Interlude – Part 14 - X Marks The Spot
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
Post Details
ON:
Once the picnic was packed away and the three of them had set off to follow their map towards the place shown where the X marked the spot, their progress was quite uneventful and quick.
They had no idea of the eyes that watched them, following at a discreet distance, nor the eyes that watched and followed the first watcher. The procession of all three parties progressed down into a gulley and across a shallow stream from which, strangely enough, at least two of the Dunham party emerged somewhat soaked.
The 'other' one, the dry one, had to wring out the 'map' to get them to the final landmark, some caves in the foot of a cliff that rose on the far side of the floodplain of the stream which clearly had either once been, or still could be during the rainy season..... a much larger river.
Kim dripped all the way over to the first cave, tugging her soaked Uncle by his sodden sleeve. "Come on, Lazybones!" she chided him. "A little water shouldn't slow you down *this* much!"
"Rick hate water" said Dunham grumpily. He didn't like getting wet...well he did, just not by being pushed into cold streams by a devious niece. "Are we there yet?"
Chelsea laughed at them both and took a reminder look at the map. "Yes we are" she said, looking around. "According to this, *X* is the fourth cave entrance."
"Cave, what cave?" said Dunham, perhaps a bit to seriously, he didn't remember there being any mention of a cave, or an cave on the map. Then again he hadn't read the map. Not that he could if he wanted to. Being a starfleet fighter pilot he had no need for such things, and if he crashed on a planet, that's what tricorders, navigation beacons and emergency kit's were for. But now he was a little worried he had a thing about caves, they always spooked him out, and made him claustrophobic. Odd for a man who had been brought up on the confined spaces of starships and space stations. Maybe it was the natural confinement of a cave that gave him the creeps?
"We can't just stop here" Chelsea protested, not too fond of the idea of caves herself.
"Come ON, scardy cats... " Kim raced ahead, calling back over her shoulder.
"KIM! We should go together in case of danger." Chelsea called urgently after the teenage daredevil who was disappearing into the opening up ahead.
Chelsea turned to Rick. "She shouldn't go in there alone.... " her eyes showed her genuine concern at this development as she pleaded with Rick.
Dunham sighed, "fine", he said in a defeated tone, unable to resist the pout and sad eyes of Chelsea. Dunham followed Kim into the cave. It was a large cave with an entrance bigger than him, the light from outside cascaded in, beating back the darkness, with rays of light. Comforting Dunham slightly as he pressed in. The cave itself, seemed very large and man made, like an abandoned slate mine. The slate itself was black in the rock face, their was a foreboding echo as Dunham asked out for Kim; "Kim?"
"In here" echoed back the reply from much further in. Chelsea had come in behind Rick and she now slid under his arm with a shudder. "Please get her back?" she asked, a shiver in her voice.
"Kiiiiiiiiiiiim?" she called out, the echo making her voice sound all the more wobbly.
"She certainly has her mum's fearlessness" mumbled Dunham to himself as he took out a torch from his rucksack. He switched it on and pressed further into the cave, pushing his own fears down. "Come and take a look at this" came Kim's voice from further back in the cave. As Dunham approached he asked her "What have you found?"
Chelsea hurried after Rick as they all descended deeper into the bowels of the cliff. Being underground with the *safeties* off was not her favourite pastime but she wasn't keen on being left behind either for some reason she couldn't explain. Besides, Kim had to be retrieved and an * in loco parentis * had to shape up or ship out and the latter was so not going to happen. Chelsea splashed along the sandy floor of the cave, finding rocks here and there protruding upwards, all the better to trip up an unsuspecting explorer in the dim light.
~Where is that light coming from?~ Chelsea suddenly asked herself, realising that it wasn't right that there should be any at all.
"Its a god damn spaceship!" said Dunham in shock, his jaw hanging open, as he stared at the small shuttle craft, the light from his torch reflecting off it hull. The shuttle itself bore a heavy resemblance to the old type 15 shuttle pods, small stunted and squatted, it sat there, in the dark gloom like some old toad.
"That's a bit incongruous with a man who goes around bashing holiday makers with a bear-claw, isn't it?" Chelsea wondered.
Kim was already trying to clamber up onto the little ship to try to open the doors from the outside. "Careful baby..... " Chelsea began. "It might have a security.... "
"Put your hands up in the air... all of you! DON'T TURN ROUND! .....and don't try anything..... just stand still with your hands above your heads." A deep, heavily accented voice boomed around the cave from behind them and the sound of an old-fashioned carbine being cocked echoed round the rocky walls.
Chelsea was the furthest back and she gasped as a rough pair of hands frisked her for weapons, patting her clothes to her sides. Satisfied that she wasn't armed, the intruder tugged at her med-kit and back pack and making it difficult to keep her arms up in the air.
"Hey, those are essential medical supp..........ugh....." she began to protest as the contents of the med-kit were discarded, but stopped abruptly as she received a kidney-punch that sent her stumbling forward onto her knees and then face down on the sand covered rock floor.
The assailant stepped over her and threatened Rick not to look round. "I SAID... DON'T turn round!" he growled, lashing out with the back of his large hand towards the back of Rick's turning head. "You want the kid gets it next?" he threatened.
“But how can you shoot me?” said Dunham in a calm voice.
“What?” replied the man gruffly.
“The safety on your gun is switched on, there,” Dunham was pointing at a latch on the side of the pistol; it was situated just above the grip of the handle. Dunham had his head ever so slightly turned to the man trying to keep him in the corner of his vision, and was (with difficulty) trying to point at the latch, with his hands still up above his head in surrender. “Yeah look there, the little latch; it’s switched on to safety.”
“What?” said the man again this time a little more uncertain, he inclined the old fashioned carbine in his hand slightly to look at what Dunham was talking about? It was the opening Dunham had been looking for. With the man’s eyes temporarily off him Dunham brought his right elbow around behind him sharply. He felt the familiar crunch and sound of a breaking nose. Dunham then spun around on the spot, fuelled by anger by his family being threatened and seeing red, Dunham brought his left hand in and wrapped it around the man’s neck, squeezing tightly, his other hand he used to grab the wrist of the hand that was holding the carbine and then with momentum began to push the man towards the cave wall.
Two things then happened simultaneously; there was a loud bang that echoed through the cave ominously, also the sound of a crack as Dunham whacked the man’s head against the cave wall. He slumped into unconsciousness, for a moment he was held up by the neck by Dunham who still had his hand around his throat, he dangled there like a rag doll before Dunham let him go. Dunham took two staggering steps backwards. He placed a hand to his belly, and then brought up his hand. He looked at it his eyes, glazed and unfocused. His hand was dripping red with blood from the bullet wound in his belly, he slumped to his knees, for a moment he could hear heavy booted footsteps, he looked up and saw the local law enforcement officer running down the cave shaft. Then Dunham saw nothing at all.......
Kim and Chelsea watched in horror as the drama unfolded and when the shot rang out and Rick put up his hand covered in blood, Kim screamed and threw herself forward in panic. Chelsea caught her and held her tightly in her arms for a second. "No baby, let me go to him with my medical kit, please stay back out of danger. He'll never forgive me if I don't protect you first but if I have to stay here with you I can't help him. Promise me you'll stay safe and then I can go and help him?
At first Kim struggled in Chelsea's arms but on hearing this reasoning she nodded, sobbing. "It'll be okay, I'll fix it" Chelsea promised rashly but determined to keep that promise both to Kim and to herself.
She moved towards Rick, scraping up the contents of her med kit from the ground where the attacker had emptied it. She took our her scanner just as the Law Enforcement Officer got to them all.
"What's going ere then?" said the law enforcement officer as he trampled onto the scene "what's wrong with him?" He said as he was looking over Chelsea's shoulder as she began her work. But he quickly lost interest before she even replied when he saw the who was slumped against the cave wall "ah ha" he said, seeming unconcerned with what was going on around him, "you're under arrest." he said to the unconscious slump.
~No sh*t, Sherlock?! Pity you didn't get here sooner~ Chelsea couldn't help but bitterly think to herself as she struggled to stop the bleeding from Rick's wound. Fortunately the bullet had cleared right through his right side with an entry wound in his front having cleared below his kidney and missing his major organs. It's trajectory had been angled and the exit wound was on the outside edge of his side at the back, having only torn through muscle and a small amount of intestine on its way through, rather than any vital, life-threatening functions.
She worked fast, scanning for internal areas of problem and used a hand-held ultrasound to put in temporary stops on anything that was leaking that shouldn't have been, she regenerated a layer of temporary cells over each important internal wound.
Then she cleaned the external wounds to prevent infection setting in and shot Rick with a hypospray of broad-spectrum antibiotics via his abdominal wall to kill any that had been already introduced. With his vital signs stabilised, Rick began to regain consciousness so Chelsea shot him with a full vial of pain killers, knowing he would be in agony otherwise. As he tried to sit up, she gently pushed his shoulders back down and beckoned a pale, frightened Kim over to his side. "Keep this bloody Dunham from sitting up, would you baby? You know how stubborn he is!" she smiled, trying to reassure Kim.
Realising her first thoughts towards the officer had been ungrateful as it was just as well that he was here at all, especially as she and Rick had let themselves and worst of all Kim, become embroiled in all this by wandering in like tourists.
"Thank you officer" she finally said as 'the slump' woke up finding himself being cuffed and hauled to his feet by the mountain of a lawman.
"No problem Miss" said the law enforcement officer with slight touch of his hand to his hat, and an incline of his head. He then hefted up the stirring man on the floor, with one hand. “Medical team is on their way, and I’m going to take this slime ball away.”
"Good riddance!" exclaimed Kim, her voice almost a sob as she clung to her stricken uncle for dear life. Chelsea put an arm around her and she let go of Rick and buried her face in Chelsea's shoulder, finally letting go of her emotions.
"H... h...he w...w...won't d...die th...en?" she whispered, still terrified she might lose another of the people she loved, her father's memory pounding in her head.
"No baby, not if I have anything to do with it!" Chelsea replied gently. "besides, he knows better than to cross me!" she winked at Rick and held Kim tightly as the girl released all the tension she had welled up inside.
"You've been very brave darling. It's okay to cry though. Especially now we know he's out of danger. You cry your heart out and make him feel *really* guilty... go on!" Chelsea told Kim, smirking at Rick over her shoulder.
Kim looked up, her cheeks wet with tears and began to protest but realised from Chelsea's smile that she was joking. "We can tease him now, because it's all over." Adams soothed, thinking only about Rick and not realising yet there was more to this with Kim.
"It's all over". Chelsea held Kim close and as her own thoughts began to slow back down, she suddenly realised why Kim was so upset. "Is this about your dad?" she asked softly. "Rick isn't seriously hurt, Kimmy, he'll be just fine, I promise! Look at me Kim... ". Kim obediently looked into Chelsea's green eyes and saw honesty there. She knew the difference.
Many times Kimberly Dunham been told "I'll be back before you know it, Kimmy" or "Daddy won't be away long, Love". Today she saw none of the clues that had always told her in the past that what was being said contained an element of *it's for your own good if you don't know all of this*
Chelsea said "I mean it. He'll be absolutely fine in a few days." It was true and Kim felt safe in believing it. She drew in a shuddering deep breath and nodded, accepting the promise.
Chelsea held Kim's hand tightly in hers but released her from the hug so she could crouch back down and hug Rick now too.
"He'll be grumpy!" Adams added lightly. "Grumpy but fine... so.... 'no change' there then." Another wink at Rick which Kim saw this time.
"I don't care" Kim said, defensively. "As long as he eats his slime coloured sandwiches that I'm going to feed him like a baby. I'm going to take care of him, Chelsea. Every minute until he's better!"
"Good luck keeping him resting then, Doctor Kimberley Dunham! When I had him in Sickbay I couldn't keep him quiet for ten minutes at a time.... even with his body all covered in bandages he wouldn't leave my nurses alone!" she joked. "He'll have you fetching him tea, cookies, playing you at games of Thud all night..... you name it!"
OFF:
A JP Between:
Lt. Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
CMO - DS5
and
Lt Richard Dunham
Squadron Leader
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
Post Details
| Title | Part 14 - X Marks The Spot | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham | |
| Posted | Mon Jun 07, 2010 @ 7:51am | |
| Location | Gravon IV | |
| Timeline | Interlude |
Once the picnic was packed away and the three of them had set off to follow their map towards the place shown where the X marked the spot, their progress was quite uneventful and quick.
They had no idea of the eyes that watched them, following at a discreet distance, nor the eyes that watched and followed the first watcher. The procession of all three parties progressed down into a gulley and across a shallow stream from which, strangely enough, at least two of the Dunham party emerged somewhat soaked.
The 'other' one, the dry one, had to wring out the 'map' to get them to the final landmark, some caves in the foot of a cliff that rose on the far side of the floodplain of the stream which clearly had either once been, or still could be during the rainy season..... a much larger river.
Kim dripped all the way over to the first cave, tugging her soaked Uncle by his sodden sleeve. "Come on, Lazybones!" she chided him. "A little water shouldn't slow you down *this* much!"
"Rick hate water" said Dunham grumpily. He didn't like getting wet...well he did, just not by being pushed into cold streams by a devious niece. "Are we there yet?"
Chelsea laughed at them both and took a reminder look at the map. "Yes we are" she said, looking around. "According to this, *X* is the fourth cave entrance."
"Cave, what cave?" said Dunham, perhaps a bit to seriously, he didn't remember there being any mention of a cave, or an cave on the map. Then again he hadn't read the map. Not that he could if he wanted to. Being a starfleet fighter pilot he had no need for such things, and if he crashed on a planet, that's what tricorders, navigation beacons and emergency kit's were for. But now he was a little worried he had a thing about caves, they always spooked him out, and made him claustrophobic. Odd for a man who had been brought up on the confined spaces of starships and space stations. Maybe it was the natural confinement of a cave that gave him the creeps?
"We can't just stop here" Chelsea protested, not too fond of the idea of caves herself.
"Come ON, scardy cats... " Kim raced ahead, calling back over her shoulder.
"KIM! We should go together in case of danger." Chelsea called urgently after the teenage daredevil who was disappearing into the opening up ahead.
Chelsea turned to Rick. "She shouldn't go in there alone.... " her eyes showed her genuine concern at this development as she pleaded with Rick.
Dunham sighed, "fine", he said in a defeated tone, unable to resist the pout and sad eyes of Chelsea. Dunham followed Kim into the cave. It was a large cave with an entrance bigger than him, the light from outside cascaded in, beating back the darkness, with rays of light. Comforting Dunham slightly as he pressed in. The cave itself, seemed very large and man made, like an abandoned slate mine. The slate itself was black in the rock face, their was a foreboding echo as Dunham asked out for Kim; "Kim?"
"In here" echoed back the reply from much further in. Chelsea had come in behind Rick and she now slid under his arm with a shudder. "Please get her back?" she asked, a shiver in her voice.
"Kiiiiiiiiiiiim?" she called out, the echo making her voice sound all the more wobbly.
"She certainly has her mum's fearlessness" mumbled Dunham to himself as he took out a torch from his rucksack. He switched it on and pressed further into the cave, pushing his own fears down. "Come and take a look at this" came Kim's voice from further back in the cave. As Dunham approached he asked her "What have you found?"
Chelsea hurried after Rick as they all descended deeper into the bowels of the cliff. Being underground with the *safeties* off was not her favourite pastime but she wasn't keen on being left behind either for some reason she couldn't explain. Besides, Kim had to be retrieved and an * in loco parentis * had to shape up or ship out and the latter was so not going to happen. Chelsea splashed along the sandy floor of the cave, finding rocks here and there protruding upwards, all the better to trip up an unsuspecting explorer in the dim light.
~Where is that light coming from?~ Chelsea suddenly asked herself, realising that it wasn't right that there should be any at all.
"Its a god damn spaceship!" said Dunham in shock, his jaw hanging open, as he stared at the small shuttle craft, the light from his torch reflecting off it hull. The shuttle itself bore a heavy resemblance to the old type 15 shuttle pods, small stunted and squatted, it sat there, in the dark gloom like some old toad.
"That's a bit incongruous with a man who goes around bashing holiday makers with a bear-claw, isn't it?" Chelsea wondered.
Kim was already trying to clamber up onto the little ship to try to open the doors from the outside. "Careful baby..... " Chelsea began. "It might have a security.... "
"Put your hands up in the air... all of you! DON'T TURN ROUND! .....and don't try anything..... just stand still with your hands above your heads." A deep, heavily accented voice boomed around the cave from behind them and the sound of an old-fashioned carbine being cocked echoed round the rocky walls.
Chelsea was the furthest back and she gasped as a rough pair of hands frisked her for weapons, patting her clothes to her sides. Satisfied that she wasn't armed, the intruder tugged at her med-kit and back pack and making it difficult to keep her arms up in the air.
"Hey, those are essential medical supp..........ugh....." she began to protest as the contents of the med-kit were discarded, but stopped abruptly as she received a kidney-punch that sent her stumbling forward onto her knees and then face down on the sand covered rock floor.
The assailant stepped over her and threatened Rick not to look round. "I SAID... DON'T turn round!" he growled, lashing out with the back of his large hand towards the back of Rick's turning head. "You want the kid gets it next?" he threatened.
“But how can you shoot me?” said Dunham in a calm voice.
“What?” replied the man gruffly.
“The safety on your gun is switched on, there,” Dunham was pointing at a latch on the side of the pistol; it was situated just above the grip of the handle. Dunham had his head ever so slightly turned to the man trying to keep him in the corner of his vision, and was (with difficulty) trying to point at the latch, with his hands still up above his head in surrender. “Yeah look there, the little latch; it’s switched on to safety.”
“What?” said the man again this time a little more uncertain, he inclined the old fashioned carbine in his hand slightly to look at what Dunham was talking about? It was the opening Dunham had been looking for. With the man’s eyes temporarily off him Dunham brought his right elbow around behind him sharply. He felt the familiar crunch and sound of a breaking nose. Dunham then spun around on the spot, fuelled by anger by his family being threatened and seeing red, Dunham brought his left hand in and wrapped it around the man’s neck, squeezing tightly, his other hand he used to grab the wrist of the hand that was holding the carbine and then with momentum began to push the man towards the cave wall.
Two things then happened simultaneously; there was a loud bang that echoed through the cave ominously, also the sound of a crack as Dunham whacked the man’s head against the cave wall. He slumped into unconsciousness, for a moment he was held up by the neck by Dunham who still had his hand around his throat, he dangled there like a rag doll before Dunham let him go. Dunham took two staggering steps backwards. He placed a hand to his belly, and then brought up his hand. He looked at it his eyes, glazed and unfocused. His hand was dripping red with blood from the bullet wound in his belly, he slumped to his knees, for a moment he could hear heavy booted footsteps, he looked up and saw the local law enforcement officer running down the cave shaft. Then Dunham saw nothing at all.......
Kim and Chelsea watched in horror as the drama unfolded and when the shot rang out and Rick put up his hand covered in blood, Kim screamed and threw herself forward in panic. Chelsea caught her and held her tightly in her arms for a second. "No baby, let me go to him with my medical kit, please stay back out of danger. He'll never forgive me if I don't protect you first but if I have to stay here with you I can't help him. Promise me you'll stay safe and then I can go and help him?
At first Kim struggled in Chelsea's arms but on hearing this reasoning she nodded, sobbing. "It'll be okay, I'll fix it" Chelsea promised rashly but determined to keep that promise both to Kim and to herself.
She moved towards Rick, scraping up the contents of her med kit from the ground where the attacker had emptied it. She took our her scanner just as the Law Enforcement Officer got to them all.
"What's going ere then?" said the law enforcement officer as he trampled onto the scene "what's wrong with him?" He said as he was looking over Chelsea's shoulder as she began her work. But he quickly lost interest before she even replied when he saw the who was slumped against the cave wall "ah ha" he said, seeming unconcerned with what was going on around him, "you're under arrest." he said to the unconscious slump.
~No sh*t, Sherlock?! Pity you didn't get here sooner~ Chelsea couldn't help but bitterly think to herself as she struggled to stop the bleeding from Rick's wound. Fortunately the bullet had cleared right through his right side with an entry wound in his front having cleared below his kidney and missing his major organs. It's trajectory had been angled and the exit wound was on the outside edge of his side at the back, having only torn through muscle and a small amount of intestine on its way through, rather than any vital, life-threatening functions.
She worked fast, scanning for internal areas of problem and used a hand-held ultrasound to put in temporary stops on anything that was leaking that shouldn't have been, she regenerated a layer of temporary cells over each important internal wound.
Then she cleaned the external wounds to prevent infection setting in and shot Rick with a hypospray of broad-spectrum antibiotics via his abdominal wall to kill any that had been already introduced. With his vital signs stabilised, Rick began to regain consciousness so Chelsea shot him with a full vial of pain killers, knowing he would be in agony otherwise. As he tried to sit up, she gently pushed his shoulders back down and beckoned a pale, frightened Kim over to his side. "Keep this bloody Dunham from sitting up, would you baby? You know how stubborn he is!" she smiled, trying to reassure Kim.
Realising her first thoughts towards the officer had been ungrateful as it was just as well that he was here at all, especially as she and Rick had let themselves and worst of all Kim, become embroiled in all this by wandering in like tourists.
"Thank you officer" she finally said as 'the slump' woke up finding himself being cuffed and hauled to his feet by the mountain of a lawman.
"No problem Miss" said the law enforcement officer with slight touch of his hand to his hat, and an incline of his head. He then hefted up the stirring man on the floor, with one hand. “Medical team is on their way, and I’m going to take this slime ball away.”
"Good riddance!" exclaimed Kim, her voice almost a sob as she clung to her stricken uncle for dear life. Chelsea put an arm around her and she let go of Rick and buried her face in Chelsea's shoulder, finally letting go of her emotions.
"H... h...he w...w...won't d...die th...en?" she whispered, still terrified she might lose another of the people she loved, her father's memory pounding in her head.
"No baby, not if I have anything to do with it!" Chelsea replied gently. "besides, he knows better than to cross me!" she winked at Rick and held Kim tightly as the girl released all the tension she had welled up inside.
"You've been very brave darling. It's okay to cry though. Especially now we know he's out of danger. You cry your heart out and make him feel *really* guilty... go on!" Chelsea told Kim, smirking at Rick over her shoulder.
Kim looked up, her cheeks wet with tears and began to protest but realised from Chelsea's smile that she was joking. "We can tease him now, because it's all over." Adams soothed, thinking only about Rick and not realising yet there was more to this with Kim.
"It's all over". Chelsea held Kim close and as her own thoughts began to slow back down, she suddenly realised why Kim was so upset. "Is this about your dad?" she asked softly. "Rick isn't seriously hurt, Kimmy, he'll be just fine, I promise! Look at me Kim... ". Kim obediently looked into Chelsea's green eyes and saw honesty there. She knew the difference.
Many times Kimberly Dunham been told "I'll be back before you know it, Kimmy" or "Daddy won't be away long, Love". Today she saw none of the clues that had always told her in the past that what was being said contained an element of *it's for your own good if you don't know all of this*
Chelsea said "I mean it. He'll be absolutely fine in a few days." It was true and Kim felt safe in believing it. She drew in a shuddering deep breath and nodded, accepting the promise.
Chelsea held Kim's hand tightly in hers but released her from the hug so she could crouch back down and hug Rick now too.
"He'll be grumpy!" Adams added lightly. "Grumpy but fine... so.... 'no change' there then." Another wink at Rick which Kim saw this time.
"I don't care" Kim said, defensively. "As long as he eats his slime coloured sandwiches that I'm going to feed him like a baby. I'm going to take care of him, Chelsea. Every minute until he's better!"
"Good luck keeping him resting then, Doctor Kimberley Dunham! When I had him in Sickbay I couldn't keep him quiet for ten minutes at a time.... even with his body all covered in bandages he wouldn't leave my nurses alone!" she joked. "He'll have you fetching him tea, cookies, playing you at games of Thud all night..... you name it!"
OFF:
A JP Between:
Lt. Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
CMO - DS5
and
Lt Richard Dunham
Squadron Leader