Settling Old Scores, Part 3 (Conclusion)

Posted on Wed Jan 21, 2015 @ 3:52pm by Commander Caleb Ryan & Civilian Aleczandra Naqiis-Ryan

885 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Things Past
Location: Risa
Timeline: FLASHBACK: 2 years ago

Caleb collapsed onto the grassy bank of a river as his leg gave out. Aleczandra rolled off his shoulders with a slight exhalation as the air was knocked out of her. He managed to catch his unconscious daughter before she rolled into the swift-running stream. His leg throbbed in agony. It was dark, there was barely any moonlight, and this wasn’t the first fall he’d taken since leaving the crash site and stumbling through the jungle.

Caleb pulled Aleczandra back under the trees and pulled the hand light out of the survival kit he’d brought from the shuttle, checking over her injuries. She hadn’t awakened all day and that had him concerned. He ran a tricorder over her head to scan her concussion and then over her belly to check on the status of Naqiis. The symbiont seemed to be doing okay, at least for now. He pulled out the heating unit and set it up near his daughter before finally slumping against a tree and checking his leg.

Caleb’s leg didn’t look good. The wound was red and puffy, seeping. He dug out some more disinfectant from the med kit to clean it, rolling up a wad of cloth to bite down on as the agony seared through his leg. He must have passed out for a bit, too. Once the wound was clean, Caleb just lay panting against the tree as the moons rose over Risa.

Caleb checked the map and cursed. He hadn’t gotten nearly far enough today. The leg was slowing him down considerably and he had taken too many rests. He needed a better way to carry Aleczandra. In the morning, he would build a travois.

He pulled over the last piece of luggage he’d brought with him, unzipping the duffel and hauling out the shuttle’s broken comm unit. If he could get it working, he could contact the ranger station and they could send a shuttle to pick them up. Caleb knew he should sleep, but instead he opened the tool kit.

Morning came too soon. After his futile repair efforts and a scant few hours’ sleep, Caleb was up with the birds. He used a phaser to cut down and prepare two long poles and slung the emergency blanket between them. Settling Aleczandra onto the blanket, he tied her down securely and then gave her some water. Filling the canteens from the stream, he hauled up the travois and headed out again.

By the next night, Caleb knew he wasn’t going to make it in time. His leg kept collapsing and he was forced to stop by the time the heat of midday arrived. His only hope was to get the comm panel working, and that was looking more and more impossible without spare parts. Cursing God and Fate and whatever else in the galaxy conspired against him, Caleb sank down in dejection and buried his head in his hands, sobbing.

“Daddy…”

Caleb looked up, hurriedly wiping at tears that mixed with the sweat running down his face. He dragged his injured leg as he crawled over to his daughter.

“It’s okay, Zandy-bear,” Caleb said, voice hoarse from crying. “Ah’m here.”

“Daddy? The shuttle…my head…”

“There was an accident,” Caleb said, though he knew it had been sabotage, attempted murder.

“Mommy?”

“Mommy didn’t make it,” Caleb choked. He had to be strong, strong for his little girl. He pulled Zandy into his lap, holding her close, rocking her.

“Daddy, I feel…funny,” Aleczandra said, touching her stomach. “And my head hurts.”

“You have a concussion, Bear,” Caleb said. “You should be okay, though. You just need rest. And…” he put his hand on Aleczandra’s stomach, “you have Mommy in you now…”

****

Three days later, hiking tourists found Caleb and Aleczandra still stumbling through the jungle. They contacted the ranger station and the pair, dehydrated, sunburned, and Aleczandra badly in danger of an allergic reaction to bug bites, they were lifted out of the jungle and to the nearest hospital. Within the week Lt. Commander Eve Three, Chief Tactical Officer, had arrived from the USS Nemesis with the ship’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Zoe Desatu to claim them and take control of the investigation into the ‘accident’.

“Zoe…” Caleb said, grasping the doctor’s arm as she passed him in the back of the runabout. “Aleczandra…”

“Will be fine, Caleb,” Zoe said quietly. “And so will Naqiis.”

Caleb nodded. “Ah didn’t mean…it took too long to get out.”

“You did what you had to, Caleb,” Zoe said quietly.

“You can’t tell anyone! They’ll take her from me!” Caleb said desperately. “Reassociation…”

Zoe pressed his hand. “You know this wouldn’t be the first time this crew has bent the rules to protect its own, Caleb,” the pretty, dark-skinned El-Aurian said. “I’ll keep it out of her medical file; make a separate file for Naqiis.”

Caleb nodded. “Thank you,” he said.

Zoe leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I am sorry for your loss, Caleb. Mika was a good woman.”

Caleb could only weep.

FIN

Lt. Cmdr. Caleb Ryan
Chief of Strategic Operations
USS Nemesis

Aleczandra Naqiis Ryan
His daughter

Lt. Cmdr. Zoe Desatu
Chief Medical Officer
USS Nemesis

 

RSS Feed