Wicked Game

"Do you know what year it is?" I ask the patient in the bed as we fly back to Helene Memorial.

"I uh. It's uh...it's 2949?" He asks, eyes slowly darting around.

"Head trauma, logs show he slid off a ledge and made it half a kilometer down a hill on his face. Good thing he was wearing a helmet." Athena says, shining a light into his eyes.

"I'm...I'm okay. I can w-walk it off."

His vitals are iffy but easily manageable. Armor is scraped down to bare metal and the overhead lights reflect harshly.

Rescue beacon came in, Ivy and Morgan were out of the area doing gods-know-what together off-network so Athena and I chipped in to help with medical for Invictus Launch Week. Plenty of people trying the citizen life, established citizens trying new ships and people in the middle finding their place in life.

"You have Tier-one injuries all over, are you new to this whole citizen thing or...?" Athena asks looking over the shopping list of injuries.

"M-muh foot caught onnn th-the tree and uh fehl down da moontain" The goober replies as best he can. She gives the medical terminal two taps and he's asleep.

R: Can comebody come up to the cockpit and fly this thing? I got more dispatch to do and I can't remotely fly this thing all day.

Ath: Yeah, patient is down for nappies, Callie and I can take over.

It's somewhat small, but the Apollo is a lovely and comfy ship. UEEN loaned us one for helping but fuck I NEED ONE.

"Hey 'Thena?" I ask as I take off my gloves and toss then in the waste bin.

"What's up?" She asks as she sits in the pilot's seat and I settle into the copilot.

"Do you think we'll ever retire? Like, I love doing this but do you think there will be a point when we wanna stop? Like I just think we-"

"Callie let's not talk about retirement again, hun." Athena cuts in. "You've threatened to do it several times, yet you're still here. Admit you love the work and move on!"

//OPEN COMMS FROM THE UEEN NAVY//

We have some injured from the Polaris thefts and are running out of hospital room, have any available seats?

I hail the sender back and I see a nurse looking extremely tired.

"Do you have spare beds on whatever you're flying? I know Helene Memorial has plenty of beds in Terra." She grumbles, sounding like a dead woman walking.

"Our T1 bed is taken, We have three seats and a fleet if needed." I respond sweetly.

"Bring everything you got. Medrunners is asking for too much and we know you'll do it for free."

"We can grab three, but I'll have to sort the..."

R: Already done, we have ships on the way.

"Nevermind." I reply. "We'll grab three and a whole fleet will be on the way. We have two Hope-Class Endeavors on the way, and...looks like two more Apollos and and handful of Cutlass Reds. We got you!"

"YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER! LITERALLY!" The nurse says as she passes out and I see she was sitting in a chair before somebody taps on her shoulder to wake her.

"Looks like the medical tower, we'll land up top but the Endeavors will need to dock one at a time." Athena says sounding excited yet tired.

"Athena I'm super thankful for-"

"Why medical, Callie?" She cuts in. "Like of all the things in the known verse to do, why this career field?"

"I um...I love helping people. But the fact that dad loved this and everything I do so much...he was proud of me."

Her body shifts uncomfortably in her seat as ArcCorp zooms into view.

"I didn't know, Callie. I'm...REALLY sorry and didn't mean to bring it up." She says softly.

On the outside I'm calm and collected, even smiling just thinking about Jorg. But deep down, deep in my mind and soul I'm an emotional bomb wating to explode.

The ship calibrates for our next jump and we spline over to Area 18 and make our way over to the hospital, which is surrounded by Naval ships, vehicles and soldiers.

//IDENTIFY YOURSELF OR YOU WILL BE MET WITH FORCE!//

I hail back.

"This is Spacemom Callie, riding with Spacemom Athena on the EMS Spudgun. We're here for pickup of injured, more on the way."

"Land on the rooftop, we have three waiting for pickup."

The landing is smooth as always, but the people rushing stretchers to us and up the ramp as quickly and safely as possible is all but.

"Need me to help back there?" I radio over the intercom.

"No, Ma'am, just get them to safety. You're clear for takeoff in five minutes." One of the medics replies back down the hallway.

We hear shuffling, I check the fleet's location and a traffic marshall gives us a go-ahead to take off.

I click on the external intercom speakers. "More ships are about ten minutes out, two Endeavors and a whole lotta Cutty Reds with two Apollos."

I get a green ping back to confirm we're good and recieved, we take off and make our way out of atmo when my brain starts to itch.

Something in the ship, portside ward...

Door slides open and my suspicions were confirmed, all beds occupied with sleeping patients and a somebody in a corner not moving and the lights are out.

Can't yell, don't wanna wake the patients on either side of the hall so I walk up slowly while drawing out my LH-86 tucked into the back of my pants. I approach and see somebody, human, slumped in a corner and snoring gently.

The sidearm gets tucked back into my pants and I tap them on the shoulder to which they jump but I cover their mouth before they can make a sound.

"Who the fuck are you and why are you on my boat?" I whisper.

They struggle gently and I put my finger to my lips. "Shut up, I'm walking you to the hold."

I let them walk ahead of me and as soon as we make it out of the clean rooms I see scrubs and she puts her hands up. I tap the door panel and it slides shut silently and locks."

"Callie, what the fuck is going on back there?!" Athena says.

"Turn around, slowly. I growl and the woman with short brown hair turns slowly where I see her naval nametag on her scrubs.

Queensland

She kinda looks like...

"You, unknown, identify yourself or I shoot.

"Farah Queensland, Naval surgeon and-" she yawns. "-person who called you for help."

"Queensland...than name sounds familiar."

"Yeah, Fareeah. She gave me your contact info. That's my older sister." She says and part of my brain tingles with happiness.

"Oh wait no shit?!" I chirp almost too happily. "Why are you sleeping on my ambulance?"

Her shoulders slump hard. "Sleep is in short supply since the shit with invictus took over. I don't sleep a whole lot lately."

"Won't you get court marshalled for stowing away?" I ask while relaxing more.

"Did nobody say anything to you? They LET me leave." She says while rubbing her eyes. "Boss woke me up during our call and told me he'd ask you to take me with you."

"Nobody said a damn thing to me, c'mere." I say as I walk past her and over to the cargo room, which has a bed wedged into it.

"Lay down, catch up, we'll be home in about ten minutes. It's not much sleep but I'll call in a favor for you."

She doesn't hesitate, just walks in, lays down, and snores like she's been awake her whole life.

A smile appears as I about-face and walk back to the bridge to rejoin Athena who was about to come barreling down the hallway with her side-piece drawn.

"Sit, we're fine. Just a stowaway." I say as I wave her off and she looks confused.

"How are you so calm about this?" She says, putting the infamous red Coda that belonged to Jojo in the side chest holster under her scrubs.

"I'll explain in a sec."

We sit and I bring up my mobi.

C: Ravi, open a conference channel and add Fareeah and Fishie if you can manage.

Athena damn near jumps in her seat and looks at me like I'm insane.

"WHY DO YOU NEED A CRYPTID?!" She screeches like an Owl.

Before long I see Fareeah's face and a black screen which I can only assume is Swordfish.

"Missed you, Fareeah, how've you been?" I ask and she's bugging out.

"Callie why am I in a call with a cryptid?" She asks and I smile.

"Your sister stowed away on my boat, we picked up patients and she was sleeping in the corner of the portside wing."

"We were wondering where she went, her director has been looking for her." Fish replies cordially.

"I...did not know Grendel had a sister..." Athena mumbles to herself.

"She said she got my contact info from her older sister, and that it was known she'd be coming with me, now assuming she half-lied."

Fareeah looks irritated while code blips across my screen.

"I've released her to you, and I'll have a chat with her C.O. about the transfer. Is she okay?" Fishie says sweetly.

"Marvelous, but y'all really gotta stop overworking her. She needs sleep."

"Callie, if you're taking her may I make a request?" Fareeah says knowing full-well I'd do anything for my crew, past, current and future.

"S'up?" I ask casually.

"I trained her myself in the field back in my navy days, she's a damn good surgeon and I'd love to pass my old callsign over to her."

//STAFF BATABASE CHANGE

//ADD NEW STAFF

//DESIGNATION: MEDICAL

//SUBSECTION: SURGERY

//Farah "Grendel" Queensland

R: Wait, She had a sister?!

ATH: THAT'S WHAT I FUCKEN SAID AAHAHAHAHA!

"Treat my sister right, she's the only blood I have left." Fareeah says softly.

"Hi Callie!" I hear in the background

"Hi Marshall!" I respond and Fish drops off the call.

//DIRECT STAFF ORDER

GRENDEL IS ON BEDREST FOR THE WEEK, SHE IS NOT TO BE DISTURBED.

"Callie, our boats made it to the tower." Athena says.

"Marvellous!" I respond.