Posted by Captain Marceau Renault (Commanding Officer) in Memory: End of First Year Training Mission

Posted by Lieutenant Helena Karítas Laursen (Helm/Nagivation Officer) in Memory: End of First Year Training Mission

Posted by Captain Marceau Renault (Commanding Officer) in Memory: End of First Year Training Mission
Posted by… suppressed (19) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
It was their watch that saved them all from embarrassment. The idea was to get an hour or so of extra sleep after the last two days. Kenneth was on watch with Marceau and the rain and low clouds made it darker but through the first break of sunrise Kenneth saw something. Figures moving toward them. Other hikers probably. Someone had thought to bring night vision binoculars and he used them and then hurried to find Marceau. “It’s the commodore and a Cmdr I don’t recognize. Headed toward the camp. We should wake everyone up.”

Kenneth started for one half of the tents, reaching in to shake them awake if need be. That rewarded him with a kick to the elbow at one tent. “Commodore’s coming. Get up! And it’s raining! Let’s go.” Kenneth sighed in disappointment, he was really looking forward to breakfast that wasn’t a protein bar.

Marceau helped wake everyone up and get them out. He hadn’t realized the commodore and another officer would be giving them orders in person. At least, he assumed that’s why they were there.

Helena heard the commotion and got out of her bag and pulled on her boots. She nudged Akela awake. “Come on we gotta get up.” Akela was chipper as always. Helena reached into her pack for her rain gear and climbed out of her tent looking around. She spotted Marceau and went over. “What’s going on?”

Helena

Marceau shook his head and shrugged. “We spotted the Commodore and a Commander approaching the camp site. We thought it would be better to be awake when they arrive but we do not know what they want.”

~ Marceau

Flinza and Gerard had turned into their cooks. They both seemed to enjoy it. They got to work very quickly prepping oatmeal. It was hardy and would stay with them for awhile. Considering the commodore was approaching there was no telling what was in store for them. Flinza stocked the fire into blazing while Gerard added water to a couple of the small mess kit pots. He also rummaged around in the ration packs everyone had left out for dried fruit.

The rest of the squad was finishing morning routines or straightening the camp. Commodore Yin and the unknown Cmdr got to the edge of the camp to be intercepted by Jones and Kenneth. “Good Morning Commodore Yin,” Jones said coming to attention next to Kenneth. The Commodore looked them over and glanced to the rest of the camp, who hearing Jones speak up all came to attention. The Cmdr with him looked bored. “As you were,” Yin’s voice carried and they got back to what they were doing. “Cadet Jones, Cadet Kenneth. How is the squad this morning?” Jones glanced at Kenneth and looked a little sheepish. “Just waking up, Sir.” Yin nodded, “Well I suppose it is early. Not quite 0500 yet. Take us in please.” Jones and Kenneth turned and led them into the center of the Camp. Yin found a seat on a stump and waived at Flinza and Gerard, “Continue cooking Cadets. Take a good meal when you can get it.” Commodore Yin had a reputation as being a kind of grandfatherly figure. Caring and supportive, but not patience for foolishness.

“How was the hike out? Any injuries or complications to report?” Akela shook her head, “No Sir, Commodore.” He nodded but glanced at the faces. He knew sometimes cadets, on this first trip out, would with hold thinking they would lose points, but he didn’t see evidence of that today. “Pop quiz, what’s the protocol for securing your camp base when you have to leave and explore?”

Jones piped up immediately, “In a group this size, Sir, you leave a two members behind to keep the camp secure while teams of at least 2 scout in different directions.”

The Cmdr nodded, “Over the next 4 days you will ignore that protocol. The tasks set to you will require all of you to be present. This is not considered hostile and is secure except for the wild critters around here.”

“Ah yes, my companion. Cadets this is Commander Hoyand. He’s taking charge of your training for the next four days.” Hoyand nodded to Yin, “Thank you, Sir. A half mile south west of here is a clearly marked trail head. You will follow it for an hour at steady pace. You will meet me there at 0930. Expect to stay there all day and return here tonight. Any questions?”

Helena

“Sir, no, sir!” Came the response of the group. The hike was not overly difficult but a brisk pace was needed to make the Commander’s expectations, and once they were there, they could see their task for the day had to do with some kind of obstacle course.

~ Marceau

It was gruelling. Helena thought their first week of basic security training was bad…this was Purgatory. No one finished within time the first day. By the second day some had finished, but others still couldn’t complete it. The ones who did only had because they happened to be close together and could help. Kenneth brought it up on their hike back to the tents. “Emilio and I had an easier time of it that last run. We helped each other. I thought we would get yelled at by Cmdr Hoyand, but he just watched. I swear he might have nodded when we got over the wall. Isn’t this supposed to be ‘team training’? Maybe we should think about our best time, rather than our individual times.”

Yvette capped her water bottle and nodded, “Cmdr Hoyand did say we all finish or we all fail.”

The next day that’s what they did. They approached each obstacle as a group and worked out how to get everyone past it. It was slow the first round, but once they had figured it out their times quickly improved.

Commodore Yin showed up for the final run. All they wanted to do was collapse at the end, but they didn’t with Yin and Hoyand standing right there. “Good work, Cadets. I suggest you get back to camp, you have a long day tomorrow.” Yin chuckled and he and Hoyand left. Arriving back at their camp an envelope was waiting. They had another 100 miles to hike, but they had 5 days to do it.

Half way through the first day they found out why they had so much extra time....the terrain was brutal.

Helena

Marceau had trouble keeping up on the hikes. He’d played soccer in school, he wasn’t a total couch potato, but he wasn’t an avid exerciser and this trip was a lot. He didn’t complain though. The mission was intended to test them. It took them nearly the entire time frame to make it to their next destination where an envelope was waiting for them.

~ Marceau

They arrived early afternoon the last day. Packs were dropped and everyone sat. Even Jones who had more intensive security and fitness training already sat and downed a bottle of water before anyone bothered to read the envelope.

Cadets,

Congratulations on the completion of your last task. You have a reprieve. You have until the end of tomorrow. Repair your gear, take stock of your supplies, and if you need to replenish, check the clue cards that will lead you to water, rations, and other items that you may find useful.

It was a hard hike, make sure everyone is well hydrated, has eaten, and has no unknown injuries that could create problems later. The morning after tomorrow, you’ll start your next task.

Cmdr Yin.

Helena groaned. “We need to set camp, and all get a good nights sleep.”

Yvette nodded, “But it’s early. Let’s take advantage of that. If these ‘clues’ take all day I don’t want to spend half of it figuring out what to do first.”

Akela nodded, “Marceau let’s get everyone checked out. Yin is right. Some of us could have pulled or bruised muscle and not realized it.”

“If anyone did, it would be me,” Marceau said, finally giving in and complaining a little. As he said it though he was pulling his medical tricorder out in order to quickly scan the others.

Work got started, much slower than usual, but efficient.

As food was prepped later, Yvette turned out to be right. The clues had to be translated. Gerard and Alvida were at it for awhile. They had to figure out the pattern, cipher, and code before they had a solid idea of what the clues said.

Helena

Marceau helped with the clues. The cipher took them a while to figure out, and even once they had the clues deciphered, they were riddles the crew would have to figure out. This definitely wasn’t meant to be easy.

~ Marceau

Helena read over the riddles, “Sounds like…listening to a kid give directions. They don’t know street or place names, so they describe everything, and it’s from a child’s point of view, so until they point out that the grocery store is the big porch with the rocking chairs, you have no idea what they are talking about.” Kenson took a seat next to Marceau and glanced at it. “If that’s the case, we’ll have to wait till the morning and try to find the first clues. It’s getting too dark to really see details.”

Marceau nodded his agreement. “We managed the hike without any injuries, we don’t need to cause any wandering around in the dark.”

Helena was on the second watch that night with Yvette and Jones and Flenza. It was quiet, the occasional scurry of an animal or the hoot of an owl. The logs in the fire split and settled sending up sparks. The heating packs in the rations made good coffee, but Kenneth knew how to make it with a camp fire, which had been amusing to them all. The smell of brewing coffee mingled with the wood smoke, and the flavor and heat was welcome. Helena was walking the southern edge of the camp about 10 feet away from Yvette. She was taking her time, really trying to see the details in the dark, going over the clues to see if anything stood out to her. She heard a noise and she glanced off to the left sharply. Whatever had made the noise or what exactly the noise was she wasn’t sure, but it made her feel like someone had dropped ice into her gut and her heart seemed to stop. She shook herself and let out a laugh. It was the woods and ghosts and monsters weren’t real. It was probably some animal. Actually, for all she knew another of the teams was near enough for the sound to carry.

Helena moved off to continue her circuit around the camp. She was probably getting tired in the quiet and dark. Hopefully the next pot of coffee would be ready soon. She made her way around a tent and grinned. The snoring of one of the occupants sounded like a engine running without a muffler and then a thwunk as a pillow got thrown, more snores, and a groan of frustration. Helena shook her head and moved on. Someone wasn’t getting a lot of sleep tonight.

A single lone howl carried through the trees and Helena thought she would die. She found herself, back pressed against a rather large tree, and then the howl was answered by another and another. She backed up around the tree, her head felt hot and her body like she’d been dunked in a frozen lake, and her vision did this weird warbling blackness thing. Her throat ached, I will not scream, I will not scream… She tripped on something, fell and passed out all at the same time.

Flenza had refilled coffee cups and had brought them around. He was 10 feet from Helena when he watched her fall. He hurried over, “Hey Laursen you gotta pick your feet up when you walk or you’ll be tripping on roots.” She didn’t answer though, “Hey, Helena…” Flenza glanced up, “Yvette! Get the docs, some thing’s wrong with Helena!” Yvette was closest to Marceau’s tent and with a zip of the pull she stuck her head inside. “Marceau! Wake up. Something’s wrong with Helena.” Then she was gone, dashing toward Akela’s tent to tell her the same thing. Flenza shout had gotten the attention of those in the nearby tents and had them crawling out of their tents as well.

Helena

OOC: It’s almost like I’m there too. Bravo you two! .. Gene

OOC: Thanks :)

OOC: Thank you. :D

IC:
When Marceau heard Yvette, he was out of his tent in a flash, emergency medkit in hand. “Where is she?” He asked the nearest cadet, and when pointed, he rushed over to her. They were cadets, there were a lot of things they could treat but also a lot of things they couldn’t. If it was something serious they had emergency flares. Marceau hoped they wouldn’t need to use the emergency flares.

Marceau knelt down next to Helena, quickly checking their surroundings. There was nothing nearby that looked like it could have injured her. The ground here was relatively flat with few things sticking up, and Helena was not typically clumsy. “Helena? Are you okay?” Marceau asked in a clear, somewhat loud voice. While he spoke he was also checking for immediate life threats. It was standard protocol in situations like these, drilled into their heads by the medical instructors.

She was breathing at a normal rate and when Marceau found her pulse it felt normal. A little fast, but not concerningly so. He saw no obvious injuries but injuries weren’t already obvious so the next thing he did was check her head and neck, watching to see if she came around. The whole rapid assessment took a minute, maybe a minute and a half.

~ Marceau

Akela was only a second or two behind Marceau and she knelt on Helena’s other side. It was strange, Helena was always so steady. She looked up at Flenza, “Did you see what happened?”

“I was bringing coffee. It was quiet, just some animals moving around. I was right over there, and I saw her back up, kind of suddenly, and then she just fell. She didn’t say anything. I thought she tripped but when I got to her she didn’t answer.” Jones grabbed Kenson and they went to go look, to make sure Helena hadn’t seen something. Of course all the movement in camp either scared it off or they weren’t paying attention. The two went any way.

Marceau nodded to the story. It wasn’t indicative of much. There were a million reasons someone might fall.

Akela asked Yvette for some lamps. She was concerned about Helena having eaten something she was allergic to, but there were no signs of anaphylaxis. Akela moved to check her legs and feet. She stretched her legs out. The toe of her right boot was caught in a root. “Probably twisted her ankle the shoe is caught. Did she hit her head?” The foot wasn’t stuck but it had twisted some when she tripped.

“I’m checking. Do you have a medical scanner? Make sure she didn’t hurt her ankle.” Marceau was worried, really worried, and he was muttering to himself in French as he worked. But his movements were methodical and calm.

Helena’s head and neck showed no signs of trauma but along with the elevated pulse she was clammy. As Marceau spoke to her and the two medical cadets checked her out Helena let out a low groan and then a grunt as she tried to sit up but was forced to stay down. “Marceau? What???”

“No head or neck trauma, she’s okay. A little clammy.” Helena would notice how much thicker his accent was than normal. When Helena began to stir Marceau returned his attention to her. As she tried to sit up he put gentle pressure against her chest with one hand to prevent her. “No, don’t get up yet. We need to be sure you are okay first. How do you feel? Do you know what happened to you?”

Helena glanced around, from her prone position and all the people staring at her. “Well from my visual angle and how you all are looking at me, I fell?” It was a normal, poking fun at herself, comment but carried none of the humor they would normally hear from her. How did she feel? “Like I’ve run a mile flat out and my legs have turned to jello.”

Now that she was speaking the rest dispersed some. “I’ll take her patrol,” Kenneth said, “Can’t sleep over Gerard’s snoring anyway.” There were a couple chuckles as everyone moved off.

Helena

Marceau was glad when the rest of them dispersed some. They didn’t need a crowd. He was relieved she was awake but what caused her to fall? Hopefully just not drinking enough or something.

~ Marceau

Akela got up. “I’m going to go grab her sleeping bag and her jacket and put it by the fire, I’m worried about how clammy she is. Then we can try to move her.”

Jones and Kenneth came back, “Didn’t see anything that way. Just some animals moving around. Some wolves about a mile or more away. The call carries for a distance.” Helena’s hand gripped Marceau’s forearm surprisingly strong. Her respiration went up and her pupils dilated.

Marceau looked down at her when she grabbed him, squeezing his arm in her grip. She had been fine until Kenneth mentioned wolves. Did his fearless pilot… have a fear after all?

Kenneth saw Helena was awake. He squatted down and looked at her carefully. She wasn’t the type to over react. “You see something Laursen?” Helena tried to laugh but it came out wheezy. Kenneth assumed she had probably knocked the wind out of herself. “No…just clumsy.” He nodded, patted Marceau on the shoulder as he and Jones moved off to go talk to Yvette and Kenson.

With the firelight behind her, Marceau and the trees beyond were cast in light, making deeper shadows behind and between them and her imagination was getting the best of her. She would really like to be closer to the fire right about then. Animals were afraid of fire. There was a long sad howl that sounded far too close. Helena screamed. Then silence as tried to move. Showing all the classic signs of fight or flight response. She pushed herself up to her elbows, then hands and pushed against the ground with her feet, scrambling backwards and trying to stand despite Marceau’s early insistence she lay still. Pain shot up her leg from her ankle but she really did not care.

Helena

Marceau was looking down at her with concern, but jumped a bit when she screamed. He gripped her arm as she started to get up. “Helena, non! Wait!” He said.

Helena shook her head and grabbed at his hand trying to pull it off. She had to move, she has to get up. She tried again but Marceau’s grip was firm.

Akela heard the scream and hurried back toward Helena, half the camp was too stunned to hear such a sound out of Helena they paused, the other half moved their way. Akela recognizing the sound of fear waved them back.

It was the howl. Marceau was right. She was just scared. Really, really scared, but Marceau was glad nothing was wrong with her. “You might have hurt your foot falling,” he said, trying to keep her from putting too much weight on it. He smiled at her, making an effort to appear calm and reassuring. “It’s the dogs, right? They won’t come close to the camp.” They probably wouldn’t. Marceau was pretty sure he remembered something about animals staying away for the most part, unless they were really hungry.

~ Marceau

Helena nodded. Yes dogs, it was the dogs. “Y…y…yyyou don’t know that.” They had before. Wild dogs were dangerous, carried diseases, and would risk a lot of hungry, or sick. She was shaking and broken into a cold sweat.

Akela caught Marceau’s eye and passed him the jacket she’d grabbed out of Helena’s tent. From what she was seeing and heard it sounded near phobic. The last thing they wanted to do was make her feel trapped, so she moved away, but near to hand.

Helena shook her head again. She tried again to get up. Her ankle was throbbing. It was really minor but if she didn’t stop she could twist it again.

Helena

“Let’s get you further into camp,” Marceau said. “Do you want your coat?” Then when she tried to get up again Marceau got up with her, supporting the side he knew might be hurt. “Don’t let your foot touch the ground.” Marceau would carry her if he had to… Or at least try. That would not be easy for him.

~ Marceau

Helena took the coat, more out of habit and it was hers, unaware she was shaking. There was no remark about him wanting her to hop on one foot through the woods and over roots and fallen branches and who knew what else. She just went, doing as he prompted and keeping her foot off the ground and letting him take the weight. Her ears straining for hints of howls, barks, yips, growls, four pawed creatures running through the trees.

He figured she would appreciate hopping more than him trying to carry her. They went slowly, and he made sure to avoid anything she might trip on as much as possible.

Akela helped Marceau lower her to the sleeping bag and then she started unlacing Helena’s boot. It was a risk, if the foot was really hurt it would start to swell when the boot came off and she wouldn’t get it back on, but they needed to look at it. It was red, and there was a bruise forming on the inside ankle. Helena either hit it just right on the root she tripped on or banged it against something in her bid to get away. She felt around the area as gently as she could. “Marceau, do you want to look? It doesn’t appear broken, but that bruise. It might look worse than it is.”

Helena

Marceau pulled a medical tricorder out of his emergency med kit and moved down to look at the ankle. It looked bruised, but not too discoloured, and not as swollen as he’d expect if it were broken. His scan agreed with his finding. “It’s bruised but not sprained or broken. You’ll be fine.” He said, smiling at her, relieved. He wanted to ask her about the dog thing but he wanted to wait until the others weren’t around.

~ Marceau

Them poking at her ankle was irritating but distracting. She was glad it wasn’t bad. Despite the fear coursing like ice through her veins she felt bad for waking everyone up. “Should I try to move it? It throbs a little, but it’s dull. It doesn’t feel stiff either.” She pulled her jacket tighter. She was suddenly aware of how cold she felt. She shouldn’t, the fire was warm and the heat spread for several feet comfortably. Akela handed her the coffee Kenneth had made and Helena cupped it tightly warming her hands.

Akela passed a single use icepack to Marceau. “Let’s ice it just to be careful. I also think it would be better if she stayed here tomorrow rather than going with one of the patrols. Give that bruise time to heal some.”

Akela then headed back to bed, most everyone else having settled back to their watch or back to sleep.

Helena

“It’s overcautious but I agree,” Marceau said, nodding to Akela. He took the ice pack and rested it against Helena’s ankle. “Don’t be afraid to move it, but don’t overdo it, either.” When he had the ice pack against her ankle, he moved up and sat by her, looking at her. With Akela gone and everyone else back to watch or sleep, they were pretty well alone, so Marceau lowered his voice, “You as peur of dogs? You’re scared of them?”

~ Marceau

Helena pulled one knee up as she set her coffee down. Her arms wrapped around her knee, hugging it to her. Eyes staring hard at her ankle as she flexes it experimentally without too much pain. “Yeah,” she took a deep shuddered breath. “When…when I was 14…my parents took us to Alaska to watch the Iditarod. We were out a few miles or so from Anchorage. We wanted to get away from the crowd and see the…dogs run. It was late after they passed we spotted this dog…thought he got out of his pen....” Helena shook her head, “We…had heard wolves and dogs howl…howling like that. Didn’t think much of it.” She dropped her forehead to a her knee for a long silent moment. “It was wild, hungry, I don’t know…it…” She sat up slowly, visibly shaking and undid the collar of her uniform and slipped it half off her left shoulder. The firelight and flickering shadows catching and defining the long deep scars across her shoulder. Marceau had seen the scars before, of course. He had never asked, and Helena didn’t talk about it.

Helena

Marceau had seen the scars, but only once. When they’d played poker in his quarters before leaving. Of course he had wondered, but he hadn’t asked. He wouldn’t ask a question like that. Now that she was telling him, he hugged her, pulling her tightly to him, comfortingly. “I’m sorry that happened.” He said softly, still hugging her. It was one of those hugs she’d seen him give Lucy, like when Lucy failed a test in a subject she struggled in.

~ Marceau

Helena hadn’t realized she needed a hug until Marceau pulled her in tight. Her head ending up in his shoulder, and his brave pilot began to cry.

No sobs or blubbering but a strong rushing release of fear and adrenaline as the horrible memory returned. After long moments with her only the sound of the crackle and hiss of the fire, the worst seemed to be over. Helena hugged him back and then sat up wiping her face on the sleeve of her jacket. “I’m sorry,Marceau. I didn’t think…I didn’t know it would be an issue. I honestly didn’t even think about it. I guess I owe everyone an apology.”

Helena