As the team beamed back to the Mercutio, Henry turned to Millie.  “What happened down…” it was in the lights of the transporter room that he could see the blood stain spreading on her uniform.  “Get her to sickbay right now.”

 

Millie’s brow furrowed as she saw the concern on the Captain’s face. She opened her mouth to ask, but the pressure in her chest made it hard to breathe, and she couldn’t make the words form. The rifle felt heavy in her hands, and she let it slip from her fingers and clatter to the deck. 

 

Patricia quickly slipped to Millie’s side and slipped an arm around her waist.  “O…kay, that’s enough excitement for one day let’s go get you checked out.”

 

Something was wrong. Somethiing definitely felt wrong. Millie’s eyes met Patricia’s—Something was most definitely not right. “Ev–” The name came out more like a whisper.

 

Caressa hurriedly made her way to sickbay from the transporter.  She nodded to Henry and Patricia.  “ I got this!”  She did not even change the purple gown, it  flowed with her movements. 

 

A quick jaunt via transporter and they were in sickbay.  “Little help over here!”  Quickly two medical officers took Millie from her and guided her to a bed .Patricia had been reminded by Chance a hundred times not to get in the way of the medical team so she let them do their jobs.  

It was at that moment that Millie noticed the red stain on her uniform. The ache across her back spread, as did the panic on her face.

 

A few moments later Henry with Evelyn in tow arrived.

 

“How is she?”

 

“My guess is she’s going into shock but they have her.”

 

Evelyn stepped forward to get a better angle.  “What happened?”

 

Henry turned to the engineer.  “She took a shot down there from the looks of it but she’ll be fine.”

 

Patricia nodded.  “I’ve lost four….five times as much blood.”

 

Evelyn turned to her.  “That’s really no help.”

 

Millie was now on the biobed,blood trailing down the back of her uniform. Caressa looked at Millie.  “Always drama with you, and you think I need counseling.” She wasn’t sure if she heard her or not.  The wound itself was not complicated, but for some reason Millie was bleeding more than normal.  

 

Caressa barked out orders and grumbled over the state of sickbay with her absence. Her hands moved with the years of expertise.  Closing the internal muscle and nerve structures, then moving to the external integumentary closure.  Her vitals started to stabilize.  “She should have barely a scar.  Make sure she gets some fluids on board, and replace the lost blood volume.  Biofeedback every 15 minutes please. Our counselor should be up and running in no time.“ 

 

She rubbed her temples.  “I am headed to my quarters to change out of this mess.”  She picked up the edges of the gown. ‘ Please return my sickbay back to my standards please.’  With that she walked out of sick bay and back to her quarters.  She stopped when she saw the line of people outside sickbay. 

 

Henry looked to Evelyn. “She’ll be on the go in no time now.  If you or she need anything don’t hesitate and please remind her she’s on the shelf for the next forty-eight hours so I don’t want to see her on the Bridge or in her office.”  He walked off to the turbolift.

 

Evelyn nodded.  “Thank you Sir…” she turned to Patricia, “And thank you too.  Sorry I was snippy.”

 

“Hey, no problem.  You were worried about her.”

 

“Weren’t you?”

 

Patricia was quiet for a moment.  “I…don’t like to let that show, especially when others are already hyped up.  No use in adding to it.  But yea, I was.  We have a great medical team, all of my biases considered.”

 

Evelyn nodded again.  “I want to stay for her but I left the baby…cub…” she stopped, not sure speaking it aloud what word to use.

 

“The kid.”

 

“Yes…yes the kid, with a friend for only a moment.  I had no idea things were like this when the Captain came to get me.”

 

“I’ll go babysit, Kieran’s not out of school for a few hours.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“That’s what aunts are for.”  Patricia headed to the lift, leaving Evelyn alone.