dark_ages | landing party ( for thecanarylives )

landing party ( for thecanarylives )

[ He comes to with his head pounding, his vision blurred, and a persistent ringing in his ears. It takes him a while-- a good while, maybe seconds or maybe minutes, to even regain his vision properly, and to take in his surroundings. He's in a shuttle, which is completely wrecked, panels broken and burnt, wires hanging from everywhere, sparks going off and small fires here or there. They're also tilted forward slightly, so he can feel his weight pushing against the belts keeping him strapped to his chair. He looks beyond the window and he sees a lush forest just outside, trees and blue skies as far as the eye can see. It'd be pretty if not for the fact that they've clearly crashed on the planet they were supposed to land on.

Shit. Holy shit, they crashed. How the fuck did they crash? Leonard just wanted to gather some samples from the surface, it didn't even warrant a landing party bigger than two people, how the fuck did they end up like this?

That thought gets his brain into gear. Because he's not alone. He looks over to find Sara passed out, though at least thankfully still strapped to her seat. He lets out a shuddered breath, trying not to panic as he struggles to undo his own safety belt. ]

Sara!! Come on, you piece of shi-- [ His panicked grousing is cut off as his belt comes undone, and he just barely manages to brace himself against the controls rather than slam right into them. Head still spinning, he nevertheless forces himself to stumble towards her, looking her over briefly for possible injuries before he cups her face, trying to wake her up. ] Sara. Hey, can you hear me? Come on, open your eyes...

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[ She's been pumped with a whole cocktail of things that barely keep her awake more than a few minutes after he's gone. There's a chance the dose is purposely high to keep her from moving around too much or, say, sneaking away, but if that's the case she honestly doesn't even blame the staff.

At the very least, by the time he's back, she at least looks vaguely more alive than before. She's fiddling with her communicator, checking back on old transmissions she missed while they were away.

Perking up at the sound of his voice, she grins and reaches out for the food, wiggling her fingers. ]

What'd you bring me?

[ Looks like at least the rest of the officers in medical have learned how she operates, and he's not about to criticize them using a combination of medications that happens to have the fortunate side effect of knocking her out. At least she can't go anywhere, and she's forced to get a full, decent night's sleep whether she wants to or not.

She's looking much more well-rested when he comes in, and for the record so does he. Face freshly scrubbed, that bit of stubble shaved, and no dark rim around his eyes. He sets the try in front of her: steak with mushroom sauce, rice and some french fries, and a glass of orange juice. It's still all replicator food, but it does look warmer and more appetizing than she's likely used to. ]

It's not breakfast, but I figured you'd rather have something a little better.

[ He doesn't reach for the scanner yet, but he does ask, ] How're you feeling? Does the injury still hurt a lot or is it just sore now?

[ She's been on this ship long enough for the other officers to know what a pain in the ass she is when she's being treated. Which is to say, all the time. But in her defense, she'd made due in survival mode for years stitching herself up and pushing on without long bouts of rest and recovery time, so being forced to sit still after first class technology treatment seemed like a fairly hefty waste of time to her.

At least they're giving her the good pain meds this time around.

She does light up when he sets the tray down, shifting the bed upright a bit so she can dig in. Going straight for the fries, she munches on a few and washes it down with more than half the glass of orange juice. Hadn't realized how thirsty she was. ]

You eat yet? [ She says between bites, slicing up some of the steak. It might be replicator food, but it's a hell of a lot tastier than wild alien creature roasted over a flame. At his question, she shrugs a shoulder. ]

It's not so bad. But I think your nurse upped my morphine when I called her pretty.

Leonard asks for a jar of water to be brought over to her bed, since it seems like she's thirsty. While not dehydrated, a dry mouth and throat is very common after having been on a drip for a while, so that's all too understanding.

I had breakfast, yes. [ No lunch yet, but then he hasn't been up that long. He'll worry about that later. Right now he's not feeling particularly hungry yet anyway.

He chuckles at her last remark, tilting his head. ]

Well, she is pretty. Although I have to wonder if she was tryin' to help with the pain or hoping to knock you out.

[ Sara's fairly sure not every patient that comes through sick bay gets the bedside vigilance and lunch delivery McCoy's currently offering, and she's definitely enjoying the preferential treatment. Even if he's doing a half-assed job of taking care of himself in the process.

She nudges the pile of fries towards him, slicing up another few pieces of steak. ]

Oh, definitely both. Mostly the latter, I think. [ She munches, flashing him a grin. ] I think they're starting to learn how to handle me properly.

[ He can't lie, it's definitely preferential treatment, but he's glad that at least she's not pointing it out or asking about it.

He raises an eyebrow at the offered fries, helping himself to a few without saying a word. ]

They must've learned from watching me, clearly. They're a smart team. Which means you might not be so lucky in sneaking out of medical the next times you land yourself here.

[ The night shift has noticed. Quietly. With their eyes.

She takes another bite of steak, replying with nothing but a quiet smile. What he doesn't know is that despite her small stature, she's no lightweight. And she'd told the staff that the Captain had brought her the communicator she'd been using all morning, but that wasn't exactly true, either. ]

You're probably right. Guess I've finally learned my lesson, huh?

[ Leonard huffs a chuckle at that. ]

Right. I don't believe that for a second.

[ She grins shamelessly up at him, munching on a few fries before resting back against the bed. ]

Oh, our picture’s pretty popular, by the way.

[ She passes her comm to him, the screen open to the picture she’d taken of them both hours ago. ]

Oh? Is it, now?

[ He takes the comm, letting out a quiet chuckle and shaking his head. ]

Yeah, we sure look lovely. I can hardly wait for Jim to come ask me what the hell we were doing, takin' ridiculous pictures while stranded on that planet.

[ Granted, Jim would ask him playfully, probably tease him mercilessly about it while poking his nose into his personal life, but the guy's his best friend. He'd expect no less, honestly. ]

[ They already have a few invasive comments, but she’ll answer those... never. It’s not like there’s anything suggestive about the photo, anyway. ]

You gonna tell him it was a life or death stakes game of truth or dare?

[ Yes, and Leonard's not even looking at those. Alright, he might be tempted to later, but he will just never acknowledge them or even comment about them with her. ]

Well, it is true, and I do always try to tell the truth. My ma raised no liar.

[ No they definitely never need to talk about that. But she's also not taking it down.

She laughs at his reply, taking a long sip of the jar of water a nurse had brought over. ]

You can go ahead and scan me now. I know you've been itching too since you walked in.

[ He sketches a small smile, but he's not gonna feel bad for being worried. With her permission, he reaches for the nearest scanner, doing quick work of it. She's doing much better today, so he wasn't actually expecting to find any issues. ]

You're doing alright. If you promise me to take it easy on any physical exertion over the next two days, and you come in for a quick check-up then, I'll discharge you from sickbay and you're free to go.

[ She's in a pretty good mood, thanks to the pain killers and the hefty meal, so she actually behaves herself while he does his work.

Cocking a brow at his orders, she shoots him a look. ]

Yesterday you said one day.

[ He suppresses the longest, greatest sigh of All Time. ]

Don't tell me it's that hard for you to avoid punchin' a sand bag for only two days.

[ She tries to suppress a smile. Really, she does. ]

Day and a half. Final offer.

This isn't a negotiation, Lieutenant. Two days, then you come see me again.

[ Try and be more stubborn than him when he's in Doctor Mode. He dares you. ]

[ She makes a face at him, but when he pulls the rank card, she gives him one nod in confirmation.

It'll be a day and 3/4 in her head, anyway. ]

Do I get the good pain meds, at least?

[ Well she'll be sleeping at least once during that time, so that will cut the time short, definitely. He seems pleased when she just takes the orders, even if it takes him pulling the rank card.

He's just looking out for her, is all. He honestly hopes she sees that. ]

All my pain meds are the good pain meds, I don't know what you're talking about.

[ He raises an eyebrow at her, producing two small doses of painkiller. ]

Take these only if it gets to be too much. Come to sick bay if you absolutely can't stand the pain, that'll be a sign that something's wrong. But I don't expect you'll feel more than just some mild soreness.

[ Normally, she doesn't sleep more than a few hours a night, but she's not about to admit that to him now. Sara might be a little indignant and enjoy bending the rules to her liking, but she's not stupid. ]

That's not true and you know it.

[ The really strong stuff gets kept under lock and key, but she has a freakishly high tolerance for pain as it is. She takes the painkillers from him anyway, though, shifting to swing her legs over the side of the bed.

With the healing technology they have on board, she could be back in the field by the evening. But she won't blame him for doing his job. ]

Apple a day, got it. You're the best, Doc. [ She tucks her comm link and the painkillers into her pocket, shifting to get to her feet. ]

[ It's true, with the technology on board and the treatment she's been through, chances are she could just resume her normal life right now. But he saw the damage that spear did to her, and he had his hands on that wound himself. He watched her grow paler until she passed out on him, and not even an emergency blood transfer from him was enough to wake her again.

For a moment, he honestly worried she'd die on him. So maybe he's being a little overly cautious because of that, but so long as she agrees, he's not going to go into all those details anyway. ]

You're welcome. [ He pauses, pulling up a tense smile. ] I'll take care of your discharge on the system. In the meantime I'll have a nurse bring you clean clothes so you can go on your way.

[ She's been speared before. Stabbed, shanked, taken gunshots and blasters head on. The injuries old enough not to have been treated with Starfleet technology still leave scars up and down her body that he's more than well aware of, but the fact is, Sara's just not all that afraid of dying.

Maybe it's stupid, or reckless, or a combination of both. Maybe it's a commentary on how bad her past really was. But she doesn't really think about how that effects other people. The few that she lets in close enough.

She glances up at him a moment, something curious lingering there before finally, she asks. ]

You okay?

[ Leonard looks up at the question, a little surprised, but nods. ]

Yes, I'm alright.

[ He takes the tray again, clearing his throat as he meets her eyes. This little time at the sick bay has been... nice, surprisingly, but he still remembers how their conversation ended back on the planet. It won't do either of them any good to keep doing this dance like it's ever going to lead anywhere. ]

Take care of yourself, Sara. I'll see you later.

[ He doesn't seem all that interested in talking about whatever's on his mind - if there is anything bothering him, anyway - and she's not inclined to press the issue.

She nods, offering a polite smile and glancing over at the nurse, who's putting a fresh uniform and a pair of shoes together for her. ]

See you.

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dark_ages - 2020-08-16 09:36 (UTC) - Expand

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