Speak With Private Winters

Sarah approaches the medical area, or what passes for one out here, medical supplies laid out across sheets of metal, a makeshift desk constructed from debris, laid across it are papers with hastily written supply numbers written in the blank side.

{if PFC Cruz Is Alive = 1} A few feet from the desk rests Cruz, staring up at the stars above with half lidded eyes, her breathing slowed. {endif}

{if PFC Cruz Is Alive = 1} “I had to give her a double dose of Naproleve… I doubt she even remembers she has legs..” says Winters as she stares at the older woman from her makeshift desk. {endif}

{if PFC Cruz Is Alive = 1} “It’s too risky to attempt to put the bone back in place out here… we don’t have the supplies for it… best we can do is keep the wound clean and Cruz sedated…” she says, the look on her face forlorn as she forces herself to turn away from her patient. {endif}

“You doing alright, Winters? Doing well on supplies..?” Asks Sarah as she glances across the laid out supplies, the question answers itself.

“Yeah… we’re not doing great… maybe a weeks supply of Naproleve, we got plenty of bandages but not much disinfectant and you can forget about antibiotics… but… you won’t find anything in the ships Medbay… I already took everything that wasn't shattered or buried under a ton of steel…” says Winters not even having to glance at her supplies to know the lackluster count of supplies.

“This is all we got until we find civilization or help arrives…” she says, rubbing her eyes, fighting back against the bags that hang beneath them.

“I also wanted to know how you’re holding up… I imagine you and Gonzales were close…” says Sarah, taking great care to press on the subject without pushing the medic away.

“We…. We signed on at the same time… two people from different worlds star systems apart… and we both ended up here… he was… he was a good kid… ya know..?” She says, a faint smile on her face which quickly disappears.

“He wasn't the bravest or most confident… but he was a GOOD kid…! He signed on to help people… he wanted to save lives…! And now he’s… he’s…” she trails off, sorrow clear in her voice as she buries her head in her hands.

Sarah knows better than to speak, only nodding along as she allows Winters to say what she needs to say.

“I… I could have saved him… I know I could have… if I had just been faster… better… I know I could have…” she says, anger building in her voice as she laments her own perceived failings, her hands balling into fists.

“Winters, you saw how bad a shape he was in… with the ship going down all you would have done is gotten yourself killed… nothing short of a team of trained doctors armed with a Pauling would have been able to save that man in time.” Though it may hurt to hear, Winters needs to hear it regardless, there’s nothing she could have done to save Gonzales.

Winters breaks down, sobbing into her hands as she’s **** to accept the fact that Gonzales died well before he hit the operating table, well before he even reached the Crew Deck.

“What am I gonna tell his family….?” She asks, more so herself than the Sargent, a look of horror etched onto her face as she comes to the horrifying thought of facing Gonzalez’s family.

Sarah takes a knee, getting eye level with Winters as she contemplates the situation.

“As commanding officer, I’d be the one to inform next of kin… you don’t need to be present if you don’t want to be…” Sarah learned long ago that there’s a time for orders and shouting but more often then not, a marine needs a friend first and foremost.

“I… I appreciate it Sarge but… best I be there… best they know that he mattered to someone other then them… that he’ll be missed by more then just family…” says Winters with a grin determination, a resolve to make things as right as she can manage.

“You take care of yourself Winters, if you need anything you let me know, yeah..?” Says Sarah as she rises back to her feet.

“Yeah… will do Sarge.. and… thanks…” she says, lifting her head to flash a weak, sad smile for just a few moments, eyes red and tear-filled before she returns to her quiet mourning.

Sarah leaves the medic to her demons for the time being, maybe once the pain has faded and the wound has scabbed over more progress can be made.