“QUICKLY NOW!” The Lieuten…. Ensign on deck shouted to his sailors as they started to winch up the torpedo boat. Evans moved down to go back to Major Kestel. He bent down and put her over his shoulders to prepare to get off the boat. There was a jerk when the boat started to raise up, but Evans managed to keep his balance.
Evans shouted to Major Kestel, “SO MAJOR! GUESS YOU WON’T BE LANDING WITH US?”
“I WILL GET TO GO SEE DADDY! MAYBE HAVE WOOO,” She attempted to point towards a burning ship, “THAT IS PRETTY! DO YOU WANT TO DANCE WITH ME JAMES?”
“I GUESS YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN SOME PAIN MEDICINE?”
“I AM FINE JAMES HOW DARE YOU… YOU… I FORGET!”
The Torpedo Boat reached the unloading level. Boatswain’s Mates on deck started to cleat it off for unloading. The… Ensign pointed to Evans, “ARMY! WITH THE OFFICER! YOU FIRST!”
Evans walked across the deck of the Torpedo Boat onto the deck of the Indefatigable. The Ensign pointed to a Sailor who was waiting by, “BAKER! TAKE ARMY AND THE OFFICER TO THE OFFICER’S SICKBAY!”
The Sailor waved for Evans to follow her through the ship. It was a bit of trouble for Evans to stand with the ship pitching like this, let alone jog behind someone with Major Kestel on his shoulders. She was rubbing her hands in his hair, still a bit out of it.
It thankfully didn’t take long to get to the Officer’s Sickbay, which was below decks and towards the center of the ship, so it wasn’t rolling as bad. Baker held open the hatchway, then scurried back out. A nurse came up to Evans and pointed towards an empty bed. Evans knelt down and laid the Major down onto the cot. He turned and saluted to the nurse, “Sir, Major Kestel is suffering from a broken leg Sir. We’re from the Steven’s Point Sir. I’m the Major’s Assistant sir.”
“Is that Lady Demetria?” The Nurse bent down and started to look at the Major’s leg and the splint on it. When Evans nodded, the Nurse turned to the Doctor, “Hey, Janice! We’ve got ourselves a special guest. Lady Demetria!”
The Doctor came over with her clipboard and started doing a quick survey of Major Kestel, “My kids are going to be so excited when I tell them this.” She looked at Evans, “You can go to the runner outside, he’ll direct you to the rescue area.
“NO!” Major Kestel grabbed out at Evans’ leg and gripped tightly, “Mine.
“They gave her some pain medication Ma’am, she’s a bit off. The Major is normally a lot more dignified Ma’am.”
“Well who am I to argue with my betters?” She knelt next to the Major, “Your assistant can stay with us Ma’am.” She looked back to Evans, “Step back would you kindly and wait for me to properly set her leg. You can set up a chair next to her once we’re done. Shouldn’t be that long, alright… Assistant?”
“I’m Corporal James Evans.”
“I never really paid attention to army ranks,” the Doctor laughed, “Hell, I can’t recognize like half of these Navy ranks even. I’m Lieutenant Commander Bain. My Nurse here is Lieutenant Monroe.”
“Alright, thank you for letting me stay here. Ma’am.”
Evans sat on one of the empty cots for a few moments before a sailor came through the hatchway, looked at Lieutenant Commander Bain and saluted, “Ma’am! Commander Lions from General is wondering if your sickbay can be opened up to Enlisted. General Sickbay is running out of bedspace.
“Yes sailor!” the Lieutenant Commander shouted back without looking, “So far we’ve only got a few cases, relatively minor. We may need to call in more assistance. All my Nurses except for Lieutenant Monroe and all my orderlies have been called to General. That’s all for you.” She pitched her voice to talk to Evans, “Corporal, once I’ve finished patching up the Lady, She will be classified as walking wounded. We will need the bed, so have the runner outside guide you to the rescue area. Keep her off the leg. And whoever put the splint on gave her way to much pain medication, so watch out for her… Monroe? I have this pretty well. Would you get the Corporal an Officer Chit?”
“Yes.”
“The Officer Chit will basically say that you are acting as an officer’s representative because, well, she’s a bit incapacitated right now. You can’t order people around, but you’ll be allowed to come take her to the officer’s mess if she gets hungry. And you get to eat that food, so I really recommend it. I’ve had enlisted food and I hated it.”