*** Outside Rangis Quarters *** The marine escort standing outside the CMOs quarters, turned swiftly to face the door,his finger on the phasers 'fire' button. "It's only me" Rangi said exiting her room, and hitching her bag onto her right shoulder.The escort lowered the phaser and stepped aside. "We're going down to sickbay." she told him. He acknowledged her instruction. "Yes ma'am" They walked along the corridor almost step in step "You'll be glad when this type of duty is ended." Rangi remarked as they waited for the turbo lift. {You can say that again!!} he thought vehemently. "Yes ma'am I will" he replied,turning his head to her. "Not quite what you had in mind when you joined SSF?" she asked with mild amusment. His eyes crinkled in a smile. "No ma'am. I'd much prefer to be on the station...with some action there." "Indeed." Rangi replied, her thoughts turning to Shane and what might be happening. The short trip to Sickbay didnt take long. "Theres no need to wait for me" Rangi told her escort."...there's more than enough security here already.I'm going to be sometime...I'll call you when I'm ready to leave." The marine cast a doubtful look at the CMO. "With respect ma'am...I'm detailed to stay with you." "I'll see you in three or four hours then" she said and headed into the reception area, leaving her escort at the door where he greeted the two other security guards."How're you doin'?" Their expressions explained all. **Sickbay ** Rangi, eager to see the state of progress, made her way to the lab.The EMHs figure turned to greet her as she walked in. "Doctor" he said with a small bow.Rangi inclined her head in response and looked around. "Is Mercedes here?" The EMH adopted a self satisfied tone. "I insisted she take some badly needed rest." he replied."She had done her best..but her mind was becoming dulled." Ignoring his smug expression Rangi asked "What progress is there?" The figure turned and indicated an array of experimental equipment on a nearby bench. "A little..." he replied. "we're close to a breakthrough...a most tantalizing moment I always think." "Quite!" Rangi said dryly, walking over to the bench and surveying the testing in progress. The EMH followed close behind. "We have been able to stabilise the fluctuation...see here...." he lifted a medpadd and handed to her."...though at the moment...we are unable to 'completely' prevent them from phasing out." "Yes...so I see....." Rangi said absently, reading down the long list of results Mercedes had compiled.The EMH waited patiently. "mmmm..." Rangi mumured. Taking it as a sign the CMO had at last caught up to speed, the EMH stepped towards a radiation chamber."In here..'we'.." he continued, stressing the word, "...have neutrinos bombarding the cells at 180........" "Yes!...I can read thankyou!" Rangi interrupted, giving him a cold stare, at which he adopted an air of offended pride. "Please keep me updated on the result of this." she asked. "..whatever the outcome...Dr Carpenter too ofcourse." "Ofcourse." the EMH echoed "I'll be in my office." "Doctor" The hologram figure stood aside and watched Rangi exit the room. He straightened the padd she had laid on the bench and looked around to check everything was to his liking. Rangi made her way towards her office via the bays.There was little change in any of the injured crew, a fact she took in with concern.It worried her that if the current tests proved fruitless, there was little more that sprang to mind to try.{We'll have to ask Science...they might come up with a new slant on it all} She opened the door to her small office and stopped in her tracks. {Where do they all 'come' from?} she asked herself, surveying the neat stack of padds awaiting attention on her desk.Letting out a sigh, Rangi walked in and sidetracked to the replicator, tapped a button and said " Pineapple juice...no....ummm..oh...alright... Pineapple." In a moment a tall glass full of the pale yellow liquid materialised.Rangi lifted it and moved to her desk. Setting the glass down carefully to avoid spills, she sat in her chair and inched it forward."Ok." she murmured aloud and reached for the pile. Most were the medical records of the patients outside, telling her what she already knew..Others were status reports....telling how well, or not, sickbay was running on minimal power....how OPs had arranged to drain even more of sickbay systems to improve supply to the lab.and the testing. [Report Complete SD 24040901 21.21 Standard Earth Time] Rangi stared at the words blankly, slowly letting her eyes drift to the silver frame on her desk. Shane smiled at her. *** End Log *** LtCmdr Rangi Summers CMO/2XO USS Chimera & EMH (npc) Rangi