Triallaire

A Harsh Reminder

April 2158

Scottish Military Headquarters, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

CATRÌONA POV

"We have a new tool te use at our disposal," I explained to the massive group of recently graduated field medics at the headquarters in Stornoway, and I held up a small tube with a bright orange cap, about five inches in length. "Ye ken we've had nanomeds fer some time, thanks te the Americans sendin' us our supply, but in recent years, they've been workin' on a larger dose te be used in more serious, life-threatenin' situations. This here is fifteen CC's of nanomeds, enough fer the whole body." There where a couple of fascinated 'oohs' from the medics. "As ye ken, the previous dose was only one CC in a tiny capsule, meant only fer small, localised injuries. With this dose, much larger injuries can be treated. However, ye must use it sparingly, as the effects on the body are quite horrible. Make a judgement call - can the person survive their body's reaction te this larger dose of nanomeds? Or do they lack the strength and need te be treated by human hands instead of these wee beasties? Each of ye will carry ten of them on ye, and one hundred single CC doses of nanomeds in the capsules in yer medipacks."

Once my presentation was finished, I made my way to the buffet table, putting together a plate of vegetables when I was suddenly joined by a man around my age who was putting vegetables on his own plate. "Ye've done verra well, Captain Fowlis, and ye've come verra far," he said to me, and then he held out a hand. "James MacCready, ma'am. We fought together at Berwick."

"Aye, did we? I... sorry, I dinnae remember. Berwick is sort of a blur fer me," I said to him with a soft smile.

"Aye, we did, although ye had red hair back then," said MacCready, taking note of my now dark brown hair.

"Oh, aye, well. Red hair is verra noticeable on the battlefield, so I've been dyin' it brown," I told him, pulling on a tendril of dark brown hair - it made me think back to the portrait of my great aunt, Sorcha Fowlis, who looked identical to me in the face, save for her brown hair and my red.

"It suits ye fine," said MacCready with a kindly smile, and then he was gone. On my other side suddenly elbowing me was Maidie, her jaw having dropped open as she watched MacCready walk away from the table.

"That's James MacCready? I thought he was a soldier, not a medic!" Maidie exclaimed.

"Well, he must have changed paths. Where the hell did you come from?" I asked her, watching MacCready take a seat with a group of other men around his age.

"I think he likes you," said Maidie, and I scoffed.

"I dinnae think so," I told her, glancing first at her, then at MacCready, who met my gaze and waved at me, before turning back to Maidie. "Dinnae say anythin'."

"Ooh, he likes you, and I think you like him, too," said Maidie in a teasing tone, following me as I left the table.

"Cannae ye be annoyin' elsewhere?" I asked her, and she laughed.

"I'm just happy to see you showing interest in someone," Maidie told me. "Ever since you and Tom split and you had to send Maevis away, you've just... been so alone. I feel bad for you."

"Well, dinnae. I'm perfectly fine," I told her a bit sharply, and she widened her eyes a bit taken aback.

"Well, who pissed in your spaghetti?" she asked me. "There's nothing wrong with exploring options."

"Have you ? Since Don died?" I demanded from her.

"I've seen a couple of men since, but only in the last year," Maidie replied, and then she let out a sigh. "Life's too short to spend it alone and miserable, Cat. Why don't you just... give into it? Give him a chance. You might find you actually like him."