Ensign Bryce Tagren-Quinn - Choices

[Bryce Tagren-Quinn]

((Deck 8, USS Gorkon)

The search and rescue team consisting of Commander Kero, Lieutenants Lephi and Tahna, and Ensign Tagren-Quinn were almost within arm’s reach of pulling out two survivors from a decimated lab before the ceiling came crashing down on them. The once solid structure fell right on the crew they were attempting to save. As it did, the doctor’s tricorder immediately recorded two flatlines. With time ticking away, and potentially more individuals out there to extract, the tension became palpable. 

The decision on what to do next was an impossible one to make.

Tagren-Quinn: =/\= I… I recorded their times of death. We have to push on… for them. =/\=

The way he stood and the way his voice cracked only reinforced the apology that he was unable to vocalize. Typically, it was the doctor who would advocate to exhaust all efforts but he knew that if they spent the time in doing that, then it could cost someone else’s life. If they had the bodies, resources or the time, they might have split to maximize their efforts. It was a luxury that they just did not have.

They all were struggling with it, though. 

Kero: =/\= We'll make sure they're found when we reach spacedock for repairs. Until then, we need to do what we can. Our next steps are the rest of the deck. Once everyone is clear, if there's time, we'll come back for them. =/\=

It was then, the Bajoran scientist turned around at him with a hiss, her voice crackling even if she attempted to exude calm. 

Tahna: =/\= You just said the scans haven’t been reliable, how do you know you accurately recorded their times of death? Is that the one magical thing that the scans are somehow picking up perfectly right now? =/\=

The doctor’s green eyes sparked, his heart aching. He understood her point and admired her for it, but if the fields were able to fail… how many more people might need their help? How much time did they have left before they got crushed under the weight of deck 7? It was becoming more and more unstable as they debated ethics. 

Tagren-Quinn: =/\= I’m sorry, Lieutenant. You are right, I won’t deny you that. Please believe me, though, I would never leave a patient behind but in this particular situation… we could cost more lives. My responsibility is to everyone on this ship. How much more time do we have before this deck collapses under the weight of seven? =/\=

Lephi: =/\= Response? =/\=

Kero: =/\= If they're smart, they'll have seen it coming and ducked under something strong enough to keep the weight from them. Or conjured something from the ether, like scientists do. =/\= 

He had hoped that too. As the dialogue continued, Bryce could not help but think back…

 ((Flashback - Calesian Lunar Colony, Several Years Ago))

The domes enclosing various city-like areas across the dark, cratered surface were almost all entirely compromised, with terra-formed portions frozen and floating with the dust of space. It was dark and eerie, and a shadow of what was once a prosperous colony that once promised opportunity and prosperity to those that flocked there for work and a perceived better future for themselves and family.

Local politics and faulty equipment led to fiery disaster, though. The promise turned to greed, and paranoia. It was a place that had failed, and Starfleet had tried to mediate the situation to no avail. 

Various triage units were weaved and scattered throughout the commotion, the hastily erected systems providing oxygen and other life support. These critical, yet prone areas were unstable and susceptible, though, and were only a bomb away from sending the much needed medical staff into the merciless inkiness vastness of the wretched, yet beautiful cosmos. 

When Bryce had witnessed the situation on a news feed one morning from a doctor’s lounge from the Mayo Clinic on Earth, he was compelled to offer his services along with a legion of other civilian healthcare providers. Their efforts would help to supplement the offering Starfleet Medical sent. 

He knew the situation would be dire, but he hadn’t expected to witness other doctors marking “Xs” on individuals heads, leaving them to die as they moved on to the next patient as the environment outside of their flimsy domes rocked in turmoil.

Living beings came pouring in in staggering numbers, their injuries ranging from scratches and concussions, to dismemberment and exposed innards dripping blood to the floor. 

Tagren-Quinn: We need to prep the surgical suite immediately. His pressure is dropping quickly and we need to stabilize…

He waved a light over the man’s eyes and checked his vitals as he quickly assessing the abdominal injury. The man was still alive, moaning and gurgling, the name of his wife a disjointed mess leaving his lips. An aging Starfleet officer dressed in medical blue emerged immediately to Bryce’s left, pen in his hand and at the ready to mark on his patient’s damp forehead. 

Anderson: There’s no time. We have another group that just came in.

Tagren-Quinn: ::swiping away the other’s hand, his face twisted in a deep frown:: We’re triaging and…

Anderson: …AND I’m telling you, doctor, if you proceed, you’re going to be the one to sign their certificates of death. 

Bryce sternly looked up to the other doctor, disgust seeping in at his words. How dare he speak to him like that? Bodies were bleeding and quivering. There was so much to do and he knew if he had the time, he could save this one life. 

And he did.

But he found that two minor injuries that he could have treated passed in the process. 

They were children. 

Did he trade lives for lives? 

There wasn’t anything in medical school that could ever prepare him for these types of choices. 

((Present Day – Deck 8, USS Gorkon))

These decisions were ones that he did not take lightly but, as a medical professional who had seen death firsthand and the consequences of inaction. It was not something that could be straight forward. Everything was nuanced. 

Kero: =/\= If they're smart, they'll have seen it coming and ducked under something strong enough to keep the weight from them. Or conjured something from the ether, like scientists do. =/\=

Tagren-Quinn: =/\= That would be the best possible scenario. =/\= 

Lephi: =/\= Response? =/\=

Tagren-Quinn: =/\= Given the time we have… ::he looked over at Lephi, who would be the subject matter expert in that regard from an engineering standpoint:: …would we have time to rapidly develop an extraction effort that would afford us enough time to others that might be on this deck? We owe it to THEM as well. =/\=

Kero: =/\= Say we could. ::His frown grew as he considered the options laid out before them.:: Say we had a method of lifting the bulk of the debris up. Would life signs reach us? =/\=

Tagren-Quinn: =/\= I would say yes, but again it would be unreliable. =/\=

The thought of expending time to only see unmoving bodies for their efforts shook at his mind and heart.

Lephi: =/\= Response =/\=

Kero: =/\= Workbees have a tractor beam if a low density one. Enough to lift plates of duranium up. Would that be enough to hold it while we extract our people? =/\=

That was a question that was out of his purview.

Lephi: =/\= Response? =/\=

Tagren-Quinn: =/\= Depending on their injuries, too. We wouldn’t want to do more harm by attempting to rapidly pull them out. We would need to maybe fashion something that would ease that effort, too. =/\=

Tahna: =/\= We could try anti-grav emitters, too. To back up the workbees. =/\=

He nodded, glancing between them all. 

Lephi/Kero: =/\= Response =/\=

Tahna: =/\= I know we have other labs we also need to clear, but if we can get through without spending too much time, don’t we owe it to them to try? And if it takes too much time, we can move on. But we can’t give up without even trying. =/\=

Tagren-Quinn: =/\= I agree. =/\=

He met the Bajoran woman’s gaze and silently apologized again. He definitely understood where she was coming from, but hoped that she would understand where he was on all of this, too. Additionally, it was incredibly important for him that his crew trusted him as their doctor. If they didn’t, then his tenure here wouldn’t last too long. 

Lephi/Kero/Tahna: =/\= Response =/\=

Tagren-Quinn: =/\= The question becomes, where would we find a workerbee? How many would we need? Is there one functional nearby? What about anti-gav emitters? =/\=

Lephi/Kero/Tahna: =/\= Response =/\=

Tagren-Quinn: =/\= I can call ahead to the triage unit the brig so they can dispatch some transporters and nurses in the event that we are able to recover our team-members. If we pull them and they are alive, it’ll give us the time we need to move to the next point. =/\=

Lephi/Kero/Tahna: =/\= Response =/\=

--

Ensign Bryce Tagren-Quinn, M.D.
Medical Officer
USS Gorkon (NCC-82293)

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