Emergency Surgery Part One

Posted on Thu Sep 26th, 2024 @ 4:40pm by Lieutenant Commander Toulaine & Lieutenant Muffy Harrington

2,180 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Where do we go from here?

Emergency Surgery Part One
Joint Log
Lieutenant Commander Doctor Toulaine
Lieutenant Muffy Harrington


Muffy woke to someone banging on her door. She wondered why they weren’t using the chime, as she stumbled to the door and opened it. Toulaine rushed in, her blue skin almost white it was so pale. She was breathless and in considerable pain. Muffy pulled Toulaine into her quarters and made her sit down and handed her some water. “What is it, Toulaine? Why are you white?”

Toulaine took the seat that Muffy led her to and drank the water. “I got a call…” She gasped and stopped when Muffy covered her mouth. Muffy took several slow deep breaths and Toulaine got the message and copied her and calmed down enough to talk again and allow some color to return to her skin. “I got a call from Ian. Alice is on life support right now. I spoke with the Captain and she gave permission for you and I to return to Earth and save Alice’s life. We need to get there fast.”

Muffy nodded. “We go through the holodeck then. Don’t worry, I’ll take the stick with me and we will be fine. Then we can return when we are done. Now take one of your pain killers and let’s go.” Muffy gathered a couple of items and picked up the special stick she used when going to the farm.

Together, Muffy and Toulaine made their way to the holodeck, stopping to get Toulaine’s medical kits to take with her. Then she started the farm and Muffy programmed it to shut down after ten minutes and pulled the stick out and tucked it into her pocket and entered the holodeck and stepped onto the farm, in the yard outside the kitchen door. Toulaine was next to her and she waited until the program shut down on the ship and they were still on the farm. She went inside and called out for Ian.

Ian came out of the house and looked a little surprised. “I didn’t hear the transporter.” He started. Then he saw the items brought with them and stared at Muffy. “You used the holodeck? How did you know it would work and be safe?”

“Later, Ian. Take Toulaine to the hospital and I’ll deal with things here. Alice is more important than how we got here.” Muffy said and helped Toulaine into the truck. “Save her, Toulaine.” She pleaded with her friend. Toulaine looked down at Muffy and nodded. “I promise, Muffy.”

Ian went back into the house and grabbed the keys to the hover truck and waved goodbye to Muffy and started into town and the hospital where Alice was on life support. At the hospital, Toulaine became the doctor from head to toe and the hospital staff recognized her authority by her Starfleet uniform and rank and the medkits she carried. Ian led the way to Alice’s room, only to find the room was silent, no machines were working. Toulaine ran in and found the life support had been turned off, but that Alice was still fighting for life so she plugged everything back in with a speed that belied her limp and slow walk. A nurse came in and asked her what she thought she was doing and Toulaine turned on the nurse with a cold haughtiness that made the nurse take a step back and swallow. “Why was she taken off of life support?” Toulaine demanded.

The nurse, a very senior nurse on this floor, swallowed. “Her parents. They are listed as her next of kin on her records, although I was certain that wasn’t the case when she was brought in here.”

“Her parents lost all rights to call her daughter and that is in the legal system. They are no more her next of kin. Her husband is her next of kin. Look at when those records were updated.” Toulaine said and waited while the nurse called up the records on the padd she carried and she blanched. “Now then, if her parents are still in the hospital, call security and have them placed under arrest for attempted murder. Then make sure an OR is open for me with support staff in 10 minutes. I am going to save her life.”

The nurse was about to say something when Toulaine touched her padd and with the scan of her finger, pulled up her records. “Of course, Doctor Toulaine. At once.” She rushed off to do what needed to be done.

Toulaine walked back into the room where Ian was holding Alice’s hand and calling to her. “Alice, this is Toulaine. If you can hear me and are able, squeeze Ian’s hand.” Ian looked up, surprised. “I am here to save your life. Your parents tried to kill you. Muffy is at the farmhouse.” Ian looked up, as the squeeze became harder. “Is Muffy in danger there?” Ian nodded and Toulaine nodded for him to call in Alice’s aunt and uncle and cousins who lived down the road to go and help Muffy at the farmhouse.

The nurse came in, and informed Toulaine that OR 2 was ready for her. “Okay, Alice, I am taking you into the operating room. I promise, I will save your life.” She then nodded and the orderlies unlocked the bed and transferred the life support to the portable unit on the end of the bed and rolled her away. “Ian, you can stay or go, this is going to take some time. At least four or five hours.”

“I will go and help Muffy and then I will come back and bring Muffy with me. She is probably going out of her mind with worry.” Ian said and gave Toulaine a hug. “I’m trusting you.”

“I know.” Toulaine said and headed out to go and scrub up and get ready for the long surgery session.

Ian left the hospital and drove home as fast as he could. What met his eyes, made him laugh, for the first time in three days. Laying in the dust of the main driveway were Muffy’s parents, hog tied with barbed wire. Muffy standing over them with a pitchfork and poking them in the butt every now and then when it looked like they were going to move or try to say something.

“I told you, Alice isn’t dead, and you have no rights here, at all. The farm is in MY name as well as Toulaine's, Ian’s and Alice’s. We all four own it, so just changing Alice’s records won’t help you a bit, especially when I can show where you tampered with it. In case you forgot or didn’t know, I am something of a science genius and computers fall under science as well as engineering. Go ahead, try me, I dare you.” She then poked them both in the butt again, this time harder. “You two make me sick. Murdering your own daughter to get another farm to twist for your own sick pleasures. How did you get out of prison in the first place?”

Ian stepped out of the truck and saw the rest of Alice’s family standing around the yard, but they weren’t taking part in Muffy’s tirade. “What happened, Muffy?’ Ian asked and walked over. “Toulaine has taken Alice into surgery and it will save her life.” He said out loud. “These two had changed Alice’s records to read that they were her next of kin, not realizing she and I had married last month and that makes me her next of kin. But Toulaine knew and made the hospital staff look up when the change was made and correct it back to how it was when she was admitted, by me, three days ago. They have traced the computer used to make the changes and found that it was used to doctor public records as well, making those two the sole beneficiaries of Alice should she die. They didn’t check the actual title of the farm, thinking she owned it on her own. The hospital has alerted the authorities about their activities.”

Muffy laughed and poked them in the butt again. “You hear that, you pig vomit, the authorities have been called on you, twice. And they will be here soon. And now they have proof of the attempted murder. And I can testify that you attempted to murder me, as well, and a Starfleet officer on top of that.” She looked at Ian.

“Well, I was out in the barn, finishing up with the cows, when these two drove up and started making plans to transform the farm into another compound like they had when Alice lived with them. I came out and asked them what in the hell they thought they were doing on my farm. And they both jumped and he pulled a phaser on me. I have no idea where he got one. But then Duke and Earl came plowing around the corner and plowed into their backs and the phaser flew out of his hand. I picked it up and held it on them and they were afraid because I am a Starfleet officer and still in uniform, as you can see.” She said and then shrugged.

“About then, the rest of the family came plowing down the road and stopped when they found me holding those two at phaser point. And they asked me what they could do to help. I asked them to get me some barbed wire from the workshed and my pitchfork from the barn. They asked if I needed gloves and I laughed and told them no, I was used to working with barbed wire and knew how to handle it. So they brought me a bail of wire and I hog tied these two up and have been waiting for the authorities to come and pick them up. The family is keeping watch to make sure none of their friends arrive, after they called the authorities.” Muffy said.

“She has been keeping us in stitches the whole time, Ian.” Kevin called over to Ian from where he was on the lawn. “I never want to get Muffy pissed at me, her mouth is wicked and cuts deeper than sythe. And every time those two move or make a sound, she pokes them in the butt with her pitchfork. I tell you, Ian, it is classic.”

Muffy shrugged. “Idiots don’t deserve to be treated with anything but disdain. And to point out how they were idiots, they didn’t check the title of the farm to learn who it all belonged to. Or check the records to see that Alice is married. And they didn’t check to see that two of the owners of this farm are Starfleet. And two are from some of the oldest and most distinguished families on Earth. And one is Andorian, who is known for their battle ready stance. Then they try to change records and don’t know how to do it so it leaves no trace and act surprised when they are caught for it. And then they try to bargain with me….me, Muffy Harrington. How dare they!” She poked them again, just because she was feeling irritated.

Then bright lights and sirens are heard from all directions and Muffy smiles. “Your ride is here, pig vomit.” She said and stood back and waved them in and pointed to the two tied up. The authorities came and needed to get prints from everyone to identify who was who and nodded to Muffy and Ian and to Alice’s family and then scowled at the two tied up. “They had this with them.” Muffy said and handed over the phaser. “I am not sure where they got it, but I’m sure that someone is looking for it.” The way she held it, spoke loud and clear that she hated them and wasn’t comfortable holding them. They took the phaser and ran it through their system.

Then without further ado, they took away the two offenders and secured the area and they had been wise, as the two had a dozen of their cronies hiding in the fields waiting for the signal to come in and take over, and they were all arrested for trespass and aiding and abetting known criminals and being escaped criminals themselves. This time, this group would be put on the moon to serve their sentence.

Muffy led everyone into the house and collapsed in a chair in the kitchen and started to shake. “I really hate having to do that. Weapons make me all kinds of nervous. Thank you for the wire and pitchfork, those I could handle just fine.” Ian pressed a cup of tea into Muffy’s hands and she smiled at him and took a sip and sighed. “Thank you, Ian. Now, about the hospital.”

End Part 1

 

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