Aquila:Rhine River Patrol - A Plan
--A Plan--
They brought her in the early morning on a litter with a junior surgeoan in atendance. The Optio was just awake, and after greeting them at the entrance to the Navarch's Office, he directed the small cavalcade to a cleared stoeroom. The Optio had found a small pallet, and an old military cloak hanging in the storeroom. A good shakingrestored it to usefulness if not to it's original spendor. The long tear along the bottom of the garments from a swrd thrust gone astray, would not effet it's usefulness in this instance. Two wooden blocks for litter supports lay positioned on the floor ro receive the litter, and one of the missing floor bricks had been replaced by a woden substitute temporarily. However, the Optio considered that this would do nicely for now. This woman was something new in this place, and it was obvious that the Commander was not comfortable with the whole situation.
The litter bearers laid the litter on the two heay blocks, very gently at the admonition of the Jr. Surgeon, and then stood back against the wall. The surgeon looked closely at the sleeping woman checking the position of the splinted arm. Her black Eye and split lip both glistened with a coating of some healing salve.
The young man held a scroll in his hand and he placed it on the optio's desk. Turning to the Optio he said crisply," Here are the instructions from Senior Surgeon Flavius Dinus. Be sure they are followd to the letter!!"
The Optio responded quietly but with a wry smile, and no little sarcasm, "the instructions will be followed to the letter my friend, but there is little need to be officious here. You and I are the same rank!"
The Jr. Surgeon flushed and turned away, whie the two litter-bearers grinned at each other. The Optio turned to look at the sleeping woman. she was probably under the influence of drugs so they could set that broken arm, and woud not awaken for some time.
"Surgeon Dinius does not want the woman to be disturbed in her sleep so we will leave the litter here with you." he said in a less abasive tone. "We would appreciate the litter eturned as son as possible as we are short three litters at the hospital."
"Just as soon as she awakens, my friend." the Optio said quietly.
The jr. surgeon saluted and turned toward the entrance, followed by the litter-bearers. The Optio went out behind them shaking his head at the young man's officious and grating manner. He would have to talkwith the other jr. surgeons and ask them to spea to this new man. His manner could cause problems later on. However, at the moment the Optio's cocern was the Commander and the oman in that order. The Optio,Julius Paulinus, was an old hand at working with different commanders, and he was an excellent administrtive assistant. He liked the rank of Optio simply because he had the seniority to do pretty much wht he liked to do, and was junior enugh not to have to make the serious decisions often demanded of Legion and senior naval officers.
Julius went back into the stateroom and laid the old mlitary cloak gently over the sleeping woman.
