Reed
The lampshade has faded yellow roses on it.
This is surprising, but not very, because I haven't the energy to be very surprised about anything. I just lie there looking at it hazily for a while before something else catches my attention.
There's a bar of yellow sunshine on the wall beyond it, and a small, flickering shape across it resolves itself presently as the shadow of a butterfly fluttering against the window. Maybe one of Phlox's moth larvae hatched and escaped or something.
I still can't work out where the lampshade fits into this. I'm damned if I've seen one of those in Sickbay before. Come to think of it, Sickbay has no external viewing ports, so where's the sunlight coming from?
I'm lying on my stomach, which isn't so surprising, but what I find when I try – rather cautiously – to move is less surprising than unwelcome. I'm wearing a Foley catheter, and not for the first time I might add.
Bloody hell.
What is this place? The more I look at it the less like Sickbay it appears.
Actually it's not Sickbay at all.
Memory crashes in on me, so vivid that I seize the sides of the mattress, bracing myself. The movement, however, doesn't bring the instant surge of agony that I expect. It's uncomfortable, bordering on painful, but it's bearable. My wrists have dressings on them and my back feels stiff and sore, but that's pretty well it.
"Malcolm. It's okay. You're safe."
This is Trip's bed, and the owner of it is sitting beside me.
I blink at him owlishly, and then I see who's standing behind him, and I freeze.
Trip pats me reassuringly on the arm. "You're going to be fine, Malcolm. But if you're feeling up to it, the sheriff here would like to take a statement."
"I appreciate you're not in the best shape right now, Lieutenant Reed. I'll only need to talk to you in private for a few minutes. I'm sure Commander Tucker here will excuse us."
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Where there's one rat there's usually a fucking nest of them.
Trip introduces the visitor. It's all I can do not to burst out laughing.
Sheriff Harris, as I live and breathe.
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