*** Med. Adv. Office * SB Unity ***
Rangi sighed in annoyance. Her morning was not going well.
She had planned an hour or so for reports but had had three
interruptions within the first forty minutes and a
nonhelpful response to a request she had made. Now someone
sounded the chime again and glaring at the door she said
loudly: " Come in"...sounding less than welcoming in her
tone.
The CO of UNITY was used to become the center of attention
at every office he visited and so Shane entered the room
without any hesitation. Only then he realized that the tone
asking him to come in was quite chilly.
"Did I come at a wrong time?" he asked with a smile on
his lips as he entered the room.
Rangis annoyed expression broke into a wide smile when she
saw her visitor.
" No ofcourse you didn't " she said, getting to her feet and
side stepping the desk. " I'm just having 'one of those
days'"
They exchanged a very short kiss in greeting.
" May I get you a drink from the replicator...green tea or
something?...take a seat." She held out her hand in a
gesture that indicated she meant on one of the two sofas at
the far end of the room but stopped in her tracks on her way
to the replicator, twizzled round and turned to follow him
when he answered.
"Thank you" Shane replied and shook his head
slightly:"Nothing to drink for me"
He took the offered seat and said: "I am doing an around
tour on my Senior staff to see how are they doing. That
leads me inevitably to you … "
"Inevitably..." she replied,an amused smile lifting the
corners of her lips as sat down near him. " Before you begin
Commodore.." she said folding her hands on her lap, "...I
need to remind you about your physical check up. Its over
due...and you're looking rather tired."
Her expression told him she was prepared to dismiss excuses.
"Hmmm …" Shane said. Like any good boyfriend/husband,
he could read his girlfriend/Wife's mood well and he knew
immediately that excuses are of no avail here. "Didn't I
have one last month?" he tried his luck nonetheless.
Her slightly withering expression said:'Is that the best
you can do?' but she answered. " You're out by about twenty
two weeks."
Nodding slowly he said: "I must have been mistaken
then,but I must say that every single CMO that served under
my command came up with a physical at the most busy moment
…inclusive you, my dear Commander" he added with a grin
on his face.
"It comes with the job.." she replied "...but remember what
they always say...'A busy man always can always make time
for more.'..not that I think its strictly true but that's
what they say." she added through a smile.
"Well … I remember that when doing crew evaluation next
time" he said in a threatening manner. "OK, give me two
or three days to finish my around tour and then you can
schedule me for your physical whenever fits you"
"I'll expect you on Friday morning then." she said promptly
then leaning forward to lay a hand on his, added :
"Seriously though...you're looking very tired but there's
something more than that isn't there? Something is
bothering you...can you tell me what it is?"
She half expected him to say that he couldn't or to deny
anything was wrong or perhaps refer to the war situation.
Shane sighed: "There are many things that bother me and
most of them are someway connected to the war. But you're
right" he beamed a weak smiled at his beloved:
"It's our son Martin, I am most concerned about. Its
his safety and the way he's growing up in the middle of a
warzone that makes me doubt if it was right to keep him
here"
Of all the things she could have expected, this would have
been the last.
" But...but Shane..." were the only words she could frame
for the rest failed her.
"But I thought you wanted him here." she said at last. " I
mean..when I was unsure about it and wanted to take him back
to Earth,you gave me lots of reasons not to go. They were
valid reasons.They still are...aren't they?" she added
doubtfully. She was shocked at this sudden revelation and
would have asked more but Shane closed the subject.
He shook his head slightly and said: "But that's
something we should dicsuss in private and not while on
duty. For the time being, I need both UNITY's and Task
Force medical facilities to perform at peak efficiency and
all the medical staff to be ready for a case of biological
attack on the station or in our sector."
He looked at her expectantly so she pushed her jumbled
thoughts away.
"Yes, yes ofcourse." she said marshalling herself. " I'll
arrange some extra practice sessions and find any weak areas
if they exist."
Shane nodded: "Until the situation settles a bit more, I
am expecting a full report from you every day at 9 am"
"Then you'll have it." she replied.
He gave a brief smile and got to his feet as she did too.
Once again they shared a brief kiss before he turned and
walked towards the door, looking back just once before he
went out.
Rangi sank back onto the sofa, hearing again his words
echoing in her mind.
{It's our son Martin... his safety.......in the middle of
a warzone....
that makes me doubt if it was right to keep him here.}
She had always trusted Shanes decisions and they had never
ever been proved wrong.
{So why..} she asked herself {.... I am doubting it now?}
*** End Log ***
Commodore Shane Guzman
CO, SB 234: UNITY
CO, 1st TF, SSF Command
&
Commander Rangi Summers
Med Adv 1st TF
CMO. SB Unity
