It Comes With The Job

Chapter 16

The next few years go by and the war has gotten to its finale show down, Julian has been discovered as Genetically Enhanced, they only let him stay in Star Fleet because his father offered to go to jail. Jadzia Dax, died last week. Shot by Gul Dukat, now a new trill has replaced Jadiza and her name is Ezri. I'm 20 now, I have seen more of my friends die in these past years than I ever saw at the hospital on Delta IV. The Commander got promoted and is a Captain now, he's also married. The Doctor has come and gone many times, he has taken me to places I have never seen before, he showed me a planet one time called Diamond. It was beautiful, everything was a sight you would only see there. Today is the battle of Outpost 341. We are set to leave on the Defiant in a few hours. I gather my stuff and head of to the infirmary to get Julian, his birthday is today and I told him I would get him a birthday lunch before we left.
"Happy Birthday!" I yell coming into the infirmary.
"Thanks Max, I'm just grabbing some supplies then we should be off." He says.
"Fine, Captain Sisko wants us to leave at 1300." I say.
"Can you grab that kit over there?"
"Do you really need this much? You already have over 100 other equipment on board." I say grabbing the med kit.
"You can never have enough, it's what I've learned." He says.
He finishes with supplies and beams it over to the Defiant.
"Let's get going, we don't have much time, your lunch is going to have to be cut short." I say.
We get to lunch and order. When we are waiting for our food I give him a gift.
"A new holo program! It's James Bond!" He says.
"I thought you would like it. It was mine, I made it myself but I never used it, besides I know how much you love spy programs."
"Well your welcome to come join me when we get back to the station!" He says.
"I'll take that offer up." I say.
We get our food, eat and then head off to the Defiant. The trip is short but it feels like forever getting to the outpost, we had gotten a call just this morning about it being over run by Jem'Hedar. We hide behind a moon near the outpost and then beam over to the planet in groups of 5, the transporter can only hold so many. As soon as we beam down they detect us, I cover my team which consist of Doctor Bashir, Ensign Nog, Lieutenant Dax, and Ensign Sing. Why am I always getting the beginners? I am firing like crazy at the Jem'Hedar but they keep coming, the only way to get my team into the turbo lift is if I cover for them. Sadly I don't have much to hide behind since all of it is getting shot to pieces by the Dominion. At least the Cardassians left the Dominion or else we would have all been destroyed here today. "I'll cover for you, Doctor Bashir your in charge, get our group to the bridge."
"Sir, you won't have anything..."
"I said Go! I'll be fine." I yell at him.
He nods and I start firing, I use my powers to disable most of the the Jem'Hedar phasers, I get up to a cargo container and hide behind that, I sense a Jem'Hedar coming but when I fire he catches me in the lower back and I go down. I can tell I'm fading in and out of consciousness. I don't here anymore firing and it means that we must have won, the Jem'Hedar here were destroyed. Will this be the end of the war now? We have been driving them back near the wormhole for months now. I here footsteps and I go to grab my phaser, I can't move my legs. I can't move my legs. I try again and again. Pain shooting up my back at each attempt.
"Commander?! Taylor are you over here?!" I here a familiar voice ask.
I manage to say "Yes, I'm...I'm over here."
A face comes into my line of vision and I see it's Captain Sisko. He sees me lying here on the ground. I'm not fading in and out of consciousness right now but the pain is almost unbearable and I can't move my legs.
"I got shot....can't move." I say.
"I'm here, I'm going to call doctor Bashir." Sisko says in a calm voice. He almost looks like he is going to cry but he manages to hold it in.
"I...I would have called but my badge fell off and got crushed."
"It's alright." He says. He pushes the hair out of my eyes and holds my hand.
"Sisko to Bashir! I need you in the cargo bay immediately."
"On my way."
I must have faded out once more because when I open my eyes I hear Julian's foot steps coming closer. He comes into my line of vision along with Ezri and a limping Ensign Sing.
"Max." He says sadly.
"You stopped the Dominion, that what counts." I say.
"Sir I need her on the Defiant as soon as possible." He says.
"Chief, when can the transporter be working again?"
"Should be operational in a hour sir."
"Work faster Chief, we have wounded down here."
"Yes sir."
Sisko leaves to go see if anyone else needs help. Ensign Sing goes off somewhere and Ezri and Julian remain.
"Max what happen? Do you remember?" Julian says scanning me.
"I got hit by one of the Jem'Hedar phasers.....I landed on the ground....I was blacking in and out."
I see Julian walk away for second with Ezri and I can hear what they talk about.
"How bad is it?"
"She has 3 broken vertebrae in her lower back, she's completely paralyzed from the waist down, if I can get her back soon I might be able to fix it, but I don't know Ezri. It's bad. The Jem'Hedar hit her, like he was purposely aiming for there. All I can do is wait till the transporter works again."
"How are you feeling? I have you stabilized but your lower vertebrae are completely broken..." He says calmly when he walks back over.
"I'm alright." I lie.
"It's going to be ok Max. Your going to be alright, I'll fix this. You need to rest."
I close my eyes and immediately fall to sleep.
Around 2 hours later I wake up, I'm on the Defiant in the sickbay.
The area is surprisingly vacant. Only a few people are still getting treated. Not that many casualties, except me of course. The memories of two hours ago flood back and then I try to move my legs, in fact I can't feel my legs. Please tell me Julian just has a force field around me so I wouldn't fall off the bed, I do tend to toss and turn.
"Your awake. It's good to see you smiling."
"I feel like I got hit by a Vulcan ground cruiser that lost control."
"It's better than two hours ago. I stabilized your back, I fixed the vertebrae." He says.
"Your hiding something." I state.
"Your right."
"The truth." I continue.
"Max, the truth is...you may never walk again. I put you in the paralysis chamber, but it was too late. I thought of countless things to fix you, I'm still trying."
"I understand." I don't really feel emotions as much as most people, I'm not Vulcan it's just my mind has been enhanced to reduce emotions.
Julian gets me dinner and then keeps me company, I'm the only one in the sickbay.
We get back to DS9 at 0700. Julian volunteered to help me get in the wheelchair but I said I would do it myself. I levitated ever so slightly and then moved over to the hover chair. Facing all those people when I walk out, I just don't want them to pity me. That's the last thing I ever want.
Julian helps me out to the promenade, I'm one of last ones off since the infirmary was near the back of the ship.
"Ready?" He asks.
"Ready." I say.
Everyone one asks what happened and I don't say a word.
"Want to go to your quarters?"
"No. I'll go to ops, it can't get any worst with questions than now."