The lights flashed and smoke stung his eyes as he opened them. He could feel himself coughing but no sound except the dull thud of his heart and a deep whine. The explosion had caused damage no doubt to his ears not just the large hole that it had caused. Doctor Gavin Paulworth lay on his side groaning in the mass of rubble and wires and sparking circuits that had moments before been a high tech working OR. To his right a foot…he pulled himself towards it, his mentor Jensen Longfellow lay unmoving on his back, a large dark puddle of blood spreading under him. Shakingly he put a hand out to the man’s neck leaving a bloody hand print. The man was dead. The room rocketed sideways as if a hammer had smashed into it. The star-base was under attack.

On the outside Willow Taylor, starfleet captain and MD clutched at the handful of popcorn she had been holding for a few minutes. Eyes wide She now moved it to her mouth absently.

“For god sake Will…are you still watching.” Cai asked as he reentered the room to find his sister still sitting in the same cross legged position with a blanket and array of cushions. She shhed him as he crossed in front of her holo vid and waved at him in an annoyed fashion. “Move Cai the Romulan Guy is about to beam Paulworth out and kidnap him…”

Cai rolled his eyes and slid down into the seat beside her as the very scene she described played out. He took a handful of popcorn as the credits played and an advert started.

“Why do you watch this nonsense. Is it because the appendix guy watches this…”

“It’s just good to have on as background noise…”

“It’s nonsense, and hasn’t played for years.”

“Don’t be stupid..Star-base Hospital .the next generation plays now....and Paulworth is still a character.”

“Yeah a bald ageing one…he didn’t age well did he.” Cai asked eating the handful of popcorn as he watched an advert for the very show they were discussing play showing the older actor reprising his Doctor. He certainly did not look like the young and fresh faced hero from the original series run. No one would be asking him to rip open his shirt and display his abs on the Next Generation version of the show.

As the next episode began the siblings sat together and watched.

Willow and Cai