Insecurity
Title: Insecurity
Author: whuffle
Rating: PG
Word Count: 786
Character(s): Captain Hilary Becker, Major Garrett Byrne, MO
Author's Note: Another in my series of character sketches. This one is about Medical Officer Garrett Byrne, but it's tangentially about Tash Novotny as well.
Standing in the doorway unnoticed, Major Garrett Byrne’s first impression of the ARC’s commanding officer was of a man deeply committed to his work. And one who, at the moment, was tired beyond the telling of it. He waited as the young captain diligently signed off on yet another report before rapping his knuckles gently against the door frame.
Looking up, the dark circles under the Captain Hilary Becker’s eyes spoke of too many nights short of sleep. He’d been warned about this place. As more troops were rotated into place for the formation of the new squadron, he’d heard rumors circulating through the mess. Men who claimed assignment to the ARC project was more likely to get them killed than being shipped overseas. When the call came in requesting his assistance, Garrett had tried to shrug off those rumors as nothing more than boredom bred speculation. After twenty hours straight on duty, he was no longer quite so certain.
A second look at the captain’s eyes and he noted resignation and something faintly haunted beneath the exhaustion. Garrett began to wish he’d had time to read himself in before being called up on emergency status. It was quite obvious he’d been caught short by this place, a mistake he had every intention of rectifying as soon as he had time to sit down with the files Miss Parker had provided.
“Did you want that assessment now, Captain, or would you prefer I that I come back some other time?”
Running one hand through his dark hair, Captain Becker gestured for Garrett to come inside. Closing the door behind him, Garrett claimed a chair, sliding into it slowly and realizing as he did so that motivating himself to get up from it was going to prove challenging. He’d been awake for close to thirty-six hours straight and at least twenty of those had been spent on his feet triaging and treating men and women as they straggled in tired and injured from the field.
“A pleasure to finally meet you in person, Major Byrne. I can’t thank you enough for coming in on such short notice. I hope the circumstances under which you’ve been introduced to our project haven’t put you off.”
“The past twenty-four hours have been quite the eye opener, but no, you haven’t put me off.”
“You’ve no idea how glad I am to hear that, sir. We’re desperately in need of a medical officer and there’s precious few who wouldn’t prefer something more conventional.”
“I’d consider ’unconventional’ to be putting it rather mildly, Captain. I suspect I could count on one hand the number of people who’ve had to treat for concussion by dinosaur and you’ve probably known each and every one of them.”
Sarcasm drew a warm chuckle from the younger man. Garrett caught sight of a slight limp as he rose stiffly from his desk to refill his coffee.
“Your combat medics have done a fine job here with no medical officer for guidance. Lance Corporal Sorenson is likely going to come due for additional training and advancement within the year and Sergeant Novotny has a rapport that’s positively uncanny when treating patients.”
Captain Becker narrowed his eyes shrewdly as the caffeine knocked his brain into motion like an out of play croquet ball. “I sense that there’s a ‘but’ to be added to your effusive praise, Major.”
Not one to play coy, Garrett nodded his head sharply.
“It’s Novotny, sir. There’s something about her that just doesn’t add up.”
“Care to be more specific, Major?”
“Please, call me Garrett, I’m not much of one to stand on ceremony.”
“So what is it exactly about my medic that’s got you so concerned.”
“She’s struggling, Captain, and in the oddest way I’ve ever seen. She’s excellent with patients. Top notch accuracy with diagnostics and treatment. But she seems to lose her focus at the oddest of times. And once the men are patched up and on their way, she just curls in on herself and falls apart. Performing her duties seems to come at a very high personal cost for her. If we can’t address the problem, she’s going to burn out, and it’s not going to be pretty.”
Nodding, Hilary Becker didn’t appear at all surprised. Finally it occurred to Garrett why he was really here; Captain Becker had already tried and failed to sort this problem out on his own. Yes, the ARC needed a medical office on call, but more than that, it needed someone to unravel the puzzle that was it’s senior combat medic, before said medic became more of a liability than an asset.
Author: whuffle
Rating: PG
Word Count: 786
Character(s): Captain Hilary Becker, Major Garrett Byrne, MO
Author's Note: Another in my series of character sketches. This one is about Medical Officer Garrett Byrne, but it's tangentially about Tash Novotny as well.
Standing in the doorway unnoticed, Major Garrett Byrne’s first impression of the ARC’s commanding officer was of a man deeply committed to his work. And one who, at the moment, was tired beyond the telling of it. He waited as the young captain diligently signed off on yet another report before rapping his knuckles gently against the door frame.
Looking up, the dark circles under the Captain Hilary Becker’s eyes spoke of too many nights short of sleep. He’d been warned about this place. As more troops were rotated into place for the formation of the new squadron, he’d heard rumors circulating through the mess. Men who claimed assignment to the ARC project was more likely to get them killed than being shipped overseas. When the call came in requesting his assistance, Garrett had tried to shrug off those rumors as nothing more than boredom bred speculation. After twenty hours straight on duty, he was no longer quite so certain.
A second look at the captain’s eyes and he noted resignation and something faintly haunted beneath the exhaustion. Garrett began to wish he’d had time to read himself in before being called up on emergency status. It was quite obvious he’d been caught short by this place, a mistake he had every intention of rectifying as soon as he had time to sit down with the files Miss Parker had provided.
“Did you want that assessment now, Captain, or would you prefer I that I come back some other time?”
Running one hand through his dark hair, Captain Becker gestured for Garrett to come inside. Closing the door behind him, Garrett claimed a chair, sliding into it slowly and realizing as he did so that motivating himself to get up from it was going to prove challenging. He’d been awake for close to thirty-six hours straight and at least twenty of those had been spent on his feet triaging and treating men and women as they straggled in tired and injured from the field.
“A pleasure to finally meet you in person, Major Byrne. I can’t thank you enough for coming in on such short notice. I hope the circumstances under which you’ve been introduced to our project haven’t put you off.”
“The past twenty-four hours have been quite the eye opener, but no, you haven’t put me off.”
“You’ve no idea how glad I am to hear that, sir. We’re desperately in need of a medical officer and there’s precious few who wouldn’t prefer something more conventional.”
“I’d consider ’unconventional’ to be putting it rather mildly, Captain. I suspect I could count on one hand the number of people who’ve had to treat for concussion by dinosaur and you’ve probably known each and every one of them.”
Sarcasm drew a warm chuckle from the younger man. Garrett caught sight of a slight limp as he rose stiffly from his desk to refill his coffee.
“Your combat medics have done a fine job here with no medical officer for guidance. Lance Corporal Sorenson is likely going to come due for additional training and advancement within the year and Sergeant Novotny has a rapport that’s positively uncanny when treating patients.”
Captain Becker narrowed his eyes shrewdly as the caffeine knocked his brain into motion like an out of play croquet ball. “I sense that there’s a ‘but’ to be added to your effusive praise, Major.”
Not one to play coy, Garrett nodded his head sharply.
“It’s Novotny, sir. There’s something about her that just doesn’t add up.”
“Care to be more specific, Major?”
“Please, call me Garrett, I’m not much of one to stand on ceremony.”
“So what is it exactly about my medic that’s got you so concerned.”
“She’s struggling, Captain, and in the oddest way I’ve ever seen. She’s excellent with patients. Top notch accuracy with diagnostics and treatment. But she seems to lose her focus at the oddest of times. And once the men are patched up and on their way, she just curls in on herself and falls apart. Performing her duties seems to come at a very high personal cost for her. If we can’t address the problem, she’s going to burn out, and it’s not going to be pretty.”
Nodding, Hilary Becker didn’t appear at all surprised. Finally it occurred to Garrett why he was really here; Captain Becker had already tried and failed to sort this problem out on his own. Yes, the ARC needed a medical office on call, but more than that, it needed someone to unravel the puzzle that was it’s senior combat medic, before said medic became more of a liability than an asset.