Combat Experience
Posted on Sun Jul 5th, 2020 @ 7:10pm by Major Samuel King & Lieutenant Avira zh'Kenarh M.D.
Mission:
Mission 3 - 100
Location: MACO Barracks, then Mess Hall
1807 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure
Avira had been at a bit of a loss for the past day. It had been a mess since they lost Doctor Seong in the last Vrav attack. Now she stood in front of the MACO barracks with a silent determination keeping her shoulders and chest held high. She stepped into the room and any conversation that was ongoing fell silent, "Major Samuel King?" She asked in general, figuring that people would point her in the right direction, or the Major himself would step forward.
Sam had lost people before and he felt everyone's departure the same no matter who they were but he had been taken a shine to the good doctor Seong. He would joke with her and she would have none of it, it was an amusing relationship but still he had hope they would become friends. Sadly that was not meant to be. He had heard the low rumble of his MACO's talking in the other room suddenly come to a halt and usually that only happened when a foreign presence entered.
He chuckled to himself at the mindset MACO's have, suspicious of everyone that is not their own. Rising from his seat, his moping for the day done, he moved to the doors that swished open and he smiled. He had met a few Andorians in his time but they were mostly men and only a few women but this woman was striking. "That would be me." he said leaning on the door frame and folding his arms. They had never formally met but he knew who she was. The Andorian compliment being a rather small one on board.
"Hello, Major, I'm Avira zh'Kenarh," She allowed for a moment to allow the tones of her name sink in with someone that would not be used to them, "but you may call me Doctor Avi," she looked around the room, her antennae seemingly scanning the environment, "with the loss of Doctor Seong I'm the senior-most medical professional on board, and looking at the MACO's records I see that you're last first aid training has been some time ago." She looked around the room, knowing how a close-knit group would react to a stranger stepping into their bay and assuming things about their combat readiness, "I was a field medic in the Andorian Imperial Guard, and I figured I might be able to help you out with that."
The mention of her name made Sam unfold his arms and look around the room as the good Doctor kept talking. Those that looked his way were watching their every move and in the past he would have shrugged off the offer of assistance but these were unprecedented times and the less resistance he showed to his fleet counterparts would filter into the MACO's under his command. "Then we are lucky to have someone of your expertise Doctor." he said with a nod. "We welcome your help." he said loudly for the room to hear.
Avira's antennae perked up at the easy acceptance of her offer for help, she had not expected this from anyone on the ship, least of all these MACOs, "Perhaps you'd like to discuss how we could help each other over lunch?" She stepped back and looked over in the direction of the lift that would be able to take them to the deck where the mess hall resided.
Sam noted her surprise and smiled. "Asking me out already Doctor." he joked holding his hands up. "Sounds good to me." he added gesturing for her head for the lift. As they walked over he spoke quietly. "Don't seem so surprised Doctor, not all of us are resistant to change and I know putting up walls helps no-one. We are an adaptive bunch, we just get a bad reputation for not playing well with others."
Some days Avira could kick herself for not having more control over her antennae, then again there were very few Andorians that did, "Not something I have much control over, hope you do not hold it against me." They both arrived at the lift and pressed the button to call it down to their deck, "your team must be hurting over the past few assaults." She looked at him, antennae drooping slightly down
Sam chuckled, "I never hold anything against any woman who can patch me up." he replied as they stepped into the lift. He pressed the appropriate button for the mess hall and they set off. "They have suffered more recently than I would have liked them too." he said resignedly. "I try to protect as many as I can, and by that I mean everyone but it can be difficult in the face of an adversary you know nothing about. If anything the Xindi have taught us that much."
Avira nodded as she stepped into the lift and pushed the button for the right deck, "I've been there," she had a lot of memories of her close friends and colleagues pleading for her help, that was the nature of her job in the squad, "people really need someone they can rely on in those situations, from what I can tell you offer them exactly that."
Sam smiled into himself. "I would protect them, everyone, until my dying breath." he admitted. "But I don't plan going anywhere for a good long while." The lift shuddered for a moment as it came to stop and the doors opened. He gestured for Avira to walk out first as he was a gentleman after all. "Plus hopefully you wont let any serious injuries take me down?" he half asked.
"Well, it's going to be weird sorting through all of your exotic little organs," Avira wanted to make light of the situation, but it brought back the memory of trying to save her predecessor, she had made her statement a little more morbid than she had intended it to be, "I apologise, that was insensitive."
Sam laughed, "Don't be silly love. I can promise you there is nothing 'exotic' about me at all." he said rather amused. He knew she had not meant it as such but he had forgotten that for a brief moment that she was not Human and probably far more familiar with her own species' anatomy. Sam didn't often look at race as a thing, he looked at the whole person, their skills and personality.
There was a frown of confusion when the man called her 'love', Avira was not really familiar with this man and already he was professing his infatuation with her? She didn't remember that from her orientation on human culture, "I'm sorry, but this lunch is strictly a professional endeavour. I wish to make sure the MACO's are well prepared in case they get hurt in the field. If I have given you the idea that this was more than that, I apologise."
"Wait, what?" Sam asked in a confused manner. He had no idea what she was talking about. He had never assumed it was anything more than a normal lunch with a colleague. Yes she was attractive but he hadn't any idea where she was coming from, He shook his head a little, "Why would you think it was anything but professional?" he asked.
"Ehm," Avira gave a bit of a crooked grin, "You expressed your infatuation with me." Her antennae seemed to bob up and down nervously a bit as she spoke quietly, not wanting to embarrass him as they were approaching a more crowded mess hall area.
"My infatuation?" he asked rhetorically as he thought back to what he said. Then it clicked, the 'love', a local thing from Earth. "Ohhh, no..." he laughed a little. "When I said love it was just the way I speak. From Earth, England in particular, it is just part of the way we speak. It does suggest familiarity I agree but it can put people at ease. Sorry if you thought I was professing my love." He watched her antennae twitching and he smiled. "Not to worry, I am famished though." he grinned.
The colour on Avira's cheeks turned a shade of darker blue, "I could eat" She was happy for the opportunity to skip over the awkward interaction between them. She stepped into the mess hall and looked around for a free spot near the window. It wasn't too busy and a spot was easily found. They were all still on rations but as an Andorian, and sometimes being here when it was busy really made her uncomfortable as she needed slightly more food than the humans on board, due to her Andorian metabolism.
"I actually don't mind rations." Sam admitted as they moved in to the room a little more and picked up their food. "I suppose I am used to them after a lifetime of eating them." he chuckled to himself. He did notice that Avira had taken a larger quantity than himself and it made him smile a little. He did like a woman who could eat, too many hid behind the pleasantries of social graces of society.
"From a medical perspective, I'm hoping for some more diversity in nutrition for the crew," Avira looked down on her meal and stabbed a part of it with her fork, "So, tell me, what's the level of first aid readiness that your soldiers have?"
"Well I wouldn't say no to a steak Doc." Sam laughed but her question peaked an interesting thought. He had never really considered what the first aid capabilities of his MACO's were. "Gunnery Sergeant Rhodes and I have basic field knowledge of triage in combat. Some of the enlisted have first aid knowledge but basic skills such as CPR, recovery position and bandaging etc but we lost our medic during our 'trip' here." he sighed resignedly at the thought of losing Manning.
"Oh, steak. With your Terran onions," Avira nodded, "I do love that." she sighed, there was a sigh of sad realisation that she would not be getting that taste anymore. A lifetime spent away from the places she knew and loved.. and hated, "So, uh. Very little medical experience then, if in the short term you need someone, I can come along. If the Commander allows. That should buy us some time to allow for us to train up your squad."
"I cant think of a better idea Doctor." Sam said with a smile. "You train the grunts well and I'll make sure there is a steak with onions sitting on this table for you next time we find decent meat!" he grinned.
"That's a deal!" Avi ate her algae-based food, it was good to mingle a bit more with the crew, she hadn't been doing so lately.
Major Samuel King
MACO Commanding Officer
NX-Atlantis
Doctor Avira zh'Kenarh
Chief Medical Officer
NX-Atlantis
