Tramp Wars: The Enemy

by Larry Roberts

  “Much thanks.” Closing his eyes seemed like a good thing to do to him. He was so tired.

  “Mark wake up there buddy. Don’t go to sleep on me. We need your help.”

  “Well; you're going to have to wait for me to get out from under this thing before I can help you much ahhh, Diane isn’t it.” It hurt to laugh. He didn’t think Diane could hear his whisper but he didn’t care as he tried to laugh again and groaned instead.

  “That’s ok Mark you can help me from where you are just fine.”

  Mark’s arm was getting tired and acing. He relaxed letting his left side droop bringing another groan of pain as he tried to lift it back up. “You don’t have to hold my head up. Your arm must be killing you by know.”

  “Don’t worry about my arm there Mark. I am fine. I am going to give you an injection of oxygen spheres amongst other drugs. It will help you breath better as well as the pain.”

  Something stabbed his right arm. Looking over he saw a pair of hands disappear from under the plate leaving a tube in and taped to the crotch of his free arm. A voice from far away but very loud said. “If you lift the plate before we are ready you will kill him Damn it! Just wait. When we are ready you will have to get it off fast so we can treat him before he bleeds to death or a clot hits his heart. It looks like it is crushed up to the shoulder which means we will have to operate here as we will not have time to get him up to the operating room before he bleeds out.”

  While he did not like the sound of that, the oxygen and whatever she had injected was making him feel much better; "Errr. Clot to the heart could kill me! That does not sound good but aaa. Thank you." Realizing his left thigh was itching Mark scratched it with his left fingers. It took a second but finely the eureka moment came. Then it was all he could do was croak out. “I can move my hand… my left hand.” It still felt half numb but he could feel it.

  “Damn it, you heard the Doctor?” She turned her head and yelled at the Doctor. “He heard that you frigging moron. Go talk someplace else or keep you voices down.” Then turning back to Mark. “No, I have you now Mark and I will make sure that does not happen. We will have you out soon and up the sickbay in no time.”

  “No Dian. I can move my left hand.” Thinking about it for a few seconds. “So what is holding me up here if my hand and arm are ok?”

  “His arm is crushed." Said the same doctor at a distance and much quieter voice but Mark still heard him through all the noise around the rapidly filling hold. "It won’t take much to tear it off of the shoulder which means that if it was not for the strap holding him up and the wound closed; he would have bled to death within seconds. Long before we got here let alone before we could have gotten him out. We injected him with a sedative as well as Oxygen infusers that will release oxygen into his blood as they dissolve keeping him alive even if his heart stops. So do not worry about all the blood when we lift the plate. But we are waiting for more blood to arrive so we can replace his losses while we cauterize the shoulder.”

  “Mickey is it? That was on your boxes lid. Is my arm really ok or am I dreaming moving my hand?”

  “Your arm is in good shape now that the oxygen infuser is supplying what your arm needs to stay alive with the little blood that can get through. It is pinned behind your back in the corner where the pedestal and steel plate meet. A tool belt is holding you pinned restricting your breathing which is again not as critical with the oxygen infuser and oxygen feed on your nose. Yes, you named me Mickey. That name pleases me. Thank you. Though I do not understand how or why my programing was changed 7 hours ago allowing my systems to finish upgrading 32 minutes ago but you are now my Inspector even though I could not contact Earth Galactic Imperial Headquarters. Can you explain my reprogramming?”

  Not understanding most of what Mickey talked about or even caring at the moment, he did hear that his arm was just fine. “Ok enough of this. Diane! My arm is not crushed. It is just pinned. If you will cut the damn strap I can get out of here and we can get back to work.” Mark was starting to feel pretty good, though a little scarred.

  “No Mark, you are in shock and having what they call ghost feelings about your arm. Don’t worry we will do everything possible to save it but remember Cyber arms are almost as good as the real thing these days. Besides aren’t you the one that wanted bionic eyes? You can have a bionic arm instead.”

  “Well Diane; I‘m still going to get my bionic eyes and I don’t need a bionic arm. I will show you my hand ok.” Mark started squirming trying to work his hand and fore arm out and down so Diane could see it.”

  “Stop it before you tear open your wound. Stop or I will have to sedate you Mark. Knock you out but I don’t want to. We need you awake.”

  “Ok, Ok!” Mark lay still. The last thing he wanted was knocked out again like the night before. “Ok Diane you win. How long before the blood gets here.”

  “Don’t worry Mark. It will be here with the emergency portable operating gurney when it gets here buddy. We are in no hurry.” They were in one hell of a hurry but she was not going to tell him that.

  Looking beyond Dian for the first time Mark noticed the growing crowed with a row of deck hands and a growing number of Ship Patrolmen trying to keep them back as workers rushed around the platform and foamsteal plate. “Please Diane check will you and see if my parents are here. It sounds like half the ship is down here. You really don't' need to hold my head up.”

  “Yes I do but I will have someone check for you.” Diane pulled her head out enough to talk to someone.

  Being careful not to move his head Mark twisted his butt away from the pedestal trying to make room for his hand and arm to slide down. As the pain from the strap digging into his chest shot through him he gritted his teeth to keep from moving his head or crying out.

  Diane turned back around and saw Marks sweating grimmest’ and looked around at his hips and legs. “Damn you Mark! Karen, knock him out. Now!”

  “No! I stopped. Don’t knock me out. Please don’t!” As he felt something start to spread through his good arm. He needed to take a break anyway as he quickly ran out of strength with the lip of the pedestal digging into his arm as he had moved it down.

  Dian looked at Mark’s darting eyes with a frown and then at the syringe the other medic was withdrawing from under the plate. Turning to face Mark again. “The blood is here Mark and so is your parents but they are being kept back so they can’t see the mess we are about to make and you should be knocked out by now." Shaking her head puzzled. Then. "Well, there are a few things you must know before we start. The first is don’t take your eyes off of me.” She knew that seeing his mangled blood squirting arm could kill him as easily as the loss of blood or a clot.

  Mark tuned her out as he concentrated on getting his hand out and free. Making his face freeze in as neutral a pose as possible, he started dragging his hand down a fraction of an inch at a time ignoring the pain digging into his arm as it started to go numb again as the edge of the platform dug into it.

  Finely his hand popped out touching the deck with his fingers. “Diane! My hand is free take a look!”

  “Ya sure kid. Now remember to look only at me. Just keep your eyes on me and remember what I need you to do. Just look at me.” She suddenly grabbed his head tightly placing her hands on both sides of his face so he could not look away from her. “You are going to be OK Mark.”

  The steel deck plate suddenly jerked up and away sailing across the hold as a dozen people jumped in on top of Mark ready to work. Each carrying a needed piece of equipment to save his life.

  Mark rolled over onto his back and waved his supposedly crushed arm at Dian as he looked into her eyes. Dian’s hands slipping from his face as he rolled over still looking at her as everyone else screeched to a halt. The arm was half numb and did not want to cooperate at all and flopped more than waved. Smiling he said. “Hi love. Thanks. I feel fine.” Turning to the surprised and shocked faces starring down at him he continued as she took her hands away stil
l holding them as if she was holding his face. I told you to cut the damn strap and let me out. But I am truly impressed with you all and thanks.” Trying to sit up the world started to spin forcing him to flop back down. Diane catching his head again before it hit the deck.

  The duty doctor chuckled. “Ok! Get our 2 armed patient up on the bio-stretcher and check him out. Make sure a clot has not formed in that arm. Then check for internal damaged and a concussion.” A board with a hole for his face was slapped over the top of him that grew sticky fingers that seemed to grab both his body and his head freezing him in place in only a fraction of a second. Then a dozen sets of hands grabbed the board and then jerked him up through the air to land on the gurney that again seemed to grab his body preventing him from moving as the board.

  On the bio-stretcher they started scanning and running tests while Mark laid frozen for several minutes. Slowly as test after test flashed onto the screen at the head of the gurney, parts of him was released allowing him to move again as tests started showing little damage. He was finally able to turn his head and look around at all the people packing the hold. There must have been several hundred if not a thousand. His parents came up tears streaming down his mother’s cheeks; his father’s eyes looked damp as his mother hugged him. “You had us going there son. We heard what you did to save John. We are very proud of you Mark.”

  The Doctor stepped up to Mark’s parents. “That is enough for now. Let us finish checking him out before we move him up to the infirmary. You folks can visit him there. We will keep him over night just to be sure he is alright with no concussion or internal damage.”

  “Mark.” Mickey said in his ears. “John Harington took a blow to the head hard enough to give him a concussion and should be checked out by a Doctor.”

  ‘I am sure they already took care of him.”

  “No Mark. He has been walking around the hold since the incident and his actions have been getting more erratic by the minute.”

  “Ok. Hey Doctor. What about John? You guys need to check him out. He took a good knock on the head when that thing hit us.”

  “Don’t you worry about John. I am sure someone has checked him out already. Now you are going to feel like running a marathon with the stuff we have pumped into you but that is an illusion. One of the drugs actually slowed down your heart and restricted your blood vessels to help keep you from pumping your blood out as fast as it would have. Your body has also taken a lot of stress and knocking around. You are in no shape to be walking around let alone running anywhere so just relax and enjoy the pampering until tomorrow and don't try any fast movements.”

  “Oh good.” Mark relaxed. “He had no desire to go anywhere at the moment. Perfectly content to let the Doctors and the pretty medic Dian give him as much attention as they wanted to. For the first time no one seemed to mind or even notice his glasses as his body started falling down into blessed sleep.

  “Mark.” Mark suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his head that had him instantly full awake. “John is not ok. He is showing signs of head trauma. Bleeding into the skull compressing the brain. He is now standing in front of the steel plate that almost killed him starring at the edge bent up into a jagged knife when it hit the deck next to the pedestal. If he does not move he will hit his head when he faints killing him instantly instead of in 10 to 15 minutes from brain swelling or hemorrhaging. And if he does move he will still hit his head on the deck damaging it beyond the ability of your doctors to repair the damage even if they get to him in time.”

  Raising his head as he tried to wake up his body, Mark tried to look around. He watched the overhead cargo crane running across the overhead with its grappling claw was being tucked back into its parked position and the Container moving platform reactivated for a few seconds before trying to move his head to the side looking for John. The crowd had thinned but he still did not see John until a partial ghost appeared behind the crowd standing in front of a partially ghostly thick foam steel deck plate with an edge bent up laying on the deck in front of him. Even from this distance with people milling around making John fade from sight to a ghost and back again. He seemed to wobble with his face pale as a sheet. “Godstar! John looks like shit Doc. He really needs your help and now.” Mark pointed threw the crowd.

  “Don’t be silly Mark he is not even down here. The medics took him up to the infirmary earlier.”

  “Sorry doc but no they didn’t. He is right over there next to the deck plate.” The Doctor followed Marks pointing finger just as the crowed closed in to block any sight of him and the steel plate.

  “Mark.” Said Mickey in his ear. “John is going to faint in about 30 seconds. He has a 75% chance of hitting the steel plates projecting finger and dying instantly. You must get him attention and stop him from falling.”

  “You are seeing things Mark. Besides that plate is a good hundred feet away. Anyway you need to take off your glasses so we can have a look in your eyes for damage.” Reaching for his glasses Mark reflexively slapped the Doctors hand away. Remembering the pain and Mickey’s warning and all the bully attacks that started with taking his glasses.

  “Sorry Doc! But I need to go know!” Mark tried to sit up swinging his feet off the bio-stretcher but was pushed back down by the doctor.

  “No Mark you are going up to the infirmary. I don’t like the way you’re acting which means you may have a concussion we cannot detect with the portable equipment.”

  “Damn it doc!” Mark pushed the doc away then rolled off the stretcher to the other side into the arms of Diane who was too small to hold him as he fell through them to his knees. Pulling up one foot under him he pushed up bulling his way through the nurses and the nearby crowd. He felt like running a marathon as the doctor said but every bone, joint and muscle in his body screamed at him saying. “You have got to be kidding.” With his head starting to spin he seemed to lack his usual control as he pushed through the crowd and kept bumping from person to person as he tried to run, knocking some over onto the deck but with Mickey urging him on he continued trying to go faster even though he seemed to stagger more than run.

  With yells from the doctor behind him and people left in his wake; Mark was again within a few feet of John as his eyes rolled back in his head and started to go down falling forward (the natural direction people fainted). With a warning from Mickey not to tackle him; Mark dove in front of the falling man hoping to cushion his fall and landed on top of the steel plate’s projecting corner knocking the wind out of himself while driving siring pain ran up though his gut. John’s chest flopped onto Mark’s lower back and his head onto the arm Mark had held out to cushion his head from hitting the hard steal, added to Mark’s misery and it started all over again. The sedatives in his system did little to slow the pain while the oxygen infuser made sure Mark was wide awake with plenty of oxygen in his brain to enjoy every minute variation of ripping pain in his stomach and chest.

  It took forever for the Doctor to run up with his medical staff in tow but even before he rolled John over he was yelling for the hand held medical sensor. “My god this man has a massive concussion with internal bleeding and about 5 minutes to live. Get the Emergency Operating bio-gurney over here. Damn, we can’t do brain surgery, we left those modules up in sickbay damn it. Have them get the operating room ready stat, we are on our way.” John, the doctor and his staff left pushing the emergency gurney in a mad dash for the elevator as they worked preparing him for surgery on the run.

  Mark rolled off the bent edge of the plate onto the deck curling up into a ball; trying to scream but not having the breath to do it with, as he watched John and the medical gang disappear up the elevator. Begging them to come back with lips that could not speak. Figures, he thought to himself. When he was fine he could not get rid of them but know when he was dying they were no were around and resigned himself to his fate.

  An old lady came up dragging the Ship’s Patrol Sgt. behind her. “There he is Sargent. You can't hide from me by taking your gla
sses off stupid kid. The Captain should never have let you live 21 years ago. You should have died with your father and my husband when your mother was taken by that evil pirate. He is the one that assaulted and knocked me down grabbing my breasts, I want this sick monster put in the brig where he belongs.”

  “Very well kid what do you have to say about this?” With Mark just staring at him, the Sgt. shook his head. “Well if that is how you want to play this kid you can just come with me and we will see how long it takes you to come to your senses in the brig. You can talk to the Captain at your Captain’s Mass hearing.”

  As Mark gasped for breath a girl knelt beside him and ran a scanner over his body. “Don’t be stupid Sgt.” Mark realized the girl was Diane the Medic that had held his head for so long. She sat down next to him, placing his head on her lap, her arm over his shoulder rubbing his back. “He just saved John’s life; Again! I am sure he is sorry he had to push a few people out of the way to get to him in time and no lady he did not porously fondle you breasts. I was watching. And Sgt. he couldn’t answer you if his life depended on it at the moment after landing on this peace of steel that is sticking up and knocking the wind out of himself. So take the old bat and leave please. Mark is under the Medical department care now.” Turning to Mark she smiled. “The doctor sent me back to check on you. He has a few questions for you later when we get up to sickbay. Anyway you just have the wind knocked out of you with no internal damage but a bit of bruising. You will be fine when you can breathe and the medicines are out of your system. So just relax and enjoy my company I don’t do this for just anybody. They should have a stretcher back down here for you in a few minutes.”

  A claxon echoed around the hold and then. “Clear the hold of all unnecessary personnel. Construction operations will recommence in 5 minutes…. All unnecessary personnel please clear the hold immediately. Construction operations will recommence in 5 minutes. Pylon delivery in 7 minutes.”