Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of the characters.

Author's Notes: See Chapter 1.

Many thanks to Just a Crazy-Man, Angel Fire, Whoa, CT-451, ByaSouthernLady, xpredatorx, demon unicron, Fleet Commander, Light Destroyer, I'm Darth Vader, Starfire, Rogue Leader, Raven, and Athena for the reviews and to everyone reading this story.

Unsung Heroes

Chapter 2

Enterprise-C: Sick Bay

Captain Mathew Redmond winced as Nurse Ogawa led him to a biobed. In the midst of the firefight with the Cardassians, he hadn't even noticed the burns he'd received to his hands and arms or even the piece of console that had gone into his left shoulder.

The raven hair petite woman frowned, "I'm sorry, Captain - would you like for me to give you a sedative?" Ogawa suggested. She still had to get the shirt off of him, and she was sure it was going to be very painful for him.

Redmond glanced at his best friend a few beds over as the doctors tried to revive him. He hoped it would work, but he seriously doubted it. He flinched at the high pitched whine of the machine they were using on his friend. He sighed softly and returned his attention to the nurse that now looked really concerned because it was taking him so long to answer her question.

He shook his head gently, "I think I'll be fine if you give me a pain reliever."

Nurse Ogawa gave him a small smile and injected him with the hypo. She looked over his vest and shirt, trying to decide on the best way to remove the shirt so she could work on his shoulder. "Do you think you can help me get these off of you?" she questioned. If he'd been unconscious, she would have just cut the clothes away - but since he was conscious, she had to be courteous.

Mathew Redmond nodded and slowly slipped his right arm out of the vest and she carefully slipped it off his left arm, careful to avoid hitting the jagged, six inch metal object protruding out of his shoulder. He studied the woman before him, "Nurse Ogawa, you were on the Enterprise-D?" he questioned, trying to get his mind off of his friend.

She slowly looked at him, she could feel herself bracing for a barrage of questions that usually ensued after such an statement. The crew of the Enterprise-D had been thoroughly debriefed by Starfleet Command after they had come through the spatial rift after the Enterprise-C. Many of the crew were advising Starfleet on various projects to better prepare the Fleet, and they were scattered throughout Starfleet now. The crew had been advised of many topics to steer clear from, if they were ever questioned. She focused on unbuttoning his shirt, "Yes, why do you ask?"

Redmond had noticed her hesitation, "I just wondered why you're here when you could be training doctors and nurses at Starfleet Medical with all of your knowledge." he said.

Nurse Ogawa grinned, she could answer that question easily. "It was very disconcerting seeing a much younger version of my father there. I guess some of our crew can deal with seeing relatives and even younger versions of themselves, but I couldn't. Besides," she looked back up at him, "if I was there - I wouldn't be able to fix you up." she pointed out.

Mathew chuckled softly and immediately regretted it as pain flared through his shoulder. He winced again.

Ogawa frowned at the shirt, "Captain, I'm going to have to cut the shirt - I don't see how I can get it off otherwise."

Redmond tried to smile, "I don't have any sentimental value to it." he reassured her.

She quickly cut near the collar of the shirt out to the metal. She put the shears down and helped him slip out of the right arm, then carefully eased the material away from the wound. She went to work cleaning the blood from around the wound to sterilize the area. She glanced over his chest and noticed a few more abrasions, but they weren't that bad. She couldn't help but notice that he kept himself in good shape. Ogawa looked over her shoulder as she heard a throat cleared. She quickly introduced the two, "Captain Redmond, this is Captain Holland."

Redmond shook the woman's hand and nodded, "Thanks for answering our distress call." he thanked her.

Captain Holland nodded, "Well, we were in the area." She'd already had his credentials checked out and verified before she'd made her way down to Medical. Holland glanced at the sheet that was being draped over the other Starfleet officer that had been in the small ship with him. "I'm sorry about Commander Walters." she said softly.

He glanced over at the covered body of his friend and nodded slowly, "He was a good officer." he said softly.

"We have already gotten word from Starfleet Command that they are sending a ship to pick you up and hightail it back to Earth. If you need anything, just ask." Captain Holland directed, then moved to talk with the Chief Medical Officer.

Nurse Ogawa watched as the man's gaze remain fixed on his comrade. "I need you to lay back on the bed." she said and he quickly complied. "I'm going to deaden the area around your shoulder, then I'll get Doctor Reynolds." she explained.

Mathew Redmond nodded, though he really wasn't listening to her anymore. He was thinking of his best friend that had sacrificed his life so that the information they had could get back to Starfleet Intelligence. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath as he could feel his shoulder becoming numb.

XXXXX

Earth - Starfleet Intelligence

Captain Mathew Redmond looked up at the monitor as they went over all of the information he had brought back from Setilk III.

"According to this intel, the Cardassian base doesn't have a lot of personnel." Commander Edwards pointed out as they gathered around the schematics of the buildings.

"The Cardassian Glinn did seem a bit worried that their regular supply of torpedoes hadn't come in, that it had been diverted." Mathew added.

The other three officers in the room pondered the information and glanced at each other.

Edwards nodded, "We've got an operative that can find out why the shipment was delayed." He indicated for one of the other officers to go send out a query. He took note of the man in front of him, "What did the doctors say about your shoulder?"

"Oh, it's healing nicely. No permanent damage." Redmond replied quickly. He indicated the other disk on the table, "That is from the Federation Marines, evidently they'd been doing their own reconnaissance at night."

Edwards nodded, "We'll take a look at it, then pass it along. Thanks for getting all of this back to us. Is Commander Walters' funeral tomorrow?"

Mathew Redmond nodded.

XXXXX

The following day - Commander Jacob Walter's funeral

Mathew Redmond watched as the coffin was lowered into the ground. He stood behind Jacob's mother, Elise, and sighed softly as fellow officers came to speak to her and offer their condolences. He gazed around the funeral and noted their friends that had gone to the Academy with them and some fellow officers from Starfleet Intelligence.

He glanced up at the darkening sky and wondered briefly if it was going to rain today.

Mathew glanced at Elise Walters as she stood up.

She was a matronly woman that had a big heart. She had always indulged Jacob and Mathew in whatever they had wanted when they were growing up. Even when they had both gone through the Academy and had gone over to her house during breaks, she'd always bent over backwards for them.

He blinked and realized it was starting to drizzle. He tried to smile at his second Mom, "Would you like for me to see you home?" he offered.

Elise Walters squeezed his hand gently, "Commander Edwards has offered." She gazed at the Tellerite Admiral that stood back a bit from the service, "I think your boss wants to talk to you." she pointed out. Admiral Gral had already come over to her house yesterday and gave his condolences and had told her just how instrumental her son had been to Starfleet. She had appreciated that the man had come over to her house himself. "I'll talk to you later, dear." Elise kissed his cheek gently, then walked with Edwards to the waiting shuttle.

Mathew Redmond glanced at the Head of Starfleet Intelligence and walked over to him slowly, "Admiral." he nodded to the very old Tellerite.

Gral snorted and popped his umbrella out with the flick of a finger, he hated the rain - give him a warm mud bath any time of the day. "Come along, Captain - we have much to discuss." he indicated for Redmond to start walking to his shuttle. "How are you holding up? Do you need to take some time off because of your shoulder?" he questioned as they walked.

Redmond shook his head, "No, I don't need any time off. Did you find out why the torpedo shipment was delayed?" he asked.

Gral growled, "Our operative is looking into it - but it doesn't look good. We've been hearing of the same thing happening on many other planets occupied by the Cardassians. This is the first time we actually have confirmation of it." He glanced at the Starfleet Officer beside him. He'd known Mathew Redmond since he'd been in the Academy and had followed his career with interest. They stepped into the shuttle and Gral told the pilot to head back to Starfleet Command. He turned back to Redmond, "You feel up to going on a rather precarious mission?" he questioned the man.

Mathew Redmond smiled slowly, "Of course, Admiral."

Gral grinned that big, toothy grin that sent shivers down most people's spines and snorted, "Wonderful, but first, we must get you a ship."

XXXXX

TBC.

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