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Post by jesslewis on Jun 14, 2010 8:54:43 GMT -5
Jess had been ready and raring to go almost as soon as they got the order to disembark. The mission, for her, was straight forward anyway. Make shift medical shelters had been set up around the site where the rift had opened. Tens to hundreds of people were being brought into each one for medical treatment. Jess would visit as many as she could, helping out wherever she could. She got herself established quite quickly in one of the shelters, setting up her equipment before beginning to deal with the injured.
People were coming in with varying injuries. The severe cases were being rushed straight to hospital, but the people coming into the make shift shelters had injuries from simple cuts and bruises to broken bones and internal bleeds. Jess dealt with people as quickly and efficiently as she could, making sure they were treated as well they could be under her supervision. She didn't want to rush them out of there only to have them come straight back. After several hours straight of seeing to patients, she managed to catch a break, standing outside the marquee to take a breather and drink some water. This was a disaster.
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jun 21, 2010 18:46:14 GMT -5
Penn ran out of a small operating tent, ripping off his gloves and stowing them in his pocket. Spotting Dr. Lewis leaning on an old building, he dashed over.
"Doctor, where are those IV units they've been promising?" he demanded rather rudely. He shook his head. That was no way to talk to your superior. "I've got a patient losing blood fast, and I need to give him an infusion, to make sure he's stable before I start operating." He sighed, letting his knees collapse, sitting on the pavement. "We need more staff," he commented seriously. "We can't mend all these people on our own, we need help. It's chaos in there."
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Post by jesslewis on Jun 21, 2010 18:51:42 GMT -5
Jess hadn't really been expecting to be addressed by anyone, so Penn took her a bit by surprise. It had been good to have another Medical Officer on board the ship, that meant that everything didn't rest solely on her shoulders when it came to the physical welfare of the crew.
"They should be here within the next half an hour," she told him, ignoring the abrupt manner in which he had first spoken to her. He was stressed, they all were, it was understandable.
She crouched down beside him, "unfortunately, this is all we have for now." She looked across at him, "the government are trying to draft in officers with any medical experience, but for the time being, we will have to make do."
"Just take a moment to breathe, okay?" she said, "I can order you to if that'd make it any better?" She gave him a small smile.
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jun 22, 2010 15:41:54 GMT -5
Penn took a deep breath in, trying to steady his heartbeat. "I'm fine, thanks," he grinned up at his superior. He was never one much for orders. Though, Dr. Lewis was right, he supposed. No need to get fired up-- it would probably disrupt his work. Anyways, the IVs would be here soon. The bandages would hold until then, he hoped. The volunteers could watch him. Most of the bad injuries had been brought in already, and they couldn't really get anything done until the better equipment got in. So, perfect time for a break.
"So... How's it going in your neck of the woods?" he asked, after a few minutes of silence.
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Post by jesslewis on Jun 23, 2010 3:50:25 GMT -5
Jess smiled back. From what she'd been able to gauge over the time aboard the ship, Penn was a good guy. He was a bit quiet sometimes, especially when he was busy with work, but she'd managed to get him talking quite a bit.
"It's pretty chaotic," she said, "I'm dealing with people with minor injuries, so we're literally bringing them in, bandaging them up, and sending them off again. I'm seeing a person every 5 minutes or so." And she was pretty quick and efficient. Other doctors had been taking a lot longer, which was why these people had been piling up. Doctors today were too reliant on computers to do their work for them.
"We're all doing well, considering," she said, meaning the conditions they were working under, "you've been doing good work. I don't think you've lost anyone yet." Which was amazing. If they could through this without losing another soul, that would be a great relief.
"Still glad you agreed to this?" she asked, looking across at him.
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jun 23, 2010 9:48:03 GMT -5
Penn grinned. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," he quipped. He looked up at the sky, which was slowly turning darker into night. "I wonder what it all means, these fluxes," he mused, watching engineers help put the rail systems back in order. "Is it us who's causing it, or just nature, some higher power? Is it punishment for something we've done? And why do these innocent people have to pay for it?" Penn shook his head. I get religious when I'm cranky, he thought to himself, amused. "What do you think it is?" he asked Dr. Lewis, glancing over. Not the best thing to engage your boss in religious debates, but hey, they were all bored. Everyone was settled down better now, might be the only chance for a chat.
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Post by jesslewis on Jun 26, 2010 5:34:38 GMT -5
Jess chuckled a little, sinking down to take a seat next to him, making sure her lab coat was pulled under herself, so her trousers didn't get dirty.
"I'm more a believer in science," she said, which was fine, that was her opinion, and if he believed in a God, then that was up to him, "something is causing this, but whether it's humans or nature, I couldn't tell you. Heaven forbid anyone was doing this on purpose, higher power or otherwise."
Killing people had never been a suitable punishment to her, for any reason. There were always other ways to deal with problems, there had to be.
"Anyway, there are other people to figure out that sort of thing. We're supposed to be caring for the people affected." They would be for a long time, she imagined. "Did you leave anyone behind?" she asked, "on Earth?"
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jun 27, 2010 10:51:45 GMT -5
Penn nodded. "My whole family. My mum, my pop... I miss my little sister, though. Donna. Spunky little kid, with a mind of her own. She was a good lass, but she was a bit of a free spirit," he mused. "Got into a bunch of trouble-- then I would have to pull her out of it." He couldn't help chuckling at the thought. Donna didn't really need him to pull her out of a stitch, she could do it fine herself. She had been well-respected- and slightly feared- among the senior boys, back in her school days. "Got us a little bruised, but I can't say it wasn't fun," he quipped.
He sighed nostalgically. "Now that's she's got a fiancee to look after her, though, she should be good while I'm away." Tyler was a good man, and more than a match for his little redhead. They'd have a good life together.
"Yeah, that's it for me," he wrapped up, snapping out of his funk. No need to get himself homesick or anything. "What about you? Got anyone back home?"
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Post by jesslewis on Jun 27, 2010 12:04:56 GMT -5
Jess smiled as he talked. He sounded like a big brother. She'd found that a lot of older siblings had ended up becoming Doctors - it was a natural extension of what they were used to doing at home.
"I'm sure she misses you too," she said, "even with her fiancee there." Nothing could really replace a sibling, especially if they were particularly close.
"I just left my sister behind, Gemma," she said, "she's a few years younger with me, she's living with some friends in New York. I don't know that I would have come on this mission if she hadn't convinced me, it was hard leaving her behind." Gemma had been her best friend as well as her sister. They hadn't had their parents around from a young age, only really having each other, so they'd grown really close through that.
"I definitely know she'll be fine," she smiled, playing with the edge of her coat a little.
"You didn't leave a partner or anything behind then?" she hadn't met anyone so far that had.
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jun 29, 2010 20:44:07 GMT -5
Penn shook his head. "Na, nothing like that," he told her. "Sure, I tried, but never met anyone special. So, just me. Not too easy to make the decision to come." Yeah, he had tried. He knew he was a bit of an introvert, but he didn't mind a bit of company. He had tried, but he had just never clicked with anyone yet. Now that he was on the Venia, in a military position, he doubted he would meet anyone serious until it was done. And that might be a while. No point brooding, though. He had better things to do.
"What about you?" he asked Dr. Lewis. "Leave anyone special back home?"
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Post by jesslewis on Jun 30, 2010 2:31:46 GMT -5
Jess should have realised the question would be turned back on her.
”I, um, no, not at the moment,” she said, looking down at the pavement, pushing some hair behind her ear. ”There was someone a few years ago, but no one since.” She had been engaged, happily so, to a man she thought was brilliant. That was until he cheated on her with her best friend at the time, and that was unforgivable. Both of them were evicted from her life. She seemed to remember tossing the ring at his head in a rare fit of rage.
Something like that made it hard to trust men. But she would again... someday.
”Where did you work before this?” she asked, unsure whether she’d asked the question already, but she needed a different topic of conversation.
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jun 30, 2010 10:01:28 GMT -5
Penn raised his eyebrows at the abrupt change in topic, but went with it. Some people didn't like discussing their personal lives, which was fine. So, he answered her question as best he could, to see if she would go back to the comfortable state she had been in earlier.
"I had a bit of a stint at the local Cardiff hospital, but it wasn't much," he related. "Apparently, Cardiff used to be a big hot-spot in the British Empire, back when it was an empire, but after Wales seceded, it kind of diminished into just a small little city. So, nothing really big, just part-time. Especially since I was in the University of Cardiff at the time." He blissfully recalled his moments back on campus-- so much learning, such a positive, friendly atmosphere. He was heartbroken when he had to leave, but such was the cost of helping the universe, he supposed.
"I had just finished my Bachelor in Medicine, majoring in practical work, but I guessed I realized I really just loved the atmosphere of learning," he admitted. "I had been a top student in my classes, so the campus was happy to give me a scholarship, so I could stay and get a Bachelor in Education. So I could teach others the studies of medicine, and let them do good work as they pleased. Then, of course, the Venia picked me up, so that never really happened. I have a few courses in, though, so I know the basics." He had fallen in love with the Education sector as soon as he had set eyes on it-- he had assumed that was his life's calling. Guess not, though.
"I'm assuming you had another job before you got called on this chaotic whiz of a mission?" he asked, hoping it would spark a little conversation from her. He was never really a monologuer.
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