[USS Chimera] SD:240811.21 ||BACKLOG|| SGT. David Hackworth (NCP)

-=- Medical Starbase 19 - Deck 4 -=-   David Hackworth chimed the door of the room and nodded at the nurse who was just leaving. The room smelt of disinfectant. It was a smell that raised the heckles on the back of his neck. To a soldier's brain, it meant that things were bad and going to get worse.   He looked down at the figure on the bed. There were five medals pinned to the pillow, apparently someone had not forgotten the actions taken by the crew of Star base 234 in the midst of giving every other guy in the rescue fleet a pat on the back and a pay rise. He shook his head and sat down.   "You really missed a good party," he whispered, pulling out a bottle of the good stuff that he had saved.. The solid gold pips of full lieutenant winked for a moment in the light for the night light next to the bed, "General Bretam was buying. Damn, he can drink. And that snake colonel that followed him around. And the general told this story, damn it was funny. 'bout how the colonel used to command an ODA detachment and was always getting into trouble. And another him being on waste disposal duty."   So David told is friend the two stories, and a few others. About how MCaptain McKnight used to have a crush on some Chief medical officer and almost broke her foot at a dance, to cap it all she was dating the ships commanding officer at the time. He told her about the meetings between all the ship Captain's that had been involved in the rescue of SB234. And he told her about how one of vessels had managed to transport the civilians off the station and warping away, making a run for the Klingon space under fire. It was a Nova Class of all things, it had no life support and was a complete blaze, or so the Klingons said, but the civilians had survived, along with a few of the crew.   But after telling story after story and joke after joke, the bottle was finally empty and it was time to leave. "Well, Annie Elgars…." He paused and smiled, "Lieutenant. They say you might be able to hear me. And they say you might come out of it someday. I've left t he name of my…. are unit with them. They are taking all the combat survivors from The Stand on the Star base 234 and making some Expeditionary Force for 1st Task Force." He laughed and wiped away a tear, "If you can believe that. You're included as one of us. You and all the over…. wounded. And the dead. So, you can, you know…."   He stopped and wiped a tear away. "And you know about the medals and promotion…. you are an officer now girl." He smiled and tried to think of something else to say but nothing came to mind, "I gotta go," he said looking at the time and trying not to look at the burnt face behind the tubes, as the machine sucked in and out.   "since you've no next of kin, no one will, you know…. turn you off. And apparently they are moving you to a nice green planet. They've got plenty of room and really good facilities they've got plenty of room and really good facilities. So they are going to leave you hooked up just encase…"   He wished now he hadn't finished the bottle. He could use a little taste. He took her hand one last time. "Thanks for rigging up subsection twenty." He nodded at her, one soldier to another. "I know it saved your ass too. But it still saved mine." He nodded again hoping she wuld do the thing with grabbing his hand, but there was no response. "Well, bye, Annie Elgars." He lent down and kissed her on bandage rapped around her forehead, "take care." Finally, he turned and left the room. Behind him it was silent except for the suck and whir of the machines.   -=-   Eng Log   Sergeant David Hackworth (NCP) 1st Platoon Sergeant 1st Battalion, 1st TF Expeditionary Force   &   Lieutenant Annie Elgars (NCP) Status: Wounded in combat, permanent coma