*** CMOs Office * USS Chimera-C ***
"Well I think that about wraps it up..." Rangi said, leaning
back in her chair and smiling a weak smile across her desk
to Scott.
He nodded agreement and flashed his usual smile back to her.
" What happened to the planned early night?" he asked,
glancing at the wall clock as he spoke.
" I wanted to get this done." Rangi said, turning off the
terminal." I need to stay ahead of it. Commander
Trzetrzelewska said that she or the Captain will carry out
spot checks. When one or the other of them appears in
sickbay, they won't find anything lacking this time."
She tidied some padds into a neat pile and Scott looked at
her doubtfully but said nothing.
He knew that she had taken the Captains speech personally
and in the past few days had made every effort to have
sickbay running at peak efficiency plus some to spare. It
bothered him on two counts.
Firstly, the department had always run smoothly under her
control and the recent stiffening of her attitude could in
some ways, he thought, perhaps do more harm than good.
She had not in any way been to blame for her own illness and
as for Kroitzers secrecy concerning his past, well wasn't
that more a lapse of security?
Secondly, he was concerned that she was over doing things.
She had been seriously ill not so long ago and was now
driving herself hard.
" What say we get something to eat from the mess hall.." he
suggested.
" Oohhh...I don't know. I might just replicate something
later." she replied but he was ready for her answer.
"Why bother..." he said, getting to his feet. " ...the mess
hall is closer...I'm hungry..so are you...let's go there."
She looked up to his face and laughed. " Alright." she said
"..why not indeed."
He smiled in satisfaction for now he could at least make
sure she ate something nourishing and followed her to the
door falling into step beside her as they walked towards the
main reception area.
The duty nurse sat primly on her stool when she saw them
enter. Scott raised a hand and bid her goodnight and she
promptly replied to his greeting.
" Goodnight Lieutenant" she said, returning the quick smile
he gave but her own died as she added
" Commander." when Rangi looked in her direction too.
" Goodnight." Rangi answered without giving the woman much
thought as they crossed to main doors.
Once outside in the corridor it was only a short distance to
the turbo lift and so to the mess hall.
Scott asked Rangi to find a suitable table whilst he ordered
their meal of chicken with assorted vegetables and a drink
to accompany it, nothing extraordinary but appetising and
good.
With the order given, he turned away holding the drinks and
saw that Rangi had chosen a table near to the view port and
was sitting with her chin cupped in her hands, staring out
at the starstream.
She stirred when he arrived to take his place.
" They will be three minutes." he said, placing a glass in
front of her ." You looked deep in thought." he added as he
took he sat down.
"Mmmm..." she said "...I was just going over a few things."
she told him. " Thankyou." she lifted the glass and took a
sip from it.
He decided to say what he had been thinking.
"Rangi..." he began tentativley "...speaking as a colleague
and a friend....do you think you're over doing it?"
"How do you mean?" she asked, expecting him to say that she
needed her early night.
" The change in you." he said "...It's very noticable how
different things have been over the last few days...the
whole atmosphere to sickbay isnt the same."
"Well, that could be a good thing couldnt it?" she countered
but a waiter approached with their meal so Scott didnt
answer until the food was before them and the waiter had
gone.
" Not necessarily." Scott said, resuming the conversation. "
I think it could be damaging to morale."
"Why do you say that?" she asked, her fork poised against
her plate and surprise in her voice.
Scott studied the chicken then lifted his eyes to meet her
gaze.
" One thing that always struck me was the feeling of
camaraderie. Everyone got along with everyone else..the work
was done in a good atmosphere...but just lately...since the
meeting...there's not so much .." he shook his head and
smiled to himself. "... I was going to say 'fun'" he added
"..but you know what I mean?"
Rangi pushed at a green bean then laid her fork down.
" I suppose you're right." she admitted to her meal. " To be
honest, it feels different to me too."
She looked up at Scott.
" I dont like being such a stickler for rules but noone has
ever had cause to critisise my department before.I didnt
like it...and it won't happen again."
" I know that." he said quietly "..but I dont agree that the
blame lies with you. Security checks should have found out
about Kroitzers history. The fact that he kept things secret
.."
"Was down to me." Rangi finished the sentence with her own
words." No Scott..the captain was right...and perhaps
bringing the feel of camararderie as you say....well perhaps
that wasnt the right approach."
" On the contrary, it was." Scott said and stabbed a potato
as though to emphasise the fact.He chewed it, watching her
as he did so.
" You see..." he said, swallowed his mouthfull and continued
"...now people dont know where they are. friendships...the
odd joke now and then..that was good. Its what we lost when
you left Chimera before."
"Oh come on!" Rangi said in a tone of disbelief. " You're
saying noone is friends anymore? Ofcourse they are."
" Yes they are." Scott agreed " But the feeling of..I dont
know how to explain it...now everyone is being careful of
what they say..what they do. Rangi...their work was
exemplary before..you know that...and if the captain or the
XO found a medi-dish out of place...what would that say to
them?..that the department is failing?"
A few moments passed during which Scott ate another morsel.
Rangi sighed.
" Perhaps you're right." she said. " I dont like it
either."
She caught his eye and he grinned to her. " Eat some
chicken." he said pointing at her plate with his fork.
She did as he ordered smiling rather selfconciously.
" We have 720 crew." he said "...and in the last three days
we have completed dna tests of two thirds that number. You
have triple teams on every shift..they're working round the
clock to complete the task in double quick time. I think
it's the captain who's going to be surprised when he
visits...not us!"
Rangi couldnt help but chuckle at his statement but in
seriousness added
" I dont mind you saying it... I want things to run as they
always have done..it's just...." Her words tailed away.
Scott waited until she looked at him. " It's a combination
isnt it? You were ill..you're away from your family and the
captain...with respect...should have chosen his words
better."
They ate for a while without comment, each enjoying the food
and each thinking over what had been said.
"Have you spoken to the commodore lately?" Scott enquired
and saw the immediate change to Rangis expression.
" Yes..last night." she said. " He mentioned that he's
looking forward to us all being together.... that must mean
that Martin is back on the base..although he couldnt say so
ofcourse."
Scott nodded.
" Perhaps it wont be too long before we return there." he
said and with little effort, steered the conversation to
lighter subjects, knowing that she would consider all that
they had said and that there was no need to add anything
else.
*** End Log ***
Commander Rangi Summers
CMO
USS Chimera-C
Med Adv 1st TF
&
Lt Scott Fisher
AMO
USS Chimera-C