21st February 835 A.S - System: New Berlin / Planet New Berlin / Lea's house The blonde woman arrived at her place for the first time this year after spending countless days out in the Omicrons. She remembered that she had said something to Levan Harlow during Christmas. Besides the boredom that was killing her mood, she had nothing else to do. Then, she remembered that Maria Uhmen still hadn't responded to her previous message, a frustrating realization and a lost opportunity to gain some credits. Maintaining her Odin was nothing but an endless pit for credits. With all the modifications The Core had done to it, checkups were certainly expensive.
Lying lazily on the couch, she looked around for a moment, thinking about some stupid ideas. "This house... it's also another hole in my pocket... maybe I should just sell it? Or maybe... 'forgetting something in the oven'." Then, when she least expected it, a knock was heard at the door. Lea stood up from the couch and headed toward the entrance. She opened the door and found herself face-to-face with a man who seemed quite suspicious. He grinned before stepping inside as if he had been invited.
"What in the actual—" Before she could finish, he pinned her to the wall and, at the same time, pulled out a blaster, pressing it against her back. "Quiet!" he ordered. He kicked the door shut before continuing. "You are quite well known as a troublemaker, and so, I was charged with eliminating you."
Before she could react, the man grabbed her hair, dragging her toward the couch before shoving her onto it. He aimed his blaster at her. Never had Lea felt such fear inside of her. If she had been any less experienced, she would have been trembling by now. The man broke the silence: "Now that I have a better look at you, you're exactly the type I'd enjoy having fun with. Just imagine all the possibilities... Ah... I wonder how fun it'd be..." She was disgusted by his words. She would never let herself be toyed with. This man was dangerous, she thought to herself. Then, she remembered—her weapon was in the storage of her ship. She felt utterly helpless; one wrong move, and things would get even worse than they already were. The man spoke again, this time with irritation. "Damn it... you're not giving me the expression I want to see."
He stepped closer to Lea Kaufman and slapped her face hard with his free hand before kicking her in the belly. The impact sent her doubling over, expelling a groan filled with pain. "Argh!" It was agonizing. This man knew exactly what he was doing. She tried to move despite the pain, but noticing this, the man simply shot her legs. "ARGH!" She let out a loud, anguished cry, her voice filled with a level of pain beyond anything tolerable. "There's no way I'll let you move. Your suffering... that face painted with pain and despair... This is delicious..." he said before laughing like a crazed madman.
He stepped closer to her, using his foot to rotate her so that she was now facing the ceiling. Her eyes were filled with a mix of anger, pain, and fear. With a mocking smirk, the man lifted his left foot and pressed it onto her stomach. He applied just enough weight to intensify her agony, ensuring that this moment would be seared into her memory. Blood pooled from her legs—her kneecaps had been completely pulverized by the blaster shots.
Paralyzed by pain, Lea could no longer put on a tough act. She was panicking, like a trapped animal facing a predator. The man laughed again. "YES! YES! More! Your screams just make this so perfect! OH! I know..." After saying this, he pulled a tissue from his pocket and walked toward the kitchen. He found some alcohol, soaked the tissue in it, and lit it with a small lighter. He made sure to set anything flammable ablaze. Once the fire started, he came back, laughing. "You will die from the smoke in a few minutes once the fire takes hold." He then left the house, leaving Lea helpless with the growing fire threatening to consume everything.
She was panicking as she tried to crawl with her arms as best she could, despite the unbearable pain from her legs. "I don't want to die!!" she yelped. At the same time, the fire grew slightly larger, and smoke had already started to gather in the kitchen. Despite the dire situation, she couldn't help but make a joke. "Isn't this the perfect time for a hero to rescue me?" She giggled despite the pain before trying once again to crawl forward. After some interminable crawling toward the back door, she realized she wouldn’t be able to reach it with the injuries she had. "Shit... shit... SHIT...!"
She was growing even more desperate. The fire grew larger once again, and the kitchen was now completely ablaze. The heat could be felt from where she was. She shut her eyes, silently crying as emotions flooded her mind, remembering the good moments and the important people she held in her heart. "Levan... Elise... Jack..." she sobbed. "I think... this is the end... I am so sorry, Elise... I shouldn't have acted the way I did with you... I need... I need to apologize... I need to survive to say sorry!"
Even with newfound determination, panic still overwhelmed her. The flames were growing stronger. Despite the pain, she started crawling again, this time toward the entrance of the house. But with each passing minute, the fire claimed more territory. She was just a meter away from the door when suddenly, it was brutally kicked open. A man and a woman stood there. The man was holding a battering ram, while the woman, in a hurry, rushed toward the wounded Lea and pulled her outside.
"Who are you..?" Lea asked weakly.
"It's fine, we got you out of this. Roman, lift her, and we’ll bring her to the hospital."
So the man's name was Roman. He nodded to the woman. Judging by his physique, he was quite the bodybuilder type, though a bit more on the stocky side. He stepped closer and carefully lifted Lea in a bridal carry.
22nd February 835 A.S - System: New Berlin / Planet New Berlin / Hospital She was lucky that those people entered her house last night. She had been brought to the nearest hospital, and once she was taken in, she simply let the doctors and nurses do their job. X-rays of her knees were taken, along with routine tests to check for any other concerns. But her sleep was restless. She saw the same scene play out again and again—the man who broke in, tortured her, and then set the fire. Cold sweat was the only thing she felt each time she woke up.
At six in the morning, she was awake once more when a doctor entered her room with the results.
''Miss Kaufman, correct?'' he asked before sitting on a chair next to the hospital bed.
''I am Hector Azinger, a radiography specialist. I have some results regarding your overall health and your knees...'' He paused for a moment and handed her some images illustrating Lea's kneecaps.
''As you can see, your kneecaps are beyond recovery, and the shots you took also damaged the other two bones in your legs.''
She bit her lip at the news.
''Is there any way I can regain the use of my legs? I am... someone rather active.''
With a compassionate expression, the doctor placed a hand on her shoulder before withdrawing it.
''There is a way, yes. But here, our resources are limited. So... the best I can do is contact Medforce Enterprises. They are well known for their advanced expertise, beyond what some of us here have. Just say the word, and I will reach out to them.''
The blonde woman clenched her fists for a moment.
''I suppose I’m stuck here for a while... I guess you have my approval.'' she replied, staring up at the ceiling.
The doctor stood up from the chair.
''Consider it done. The remote control is on your left if you want to watch the news to pass the time.''
He left the room, leaving Lea to rest. She picked up the remote and switched to a news channel. Then, a news report caught her attention.
She was devastated by what she saw—her house, along with some of her neighbors' homes, had been reduced to ashes. The only silver lining was that she had survived and would no longer have to pay for her house.
23rd February 835 A.S - System: New Berlin / Planet New Berlin / Hospital The news she witnessed the other day, she knew instinctively that the missing person was her. Hard to admit, but for the time being, it's what she needed. Being missing, there were many possibilities, dead, kidnapped or just vanished. It was enough to let people thinking what they wanted to believe. Even if she wanted to tell some people that she was alright, more likely, she prefered to have silence for now.
At ten of morning, doctor Azinger came in the room where Lea was watching some news. When she saw him, she turned off the screen and looked at him, waiting to listen what he might say. ''Guten tag Ms. Kaufman. First of all, I got news from the MFE. They said that if you are okay enough, they would do a transfer to their own hospital in Omega-three. Are your knees hurting?''
''I certainly can't move them and when I try, it hurts. The pain is clearly there, but less than when I received those blaster shots... But yeah... I guess I can survive to a transfer. But if you I can be selfish, I'd like they bring my Odin MK I with them. I want it close and if they can bring it unnoticed, it would be better... The news of yesterday, they still have a missing one and it is clearly me so... it would be appreciated.'' She replied, hoping the doctor would be kind enough to satisfy her request. He rose an eyebrow and shrugged. ''I see. I guess I can make the request, but they are doctors. I doubt they can do it, but I can certainly keep the fact you remain missing. After all, a doctor wants the privacy of their patients.'' He turned around and just before he left the room, he looked at her. ''You have some visitors as well. A woman and a man who is looking like a bit bodybuilder.'' He left and the visitors entered.
When the duo entered, Lea recognized them. That woman with long black hair and green eyes, she did not look in details the other day, but she felt she was someone to not mess with. She sat on the chair next to the bed where Lea was lying on. The mysterious woman looked at Roman a moment and he nodded, staying near the door. The woman then broke the silence.
"I did not present myself the other day. I am Hilda Lichtenstein." She paused a moment, making sure that Lea understood correctly before to speak again. ''As you probably guessed already, Roman and I aren't the clean type of people. So... because we saved you, I ask you to do some favors for us. Don't worry, you won't operate in Rheinland, but in Liberty after you are able to move that is.'' Lea gulped. ''What do you want me to do..?'' She asked unsure. Hilda smirks. ''I want you to operate in the 'underworld'. Try to get contacts among the unlawfuls. Xenos are mostly homophobic, maybe you have chances with the Rogues.'' Lea bit her own lips. She remembered a moment when she was badly viewed by a certain Rogue some years ago. Before she could speak, Hilda stood up. ''I know, you will say: 'How am I supposed to do this?' I don't care. Just do it.'' Roman and Hilda left the room, letting Lea thinking more than twice about the quick exchange with Hilda. She even shivered at the thought of contacting the Liberty Rogues.
While en route from Bretonian space with a load of pharmaceuticals Ben got a message from Jill: "Ben, we have a patient who needs to be transferred to the academy. When you arrive at the Omega-3 hospital the loadmaster will load your vessel with a PCC after which you can head for the Lingen hospital in New Berlin. The staff there is ready for your arrival and have made the necessary arrangements. Take care and we'll see you soon, Jill out.”
He glanced at the screen as he manouvered his ship towards the jumpgate. At 64 he was a seasoned pilot and ever since he joined Medforce he enjoyed the last minute changes to his schedule. After reading the message once more he mumbled:
"Damn, it must be either important or a rush job if they want to use a transport with a PCC...”
While MFE would normally deploy specialized vessels for the transportation of patients it did have access to Patient Care Containers or, PCC's. These containers, while smaller than a casualty ward container, we're basically an outfitted hospital room for a single patient and two or three medical specialists and contained all necessary equipment for a semi-long journey.
"Ah well, let's get it done.” Ben said as he acknowledged Jill's message and sent his position to the coordinators at the Omega hospital.
The stopover at the Omega hospital was quite uneventful. The loadmaster's team was well experienced and Ben could leave the offloading of the cargo and loading of the PCC in their capable hands while he took a shower and some food. When he made it back to the cargo bay his ship was ready to go.
"Great, let's get this party started.” He thought to himself as he headed for New Berlin.
While the tradelane trip went fast Ben was more a guy for free space. He liked plotting his own course as much as the quiet travel outside house space. It wasn't long before he reached planet New Berlin.
"Imagine one having to clean all the windows on that thing..." he chuckled as he looked at the ring orbiting the planet. Which was quickly followed by a confirmation from the planet allowing him to land.
"Let's pick up a patient.” He thought to himself as he made his way towards the hospital entrance.
24th February 835 A.S - System: New Berlin / Planet New Berlin / Hospital Like every morning since she had been brought here, Doctor Hector Azinger came to see Lea and check on her progress. She was doing well, even though she was still a bit frustrated that her legs were not responding due to the shots she had taken from that man and his blaster.
But today, her thoughts lingered on Hilda’s words once again. There was no doubt that Hilda would return if she received no updates from Lea.
Lea stared up at the ceiling, exhaling as she prepared for the transfer. She only hoped that everything would go smoothly and that no incidents would occur. The worst-case scenario was that her knees would become infected, leading to amputation—something she wanted to avoid at all costs.
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Surgical Ward, Med Force Academy,
Knowing that Lea Kaufman would arrive, John assembled a team that would be working on her. In this case, he himself would be assisting as he had a specialist that would be reconstructing her knees. The nursing staff would be easy but for now, they studied the provided scans, x-rays and other data they had.
"I suppose the only good thing out of all of this is that she had little blood loss. Blaster shots have a lot of heat in them so wounds are often cauterized."
He further studied the information and shook his head in disgust. "It is bad enough people delight in the slaughter of each other but then someone disables someone and leaves them to die like this. Sick!"
Dr. Dirkschneider, Dr. Dirk for short, would be the man reconstructing her knees.
"Believe it or not, I've dealt with worse.," he stated. "Artificial knee caps are readily available. Fixing the bones of her legs will be time consuming but not difficult, especially with what we have available to us."
He put down one of the scans and smiled at Doc. "I have yet to work with you, Doc. This will be an honor."
"Indeed it will be," Doc replied. "I think we will learn much from each other."
The two men continued to study and drew up a plan for when Ms. Kaufman arrived.
24th/25th February 835 A.S - System: New Berlin / Rheinland space Lea Kaufman briefly met Ben, the man charged with bringing her to Med Force Academy. Two nurses from the hospital helped her onto a gurney. There was total silence as she was brought inside Ben's medical ship. Through the hublot, she saw the designated pilot who would transport her Odin to the Academy. She just hoped the trip would go smoothly so the pilot wouldn’t have to risk his life flying such an old yet heavily modified ship.
Fortunately, the trip took a day, and there was nothing to be worried about. It was a calm journey, even if it was silent. However, this silence made Lea think deeply about what she would do after her full recovery. She did not want to go to Liberty, especially after the 'warm' welcome she received from some Navy pilots. She did not want to be a criminal, even if working in the shadows of the law might be highly rewarding—like when she took part in that dangerous mission The Core had given her. The *Illustrious* was a Liberty Dreadnought, an Overlord-class battleship she had boarded during a mission to find Jack. With the captain of the *Illustrious* being an infectee and the crew clearly putting her life at risk, it had been a perilous experience. But when Jack Daniels came to save her, her respect for him only grew. Such a capable man, and now, he was gone. Maybe dead, or perhaps just faking his death.
Her thoughts broke when she arrived. She was transported to a room where she would undergo surgery. There was no doubt—Lea was wondering if it would go smoothly and without complications. Lying on the mobile bed, she only stared at the ceiling. She sighed and wondered how long it will take before she will be able to walk again. After what seemed hours, she heard the slidding door sliding. She turned her head and saw a doctor getting inside.
24th/25th February 835 A.S - System: Omicron Theta / Med Force Academy The doctor who entered the room was originally from Kusari. The insignia on his chest had his name written: Murakami. He approached the bed and greeted Lea. He then explained that he would be the doctor assigned to her care after the operation on her knees. He also explained that she would need a period of adjustment and recovery. As with any procedure, it was just to ensure that the patient would be fine and that nothing would happen, including any risk of rejection.
Still lying on the bed, the Rheinlander looked around. The place seemed well-maintained and safe enough. She had no worries. After Murakami led Lea to the operation room, he broke the silence and spoke with two doctors, Dr. Dirkschneider and Dr. Holliday. ''Doctor Holliday and Dirk, this is the patient, Lea Kaufman. She will be under your surgery.'' While Murakami was talking with the two other doctors, Lea Kaufman looked around the room. It was clean, and all the tools and medical units had their designated places. The room also looked untouched by dust. After all, this room was only for surgery, and it was important to have a strict level of sanitation to prevent any infections.
After their chat, Doctor Murakami came closer. ''Your operation will begin when they are ready. In the meantime, I will wait outside of this room while you are under their care. Believe me, they are the best.'' With those words, he left the room, and Lea just couldn't help but look at the two other doctors. ''Will my knees be fully healed and nothing too artificial will be observable?'' She then asked.
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John Holliday approached where she was lying down. He was in his whites and ready for surgery but first, he took a moment to meet and visit his patient. It was something he did if the patient was awake as he wanted to do his best to reassure them. She was already prepped with an IV drip in her left hand. He gently shook her right hand.
"Ms. Kaufman, I am Dr. John Holliday. Sorry to meet you under these circumstances but it is a pleasure," he said through his mask. He then let her hand go.
"I will be assisting Dr. Dirkschneider as he is a specialist in this field. When this is over, what happened will not be noticeable. Just know that there will be some physical therapy to get you walking right again."
Dr. Dirkschneider entered with the surgical team. He too greeted Lea and re-assured her that all would go well. He had a plan and explained it to her with his heavy Rheinland accent.
"You will receive new knee caps made of titanium," he explained. "The bones leading to your knee will be plated to re-enforce them. Replacement and repair of the bones in the area will be what I take care of. Dr. Holliday will work on getting tendons, ligaments and muscles re-attached and repaired. I estimate about a twelve hour process give or take."
After a short discussion, Lea was put under anesthesia and the process began. Dirkschneider did as he said he would. She was given two new knee caps made of titanium and the bones leading to her knees were coated in what would appear to be a liquid titanium but it was done so through a laser process as liquid titanium itself was too hot to work with alone in such a tight area. This would be the easy process.
Then began the process of reattaching the ligaments, tendons and muscles. One leg was long enough but both legs needed work. Fortunately, the process was similar for both sides and both doctors assisted each other in their respective disciplines with each learning from the other. Once everything was attached and a thorough go over of their work was done, he began fixing the tissues and skin over the area they had worked on. Using a type of tissue regenerator, even seasoned doctors wouldn't notice. With everything repaired and replaced, they closed up her legs with an autosuture. Unless someone looked hard, the marking was unnoticeable. With everything completed, Doc turned to the clock.
"Thirteen hours, 28 minutes," he said for the record. "A little more than I expected but there was more damage than we expected."
The surgery complete, Ms. Kaufman was wheeled to a recovery room where she would remain asleep for a few more hours. She would wake up sore and totally bewildered but a nurse was there to "welcome her back." Lea felt very little in the way of pain as she had a pain killer in her IV. She would feel a bit relaxed and the nurse checking her vitals.
26th February 835 A.S - System: Omicron Theta / Med Force Academy When she woke up, Lea rubbed her eyes. She looked around and saw that she was back in the room where she had been before the operation. She lifted herself into a sitting position and pulled up the blanket. On her knees, she saw new bandages. Lea was calm. She felt no real stress. The pain was barely there. A nurse was checking the vital signs on the monitor. Everything seemed alright. The blonde woman asked the nurse if she could have her PDA.
With her PDA in her hands, Lea checked for any notifications, but there were none. She bit her lip and wondered what to do. She knew she had to do some exercises for her legs. She was not particularly hungry, but she was thirsty. She asked if she could have something to drink, and the nurse simply handed her a bottle of water. Lea then drank while spending a long moment on her PDA. Of course, she had to wait for a doctor to come for her exercises, even though a nurse could also assist her.
''I wonder how long I will need to stay here... I am already anticipating when I will be able to pilot my ship.''
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