaesthetic and injected Julia's arm at the shoulder. "Let me set that bone..."

As Estelle went to work, Julia winced. "Ow... now I see how you came by your name."

"I can't give you any more, not if I want you able to help out in a few minutes", Estelle said. "Bear with me here."

"Are you joking?" Julia asked.

"No, I'm Joe King", the nurse said.

That was good to know, a name that was easy to remember. "Now, hold still and look pretty", Estelle teased.

"If I had known you enjoyed inflicting pain, I'd have brought it up in the bedroom", Julia complained.

Estelle chuckled as she mended the bone. "I assure you, this is strictly for medical purposes, not for your entertainment."

"Likely story", Julia said, flexing her arm now that the procedure was over.

"I'd love to get together later, catch up with you", Estelle smiled. "But right now, I need you to scrub up and handle pre-op and triage. We're short-handed."

"Very well, I'll try to provide you with some longer hands then", Julia agreed, hopped off the bed and followed Joe King outside.