*** Sickbay * USS Chimera *** The elderly woman lifted her knarled and shaking fingers to push back her whitened hair. "I cant believe this has happened." she said. "All of us in that section...all of us...poor John...just....." She shook her head slowly and wiped a tear from her cheek. "I just cant believe it." She turned her head to the woman sitting beside her. " There were so many things I wanted to do...and now..." she looked down at hands."Its too late." When she raised her head again she had a glimmer of hope in her voice. "Do you think theres a chance it might be reversed?" she asked but seeing Rangis expression, answered her own question. "No..I didnt think it would be." She paused for a second and glanced looked across the sickbay. "How many now doctor?" she asked unsteadily, watching Maikai help her patient to take a drink. Rangi followed her line of sight, saw Maikai steady the trembling hands and lift the mug. "Eight have died and three are....very ill." Rangi answered quietly looking at her own patient. "But they havent all...aged..like me. I mean, Lieutenant Charlton...he didnt seem that much older really, not an 'old' man." She turned suddenly and met Rangis eyes, with fear now in her own. "Some people have been able to cope better than others with the temporal effects." Rangi said. "Its a huge strain for anyones body to undergo." "They're my friends." the woman said simply. "...and they're dying one by one." There was nothing to answer, for Rangi would not phrase platitudes.She couldnt imagine what the woman in front of her was feeling.To be twentytwo years old one moment and to age fifty years in as many seconds. {What is there to say?} she asked herself. {In my worst nightmare I could never have dreamed of this} "Doctor? I want to know something.You'll tell me the truth?" "Ofcourse." Rangi replied expecting some question concerning physical symptoms. "I know you're a doctor first and the 2XO secondly...and I know you cant reveal orders..but......did you know this was going to happen? Did General Bretam lead us here knowing what was waiting?" "No." Rangis answer was immediate. She reached forward, laying her hand on the womans arm. "He had no idea and he would 'never' knowingly have lead his crew into this." The statement was made with conviction and it didnt occur to Rangi that her words might be untrue but even as she spoke them the thought of Samantha Palmer sprang to her mind and she knew the command team had not been told the full story. The ensign, younger in age than the doctor beside her, slowly gave a nod of acceptance. "Thankyou for the honesty." She held Rangis gaze for a few moments then said. "I need to rest for a while. I'm feeling very tired." and turned her head away. Rangi stood up."Call me if you need anything." she said but the woman didnt reply and Rangi moved away feeling drained and helpless in a way she had never experienced before. Her attention was caught by two figures standing together near the supply units and she saw Scott smile down at Mercedes.There was something in the look they exchanged that set them apart from the horror of the situation. {I wish Shane could come back} she thought and realized it had been some time since she had spoken to him. {Not since he left here} she recalled, thinking that it was Samantha and not Shane who had requested she go to the Bridge. 'Ofcourse doctor' Samantha had replied when Rangi had asked permission to stay in sickbay where her presence was needed more. Since then, noone from the command team had contacted her. As if summoning Samantha by thought, the womans voice now came over the shipwide comm "All hands to alert stations. Repeat, all hands to alert station. Standby for temporal incursion. Sickbay, prepare for casualties." Rangi saw Scott lean forward to kiss Mercedes cheek. The moment was gone in an instant and the sickbay team moved to the rehearsed routine of readiness. *** End Log *** LtCmdr Rangi Summers CMO/2XO USS Chimera & Unnamed Ensign (npc) Rangi