Fighting for Life

Posted on 06 Feb 2022 @ 10:16pm by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Alexion Wylde & Petty Officer 2nd Class Leon Inaros
Edited on on 15 Feb 2022 @ 7:48pm

2,817 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD 06, 1600 hrs

[ON]

Nurse Leon Inaros frowned slightly as he looked over the inventory list, his fingers moving over the PADD to add to the order. It was his first real shift in sickbay, but as a nurse he had his duties. The sickbay itself was quiet, which was a lot considering what was going on. But he had checked on appointments and knew the second half of his shift would be busier. So he needed to get what he wanted to get done started now. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it from his eyes. Since the Marine Corps had disbanded, he had gone over to Medical. Being a nurse was different from being a Medic, but at least he knew what he was doing and what the constraints of his role were.

It had not been an easy road though. Like most Marines, he had been outraged when it was first announced. But he had been given the options. Starfleet would support the transition training, so he could either go to the Academy and train as a doctor, go on a course to qualify as a nurse, or do the training to join Security. But Leon...hadn't wanted to go to the Academy. He had a decade on the people there and the idea of studying medicine in that environment had made him wake up in cold sweats. And there was no way he was going to join Security. Those were the people the Marines would fight on shoreleave.

There was always the discharge option. But Leon had been born in space. There was no way he was willing to settle down on a planet just yet.

The nurses course had taken six months, with a month studying and then five months hands-on training at Starfleet Medical. It had made sense to him. What was difficult to get used to was the choice. The equipment was vast, far more than just a bag you carried into the field. There were things that nurses were not allowed to do that he had done in the field. And learning that had been hard. But he had done it.

Galileo was his first posting though, as a nurse. And he wanted to learn and fit in. So he had let his military grooming standard go. His hair, once cut almost to his scalp, was now longer and he had realised he had started to go grey, the streaks in it giving him a sense of gravitas. And he had finally grown facial hair, a light beard he felt good with. And at least he was still enlisted. That was something. He had been a Sergeant once. Now he was a Petty Officer...but in sickbay, rank was secondary to what you did. A nurse obeyed the doctors. Regardless of rank.

Alexion strode through the doors, not stopping to see what else was going on around him. He was reading a PADD even as he made his way to a station in three long strides, muttering to himself under his breath. He finally threw the PADD casually onto the side, turning with pursed lips and an arched eyebrow, a picture of 'unimpressed'. He blinked when he finally realised there was another man there, his hands settling on his hips. "Who are you?"

Leon looked at him, a small smile coming to him. He had seen that annoyance before, in many doctors. Hell, in many officers. "Nurse Leon Inaros," he said, tilting his head slightly as he looked at him, sizing the doctor up. "Don't worry, I am meant to be here." He put his own PADD down and moved to tidy up the workstation, including the PADD he had thrown to the side, glancing at the header before putting it where it belonged.

"Nurse Leon Inaros..." he titled his head, his eyes following his movements. "I do remember something about that. Is that really now?" he sighed heavily, looking to the time on the screen with a tsk. "The humans say 'time flies when you are having fun'. It should be 'when there is too much to do'."

"Time can sometimes just be a concept," Leon said lightly, chuckling as he turned to face him. "Not surprised there is a lot to do, if the rumours are anything to go by what happens on this ship. Doctor...?"

"Wylde," he reached his hand out to him, meeting the man's eyes, sizing him up. "Doctor Alexion Wylde. I have been here for a couple of years now."

"What sort of a ship is this?" Leon asked with a small smile, taking his hand to shake. "It's my first posting on a ship, in a sickbay, so...I suppose I am a bit curious how you have found it."

"Hm..." Alexion frowned as he considered, moving to sit on the edge of the biobed. "You know that there are some people that just attract all of the trouble?"

Leon remained standing for a moment, watching him closely before he chuckled. "Yes, I know...and let me guess, this crew and ship have a magical talent for it?" he asked before he moved to sit beside him.

"You guessed correctly. I suppose that means your instinct isn't terrible," he replied wryly, shaking his head with a half smile. "What is your background?"

"Marine Corps," Leon said after a moment of just silence. "I was a Medic. When they were...ended, I got the choice between Medical, Security or civilian life. I picked Medical, it would be a shame to throw away twenty years of my life by picking security. The rank was lower, of course, because of the retraining. I used to be a Sergeant in my own right."

"Hm," Alexion said softly with surprise, just watching him for a long moment. "A career of both fighting and healing. Does it cause conflict?"

He thought about it, clearly taking the question serious. "Once someone is down and they are in my care, it is my duty to fight for them. With healing...or a weapon," he said as he met his eyes. "Civilians and my Marines were my priority, but I have patched up wounded enemy combatants once the shooting stopped. Suffering is suffering. But a clean kill is also just that."

"So you see healing as fighting," Alexion said quietly with surprise, folding his arms across himself. "Hm.." he was lost in thought for a moment. He'd never wanted to be a doctor, he'd been forced into it. He had never thought about it that way before. "I suppose healing isn't really anymore peaceful than fighting anyway," he finally shrugged, his lips pursed.

"No, it isn't," Leon said as he looked at him, studying him for a long moment. "And it is fighting. Fighting for life. Because people in service...they are not the age that they go gentle into the good night..." he smiled at the bit he had lifted from a poem, giving a small shrug before he looked ahead. "Of course, I am a nurse, so there is a lot of things I can't do in this role that I could before."

Alexion shrugged lightly, shaking his head. "Listen, when the red light is flashing and people are on their knees, you will do what is necessary," he said quietly but knowingly.

"Not sure I'd be able to stop myself," Leon said before he glanced at him. "But I am here to learn as well. I...have worked at Starfleet Medical. But a sickbay is a different beast."

Alexion nodded in agreement, frowning as he thought back. "We have general care here, obviously. Illnesses and conditions come and go with a crew over time. But we see a lot more emergency medicine here, which seems much more suited to someone of your background."

"That...it certainly is," Leon said and met his eyes, giving him a small smile. "I am looking forward to work with you, Doctor Wylde. You have to tell me what you prefer...a nurse on your left or right."

"As long as they are quick, have a steady hand and can stay focussed, I don't mind," he replied honestly, meeting his eyes. He reached out to take his hand, lifting it as if to judge. "These will not shake."

Leon met his eyes, his hand steady before he looked down, studying Alexion's hand. "No, they don't tend to," he admitted after a moment. "I have very steady hands. I have a good ability to stay still too, which I understand is useful for a nurse."

Alexion nodded, letting his own hand drop as he just watched him. His eyes narrowed slightly and his lips pursed just a touch in thought as he took him in. "Why didn't you want to become a doctor?" he asked bluntly.

"Because I didn't want to be the oldest medical student," Leon said as he gave a small shrug, watching Alexion's face. His own had a small smile on it, almost teasing, but honest in its own way, as if he was amused by the entire situation he now found himself in. And he was, really, amused by it, in his Starfleet uniform with the medical colours, the lack of a weapon within his reach unless he counted the laser-scalpel. "And the idea of sitting and studying medicine with children may or may not have made me contemplate homicide. So. Nurse it was."

"I suppose it was rather soul destroying, and I only have two to lose," Alexion replied lightly, but if he was offended by him saying that about something he'd done himself, it didn't show on his face.

"Two more than I got," Leon said with a straight face. "Marines are heart breakers and life takers, souls get signed away when you join..." and then the corners of his mouth turned up and he chuckled warmly, his eyes narrowing with mirth.

"Sacrilege," Alexion gave a gruff but soft laugh just the same. "Maybe it worked. I have seen Marines in action in my time. They are infuriating, but effective," he nodded towards him. "Should I expect a little of both?"

"I think so," Leon admitted and there was almost a look of resignation on his face. "I am too old to change too much and I have always been those things. I don't like idle time. I am also opinionated on the quiet. Before it was crushed by rank but the regular fleet is different in some ways. You might hear what I think far more than you'd like, Doctor."

"More than I like?" Alexion arched an eyebrow with surprise, shaking his head. "There is nothing I dislike more than people too scared to voice an opinion. So long as you know when to move on from it if a different order is made, it will work."

"Oh, I am used to obeying," Leon said, a small and almost cheeky smile coming to him. "I suppose...I will always be an advocate for my patient. Don't treat the illness, treat the person." It was something an old doctor had told him when he was training to be a combat medic. And he had liked that philosophy almost as much as 'do no harm', which had been a tall order for a Marine.

"Well, at least you care," Alexion shook his head with a small, half smile. It was more than he had when he had become a doctor. He reached for a tricorder before tossing it at him. "Right, scan yourself, let's see your skills at work."

He chuckled as he caught it, holding his eyes before he started to run the medical tricorder over himself. He kept an eye on the result, smiling to himself. "Healthy for a human male my age. Blood pressure is good as well. I could lay off the alcohol on shoreleave though."

Alexion leant in a little closer to take a look for himself. "Marines usually come with a decent amount of 'wear and tear'," he commented lightly. "Did they make resistant patients for you?"

"No," Leon admitted quietly, showing him. His liver was showing some wear from shoreleave, but his body was perfectly normal for a man his age. Good metabolism, nothing lacking in vitamins. Healed injuries that weren't causing him any issue. "In combat, they're so scared that they...won't resist a calm voice once they're wounded. The pain might make them act irrationally, but that's why we carry the hypos."

Alexion nodded with understanding for that. "I think I saw them the step after," he said quietly, shaking his head. "The Marines laid out during the War...most of them wanted to just get back up and go back out."

Leon nodded, frowning slightly as he remembered. "I've had Marines with their guts hanging out, still wanting to get up and fight," he admitted softly before he looked at him, a weak smile coming to him. "The War showed sides of us all we never expected to see. And all you could fall back on was your training. The...emotions came later, once it was over."

"If then," Alexion shook his head lightly, looking around with a slight frown. "Well, I'm pleased to have someone with so much combat experience in the team. We see a lot of action, I have the feeling your skills will be put to good use."

"Part of me hopes not," Leon shot back before he looked around as well. "Back to work I suppose..." he nudged him, wanting it to be friendly. Because he liked talking to the doctor but also knew wasting shift time was frowned upon.

Alexion nodded, pushing himself back onto his feet as he returned to the console. "This is a science ship, so...if there are any projects or ideas you want to pursue, they are usually open to the requests for research."

"I...am not that smart," Leon laughed as he looked at him before he moved to gather the PADDs. "Maybe I'll just treat bumps and scrapes and let you doctors do the research stuff."

Alexion was silent for a long moment, just watching him as his fingers tapped on the screen. "I don't know who told you that you aren't smart," he finally said. "But I hope they find something to fill the emptiness in them."

Leon looked at him with surprise, unable to hide it before he looked back at what he was doing. "Now, now, doctor...you planning on changing my mind that regular 'Fleet looked down on their green-collared brothers and sisters?" his voice was light, teasing, more to hide the wave of gratefulness he felt for the man.

"Maybe the ones who did that didn't see the whole picture," Alexion replied with a shake of his head, leaning on the console to watch him. "Or didn't want to."

Leon shook his head, moving to check the inventory, thinking about it for a long moment. "Marines have a reputation. Medics...as well. We're...cowboys..." he looked at him, unsure if he knew the term. "Most of it is experience and improvisation, with a dash of luck. It's not pretty and by the time the wounded were brought to a real sickbay? I don't envy the surgeons having to deal with what we did to keep them alive. I know it was never personal. We...left them at those doors and turned around, our job done until the next wave. It is the biggest adjustment being a nurse. They're mine when they come in, until they leave out those doors...one way or another."

Alexion rested his clasped hands on the top of the console as he leant against it, watching him with intent, violet-blue eyes. "I didn't care what people like you had to do to keep them alive. I just cared that you managed to do it..." he paused, shrugging lightly. "And that they were not alone."

Leon held his eyes for a long moment, watching the colour of his eyes for a long moment as he considered the words. "I think we are going to work well together," he finally said with a small smile. "And maybe we could...have lunch and you can fill me in on everything here. What I should know."

Alexion gave a slight chuckle to himself as he looked at his work, scrolling down the screen. "We can do that. It's just going to take a lot longer than lunch..."

"Dinner then," Leon said and smiled as he took his PADD. "Tonight. I am off to do the inventory again, I think someone has been mixing up the labels."

"I blame the EMH, it's a strange one..." Alexion replied easily, a small smile pulling at his lips as he worked.

[OFF]

--

CWO3 Alexion Wylde
Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

PO2 Leon Inaros
Nurse
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

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