"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"
La'an was out cold. Oriana was screaming. Christine knew she was the last person who could get them out of this situation. She needed to tend to La'an as soon as she could, but they were still in the ion storm, being thrown side to side.
Gathering herself, she took a deep breath in and swapped seats and scanned the storm. Plotting the fastest course out, she held onto the console and hit engage, breaking through the storm and into normal space. Jumping straight into warp to get them away from the storm, Christine let out a shaky breath when the ship cooperated.
"It's going to be okay," Christine said, turning in the chair. Somehow, without her noticing, Oriana had left the bridge. She needed to prioritise though, and at the moment, La'an needed her the most.
Bending down next to La'an, Christine immediately felt for a pulse, and when she found the steady beat under her fingertips, she knew she could treat this. Giving her a once over, there were burns on the back of La'an's left hand from the console exploding, and what looked to be a pretty nasty cut on the back of her head where it hit the ground. A small trickle of blood was slowly gathering on the floor.
Quickly heading for the medbay, Christine grabbed the medkit and took a second to pull a small blue pad down from one of the shelves. Scanning the living area as she walked past, she couldn't spot the child anywhere. She had more pressing things to currently do, she knew Oriana was physically okay.
Heading back to the bridge, Christine put the medkit down and looked at the blue pad. Gently holding La'an's head up as much as she felt safe doing, she slid the pad underneath and pressed the button on it, watching as gel-filled it and started to cool and support the back of her head.
Pulling out the dermal regenerator, Christine softly held La'an's hand in her own and watched as the burns slowly turned back into soft skin. Making sure she missed no other burns, she pulled out the medical tricorder and scanned her entire body.
La'an had a mild concussion, exactly like she thought, and a cut on the back of her head, two centimetres long, and half a centimetre deep. Christine knew the gel pad was helping to reduce the seriousness of the concussion but it wouldn't do anything for the still bleeding open wound.
Seeing a bright light in her eyes, La'an slowly opened them. She could see a fuzzy figure in front of her and she didn't know who it was.
"It's okay, La'an. I've got you, I promise," a voice said…Christine said.
"Christine?" La'an managed to get out, her eyesight adjusting a little more.
"Yeah, it's me. You're going to be alright," Christine replied, a hand on La'an's cheek, gently soothing her.
Leaning into Christine's touch for only a moment, La'an tried to get up but a hand on her shoulder prevented her from doing much more than sitting up.
"You still have a head injury, there's blood dripping down still. If I help you up, are you able to walk to the medbay with me?" Christine asked, seeing La'an nod in reply before helping her to her feet.
Feeling Christine wrap an arm around her shoulders, La'an wrapped her arm around Christine's waist and they made their way to the medbay. La'an could feel the cool air stinging against the cut on the back of her scalp. She could also feel the blood trickling down her neck and spine and it was not pleasant.
"Do you think you'll be able to sit on the biobed, or would a chair be easier?" Christine asked, giving La'an two options.
"The biobed," La'an replied, sliding onto it with minimal help.
Watching as Christine turned the biobed on, it only took moments before the bed was reading her vital signs, some parts flashing in red. "What does the red mean?"
"It means you have an injury and a concussion. I'm just about to fix the injury. I'm going to need to take your hair out," Christine replied, beginning to undo the hair tie holding La'an's hair back.
Feeling La'an's soft dark hair between her fingers, she quickly got the hair tie out and followed the trail of blood until she found the cut. It looked a lot nastier than she thought, it wasn't a clean cut, it was ragged, and looked like it hurt. Picking up the dermal regenerator, Christine got to work on healing it, the wound slowly closing until there wasn't even a scar left.
Putting the dermal regenerator down, Christine picked up the hypospray and looked for the correct vial. Finding it, she loaded it and went over to La'an. "This should help the concussion. It wouldn't be gone for a day or two but it greatly speeds it up."
Pressing the hypospray to La'an's neck, Christine gently rubbed the site for a few moments before helping La'an off the bed. "Go have a warm shower, wash your hair and back, they've got blood all over them. I'm going to see if I can find Oriana."
"I can help find her," La'an offered, taking a step before she felt a firm hand on her shoulder.
"You are of no use to her covered in blood. Go shower, and when you're out we can all sit down together and talk."
"Okay."
Leading La'an back to their shared quarters, Christine stood by the door. "If you need me for anything, call out. Relax for a few moments while you're in there. I'll come check on you at some point."
Waiting until La'an had disappeared into the bathroom, Christine did a quick walk around the living area and couldn't spot Oriana anywhere. Going to the door of her quarters, Christine hit the chime.
"Oriana?" Christine called out.
Waiting a moment and not getting a response, Christine opened the door and went inside. Looking around she couldn't spot her. "Oriana?" Going over to the bed, she looked under it and on the side near the wall. Going over to the dresser, she checked around it, and the desk. No Oriana. Hearing a sound coming from the bathroom, she went over to the door and knocked.
"Oriana, honey, are you okay?"
Hearing the faint sound of banging, Christine opened the door and found Oriana wedged between the vanity and the wall. She was continuously hitting her head against the wall, staring at the empty space in front of her.
"It's okay, sweetie. We're out of danger now, I promise," Christine said, bending down in front of her.
"No! No! No! We're not safe!" Oriana screamed, looking up at Christine, her head still hitting the wall.
"Why do you think we're not safe?" Reaching out, Christine held onto Oriana's hand and gave it a soft squeeze while cupping her head with the other to stop her banging.
"It's happening again!" Pulling back from Christine's touch, Oriana leaned her head against the wall.
"Take some deep breaths for me, and tell me what's wrong," Christine said, demonstrating the breathing technique until Oriana did it with her.
"We got trapped in a bad storm before the Gorn, and then they came and killed everyone." Looking up at Christine, Oriana rubbed her face and closed her eyes.
"The Gorn aren't here, sweetie. Now we know what to look for, do you want to come to the bridge and do a scan with me to make sure?" Keeping calm, Christine hoped that it would help Oriana to calm down somewhat.
Watching as Oriana slowly nodded her head, Christine held a hand out and pulled Oriana to her feet. Continuing to hold her hand, she led them to the bridge and sat down behind the helm, and offered her usual seat to Oriana.
Bringing up the sensor readings on the viewscreen, Christine showed her every parsec of space they could scan.
"See, there's nothing out there, I promise," Christine said, closing down the sensor readings as the viewscreen went back to the stars going by.
"Is the ion storm going to hit us again?"
"Nope. It's going in the opposite direction to us. We are at warp one and we are steadily getting further and further from it." Seeing Oriana visibly relax, Christine turned in her chair. "Have you ever played Tetris?"
"I don't think so," Oriana replied, looking curiously at Christine.
"Come with me," Christine said, getting up and holding out her hand. Feeling Oriana take it, she led them into the living area. "Go get comfy." Offering her a smile, Christine went to the pile of PADDs and uploaded the game to one.
Going to the synthesiser, Christine got a bottle of water, went over to Oriana and placed the drink beside her, passing her the PADD. Pulling the blanket over Oriana's lap, Christine tucked it around her and sat next to her.
"How do I play this?" Oriana asked, opening the game.
"I'll show you." Starting the game, Christine explained how to play Tetris, and showed her a few demonstrations. Watching Oriana get the hang of it, Christine got up and found Oriana's teddy and placed it next to her, an arm immediately holding it close.
"I'll be back soon. I'm going to check on La'an."
"Okay," Oriana replied, her eyes trained on the screen.
Entering the quarters she shared with La'an, Christine could hear the shower running. It had been about half an hour since she sent La'an to get clean, and it worried her that she hadn't come out yet. Knocking on the door, she waited a moment.
"La'an, are you all good in there?"
Not getting a response, Christine sighed and opened the door. She would usually wait a few more minutes but when a head injury was involved, her instincts kicked in.
Seeing La'an sitting on the floor of the shower, her knees drawn up to her chest, Christine bent down and opened the door slightly.
"La'an, sweetie, are you okay?" she asked, noticing La'an was shaking.
"I don't know," La'an replied quietly. She was feeling something she couldn't place, and she felt like she was frozen on the spot.
"Do you want to talk?" Christine asked, gently touching La'an's shoulder and realising the water was ice cold. "You're freezing, let's get you out of here." Opening the door fully, Christine turned the water off and went over to the cupboard and pulled out a normal towel and a self-heating hair towel.
"I feel like something bad is going to happen," La'an said after a moment as she felt Christine wring out her hair and wrap it in the hair towel.
"What bad thing do you think will happen?" Christine asked, making the mental connection the storm set off both Oriana and La'an's trauma responses.
"I'm not sure, it's so stupid," La'an muttered, drawing her knees closer to her chest.
"It's not stupid. I've run a scan and checked the sensors, and there is nothing else out there. I checked on all levels, and the closest thing to us is a small patch of space rocks. We are at warp one, heading away from the ion storm. We are safe, I promise."
Looking up at Christine, La'an released the breath she had been holding.
"Come on, let's get you warm," Christine said, helping La'an to her feet and wrapping the towel around her.
Nodding her head, La'an felt Christine's hand on her back as she led her into their quarters.
"Do you have a warm and comfy sweater, hoodie, or jacket?" Christine asked, watching as La'an went through what clothing she had unpacked.
"No, not really. Only my Starfleet issue wear," La'an replied, pulling out some clothing.
Shaking her head softly, Christine went over to her suitcases and opened up the larger one. Pulling out a soft purple hoodie, she placed it on the bed, next to the clothing La'an had picked out.
"Put that on, it'll help warm you up. How's your head feeling?"
"Thank you," La'an said, not used to people this kind to her. "My head is still a little fuzzy, but the dizziness is fading."
"That's good, the medication is helping." Trying to give La'an some privacy while she got dressed, Christine looked around their quarters and wondered if she should decorate to make it feel homey.
"Day two of our journey and I get injured. So much for thinking I had this under control," La'an said, shivering as she put on her shirt.
"You do have this under control, and getting injured doesn't take that away from you. We are here, we are doing our best, and we are going to find Oriana's family and reunite her with them. You are one of the most resilient and strongest people I know, and if anyone can do this, it is you." Going over to La'an, Christine gently placed a finger under her chin and looked into her eyes. "You've got this, La'an, and I promise I'm going to do my best to help."
"How do you always know the right things to say?" La'an asked, feeling a warmth in her heart. She didn't have many people believe in her but knowing Christine did, gave her the strength she didn't know she needed.
"I have my ways," Christine winked, removing her hand from La'an's face. "Finish getting dressed so we can check on Oriana."
Putting her socks on, and sliding into the purple hoodie, La'an closed her eyes and sighed. The hoodie was warm and soft, yet she still felt cold. Feeling her teeth chatter for a moment, it didn't take long before Christine's arms were around her holding her tight.
"We need to get you warm," Christine commented, rubbing her hand up and down La'an's upper arm. "I have an idea." Leading La'an out of their quarters, she walked her over to the couch and got her to sit next to Oriana, making sure the blanket was covering them both.
Grabbing another PADD, she uploaded Tetris to it and handed it to La'an. "Sit back, relax, and play some Tetris for like ten minutes for me, please. Nurse's orders."
Making sure La'an also had a bottle of water next to her, Christine excused herself and went to the bridge. Sitting down behind the helm, she checked their course and the sensor information. Letting out a long sigh, Christine rubbed her forehead. Today was going to be a long day.
Realising that in the rush of making sure everyone was okay, she forgot to check the ship for damage. Running a scan on the ship, Christine sat back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling. There was only minimal hull damage and five blown relays. Knowing she could easily replace them, Christine checked where the spare relays were kept.
She was about to get to know the small engineering bay under the living area, and she took a deep breath in and readied herself. Heading into the living area, she smiled when she saw Oriana and La'an giving each other tips and advice on how best to play.
"Where are you off to?" La'an asked, putting her PADD down.
"We have five blown relays; I was going to replace them. Especially since one of them is linked to the environmental controls, I thought I should get onto it ASAP," Christine replied, watching as La'an got up.
"I'm coming with you."
"You are not. You're still recovering from a head injury. Sit down, drink some water, and keep warm. I've got this," Christine responded, giving La'an her sternest look.
"If you need help, come and get me," La'an said, uncapping her bottle of water and taking a sip.
"I'll be fine, don't worry," Christine smiled as she walked to the hatch and opened it up, climbing down the small Jefferies tube.
The engine room was cramped and uncomfortable. Walking along the thin sidewalk, Christine entered the control junction and found the small cargo bay filled with replacement parts. Letting out a huff of air, Christine began to search for the spare relays. The room was warm, and something smelled like an old decaying cardboard box. Taking mental note to familiarise herself with the room and find the offending smell, Christine found the container of relays she was after.
Picking up the small box, she carried it out of the cargo bay and over to the panel on the centre console. Putting it down, Christine sat on the floor and pulled the cover free. Scrunching her nose as the smell of burnt hit her nostrils, she looked at the relays and located the ones she needed to replace.
This was easy, she had done it plenty of times growing up, but she felt apprehensive. Pulling out the first burnt-out relay, she matched the serial number to the ones in the box and began to replace them one by one.
Smiling to herself as she replaced the last relay, she put the cover back on and got up. She could hear La'an and Oriana, and it took her a moment to realise they were yelling at one another. Sighing, she cleaned up after herself and headed back to the living area where she came face to face with La'an.
"Is everything back in working order?" La'an asked, her frosty exterior back in place.
"Yes," Christine nodded, spotting Oriana out the corner of her eye and noticing she didn't look very happy. "What happened up here? I was gone for ten minutes?"
"Nothing," La'an replied quickly, pulling the sleeves of the hoodie up so they weren't covering her hands.
"La'an thinks she knows everything when she clearly doesn't," Oriana added, her tone sharp.
"Why do you say that, Oriana?" Christine asked, grabbing La'an by the arm and half dragging her over to the couch.
"I know how to play Tetris, I was having fun, and then she had to go and make it about strategy and using the knowledge to defeat your enemies," Oriana responded, shooting La'an her best death stare.
"I was only trying to prepare you for the future," La'an replied, irritated.
Sighing once again, Christine could see both sides of the argument. La'an meant well, she was only trying to share her knowledge, but she didn't execute it to fit Oriana and her situation.
"Oriana, what would you like to do? I know you're upset, but La'an was honestly trying to be helpful," Christine said, trying to diffuse the situation.
"I want to watch something," Oriana replied, her attention going to the PADD that controlled the projector.
"Okay, watch something, anything you want. La'an and I will be on the bridge once we're done in the medical bay."
Not getting a response from Oriana as Moana started to play, she gestured for La'an to follow her.
Entering the medical bay, La'an leaned against the biobed and sighed. "I was only trying to help."
"I know, but she's a child and she doesn't see what you're doing to help her. Get up on the bed please so I can check on your concussion."
Sliding onto the biobed, La'an looked around. She felt heavy in her heart, she wanted to help Oriana, she wanted to do what she felt was right, but she couldn't help but always do or say the wrong thing.
"It's going to be alright, La'an," Christine said, patting her on the knee. "There's always a learning curve to get through."
"I guess," La'an replied, trying to smile but failing miserably.
Scanning La'an, Christine made sure to check everything, making sure she missed nothing earlier. "The medication is working and your concussion should fade in a day or two. I'd still like you to take it easy for that period. Your temperature is two degrees lower than I like. Are you feeling cold?"
"Not really, this hoodie is very warm. Thank you by the way," La'an said, pulling the sleeves up a little so they weren't covering her hands.
"It's more than okay. I can either get you under a blanket in the living area to raise your temperature, or we can do it in here but it won't be as comfortable," Christine responded, giving La'an the option to pick.
Hearing the door swish open, Christine turned and noticed Oriana coming towards them.
"What are you doing?" Oriana curiously asked, looking at the medical tricorder in Christine's hand.
"I'm just making sure the medication I gave La'an is working. She hit her head pretty hard," Christine replied, beckoning Oriana over. "This line here is showing the healing process, and this one is her vital signs like temperature, pulse, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and heartbeat," Christine explained, smiling to herself when Oriana tried to understand what she was being shown.
"That is way too hard to understand," Oriana replied, stepping over to La'an and looking up at her. "Are you okay?" she asked, a brief look of worry crossing her face.
"I'm fine, Christine is taking good care of me," La'an replied, not wanting to make Oriana worry any more than she was.
"Come watch the movie with me?" Oriana asked, looking at them both hopefully.
"Of course, we will," Christine replied before La'an could excuse herself from relaxing.
Heading out of the medical bay, Christine watched as Oriana jumped onto the couch and began to get comfortable. Seeing La'an try to sneak her way onto the bridge, Christine reached out and grabbed her by the wrist.
"Sit, please," she said, guiding La'an over to the couch, her hand lingering on her wrist for a moment before letting go.
Waiting until La'an had sat down next to Oriana, Christine pulled out another blanket and placed it over La'an. Sitting down on La'an's other side, she smiled to herself as La'an moved the blanket so it was covering the both of them.
Hearing the movie begin to play from the beginning, Christine placed her arm across the back of the couch, behind La'an, as her fingers barely touched her upper arm.
Noticing La'an lean slightly closer into Christine, Oriana grinned and turned her attention back to Moana as the opening song began to play.