[b]Introducing the Medical Staff, both professionals and "amateurs" (who will be trained):[/b]

[color=red]Cooper Mason[/color] -- Trauma Surgeon, MD.
[color=red]Paula Riggs[/color] -- CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist)
[color=red]Peter Wilson[/color] -- Medic, SEALS (retired)
[color=red]Helen Hartford[/color] -- Hospice Caregiver, volunteer
[color=red]Julia Rivers[/color] -- Homeopathic storekeeper 
[color=red]Addler Hoffman[/color] -- Civilian with warzone experience; German citizen with poor English skills
[color=red]Rosalee Davis[/color] -- Civilian; concerned parent (her child, Marjorie, is present at crash and unharmed)

[color=yellow]NOTE[/color] -- The deaths spoken of below are included in the 70 deaths already claimed; the current number of living still stands at 149 (after Harold's death to the Saber-toothed cat.)


Day 3: 16 November 2021 (still, though later in the day)

"Can we talk...?"

[color=red]Harry Timms, Connie Flanagan,[/color] and [color=red]Shari Sampson[/color] were standing together near the fuselage of the crashed plane discussing various topics of importance when the group's only Medical Doctor, [color=red]Cooper Mason[/color], asked to speak with them.  He was accompanied by three others -- [color=red]Paula Riggs[/color], [color=red]Peter Wilson[/color], and [color=red]Helen Hartford[/color].  When the first three survivors turned to the other four, the trauma surgeon added softly, "In a more private setting...?"

The group moved away from what was being called the camp by most of the survivors, and Harry asked Cooper, "What can we do for you, Doctor?"

"You can tell me that you are in authority," Cooper said firmly.  

Harry considered the request a moment, then responded, "Well, I am the most senior crew member, and I have been leading to the best of my--"

"I need you to tell me that you are in a position to make life and death decisions," Cooper interrupted.  When Harry didn't immediately respond, the doctor spoke of the dead and injured, then -- in a soft, sorrowful tone -- finished, "We have at least six seriously injured patients for whom I can ... [i]we[/i] can do nothing."

On the word [i]we[/i], the Doctor had turned to look at the others with him.  At one time or another since the crash, each of them had had the opportunity to meet and speak with Harry, Connie, Shari, and many of the other survivors, so no introductions were required.  [color=red]Helen Hartford[/color], who had ten years as a volunteer Hospice Caregiver, took a step forward, reminded the other three of her area of work, and told them, "These people need peace."

"And you all think I'm the one to make a decision on this," Harry said, looking between the four, as well as glancing to Connie and Shari.  When no one else spoke, Harry drew a deep breath, held it, exhaled slowly, and asked Helen, "What [i]specifically[/i] are you asking of me?"

The doctor answered, "Someone has to make a decision as to whether we relieve the suffering of these patients, those with no to little hope, those who are hanging on but who will most certainly pass."

[color=red]Paula Riggs[/color], the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, spoke up for the first time: "We have very little in the way of pain killers, but..."

She looked to the Homeopathic storekeeper.  [color=red]Julia Rivers[/color] spoke up, "If you will send someone with me ... someone with a [i]gun[/i] -- so I don't get eaten by a saber tooth tiger -- I can find what we need in the forest ... maybe around us, in the fields and wetlands."

"What do you need?" Shari asked the woman who had deep knowledge of the medicinal wealth in the plants that could be found all about them in nature.  "I know a little bit about homeopathy myself."

Julia easily rattled off the names of a dozen plants that she said she knew could be found in abundance here in the valley or in the forests surrounding them.  "I've already seen many of those.  They include pain relievers, anti-inflammatories--"

Harry cut in, "We're talking about people who are dying ... people who, I believe you are telling me, people who you want to give some crushed up plant or drink made of berries that will kill them, yes?"

There were a variety of responses, both verbal and gesture; Harry continued, "Is this painless...? peaceful?  I understand what you are telling me you want to do--"

"No one [i]wants[/i] to do this," the doctor cut in with a firm tone.

The Hospice Caregiver spoke up again, "No one wants to do this, but it needs to be done, Harry.  These people are in pain, and they aren't going to survive.  This [i]needs[/i] to be done, and we need to decide who makes these decisions."

There was a moment of silence, after which Shari Sampson spoke up again: "The Doctor."  All attention turned to her, and she clarified, "Harry has stepped up to help lead the group, yes.  But these kinds of decisions should belong to the Doctor."

"I gave an oath, to [i]protect[/i] life, not [i]end[/i] it," Cooper said.

Helen stepped closer to the Doctor and took his arm in a comforting squeeze.  She didn't initially speak but eventually told him softly, "We'll be there with you."

Harry and Cooper met eyes for a moment before the former stepped closer to the latter and offered his hand.  "I trust you to make the right decision."

Cooper took the other man's hand, and after a moment of silence said only, "Thank you."

The doctor looked to each of the three who had stepped up in one way or another to help lead the group, then to his own [i]staff[/i]: "Come with me, and ... and we'll figure out the next step."

The four caregivers returned to the fuselage, which had become a makeshift medical center, and -- joining the other three involved in the survivors' medical care -- came to a hard decision: [color=red]Dr. Cooper Mason[/color] would make a determination as to a patients survivability; anesthetist [color=red]Paula Riggs[/color] and knowledgeable homeopath [color=red]Julia Rivers[/color] would locate and, as necessary, process natural compounds to relieve the pain and/or end a life; and Navy SEAL medic [color=red]Peter Wilson[/color], Hospice caregiver [color=red]Helen Hartford[/color], [color=red]Addler Hoffman[/color] -- who had civilian warzone experience -- and
[color=red]Rosalee Davis[/color] -- who was simply a concerned and sympathetic mother -- would be there for the patients in their final days.