Search Underway

[DrDMatthews 0]

Debbie drew a deep breath as she waited in the corridor outside Sickbay. Merina had just gone back to hurry up Brian and gather a few more supplies they thought might come in handy. Russ Eckerd and Miles Linkowitz were already on their way to join the party searching the underbelly of the ship. In the meantime, the CMO stood with Rocco Studly and Gracie Allen, silently waiting to begin what promised to be a painful task.

 

Studly and Allen were heading to the damaged area in the neck of the ship. Debbie, Merina and Brian would soon enter the damaged saucer section. A sizable area had been badly mangled during the Romulan attack....an area where numerous crew quarters were located.

 

Debbie's thoughts were with the missing crew, especially her own people. She had one confirmed dead, Erica Shear, a 27 year old lieutenant who worked primarily on the Beta shift. Matthews didn't know the circumstances of Lt. Shear's death but it didn't matter. She was gone and that's all there was to it.

 

The other two missing members of her staff were just that.....missing. They hadn't been seen or heard from since the Reaent was attacked. One was Ensign David Tindal, a member of the Alpha crew. He was all of 23 years old. As badly as Debbie felt about Shear and Tindal, it was the third name that really bothered her. Petty Officer 1st Class Simon Ljungberg.

 

Debbie could still see Simon's face the day he joined her staff. He was a young man with a huge chip on his shoulder and an attitude in need of a major overhaul. In spite of it all, Debbie liked him. He was bright and articulate and highly skilled for a medic. She was confident he could easily become an MD. All he had to do was set his mind to it. She'd spent a great deal of time with Simon, trying to steer him in the right direction. And she was making some progress with him.....real progress.

 

Ljungberg had changed a lot over the previous few months. He was more self confident and much less self-destructive. He had lost his penchant for getting into trouble. Most importantly, he showed a great deal more enthusiasm for his job and life in general.

 

Now this had to happen. The CMO had already checked. Both Ens. Tindal and PO Ljungberg were housed in quarters in the damaged area of the ship's saucer. They lived across the hall from each other.

 

Debbie looked up as Merina and Brian rushed out of Sickbay. She was eager to get the search underway. She refused to give up on either of her missing people. But she knew time was of the essence.

 

"Let's go," she stated flatly and led the others into the turbolift. "And let's pray we find more than just bodies."