Lt. Cmdr Baylen Anders

((Surgical Bay - USS Braveheart)) ::As he marched towards the surgical bay, Eliaan Deron thought about the worst part of being a Starfleet medical officer: knowing that at any moment the lives of those around him may end up in his hands. His father, a civilian medic throughout his career, had given long lectures at the dinnertable over the importance of maintaining professional distance from one's patients.:: ::That was easy in a civilian setting, Eliaan argued in his head to his father. Being a Starfleet officer meant being thrown together with a small group of people, wrapped in several tonnes of metal and forced to live and work alongside them everyday, sometimes for months on end. The only way to maintain a professional distance was to remain isolated from everyone around you.:: ::He considered his Vulcan aide and, at that moment, envied his emotional detachment. Still, he knew he couldn't live like that. He needed the people around him to be more than colleagues and on almost every other day, he was glad to be surrounded by people he thought of as family. Every day except for today.:: ::The smell of burnt flesh filled the room. For a split-second, unable to process the information that his senses were providing him, he thought that there was a fire in the room. The horrific sight of his friend on the biobed overwhelmed Deron.:: ::Feeling his stomach turn over, Eliaan took a deep breath to stop from fainting, throwing up or bursting into tears.:: Deron: Suvan, forget what I said before, find Perry now. ::The Vulcan understood and ran out of the room.:: Deron: He should see his brother before... ~~Flashback~~ ((USS Resolution Sickbay - Stardate: 238607.12)) ::Eliaan looked down at the PADD in front of him. He had managed to put together fairly decent biographical information for Finn Torrin, his undercover Laudean alias. Following his uncomfortable encounter with Kaedyn Tann, he was glad of the distraction and had finally managed to concentrate on something other than the missed opportunity.:: ::Betazoids believed you could love more than one person without devaluing your love for anyone but Dyami wasn’t just not around, leaving Eliaan to develop feelings for a colleague, he was gone forever. If he hadn’t been, Eliaan wondered whether he’d even have been in Starfleet. Perhaps the two of them would be working in a small, civilian practice together on Napea or Betazed. They would be happy together as a pair, sharing a world that they had created just for each other.:: ::On the other hand, was he inadvertently dishonouring the man he loved by mourning his death and wallowing in unhappiness rather than celebrating his life and their relationship? How could he reconcile his past love and happiness and his future? The weight of these thoughts bore down on him like a physical burden. He looked up and spotted Ensign Hunt entering the room and saw an opportunity to distract himself.:: Deron: Ah, Ensign Hunt. We haven’t been formally introduced, although I believe you are on my team for the away mission. Hunt: ::Looking up, with a big smile:: Yes, I am, Dr. Deron, I have been meaning to. Deron: Well then I am sure we are going to get to know each other pretty well... ~~End Flashback~~ ::Guy lay on the biobed, breathing heavily and irregularly. His skin was covered in burns, broken bones protruded through the flesh and much of his uniform was blackened.:: ::The Betazoid swallowed and began to examine at the bioreadings. All hopes where dashed that his friend looked worse than he really was; as impossible as it seemed he looked better than he actually was. There was nothing that could be done for him, the damage to his broken body was too severe.:: Deron: Oh Guy, what have you done... ::He adjusted the human's pain medication, which was all he could do, and pulled a chair over to the bedside. It took all his strength but he mustered a smile, knowing that the last thing the man needed to see was his Doctor's pain.:: Hunt: ::in a very low raspy voice:: The Captain? Is he ok? ::Eliaan had no idea what had happened on the station or what had happened to the Captain but felt now was an appropriate time for what humans called "a white lie" in order to make his friend feel better.:: Deron: The Captain is fine, Guy. You did your job and he's fine. Hunt: ::Guy closed his eyes and rested for a second.:: Do me a favor, watch Perry for me and make sure he is ok, and that he becomes a great Doctor. ::Eliaan felt tears well in his own eyes.:: Deron: I will look after him as if he were my own brother, I promise. Hunt: And tell him.... that his brother loves him a lot and... ::He trailed off, blood bubbled in his mouth. He began to thrash on the biobed and an alarm sounded indicating cardiac arrest. Eliaan prepared a hyopspray and pressed it against his neck.:: ~~Flashback~~ ((First Officer's Office USS Independence Stardate 238610.27)) ::Eliaan pulled himself up to his full height and pressed the chimes to the First Officer's office. The transfer from the Resolution had been unexpected at least. He found it hard to think of anyone buy Commander Jaxx as his XO. The call came to enter and he stepped into the room. Deron: ::handing over his orders.:: Lieutenant junior grade Eliaan Deron, reporting for duty ma’am. ::He immediately recognised Lt Hunt and Ensign Rathbone from the Resolution. While he didn’t really know the latter, he had come to think of the former as a friend. They had been through a lot together in a relatively short time. He shot the two men a quick smile:: Ehlanii: Lieutenant Commander Karynn Ehlanii. Welcome to the Independence*, Mr. Deron. I had not heard you were coming. Where were you posted and what department are you in? ::Inwardly, the Betazoid sighed. While he hadn’t expected a red carpet or an official reception but he had expected the ship’s First Officer to know that he was coming.: Deron: My orders say I’m your new CMO. Ehlanii: Glad to have you aboard, Lieutenant. Do you gentlemen already know each other then? Hunt: We go back a few missions yes, we have seen life and death together, we are very lucky to have him Commander. ::Eliaan smiled. At least he had a friend onboard already.:: ~~End Flashback~~ ::Eliaan watched the bio-monitors as the seizing stopped. The heartbeat began to level off and then, after a few moments, flatlined. Guy Perry Hunt took his last laboured breath and was gone..:: ::Eliaan leaned across and deactivated the biomonitors and the room was filled with silence and stillness. He felt hollow, as if his insides had been teleported out of his body leaving only a shell. He had felt this way before only twice. Over the death of his first love and the little girl who died on his table. Helplessness in the face of death was something he would never be able to deal with. ::There was no grief, no pain, only hollowness. He felt as if he were observing a holorecording of someone else watching their friend die. He stood, wiped the blood from Guy's lips and gently pulled a sheet over his friend's lifeless body. His hand shaking, he tapped his commbadge.:: Deron: =/\= Deron to Ops =/\= ::The response came and it was the only person Eliaan could imagine speaking to at that moment. The three of them had been through so much together.:: Deron: =/\= We've lost Lt Commander Hunt. He's ::his voice cracked with emotion and he cleared his throat:: dead, Kali. Guy is dead. TBC Lieutenant Eliaan Deron MD Chief Medical Officer SB118