The Days of our Past

[Lawrence-Gould_]

The year is 2382, the end of the Starfleet Academy semester and graduation time. A young fresh faced Cadet, by the name of Lawrence Gould stands with his fellow Cadets on the verge of their future, with his long dark hair tied up and blue eyes he looks around the group as they raise a toast, today is the day that marks the first of their career with Starfleet and the Federation. It has been a long four years but this small band of friends have made it through the hard times.

As he looks around the group there is a small pang of jealousy in the pit of his stomach, his friends have just received their postings, all of them will be stepping on to a starship. Soon to leave Sol and explore the great universe, but the young Cadet has decided to take another route, Starfleet Medical to complete his studies on his journey to become a Doctor.

With their freshly issued Starfleet Uniform the young Ensigns board the transport bound for Risa, before their assignments start a few weeks rest have been given to the new officers. With a PADD in hand he starts to write a letter.

Dear Mum,

Its been a crazy couple of weeks and it was good to see you at the Graduation, I know that it must have bought back bad memories of Dad but I know that he would have been proud to see me up there. Some friends and I are heading off to Risa for a week before they go ship bound and I return to Earth. I will see you when I return.

Love, always Lawrence

With the usual sensation as the transporter beam took fold the reception room of Suraya Bay became clear, with all walks of life around him, the heat beating down from the twin suns he looks over to his fellow Starfleet Officer and best friend John Miller as a big smiles comes to his face ''This is going to be fun, first port of call is the souvenir shop'' and with a wink he walks off, minutes later returning with a Horga'hn under his arm.

It's not long until two young officers are walking along the beach enjoying the sights that the resort has on display, the day consists mainly of sunbathing, drinking and socialising with the other visitors until the late afternoon. To soon the twin Suns start to set and the evening torches and candles are lit. Music can be heard from the main resort, the dance floor is crowded.

[Lawrence-Gould_]

The year is 2401, LtC Gould has been given Command of the USS Wycombe, a Nova Class vessel refitted as a medical ship and is stationed in the Mempa Sector in the PI Canis Block to render aid to Federation planets and colonies.

''This is Commander Gould of the Federation Medical ship the USS Wycombe, we are on a mission of mercy. Hold your attacks, again we are a medical .......''

before being able to finish his sentence another Klingon Bird of Prey decloaks to the port of the ship and opens fire. A salvo of disruptor fire peppers the already weakening shields, sirens scream throughout the Bridge as hulk heads start to buckle and a console explodes. Sparks shoot across the young Engineering Ensign that was manning the console, in an instance a raging plasma fire engulf the officer and a scream can be heard as the life is taken away from him.

''... I repeat we are on a mission of mercy, relent your attacks''

Looking over to a female Bolian sat at Ops he shouts to her across the roar of the fire, the smoke and the wail of the sirens ''Lt, get a distress signal out, all channels, we cant hold them off for much longer'' he glances at the dead Ensign on the floor knowing that there is little he can do for him.

''Sir, the signal is being sent out on all frequencies''

As he looks back at the main screen a hail comes in over the comm from deep in the ship, the heart of the vessel, main Engineering, a voice coughing from the smoke filling the room ''Captain, we have the .... *coughs* initial stage *cough cough* of a warp core breach, EPS relays are loosing structure throughout *cough* the ship, I estimate that we have less than *cough* seven minutes before she goes critical, there *cough* is nothing that I can do.... *cough* for her''

Swarming around the small ship like vultures around a carcass the three Birds of Prey continue their relentless attack on the USS Wycombe ''Captain!'' a shout goes out from the comm, the small framed Ferengi clearly doing his best to keep away for the impending attack ''scans indicate the USS Stravinsky is on route and has said its ETA will be three minutes''

Looking over to the Ops console ''All auxiliary power to the shields, take the warp core off line and direct anything we left to the shields, if we can hold out then we may get through this, what is our shield status?'' within a matter of seconds a reply is called out, the noise of the dying ship almost muffles the answer ''We are holding at 23% sir after shunting all power reserves but that wont hold for long''

''Sir, we are venting plasma coolant from over ten EPS conduits, the atmosphere is becoming toxic across decks four, five and six''

''We have hull breaches on deck three and four and with the auxiliary power being diverted to the shields we have no way of sealing them with forcefields''

''Containment on the warp core has been underestimated, we have estimated 2 minutes now''

''Induction stabilisers have burnt out Captain, the gravity through out the ships is loosing cohesion, the booster modulators are unable to compensate''

As he listens to the incoming messages from his other bridge officers he decides that there is no other option, the crippled ship is going down. Sitting in the centre chair, his uniform reflecting the time of history in the Federation he calmly states ''Abandon ship, all hands to escape pods'' thinking to himself that there isn't enough time to wait to be rescued they may at least have a chance in the pods.

''I'm not leaving you Captain, we can both go when all crew are clear'' the French accent of his XO Lt Phillips is heard, looking over to the dedicated officer as he runs across the bridge just as a fragment of the bulkhead explodes, after another salvo from the Klingons beats down on the ship it flies like an arrow piercing the target... straight into his chest, with a splutter of blood leaving his mouth the Frenchman slumps to the floor.

''USS Wycombe, this is the Stravinsky, we have the Klingons targeted and should have them on the run''

As he cradles his first officer on his arms, the colour draining from his face he looks to the main screen as the Sovereign class ship can be seen opening fire, streaks of phaser fire flash across static, multiple quantum torpedoes arc into the heart of one of the Birds of Prey and it explodes.

The voice of the computer can be heard over the red alert sirens ''All hands, abandon ship, warp core breach in thirty seconds'' as the thick smoke fills the bridge he gasps for breath, his vision starting to blur, colours fade slowly to black and his body limps to the floor of the ship that was his first command. The ship that within thirty seconds was to be destroyed at the hands of the Klingons, his career soon to be ended.

[Lawrence-Gould_]

The year is 2402 and Lt.. Commander Gould has spent the last few months on a Leave of Absence from his official Starfleet duties since the incident with the Klingons and the USS Wycombe. The death of those officers under his command hit the Doctor hard, despite his years in Starfleet it was the single most core shattering experience he has ever had to go through. In a small tavern on the edges of the Australian outback he sits nursing a drink, with shades covering his dark sunken eyes, his beard growing into an unkempt style and sweat freely running down his face and body from the overbeating heat he simply sits in silence listening to the other patrons in the watering hole.

The hour starts to become late, the night has fallen and the crowd starts to thin, with a few empty glasses surrounding his station at the bar the ruggedly handsome Trill who has been pouring the drinks all night starts to clear the remnants of the alcohol fuelled evening. As the number dwell even more the last patrons call out they leave, cleaning the bar down from the spilt drinks he gets to the end where Lawrence is sat then he leans against his side of the bar. The pair start to chat and the time passes, soon the bar is officially closed but more drinks are poured and consumed as they talk into the small hours of the morning.



Waking with a startle as the morning light streams into the unknown bedroom and onto his face Lawrence suddenly has an over whelming feeling of fear of where is he and how did he get here, the area of the bed next to him is still warm and as he leans up on his elbows he can hear the faint sound of someone close by in adjoining room. He starts to think back about the prior evening and the last thing he remembers was sitting at the bar.....

A flashback comes to his mind and the memory of stumbling out of the establishment with the good looking Trill barman is in his mind. With his arm wrapped around his broad and well defined shoulders they are laughing and trying to walk in a some what straight direction, the pair now both in an inebriated state all inhibitions are off the cards and Lawrence turns the Trill bar tender. He places both of his hands on his shoulders and the pair fall back slightly against a wall, he leans in slowly and their eyes are locked, he can feel the warm breath of the bar tender on his face as he moves in even closer.

With their lips now inches apart he takes a deep breath, empties all other thoughts from his mind and soon the pair are in a deep embrace. Hands run free over each others bodies as they continue with their entanglement. Its not long before the pair are back at the bar tenders apartment, hot sweaty clothing from the warm stale aired night are discarded randomly on the floor pretty much as soon as they stumble in through the front door...



Lawrence is suddenly brought back to reality with the voice from the bar tender, a deep baritone is heard as he walks into the bed room, fully naked the rugged man has two mugs of coffee in his hand, he places one on the closest side table, ''Good morning, I thought after last night you would need something strong to give you a pick me up, we both ended up drinking a lot of scotch in the end''. The Trill smiles, a flash of white teeth can be seen as he then sits on the edge of the bed, the air still warm in the apartment as the morning sun continues to beam in through the window. Lawrence slowly manages to sit up, his head slightly spinning but he composes himself and as he glances over to the naked bar tender he wracks his brain trying to remember his name, a few seconds later it comes back to his.

Thomas

Lawrence rubs his eyes and collects his drink from the side table then slowly moves to sit on the edge of the bed. ''Good mor.....'' he coughs briefly as his voice is rather course and dry, he takes a sip from the coffee then swallows, the taste and flavour is good as it goes down and wets his throat, he tries again, ''Good morning, Thomas.'' he looks down to the mug then back to the bartender, ''.. this is just what I need right now, how much did we drink last night?'' he looks over.

Another smiles crosses the bartenders face, ''Only my mum calls me Thomas, its TJ and you had a fair bit even before I joined you after closing time, so if my head feels as bad as it does I would hate to think what you are feeling like?'' he leans back onto the bed and onto his side and rests his mug on one of his hands. Lawrence shifts back up the bed carefully as not to spill his drink and leans against the headrest, he then looks over to TJ and smiles, ''I have felt better, but seeing you walk in this morning..'' he glances along the spots that go down the full length of the very tanned, very naked Trill on the bed ''... certainly has made me feel better''

Not sure of how to asses the situation Lawrence decides after the ordeal that he went through with the USS Wycombe and the Klingons he has nothing to loose so he leans closer to the Trill, the pair are soon again in a deep embrace. As the hours pass in a blur and the temperature in the room gets even hotter as the midday sun is at its height Lawrence sits again on the bed with a glass of water as TJ snoozes. He watches the Trill in his slumber, the simple act of watching his chest raise and fall as he breathes brings a smile. As a feeling of joy and happiness is felt as he then lies down alongside TJ, he slowly runs his hand down from his neck to his hips following the line of spots and with then placing his head on his chest he is soon falling asleep.

[Lawrence-Gould_]

The year is 2386 and the fresh faced Lt. jg eagerly awaits his turn in the queue at ESD for the Transporter, its been four years since he left the Academy and he had barely stepped outside of the Sol system due to his time studying at Starfleet Medical, three weeks ago he was officially signed of a Junior Doctor after weeks of gruelling exams and proudly received his promotion from Ensign to Lt.jg. One of the transport operators calls over to him, ''Its your turn Sir, the USS Noble has received your request to beam over, good luck out there Lt''. Lawrence takes the few steps up onto the pad and with a nod to indicate he is ready he feels the usual sensation as his body materializes a few moments on the Star ship that will be his home for the next 3 years.

An hour later and after unpacking his belongings in the shared quarters the young Doctor walks into the main Sickbay, he is greeted by a small framed Vulcan, ''Lt Gould I presume'' she states the fact rather than asking a question, ''I am Doctor T'San, the Chief Medical officer here on the Noble, your direct chain of command officer and mentor for as long as you serve here'', Lawrence smiles to the Vulcan and replies, ''Its a pleasure Doctor, or do you prefer Commander?'' he looks at the 2 1/2 pips on the collar indicating her as a Lt. Commander but follows the regulations with addressing an officer of that rank accordingly.

The Vulcan looks to the young man and raises her left eyebrow ever so slightly, ''Doctor please, ranks are for outside of the sickbay. Now if you will follow me I have a research paper for you to commence with'' she directs him to one of the small alcoves in the sickbay and there on the side table sits a PADD and a large quantity of petri dishes, ''Everything you need to know is detailed on the PADD Doctor, should you have any questions then please make them known to me'' and with that the Vulcan CMO departs and heads back to her office.

Powering up the PADD he starts to read the detailing of his task in hand when out of no where a hand appears on his shoulder, he turns slowly to be greeted by a young blond haired female Nurse. ''You must be Gould if I am correct?'' takes her hand off his should and puts it out to greet the young Doctor, he shakes it firmly and nods his head, ''I am, yes. Lawrence. The newest member to the crew'' he offers a smile. The nurse tucks a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear, ''Sharon Cody, junior Nurse and just arrived myself a few days ago. It looks like we are going to be working together Sir..'' she makes sure she adds in the 'Sir', ''..its a pleasure to finally meet you''. Lawrence looks puzzled at the last comment, ''Finally?'' he asks. ''Yeah, I have seen you around Campus a few times and well you know.... I always wanted to come and say hi but never had the nerve to do it'', she then twirls another lock of her around a finger and slightly bites her lower lip.

''Oh, I see. You were studying at Starfleet Medical as well, I really am surprised we hadn't bumped into each other'' the young Doctor clearly oblivious to the flirtatious behaviour of the Nurse, ''Well lets meet up later after our shifts end? We can swap horror stories'' he smiles innocently to Sharon. A large smiles crosses her face and as she turns to leave she runs her hand down his arm, ''You can count on it, come by my quarters and collect me yeah, say 1900 hours?'' and with that she heads off to her duties.

Looking back down to the PADD again he starts to read the work he will be doing on Doctor T'Sans research paper. The commencement of Nanite Medical Benefits will be his life for the next 18 months outside of his usual duties tending to the injured of the USS Noble. He is soon engrossed with his workings and the hours fly past without him even noticing, ''Doctor Gould, your shift ended two hours ago. What are you still doing here?'' he looks up to see Doctor T'San talking to him across the empty sickbay and with a glance at the clock he realises that it is nearly 1900 hours and about to be late to meet Sharon. His departure from sickbay is rather swift.

Moments later he finds himself outside the shared quarters of Sharon and her bunkmate, Harriot and he presses his finger to the door frame console and it chimes. There is a brief sound of giggling that can be heard from the inside of the room then he hears Sharon's voice call out ''Enter'', as the door open with a swishing the the two occupants can be seen sat at the table. A half empty bottle of wine and two glasses sit in front of Sharon and Harriet, as he nervously walks in the offer to join them at the table is given and he soon finds himself taking a seat, it's not long before another glass is produced and filled with wine.

Sharon commences with the introductions, ''This is Harriet, another one of us fresh faces to the Noble and is working down in stellar cartography'' the flame red haired smiles to Lawrence, ''A pleasure to meet you Doc, I assume this is your first posting like Sharon?'' she asks. He politely takes a sip of his wine as not to offend his hosts as deep down he actually hates the grape juice, ''Yes, straight from Medical'' he replies to her question, ''And you?'' he looks to Harriet. ''Second posting, I got my promotion two months ago after my time at ESD and jumped at the opportunity to get onto the Noble when I found out she was heading over to Romulan territory, they are fascinating people don't you think?''

---

Four weeks later

Play for ambience

Already with the air being thick, damp and with the noises coming from the creatures in the canopies above the grainy smoke that started drifting in the air from the near by fires made the atmosphere even harder and harder to breath. In a make shift tent, on the edge of a jungle, on the edge of a phaser fight, the fresh faced Doctor finds himself trying to save the life of one of the research officers that was part of an away team to the planet. Three days ago the USS Nobel entered orbit of a planet just on the edge of the Neutral zone, the group of thirty officers including Doctor Gould shuttled down and set up a small base of operations to commence the studies.

It was late evening on the second day that the attack came, for what reason was never known, by whom soon became clear as the shots rung out in the air. The noise of the animals ceased as they swiftly departed the scene and creatures scattered as flash bangs rung through the night, one of the young Ensigns from Engineering had pulled another officer into the medical tent and with Lawrences help managed to get them up onto the medical bed. With Tricorder in hand he didn't need to consult it to know that she had been shot to the midriff but scans soon indicated a residue of antiprotons to the area and he thought back to Harriet's comment, '' ... heading over to Romulan territory, they are fascinating people don't you think?''.