Ensign Roy Bancroft - Those Who Remain

[Carter Schimpff]

(( Main Mess Hall - Deck 3, USS Artemis-A ))

Holo-NOT-Grok: We may have one less player but that just means more profit for those who remain! Who will be next to spin my wheel?

Roy watched as the wheel clattered to a halt. 

Eight light years. Not bad. 

He reached for his drink–

–and paused, brow furrowing, as Tho’Bi started to… sing?

Tho'Bi: ::on the count:: What.do.I…have.to.do…

This… didn’t seem like Tho’Bi’s usual flair. This was metric. The Andorian’s voice hitched unnaturally, like someone syncing dialogue to a metronome. 

The Ferengi was grinning.

That was almost never a good sign.

Tho'Bi: UhOh..UhOh..UhOh..UhOh….Oh.No.

The Holo-Ferengi howled with laughter.

Bancroft: ::laughing cautiously:: Very funny, Tho’Bi, but he hasn’t even told you to sing yet. ::beat, glancing at the Ferengi:: Unless this round’s interpretive dance? In which case, I strongly recommend jazz hands.

Except it wasn’t funny. Not anymore. 

Roy thought he could see it now – the slight change in posture, the narrowing of the eyes. The unusual cadence. The tension blooming in Tho’Bi’s jaw. 

Something was off, and it was escalating.

Meris/K'Wara: Response

The next line came out choppy, forced, like he was dragging every word out of his throat by hand. 

Roy’s hands instinctively braced themselves along the sides of his chair.

Tho’Bi: ::slow, deliberate, but on the count:: How…….Much…….

A momentary pause.

Tho’Bi: ::slow, deliberate, but on the count:: I…said…How…….Much…….

Tho'Bi: ::gasp:: 

If this was what Roy suspected, it was already too late to stop the cascade.

If it wasn’t – well, his next words ought to jolt Tho’Bi out of it.

Bancroft: ::brow furrowing, tone shifting:: Ensign Tho’Bi! Report. Now.

No response. Either he hadn’t heard, hadn’t understood, or couldn’t reply.

Meris/K'Wara: Response

Bancroft: ::snapping, louder:: Medical emergency!

Meris/K'Wara: Response

Roy’s chair toppled behind him as he sprinted for the wall-mounted medkit nearby, fingers flying to undo the seal. 

He turned back around just in time to see–

–the spasm. Tho’Bi’s entire body locked up like a drawn cable. The chair rocketed backward, skidding across the deck. When it struck the floor, the impact was enough to silence the room.

Holo-Ferengi: ::bellowing:: Is there a doctor in the house?!

Roy was already kneeling over him. Blood – thick and blue – trickled from his friend’s nose. Limbs jerked violently, then fell still.

Just like that.

Like someone had thrown a switch.

Roy’s tricorder was out before the last tremor ended. His stomach was already bracing for what he didn’t want to see.

He’d been extremely well trained for this. Prepped, drilled, and seasoned again and again.

But those hadn’t included friends.

They hadn’t included blue blood and silence and the awful stillness of someone he’d laughed with less than a minute ago.

Bancroft: ::rapid fire:: Tricorder’s picking up vitals – barely. He needs to be in the ICU right now.

Meris/K'Wara: Response

TAG/End Scene for Bancroft

===

Ensign Roy Bancroft

Medical Officer

USS Artemis-A

A240205RB1