Sarah might have looked idle, but if anything her mind was getting overactive. She kept considering the details and outlook of each case, who would need physical therapy and how successful it might be, who would be crippled or scarred for life short of ridiculously expensive treatments that none of her patients could afford. And of course she thought of all the psychological trauma in this room, but that was outside of the young doctor’s area of expertise... Tanaka took a deep breath and tried to focus on more relevant concerns. No one needed her immediate attention, but—<br/><br/>The medic sensed someone approaching and turned to see Lieutenant Warren. When he tried to light up she interrupted him. “I have two patients on oxygen on account of getting a whiff of depressurized engine coolant—please wait until you’re outside the infirmary, Sir. Although I’d appreciate it if you’d not smoke around my patients regardless,” she said evenly.<br/><br/>At the officer’s grim order that Sarah be ready to move her patients to escape pods, she did not hesitate long in replying. Her memory was quite extraordinary, even with so many injuries to deal with in such a short time. “Private Smith, Specialist Cox,” she said quietly so that only he would hear. “There are many others who would have their conditions exacerbated, but I’ll deal with that if and when I have to.” The violent acceleration of an escape pod would be too much for Cox with his broken neck no matter how well he was secured. And Smith of course was touch and go after her surgery—it would not take much to cause fatal internal bleeding. The thought that the risky operation might have been in vain after all was depressing as hell.<br/><br/>There was no doubt what Sarah needed to do now. She took her assistants aside once Warren was done with her, told them what might be coming next and who would be left behind. All three of them began packing up medical supplies, water, and rations in backpacks and duffel bags. No doubt her patients might see what was going on and worry, but there was nothing for it.<br/><br/>When Paige’s voice finally came on and announced the coming destruction, Sarah looked up at the nearest speaker and bit her lip, feeling tears threatening escape. It was very hard to keep her professional detachment at the thought of leaving two patients to die who should have lived. But there was hardly a moment’s hesitation before she began barking out instructions to her assistants and soldiers guarding the infirmary—technically she did not have the right to order anyone around, but she was the only one here with extensive experience in moving the injured and she hoped they would have the sense to listen to her.<br/><br/>Sarah did take a moment to give Specialist Cox a little bit of extra pain medication—he was already hardly lucid and probably had not heard the announcement, but she did not want him to spend his last moments alone and terrified when he could spend them in drugged-out bliss instead. Smith was still unconscious of course, and would not have woken up for hours regardless.<br/><br/>Only four minutes after the announcement—something of a miracle considering what a clusterfuck the infirmary had been—Sarah was the last one out of the room, clutching her assault rifle and with a heavy duffel bag full of medical equipment on her back. She glanced briefly behind her, to see both Jovana Smith and Andrew Cox resting peacefully on their beds, chests rising and falling with each of the all too finite number of breaths left to them. Sarah did not believe in any sort of afterlife—these two would cease to exist just as surely as the ship itself.<em>Of course, who’s to say any of the escape pods make it a hundred meters without being blown to shrapnel.</em>But there was no argument or gallows humor to rob Sarah of the intense shame she felt at this moment. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, locking the door behind her.