What happened to you?

Posted on Sun Dec 8th, 2024 @ 3:57pm by Commander Jade Troconis & Lieutenant Commander Matthew Foster

1,025 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: In Between
Location: XO office
Timeline: After the return

Jade sat in her office, her uniform tunic unzipped, Right now she was just needing to not feel stifled, she did have a red tee shirt she wore beneath the tunic. She stared at the view of the planet below, Earth, and not the earth that she was familiar with. It predated when she was born. There was someone she wished to speak with, and that was Commander Foster.

"Commander Foster would you come see me in my office?"

Matt stepped to the wall and acknowledged the XO's request over the intercom. He'd lost his combadge during transport.

The stresses of the few days began to catch up with him. He went directly to the XO's office without a thought of stopping at his quarters to change his clothes. He arrived at Jade's door, still dressed as a British warrant officer, without his coat or boots, and soaking wet. At least he had stopped dripping.

"Reporting as ordered, Commander," he said crisply after she let him into the office.

"Good heavens!" rising from her chair. "You just arrived back on the ship?" walking over to pick up the blanket she had on the couch unfolding it and wrapping it around Foster. "Lets get you to your quarters now, you need a shower and some dry clothing. I'll walk with you and we can talk as we head to your quarters."

Matt looked down at his clothing. He looked at Jade, then at his clothes again. He patted his damp shirt.

"Ah...yes," he said, nodding. "I should have thought of that myself."

He turned and lurched toward the door. After a few steps, he found himself sagging against Jade.

"Maybe Sickbay would be a better idea," he murmured.

"I agree with you there." Jade's arm wrapping around him. "Transporter chief, beam myself and Lieutenant Foster to sickbay."

The shimmering effect of the transporter beam surrounded Jade and Matt, then they rematerialized inside Sickbay,

"Here lets get him into dry clothing and check on his vitals." Jade snapping out command for some of the medical staff to come help out Matt. She moved aside when she was asked to wait away from where they were tending to him.

Matt struggled against the nurse so much that the man had to call for an orderly and a security officer just to get him out of the wet clothing. Once he had been through a quick sonic shower and dressed in a gown, he was strapped to a diagnostic bed. A junior doctor examined him carefully.

The entire time, Matt kept up a continuous protest.

"I just need a cup of coffee," he kept saying. "I'll be fine after a cuppa."

When the doctor had finished her examination and Matt was sipping contentedly on a cup of coffee, she approached the XO.

"Commander Foster will make a complete recovery," she said to Jade. "He's suffering from mild timesickness, is showing signs of a good deal of stress, and has a pretty bad case of food poisoning."

"I see and thank you for the report." Jade stepping in to where Matt was now situated, "You caused quite a bit of a stir in here." having a look of amusement in her eyes as she approached the man. "I could wait until you are feeling better to ask questions as to what happened to you."

"No," Matt said, setting the cup of coffee aside. "I'm feeling better. I think it might help to talk about the last couple of days."

"Alright then, what did happen to you, and what ship did you end up finding yourself on?" Jade getting a stool to sit near Matt. "I am all ears." giving a smile of encouragement.

"Well...I started in a boat," Matt said. "We pulled up alongside HMS Mars."

He paused, lost in thought for a moment. "That’s odd," he said at last. "I was named after an ancestor who served aboard that ship during Trafalgar. And I think I met him."

Matt paused again, thinking of the grumbling old sailor who'd shown him to his cabin. He shuddered and continued.

"I had been assigned to the ship as a surgeon's mate," he said. "With written orders. It was so strange. I was myself, but I was also a British sailor. It was like I'd been implanted with a set of memories and skills that I didn't have before."

Jade blinked a couple of times, as she took in the information that Matt had given to her. "That is definitely mind boggling to say the least. Do you have someone in your ancestry that has medical knowlege? I have always had the notion that something that our ancestors had studied in the past is linked to the genetic coding of us."

"I suppose it's possible that an ancestor was a physician," Matt replied slowly. "I don't think that's what happened, though. I had a piece of paper with my name on it, or at least the name I was using. It felt like I was there for a reason. And that my duty, whatever it was, had been fulfilled. Which is why I was allowed to return."

He gave her a little smile. "I guess that makes me sound nuts."

Jade shook her head, "I do not find that way of thinking sounding insane at all. If I hadn't had myy own strange experience and we weren't in the situation we are in, maybe I would have?" giving him a wink letting him know that she was teasing.

Matt nodded slowly. "I suppose," he said. "That doesn't make it any less unsettling. I just hope I didn't change history too much."

He threw off the blanket covering him. "I'm feeling better. Whatever the situation, we've got a problem to solve," he said as he spun to dangle his legs off the bed. "Didn't the captain call for a briefing? I need a uniform and to talk to my staff before then."

"Well now that I can see you are doing better. Lets get back to business then." Jade looked at her PADD and gave a nod. "Yes he did."

[OFF]

 

RSS Feed