01-06-2026, 08:46 AM
Cassidy breathed a sigh of relief. The ship had finally begun to steady, indicating that the race had come to an end. He never wanted to do that again.
“Looks like things are calming down,” he muttered to Papaver, scooping up a pile of instruments that had spilled during the ship’s final maneuvers. He counted each into his hand as he returned it to its proper shelf. The quiet was a relief, but only for a moment. Adrenaline kept his mind occupied, prevented him from having to confront the tragedy that accompanied his work. He placed his hand on a sheet that covered one of the fallen crewmen, almost as if he were comforting them. He blinked away a hot tear. He couldn’t remember how many people he’d saved today. Somehow, the patients he remembered best were the ones he’d lost.
“Looks like someone from your department,” Cassidy said gently. He looked toward Papaver with deep remorse etched into his forehead. “Mika Bowman. I didn’t get a chance to meet her, but Commander Qi talked about her in the senior staff meetings. He was so impressed. She would have made ensign easily. We see a lot of unfair things in sickbay, but that doesn’t make it easier, or any more right, when someone young and full of promise is cut short. If you’d like to say a few words, take all the time you need.”
== Tag Papaver ==
“Looks like things are calming down,” he muttered to Papaver, scooping up a pile of instruments that had spilled during the ship’s final maneuvers. He counted each into his hand as he returned it to its proper shelf. The quiet was a relief, but only for a moment. Adrenaline kept his mind occupied, prevented him from having to confront the tragedy that accompanied his work. He placed his hand on a sheet that covered one of the fallen crewmen, almost as if he were comforting them. He blinked away a hot tear. He couldn’t remember how many people he’d saved today. Somehow, the patients he remembered best were the ones he’d lost.
“Looks like someone from your department,” Cassidy said gently. He looked toward Papaver with deep remorse etched into his forehead. “Mika Bowman. I didn’t get a chance to meet her, but Commander Qi talked about her in the senior staff meetings. He was so impressed. She would have made ensign easily. We see a lot of unfair things in sickbay, but that doesn’t make it easier, or any more right, when someone young and full of promise is cut short. If you’d like to say a few words, take all the time you need.”
== Tag Papaver ==