(Untitled)

[dr_boyce]

Medical personnel were desperately needed in the camp and the doctor was put straight to work. Disease and illness ran rampant. Most of the soldiers were insufficiently fed and clothed in uniforms heavily worn and abused. The huts protected the majority from the weather but did nothing to combat the prevailing dampness. It sunk into the bones

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[cadet_amara]

Amara looked up when he entered, and was glad it was him. She had his medical tricorder taken apart all over the table and didn't really want to come up with a story to explain it to one of the men. She was still wearing her 18th century clothing, and had her shawl wrapped around her to keep out the cold.

"Long day?"

[dr_boyce]

Normally Phil was quick to respond. But at this particular moment, he didn't know where to even begin. The number of sick was staggering. He was sure he'd lose a patient this evening, a young officer who'd had his leg amputated several weeks ago.

He dropped onto the sleeping cot, looking slightly dazed. "Yes," he finally said.

[cadet_amara]

She looked over at him and noticed his expression. That concerned her, so she got up to see if there was something she could do. "There's stew.... and I managed to get some coffee."

[dr_boyce]

He knows it's more than the average soldier will get in a day. He finds himself strangely not hungry. "You save it for yourself, my dear," he orders.

[cadet_amara]

"You need to eat something." She poured some in a bowl and brought it over anyway. "You've been out all day, in the cold, under stress. Last thing we need is for you to get sick too. Eat."

[dr_boyce]

"Issuing orders?" There isn't any humor in his voice but Amara will know he's only teasing her.

[cadet_amara]

"Yes." She smiled a little. "Practicing for being a captain one day."

[dr_boyce]

"Then I would be insubordinate if I replied with anything other than 'yes, ma'am'." He reached for the bowl in obedience, recognizing the wisdom in her original argument.

[cadet_amara]

"Good." She smiled a little. "It's not much, but it's better than nothing."

She then went back to work on his tricorder, tightening her shawl around her shoulders.

[dr_boyce]

He took a bite, doing his best to savor the meal. Who knew when the next one would come?

"How is it coming?"

[cadet_amara]

"Actually.... I think I'm onto something." She bit her lip in concentration as she began to put the tricorder back together.

[dr_boyce]

He rose from the cot with the bowl still in his hands so that he could peer over her shoulder. "If you can get us out of here, I'll forgive you for turning my tricorder into a catastrophe," he teased her again.

[cadet_amara]

"Mmhm." She mumbled in response as she snapped pieces of the tricorder back together. Suddenly it sprung back to life and she looked up at him with a grin. "I think I got it."

[dr_boyce]

Seeing both his tricorder functioning again and her satisfaction with a job well done made him hopeful. "Anything?"

[cadet_amara]

"Give it a minute to scan... It's slow but at least it's functional." She watched as it worked. "And I think we're getting another snowstorm soon.... that probably won't help."

[dr_boyce]

"Lovely," he commented disdainfully. More misery.