From: Leigh Rachal (cochranestephens_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Jul 17 2007 - 19:36:18 PDT
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“Dramatic Transfer”
Continued from “
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Location: Earth
Stardate: 2.1707.1643
Scene: Beach in Wales
Quoted from Justin Owens’ “The Beginnings of Goodbyes” (USS PROPHECY)
Cochrane had no time to think or act before he found himself plummeting towards a body of water. He had no clue of what had just happened to him, but he knew that if he hit the water the way he was falling it would be seriously injured. As he came closer and closer to the water, his mind raced with the thoughts of what awaited him in the watery fate below. It was at that moment that a large fish leapt from the depths and being hit by the poor falling cadet aiding in his landing.
Rushing to the surface the man looked around a bit confused and saw land off in the distance. Unknown to him where it was, he figured It was safer than wading out in the depths.
As the man pulled himself upon the beachfront, he turned onto his back before feeling that his combadge was some how magically connected to him. Tapping the device he hoped for the best, “This is Cadet Cochrane Stephens of Starfleet, can anyone hear me?”
Seconds later, to his surprise came an answer, [[“Cadet Stephens this is Starfleet Headquarters forgive me for asking but what are you doing here?”]]
Sitting up, Cochrane looked a bit surprised some how he had been returned to Earth. Where on Earth he had no idea, but the fact of the matter remained, he was now very farm from the PROPHECY and her crew.
End Quote
“Umm, I’m not sure but I would be glad to tell you all about my mission if you would send some help. I’m injured, wet, and would love to hear my kids voices.”
[[Understood,]] chuckled the voice, [[we’re sending a shuttle to pick you up.]]
“Great,” Cochrane replied and collapsed on the beach taking a much needed cat nap.
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Time Index: Twenty minutes later
“He’s dead to the world,” the young red head said to her companion as they stood over Cochrane.
“Yea. What is this contraption?” he said squatting down and looking at the homemade splint on Cochrane’s leg. “Looks like a joke gone bad.”
“Actually it’s a fashion statement. Neo-Borg haut couture,” Cochrane said without looking at the guy by his leg. “You’re blocking my sun,” he said smiling at the woman standing over him. He took her arm as she offered it and painfully she pulled him to a standing position.
“Ensign Leah Cage,” she smiled.
“Cadet Cochrane Stephens.”
“Cochrane? Did you parents not like you?” the man asked playfully.
“Don’t mind him. His mother drank while pregnant. He was born without common sense.”
“Will Jameson,” he smiled offering his hand, “Must have been some mission,” he said motioning to Cochrane’s leg.
“You could say that and yes my parents had more of a sense of history than of how a name would wear,” he smiled putting his arms over their shoulders between them as they helped him to the shuttle. Once on board, he enjoyed a hot cup of New Orleans style coffee and tuna on toast with lettuce and tomato while the shuttle zipped to San Francisco. It was the first hot meal he had had in days if not weeks.
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Time index: Two hours later
Scene: Starfleet Medical
Leah and Wil beamed to the emergency room of Starfleet Medical with Cochrane.
“What in the world is that?” the doctor asked as she approached Cochrane.
“It’s called making the best out what was there. It was either this of vaporizing my leg with a phaser. I liked this better.” She gave him with a less than amused glance and motioned two nurses to help him to a bio bed.
“Well, catch you later robo-cadet,” Wil smarted off as the left.
“It was nice to meet you Cochrane Stephens,” Leah said standing by his bed and shaking his hand. “I hope to see you around.
“I’d like that,” he replied taking a little longer than polite to let go.
“Get a laser scalpel,” the doctor ordered, “We need to get this contraption off to fully assess the damage.”
“Oww!” Cochrane yelped as she pulled the filthy bandage from the wound.
“Sorry but I had to get that off.”
“I understand. Just give a guy a little warning please.”
“Understood,” she replied as she cut off the splint with the scalpel. “Brace his leg. When this gives way his leg will want to fall and that is not good.”
“Yes ma’am, “ the nurse replied.
“So may I ask what happened?”
“First, what is your name?” Cochrane asked.
“Oh, sorry. Dr. Willie Graham,” she smiled over her shoulder.
“Interesting. Well Dr. Graham, an engineering console and a bulkhead landed on my leg. I haven’t been briefed yet so that is about all I feel comfortable telling you.”
“Ahh. Therefore, I assume from the dirt and the ancient but creative splint there was no sickbay near by. At least not functioning.”
“Correct,” he said wincing, “So how bad is it?”
She removed the last of the splint and dropped it noisily on the tray nearby while the second nurse placed a large pad under Cochrane’s knee for support. Dr. Graham then placed the scanner over his wound and ran the deepest most through scan possible. After several minutes, she stopped pushing buttons turned to face him.
“Well, it’s not good. You were correct that you had broken your leg and the splint however primitive did help minimize the damage but the lack of attention and the dirt aggravated the problem.”
“Am I going to be able to walk again?” he said a bit shaky.
“You should. You appear healthy and athletic which always a plus with leg injuries. You may not be running much any more or at least not for a while but you will keep your leg and your career. Now, first thing is to take care of the infection that has set in. Then, to do the repair surgery and post-op therapy.”
“How long are we talking about?”
“Well,” she said stepping to a console nearby pulling up a diagram of his knee. “The tip of the femur has multiple jagged edges that have began to splinter over the life of the injury, making it impossible to simply realign the two halves. If we tried that, the stray bone splinters would damage the surrounding tissue. We will cut off the damaged area and use pins to align the two halves leaving a space the size of the damaged area. Then you will have to undergo days of regeneration therapy until the new bone fills in the space repairing your leg.”
Cochrane was silent a long time, “So I will have pins in my leg for the rest of my life?”
“Yes but they will not hinder your lifestyle or job performance. That is unless you don’t do the physical therapy and follow my instructions.”
“Doc I have been a mountain guide participated in the iron man in Hawaii and have competed in mountain bike and road bike races. Activity and exercise are apart of my life. I will definitely do the physical therapy. Besides, I am a single dad with twins so I cannot be handicap. It is unacceptable.”
“Well, all that aside I will not sugar-coat this. You recovery will be long and painful but you should be able to report to your ship and have follow-up treatment there.”
“Let’s get started Doc. I have to see my kids.”
“Nurse give him 20 ccs of antibiotics and monitor the infection. Mr. Stephens I realize you are anxious to get to your kids but I cannot operate on an infected wound. That only infects the repair and causes more problems. If all goes well we can do the surgery in the morning.”
Cochrane lay back exasperated and tried to sleep.
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Time Index: Next morning
Scene: Starfleet medical pre-op
Cochrane woke-up to find he was in patient pajamas and secured in place by a bio-stabilizing console covering his torso.
“Good morning,” a male nurse said walking over to his bed as he tried to raise his head, “I’m Lt. Vincent.”
“Lt.,” Cochrane began smacking the “cotton” out of his mouth, “where am I and why am I restrained?”
“It was to keep you on your back. You kept trying to turn over which your injury does not permit so after we moved you here to pre-op and changed you into patient clothes, we placed the restraint on you to keep you on your back,” he said as he raised Cochrane’s head and removed the restraint.
“Have they done the operation yet?”
“No we will in about forty-five minutes.”
“That will be all for now Lt,” Dr. Graham said approaching the bed, “Before your surgery, there are some people that want to talk to you.”
“Daddy!” the twins yelled in unison as she stepped aside. “You hurt yourself?” Elijah asked.
“Yea. I busted my leg.”
“Does it hurt?” Leah asked.
“Just a little but the Dr. gave me medicine to stop the hurt,” he said gently sliding his hand down the side of her face.
“Good to see you, “ Adam Stephens said as Emily, Cochrane’s mother ushered Leah and Elijah off to the side. “Tough mission?”
“A little more interesting than anything else. I can’t discuss it, I haven’t been de-briefed yet.”
“Understood. So, we were told you need surgery?”
“Yes sir, in a few minutes actually.”
“Well, I’m sure you will do fine.”
“Yes sir. Where are the others?”
“Brett had a race today and Oliver is on a camping trip,” Emily chimed in.
“Has he made First Class yet,” Cochrane asked.
“He should by the end of this trip,” Adam answered.
“Well, I hate to break this up, but we need to get Cadet Stephens ready for surgery,” Dr. Graham said.
Cochrane gave the children a long tight hug and then said his good-byes to his parents. Then he was prepped and moved to surgery.
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Time Index: Two days later
Scene: Patient room
Cochrane reclined in a chair reading a crime novel PADD with his legs up and a regenerator strapped to his injured leg. The only sound in the room was the quiet hum of the regenerator as it stimulated the growing bone in his leg.
“So doc how is it progressing,” he asked Dr. Graham as she entered the room.
“Very well but you still need to keep the treatment up for at least two to three more days. Cochrane put his head back a moment and then looked back, “Before you protest, there is no way to rush this but you can begin walking on crutches but you have to be careful. I would prefer you stay here but command needs you back on duty now after the recent events. So, as soon as this cycle is finished you are to report to Admiral Ryan’s office for de-briefing and reassignment.”
**I guess that means the Prophecy did not return when I did, ** he thought.
“It’s been challenging,” Dr. Graham said shaking his hand, “I’ll forward your treatment schedule and medical records to your new assignment as soon as you receive your orders. Try to take it slow and not rush yourself. Bones heal at their own speed no matter how much we stimulate them. Remember that.”
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Time Index: One hour later
Scene: Admiral Ryan’s office
“Cadet Stephens. Have a seat,” the admiral said motioning to a chair.
Carefully, Cochrane made his way to the chair in front of the admiral’s desk.
“So you were on the Prophecy and you just appeared on a beach in Wales. Normally I would find this disturbing but in light of the Prophecy’s unusual mission I realize this is just par for the course. Since you are the first contact we’ve had with her since she left I need you to tell me everything that happened.”
“Well right after we left …”
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Time Index: Three hours later
“In light of the current situation, you have been reassigned to the USS PATRIOT as Chief of Operations and are no longer a cadet. You are here by commissioned an ensign in Starfleet,” he said standing and offering his hand.
“Thank you sir,” Cochrane said standing and taking the admiral’s hand. “How soon do I need to report?”
“As soon as you pick up your kids and get to the PATRIOT the better. Captain Jones is expecting you and your family. Good luck.”
“Thank you sir,” Cochrane said and then he turned and made his way to the door.
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Time Index: One Hour later
Scene: Baton Rouge
“Daddy,” Leah squealed as she ran up and grabbed him around the waist. He carefully balanced himself and tried not to wince but it did jar his injured knee but it was worth it.
“Hey baby,” he smiled down at her. “You ready to go?”
“Yea. We packed all our stuff and Pawpaw bought us new suitcases for the trip.”
“Wow you are getting to be such a big girl.”
“Yea dad look,” Elijah said running up, “it looks just like yours and mommy’s,” he said holding up the Starfleet duffel bag. At the mention of Sara, a pang of grief went through Cochrane but he smiled and followed the kids into the house. Inside he found most of his family and his in-laws. They had lunch and the he sat on the sun porch over looking the LSU Lake while he took his regeneration treatment.
“What’s that,” Elijah asked pointing to the device humming on Cochrane’s right leg.
“It’s helping my leg heal,” he said as he helped Elijah climb into his lap.
“Does it hurt?”
“No it makes it feel better. When we get to the ship, I’ll show you how it works. Would you like that,” he said looking down at Elijah.
“Rane (pronounced Rain),” his sister Brett called from the other room.
“Yea?”
“The transport shuttle is here.”
“Ok we’ll be right there. Tell the pilot to wait I still have,” checking the timer on the regenerator, “five minutes left on my treatment.”
“Kay.”
“Hey bud,” he said to Elijah, “go get Leah and you guys take your stuff to the shuttle pilot. Ok.”
“Ok,” he said running into the house yelling for his sister.
When the regenerator stopped, Cochrane stood up and carefully made his way to the shuttle out side. As he stepped out the front door, a smile came over his face.
“Long time no see,” Leah Cage said standing next to the shuttle.
“Are you stalking me,” he said playfully.
“Whose that daddy,” Leah asked stopping next to Cochrane on the steps.
“Actually baby her name is Leah also. She is the nice lady that picked me up when I got back.”
“Hi. I’m Leah Stephens,” she said offering her hand, “What's your name.
“Leah Cage,” she smiled and shook the little girls hand, “Nice to meet you. Are you going to be and explorer like your daddy?”
“I don’t know but I my mommy was an explorer too.”
Leah smiled, gave an interested nod, and looked at Cochrane to gage her next move.
“Her mom was killed on an away mission.”
“Ahh,” Leah Cage nodded in understanding.
“Do you have everything,” Emily asked from the porch as Cochrane made his way down the sidewalk.
“Guys, did you put your bags in the shuttle?”
“Yes,” they replied in unison sticking their heads out the shuttle door.
After the final good-bye’s the Cochrane Stephens’ family made their way to their new home on the USS PROPHECY.
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NRPG: Well here we come. Who wants to great the gimpy Chief of Ops and his lively kids?
Thanks for having us. J
Leigh Rachal
Cadet Cochrane Stephens
ACT Candidate
Class 0703
Starfleet Academy
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Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha!
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