Ringing. That's all Austen could hear at first, then a low hum. His skin was tight on his right side He reached up to rub his throbbing head. He couldn't feel his right hand connect with his temple. He blinked. Whatever pain medication they'd given him was clearly working overtime to cause him to loose sensation. He could feel a slow heart beating in his chest, without thinking he sat up and his heart began to race. A person with cold and nimble hands pushed him back down into the bio-bed. A head appeared over him and Austen's vision began to focus on the familiar face of Nurse Gineret. She was speaking to him, or at least trying to. Austen couldn't seem to focus on her words enough to distinguish between the sounds.
Austen put all his effort into listening to her, but he had no success. In fact, he couldn't decisively pick out any sound in it's individuality. They all seemed to lump themselves together in one low murmur. Nurse Gineret, must have noticed something was off because she was now scanning him. Her face dropped.
Austen's head throbbed as he slowly came to with his back against something hard. The world was blurry and silent. He felt nauseous watching the blurry blobs move. Suddenly he remembered to breathe and he felt like he hadn't in a while. Austen gasped in air only to find himself choking on what felt like acid in his lungs.
The windows, they had shattered. The room was full of the exterior's air. Everyone in this room was dying, slowly suffocating to death, having their lungs burned from the inside out. Austen among those numbers. His mask. He needed his mask, which meant he needed his bag. There'd been an explosion, his bag was likely shielded on the ground where it had been. He needed to find his seat.
Fighting the nausea Austen pulled himself to his feet. His head pounded, his lungs screamed for him to breath again. His body ached from being thrown and responded sluggishly from lack of oxygen. His left shoulder had taken the worst of the hit and judging by the low sounds of the world, his hearing aids wouldn't be helping him any time soon.
Austen had been thrown about two rows back and against the right wall. How could he tell? Solari hadn't been as lucky as he was and her body was still limp in her seat. Austen made his way to Solari, by the time he got there he was starting to forget what was so bad about the toxic air of Illyria and considering his second breath. But he fought the urge, his throat now begging for air along with his lungs. He grabbed his bag, dumping its contents and scrambling for his mask. He pushed it against his face and pushed the activation button. There was a puff of air and Austen gasped, pulling much needed air into his lungs. He took several rapid breaths refilling his lungs with oxygen and filtering out the toxins. Austen then properly put the mask on his face and shuffled on the floor over to Solari's bag.
He grabbed her mask and put it on her. She had no response. Her torso was motionless in response to the fresh air. He turned back to his bag and retrieved his tricorder. Dead. She was dead. With a heavy heart and a shaking hand, Austen turned her mask off and removed it. He added her mask and oxygen supply to his inventory and repacked his bag. He shouldered the bag, grabbed the other two bags, and searched the room for the others.
Austen couldn't hear, he'd figured that much out. He'd likely suffered hearing loss from the explosion. He couldn't tell what had exploded though. But whatever it was, medbay was over flowing and the three main doctors and two lead nurses were each in surgery rooms with patients. Meanwhile Austen was gathering the sights of medbay and of his new injuries. His right side was the worst, his skin was blistered, red, and melted. They'd clearly pumped him full of pain medication though because he didn't feel it at all. He also wasn't blind to the prospect that he'd suffered extreme nerve damage in his burned regions. He was stable he could move. He had to be slow and mindful, but he could in fact move. He couldn't get much information. Once he was stabilized Nurse Gineret had to proceed on to other patients. From what he gathered the nurses were attempting to stabilize who they could and then putting them on the list for the doctors to get to based on their injuries. At least, that seemed like what was happening. No one had the type to write anything down for him. He was left completely to his own inferences. When he was able, he reached for the information scream beside the bed. Yep, hearing loss. Third degree burns. Scrap metal buried in his right side. Two minutes without oxygen. Likely brain damage, but no tests done thus far. No signs of blood clots. No signs of spinal trauma.
What had hit them? They were on a supply run mission. No one should have been firing anything. Austen switched the screen to the ship informational catalog. A five deck hull breach. Thirty six already declared dead and they were still searching. The ship was at red alert and emergency medical procedures were in place. Nothing on the source was listed. Austen looked up and around medical. They were scrambling all around from patient to patient. As soon as one person's vitals dropped to dead, the nurse would move on to the next patient as security removed the dead personnel from the room. How many people were in here? Austen looked around the patients. It was horrible to witness. Then, if it hadn't already, Austen's stomach dropped at the sight of the latest victim security was rolling out of med bay. Atticus.
Rihaven was the first one Austen found, she'd been thrown to a similar location as him. She seemed to be doing well at holding her breath, but she was gripping her knee fiercely. It wasn't bent odd, so chances were it was badly injured but not broken. Austen approached her and offered her the mask from her bag. She snatched it and equipped it, quickly regaining her breath. Instantly her lip started moving as she tried to recite a whole speech to Austen. He held up his hand and mimed to her that he couldn't hear. She stopped talking, though she made sure her disappointment was known through her facial expression.
Austen formed the words, can you walk? But they never made it two his ears. Rihaven nodded. Austen began to scan for Harcrow, when Rihaven grasped his injured shoulder hard. He left out a small yelp and turned to where she was pointing with her other hand. Dr. Connors, lay back to the screen behind the podium. Austen nodded and made his way quickly over to the doctor. He took out Solari's mask and pressed it to the Doctor's face. His chest heaved in response to the oxygen and Austen began strapping the mask to him. The doctor's eyes fluttered open to see Austen. He looked around wildly, then without warning, he stood.
Austen, stood up slowly trying to calm down the doctor. He brandished his starfleet badge to the doctor and the man calmed down. Once again, Austen was met with a flurry of words he couldn't hear. Austen took out his hearing aids and showed them to the doctor, a clear gesture that he couldn't hear. The doctor went silent. Austen gestured for him to follow and he did so, grabbing a brief case from behind the podium.
On their way back to Rihaven, Austen found Harcrow slumped against a wall. Blood behind him, based on readings, he'd died on impact. Austen helped Rihaven to her feet and the three of them made their way out of the lecture room. Austen caught glimpses of some people coming to and aiding themselves and friends. Austen felt ashamed not to be helping until he'd confirmed the life of every person in the room, but he just couldn't manage the task. Besides, now he had to protect the doctor as well.
Atticus's curly blond hair fell across his blank, paling face. Austen, without a second thought, stood and bolted over to where Atticus was. This couldn't be turn. The security personnel's attention turned to Austen, blocking him from his friend. His friend who lay motionless in a transportation bed. Austen couldn't tell if he was screaming or not. Nurses began to assist the two security members who were guarding Atticus's body from Austen. Nurse Gineret stepped between Austen and Atticus, her face solemn. She tried to calm him, but Austen couldn't hear her words. Finally, his little strength he had summoned gave out and Austen collapsed to the floor. Maybe he was crying. He couldn't tell. Nurse Gineret placed a hand on his and walked him back to his bio-bed. Austen watched silently as they wheeled Atticus out of the room.
Once they were out of the room, both Dr. Connors and Rihaven lurched to cover their ears. Based on the flashing lights in the embassy, there was an alarm going off. Austen shouldered Rihaven harder and pulled the group up a floor and into a side room. He sat Rihaven down in a chair at what appeared to be a small conference table. He had to figure out a way to communicate with these two. Simple head nods and gestures weren't going to get them out of this situation.
There was a tap on his shoulders and Dr. Connors was holding out his hand to Austen. Austen gave him a confused look and the doctor pointed to his ears, then to Austen, then to his hand. Austen handed the doctor his hearing aids. Surely they were fried, what was this doctor going to do with them? But the doctor continued to inspect the hearing aids, then he clicked open his briefcase, revealing a hypospray synthesizer and began clicking away.
Austen watched at the doctor tapped away at the miniature computer inside the case. Then with a click of a button a hypospray slid out, the doctor wordlessly, placed it in the injector and stuck Austen in the neck with the spray.
The first thing Austen felt was a burning pain in his body, then he felt his skin stretching and his mucles tightening across his right side. He reached up and felt a smooth version of his right ear regenerating, healing from the damage. Then sound filled the room.
Austen looked at the doctor in panic. What had he just done?
