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Awakenings

Explosion after explosion tore through the ship. Lt. Trioli staggered to keep his balance as he ran down the corridor. Sparks flew around him as the ship lurched to port. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribs as he followed a young woman to engineering. He had to be at his post. The ship was falling apart around him and there was nothing he could do until he got to engineering. Suddenly there was an almighty bang overhead. The young NCO in front of him flew suddenly sideways as an explosion ripped through the wall beside her. She hit her head with a sickening crunch against the wall and slid to the floor. Lt. Trioli darted over to her and checked her pulse.

"Hull breach in deck 8 section 29. Please evacuate area. Forcefields will be engaged in 20 seconds" came the cool calm voice of the computer as more explosions rocked the ship.

Richard heaved the young woman up and started dragging her backwards to wards the turbolift. Then the plasma conduit ruptured. Turning round the athletic lieutenant saw a huge wall of plasma fire rushing towards him. Then there was just pure, excruciating pain. He felt himself flying backwards. His skin was on fire. He was burning up.

Grey indistinct shapes slipped through his dreams. Haziness and fog were all around them. Snatches of words reached him but none of it made sense. It was just noise and fog. Sound and colourless mist. A dark shape loomed in front of his and pain lanced through his body briefly.

"………He'll be paralysed from the neck downwards and he will only be able to move his right hand…………."

Then the figure faded away again and blackness closed in all around him.

When Richard finally awoke properly he found himself lying in the intensive care unit of sickbay. He turned his head and saw the doctor working in her office to the left of him.
A torrent of questions raced through his mind. What was the status of the ship? How long had he been unconscious? What had happened to the young woman he had tried to save? Who had attacked them? Did the engineering crews need any help? How long ago did it happen?
He turned his head the other way and lying on two beds in the other ICU were three ominous blanketed shapes. He couldn't have been out long then. The doctor obviously hadn't had time to put the deceased into the morgue. He had to get to engineering to find out the status of the ship. He felt fine, if a little groggy. He tried to manoeuvre himself into a sitting position. He was feeling much better. He couldn't feel anything wrong with him at all. Then he realised he couldn't move.
"Doctor." He croaked "Doctor! You can disengage the holding field now. I feel fine."
The young doctor looked up from the padd she was reading and started when she saw him awake. There was something akin to pity in her face as she walked over to him.
"Please try to remain calm," she said. "Lieutenant, I'm afraid there is no restraining field around you."
"What do you mean?"
"When we found you, the plasma conduit rupturing had thrown you against the bulkhead. You've crushed one of your spinal vertebrae. Your lucky to be alive but…" The young doctor trailed off.
"But what?" asked Trioli urgently. He had a sinking feeling in his gut and was feeling slightly panicky.
"I'm sorry but…we couldn't repair the damaged nerve endings. You're paralysed. From now on you won't be able to move anything but your right hand and head." The doctor broke off her brown eyes filling with tears.
The lieutenant looked at her with shocked realisation. His face contorted as the implications of what the doctor had said to him sank in. He would be discharged from Starfleet. He would lose his place on the ship. He would have to rely on other people to do everything for him. His freedom; his whole life had been taken away from him. He had taken his freedom and movement for granted but now they were gone. He would be totally dependant on others for the rest of his life. He would be useless. Useless! He gave out an anguished cry of agony as hot, shameless tears flowed down his cheeks.
The doctor squeezed his hand half smiled at him and went quietly back into her office. As she closed the door she stared at a padd without reading it and a tear leaked out of the corner of her eye. He was the first patient she hadn't been able to help.