STF

War... War Never Changes - Cestus III - Side Sim

Posted April 15, 2020, 1:04 a.m. by Lieutenant Nathan Harland (Counselor) (Steven Sigle)

Posted by Ensign Chloe Harland (Nurse) in War… War Never Changes - Cestus III - Side Sim

Posted by Lieutenant Nathan Harland (Counselor) in War… War Never Changes - Cestus III - Side Sim

Posted by Ensign Chloe Harland (Nurse) in War… War Never Changes - Cestus III - Side Sim
10 Years Ago
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/outpost42/notes/69387/ Original post
SNIP
“Are we safe here,” she asked him glancing back and forth between Harland and the door. Chloe was scared but not enough to panic. The ER had taught her to hide her emotions. Looking up at Nathan she fixed her eyes on his waiting for his response. He might downplay a situation but he would never lie to her.

“For now, but… we don’t have supplies. These bunkers can take a few hits but if they fire any photon or plasma torpedoes… we can’t make it out of that.” Nathan said softly as he began to move towards one of the wounded nearby.

“I need help. Someone help me,” cut through the room like a knife. Now that people were settling in and the fear of immediate death had disappeared, the occupants in the bunker could begin to attend to wounds or injuries. This was but the first voice calling Nathan and Chloe to work.

Turning to the voice Nathan saw the young woman and her mom sitting crouched and dirty in the corner as he tried to put on a brave face as he smiled softly at the pair. “What’s wrong Izzie?” he asked her as he knelt down as he began to look over to see what seemed to be

Chloe did not move as she watched Nate cross the room. She needed a moment to get herself together. Nothing made sense right now. Cestus was a colony world plagued by the occasional pirate not a world under attack so often it needed bomb shelters.

“My leg hurts,” Isabel said before breaking out in sobbing tears as she clung to her mother tightly. The girl’s knee was devoid of gashes or blood but had a large bulge on the lateral side of her kneecap. As the girl sobbed there was nothing the mother could do but hold her daughter and look up at Nathan desperate for help. The pain from her dislocated patella had to be immense. The injury was minor compared to many in the room but when it was your injury or that of a loved one, the injury suddenly became a life or death situation.

“Does it now… not as bad as that time you fell out of the third floor six months ago I am sure… chasing Terry if I recall?” Nathan said as he tried to distract the young girl away from the pain. If he could get her to smile even for a second it would help her greatly.

“Barry,” she rolled her eyes letting the conversation divert her attention from the pain slightly. “It was Barry and that is the last time I am going to try to sneak out of my room using repulsors from Ballmart. Cheap Ferengi junk.”

Looking over at her mom Nathan smiled as he gave a small wink. “You gave your mom here almost a heart attack that day I think, can’t keep this up,” he said as he gently began to apply pressure as he nodded to himself, it was clear she dislocated it. Of all things to happen today, this was by far the least dangerous that he suspected he would see today.

“Is it broken,” Nicole asked nervously wrung her hands standing next to her child as Nathan began to examine the injury.

“No, that’s the good news. The bad news is it’s dislocated. We are going to have to pop it back into her socket.” he said as he looked over at Isabel and smiled gently at the young lady.

“Make it stop hurting,” the teenage girl begged trying to pull her knee away from Nathan as he examined it. The pain throbbed down to her foot and up through her groin in waves making the girl squirm on the ground. Tears flowed down her cheeks as the teen rocked slightly back on forth on her pelvis as if this would provide some relief.

Chloe was almost speechless watching Nate work. She had gotten so much wrong in the past six months. Nathan might not be happy with the assignment here but he was not alone and sad. He had what was appearing to be a life here. The banter between him and the young girl proved that. Nathan always had adored kids and kids adored him which confused Chloe as to why he never went the pediatrician route. Kids took to him like they did Santa Claus. Well the after the three year old mark when they didn’t scream bloody murder and turn beat red as the elf shook a jungle bell and Santa bellowed out ho ho ho.

Looking over at Chloe, Nathan motioned for her to come closer, as the pair crouched over the girl. “I can do that, you just have to trust me hon… I never steered you wrong before, not going to start now.” Nathan said as he placed his hand on the side of her leg as he looked the young girl in her eyes as he knew the next few moments were going to feel like hell.

Each palpitation by Nathan elicited another round of sobs and begging alternating her words from fix it to don’t touch it. Kneeling down next to the girl Chloe took the girl’s hand. There was nothing she could do to ease the pain. What she could do was try to stabilize the patient in order for Nathan to pop it back into place. “Hold my hand tightly. As soon as he gets your kneecap back where it needs to be, the pain will go away,” Chloe promised the teen. It was half a lie. The ache would be terrible but the sharp stabbing pain would go away. “Squeeze it when it hurts okay but you need to stay as still as you can sweetheart,” Chloe tucked the girl’s hair behind her ear tenderly.

The teen nodded until Nathan placed his hand under her leg grabbing her hamstring. “No no no no it hurts,” she begged shaking her head looking at Nathan wide-eyed. “Please don’t. It hurts me,” she moved back only an inch before the movement caused the teen to wince grimacing her face.

“One,” Chloe counted out trying to prepare the girl. “Two,” she kept her count steady knowing Nathan was about to reduce the dislocation. Doctors always went on two because if you gave the patient a three-count they tended to tighten up making the process harder.

The soft pop of the knee slipping back into place caused the girl’s face to relax. Reclining back, the girl placed her forearm over her eyes and sobbed hard enough her body shook. “She is going to be fine. We need to not move it. I am going to come back with something to splint the leg so try to keep her still,” Chloe asked letting go of the girl’s hand and standing up. There was little time for bedside manner here with so many injured.

Chloe followed Nathan to an elderly woman clutching her arm. It was clearly broken yet her stoic expression belayed none of the pain she must be experiencing. Her eyes held a somber expression as Nathan knelt down next to her.

“Figures you would be here. It’s Saturday night. I told you partying would kill you one day,” Mrs. Abernathy quipped with a motherly tone the warbled between jovial and scolding. She had a soft spot for the young doctor. He reminded her of her own son Clayton who had been killed during the war with the Dominion. Clayton and Nathan were headstrong, bold and determined letting nothing distract them from a course of action. Leila Abernathy worried this would one day lead to Nathan suffering the same fate as her son.

“No, you told me six shots of Tulabiran Wishkey would kill me…” Nathan said with a warm smile as he moved next to her as he kneeled down as he began to look at her arm carefully as she let him move back the cloth that was over the arm. “Nothing can take you out can it Mrs. Abernathy?” Nathan said with a soft wry smile as he patted her on the leg softly.

“I am going to remind you of that the next time you tell me to cut back on the Stolichnaya,” she managed a small smile. Letting her gaze lift from the young man’s blue eyes she looked up at Chloe. “Is this her,” she gave Nathan a sly wink still cradling her badly broken arm.

“Yes, this is my Clo,” Nathan said, his voice seeming to shift and turn as he spoke. It was clear he was proud of the statement. After more than a year her some people began to wonder if his Clo was nothing more than what he called his tricorder. Nathan, while having tons of photos of her, often kept all calls private. He didn’t like to share Chloe, their moments were meant just for them and no one else.

Again Chloe was slightly shocked to know how deep Nathan’s life went here. Not only did they know him but they knew her. She never thought Nathan would hide their relationship. She also thought he would never have people close enough here to be that open with it either.

“Hi,” Chloe waved slightly at the woman before tucking a long lock of hair behind her ear.

“She’s cute…and real,” Mrs. Abernathy chuckled hard. “Guess I am losing that bet to Frank.” While she was being humorous, by the twinkle in her eyes, there was a serious note to her voice. Seeing Nathan shift his gaze from her arm to her eyes, Abernathy drew back some in mock disdain. “Oh come on. A hot strapping lad like you with a silver tongue and charm to match had a girl back home,” she stressed the last word. “There had to be a reason you weren’t biting on anyone hitting on you around here.”

“Oh come on, all my requests for cookies and brownies weren’t a clue I dig you, Mrs Abernathy?” Nathan teased as he continued work. There was an ease with the people here. He didn’t always like his job, in fact as time went on Nathan could say he really hated it. He liked helping, curing, aiding people. The truth was he long ago went down a road that trained him to be more.

The academy courses he took outside of medicine often involved security, marksman, hand to hand combat, and command. All tracks that could have just as easily lead him down the route of COS, CTO, or even a CO if he had really wanted to. Instead, he used those skills to make certain he could protect those under his care in every way possible. Not every life was worth saving, sometimes you had to take a few to save the many.

“The odds were you actually were an ex-con or you were too focused on work. I went with the latter because,” she looked at her arm, “where are you on a Saturday night.”

“Often at a club playing music or save Benny from alcohol poisoning. These lockdowns you have at times has made people stir crazy. Did you see what Katlyn did to Matt? She buzzed him like a sheep being sheered cause they couldn’t get out of their homes while Nausican raiders took hold in the Southtown when they were visiting her parents. You try to a month no supplies while Starfleet tries to fight to control the region again and see what you start resorting to.” Nathan commented, he remembered how Katlyn tried to insist it was cause she was just short and couldn’t reach, and in no way at all due to her not paying attention.

“Please please help me. ” a frantic woman began pulling at Nathan’s arm like a small child. “I need help. He won’t wake up. I have tried everything,” she began to cry as she backed up pulling Nathan’s arm to a ninety-degree angle.

Turning Nathan saw who she was talking about. Her grandson, Jasper was only three as he looked down at him as he took a deep breath. His leg had a large gash as Nathan began ripping his shirt sleeve off to serve as a tourniquet as he began to look over the boy. He also had a severe wound across his head, he was breathing but it was shallow as he began to exam him more. “Chloe, see what supplies we have. I told them all to try and stock as much antiseptic and bandages as they could in these bunkers… see what H’iron was able to pick up,” he said softly as he turned behind to point at the small storage area for Chloe to move over to.

“Bandages and antiseptic,” she raised an eyebrow at him. “Are they next to the leeches and hacksaw?”

“I wish, then this place could be called a clinic. You laugh but when you go ‘damn I really could have used some leeches’ I will be there to remind you that you mocked the supplies we had.” Nathan said, his tone wasn’t one that came off particularly snarky, but the small wink he gave her as she turned around was more than enough to let her know. He was always able to have some witty banter with Chloe, the two worked off each other so well that people often assumed they knew each other since they were kids and not just a few years.

Chloe had no response but to laugh out loud in a huge burst. “Sorry. Sorry,” she looked around apologizing to everyone staring at her. “You need to be the serious one. You’re the doctor,” she flicked her hand hitting him in the arm. While they never served together before now, Nathan had shown up once or twice while she was on duty. No matter where they were, she and Nathan could always find the one bright spot to make it bearable. A dirty bunker in the middle of a city under attack was no exception. The world might not understand them but all Nathan and Chloe needed were each other for their world to be right.

Chloe looked around trying to find the replicator and stasis units that would hold the supplies Nathan would need to treat all the patients in the room. It took several long moments to step over the people lying on the floor and assuring help would be coming to those reaching out to her. Opening the metal wall unit, Chloe frowned. There were no actual medical supplies on the shelves. Just wadded up rags in a box and bottles of whiskey and vodka. Throwing the containers into the box with the rags, Chloe carried it over to Nate who had begun to tirage those in the shelter.

“I am going to do everything… your grandson is going to be in the best hands okay?” Nathan said as he looked over at Mrs. Abernathy for a moment before turning his attention back over to Jasper.

Nathan Harland

“Go. Take care of him and the others. I am not going anywhere,” Leila leaned her head against the wall closing her eyes. There were others hurt more. Nathan would come back. He always took care of her even when she did not need it.

As Chloe approached Nathan the sounds of sobbing, moaning, and talking echoed in the space creating a weird white noise only known by medical professionals in emergencies. The group must not have known there were doctors here or they were too used to events like this understanding medical treatments would be rudimentary at best. Chloe’s heart broke knowing there was so little they could do for anyone in this place. All the injuries at first glance would be a simple fix yet not here. A hypo of anesthetizing agents would take the pain away. A dermal generator would fix the wound. Chloe and Nate only had booze and rags.

“He won’t wake up,” Jasper’s mother said slowly as if in a trance. With Nathan here, the woman could attend to her son as she spoke. Brushing the hair off his brow she slowly lifted the young boy’s head to place it in her lap. “I can’t make him wake up. Why won’t he wake up,” she raised a tear-streaked face to meet Nathan’s gaze. The large gash on his leg was pumping blood out at an alarming rate but not fast enough to indicate he had pierced an artery. As the mother brushed the hair off Jasper’s brow the blood-caked strands showed the laceration was superficial but what under the laceration was not.

Nathan’s eyes dilated as he took in the wound. He knew what it was, or at least could guess within a 90% parameter. Head wounds where often the deadliest trauma on the battlefield. Your body could take so much damage, but your brain, on the other hand, wasn’t built to hand the same level of abuse. So many layers of fluid, fat, and skull fragments tried to shelter the brain but that also left it vulnerable when things forced the brain to slosh around in its own neural juices.

Chloe had enough experience in the ER to retain her blank expression even though the hematoma over Jasper’s right eye concerned her greatly. Without a tricorder or other medical devices, there was no way to know if the hematoma had a subdermal counterpart. The mother’s report of Jasper hitting his head during the attack and the boy’s lack of consciousness led Chloe to believe there was.

“Nathan,” Chloe kept her voice calm, “we need a tricorder.” She said nothing else as her hands and fingers began to cut away the material to expose the leg wound for treatment as Nathan examined the head wound.

“Oh, why didn’t I think of that, I can just take one out of my back pocket,” Nathan said as he began to look like he was searching for the device before stopping with a mock look of shock. “Oh my, I left them in the other trousers,” he said with an eye roll as he pointed for her to sit down next to him. “We don’t have equipment out here, the True Way tear down and we rebuild. They are lucky to have power and food, but they can’t have it all.”

“He has a subdural hematoma that may or not be resulting in damage to the middle cerebral artery. This is going to require more than you pulling a credit from behind someone’s ear or a snappy story to fix,” she said in a low tone. “I also prefer the joke about having a tricorder in your pocket and if I am happy to see you or not,” she winked at him. Their behavior might confuse many however, they did not live the life Nate and Chloe chose. They had to find levity because their profession could kill your soul if you let it. Doctors lost patients under the best circumstances. Humor was the only way to survive losing lives day after day.

“Can you fix him without one? Is he going to be okay,” Jasper’s mom’s voice rose several octaves as she spoke displaying her level of panic was rising. His mom shifted the boy slightly in her lap pulling more of her small child into her arms.

The mother’s planitive cry pulled them from the moment of quiet solitude they found in each other. Now they would have to be serious until the situation broke them.

“I will do all I can, I never give up Gilda… you know that. I will do all I can for him, he’s tough… if anyone can make it, it’ll be him.” Nathan said as the lies were flowing softly as he took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure any of them would make it even to the morning at this rate.

“You need to stop moving him until we can evaluate the extent of Jasper’s injury,” Chloe said sharply wiping her brow with the back of her hand. She had been in high-stress situations only there patients had a chance of severe injuries being remedied. Practicing medicine in this bunker was akin to administering medieval medicine with herbs, potions, and prayers.

“Is that going to make it worse,” the mother fisted Nathan’s shirt until her fingers began to turn white. “What is wrong with my son?”

“She is the best nurse I know, we are going to just take a look and…” Nathan said with a pause as he turned to hear his name being called.

“Nathan,” H’iron screamed out moving down the steps two at a time. “They are coming. Take up positions.”

“Aww fu…” Nathan said as he bit his tongue quietly to himself. Now was not the moment for losing his cool. Still, it didn’t help that this was all happening while he was attempting tirage.

The bunker’s cries and moans took on a distinct difference. The low white noise erupted into the sounds of panic as people shifted from their spots trying to find some hole or crevice to hide themselves. Punctuating his words, the doors to the bunker exploded sending billowing clouds of smoke and dust rolling into the small space.

Nathan grabbed Chloe as he found a small table they had in the room as he pulled her towards it as he pushed the table down to give cover as the fighting began. He didn’t have much time for anything as he pressed hard against the wood as he looked to the right of him as Chloe sat with a look of terror on her face. He was trying to push her against the back wall to give her more cover as he slid the disruptor from his back where he had placed it for storage as he began to look over it. “God I hope this has had maintenance recently…” he said softly to himself as he peered out from the edge of the table to look at what was going on next.

“When did you become a sharp shooter,” she looked at him confused sprouting the wrinkle between her eyebrows he often called Chloe’s Confused Line. Before Nathan could reply with an equally snarky retort the billowing fog of dust and debris rolled over the edge of the table like an evil omen from a horror movie. The thick mass fought and pushed its way into her lungs and nose burning them.

Coughing Chloe looked up. Several True Way soldiers emerged from the smoke like figures in a nightmare. Soft pings of phaser fire took out the Gorn and humans trying to defend the bunker. The brightly colored blots shot through the white-gray smoke creating more hysteria from the crowd. The individual descending the steps had to be in charge based on the slow, methodical way he moved. His confidence was almost palpable as he made one announcement to the group. “Rise my children and tell me who you belong to,” the man gestured with his hand’s palms out raising his arms to chest height.

Chloe’s mind immediately jumped to Nathan’s comment from earlier. “Is this where I say you,” she whispered softly to Nathan. The comment was flippant and sarcastic but in times of stress, one could either default to crying or humor. Her time in the ER showed, most people responded better to a lippy nurse than one sobbing on a patient.

Chloe.

“I mean they may already know… everyone else seems to,” Nathan replied with a small smirk as he looked over at her, leaning in he whispered gently in her ear as he placed the disruptor into her hand as he pulled back as he gave her a small wink before kissing her softly. “Remember… Patapsco… don’t do it until I say it.”

Oh man Patapsco sucked. You do remember that right. It caused Ensign Dougherty to lose a toe and we have not lived that down, she said to herself curling her fingers around the disruptor. Still, the plan was in action now with no chance to back out.

Standing up, Nathan kept his hands in the air as Chloe got up behind him close as he shielded her from view from the others. “Now now, no need to bring this to violence… Gul Sect if I recall correctly?” Nathan said, he remembered the man’s face from the briefing. He was one of Legate Dlar’s top henchmen. He was flanked by two Jem’Hadar soldiers as aimed at the crowd as he looked the man in the eyes as he slowly lowered his hands.

“Non-believers must die. It is the way,” Gul Sect’s voice boomed against the walls. “You block the path of the True way. You must be removed just as they will be.” As if it were an act the Jem’Hadar flanking the man appeared to be picking out random targets yet not firing. The action set off a series of screams and cries from those in the room.

“No one here is going to fight you, they are just injured, civilians.”

“They had weapons at the door. They fired. They failed. They are not just civilians,” the Gul’s voice boomed in the room with an arrogance only the insane possessed.

” Not a threat, and if anything you want me. I am Ensign Nathan Harland, Medical Chief for Fort Har’peng and senior recon sniper or Alpha Team.”

“Easy on the delusion of grandeurs hon,” Chloe added in barely a whisper from behind his back. Her heart rate was through the roof. She could barely keep her hands steady from shaking. Focusing on anything but her pretty near imminent death was the only thing keeping her calm and focused.

” These people were just looking for my medical aid, they have nothing to gain you here but I do… ” Nathan said as he placed his hands behind his back in a military pose as he tried to appear in charge as the moved more out in the open, Chloe staying right behind him as he placed himself clearly in front of the people he aimed to protect.

“Who is behind you?” the Gul demanded. The man might be full of bravado now but watching her submit to the path or the True Way tended to make the rest of the lambs easier for slaughter. “Step forth,” he bellowed.

“Her?” Nathan said looking behind at Chloe, her demeanor was meek and mousey as she clearly was trying to not appear to be anything. “She’s a nobody, just some street trash I found one day while swimming in the Patapsco,” Nathan said, hoping Chloe was paying attention to his words as he opened the palm of his hand he still held tightly behind him.

Placing the disruptor in his palm Chloe came out on cue. “No no no don’t hurt me. I…I don’t want to die. Please,” she dropped to her knees begging and pleading to the man in front of her. “I am a medic. I am not a soldier. Please let me go,” Chloe drew out the last word increasing the tremor on her voice until it reached the crescendo of hysterical.

Unlike the bad guys from the movies, there was no helmet to hide the evil smile spreading like across the Gul’s face. If Chloe did not hold absolute faith in Nathan and his plan, her dramatic performance would be slipping into a reality holo. “Take her. Kill the rest,” he said cassually.

“No one is going to be leaving,” Nathan said, his eyes growing dark as he stared down the men before a flash he pulled back from behind the disruptor in hand as he fired away at point-blank range at the two Jem’Haddar officers as they fell to a heap before they could react as Nathan kept the weapon aimed directly at Sect.

Chloe’s hands instinctively covered head as the bolts sizzled into the flesh of the man flanking the Gul. The accuracy and speed at which Nathan completed his task scared her almost frightened her more than the situation. Looking back at Nathan, Chloe felt a chill run down her spine. Again he was showing a side she did not know existed. It was commanding, confident, and deadly.

“Now… let’s try again… but this time let’s see what you can do for me… call of the squads now… or so help me I will make you wish you never stepped foot on this planet… NOW!” Nathan barked at the man as he waited to see what the next move the man would do. The man seemed to hesitate as he began to reach down to his combadge, Nathan though knew what was going to happen.

Not surprised, Sect reached for the phaser he had on his hip, he figured one surprise draw surely could work a second time. Nathan though without hesitation fired right at the man’s hand as a seared hole left where it used to be as the Cardassian phaser flew across the room. Moving over to kick the weapon over to Chloe, Nathan pistol-whipped the Gul as he fell to his knees before putting the disruptor at the temple of his head.

Chloe picked up the weapon but froze looking at her fiance. “Nathan,” she spoke out his name clear and strong. He had just killed two men to save three dozen. She had no doubts he would do the same to the last man remaining however this time she was prepared for it. Shooting the Ensign in the foot during the drill was an accident. Nathan’s actions here were full of purpose and intent.

“I will ask one more time before I have to remove more appendages, call off your squads now or leave this place a bloody stump,” Nathan growled as he felt his blood rising as he waited to see what he was going to do next.

Nathan Harland

“Stand down Harland,” a new voice pierced the tension in the room. How the team of Starfleet marines entered so silently would cause many sleepless night for Chloe. Right now though it only brought relief. “Are we clear,” he bellowed out to the rest of the team who were checking corners and other dark nooks for more of the enemy. For the first time the sounds outside had changed from booms and explosions to the sound to ships landing and the white noise of people in command barking out orders to help the survivors.

Nathan looked up surprised, the forces must have been able to push back the True Way. He knew they were desperate to stage a final assault before the planet’s defenses systems were fully up. Once the Starbase was operation there was little that could be done to take back the planet without invasion level of forces. Nathan didn’t think the True Way had that kind of numbers, mere hundreds instead of thousands of ships at their disposal.

Nodding Nathan put the disruptor to his side as he began taking a deep breath. “Yes sir.” he said with a cold tone, part of him wish they had been late. All the pain, all the agony. Firing on Gul Sect felt right, it felt like justice for Trigon and all the others he had to bury and morn.

“Harland,” the commander of his team yelled out just before throwing a medical pack at his chest. “You okay to get these people mobile?”

“Yes, a few will need some gurney’s to move them out if we can do site to site. Nurse Kendrick here can help me.” Nathan said as he turned back to Chloe as he placed his hand on her arm to help balance her back up. The two were going to have a longer night than expected, nothing seemed to have gone the way he planned.

Chloe sat back on her heels feeling the hot rush of adrenaline turn icy in her veins as the flight or fight response ebbed past her ability to use it. Everything felt surreal as she felt Nathan’s arm encircle her bicep once again pulling her to her feet. Nodding at Nathan, Chloe hoped his question was if she could assist him in treating the patients. The moment was engulfing her as if she were about to faint only her body would not grant her that brief respite.

“Come on Clo Bell, time to help them,” he said softly to her as he began looking around. With proper equipment this would go so much faster, most of them might even be able to be fixed in their location as is with only a few need to be sent back to the hospital. “You know I always need you by my side,” he said with the most subtle of smiles as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. It wasn’t common for such displays of affection in public, especially from officers. Still, Nathan loved her and loved to show that when he could.

With proper medical gear the stabilization of patients, Nathan and Chloe cleared the bunker of wounded in less than 30 minutes. As the last person was loaded on to the waiting shuttle Chloe felt the stress of the night bubble over. “Nathan,” she said his name and stopped.

Chloe

Nathan felt a weariness over him as he looked over at Chole as he began to size up her stance. He could assume she was stressed, and rightfully so. Still, there seemed more to her tone as he walked over as he began to look around her as he smiled softly. He realized what district that had ended up at. This was Downey and Kirk, his apartment was just at the end of the block. “Come…” he said softly as he waited for her to take his hand as he began leading her down to the street.

Chloe walked, holding his hand as she took in the path. People were milling about now on the street level as if it were mid-afternoon. Some of the people were helping others towards the medical tent Starfleet had established. Others were calling out for loved ones that had made it to the bunkers. The last was the groups of gawkers taking in the damage. These were the people you saw in all disasters that usually found their way to the cameras. Their unofficial name was Ballmarters due to their unique apparel choices and eloquence when speaking appeared out of thin air to share with the world their experience.

As Chloe and Nathan moved towards their destination a pair of Ballmarters were already front and center before a news crew. Tugging slightly on Nathan’s arm to make him slow down Chloe waited to see what the man was going to say. “So tell me Bobby Ray how did you survive the attack uninjured,” the reported held out the microphone.

“Well see me and Darlene were watching the Targ King on Starflix. We was debating ep’sode three where Sarole Maskins was talkin’ ‘bout rubbin’ her husband,” Bobby Ray

“Her first hus bin,” Darlene flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder before placing a hand on her hip in a modelesque pose for the camera.

“I was gettin’ there,” Bobby dropped an arm around Darlene’s shoulders.

“Baby,” Chloe said curling up on Nathan’s arm. “What are the odds she was actually wearing that during the attack or do you think she dug through the rubble to put it on before the camera crews arrived.” Chloe stared at the woman in her skin tight pink yoga pants, stilettoed heels and spaghetti-strapped camo print t-shirt.

“So Sarole Maskins was rubbin’ up her ex husband in sardin oil when we heard the sound of the ships coming in an’ I said Darlene…baby git the shotgun out. We gotta hold em’ off again.” Bobby Ray wore the most serious expression on his face as he recanted his tail of heroism taking pot shots at the planes flying overhead.

Chloe buried her face in Nathan’s arm as he pulled her back on their journey. They had better things to do than watch the Ballad of Bobby Ray and Darlene save Cestus unfold on the rubble-strewn streets. Twenty yards up the road they stopped.

The moment was quiet, Chloe followed as asked, but there was a current underneath it all. He was sure she would wonder soon just what he was doing as he stopped in front of the building. There was clear damage near the third floor, around where he had been living for the past year. “This…” Nathan said feeling the like the wind had been kicked out of his sails as he surveyed the building. “This is my place… or was…” Nathan said as he nodded for her to enter as he began to step over some debris that littered the place. It seemed things were in stable condition, hole on the side or no.

Chloe stood in stunned silence as she watched Nathan survey the blasted out remains of his home. Oddly enough she wasn’t sure what shocked her most: That Nathan had a home on the planet or that his home was destroyed. She had always imagined him sitting alone on a starship in the icy confines of space. The reality was Nathan had a thriving life without her. The people she had met all knew him by name. Chloe knew Nathan’s mother had passed years ago but he had been here long enough to develop some sort of maternal relationship with Leila Abernathy. Chloe knew she should have been comforted by this and yet somehow finding out made her lonelier than when she was apart from him. So many doubts and questions swirled in her mind. Many of them destructive due to the physical distance that had separated them.
Tightening her grip on his hand Chloe waited to see what Nathan wanted to do now. Whatever it was, she was not going to leave his side.

“Guess we can’t take the lift… the stairs… you know if I was sane I would say we should wait for work crews to clear this place but…” looking back behind Nathan he knew he wanted a moment away from the eyes, away from the officers and staff. He wanted his fiance’, he wanted his Chloe. “I don’t think being a little damaged has ever stopped me before, why now?” he said as the pair began to climb up as they reached the third floor. The halls seemed secure, no damage but the lights clearly were not working. He was certain others were still in their homes but there was still an eerie silence.

As Chloe stepped over rubble and used Nathan’s hand to help her move over the largest pieces, she saw that in the midst of the destruction, his place would have been rather nice. The stores along the street they had passed spoke of a small town with restaurants, grocers, and taverns. His place nestled among them where on a warm summer night, Nathan probably would have been found sitting outside at one of the places talking among the locals like he had lived there his entire life. She knew in her heart that Nathan had spoken of her. Leila’s question of is this her answered that doubt. What upset Chloe more was that Nathan hadn’t shared his life with her.

Coming to the door, Nathan removed the panel as he allowed himself to manually enter, as he did he felt a mix of awe and sadness rush over him. It appeared the hit the building had taken was right at his place. The irony was if he had taking Chloe any earlier back to his place they could have both been dead. The hole through that now formed right where his bedroom used to be somehow created an eerie beauty. The moon shined brightly into the place as a view he had never had come to light. The buildings around had been brought down to their knees leaving him sights as far as his eyes could see.

The large hole in the wall stole her attention as it did Nathan’s the second she walked into the room. As he loosened his grip on her hand, Chloe let her gaze drift about the room taking in more of the life she never knew he had. In the dim light and damage, it was hard to make out anything specific in the room. At first glance it was just a bachelor pad with a holo set too large for the space and furniture whose comfort factor was in stark contrast to its visual appeal in her opinion.

“Now quite what I expected… but it somehow fits the evening,” he said with a heavy sigh as he looked around at the place, so many mementos and artifacts he kept of his life now scattered. Moving a beam that had been on the couch Nathan began to brush off some of the dust and debris as sat down on the couch. Hearing a small crunch he sat up as he moved the seat cushion as he saw a picture frame hade fell off his wall and into the couch as shattered glass laid underneath Lifting the picture up he smiled as he looked back over at Chloe.

“Remember this day?” he asked as he handed her the tattered frame, as she took it she would see it was the two of them sitting in the dugout of Oracle Park, she was wearing her special made uniform he made as they snapped their very first photo the two ever had. It was the beginning of it all, and somehow in this hollowed-out shell of an apartment the end of it too. Nathan could tell Chloe had been on edge over all this, he wasn’t certain but she seemed like her flight instincts might be in full gear after all she had seen and witnessed.

Nathan Harland

Chloe took the picture in her hand and ran her fingertips over the top gently. “You know I think this was the first and only time you have suggested we take a picture,” she winked at him. In Nathan’s defense, he rarely had a chance to ask if they should get a selfie. Chloe, like most women, had the camera out before Nathan got situated in a pose. “You are also smiling,” she handed the image back to him. “It’s one of the few where you don’t look terrified or caught off guard.”

“I smile all the time, you just can’t go surprising a man like that. You gotta give me time to adjust to the decision that my privacy is being invaded for your Facenovel site.” he quipped as he teased her. Nathan did ofter have a sour expression, but he also laughed and loved too. He often felt like there was always a battle raging inside him, one of filled with anger and regret, hope and sorrow, love and hate. Chloe though calmed his mind, she made him find the good in the world. He was not one to give a crap too much of people, he was often quick to write people off and he wasn’t one to take crap of idiocy. For some this made Nathan seem like a hard ass, but if anyone took the effort to learn more behind the angst he truly cared deeply.

Chloe needed a few minutes to get her bearings. It had been months since she was alone with Nathan like this. Any other time the pair would have been exhausted after wrestling the clothes off each other. Tonight, however, the weight of the evening had drained them. Glancing at Nathan on the couch, Chloe saw the dark circles forming she was used to in so many holocalls. Walking to the kitchen, she subconsciously began picking up things strewn about letting Nathan take a moment to get himself together. Bending over she picked up a sweatshirt and felt her stomach lurch realizing it was not Nate’s. It was far too small and the color was not a shade found on most men unless it was during a pastel Easter pageant. Stopping mid fold, Chloe sighed deeply flipping it over. The symbol on the front made her hold her breath in shock. The dust and the dim light might have hid the clues as to who it belonged to however the insignia for Boston University meant it could only be one person: Her. Chloe’s youngest sister was attending there and Chloe had not seen the sweatshirt since Italy. Bringing it to her face she could smell the scent of her perfume. She had a lot of his clothes that smelled of his cologne but Chloe never thought that maybe Nathan would get the same comfort when he was alone at night she did remembering their respective scents.

Chloe folded it and laid it on the table as she continued on her course. Reaching the kitchen she grasped the door to the fridge but stopped. Covering the fridge were small notes in the characteristic chicken scratch of a doctors. Send Chloe flowers Remember to ask about her mom’s surgery (even if botox is not surgery) Turn off the video when you ask about Meredith How they had not fallen off was a sign from God but what took her breath away was the small pad of paper with a single number on it. One hundred and eighteen. Running her finger under the sheet Chloe pulled it off seeing one hundred and seventeen below it followed by one hundred and sixteen underneath. It was obvious to anyone Nathan was counting down. Chloe felt a shiver run the course of her body seeing how much Nathan missed her. One hundred and eighteen days was the exact number of days until their next shore leave. Pulling two beer from the fridge, she made her way back to the couch. Dropping next to him, she handed Nathan a beer.

“This place is going to be an adjustment getting used to,” she shrugged taking a long draw from her beer.

Chloe

“I mean it’s a great view… no bed… terrible cooling and heating now… pretty sure there is going to be some pest problems too… but one helluva view all the same,” he said as he took a deep breath as he wrapped his arm around her as pulled her in close. Leaning in he kissed the top of her forehead as he took in the day. This was by far the worst, most attacks had been quick strafes and raids. Occasionally in the early month’s forces could take a small sector but they didn’t last long. As supplies became more normal and the Federation began to bolster the world, it had signs of life once more.

“I’m sorry…” Nathan said softly as he took a swig from his beer. “I didn’t want this world your burden like this. I didn’t want any of this…” he said as he looked over at her feeling like things had crumbled as the day had gone by. “These people… I became friends to many but… it wasn’t what I needed,” he said softly as he took her hand in his as he brought it slowly to his lips as he kissed the back of her hand as he felt a weariness roll over him.

“I often felt like the end is coming, you would hear everyone yelling run as the night went on as we patrolled. Some people thought they would live forever as they got mowed down… if I didn’t learn the names of the people I was having to save I would have become too distant. I wouldn’t try to help them as much as I could. So many around me seemed to stop giving a damn, and I hated myself for feeling like I didn’t either after a while.” Nathan said softly as he looked out the hole with a neutral blank expression.

“It was when I forgot that I had drinks with a man the just the night before as he came into my hospital dying that I felt a slap to my face. His fiance’, Natalia… she was furious I didn’t remember them as we sang and drank. I often just drank and ignored the ones around me as they would just be casualties in the morning so why get to know anyone…” he said as he looked over at Chloe as he felt a sharp pang in his gut.

“I have… begun to dread putting on my uniform, it represents an apathy I have grown to hate,” he said softly as he took another swig of his drink. This reasoning was much of why he had begun living away from the base, in a place he could have roots in. Somewhere he could learn the names of people and feel alive and not just part of a cog that kept the Federation churning.

“I have felt like I have been able to help people in the past six months more than I have my entire career… I just had to learn I couldn’t do things the way they were, and I knew, in the end, my only saving grace was ever you.” Nathan said in a quiet tone as he looked down at Chloe, wondering what all this talk would mean for her. She hadn’t said more than a few words but he knew she would listen to him in the moments he felt most in crisis. She always knew had to calm his spirit.

Nathan Harland


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