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Once they were out of the blasted smoke-filled fuselage, Douglas threw away his smoke hood. The damn things were making it nearly impossible to see. He fumbled with the one covering Martin's head until he revealed the pale face beneath.
The sight of Martin, slack-jawed and inert, made his chest constrict painfully for a moment. Medical reflexes kicked in. Pulse - good, breath - acceptable. Douglas relaxed minutely and spared a look for Arthur, who had removed his smoke hood and so been in a lot more danger of inhaling the smoke. Arthur was being cared for by Mr Sargent, who, despite his surly personality, probably knew what he was doing.
Douglas returned his full attention to Martin, and shook him gently. He had no idea what had happened to him, and what technique was best for the situation.
"Martin! Come back to us, Martin, you're not getting out of an SEP that easily!"
He slapped Martin's cheeks lightly. As much as he sometimes thought that Martin deserved a good kicking, he was loath to inflict any actual violence on him, even presumably therapeutic violence. He spoke to him louder.
"Come on, sleeping beauty, your winged princess awaits!"
Something stirred on Martin's face - his eyelids twitched, some colour flowed back to his cheeks. Douglas watched the timid return of awareness to Martin's face.
"Ah. Ow. D-Douglas? Why are you shouting at me?" Martin mumbled. His voice sounded so unguarded and young, Douglas didn't know quite what to do with the protective feeling that surged, unwanted. He filed it away, as he always did.
"I'm not shouting," he said in a softer voice, "just trying to wake you up."
Martin blinked as he focused. "What? Why? What's going on?"
"Oh, nothing exciting. The smoke-filled fuselage romp was so boring, in fact, that you decided to take a nap in the middle of it. Mr Sargent will have none of that, however, so I'm afraid you must rise and shine."
"Oh. Oh. Oh, God," Martin moaned as he attempted to sit up. He stopped, clinging rather too tightly to Douglas. Douglas winced at the pain in his arms where Martin's bony fingers were poking him.
Martin's eyes looked unfocused for a couple of seconds, before he unclenched his fingers from Douglas' arms. He took a deep breath and resumed the complicated procedure of standing up. Douglas supported him quietly through it.
"Did you get dizzy?"
"Yes, thank you, First Officer Obvious!" Martin snapped. He subsided under Douglas' pointed glare. "Sorry. But wasn't it- obvious?"
"Not very."
Martin sighed.
"Remember my inner ear problem?"
Douglas wasn't quick enough to hide his puzzlement, and Martin's face fell.
"Of course you don't. What did I expect?"
"Ah, I remember you saying something about some ear plugs at the pool. I didn't think... I thought it was one of those things that a certain category of people are just extra-cautious about, but don't really happen in practice."
"You thought I was a hypochondriac making a big fuss out of nothing, didn't you?"
"Well, no, not really... Just that it wasn't likely to happen, something like those worst case scenarios in flight manuals."
Martin sighed and said nothing.
"Ah, yes. I forgot who I was talking to. You're a walking, talking worst case scenario waiting to happen."
Martin rolled his eyes and pursed his lips in a prissy, put-upon expression; Douglas grinned, confident that Martin was back with them.
"Well, let's focus on that 'walking and talking' part for now, Captain, I think Mr Sargent wants to have a few words with us."
"Oh, God, I don't think we're going to like any of them." Martin rubbed his eyes and his temples, then took another look around him. "Arthur! What happened to Arthur?"
Arthur was just sitting up, a dazed grin on his round face. Martin nearly tripped over his own feet in his haste to get to Arthur's side. Douglas caught Martin before he could fall, then walked him slowly over to where Arthur, Carolyn, and Mr Sargent were standing.
"Oh, Skip, are you all right?"
"Are you all right? What did you do?"
"You think it was me?" Arthur asked, honest confusion on his face, then he grinned sheepishly. "Oh. Now that I think about it, it might have been."
"If all the sickly and wounded have been cared for," Mr Sargent's voice boomed, "that's what I'd like us to figure out together, lady and gentlemen. All of you in the bleedin' seminar room, now."
Douglas exchanged a look with Carolyn, who shrugged. The corners of her mouth were pointing determinedly south, so Douglas took note - this was serious. Probably. Maybe.