ZAC POV
I turn around and to my disgust, it is Dr. Braxton standing next to me. What is she doing here? She must have come to check up on her so-called new recruit.
"Captain, what a pleasant surprise to see you here"
I can assure her that it is not pleasant at all for me.
"Well, it is definitely a surprise. What are you doing here?"
"The new recruit requested my presence, although I do not see the need for it. She is babbling about a code green. So, I guess I must go to her as this is my duty"
I can not help but frown at what she is saying to me. It almost sounds like a drag for her to come and help Amy. But what I am more interested in, is the code green she is talking about.
"What does code green mean?"
She smiles at me excitingly and then puts her hand on my shoulder while explaining.
"I am so glad you asked Captain. This is a very important code in the medical department. We do not use it lightly. It means that there could be a risk of a contagious illness or a virus that can spread quickly among people. But that is highly unlikely as we are in a ship and far away from everyone to be infected by anything"
I can not believe how naive this woman is. She is so used to being in control that she does not even see what is going on around herself. If she just looked over the deck then she would have seen Amy in a plastic camp.
I quickly moved out from under her touch and then I lift my eyebrow as I look in the direction of Amy. She follows my eyes and then she sees Amy. A blush appears on her cheeks and then she clears her throat.
"Uhm... Well, it seems I am needed somewhere else. If you would excuse me, Captain"
AMY POV
I can not help as panic starts to overtake me. I do not know what I am dealing with at the moment. Finally, I see Dr. Braxton coming into view but then she first decides that flirting with the Captain is more important than assisting me. Then I start to wonder if Wendy told her what code it was because if she knew that then she would have come running?
I remember my time working in the hospital and I remember how important these codes were. But what bothers me the most is that this is not just something small but it is an urgent matter and she is taking it very lightly.
Then I see her walking towards me after getting in her quota with the Captain for the day. I feel frustrated and angry but I know that I dare not disrespect her.
"Dr. Michaels, what is going on here?"
"Dr. Braxton, did Wendy tell you that it is a code green?"
"Yes...yes, she did but never mind that. Tell me what is going on here?"
I am very irritated by her condescending time and I pull a body closer showing her the leg with the rash. I wish I can shove the leg up in her face so she can feel as scared as I am. But I am stuck alone in this plastic camp and if she does not assist me, giving me guidance, then I do not know what she is doing here. As far as I know, the head doctor should take control now.
"Do you see that...ma'am? Can you see that rash? Can you see that he is deceased but yet the rash is still living? Do you think that this could be worthy to be a code green?!"
I feel my anger is taking hold of me and this woman that is trying to be in charge is failing at it miserably. Can she not see the truth that is right in front of her eyes.
"I...uh...well..."
It is very clear to me that she does not know how to handle an emergency. So, I decided to take charge and tell her what to do.
"Okay, Dr. Braxton it is now time for you to listen to me. I need you to get me a full kit to analyze blood so that I can find out whether this is a contagious virus or just a normal rash. Then I need you to create a parameter so that no one gets close to me just for in case this rash is contagious. Do you understand?"
I can see that she is completely confused and it is clear that she has never handled any kind of emergency. I can not believe that they have this doctor on board and in charge. What if a war should break out? How would she be able to handle that?
"Now Dr. Braxton…go now. As quickly as possible, please"
Then I watch as she stumbles over her own feet and almost falls on the ground as she turns around to get the kit that I have asked for. I thought if I reported to a higher authority then things would get done but it seems like I am going to have to be the authority right now.
All I know is that I need to identify this virus as soon as possible before we can make any kind of assumption.
ZAC
I do not know what the two of them were talking about but I must say that I have never seen Dr. Braxton stumble over her own feet. I can not contain myself any longer and then slowly make my way closer to Amy. I need to know if she is doing okay and what is going on.
"No! Please don't, sir!"
I listen as Amy shouts at me and I stop dead in my tracks. I understand that she wants me to keep a safe distance but she has already made a plastic camp around herself. So ,I should be able to come closer to her.
I lift up my hands in surrender and then I calmly say to her.
"Okay. I am stopping. But I just want to know what is going on? I can not just stand here and see how everyone you have spoken to looks terrified afterward. Please, tell me what is going on?"
AMY POV
I look into his piercing green eyes and dammit, I struggle to not fall apart. I know that he must be in control and he must know everything but the truth is, that I do not know anything yet myself.
"Sir, I can not tell you anything yet except that there might be something contagious about these bodies. I do not want to make you worried about anything yet, as I still need to do some tests. I need you not to get closer to the bodies because if it is contagious it will not be a good idea if the Captain of the ship is infected"
ZAC POV
For the first time, I can see real concern in her eyes for me. I do not think that it is only because I am the Captain but maybe because she cares a little bit for me. The only problem with this is, that she's inside the camp with the bodies and if something is contagious then she must be infected as well.
This is driving me crazy because I want to be the one that saves her and now she is the one that is saving me. I do not want her to be alone in this. I want to let her know that I am not letting her go through this alone.
"Thank you, Dr. Michaels. I understand that you must be going through some sort of stress and I would like you to see me, not as your Captain, but as your friend. I would like you to ask me if there is anything that I can do to make this entire situation better for you"