Hannah approached the main doors to the station’s hospital. The systematic pulse of the amber light above the door gave her cause for concern. It could mean only one thing; a mass casualty event had occurred. She took a deep breath to help mentally prepare herself for whatever was on the other side of the door before stepping through.

Several dozen people from medical staff to patients filled the ward. Many with apparent superficial illnesses, others actively being treated. “I need a cortical simulator!” a distant shout from across the room could be heard.

Hannah grabbed a tricorder from a nearby cart and analysed the room to see where she would be needed most. Opposite a short female whose back was turned to her, sporting dark coloured hair with blue highlights, a Betazoid male was being lifted onto a biobed to her right who presently did not have anyone assigned to him. Like many aboard the station, Hannah was not familiar with this woman, but her teal coloured Starfleet attire and posture resembling someone who was reading, led Hannah to surmise that she was one of the medical staff and not someone related to the patient.

In a swift series of motions, she flipped open her tricorder, plucked the handheld scanner from it’s cavity and hastily manoeuvred to the patient’s bedside beginning her preliminary scan all while informally introducing herself “Doctor Hannah Murphy. What have we got here…” she looked up briefly to the now identifiable non-commissioned Orion woman,  “…nurse…?”

The diminutive non-com turned to look at Hannah, and immediately snapped to attention. “Petty Officer Third Class Neri Givola, Sir,” the Orion announced, her accent vaguely Germanic and her expression more than a little nervous. After her brief introduction, her attention went right back to the patient. “This officer is covered in 3rd degree plasma burns. Decreased BP and shallow breathing as well.” She moved slightly closer to the doctor, making sure the patient couldn’t hear her next words. “Do you know where the Kelotane is kept here? I can’t start up the dermal regenerator with him in this state. Sorry, I’m very, very new, and no one else was helping him, so I, uh, just jumped into action.”

The man let out a pained groan, and Neri immediately moved to his side. “Lieutenant Anix, Sir, you’re going to be just fine, okay? Doctor Murphy is here now, and we’re gonna take very good care of you.” 

Anix let out another groan and slowly nodded. 

“Please don’t move if you can avoid it, Sir. Just sit tight and we’ll have you up and about in no time.”

“Judging by the severity of these burns, I fear the Kelotane and dermal regeneration alone will be insufficient for the burns.” Hannah whispered to Neri “We’ll likely need to commence treatment using the burn chamber after the Kelotane has been administered. I think I saw it in storage cabinet thirteen alpha. When you grab it, bring me ten ccs of Terakine as well.”

As Neri went to go fetch the requested medications, Hannah concluded her scans and confirmed what Neri had reported to her; blood pressure 80 over 50, heart rate 126, respiration 34. Placing the scanner back into its cradle, she set the tricorder down on the instrument cart nearest the biobed and grabbed a pair of surgical scissors. If she was to treat his burns, she was going to have to remove his uniform.

“Please bear with me Mr. Anix. This may hurt.” she said in the most soothing voice she could muster as she manoeuvred his head to the left and inserted the opened end of the scissors into the collar of his uniform, gently slicing down the front. The lieutenant writhed and moaned in pain with each tug of the uniform against the severely burned skin beneath.

As she finished cutting down the front of the uniform and was about to start down the sleeves, Neri returned with the prescribed medications “Please administer the Terakine and Kelotane accordingly while I finish this.” she instructed, “Do we know what happened to this man?”

“Of course,” Neri nodded as she loaded the meds into a hypospray and injected them into the groaning man, his pain seeming to subside ever-so-slightly. “Based on what I’ve heard, he’s an officer on a transport vessel,” she said to Hannah, making sure the patient couldn’t hear in case the rumors were false. “A plasma conduit onboard exploded when it got caught in one of those storms, and the Lieutenant here shielded a little girl with his own body. If that’s true, he’s a real hero.” 

Neri took out her own tricorder and quickly scanned Lt. Anix. ”Meds are taking effect, that’s good to see. “On to the burn chamber, then?”

Hannah nodded, confirming Neri’s assumption. There wasn’t much that could be done to help the lieutenant until he’d spent a session or two in the chamber.

“I’ll need an anti-grav lift and a couple more people in trauma bay three to move this patient!” Hannah shouted out into the main room.

Hannah was fairly certain that in the lieutenant’s present medicated state, he would be unattuned to what was happening. That didn’t stop her though from attempting to be as comforting as possible while waiting for the other staff to show up. She placed her hand on his right shoulder and leaned in, and explained to him that they were going to move him to another room to treat his wounds, making sure what she said was just loud enough to be heard.

When the other nurses arrived with the lift, she ordered them and Neri to position themselves each in a quadrant of the patient’s body, her and Neri at the head and upper torso, and the other nurses at the lower torso and legs, and on the count of three, they would lift him onto the bed. “One…two…three.” she counted out, with a heave on three bearing much of the lieutenant’s weight.

Once he was safely on the bed, she gave Neri an affirming look “It wasn’t much, but I appreciate all you’ve done to help me with this patient. I’m sure your words of comfort to him went a long way. While I take him to the burn chamber, I’d like for you to try and locate this girl he managed to save so I can talk to her when I’m finished.”

Neri smiled as Hannah nudged the lift forward and headed off, “Yes Doctor.” she replied.