The Cat Without the Cream
Posted on Wed Sep 22nd, 2010 @ 3:14pm by Captain Elsie Halliwell & Lieutenant Jimmy Cooper & Lieutenant JG Nykala Marstin
1,250 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Structured Shoreleave - Marchwiel
Location: Deck 5, Sickbay
Timeline: Back-post, before the crash
ON:
As T'kaarch woke up, he realised he wasn't in his shuttle anymore. Last thing he remembered he configured his new system to emit 2 borg ships, using advanced holographics. He had been quite amused to notice the ranger respond in force, but it went blank after seeing a torpedo volley.
He tried to sit up, but then noticed his head hurt, and sitting up made him dizzy, so he decided to keep still for now.
The medical tricorder in Nykala's hand gave indication that Lieutenant T'kaarch was not in any serious danger. He had some burn and cuts, some that looked like they may need a dermal regenerator. Lieutenant T'kaarch started to stir and tried to sit up. Nykala placed a restraining hand in the middle of his chest. "Just lay down and relax Lieutenant. You've got some burns and lacerations and you aren't going any where until I say so."
"Oohhrrr... what happened?" A standard question for someone in a bio-bed, and one, he knew, the doctor probably wouldn't be able to answer.
Nykala grabbed the hypospray off the tray next to the bio bed and loaded it with a small dose of Rexlin. She quickly pressed it to the side of Lieutenant T'kaarch's neck. "This will help with some of the pain Lieutenant. Some of these injuries are gonna take a bit of work.
"Thanks..." He tried to at least move his head, but his neck muscles were quite soar, the burns also began to sting so he just decided to stay down and trust in the capable doctor's hands.
But as the silence descended upon both of them, the sickbay doors smoothly slid open as Elsie marched through them, a furious temper lining her brow.
“What the Hell were you thinking?� she called out, crossing the main bay and striding with a fury to his bed. Seeing him conscious, uncharacteristically, seemed to incense the captain further. She trembled inwardly with a rage that did not seem to quash during the short walk to the medical bay. In fact, it seemed to compound as her pace quickened like her heart.
"Must be a tornado..." The drugs were kicking in, and though it was merely a mild sedative, it had its effect on T'kaarch. "Oh, hi, Captain! It worrrks!"
Her eyes widened as she neared him, his lack of lucidity infuriating her. “What in God’s name were you doing out there? Without permission, without adhering to protocol and without so much as a thought to the rest of the crew?� She now, at this point in her tirade, had closed in on his bio-bed and, purposefully ignoring him, turned her attention to Marstin.
“Will he live?� she asked coldly.
Nykala nodded as she grabbed the dermal regenerator and began to work on the worst of the burns. "Yes he will live. The Lieutenant here will have sensitive skin in and be sore for a few days but none of his injuries are serious or permanent."
Elsie then glared at the prone cat as he still lay out-stretched on the bed. Her eyes narrowed at him, all sense of affection and calm now rung from her voice. “You will be held every bit accountable for every infraction that you have committed, Lieutenant.� Speaking now more to herself, she continued. “I should strip you of that promotion and rank for starters.� Now looking at him, she asked flatly, “What have you got to say for yourself?�
"It worrrks, captain!" The whole thing got a bit past T'kaarch. "The holo equipment I got permission from Rrr&D to develop? It worrrks! You werrre fooled, werrren't you? We could use it to scarrre ourrr enemies not to attack us!" As he got more used to the drugs, the pain had subsided, and he finally realised the fury in the captain's eyes, as well as what she just said. "Uhm, I got perrrmission to use that shuttle from Rrr&D, and I don't think scarrring yourrr captain is an infrrringement."
Nykala set the dermal regenerator down and picked up the hypospray again. "The worst of the burns and lacerations have been healed, but I'm going to give you an injection of Kelotane that will help your cells repair at a faster rate. I'm also going to give you a spray that will help with the pain and sensitivity of your skin for the next day or so."
"Thank you." Unfortunately, dermal regenerators weren't developed for the kind of fur T'kaarch had, and while it tried it's best to put him back in the state he was, his fur looked... bleached, for lack of a better word, where the regenerator had been used.
At T’kaarch’s seeming lack of respect, Elsie leant in close and through gritted teeth said, “I am not inciting your scaring me as an infringement, Lieutenant. What I am going to be raking you over the coals for is taking the shuttle from our shuttlebay without authorization, leaving the Ranger without adhering to the necessary procedure, and for going alone.�
It was fair to say that Elsie had never been so exasperated in her entire career before, even when butting heads with Rose. She now leant back a little and took in a deep breath, now realising that she had, for one of the first times of her command career, lost control of her emotions in front of a subordinate officer. She turned to Marstin and said quietly, “Leave us, please, Doctor.�
Nykala placed the hypospray on the tray and nodded once at the Captain. Lieutenant T'kaarch was not in any immediate danger, from his wounds anyway. "I'll be in my office if either one of you need me."
Though she had sympathy for the pain that Lieutenant T'kaarch was in she did not envy his current situation with the captain. As Nykala entered her office she made a mental note that if she ever had a clash with the captain she better be ready to catch hell.
After she had left, T’kaarch added "I am sorrrry, it was a joke, as well as a test..." T'kaarch now full well realised he was in trouble.
“Some things,� she replied quietly, her voice now softer but still laced with an authoritative edge, “are never meant to be joked about.� She turned from his bio-bed and faced away from him, anger still coursing through her but contained. “You’re a junior officer aboard this ship, Lieutenant. That onyx pip that, for now, is fixed next to your golden one on your collar should be a reminder of that. And, as such, crewmen and ensigns look up to you for leadership… for guidance.� She now turned back to face him. “Once you have been dismissed from sickbay, you’re to report to me in my ready room to receive punishment. Am I clear?�
T'kaarch briefly looked at the pip he only just got, then bowed his head. "I underrrstand, Captain."
She nodded to him defiantly, shaking her head disappointedly as she turned fluidly on her heel, and left sickbay, a careworn line now framing her face.
OFF:
Elsie Halliwell
Commanding Officer
USS Ranger
T’kaarch
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Ranger
Nykala Marstin
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ranger
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