Ensign Ras El'Heem - It never goes according to plan Pt. 1

[Ras El'Heem]

((Cargo Bay A-24, Deck 8, Main Module, Deep Space 33))

 

Ras inhaled deeply as he gripped the two makeshift handles holding the Caitian in the canvas stretcher. He looked Jacin in the eyes and nodded as he squatted down and mentally readied himself for the trek they were about to make. Ras may be big, but the endurance and stamina required to lug a patient over long distances was not something he was sure he possessed. It was going to take a large amount of sheer willpower and as many breaks as he could squeeze out of the situation.

 

Hobart: Everybody ready?

 

Jacin / Matthews: Response

 

El’Heem: T'sh'nak'ri. God Willing.

 

It was as if they were in a vacuum. All the sounds of distant explosions and the rocking of the station were muffled. The only thing he could hear was his own breathing. Ras grunted and lifted in tandem with Lt. Jacin and they watched as Bobbart and Jonesy swept the hall outside the cargo bay. Commander Hobart followed behind and the silence continued. Everyone was deeply focused, and nothing was going to distract them from their goal. Both doctors began to move into place after the 3 had disappeared beyond the frame of the door, Matthews right behind them.

 

Hobart: ::whispered:: Three sections up, two sections inboard. And watch your corners.

 

Jacin / Matthews: Response

 

The hallway was littered with various debris and the lights flickered ominously. More often than not, they were bathed in darkness. Ras’s legs pumped and his breathing steadied and he found a rhythm in his march with the stretcher. They followed close behind their escort as the hallway curved to the right, no doubt mirroring the architecture of the outside wall of the station. Maybe the adrenaline dump he had received earlier was preventing another, but the calmness he felt was unfamiliar to him. It’s like his body knew he had a job to do, and anything less of accomplishing it was unacceptable. It didn’t even fight against him. His laser focus was uninterrupted by the sheer devastation they saw. What was once a bustling station of commerce and people milling about was now devoid of anything but the slow flashing red alert lights.

 

Determined to stay out of his own head, Ras watched the first officer like a hawk as they continued. Although they weren’t moving fast, it felt like an hour had passed since they exited Cargo Bay A24. In reality, by the time Bobbart stopped and gestured for the rest of them to do the same, only a few minutes had gone by.

 

Ras couldn’t see what lay around the curve, but Bobbart had clearly been alerted to something up ahead. He stilled his breathing and strained to listen for any clues. And then he heard it. Strange trilling and beeps of communication could be heard not too far ahead. The first officer turned to look back. Ras made eye contact and the finger to Hobart’s mouth indicated what he had predicted. There were Tholians ahead and they were still unaware of their presence. As that realization set in, he watched Bobbart disappear beyond the curve. They waited in silence. Listening to the terrifying noises that emanated from the same direction. Unsure how much time they had, Ras’s adjusted his grip on the stretcher. Wanting to resist the urge to set the woman down in case they needed to retreat hastily, he also knew he needed to conserve his energy. They gently lay the Caitian down and stood in a readied positions in case they needed to bolt.

 

Just as suddenly as she slunk off, Bobbart returned. A few meters back, Ras waited to hear what the situation ahead had in store for them.

 

Bobbart: Forty meters up, two Tholians. Armored.

 

Jones: Only two? You're sure?

 

Bobbart: ::shaking head:: T-intersection. Could be more, but that's all I saw.

 

Hobart: Grenades, then rush.

 

Jones: Don't see any other option, unless we turn back.

 

Jacin / Matthews: Response

 

Ras swallowed deeply as he heard what their escorts were discussing. He couldn’t make it all out, but he could make out enough.

 

Hobart: ::pointing to Jacin and El’Heem:: Stay with her, and stay hidden until it's clear. Matthews, leave the stretcher and whatever else you grabbed from the cargo bay. Weapons only.

 

The two would be alone. Unarmed. With an injured civilian. He trusted them to make it back, but he couldn’t hold down the fear that they would be completely defenseless if the worst occurred.

 

Tags/TBC

 

Ensign Ras El’Heem

Junior Medical Officer

USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)

K240106RE3