To Samuel, it seemed every part of his body was in pain. Any movement, no matter how slight resulted in pain radiating throughout his body, the fall from the height of the shuttlecraft to the planet’s rocky surface didn’t help much either. He heard, more than saw the team transport down to the planet’s surface.

“He is alive,” Samuel heard before slipping into blessed unconsciousness.

He woke in the sterile surrounds of sickbay on the USS Gavroche. The pain was still severe, but less intense. He was hooked up to machines, and the Nurse on duty, called out, “Doctor, Lucky’s awake.”

Lucky, he thought, rather ironic that, given what’s happened to me.

“How’s things, Sam,” the Bajoron CMO asked him.

“Sore,” Lucky replied, and tried to chuckle, but cut off almost immediately. He then gasped out “the team?”

“All safe. The XO said he doesn’t know whether to give you a commendation or a tongue lashing. He said if you pull that stunt again, he’d …” the CMO replied, “Why did you do that?”

“Bigger, Stronger, Faster,” Lucky said slowly, “Best pilot. I could fly craft and get them to safety. And then worry about me.”

“And now you … 2nd degree burns, 70 percent of your body,” the doctor said, “plus the fall. You survived it all though.”

“Lucky,” Samuel said, “you can patch me up?”

“The Gavroche …” the doctor said, but then broke off, “I think the captain should be the one to tell you.”

But Lucky returned to unconsciousness.

The flames, he was covered in them, the shuttle was breaking apart, and Lucky was falling, covered in flames. THUD Lucky fell out of his biobed, pulling the machines down with him. He woke up, screaming, a nurse was at his side almost instantly, and she called the CMO, the Captain, and the CoS to sickbay. If they had a Counselor, she would have called them as well, but the Gavroche didn’t have one. In any case, the Gavroche was not equipped for medical emergencies, at least not ones of this nature.

The absolute best for him was a planet with a hospital in her opinion and the CMO agreed. The CoS unhappily also agreed with the decision, and the CO told them there were no such planets nearby, but they were near Vega colony and one of the Nightingale-Class Medical Cruisers was there. He’d contact the CO of the Nightingale, one Dira Myqian if the CMO would contact their Chief of Staff, Brad Walker. The CMO nodded. The CoS said he’d do up the transfer papers for Lucky AND let the fleet brass know they needed another new security officer.

At some point the Gavroche’s CO, Les Hugo, put in a call to Dira Myqian.

=/\= Captain Myqian, its Captain Hugo of the USS Gavroche, one of our crew members was involved in a medical emergency, he was on a mission, their shuttle got caught in a meteor storm, he got the rest of the team to safety, but took the full brunt. He’s suffering from second-degree burns to 90% of his body. We’ve done what we can, but he’s now beyond our capabilities to heal him physically and mentally. We’re near your current location and could be there within the day. You’ve got the facilities and the personnel, please take him. He’s a good kid, and will make a fine officer. But he needs more than we can provide him at this stage. My CoS will send over the transfer papers and Samuel O’Grady can be in your Security once he’s recovered. My CMO is sending your Chief of Staff Ensign O’Grady’s medical history and the full report on what we’ve done. Trust you’re able to help, we’ll make the transfer on arrival. Les Hugo out. =/\=

At around the same time, the Gavroche’s CMO, the Bajoran, Selbarisem Victor, sent a file to Chief of Staff Brad Walker. It was of the medical history of Samuel ‘Lucky’ O’Grady as well as details of what they had done to him to stabilise him, it was all the standard things done for a patient with severe second-degree burns. It was pointed out that there were clear physical and psychological issues being faced by the Ensign, and he hoped that with the facilities on the Ogawa that Lucky would be serving the Federation on the Ogawa.

• Lucky, Sec, USS Ogawa and various USS Gavroche Crew Members