The Fallout Begins Part 2
Posted on Sunday 10 March 2019 @ 12:39 by Lieutenant Michael Ki MD
Mission:
The New Collective
Location: O'Hara's quarters
Timeline: Continuation
1284 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure
Previously on The Fallout begins Part 1...
Stephanie had managed to make it back over to the bed and she laid down on her stomach with her arms under her pillow. "Have ya met me, Councilor? If ya were me, would ya wanna face me? The news ain't all bad fer ya though. I've just made yer job a hundred percent easier. I'm na worth fightin' fer. Now if ye'll excuse me, I'd really like some quiet time. M' head is killin' me. "
And now the continuation …..
ON:
"Yes I have met you and your not pleasant. I'll be honest there. But your not the worst human being in the universe either. Im sure you have your moments and I live in hope of seeing them. And in case you haven't noticed I am facing you and I'm actually trying to help you.
And how have you made my job easier. You just pushed me into my last avenue. Which is relieve you of duty due to being mentally unsound and put you on suicide watch until I can organise getting you into a proper faciliity.
Is that really what you want?" Caroline asked seriously.
"I've already been relieved o' duty... Unless someone moved Main Engineerin' t' Deck Nine an' didn' tell me." She stood up and locked eyes with Caroline. She delivered the line with trademarked O'Hara sass. "Ya an' I are never gonna see eye t' eye... But I know somethin' about ya. Ya care about people. Even in spite o' what a self-righteous wagon I was t' ya, ya even care about me." She stopped, and the sass evaporated. The corners of her mouth sagged and her brow drooped. "People who care about me get hurt. People who care about me die."
Stephanie flung herself back on her bed and buried her face in the pillow. She was crying, but trying not to let either Caroline or Liz see her do it. Even if they couldn't see the tears, the shaking shoulders gave it away.
Liz appeared at Caroline's elbow. "I cleaned up the best I could." She said before dropping her eyes to Stephanie. "I'll be damned. She does have emotions." She sighed. "Poor kid. She's an asshole, and a holy terror to work for... But in spite of everything, she has a good heart. That's why this hurt her more than either of us will ever know. This shouldn't happen to anyone. I don't envy you. Your mess will be a lot bigger than mine was."
“Its not my mess,” Caroline said simply. “Its O’Haras mess.”
She onserved the other woman. “I think staff have the wrong perception of what counselling is and how it works. I can help, support and provide the tools but ultimately O’Hara has to do the work and put the effort in. She will have to clean her own mess up. Shes going to need support though. Not just from me so lets hope thoses shes been in you admittance an arsehole to are willing to be there and shes not pissed of far to many folk to spite her recovery.”
Clearly this woman cared enough about the CEo to be here at the same time as her. “Thank you for doing this. It looks less like someone opened up the ark of the covenant in here. Right now, she needs to get all that out of her system. A good cry will do wonders. I need Dr Ki to come hive her a proper check over, make sure shes not lasting physical damage and then the captains hoing to have to be brought in,” Caroline observed.
"Seems to me it's how she wants it, " Liz commented. "She goes an extra mile to keep everyone at arm's length... Like she knows everything here is temporary for her so she doesn't want to get too involved. But I suppose a psychoanalysis like that is the reason I'm an engineer, not a therapist."
"Thats not the reason your an engineer," Caroline observed. "You are an engineer as you understand mechanics and engineering prinicples and made a decision somewhere in your life to do this as a career. You see thats a "kicker" most people don't want to acknowledge or take responsibility for. You have free will and make your own destiny. Great for the good stuff ehh, but not so good for the bad.
However some interesting insights there and I'll expand it - she doesn't just want it that way, she's hell bent on using her free will to manipulate her life and events in to make the situation the way it is. The big question is why.
“What was your name sorry. And what capacity do you know the CEO. I will meed to speak to you again, Without O’Hara present,”
The engineer nodded. "Master Chief Petty Officer Elizabeth Hale. I'm the ranking NCO in Engineering. Anyone down there usually knows where to find me. Speaking of which, I should probably be getting back before the ship falls apart. Do you have a handle on... " she gestured to Stephanie. "...this?"
Caroline looked at her bemused. "Do you think shes the first crewman with issues thats gone on a bender I have had to step in and rescue? If I didn't think I had a handle on this I wouldn't still be in this room taking abuse off her."
"When I get back, I'll run a purge and refresh of the room's air filters so the place smells a little less like a corpse in a whiskey barrel." She looked back at O'Hara, then back to Caroline. "Good luck," She nodded. She didn't say anything to O'Hara. She knew that wasn't a scenario where doing so would end well. She headed to the Turbolift.
"Good luck," Caroline laughed. Oh if only people realised you also created your own luck in this life she mused.
Calling after her, "As a engineer can you also disable that ridiculous doorbell message? I don't think the Captain is going to appreciate that when he gets down here."
Hale grinned slightly. "Yes, sir. I'll go get my tools. Back in a tick." She said and walked out.
Michael arrived, med kit in hand as quickly as he could possibly get there. "Right so what is going on this time?" He smirked as he looked around and took it all in. He knew that suicide was no laughing matter or even something to get smarmy about. However, he could not help himself and a small amount of gloating. Michael was always there to help when someone was sick, injured or anything. However, he did not abide people who brought it on themselves. He would help but a small amount of respect waned away for the engineer.
Stephanie rolled over on her bed to see the Doctor enter. She didn't get up, but said in a not-too-friendly tone. "F'r someone who's na acceptin' visitors, I've a surprisin' number o' people in m' quarters." She rolled back over, having said her peace. She knew they weren't going to leave and trying to throw them out would cause way more issues than it would solve.
TBC
LTjg Stphanie O'Hara
Chief Engineer
USS Merlin
Commander Caroline Miller
Chief Counselor, USS Merlin
Lt Michael Ki
Chief Medical Officer
USS Merlin
MCPO Elizabeth Hale
Ranking Engineering NCO
USS Merlin
