Crumbling Stones and Sliding Sands
Chapter 10
"And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great."
Revelations 16:18
McCoy woke up suddenly, wide awake, with his heart pounding in his ears. The dream images were slipping away from him and he was having a hard time grasping the tendrils of the nightmare. All he remembered was darkness, panic and a feeling of suffocation. He breathed deeply and tried to relax his tense muscles. He looked over to the other bed. Thankfully he had not wakened Uhura. It was only 0530, but he might as well get up and shower. It would be another full day today. After dinner, last night, Scotty had commed Jim and they'd had a long conversation in spite of the noisy crackle and pop of the comm system. Scotty had brought Jim up to date on the status of the tectonic plates, and he also reported about the sad state of the Defense department. Scotty had also told Jim that building inspections had confirmed their worst fears; the existing earthquake reinforcements on most of the buildings were not adequate for a major earthquake. Jim had been silent for most of the conversation; silence from the Captain was always an indicator of his worried state of mind. Jim had asked to speak to each of the away team, more, McCoy suspected, to ease his worry about them than anything else. Jim said they were still escorting the two Klingon ships and only traveling at warp 1 or 2 since more than that caused the Klingon ships to shake themselves apart. The two Klingon ships had not reinforced their shields and the ion storm was playing havoc with both their interior and exterior systems. The constant bombardment of ions on the ships kept them discharging massive amounts of kinetic energy and the Klingon helmsmen were having a difficult time staying on course. The two Klingon ships were trying their best to stay beside Enterprise, but it was difficult, hence the low warp speed. They had ended the transmission with Jim's assurance that they'd be back as soon as possible.
McCoy had thought long and hard about the readiness status of the Sansoran doctors and after dinner, he'd sent Tomalin a message telling him he wanted all the doctors to report for their emergency protocols training modules with a complete medical kit. He'd sent a full listing of what the doctors should carry; an exact copy of everything he had in his own Med Kit from the Enterprise. He hoped the hospital had all the meds and equipment he'd requested. As the doctors and nurses worked through the training modules, he'd teach them about the uses of each drug and which piece of equipment was best to use in a triage emergency situation. Standing under the shower spray, he reviewed the contents of his Med Kit in his head: 6 hydro sprays each of Cordrazine, Maseform D, Melenex, the neural paralyzes drug, Tri Ox Compound, a spray applicator, a medical scanner or palm size reader, a dermal and osteo regenerator, a surgical laser, splints, a local anesthetic, and a medical tricorder. If the doctors were provided with full Med Kits, he felt sure they would be able to help with most medical emergencies.
After speaking with McCoy last night about the communications upgrades and the department's current status, Uhura'd decided to follow McCoy's example and ask for hand held communicators for everyone in the department. If worse came to worse and the main communications room could not be accessed, at least the department would have hand held communicators.
He stepped out of the shower, stretched his now warmed muscles and dressed. The hot water had made his back and feet feel better. He felt the floor of the house tremble as he walked into the kitchen. He sighed, his heart rate hadn't even increased, a bad sign; he'd already gotten used to the tremors. No wonder the Sansorans exhibited no great stress about the constant quakes. He heard the shower again; someone else must be up way too early this morning. Selia would be here pretty soon to cook breakfast and they'd be able to get to work earlier.
Scotty and Giotto were up early also. Breakfast was a quiet meal, each member of the team lost in their own thoughts and plans. Selia, sensing their introspection, did not speak either. This morning Matarras was not with them. He would come to the house later with Jennyphera because McCoy had told him yesterday evening that he and Uhura were comfortable walking by themselves to the two sites and interacting with the Sansorans on their own.
They picked up their gear and left Selia working in the kitchen. Scotty and Giotto were meeting with Chimera, Gafna and Governor Rual this morning to give them their final reports on Infrastructure and Defense. The news was not good. Whether the bad news would make the Sansorans move faster to upgrade the two departments more quickly was to be seen. Even with Federation credits backup, it would be a long and expensive process, and Scotty and Giotto hoped the Governor would feel the same urgency that they felt.
McCoy and Uhura spilt up at the end of the walk. "See you later, darlin'. Good luck in there today. I'm hoping we have better news for Jim this evening and I sure hope they get those Klingons to their side of the border and get back here quick."
Uhura smiled at him. "Me too, Leonard, and as for the Sansorans, I think I've gotten them to see the error of their ways. After yesterday, there isn't any doubt left in the department that we're preparing for a catastrophe."
"In Medical either, so I guess somethin' is somethin'. Hope Giotto and Scotty have luck with Rual, Gafna and Chimera."
McCoy entered the hospital building and walked up the three flights of stairs to the training room. The first rotation doctors and nurses were all ready there waiting for him. Tomalin came up to greet him smiling, his bronze skin flushed with pleasure. "Dr. McCoy! As you see, we are ready for you. We have furnished each of our doctors with the Medical Kits and contents that you requested. All is in readiness for you." He patted the soft bag hanging at his side. "You see, I have made one up for myself as well," he said. "We are eager to become proficient in all aspects of emergency medicine." His beaming face dimmed. "We agree with your assessment about the urgency of the situation."
Fast work, thought McCoy looking at all the eager faces of the medical staff. It seemed that he had somehow gotten through to them about the coming catastrophe. As if to emphasize the seriousness of the situation, the entire building gave a slow shudder and the light fixtures above them waved back and forth. Blue eyes met green ones in alarm. That had been a strong one. They all waited in silence until the movement stopped. McCoy drew in a deep breath, apprehension roiling in his gut. "Let's get started, Tomalin. I don't think we have much time."
The day crawled by with intermittent quakes shaking the hospital, until all three rotations had worked through the emergency training modules. McCoy had answered so many questions that he was hoarse as well as tired. He was also hungry, having skipped lunch to stay and answer the never ending torrent of questions from the doctors and nurses. They were fascinated with the contents of the Med Kits and the information on the training modules. Tomalin had brought him a cool drink and some fresh sweet fruit, but that didn't stay with him long. At mid day he'd commed Uhura to tell her he wouldn't be going back to the house for lunch, and she had told him she was also staying to work through the lunch and rest hour. She and Aadi were scrounging through the building searching for more hand held communicators. She told McCoy that she'd let Selia know they were skipping lunch.
After an interminable afternoon, the last of the doctors and nurses finished the modules. They stood from the computer monitors, turned to McCoy, thanked him, touched hands to their foreheads and left the room. McCoy stretched his tired back, looked around, picked up his Med Kit and said, "I think we're finished, Tomalin, and thank the good Lord for that."
"Thank you, Dr. McCoy. Words cannot express my gratitude for what you have taught us."
"You're welcome, Tomalin. I feel good 'bout what we've done here. Your people are much better prepared for what's comin.'" He looked around; it was very quiet. The third floor of the hospital was empty of staff and patients; it was only used for storage and computers and the noise from the first two floors didn't reach the third. Tomalin waited at his side patiently. They were all very patient, these Sansorans; a good quality if it didn't make you complacent, thought McCoy. Right now, he was desperate for some quiet alone time to regroup his tired brain. "You go on Tomalin. I'm gonna' repack my Med Kit, and turn off all the computer consoles, and then get on back to the house. Thanks for all your help and I'll see you tomorrow." Tomalin nodded at him, touched his hands to his forehead and left him.
McCoy sat down, repacked his Med Kit and leaned back in the chair to draw a quiet breath. It was time to head back to the house for a good dinner. He walked down the back stairs and out the front door. The Sansoran sun was already low on the horizon, casting shadows on the last of a beautiful bright day and dimming the bright colors of the flowers on the walk. The side walk lights had come on and they lit his path. All the homes on either side of the walk were starting to turn on their evening lights and he could see their soft glow in living rooms and kitchens as evening meals were being prepared. He stopped for a minute looking around, enjoying the beauty, peace and quiet. Quiet! It was way too quiet. Nothing stirred, nothing moved, it was deathly eerily quiet, as if time itself stood still. Suddenly his whole body became hyper aware and his heart rate picked up. That atavistic sense of danger honed by too many away missions gone wrong at Jim Kirk's side kicked in. He stood still and looked down. The ground under his booted feet was starting to move, not just trembling and shivering, but rolling, moving in waves, it's just like the ocean, thought McCoy dazed and unbelieving.
A deep low bass rumbling sound penetrated his panicked brain. Shit, shit, he thought as he felt the ground roll. He could hear the windows of the homes around him rattling. His body moved back and forth, trying to keep his balance. The shaking continued, increasing in intensity. The rumbling became a roar sounding as if a shuttle was bearing down on him. Dimly he could hear a loud siren, its shrill screaming rising and falling over and over. It was the earthquake siren. It had not gone off a single time during any of the quakes they had experienced since their arrival on Sansoran. So this is the big one, he thought hysterically. It's happening!
A loud crack like a gun shot sounded to the right of him, and a huge tree branch, long, thick, and dark came flying towards him. It missed him by centimeters and landed across the side walk. He looked down at it stunned. If it had hit him, he'd be dead. His doctor's time sense perfected by many years of taking a patient's pulse, told him the quake had already lasted for 15 seconds. All at once, his feet went out from under him and he fell flat on his face, sprawled over the walk. I'll just stay right here, he thought dazed. I'll stay right here until it stops. He gulped and hid his face in his arms. Dispassionately he felt his body trembling, adrenaline coursing through his body. Calm down, Leonard, he told his traitorous body, you're safer out here than inside a building. Twenty seconds, he thought, and heard loud crashes as windows crumbled and broke and glass went flying. He raised his head cautiously; he could hear a series of small pops all around him as the lights down the walk exploded and went out one by one. Thirty seconds. Clouds of dust were rising from the lawn as grass, flowers and trees were uprooted. One minute. The quaking, the horrifying undulating waves and the loud roar were lessening. He looked around. It was dark now; pitch dark, but finally the ground beneath him was still. He cautiously got up on his hands and knees and groped for his Med Kit and comm unit. They were still on him, thank the good Lord. The shrill screaming of the earthquake siren had thankfully stopped. He pushed himself slowly to his feet his eyes taking in the wreckage all around him. It looked as if a bomb had gone off. Even in the dark he could see that many of the surrounding homes and buildings had been severely damaged, and some had totally collapsed. It looks like the end of the world, McCoy thought dazedly, his Georgian Sunday School Bible reading came back to him in a rush. It looks as if the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have visited this place.
He looked down at himself. He seemed to be in one piece, all his limbs were where they were supposed to be. Suddenly he thought of Uhura, Scotty and Giotto and felt panic rise in him. He flipped open his communicator. "Uhura, come in please. Are you OK? Uhura, Uhura, answer me, dammit!" He heard the crackle of the comm as he waited for a response from her.
"Len! I'm here! Are you alright?"
"Thank God! Yes, I'm fine, Uhura. Are you OK?
"Yes, I'm fine, Len. Aadi and I are in the basement. We seem to be in a section of the building that's strongly reinforced. Thank goodness for that. Where are you?"
"I was outside, walking back to the house. I'm OK, just scared witless, that was the most horrifying' thing I've ever experienced," McCoy gulped looking down on the tree limb.
"I know. Len, it was terrifying. We need to check on Scotty and Frank. I hope they were far enough away and it wasn't as bad where they were."
"You check on them, Uhura, see if they can head back over here. Things look real bad here. Tell Scotty to let Jim know it's happened. I have a feeling we're sittin' in the epicenter of the quake. I'm gonna' head back to the hospital. It's still standin'; I can see it from here. We're gonna' need all the help we can get, a whole lot of man power. I'm gonna try to find Tomalin and see if the patients are all right and we gotta prepare for incomin'.
McCoy stopped talking, he could hear klaxons blaring; emergency vehicles probably. He knew they were heading out to find people who were trapped and injured. He hoped someone was coming this way to help. There was little he could do here alone; he was of much more use at the hospital.
"I think some help may be on the way for some of these folks, Uhura. I hear 'em. There are homes all around here, some have just collapsed and I'm sure there are some people trapped under there. I'm worried about the after shocks too."
"You go on, Len. I'll check on Scotty and Frank first, and then I'll check at the house for Matarras, Selia and Jennyphera. We'll be there as soon as we can to help you and I'll bring as many more people as I can find. Uhura out."
McCoy made his way back to the hospital. The walk would normally have taken him no more than five minutes, but with all the fallen debris and glass that littered the walk way, he had to step carefully. He walked around to the emergency room doors which appeared to be stuck and pushed and pulled on them until they gave. He looked around; the hospital's emergency room was chaotic, noisy and crowded. McCoy's could hear calls and cries from people vying for attention, the doctors, nurses and willing helpers moving among them.
McCoy stopped himself from stepping in to help. What was needed here was order and organization, and someone in charge of the whole shebang. He stopped one of the doctors he recognized from the training session by putting a hand on his arm. The Sansoran looked at him, his usual bronze coloring bleached and pale, his large grey eyes shocked and dazed. "Where is Tomalin? I'm here to help." The Sansoran pointed a shaking finger to the end of the corridor. McCoy followed the finger and saw the Chief of Medical. The tall Sansoran had blood seeping from a cut on his forehead and he was surrounded by clamoring, yelling Sansorans who had run into the hospital to take shelter.
McCoy made his way to Tomalin and tried to get his attention. It was impossible with all the noise. McCoy put two fingers to his mouth and whistled the loudest and most piercing whistle in his Southern boy arsenal. The noise stopped, shocked faces turned to him and moved aside. Tomalin looked over to him with visible relief. "Dr. McCoy, I'm relieved you are well and are here."
"Tomalin, who've you got directin' triage?"
"No one yet, Dr. McCoy. I have only now arrived. I had to make my way down from upstairs; there is much debris in the stair wells. Please, I beg of you, will you do that?"
"Yeah, of course." He glanced around the waiting room pleased to see every one had their field Med Kit hanging around their necks. "Tomalin, this is only the beginning," he said. "The injured from outside haven't even started to arrive yet. We need to make room in here. We need to get everyone who is able bodied and not injured out of the way. The doors are stuck, so let's get someone from maintenance down here to fix them immediately so ambulance personnel can get the injured in here. Let's get ourselves organized. Your people are prepared, Tomalin, they just need directions and order. How are the patients upstairs?"
"I have placed two nurses on each floor to check on them, but I called all the doctors and the rest of the nurses and orderlies to report here. We are fortunate we still have lights from our own power source."
McCoy nodded. Good, most of the man power was here. "First let me take care of your cut," he said. As he sat Tomalin down and automatically started cleaning his bleeding forehead, he was thinking furiously. He hoped off-duty medical personnel would start reporting in soon. He spent the next 15 minutes in organizational consultation with Tomalin, as he treated his bleeding forehead. Thankfully the cut was superficial and the dermal regenerator was all that was needed. As he sat under McCoy's gentle hands and McCoy gave him directives, Tomalin gave orders. He called security to clear everyone from the emergency room except for injured patients and then asked maintenance to fix the doors; he designated his most experienced nurse as triage supervisor for adults; he dispersed the surgeons to get all the operating rooms ready; he designated a nurse and another doctor as the pediatrics triage supervisors because children's injuries had to be treated differently than adult injuries. He called for rolling carts to be filled with bandages, antimicrobials, pain medication, scissors, laser scalpels, retractors, sutures, regenerators, electrolyte drinks, etc. Every one flew to follow directives and within 30 minutes, order had been restored to the emergency room. McCoy estimated that the emergency vehicles would be arriving with the injured within the next hour.
McCoy and Tomalin had just leaned back against a wall to take a moment to breathe, when the floor suddenly started to shift and buckle under them. "Dammit! It's an aftershock!" yelled McCoy. "Everyone, hold on to someone or something and grab those carts so they don't roll."