“We’ve got one man down. There was what looks to be a legionnaire hiding in the supply tube, and he came out firing. We took him out,” he said, glancing to where the legionnaire floated lifelessly.
Oddly, for a moment, all Ryck could notice was that legionnaire EVA suit patches were red, not the blue of Federation suits. Ryck could see half a dozen or more red patches on the front of the man’s suit.
It was only then that Ryck noticed the blue patch on Ling’s arm. Suddenly, he realized that it was Ling who had hit him. Ling had seen that he was out of position, and he’d launched himself at Ryck, knocking him out of the line of fire. Ling had taken at least one round as a result. This was the brown-noser who Ryck thought might be a liability. The kid had saved Ryck’s life.
“Correction, two down. Beady and Ling,” he sent to the platoon commander.
By then, the lieutenant, SSgt Hecs, and the two corpsmen had gotten there. More Marines would have come, but the lieutenant had ordered them to maintain total security. Hecs immediately checked the access tunnel for anyone else, something Ryck should have done, he realized.
Doc Grbil went right to Cpl Beady, checking his vitals on the readout. The EVA suits recorded O2 consumption, pulse, and perspiration, less than what a PICS monitored, but things that were valuable to a corpsman. Doc Francis went to check Ling, but after a cursory inspection, came back to Beady. That was not a good sign.
Ryck pushed off the overhead, spun around, and came down to where the two corpsman were working on John. The fire team leader was not doing well; even Ryck could see that. Blood had frothed up against his EVA suit face shield.
Grbil and Francis were pretty obviously on a medical circuit, one Ryck could not listen in on. By their gestures, Ryck could tell they were arguing. Ryck was getting frantic.
Quite arguing and save him! he shouted in his mind.
Doc Francis reached out and put his hand on Doc Grbil’s shoulder, only to have the platoon corpsman knock it away. Francis seemed to deflate, and Ryck could swear he saw the moment when he capitulated to Grbil. What that meant for Beady, Ryck didn’t know.
“OK, this is what’s going to happen,” Doc Grbil passed on the platoon circuit while Doc Francis got out another ziplock and started preparing it. “Cpl Beady is bleeding out. There is no way he will make it back to the Ark Royal, and I don’t think the portable stasis will be effective enough, fast enough. I need to stop the bleeding, first.”
How could he do that? If this was on solid ground or in a pressurized ship, it would be easy. Doc could take Beady out of his suit, close off any arteries, and give him a spray of skin-in-a-can. But in this situation, it was the same as in open space. If Doc was going to take him out of his suit, Beady would die anyway.
“The only thing I can do is go in there with him, stop the bleeding, then start stasis,” Doc passed.
The ziplocks were not that big, Ryck knew. Two men in EVA suits just weren’t going to fit. If they did manage to squeeze in, there would be no room for Doc to work. And even if he did, once sealed, the ziplocks could only be opened in a sickbay, so how was Doc going to get out once the stasis generator was turned on?
“What I need is for two Marines to hold the ziplock opening, half closed. I’m going to have Doug here cut off my suit, and I’ve got to get inside immediately. I need the opening closed and air pumped in right then if I’m going to remain conscious. If— ” he started.
“No way!” Lieutenant Nidishchii’ shouted over the net. “That’s too dangerous. I’m going to canc that plan right now!”
“Sorry sir, but you can’t,” Doc Grbil told him.
“The hell I can’t! I’m your commanding officer, and I say no!”
“You know better than that, lieutenant. You are in tactical command of me, true. But in medical matters, my authority trumps yours. We can argue this. We can send back to the Ark Royal for confirmation, but time is wasting. I need to do this right now if Cpl Beady is to have a chance,” he said, looking at the lieutenant.
The platoon commander stared back for a moment before passing, “All right. Two Marines, up here now.”
Ryck was right there, so he took the edge of the ziplock that Doc Francis held. Lips and Keiji started to join him, but as Lips was in Beady’s fire team, Keiji backed off. Doc Francis gave them a 15-second brief on what to do. It wasn’t difficult. They all been in ziplocks back at recruit training, and Ryck had been in one in an actual medical situation, even if he was unconscious at the time. The seal was a simple groove-in-slot, just like the old-style ziplock bags from which they got their nickname.
The two docs maneuvered Beady into the ziplock, pushing him towards the back. Ryck saw no movement from the corporal and hoped he was still alive, still hanging on. With Doc Francis assisting, they closed the opening half-way, leaving the top half unsealed. Doc threw in a medical kit, then stood in front of the opening. Doc Francis stood in back of him with a scalpel in his hand.
Ryck could see Doc Grbil’s EVA suit expand as he took several deep breaths. Doc wanted to get as much O2 into his system as possible before he tried the transfer. He held up one hand, then exhaled as much as he could, bringing down the hand as a signal to Doc Francis.
The battalion aid station corpsman quickly sliced down the side of his fellow corpsman’s suit, from shoulder to calf. With a quick reverse, he slit Doc Grbil’s left sleeve.
With several shakes, Doc Grbil tried to free himself from the suit. He was already in vacuum, and time was ticking. His hand seemed to be sticking, so Ryck reached out with one hand and gave the glove of the suit a jerk. That seemed to work, and Doc Grbil was diving forward into the ziplock, blood globes spinning off from where Doc Francis had cut him while slicing the suit. Doc went in head first, but his feet hung up on the opening, and Lips and Ryck had to grab them and push them in.
Doc Francis had hit the switch that started the air flowing into the ziplock even before the two Marines had sealed the opening. SSgt Hecs and the lieutenant jumped up to help, pulling the seam out straight so Lips and Ryck could get it sealed.
It took a few long seconds before the ziplock began to puff out. Doc Grbil was crumbled in the bottom of the lock, not moving.
Had it taken them too long? Ryck wondered.
If Doc was unconscious, the increase in pressure brought him around. He shook his head once or twice, then squirmed around to face Cpl Beady. He checked Beady’s breathing. Ryck could not see his corporal’s chest rising, but he must have been breathing as Doc Grbil went on to the second B in triage, “bleeding.”
[18] Reaching into his kit, he took out a fabric cutter, which was nothing more than a scalpel with a curved guard that kept it from slicing into the person whose clothing was being removed. He inserted it into the suit at Beady’s waist, then ran it up, cutting the fabric away from his torso. Underneath the suit, Beady’s white cottons were soaked red with blood. Doc Grbil cut the cottons away, exposing the wounds to the torso.
Ryck wanted to turn away, but he had to watch as Doc quickly inserted the cauterizer into the holes made into Beady’s body when the darts burst through him. The little tool sought out major arteries and veins, automatically sealing them off. Quickly, but with a sure hand, Doc Grbil took out the siliderma, the skin-in-a can, and closed off all the outside wounds. Turning Beady around, he slit off the rest of the corporal’s EVA suit, then repeated the process.
Ryck watched the entire process, willing Doc to hurry. He knew his team leader had to get into stasis quick. Field expedient first aid was great, but Beady needed surgery.
Doc gave Beady the once over, sealing shut another wound in his arm and checked Beady’s breathing again. He didn’t seem satisfied, so he intubated the corporal, then started oxygen. He looked out through the clear sides of the ziplock to his fellow corpsman. Doc Francis pointed at his wrist as it to a watch. Doc Grbil nodded, and Doc Francis started the stasis generator.
Ryck felt a surge of gratitude towards the corpsman. He put his life on th
e line to try and save John. Even going into stasis had a degree of danger. On occasion, people in stasis were damaged in the process, and some even died. Doc Grbil was putting himself at risk.
While waiting for stasis to take over, Doc Francis went back to work on PFC Ling. He looked at the readings, then applied a broad, low-pressure bandage to the area. Blood would still flow, but at a reduced rate, thereby slowing any bleeding.
The portable stasis generator was slow, and it took several minutes for it to take effect on Beady and the doc. Ryck could see no change in Beady, but Doc’s head began to loll, and his mouth opened. Within moments after that, he was out. It still took another ten minutes for Doc Francis to be satisfied that full stasis, and least as full as the portable generator could reach, had been attained.
“Cpl Beady was still alive when stasis took over. Harris is fine, too. We need to get them back to the Ark Royal ASAP, though,” Doc Francis said.
“Captain Davis has a reki waiting right outside Finland,” the lieutenant said, referring to the operational name of the breach where Second Squad had entered the Marie’s Best. “If he’s ready, let’s get them there. PFC Ling goes, too. Sgt Lysander, get a team together and get it done.”
“Aye-aye, sir,” he replied, then to his team, “First, take point and clear the way. Just because it was cleared on the way in does not mean someone else hasn’t moved in afterwards. Stillwell, you help Ling, Peretti, you’ve got our rear. The rest of you, you’ve got Cpl Beady and the Doc. I shouldn’t have to say it, but be careful!”
He switched to a direct circuit and asked, “Joab, how are you doing?”
“I’m fine, sergeant. No problem,” Ling answered.
His voice did not sound fine, though. It sounded shocky.
“If you feel nauseous, if you are having any problems, let me know. Cpl Beady and Doc Grbil are in stasis, so a few more minutes won’t matter much. One more thing, though,” Ryck said as they moved out to take Beady, Grbil, and Ling to the reki and then back to the ship.
“What’s that, sergeant?”
“Thanks. You saved my ass back there,” he told his PFC .
Chapter 9
Ryck entered the lieutenant’s stateroom. He shared it with four other lieutenants, but it did have a small table and four chairs that he could use as a workspace.
The platoon commander motioned for Ryck to take a seat. SSgt Hecs was sitting there, but none of the other squad leaders had been summoned.
“You about done with your after action report?” the lieutenant asked.
“Uh, not quite yet, sir. I’ve been in sickbay to check on Cpl Beady and PFC Ling, then getting the squad back in the squadbay,” he answered.
They had only been back to the Ark Royal for a couple of hours. What did the lieutenant expect? He knew the platoon commander had to get his own report up to Capt Davis, but still, Ryck needed more time, and unless the lieutenant could read gibberish, he really needed some shut-eye before writing it.
“No problem, just get it up to me when you can. I just wanted to ask a few questions so I have it straight in my mind and give you some intel. First, the man you killed was in fact a legionnaire, a Lieutenant Colonel Tolbert. He had his full ID with him, and in his stateroom, his full compliments of uniforms. We don’t know why he was attempting to land on Tel Aviv, but N2 thinks he was the reason the Marie’s Best was trying to run our blockade,” he told Ryck.
Ryck sat back in surprise. A man was a man, a kill a kill, but still, it was a shock that the man he’d shot was so high-ranking.
“But why did he fight? He had to know he couldn’t win?” Ryck asked.
“Have you ever heard of the old phrase, suicide-by-cop?” the platoon commander asked.
“Well, yeah, when a guy wants the cops to kill him, and he goes after them. I’ve seen it in some old flicks.”
“Well, N2 is pretty sure this was suicide-by-Marines. Whatever Colonel Tolbert was doing, it was pretty important, and he did not want to be interrogated by us, so he went out fighting.”
“And almost took Cpl Beady with him,” Ryck said sourly.
The lieutenant seemed almost to admire the guy’s actions. Ryck was still pissed that two of his Marines had been hurt, and now to find out it was just so the guy couldn’t talk, well, that torqued him even more. Grub the guy!
“Well, yes, there is that. But you took care of him, so I would say it evens out.”
No, it never evens out, Ryck thought. Not when you hurt one of mine.
“Yes sir,” he said instead.
“Speaking of which, I’ve already spoken to Capt Davis. I want to put you in for another BC3 and Doc Grbil for a BC1. Congratulations,” he told Ryck.
“Uh, sir, if you wouldn’t mind, I mean, if you could withdraw that, I would appreciate it,” Ryck said. “Not Docs, but mine.”
The lieutenant’s eyes seemed to cloud over just the slightest and a steely tone took over his voice as he asked, “What, with your Silver Star, a BC3 isn’t worthy?”
“Oh no, sir, that’s not it at all. It’s just that, well, I made a mistake, and I almost paid for it. I was looking the wrong way, and if it weren’t for PFC Ling, I don’t think I’d be here, or at the least, either Cpl Beady or I wouldn’t have made it. Ling saw I was in trouble, then launched himself to get me out of the way. He took a round for that. I just think he deserves it more than me,” Ryck said.
The lieutenant turned to SSgt Hecs and asked, “Had you heard this?”
“No, sir. This is the first time I’ve had to talk with Sergeant Lysander,” the staff sergeant replied.
“Well, that puts a different light on it. And others will back that up?” the lieutenant asked.
No, I’m grubbing lying, Ryck thought. Geez!
“Yes, sir. Lance corporals Martin and Holleran were there,” he said.
“But you shot Lieutenant Colonel Tolbert, right? I am sure I saw that,” the lieutenant went on.
“Yes, sir, but only because PFC Ling had already knocked me out of the way of the legionnaire’s fire,” Ryck answered.
“PFC Ling, the kind of, well, squirrely Marine? One-point-six meters? Maybe 65 kg?” he asked Ryck.
“Yes, sir, that PFC Ling. Joab Ling.”
“Wow, I would never have guessed that,” SSgt Hecs said. “Pretty fantasmagorical, if you ask me.”
“So, sir, my point is that if anyone is going to get a medal, I think it should be Ling,” Ryck said.
“Well, OK. I guess it would be deserved. I wish you had told me before I went to the Captain, though. It’s going to make me look bad, but there’s no getting around that,” Lieutenant Nidishchii’ said.
Well, wait until you talk to me, or wait until you get my after action before you go run to the captain, he thought.
That probably wasn’t fair, he knew. He was tired, dead tired, and stressed with two hurt Marines. Ling was going to be fine, nothing a week in regen wouldn’t cure. John was more seriously hurt, and he had some rehab coming, maybe a month or so in regen. The lieutenant was running on even less sleep than Ryck, and he had his own stressors. The fact that he would even go up to the captain and admit he had been wrong about something was a big point in his favor.
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate it,” Ryck said.
“Look, I was going to ask you how you knew there was someone in that stores access, but I can see you’re dragging. Your squad is racked out?” he asked.
“Yes, sir, about an hour ago.”
“You look like you need a clear head. I’ll go see the captain now, but I want you to go get showered and hit the rack. Don’t get up until, say, 0430 GMT,” he said after looking at his watch. “You, too, staff sergeant. We can’t do our jobs if we are falling asleep on our feet.”
“And you too, lieutenant,” SSgt Hecs told him.
“I will, after I get a few more things done.”
“No, sir, as soon as you speak to the skipper. Nothing more than that. You’re not superman, and you need your sleep,
too.” SSgt Hecs told him.
Ryck was surprised at Hec’s tone. This was not just to get his platoon commander out of his hair. He sounded like he really cared for the lieutenant, the man himself, not the platoon commander. Ryck filed that away for when he was more alert to figure out what that really meant.
“OK, OK, I promise. Fifteen minutes with the captain, then I’m hitting the rack.”
“And not getting up until when?” SSgt Hecs asked.
“Zero-four-thirty,” Lt. Nidishchii’ said with a laugh. “No putting anything past you.”
“And that’s why I’m a Marine staff NCO,” Hecs said.
“Yeah, I guess it is. OK, both of you, get out of here. Get some sleep, and that’s an order!”
That was one order Ryck would be very, very happy to obey.
Chapter 10
Ryck was in the mess decks, eating breakfast, when the world was passed over the 1MC.
[19]
It was War.
Chapter 11
Hannah looked worried as she tried to go on, “I just want to know . . . I mean . . . well, Joshua be still at his, you know, and you?”
Hannah was being careful. All comms were being monitored by the censor bots, and if they picked up any security breach, the line would be cut, and the military side of the conversation could face punishment.
Ryck thought it was amazing that the Federation even allowed personal comms in time of war. But the powers that be thought a happy sailor or Marine was a good sailor or Marine. Self-serving or not, Ryck appreciated it.
Ryck knew what Hannah was saying even if she couldn’t be too direct. Joshua had expected to be set to a line unit, but all DI positions were frozen as draftees started arriving en masse at the recruit depot. He was out of any fighting, and she wanted some assurance that Ryck would also be safe. He couldn’t say that, and not just because of the censor bots. He didn’t know if he would be safe. He was on a capital ship of the Navy, going into harm’s way. The Federation Navy was far stronger than the coalition Greater France had gathered, and would still be even if the Confederation decided to join with the French.
Sergeant (The United Federation Marine Corps Book 2) Page 14