Chapter Twelve
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The fresh faced Ensign's pink face paled noticeably in disbelief as he continued to stare, before taking a sizeable step backwards. He swallowed, his lips twisting nervously, before apparently deciding that she was no imposter.
"Y...es Ma'am. I'm sorry Ma'am, I... I didn't recognise you Admiral."
She waved his concern away and tried to keep a hint of kindness in her tone. "It's not important Ensign, you have your orders."
He gave her one last highly startled look and then scuttled across the room like a frightened beetle, out of her line of sight just as Omar returned with a harassed looking man who introduced himself as Dr Peter Greene, St Mark's head of Emergency Medicine. The Doctor reminded her slightly of Joe and she couldn't help but envisage him asking her to 'state the nature of the medical emergency.' His greying hairline receding, he had prominent eyes and an open, if slightly skeptical face. An accompanying a flurry of staff very nearly collided with him as he stopped and shook her hand.
"Admiral Janeway, I'm afraid I've only got a minute."
"I'll keep this brief, I'm the senior Starfleet Officer here for now, I'll assemble and manage all the personnel I can find, where can we be of most use?"
Dr Greene scratched his head wearily. "We're setting up an additional Triage and Minor Injury treatment area in the Parking Lot, if you could spare some people to help with that? Also, some kind of Administrative support to keep track of who we have here, additional administrators are on their way, but they haven't managed to get here yet. I think that's all for now, if any of your people have any medical experience, I can assign them to support my staff."
She nodded smartly. "I'll allocate a Lieutenant to help with Triage and establish if any of the others have medical training. We'll set up a station to collate data and patient numbers and support your staff when they arrive. The full resources of Starfleet are at your disposal, if there's anything more you think of, please come to me directly."
"Thank you. There's an Emergency Management briefing in my office in an hour, if you would attend..…"
He gestured in the vague direction of what she presumed was his office, before turning his attention back to the staff surrounding him. She waved her thanks to Omar as he headed out and went to meet the group waiting for her. The Ensign she had met initially, still looked embarrassed and she figured that he must be straight out of the Academy. The Lieutenant looked vaguely familiar and introduced herself as Caplain, followed by Lieutenant Almera, Ensign Trafford and Crewman Brown, Daniel and Allen. Lieutenant Almera and Ensign Trafford she was grateful to learn, both had a decent amount of field medic experience.
"Caplain, you're with me. We need to establish communication with HQ and start collecting initial casualty figures and more detailed information to assist with tracing relatives. Crewman Brown and Daniel, head out to the car park and assist in the setting up of the additional Triage area. Lieutenant Almera, Ensign Trafford, you're needed to support the medical staff with the treatment of Minor Injuries, take Crewman Allen with you to act as a runner. Lieutenant Caplain will need casualty data every fifteen minutes."
A chorus of "Aye Ma'am" followed as they departed.
"Permission to speak freely Ma'am?"
Lieutenant Caplain had already procured a console and was starting to set up a patient database. Slightly surprised by the request, Kathryn reminded herself that she wasn't a fan of beating around the bush.
"Granted Lieutenant, let's hear it."
"If you would allow me to make a suggestion, I think you should replicate a uniform. It would make you visible to the staff and avoid any confusion."
It was an obvious idea, and Kathryn remembered how invisible she had been wearing her civilian clothing at HQ shortly after the blast. With a team to lead, albeit temporarily, it would inspire confidence as well as make her a visible Starfleet presence. She nodded. "A sound idea Lieutenant, I'll find a replicator before reporting in to Admiral Paris."
Twenty minutes later, in the standard issue Starfleet tunic, she reached Owen Paris via the Comm.
"Kathryn, I'm glad to see you."
She smiled. "Same here. I hope I'm not being presumptuous, but I'm acting as Officer in Charge here until someone else arrives. There are two Lieutenants, but neither of them has any relevant command experience."
He nodded. "Consider yourself officially re-instated Admiral. it's good to see you back in uniform."
She smiled. "Thank you Sir. I have a preliminary casualty report." He turned to the console to his right. "Go right ahead, I need all the information I can get at this point."
"Lieutenants Caplain and Almera, Ensign Trafford, and Crewmen Daniel, Brown and Allen are with me. Initial numbers are sixty-five casualties from the blast. Ten critically injured, seven with Major injuries and the rest Minor. Three fatalities reported so far, I'll transmit the list of names to you shortly. We're primarily assisting with Triage, Minor Injuries management and Communications, I'm meeting the Senior Staff here in fifteen minutes and get back to you with anything further."
He smiled. "I've allocated five additional staff who were in your locality. Two more Ensigns, two Lieutenants and a Captain, they should be with you shortly. Paris out."
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As she ended the call, to her right, Lieutenant Caplain's voice brought her back to earth.
"Admiral?"
She turned to face the younger woman. "Lieutenant?"
Caplain gestured to a PADD in her hand, "I've just logged an admission in the name you asked me to watch for and I wanted to confirm some details with you. According to the paramedics who brought him in, he's a dark haired male, ethnic category R21, approximately forty-seven years of age. He was one of the speakers at the conference and therefore was close to the origin of the blast."
Kathryn instantly felt her heart rate increase and her mouth become dry. "His condition?"
"He suffered major injuries, but he's currently stable."
She tried not to appear as relieved as she felt, but habit made her close her eyes briefly. Dyami was safe, injured, but he had somehow managed to get out of there alive. It must have been horrendous and she wondered just how many lives would be lost today, how many people were waiting for loved ones who would never return home.
Lieutenant Caplain regarded the woman stood in front of her carefully as she gave Janeway some time to absorb this information. She had obviously missed the communique that the Admiral was back on duty. She had always hoped to meet her in person and even under such extraordinary circumstances, it was an honour to work with the brilliant woman that her and the rest of Starfleet considered a living, breathing legend. How unlucky that Janeway knew someone caught up in this, not that she had had much luck since Voyager had made it back to Earth. She hadn't known Commander Chakotay personally, but she had heard him give a lecture at the Academy once and thought that he seemed kind, it was such shame.
Shelving these thoughts, she continued. "He's awaiting surgery in one of the trauma bays; the Doctor said that could see him for five minutes."
The Admiral didn't move from the spot and appeared to be looking past her, into the distance. "If you would follow me, I'll take you to him."
Janeway seemed lost in thought, so Caplain risked lightly placing a hand on the older woman's elbow which seemed to work. Janeway started slightly and turned her head.
"Sorry Lieutenant, you were saying?"
Somewhere in the back of Caplain's mind the thought occurred that she hadn't in fact missed an announcement regarding Janeway's return from leave after all, and that this just might be the Admiral's first assignment back. It would explain the lack of uniform, but then again, she could have just been off duty.
"The Doctor said you can have five minutes with Dyami before he goes into surgery."
Janeway nodded, but still didn't move and unwilling to discount the possibility that the Admiral was still finding her feet, and hoping that she wouldn't think it too presumptuous, Caplain risked putting her hand back on her elbow. Cautiously, she started to steer her from the room. Together they walked through the main waiting area and towards the trauma bays, obviously recognising the figure lying on one of the beds, it was as if something suddenly snapped inside Janeway and she walked smartly to his bedside.
She breathed his name in relief, "Dyami."
Kathryn stood by the still figure on the bed, taking his uninjured hand in hers, his face was covered in dark smudges of charcoal coloured soot, mingled with purple bruising and dried blood. His dark hair was thick with gritty grey dust and instinctively she brushed a few dark strands away from his eyes. One leg was immobilised in a trauma splint; his smart navy blue suit tattered and torn to shreds in places as if he'd literally been dragged out of the building.
She squeezed his hand gently, while she glanced at the monitor. The high pitched bleeping drew her attention to his rapid heart rate and his blood pressure and oxygen saturations which were flashing red and causing the machine to alarm softly, remembering that Caplain was outside, she was about to ask her to get a Doctor when she heard her name.
Leaning closer, she released his hand. "Dyami, it's Kathryn, do you know where you are?"
"In hospital I hope," he croaked, "how did you find me?"
She smiled. "Actually, you found me, but that's a long story. How are you feeling?"
"Mmmm, drowsy, what's the damage?"
"It looks like you've broken your leg and they're taking you to surgery shortly, I'll wait with you and find out."
Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, Doctor Greene arrived, he gave her a double take. "Admiral Janeway, meet Doctors French and Khor and Mr Lee, the abdominal surgeon." He passed the Doctor one of a multitude of PADDs he was balancing. "Your friend has a nasty liver laceration, we need to move him to surgery now, but you can see him in recovery later."
She nodded and bent over Dyami, turning her back to the medics as she did so and whispered into his ear. "I'll see you soon."
His eyes suddenly widened "Kathryn, my students, they were with me... I was trying to get them out..."
"Don't worry, if they're here, I'll find them."
She watched as surrounded by doctors and nurses, he was rapidly moved down the corridor and disappeared into an elevator. Straightening up, she took a deep breath and headed back to their temporary station, the new members of her team were waiting as she arrived. She knew Captain Callaghan from their days at the Academy and he greeted her enthusiastically.
"Admiral Janeway, it's good to see you. I didn't know you were back."
She accepted his warm handshake. "It was unexpected, but welcome; it's good to be back. Let's catch up soon?"
He nodded, "these are some of my former Crew, let's discuss how best to allocate them to assist your team."
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Nine hours later and the Emergency Department at St Mark's looked a like a battlefield after hostilities had ceased, exhausted staff moved the last of the trauma patients to theatre or wards; take-out boxes and coffee mugs littering the reception desk. PADDs were stacked twenty-five high and the cleaners were out in force collecting the debris from nearly one hundred and fifty patients admitted in the space of five hours: coloured Triage labels, medical supply packaging, trauma kits, haemofiltrators, shoes, bags and other paraphernalia littered every floor and the waiting area.
The end was in sight and the relief was evident on every face she saw. Dr Green had started to relieve his staff and as fresh staff arrived, the weary wondered out.
Kathryn had given her final report to HQ thirty minutes earlier, Owen Paris had informed her that she could start scaling back their operation as she saw fit. He had offered to relieve her, but she had declined, preferring to see it through to the end. Her junior staff were dismantling the supplemental Triage station that they had helped to assemble nearly ten hours previously, Captain Callaghan and Lieutenant Caplain were busy organising transport and accommodation for the relatives of those injured who were from outside of San Francisco and Lieutenant Almera was helping replicate replacement medical supplies at the same time as flirting with a rather lovely looking Nurse.
Ensign Trafford, the youngest of the bunch approached her carrying a PADD and an ever bright smile.
"Final orders Ma'am."
"Thank you. Ensign, have you had a meal break yet?"
"No Ma'am, not yet"
He stood straight at attention, as she tried in vain not to lean against the reception desk, her back and hips aching. The stamina of the young, she mused. "Then consider yourself relieved Ensign, your performance today has been exemplary."
He smiled. "Thank you. Unless you count not recognising the most famous Admiral in the fleet."
That was a gross exaggeration she felt, but she admired his brave attempt at humour all the same, relaxing her face into a smile. "That withstanding Ensign. Now go and get something to eat."
Once he had gone, she allowed herself to sink onto the chair recently vacated by Lieutenant Caplain and slipped off her shoes under the desk. She stretched her neck to ease the beginnings of a headache and drank the last of her stone cold coffee, willing it to energise her. She couldn't help yawning and partially hidden behind the reception desk, hoped that she was unobserved doing so.
"Long day Admiral?"
Another chipper voice startled her and she spun the chair around to see Tom aiming his best insolent grin at her. She tried for a glare. "Lieutenant Paris, could they not find something for you to do?"
She watched him attempt to mask his grin with a more serious expression as she pushed her arms down on the desk intent on levering herself to stand, but then thought better of it. He shook his head lightly.
"Please sit, you looked like you might fall over if you stand any longer."
She rolled her eyes. "It's not quite that bad, but I'm not sure if I can get my shoes back on."
Well aware that he was the only Starfleet Lieutenant who could get away with such familiarity around her, he perched on the edge of her temporary desk smiling at her sock clad feet, as she turned back around to hide them underneath it.
"Have you been stood down?"
"Yes, the Major Incident is officially over. I volunteered to fly one of the medical retrieval shuttles and my last drop off was here, so I thought I'd look you up. Dad told that me Dyami was one of those injured, is he okay?"
She nodded. "He was a Key Note speaker at the conference when the blast hit. He's badly fractured his femur and they had to repair a liver laceration, but he's stable. I went to see him in Recovery earlier, but he's well sedated and they don't expect him to come around until tomorrow morning."
He sighed. "Do they know who planted the device?"
She shook her head. "I've heard a range of theories and all the usual conspiracy stories, but the only vaguely credible one seems to be a radical environmental terror group. It's all pure speculation at this stage."
They lapsed into silence as he observed her enter the last of the data into the console and then shut down the link to Starfleet Command. It was good to see her back in uniform. Although it had been a hell of first day back and she looked exhausted, just like the rest of the staff here. St Marks was the closest hospital and as he suspected, it had taken the vast majority of the casualties.
"Now that I'm here, would you allow me to escort you home Admiral?"
She paused and looked up at him, twisting her mouth slightly. "It might be my first day back Lieutenant, but I've done this before remember? I know perfectly well that Admiral Paris sent you. The last medical shuttle dropped off here over an hour ago."
He held up his hands, unsurprised by her deduction. "Don't shoot the messenger. Let's see, Dad requested that you...humour the request of an old Starfleet Admiral."
She chuckled. "You can stand down Red Alert Mr Paris and report that I agreed willingly. It's been a long day and I'm almost ready to head home, give me thirty minutes? I want to thank the staff here and make sure that all the Starfleet personnel are dismissed."
Seeing an Ensign headed in their direction, he stood adopting a more formal posture.
"Certainly Admiral."
She stood and straightened her shoulders, nodding to the Ensign who walked on past them. Tom disappeared under the desk for a second; when he reappeared it was to hand her her shoes with a small grin.
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Kathryn was quiet on the journey home, in reflective mood as they all were after the events of the day. Sensing that she didn't want to talk, Tom chose to leave her with her thoughts, reasoning that she had a lot to work through. For her part, Kathryn considered that her unpredicted return to work had been a milestone achieved and had already started to analyse her performance. On the plus side, she had handled the basics well. Organising staff, prioritising and delegating tasks, liaising with HQ had all returned easily as had the rapid fire decision making that her command training had instilled in her. The fact that her Lieutenant had reminded her about her lack uniform had been less than ideal, but she could forgive herself that slip.
She was less willing however to forgive her distraction when Dyami had been admitted. She could clearly remember how her concern for him had diverted her attention temporarily from the task at hand. She had lost focus and in front of a Junior member of staff, it was not the example that should have been set. Rubbing her hand across her forehead, she fought feelings of disappointment and tried to suppress the self-doubt.
She smoothed one hand over the tunic, feeling the familiar texture and cut of the garment. She could clearly remember the last time she had worn her uniform, at the hospital that day. They had probably thought that she was crazy, but she had wanted Chakotay to remember her wearing it. It had seemed important at the time, he had been amused she could tell, but hadn't said anything. Months later, she wondered if in fact, she had been hiding behind it, taking refuge in her Starfleet identity when everything in her personal life had fallen apart. Today, it had been good to create a new memory of being in uniform, a positive one, it was another step forward she reasoned.
Tom's voice pulled her away from her thoughts. "Home Sweet Home."
She looked out of the window tand smiled as he opened the door for her. "Thanks for the ride home Tom. You did a great job today."
He stopped her as she turned towards the house with a hand on her arm. "As did you Admiral."
He had taken a handful of steps before he heard her say his name. "Tom?"
He spun back around, as she returned to stand level with him.
"I want to thank you, for today..." she said sincerely, eyes dipping to the ground and back.
Appreciative but slightly mystified, he frowned, "Noted, but I don't see why, I..."
Kathryn stopped him then, resting her palm against his chest, a gesture she rarely used anymore. "The night after Chakotay died. I know that you protected me, ensured that Security didn't enter the apartment. If they had found me..."
She faltered and Tom's instantaneous reply gave away his discomfort. "They didn't and so it doesn't matter," but Kathryn pushed ahead, intently fixing him with her gaze, refusing to let him look away.
"It matters to me Tom. Without you, my career may well have ended that night; I wouldn't be standing here today, wouldn't have had the opportunity to return to doing the work that means so much. I want you to know, just how whole-heartedly I appreciate what you did."
Tom stood silently for a moment, his eyes shining slightly at the memory of that evening and the emotion it evoked, before pulling her into a bear hug.
"I always knew Kathryn," he whispered softly into her ear.