J'Sper took down the buckled medical supply box from one of the shelves of the escape pod. After some careful searching he found two painkillers and a clean bandage. After returning the box to its place he turned to the female communications officer. She was sitting on one of the leaning chairs inside the pod. He had cleaned her wound as best as he could, but it would need to be bandaged. He sat down in the other chair and put away the painkillers.

"I will do my best at bandaging the wound, but I lack the medical expertise for any further treatment." He stated.

"It will do nicely." She said. "I am confident you have a steady hand."

"So does your commander, his aim was remarkable until he got shot." J'Sper noted.

"It's not the same thing." She said and looked up on him from underneath the bandage. "I am Alice Silverstone, I do communications mostly but also some rough work, as you man have noticed." She reached forward a hand. J'Sper halted his work and shook it, then he returned to the bandaging.

"J'Sper, Lieutenant, lab officer and now a competent woodsman." A hint of a smile passed his lips.

"Oh! I never met a joking Vulcan before!" Said Alice. "I thought you from Vulcan were supposed to be all snubbing-like." She lifted her head, looking over the bandage. It looked like a white bandana underneath her black hair.

"I was born on Earth." He commented.

"Well then!" She exclaimed. "I won't ask for details! Should we go out to the guys?" He gave a slight nod.

"Just tell me their names first. They are too busy to tell me them themselves."

"We've had a long day… well the entire week has been hectic." Said Alice. "That's Commander Malcolm Reed, he was a MACO Major before "Empress" Hoshi promoted him to her second in command. I do not know… but I heard she actually fancied him a little…" J'Sper's eyebrows went up. She gave a nod towards the Commander. He was doing something with the unknown scanning device that Hayes had carried. He was also a good half a head shorter than J'Sper. There was a certain kind of malignant feel about him. "He was in a coma for over two weeks after being blown up by some lizard; I heard he hasn't regained his form yet. And Hayes managed to get himself put into Reed's agony booth. That's why he's like that…" Continued Alice. "The other one is Commander Charles Tucker III, called Trip. He was the chief engineer onboard the Enterprise and on the Defiant until recent events…" J'Sper found Tucker to be slightly unpleasant, not just because he had been holding a rifle to his back all the way here and his attitude, but also because he had somehow managed to get half of his face scarred in a most displeasing fashion.

Alice continued: "I have been told that he is a wizard with anything mechanical, though. He and Commander Reed do not get along very well, I am surprised they managed not to shoot each other in the woods today..!"

"Why is he scarred like that?" Asked J'Sper. Alice seemed to pale slightly, as if she was anxious about talking of this subject. She continued in a quiet voice.

"Delta radiation damage… I heard he doesn't have long to live…" Alice said with wide eyes. "I…I feel slightly sorry for him actually." J'Sper pulled out the painkillers from his pocket.

"How do you know so much, Alice?" He wondered. Happy to change the subject, Alice turned to him.

"Communication officer, do you remember..? We know everything!" She said smiling; still her eyes lingered on Tucker. "I'm going to sleep now." She said gesturing to her bandage.

J'Sper also walked out; first he gave Tucker his shot of painkillers. The engineer seemed to relax slightly, he lay down on his assigned mattress and closed his eyes without a word. Reed was already expecting him as he sat down next to him by the fire.

"This is everything we have?" He asked in his British dialect. Before J'Sper answered Reed had already injected all the painkillers into his neck.

"We have enough for tomorrow." Answered J'Sper. Reed looked at Hayes.

"What about him?"

"Neural damage as far as I understand, your booth did its job." Reed did not flinch at the comment.

"We were very careful not to include any permanent neural damage when designing the booth; Hoshi must have used something else… But you know what I'm talking about, don't you Lieutenant?" Reed's glance was piercing. "I know what lab assistants do, especially Vulcan ones."

"You know more than you appear to do, Commander." Answered J'Sper. Sometimes, he thought, an unimposing skin hid a most formidable mind.

"I also know that you can do something about it, or at least try." J'Sper raised his eyebrows.

"I have never…" He began. Reed interrupted him.

"Tonight, Lieutenant. That's an order. Help Hayes and help yourself… otherwise Trip'll blast your pointy ears off tomorrow morning. Do you understand?" Reed lay down on his mattress, still holding his rifle in both his hands. His blue eyes were focused on J'Sper.

"I will do what I can to save your Major, but if I do, I want a weapon in return."

"Agreed." Said Reed and closed his eyes, soon he was asleep. J'Sper moved over to Major Hayes. Assured everyone was asleep he put three fingers on each side of the Majors head. Slowly he said:

"Your mind to my mind… Your thoughts to my thoughts…"