Time Lost Children

Posted on Thu Jan 5, 2017 @ 3:12pm by Commander Caleb Ryan & Lieutenant Liam Reynolds & Civilian Hydel Turvan

2,058 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Rumours
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD 3 1800

ON:

Caleb rolled his shoulder. He was familiar with the stiffness and sensitivity of newly regenerated tissue after all these years. It didn’t make the itching any less annoying. He stood on the other side of the glass as the medical personnel moved the young Cardassian boy he had rescued into a recovery suite. They said the boy would live and recover. Children were remarkably resilient across species, apparently.

Caleb rubbed his fingers into his eyes. What had he been thinking?

Liam could sense the chief berating himself. He watched the man, knowing full well that if he had managed to catch up with the little girl he would have done exactly the same; get her to safety and away from the Dominion. However, it was not that simple. It never was, and now he was stuck trying to get hold of the Cardassian ambassador. And he was sure the reaction from their diplomatic attachment would certainly not be simple.

Liam managed to speak to Hydel’s assistant. Only the goddesses knew what he was really doing when she informed him that he could not be disturbed for any reason. Perhaps Hydel was screening him, Liam mused. "Okay, well, can you leave him a message that there is a Cardassian child from Pangaea in Sickbay. He may wish to get down here," he finished.

As she signed off, Liam leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. This was going to blow up into a big mess. He knew it, and Hydel would relish every moment, no doubt.

Caleb looked up and saw Liam standing there in Sickbay. Well, best get things over with. He walked over to the Chief Diplomatic Officer. “Well, guess Ah really stepped in it this time,” he said resignedly.

"The official line we will go with is you did what you thought best for the safety of the child in the heat of the moment," Liam said diplomatically. "If they disagree, we apologize and ask how to move forward. My worry is they will spin this out and try make it into a ploy to get control of the planet and use this incident to paint us in another color with the rest of the delegations and amass support in that direction. Whatever stance Ambassador Turvan tries, it’s important not to let him get to you, okay. Make sure you keep calm."

Caleb nodded. “Ah can handle a Cardassian,” he said. “He’s more your responsibility.” Caleb gave Liam a sympathetic smile. “Guess Ah was thinkin’ more about when Temporal Affairs comes bustin’ down mah door.”

"Let’s take one thing at a time," Liam suggested. Then he thought about it. "I am not sure how much diplomacy can help if it comes to Temporal Affairs coming in to this."

“No, Ah don’t doubt that it will help much,” Caleb had to agree.

***

It took Ambassador Turvan several minutes to make his way from the Cardassian Embassy down to the Sickbay. He was certain that he had knocked down several hapless Starfleet personnel as he made his way through the junctions; however, he was not concerned with them at the moment. Instead he was focused on the child that had been recovered on Pangaea and was now under Federation control.

Turvan stepped through the doors as they hissed open and looked around, impatient. "Where is the child?" he asked to the first medical personnel he saw walk past his view. He certainly had dispensed with the pleasantries in light of the sudden news.

The nurse pointed the tall Cardassian in the direction of Commander Ryan and Lieutenant Reynolds. Caleb turned as he heard the bluster of the Cardassian diplomat.

“Ambassador,” Caleb said as he approached, offering the alien his hand. “The boy is being attended to by the medical staff. He was badly injured.” Caleb rolled his own shoulder a bit as he remembered the pain of the Jem’Hadar blaster. “I haven’t heard from Medical on his prognosis yet.”

"There was a portal on the planet Pangaea," Liam stated. "Like the ones we all experienced when we went down to the planet. Upon exploration, it transported people back in time to Cardassia when you were allied with the Dominion. The Jem'Hadar were baring down on the away team, and they gave us no opportunity to explain anything or who we were. There were some children. The Chief attempted to rescue the child from being killed by the Jem'Hadar during this incident."

Ambassador Turvan processed the information as the two Federation officers spoke to him simultaneously. His attention was first drawn to the security chief and the obvious injury that he was still laboring under. However, that changed once his brain finally acknowledged what was said by the diplomat beside him.

"Your officers traveled back in time to Cardassia and engaged in a fire fight with Cardassian forces. Do you have any idea what damage could have possibly been done to my people?" the Cardassian said more than actually asked. "I want a full casualty report detailing the exact number of soldiers you encountered, as well as a transcript of anything that was said," he said while he immediately tried to calculate just what exactly would be necessary to counteract the potential problems that may not even be fully understood or realized.

"And before either one of you say another word, retrieve the child before you cause any further harm," he said stoically.

“You will have as fully detailed a report as can be expected when it is ready,” Caleb answered neutrally. “There were no Cardassian soldiers present, just Jem’Hadar. One little boy was killed,” Caleb said sadly. “The other boy is in surgery currently. Ah managed ta take most of the disruptor blast before it hit the boy, but we had trouble handlin’ the injury in the field because of the anti-coagulant in Jem’Hadar disruptors, so the boy was in critical condition. Ah made the decision not to leave him ta die an’ brought him here for treatment.”

Ambassador Turvan shook his head and tried to stifle a laugh as he continued to listen to the details of the situation. "As a distinguished soldier and now as a diplomat, there are very few things that surprise me," he began. "However, this level of incompetence by you and your subordinates has been absolutely breathtaking, Commander Ryan," he said pointedly. "As soon as the child is stabilized, I want him returned immediately to Cardassian custody. Thankfully, the 127th is in close proximity and will provide the appropriate medical care for our own kind," he said.

"We have excellent staff and facilities here, Ambassador. That little boy is being cared for with the greatest skill. I don't see what field medics can offer that would be more appropriate than a fully equipped, highly trained station main medical facility. This is the equivalent of a city hospital!" Amia wasn't having anyone, no matter how self-important they might think they were, dissing her state-of-the-art facilities or the competence of her highly trained and talented staff.

Turvan turned to Liam. "Your security forces have already caused enough damage to my people. I suggest you rein in your medical staff as well before they make matters considerably worse," he said while shifting his attention to the vexed medical officer.

"The 127th Tactical Wing is a part of the Sixth Order. The Sixth Order has a long and proud history of being on the forefront of Cardassian exploration and development. I can assure you that our medics will do much better in caring for one of our own than Federation personnel on a far-flung outpost that can't even save a Ferengi diplomat's life," Ambassador Turvan said, taking a direct swipe at the recent loss of Nazl.

Caleb kept his face neutral, though his hands flexed slightly. “If the boy’s primary medical attendant signs off on the boy’s medical state and ability ta be transported, then he will be, once proper chain of custody for a minor has been determined,” Caleb told Turvan. “You were informed as a courtesy, Ambassador, so you could aid in the process. For now, he remains under Starfleet protection.”

Ambassador Turvan sighed outwardly and stared at the Human for several long seconds. He locked eyes with him before finally beginning to speak. "While I'm certain that the entire concept of family decency would be lost on someone like you and your daughter, I'll attempt to make it as simple as possible for you," he said dismissively. "That child in there is a Cardassian citizen," he said, pointing in the direction of the child's surgical area, "that has been stolen from his home and his time by your kind," he said, directing his finger specifically at the security officer. "We, as Cardassians, do not abide by some cold and calculated concept of custody. The boy is a son of Cardassia; therefore, we all are his family, and we all will take the necessary steps to bring him home," Ambassador Turvan said tensely. "Do not misinterpret my diplomatic overture," he said stoically.

"Okay," Liam said, finally wading in, "A child was rescued from a dangerous situation. We didn't ask to be transported back in time to Cardassia. That was the Fae portals. And he certainly wasn't stolen in any shape or form, and if our objective had been to steal a child, would I have alerted you to the situation at all, Ambassador? The chief did what he thought best in the heat of the moment. If you had been told we had just left the child there to die, you would be singing a completely different tune now, and you know it. Things happen. Like more recently one of your wings managed to practically obliterate a Bajoran ship in a misunderstanding in which you, the Cardassians, deemed a dangerous situation. And in terms of demanding reports, I think that's a bit rich considering we are still waiting for the recordings of what happened in the Bajoran incident.

"The boy will be returned into Cardassian custody only when the Chief Medical Officer deems it fit to do so and the Chief of Security is happy that the appropriate custody trail is met. She is the senior medical official and she is one of the best doctors in the Alpha Quadrant. You should consider yourself or any Cardassian lucky to be under her care," Liam stated proudly at Amia before turning back to Turvan. "And that man," he pointed at Caleb, "took a shot in the back from your former allies to protect that boy in there. Ambassador, it’s just an observation, but why stay in a job onboard a station that you feel the need to state is completely substandard in every department and at every situation?" he asked simply. "And why again is another wing of your government’s ships in close proximity to this station?"

"That child deserved to remain within his own time period and to face whatever fate that was destined for him," Ambassador Turvan sharply replied. "It is astounding that the Federation would be so arrogant as to think that Cardassia should thank you for ripping a child from his family and 'graciously' returning them to their family nearly twenty years later, as if you have done us some favor," Ambassador Turvan said fiercely.

"My job on this station is to be a constant reminder of Cardassia's attempts to protect its interest through diplomatic means," he said as his voice began to temper to a much more settled level. "The tactical wing is here just in case those actions don't work," he concluded.

"You all will hear from me again, and I expect that child to be prepped and ready to be returned to Cardassia," he said as he turned and walked away from the two officers.

When the Cardassian mentioned his daughter, Caleb nearly created a diplomatic incident. Thankfully, Liam was much more tactful. So Caleb just seethed as the Cardassian bastard walked away. He turned back to watch the boy on the operating table.

OFF:

Cmdr. Caleb Ryan
Chief of Security/Tactical

Hydel Turvan
Ambassador
Cardassian Empire

Lieutenant Liam Reynolds
Chief Diplomat

 

RSS Feed