**** These are some little snippets that have been wandering about in my brain, yelling to be let out. Time (evil four-letter word that it is) prohibits full stories with them at the moment, so here's just the tidbits. Ideas, snappies of your own you'd like to put in, Comments, questions, flames, and requisitions to pirate selections for personal use in your own fics are all welcome - the only requirement is that if you write it (whether based on mine or not), I WANNA READ IT! :) - Gok
*emphasis*
[thoughts]
First Photo
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"Umm . . . sir?" A meek voice spoke up from behind him, so quiet he could barely make it out over the continual roaring of the nearby spectators as they cheered their favorites on. The games scheduled for that day were nearing a peak - which of course meant that injures were coming more frequently to the first aid tents, theirs included.
[Can't these silly earthforce kids do ANYTHING simple without having their hand held?] With a sigh, Dr. Angus Mitchell turned around to his would-be assistant. "Yes, Brandan?"
"Please don't get mad, but - um - I'm kindof lost again."
"Jeezus, Ria, here I usta think you were GOOD with yer hands!" The man on the cot glared at her, still holding his bloody knee.
"Yeah, well, the same goes for your tongue. Shuddup, please."
*Sigh* [I guess not.] "Well, what do you know?" He asked her.
"Mallory here fell from a tree trying to get a better view of the ju jitsu sessions, and a branch didn't break his fall quite right. His knee's got 4 centimeters of gash as his new fashion accessory. Perfect compliment to the blue uniform, that red color."
"Har, har," both men said in unison. The two other injured people in the tent glanced at each other. They'd endured similar treatment already - and just hoped Brandan was allowed to leave soon. She was getting downright bitchy after having to miss lunch.
"It needs to be sealed, then bandaged - I DID clean and sterilize the wound already. I am learning, you know."
"Then seal it - the suture equipment is right there on the table, all ready to go." Mitchell turned back to binding the sprained ankle he'd had to interrupt. This was only her second time out in the tents, and he was getting annoying with her lack of basic skills. She might be a wizard with the advanced earthforce medical technology, but it didn't do anyone a lick of good here and now.
Brandan looked at the table. She knew exactly what was on the tray she'd been given. The antiseptic bottle she'd already used, the same as a few of the cotton squares she'd used to wipe out the splinters and sap. The roll of bandage was for later. That only left . . . [nawww, can't be.] She picked up the sliver-like bit of metal, complete with a single strand of cloth looped through the hole at the metal bit's end. She'd seen them before, in really old vids - what could they possibly have to do with this?
"Whu are those, anyway?" Her patient, Mallory, asked.
"Dunno. I've seen them in old movies. A lady - usually - is holding some cloth and is using these with her hands. They've got something to do with finishing the clothing. But what, I don't know."
"You've GOT to be kidding," Mitchell groaned into his hands. "Here, boy, a crutch. Now both of you go before there's more blood spilled." He shooed away the other patients, then turned to face the two earthforcers. "Tell me that was a joke, miss, and I *might* laugh."
"Sir?"
He physically picked her up by the waist and moved her over half a meter, then grabbed the tools from her hand. "Just - watch." He muttered through gritted teeth. "ONLY watch. Then you are leaving, and you will actually READ the textbook I've supplied! Got it? Good. You, boy, hold still. This won't hurt until the numbing wears off but DON'T pull on it, now OR later!" With that, he jammed the sharper end into the man's flesh, inciting a horrified squeak from Brandan.
"Shut - up." And then he proceeded to stitch the wound closed, then knotted and cut the strand. "Wrap it - at least you can do that part. Now, THIS-" he held it inches in front of her nose- "is a needle. THIS is thread - both made for surgery, both sterilized. You SEW with them - flesh, in this case. Cloth, in others. And *IF* I decide to allow you back, your next shift will start with a VERY comprehensive oral test on what you SHOULD have learned by now - instead of wishing for a damned magic wand to do all the healing for you! Now leave!"
Brandan left.
Quickly.
It wasn't fast enough for Mitchell, who muttered curses about earthforce coddling it's staff to the point of making them moronic. Mallory hobbled off less than a minute later, after getting instructions on when to return to have the wound checked.
[No more trees for me,] he decided.
(end)
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Second Photo ... ADULTS ONLY!
(snapshot three coming soonish)