Please read and review. Klingon was found at . If it is wrong please tell me.

Ch 11 SAVING A LIFE

KHITOMER COLONY

As soon as her feet hit the ground from transporting onto the Khitomer colony Kate assess the situation. The medical technicians scramble in different direction and the scene is chaos. She doesn't see McCoy anywhere. Khitomer is as bad as Sernpidal or Dubrillion ever was except these aren't refugees looking for a safe home from an invading army. These are people that have lost their homes due to a terrorist attack. Black smoke fills the sky emanating from the remains of smoldering homes, businesses, and government buildings. Huge pock marks litter the Earth where cannons had reined unspeakable horror from the sky. The craters remind Kate of battle trenches or fox holes to protect troops in battle; however, on closer inspection she sees they are makeshift graves filled with the innocent bodies of women and children caught trying to seek shelter during the bombing. The air holds the scent of death and destruction. It is an acrid smell from burning electrical devices mixed with that smoky campfire scent of burning wood. Screams from the injured pierce the air mixed with shouts in Klingon and standard from rescue workers trying to administer aid to the injured and dying. Kate adjusts her backpack with the woefully inadequate bacta patches she held on to from the Jedi shuttle. It is not enough to treat even 1 % of the population but any life she saves is precious. That is why she came down. The Force spoke to her of unimaginable suffering and she couldn't ignore it. Kate knows that in war it is all up to fate and luck whether you live or die, and today is no different. Kate holds in her hands someone's life. She spies a group of Klingon women and children to her right and runs as fast she can towards them. No one pays attention to her wearing the blue shirt of Star Fleet medical personnel as she crosses what remains of the settlements town plaza. She slides to her knees to slow down because she was running to fast to stop before crashing into them. She stirs up dust and coughs it from her lungs. Kate opens the backpack as a Klingon mother looks down at her.

"nuqneH" she says as Kate looks over her injured son. Kate has minimal skills in speaking Klingon but has made lists on phrases that will serve a real purse instead of things like 'I like chicken,' or 'I see a blue ball." She translates as fast as she can realizing the woman has said 'what do you want?' Kate stares at the Klingon mother's son seeing he has a ragged wound on his shoulder and is losing a lot of blood.

"Qel Nis!" Kate says which translates to 'I need a doctor' as she rapidly points to first the bacta pouch in her hand and then the child. The translation was close enough because the mother gets enough of the meaning to nod consent. Kate opens a bacta patch and presses it into his shoulder causing the child to growl in pain. "Maj," Kate says meaning good. She doesn't know any comforting words in Klingon and isn't sure they actually have any. She hopes that the soothing tone made her response sound sincere and not malicious. The bacta begins to work and less blood is begin to seep from the wound as the bacteria begin to clot his veins. Kate looks to the mother and with a shaking of her head and a pulling up motion near the bacta patch and says "ghobe'" meaning 'no'.

"HISlah," the mother says taking her son's hand and kneeling to his side. Kate translates it as 'yes 'and knows the mother understands.

Kate looks for the next patient and sees a two year old child whaling with a leg wound to their upper thigh from a piece of shrapnel. It sticks out two inches from the wound. It needs to be removed but that is a job for a doctor not Kate. With all the injured around crying for attention, Kate decides that some Bacta is better than no Bacta. She does not have enough to treat everyone. She decides to halve, third, and quarter the patches to make them go around as far as she can. If the Force is with them the Bacta will help them to hold out until real medical help arrives. She grabs the bacta dressing pad and rips off a quarter of it using her mouth. Bacta squishes between her teeth and a drop hangs from her lip. She wipes her mouth and places the drop on the pad pressing it to the leg wound. Every little bit helps. "Yuck," she says swallowing the slimy substance which has always reminded her of snot. She runs her tongue across her teeth to get rid of the parts she can't swallow or spit out. Kate spends the next 30 minutes trying to administer aid to anyone she is able to. Some injured are too far gone and she must make decisions on whom to give Bacta to or not. She tries not to think about those she passes by. When it is possible she points to any blue shirt she sees indicating to the Klingon's where real help can be found. She can't make eye contact with them for long for fear she will lose her focus and realize the actual hell hole she is in. She remembers Dubrillion and Leia showing her how to triage the injured which is what she draws strength from now. Leia would be so proud of the way she is trying to help those that need it.

Suddenly Kate is ripped from her feet by her collar and is being dragged to another injured child. She kicks her feet causing dust eddies to swirl in her wake not knowing where she is headed. Kate finally is unceremoniously dropped by a Klingon woman in front of a teenager about her age with a bleeding stomach wound. "HIghos," the new mother demands knowing that Kate is not fluent in Klingon but appears to understand some.

At first Kate is scared to death but quickly regains her senses and closes her eyes to try and translate. "Come here," Kate translates and then opens her eyes looking at the girl. These wounds are so far above the basic patch and go skills she learned over the years. The girl is lying staring at her gasping for air with blood trickling from her mouth. No bacta patch will stop this even if she were back home with all the Bacta she could get her hands on. Some injuries are not able to be fixed unless you were a doctor and Kate knows she isn't a doctor. Kate shakes her head and tries to stand up but the distraught mother has seen her treating others. "HISlah" she says pushing Kate back down. Tears start to well up in Kate's eyes knowing she can't do anything to fix this but suddenly she see Bones from across the plaza giving orders to scurrying Star Fleet medics.

Kate stands and begins to point frantically at Bones yelling "HIQaH! QaH! Qel Nis," to a nearby group of Klingon soldiers. Kate assumes they are family of the last few children she has treated. When the man doesn't react to Kate's words, a Klingon woman barks something at him that is too fast for her to understand. The Klingon warrior stares at Kate who tries again now that she actually has an adult's attention. "HIQaH! QaH! Qel Nis. "HIQaH! QaH! Qel Nis." Kate screams pointing at Bones which she hopes is correct for 'help I need a doctor." The Klingon locks eyes with Kate as if he knows her and briskly begins to close in on Bones. "HIQaH! QaH! HIghos," Kate says softly to the girl hoping 'help come here' will let the girl know things are going to be ok. Kate knows Bones can fix this. In her soul she knows he can fix anything. Kate pulls out her Bacta patch and instead of placing it on the wound begins to wring the Bacta from the pad buying time for Bones to arrive. Who is she to decide who lives or dies? She is not a doctor. The liquid Bacta fills her gaping wound by sliding into the torn flesh and mixing with the blood pooling in the wound. "HIQaH! QaH! HIghos," she repeats and the teenager Klingon girl nods to her in understanding.

She hears the now familiar high pitch whistle of the tricorder scanning the wound followed by the deep sonar type ping as the machine makes sense of its readings. "Shock, broken ribs 20-23, internal injury to the 3rd stomach and small intestine, and one lung puncture." Bones says calmly from the tricorder readings and his general knowledge of Klingon anatomy. "Administer 30 cc's of cordrazine and move her to med tent 3 for surgery." He then takes a long look at the wound and something is not right. "What is this?" Bones says to the medical technician to his right looking at the green-blue smears of bacta that has not completely been mixed with blood.

"Bacta. I didn't know what to do here." The medical technician says as Bones turns his head to look at her.

"Kate". He growls with a piercing stare. "What the hell are you doing here?" He quickly taps the comm unit on his chest. "Requesting immediate evac to med tent 3," he commands making sure he deals with the patient before the Captain's wayward daughter.

"Hegh'bat Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvan" the mother says to Bones who stares stunned at her as she blocks the hover gurney from getting near her daughter.

"Ghobe' hegh'bat. Ghobe' Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvan Qel Nis" Kate yells back with a hostile voice pointing frantically at Bones. After a moment's hesitation the mother allows her daughter to travel with the Star Fleet medical team.

McCoy is stunned with Kate's courage and realizes she can help. "Come with me." McCoy says pulling Kate by the arm to a medical tent following his new patient. As they enter the med tent Kate sees the warrior who appeared to notice her earlier, standing over a women and yelling at Star Fleet doctor from the Excalibur trying to start surgery. "Tell him what you told her to let us operate."

"What the fuck?" Kate says instantly overwhelmed at the task Bones is asking her. "Dude it's not like I know conversational Klingon or anything. I know a few words," she protests flinging her hands between them for emphasis.

"Tell him what you said to the mother out there." Bones repeats his request firmly but calmly. "She is going to die if Dr. Bantros doesn't operate now."

Kate feels the world slowing down around her. The people seem to be moving in slow motion around the med beds performing various stages of surgeries. The yells of the Doctors and screams of the patients are turning into a white noise in her ears. She wasn't prepared for this. Like always, she didn't think but reacted impulsively beaming down here with a bag of Bacta like it would save the day. Now they expected her to be some kind of translator and she can't move. "Katherine!" Bones sharp voice snaps her back into reality and all the sounds pierce her ears on full volume. "Tell him so we can save her life." Bones orders with the determined calm that all doctors use when they need their directions followed by non-medical personnel.

"I can save her." Dr. Bantros screams into the irate Klingon's face who keeps screaming in Klingon it is a good day to die.

Kate marches up between them and repeats the phrase she just used. "Ghobe' hegh'bat. Ghobe' Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvan Qel Nis". The Klingon is stunned that a child amongst the humans knows their language and glares at her but Kate doesn't back down attempting to push him away from the table screaming again "Ghobe' hegh'bat. Ghobe' Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvan Qel Nis." She feel s the Klingon budge and yells again "Ghobe' hegh'bat. Ghobe' Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvan Qel Nis." As soon as there is enough room for Dr. Bantros to operate he starts.

"What the hell did you say to him kid." Dr. Bantros yells hands flying over the now unconscious Klingon female under his care.

"No. Suicide. No it is a good day to die. I need a doctor." She states in almost a dream like tone watching the teenager with the stomach wound being brought in and placed on a med bed.

"Get her out!" Bones screams to a medical technician pointing at Kate who feels a hand on her arm pulling her roughly from the tent. "Keep her out front in case we need her again," is the last things she hears as she steps outside. Kate looks in her backpack and sees one packet of liquid Bacta left. It is someone's last shot a t survival. She scans around the med tent for someone injured to administer it to. She will be going back to the Enterprise as soon as Bones comes out so she might as well use it to help.

"qatlho'", says the Klingon warrior from inside the tent. He approached her from behind causing her to jump and spin around losing the backpack at the door. "wej Heghpu' 'ach QottaH'a'".

Kate understood 'qatlho' as thank you but not the rest. "jIyajbe'" Kate says in Klingon letting him know she did not understand him.

He said "it has not yet died, but does it lie?" Chancellor Gorkon translates for her.

"Tell him Dr. Bantros will save her and she will fight another day." Kate says glad that for a moment someone else is translating. Chancellor Gorkon begins speaking rapidly to the warrior and Kate does not understand a single word between the two men. The warrior says something back to Chancellor Gorkon who laughs and hits the warrior hard on the back as he re-enters the med tent. She thought she heard Kate Kirk but isn't sure.

"He says that is twice Kate the daughter of Kirk has stopped something bad from occurring with her words. Maybe we can learn from this human child. She is blessed by Kahless the Unforgettable." Gorkon translates and Kate manages a weak smile.

"What happened?" Kate starts to ask Gorkon about the colony attack but before he can answer her Bones in roughly pulling her around the side of the tent.

"Why are you here? You should be on the Enterprise." He demands angrily slightly scaring her. She has never seen him like this before.

"I…I…I panicked. I saw everyone in the halls running and Sick Bay was insane. I knew we couldn't help them all and just reacted. I had extra Bacta and thought if I could help save one life. Just one life it would make a difference. I brought it down and tried to find you but couldn't." She explains rubbing the back of her hand across her forehead to clear the sweat from her eyes leaving a dirt smear in its wake. "It's like Dubrillion as the Vong attacked except there are no bombs falling." Kate surveys the damage of the town. She knows her response is not satiating Bones.

The anger still burn in Bones' eyes from his first question. "So aside from being a twelve year old soldier they taught you basic triage skills." He demands unbelievingly.

"I lied OK. I have lied about a lot. They never taught me to be a soldier. They never gave me a gun or light saber and pointed to someone saying go kill them. Yes I was in hostile situations and yes there were times I fired a gun but it was in defense not offense. I learned to slap a Bacta patch on wounds to save lives or treat wounds but that takes as much skill as applying a band-aid." Kate confesses. "They loved me and took care of me like you guys do. They did not teach me to hurt or attack others as everyone thinks. I learned everything I know from watching those around me except the fighting. Han did teach me to defend myself. I thought I could help here. I could feel such pain in the Force I had to do something." She answers him taking off the blood stained blue shirt. She is so hot and does not want the blood on her.

"You saved that young girl and woman. You did good darling.' You did good." He replies in a gentler tone. "But know you have to go back to the Enterprise. I'm calling your father." He says as he pulls her behind some crates to try and shield her from the death and destruction around her. It is a futile attempt to protect her after everything she has seen but he feels he has to do something. "Captain." McCoy says into his shit communicator and Kate sees him slump to the ground.