~*~*~
Base Medical bay Skinnie treatment bays.
"How's he doing?" Rico asked, Ellen turned to the glass pane, which separated the two bays, not allowing any seepage between the two. Because the base was on Tophet, the room T'Phai and T'Alos had been brought back to was open to the outside atmosphere, with windows allowing them to see out.
"Which one?" She queried, she was caring for the two Skinnies because she knew them both well and she felt that she needed too. T'Alos had been sent into a coma by the use of his powers, blowing up a Brain bug was no small feat and it had had a reaction with the Skinnie.
"Both,"
She looked over her shoulder towards the bay as if checking herself, which was ridiculous because she knew the answer anyway. "Well T'Alos has been awake today; I had to send him to sleep again." Ellen smiled slightly, "He needs to recuperate. T'Phai on the other hand is awake, a little on the woozy side and in need of rest I don't think it's time for visitors yet."
The Roughnecks and Romeo squad left to go out on patrol, leaving her with her two charges. She hated to see the pain of her friend, hated to see that he was hurt and that he could not yet remember what had exactly happened in the caves.
~*~*~
4 days later Medical Wing Skinnie Treatment bays.
It was roughly midday, if there were such a thing on Tophet, when L'Meariea entered the bay; her domed helmet removed and rested inside the airlock. "I brought them some food; I thought that fresh food from Tophet may help their recovery." L'Meariea informed Ellen. Ellen took the sealed container from her grasp and set it on a workbench. L'Meariea was used to being alone; being a Skinnie in a primarily Human infantry meant that she was assigned to be by herself a lot but every time before she had been alone because she had had no choice and not because her friends had been injured.
"L'War?!"
Ellen closed her eyes in a long blink as her friend yelled his wife's name in his fitful sleep, there had been no sign of L'War since T'Phai had been admitted and no one had told him yet. "Up and at 'em Teph, its lunch time." She roused her friend with the sound of her voice; he looked at her, his big black eyes locking with her grey blue ones. "L'Meariea brought you some good Tophet food rather then the junk we have here."
She left him waking up properly and walked to T'Alos's bunk, "T'Alos come to now," She instructed pulling him out of the hypnotic sleep she would be ending that day. He opened his eyes and yawned, sitting himself up to look at her. "You're looking good for a coma patient." He thanked her softly and she smiled.
On her way back to T'Phai's side, she plucked a bandage from the rack; she sat on his cot. He was now seated with his legs over the side of it, ready for her to check his wound. With the care of a learned doctor, she removed the bandage on his head and prepared to bandage it again. The cut would not leave a scar but the area around it would be very sore for a long while still and it was still bleeding a little. "How are you doing now?"
He looked to her, his eyes shining all too visibly. "She is dead is she not?" She turned her gaze from him, unable to hold the puppy like look he was giving her against his will. He gave a slight shake of his head lowering his gaze to his hands, which were rested on his knees. "I see; has there been a burial yet?"
"What? No, we haven't seen hide or hair of her yet. The cave you were in collapsed after you all got out," Ellen was trying to be assuring not knowing that she was failing in huge amounts. "I think she's still alive."
"She is still lost?"
"Yeah,"
"Then I have to go and find her," He pushed himself up and swayed slightly due to the distortion caused by his wound; with a closeness acquired through friendship, she pushed him down gently by his chest.
"Not right now you don't, this is my field of expertise Teph, my ball game; you have to do what I say!" Within the med bay Ellen was the boss, she held the highest rank whilst there and was in charge. No one did anything, without dire cause, if a doctor had said that it was not the thing to do.
"She is my wife Ellen, the one I have chosen to spend my life with, the one I chose to share my life with; I will not abandon her!"
"We will find her," T'Alos spoke up for the first time, L'Meariea scowled at him. "No usage I swear," He and T'Phai held a look, the younger being smiled. ~Go and get the gift Ellen,~
*Oh yeah, I knew I'd forgotten something!* She stood from the bunk and left to room via the airlock, she pulled off her helmet and shook her hair free of the suit with a smile. Her grin widen as she moved to greet her guests, she had a lot of explaining to do but that was her job, the nice side of her job.
~*~*~
Ellen entered the bay again, her helmet fixed tightly over her head again. She motioned for her guests to follow her. There was a dream like feel to the room as she let them enter; all the Skinnie's in the room seemed to be in a kind of trance; looking at the creature's diminutive to themselves, the eldest of the two was roughly Ellen's height.
T'Alos then let out a soft laugh; he looked on the two small beings with a fond smile. T'Phai did not move from where he was seated on the bunk but a light of fond recognition came into his eyes as he watched them. "T'Phal, M'Rette?" He asked, this was the only acknowledgment the two needed and then ran to their father's side.
He reached to hug them both at the same time, a broad grin on his face as he breathed in their scents. "Oh, Ellen thank you so much." Ellen leant against the wall nearby, her back rested against the walls smooth face. M'Rette pulled free of her fathers grasp and ran over to Ellen, her arms held out for a hug. She chose to speak their language because the children would not yet know English.
With a broader smile, Ellen hugged the child with a warmness usually reserved for family. "I'm not going to say it was nothing because it was difficult getting a pass for these two scamps, but it's been worth it." M'Rette let her go and looked into her eyes.
"Your daddy's friend,"
"I think so,"
"She is indeed,"
Ellen looked towards T'Alos, after his earlier outburst laugh he had said nothing and she noticed the sorry look on his face. Inwardly cursing her own stupidity, she sat by him meaning to apologise, T'Alos had no family seeing T'Phai with his young had to make him feel jealous. ~I'm not jealous, just sad.~
~*~*~
T'Phai
My delight at seeing my young again was incredible; there is no other way of explaining it. For months, I have thought of nothing but my family and now I am here with them, L'War is still held captive but being on the same planet as her makes me feel more hopeful for the future.
I found myself watching T'Alos frequently whilst my offspring were here, M'Rette seemed fascinated in him and had barely left him alone, she was a very inquisitive youngster and she was attentive to everything around her. "She is psychic," A voice rippled into my head without consideration of what I was thinking.
"Pardon?" I queried not understanding, T'Alos was looking at me from across the room, his eyes locking with my own. I got a sickening feeling in my stomach that I knew who he meant but I did not want to accept it. His eyes held sympathy and respect for me.
"M'Rette, she can hide it, I can teach her, then she need not go through what I have gone through!"
I recognised the tone of remorse in his voice, he was genuinely sorry for his own state and ways; he did not want what had been forced upon him. I stood and moved to his bunk so I could talk to him more confidentially. "You can teach her?"
"I think I can, she will not need a lot of help; she is a very smart child," He looked towards the glass window, someone other then Ellen was there. "Later," T'Alos insisted to me and I nodded. I had a lot to think about and I realised I would have to go elsewhere to do it.
~*~*~
A week after the death of the brain bug Male Human barracks
Higgins
With the brain bug destroyed the only real reason we were still on Tophet was clean up detail, at least that's what SICON said; for the Roughnecks this couldn't help but be personal. Due to the wound he gained, T'Phai was unable to join us on duty yet; Ellen was still making sure that he was all right to be back on duty in a few days time.
I was the only one in the male barracks; Brutto and Rico were weight training, Doc and Gossard were in mess, I've not seen Diz in a while and Carl was out on duty with another unit. I liked it quiet, don't get me wrong I like the others but they can be a little . crazy.
The door bleeped, I called for whoever was outside to enter. The door opened allowing T'Alos entry, I looked to him in surprise and he looked back. "Do you wish for a story?" The Skinnie asked me bluntly for his species, I nodded. What else was I supposed to do? It's my job to chase stories.
"Yeah, go on then,"
"I know where L'War is, or roughly where she is." He was right in thinking there was a story here, a major one at that. He started for the door, pausing for me to gather up my gear. "There is a little way to go, but we can walk it."
~*~*~
Base Medical bay Skinnie treatment bays.
"How's he doing?" Rico asked, Ellen turned to the glass pane, which separated the two bays, not allowing any seepage between the two. Because the base was on Tophet, the room T'Phai and T'Alos had been brought back to was open to the outside atmosphere, with windows allowing them to see out.
"Which one?" She queried, she was caring for the two Skinnies because she knew them both well and she felt that she needed too. T'Alos had been sent into a coma by the use of his powers, blowing up a Brain bug was no small feat and it had had a reaction with the Skinnie.
"Both,"
She looked over her shoulder towards the bay as if checking herself, which was ridiculous because she knew the answer anyway. "Well T'Alos has been awake today; I had to send him to sleep again." Ellen smiled slightly, "He needs to recuperate. T'Phai on the other hand is awake, a little on the woozy side and in need of rest I don't think it's time for visitors yet."
The Roughnecks and Romeo squad left to go out on patrol, leaving her with her two charges. She hated to see the pain of her friend, hated to see that he was hurt and that he could not yet remember what had exactly happened in the caves.
~*~*~
4 days later Medical Wing Skinnie Treatment bays.
It was roughly midday, if there were such a thing on Tophet, when L'Meariea entered the bay; her domed helmet removed and rested inside the airlock. "I brought them some food; I thought that fresh food from Tophet may help their recovery." L'Meariea informed Ellen. Ellen took the sealed container from her grasp and set it on a workbench. L'Meariea was used to being alone; being a Skinnie in a primarily Human infantry meant that she was assigned to be by herself a lot but every time before she had been alone because she had had no choice and not because her friends had been injured.
"L'War?!"
Ellen closed her eyes in a long blink as her friend yelled his wife's name in his fitful sleep, there had been no sign of L'War since T'Phai had been admitted and no one had told him yet. "Up and at 'em Teph, its lunch time." She roused her friend with the sound of her voice; he looked at her, his big black eyes locking with her grey blue ones. "L'Meariea brought you some good Tophet food rather then the junk we have here."
She left him waking up properly and walked to T'Alos's bunk, "T'Alos come to now," She instructed pulling him out of the hypnotic sleep she would be ending that day. He opened his eyes and yawned, sitting himself up to look at her. "You're looking good for a coma patient." He thanked her softly and she smiled.
On her way back to T'Phai's side, she plucked a bandage from the rack; she sat on his cot. He was now seated with his legs over the side of it, ready for her to check his wound. With the care of a learned doctor, she removed the bandage on his head and prepared to bandage it again. The cut would not leave a scar but the area around it would be very sore for a long while still and it was still bleeding a little. "How are you doing now?"
He looked to her, his eyes shining all too visibly. "She is dead is she not?" She turned her gaze from him, unable to hold the puppy like look he was giving her against his will. He gave a slight shake of his head lowering his gaze to his hands, which were rested on his knees. "I see; has there been a burial yet?"
"What? No, we haven't seen hide or hair of her yet. The cave you were in collapsed after you all got out," Ellen was trying to be assuring not knowing that she was failing in huge amounts. "I think she's still alive."
"She is still lost?"
"Yeah,"
"Then I have to go and find her," He pushed himself up and swayed slightly due to the distortion caused by his wound; with a closeness acquired through friendship, she pushed him down gently by his chest.
"Not right now you don't, this is my field of expertise Teph, my ball game; you have to do what I say!" Within the med bay Ellen was the boss, she held the highest rank whilst there and was in charge. No one did anything, without dire cause, if a doctor had said that it was not the thing to do.
"She is my wife Ellen, the one I have chosen to spend my life with, the one I chose to share my life with; I will not abandon her!"
"We will find her," T'Alos spoke up for the first time, L'Meariea scowled at him. "No usage I swear," He and T'Phai held a look, the younger being smiled. ~Go and get the gift Ellen,~
*Oh yeah, I knew I'd forgotten something!* She stood from the bunk and left to room via the airlock, she pulled off her helmet and shook her hair free of the suit with a smile. Her grin widen as she moved to greet her guests, she had a lot of explaining to do but that was her job, the nice side of her job.
~*~*~
Ellen entered the bay again, her helmet fixed tightly over her head again. She motioned for her guests to follow her. There was a dream like feel to the room as she let them enter; all the Skinnie's in the room seemed to be in a kind of trance; looking at the creature's diminutive to themselves, the eldest of the two was roughly Ellen's height.
T'Alos then let out a soft laugh; he looked on the two small beings with a fond smile. T'Phai did not move from where he was seated on the bunk but a light of fond recognition came into his eyes as he watched them. "T'Phal, M'Rette?" He asked, this was the only acknowledgment the two needed and then ran to their father's side.
He reached to hug them both at the same time, a broad grin on his face as he breathed in their scents. "Oh, Ellen thank you so much." Ellen leant against the wall nearby, her back rested against the walls smooth face. M'Rette pulled free of her fathers grasp and ran over to Ellen, her arms held out for a hug. She chose to speak their language because the children would not yet know English.
With a broader smile, Ellen hugged the child with a warmness usually reserved for family. "I'm not going to say it was nothing because it was difficult getting a pass for these two scamps, but it's been worth it." M'Rette let her go and looked into her eyes.
"Your daddy's friend,"
"I think so,"
"She is indeed,"
Ellen looked towards T'Alos, after his earlier outburst laugh he had said nothing and she noticed the sorry look on his face. Inwardly cursing her own stupidity, she sat by him meaning to apologise, T'Alos had no family seeing T'Phai with his young had to make him feel jealous. ~I'm not jealous, just sad.~
~*~*~
T'Phai
My delight at seeing my young again was incredible; there is no other way of explaining it. For months, I have thought of nothing but my family and now I am here with them, L'War is still held captive but being on the same planet as her makes me feel more hopeful for the future.
I found myself watching T'Alos frequently whilst my offspring were here, M'Rette seemed fascinated in him and had barely left him alone, she was a very inquisitive youngster and she was attentive to everything around her. "She is psychic," A voice rippled into my head without consideration of what I was thinking.
"Pardon?" I queried not understanding, T'Alos was looking at me from across the room, his eyes locking with my own. I got a sickening feeling in my stomach that I knew who he meant but I did not want to accept it. His eyes held sympathy and respect for me.
"M'Rette, she can hide it, I can teach her, then she need not go through what I have gone through!"
I recognised the tone of remorse in his voice, he was genuinely sorry for his own state and ways; he did not want what had been forced upon him. I stood and moved to his bunk so I could talk to him more confidentially. "You can teach her?"
"I think I can, she will not need a lot of help; she is a very smart child," He looked towards the glass window, someone other then Ellen was there. "Later," T'Alos insisted to me and I nodded. I had a lot to think about and I realised I would have to go elsewhere to do it.
~*~*~
A week after the death of the brain bug Male Human barracks
Higgins
With the brain bug destroyed the only real reason we were still on Tophet was clean up detail, at least that's what SICON said; for the Roughnecks this couldn't help but be personal. Due to the wound he gained, T'Phai was unable to join us on duty yet; Ellen was still making sure that he was all right to be back on duty in a few days time.
I was the only one in the male barracks; Brutto and Rico were weight training, Doc and Gossard were in mess, I've not seen Diz in a while and Carl was out on duty with another unit. I liked it quiet, don't get me wrong I like the others but they can be a little . crazy.
The door bleeped, I called for whoever was outside to enter. The door opened allowing T'Alos entry, I looked to him in surprise and he looked back. "Do you wish for a story?" The Skinnie asked me bluntly for his species, I nodded. What else was I supposed to do? It's my job to chase stories.
"Yeah, go on then,"
"I know where L'War is, or roughly where she is." He was right in thinking there was a story here, a major one at that. He started for the door, pausing for me to gather up my gear. "There is a little way to go, but we can walk it."
~*~*~