Post by Jesse on May 19, 2007 2:00:23 GMT -5
(Yeah, it's weird. I knew it would be weird when I started writing it. Hopefully it'll make sense later on.)
Steady beeps from a heart monitor where the only sound in the room. Three men sitting in chairs against one wall remained silent, not looking at each other and not looking at the bed pushed up against the wall opposite them.
Lying on the bed, motionless and pale enough to match the sheets, was a girl. She was so still and quiet, chest barely rising with each breath, that she could have been mistaken for dead if not for the heart monitor. Sand blonde hair fanned out on the pillow and her face was a blank mask, just like it had been so often over the past few months.
A door slid open with a soft whoosh and a man in a lab coat entered, breaking the silence of the room by clearing his throat. One of the men stood so fast his chair bounced off of the wall and hit him in the back of the legs, he ignored it. “Anything Doc?”
“I’m sorry, no.” The man shook his head sadly, “The last shock sent her into a coma, you know that, but it’s not the usual sort. We could have woken her up from that, this is…different.” He paused and ran a hand through his short brown hair, it was sticking up at odd angles as though he did the same thing often. “I’m not sure how to explain, it’s like her body’s just had to many shocks over the past year and it’s made the affects permanent.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense.” Another of the men stood and began pacing the room, careful to avoid the bed. It was so small that he barely got four strides in before having to turn again. “We have people who’ve been here for years and been shocked so many times that you’d think they’d be dead but they’re all okay. Why her? She shouldn’t be any different from us.”
“I don’t know.” The doctor sighed and pulled one of the chairs away from the wall before sitting. “It may be because she’s so young and has been shocked so often in such a short time. I don’t know what to do for her now. We could put her in stasis and try to find a cure but who knows how long that could take, she might wake up to find that everyone she knows is long dead. She might die before then if this has affected her as deeply as it appears.”
“No good news? The first man asked in a tone of voice that said he knew there would be none but would ask anyway.
“I’m afraid not Captain.” The doctor replied, resting his chin in his hand and hunching over. “I’ve been working for three straight days but there isn’t anything I can do.”
“You look it.” The Captain said, studying the other man in the bright lights of the infirmary. The doctor had shadows under his eyes, his hair looked as though it hadn’t been brushed in days, and his whole body was slumped over. He looked ready to fall asleep in the uncomfortable plastic chair he was sitting in. “Get some sleep, Daniel, you aren’t going to help her this way.”
“And you are?” Daniel demanded, looking up. “Sitting here depriving yourself of sleep isn’t helping her at all, just hurting all three of you.”
“We’re her team Doc, we can’t just leave her here alone. She would do the same for any of us.” The man who was pacing stopped and glared at Daniel.
“I know, Jason, but you’re also my patients, you’re all injured from the last mission and you’re only making it worse by not resting. Go to bed before I hospitalize all of you.” Jason glared but Daniel met his gaze calmly. “Don’t argue with me or I won’t let you back in to see her. Mark talk some sense into these idiots for me, I don’t have the patience to deal with them.” He addressed the third man before leaving the small room.
“Do as he says.” Was all Mark said before he left as well, pausing briefly by the bed to squeeze the girl’s hand.
“Damn scientists, always think they know best.” Jason snapped.
“I’m your commander and I’m ordering you to do as the doctor said, Lieutenant.” The Captain ordered, “I don’t want you back here until tomorrow morning, understand? And if you argue you’ll be running newbie training for a week and not allowed back in here.”
“You wouldn’t carry through on that threat and we both know it.” Even as he protested Jason was leaving, not willing to try his commander’s patience.
Left alone in the room the Captain moved toward the small infirmary bed and took the girl’s pale hand carefully, as though afraid he might break it. “This sucks.” He muttered after a moment. “That was a stupid newbie mistake by all of us. But then again you are pretty much a newbie still, a year here doesn’t make you one of the best, I should’ve remembered that before sending you in. You’re just a kid, Kat, and now you’re dying ‘cause I was stupid. I knew I should’ve said no when they asked if they could put you on my team, would’ve made the whole year alot less confusing.” He paused for a moment, “I’ve got a bad feeling that this is goodbye, and I think the Doc does to. It’s been fun.” As soon as the last word left his lips he dropped Kat’s hand and left the room hurriedly, not looking back even though he knew somewhere deep down that that had been the last time he would see her alive.
(The end. And they all lived happily ever after.)
Steady beeps from a heart monitor where the only sound in the room. Three men sitting in chairs against one wall remained silent, not looking at each other and not looking at the bed pushed up against the wall opposite them.
Lying on the bed, motionless and pale enough to match the sheets, was a girl. She was so still and quiet, chest barely rising with each breath, that she could have been mistaken for dead if not for the heart monitor. Sand blonde hair fanned out on the pillow and her face was a blank mask, just like it had been so often over the past few months.
A door slid open with a soft whoosh and a man in a lab coat entered, breaking the silence of the room by clearing his throat. One of the men stood so fast his chair bounced off of the wall and hit him in the back of the legs, he ignored it. “Anything Doc?”
“I’m sorry, no.” The man shook his head sadly, “The last shock sent her into a coma, you know that, but it’s not the usual sort. We could have woken her up from that, this is…different.” He paused and ran a hand through his short brown hair, it was sticking up at odd angles as though he did the same thing often. “I’m not sure how to explain, it’s like her body’s just had to many shocks over the past year and it’s made the affects permanent.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense.” Another of the men stood and began pacing the room, careful to avoid the bed. It was so small that he barely got four strides in before having to turn again. “We have people who’ve been here for years and been shocked so many times that you’d think they’d be dead but they’re all okay. Why her? She shouldn’t be any different from us.”
“I don’t know.” The doctor sighed and pulled one of the chairs away from the wall before sitting. “It may be because she’s so young and has been shocked so often in such a short time. I don’t know what to do for her now. We could put her in stasis and try to find a cure but who knows how long that could take, she might wake up to find that everyone she knows is long dead. She might die before then if this has affected her as deeply as it appears.”
“No good news? The first man asked in a tone of voice that said he knew there would be none but would ask anyway.
“I’m afraid not Captain.” The doctor replied, resting his chin in his hand and hunching over. “I’ve been working for three straight days but there isn’t anything I can do.”
“You look it.” The Captain said, studying the other man in the bright lights of the infirmary. The doctor had shadows under his eyes, his hair looked as though it hadn’t been brushed in days, and his whole body was slumped over. He looked ready to fall asleep in the uncomfortable plastic chair he was sitting in. “Get some sleep, Daniel, you aren’t going to help her this way.”
“And you are?” Daniel demanded, looking up. “Sitting here depriving yourself of sleep isn’t helping her at all, just hurting all three of you.”
“We’re her team Doc, we can’t just leave her here alone. She would do the same for any of us.” The man who was pacing stopped and glared at Daniel.
“I know, Jason, but you’re also my patients, you’re all injured from the last mission and you’re only making it worse by not resting. Go to bed before I hospitalize all of you.” Jason glared but Daniel met his gaze calmly. “Don’t argue with me or I won’t let you back in to see her. Mark talk some sense into these idiots for me, I don’t have the patience to deal with them.” He addressed the third man before leaving the small room.
“Do as he says.” Was all Mark said before he left as well, pausing briefly by the bed to squeeze the girl’s hand.
“Damn scientists, always think they know best.” Jason snapped.
“I’m your commander and I’m ordering you to do as the doctor said, Lieutenant.” The Captain ordered, “I don’t want you back here until tomorrow morning, understand? And if you argue you’ll be running newbie training for a week and not allowed back in here.”
“You wouldn’t carry through on that threat and we both know it.” Even as he protested Jason was leaving, not willing to try his commander’s patience.
Left alone in the room the Captain moved toward the small infirmary bed and took the girl’s pale hand carefully, as though afraid he might break it. “This sucks.” He muttered after a moment. “That was a stupid newbie mistake by all of us. But then again you are pretty much a newbie still, a year here doesn’t make you one of the best, I should’ve remembered that before sending you in. You’re just a kid, Kat, and now you’re dying ‘cause I was stupid. I knew I should’ve said no when they asked if they could put you on my team, would’ve made the whole year alot less confusing.” He paused for a moment, “I’ve got a bad feeling that this is goodbye, and I think the Doc does to. It’s been fun.” As soon as the last word left his lips he dropped Kat’s hand and left the room hurriedly, not looking back even though he knew somewhere deep down that that had been the last time he would see her alive.
(The end. And they all lived happily ever after.)
