A MACO's life

continued from here


*has been to sickbay, luckily Phlox was busy up the back with a patient, managed to talk to Nightnurse without having to talk to him*

*has gotten the number of the quarters where Mina has been billeted*

*walks along the rows, counting until he finds it*

*goes to press the chime - then stops*

It's late, perhaps she's sleeping, maybe I should come back...

*half-turns away, hesitating*

*has taken charge of Elise off Trip after her visit with Phlox*

*would have gone with her, but has a dozen MACOs who need his attention as well as an unexpected toddler*

*is sitting at Trip's desk, foot elevated as per orders, feeling uncomfortable*

*wasn't so much decided as occurred by default that Elise would live here*

*snorts*

Not like there's much room in my quarters even for me...

*glances at Elise - she's wrapped up looking a picturebook on a padd*

*decides to get a headstart on his paperwork*

*fires up Trip's terminal*

*accesses own files*

*glances at the training regimes his sargeants put in place during his absence*

*reads a report on team morale - damn near rock bottom, as could only be expected*

Okay, have to deal with that sharpish

*sees a note from Phlox in his personal mail account*

*reads*

*glances at Elise, trying not to let worry show*

But you were just there...Trip would have said if Phlox had mentioned any problems...

*rereads the message*

*notices the date - the day after they left on their abortive scouting mission*

*outloud*

what the fuck??

*hears Elise mimic the words*

*looks at her*

Hey, only I'm allowed to swear here, okay Ejay?

*sees her nod*

*looks from the computer, back to Elise, then down at his foot*

*bites back a sigh of frustration*

*hits reply and jabs out a query to Phlox*

*is alone on a rock shelf on the far side of the cavern system they've begun to call home*

*has taken to limping here to think - is the closest he'll get to privacy, far enough away to be alone, but still locatable if something goes wrong*

*has one of the working padds Hoshi found*

*thumbs it on*

*stares at the horizon for a while - can't see the crash site here, but knows where it is, just beyond the boulder outcropping*

*stares at it for a while*

( Begin recording - Personal Log.... )

*has been staring at the wall half the night*

*rubs tired eyes*

*turns on his terminal*

TO: Tucker, C.B. (Cmd)
FROM: Hayes, J.M. (Mjr)

SUBJECT: It's done.

Though there is a complication you'll be hearing about soon.

But it is done as you asked. And it hurt like a bitch to do it.

So don't make me regret this, Trip.

-Matt




*turns off terminal*

*walks over to bed, collapses face-first on the mattress*

*sleeps*

*returns to quarters, undoing the buttons of his formal tunic as he crosses the threshold*

*has own words echoing about his head*

we all knew the risks when we signed on....they were good soldiers, good people...we will honour them by moving forward and finishing our work...their sacrifice will not be in vain...

*slopes into chair, yanks open bottom drawer*

*pulls out a half-empty bottle of whiskey, top-shelf, good stuff*

*swallows dryly, tongue tasting like ash*

*his 'special bottle,' has been saving it to drink only in times like these*

*pours three fingers into a tumbler*

Abrahams....Nikoyovich...Ames...

*raises the tumbler in toast*

Rest in peace, soliders...you've earnt it.

*downs the slug in one belt*

*feels it burn*

*rubs his eyes*

*hears the echo*

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

*eyes the bottle*

*carefully replaces the cap*

*puts the bottle away*

*ignores the treachorous voice in his head that says 'until next time.'*

*stands*

Lest we forget...but I can't forget...ever

*turns and heads to the shower*

...

( seethe... )

Personal Log, Major J Matthew Hayes MACO

*begin recording*

...

Shit.

That's all I've been able to think since I heard the news.

Trip's gone. Taken by one of those damned PIFs, to who knows where.

And there's not a god damn thing I can do about it. Years of training and discipline and sacrifice, and when it comes down to it, there's not a single positive thing I can do to help him.

He could be hurt, or captured again, or...anything.

And I can't help him.

I'm a man of action, always have been. I need to be doing something, anything. But there's nothing for me to do.

Except wait.


Shit.

*end log*

*has been edgy ever since he found Tanner bleeding in his quarters*

*has wandered around the ship aimlessly, done all the MACO paperwork, tried to get some training*

*concentration is shot*

*feels wary, under threat*

*misses having Trip and Chris in his head all the time*



*is bored*

*is lonely*

*paces from one wall of his cabin to the other*

*feels...restless, uneasy*

*bored*

*feels very strange, like he's feeling everything from far away*

*slumps against the wall*

*rubs eyes*

Fuck

*checks in with Enterprise, confirms that first rota of shoreleave is down and into their accommodations safely*

*is pleased to hear that there have been no major concerns knock on wood*

*is now technically off, but still on-call for emergencies*

*knows where he wants to be in the meantime*

*looks up Kelly's hotel address*

We were boarded. For once, we were invited to the party. Who'd thought I'd be thanking Foster for anything??

However, as we were guests, we had to do as we were told - defending key ship facilities - the bridge, engineering, the armoury.

*sigh*

I got stuck in the Armoury - with that megalomaniac bastard Tanner. I was antsy because I wasn't where the shooting was, and he was being a pisshead because he wasn't allowed to shoot his Penis extension missiles.

The team on the bridge reported back that all they had to do was stand around and look tough. hopefully they've got some inside info for me when I debrief them

Romero the lucky SOB managed to get in on the action outside the shuttle bay. He gave me some story about Mac being a boarder - but since, last time I checked, she was still out cold in sickbay, I have to wonder if maybe he took a blow to the head.

However, I will be having words with Kemper, since a pretty little birdie told me that Crewman Rostov was injured by one of the boarders inside engineering. I am very much looking forward to him explaining how a boarder got past him and his team.

I've also heard unconfirmed reports that Chef dealt with another wandering miscrenant. Details are sketchy, but from what I've heard so far, I will never do anything to piss that man off again.


Time to go deal with the prisoners/hostages....

just got reamed out by Phlox - seems Christina couldn't figure out the difference between muscle ache and bruises and a collapsing lung!

And of course, its all the big bad MACOs fault.

I'm starting to seriously think that the reason SF invited us aboard was to serve as whipping boys to the various nerousis of the crew.

This is the kind of problem that can't be solved by alcohol - but booze would certainly lubricate the suffering.

i remember now - one of the reasons I picked Mac for this mission was for her speed over any terrain

*looks around*

I'm not lost...oh, who am I kidding...

*opens the first door*

A lab? *investigates*

*sees something familiar in a little alcove*

A STILL!

*samples*

Hmm...not ba- *falls down*

Zzzzzzzzz....

*stares at the message on top of the box*

"Sir;
Your choice of costumes. Either way, I think blue is your colour.

- Mac"

*stares some more*

sheisaDEADwoman

*holds up choice #1 - a Starfleet security uniform, complete with crewman's pips*

*holds up choice #2*

no choice really. Hooray for long hours in the gym

*goes to get dressed*

*sharpens a knife*

*slip-schnik*

*slip-schnik*

*slip-schnik*

sighs

I am so bored.