"I've Just Been In A Very Bad Mood These Last Few Years"
[Previous post: "The Unpredictable Effects Of Anger On A Shillian", written by the surprising Jessica Solarik]
=/\=
Stardate: 60323.0945
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Eva felt something she hadn't been anticipating sitting there with the
CNS and the CMO. She felt remorse. She felt sorry although she hadn't a
clue why she should be clearly some subject had been brought up that made
either or both the other two women upset.
The Sec/Tac could and would feel sorry all she wanted but she hadn't a
clue how to get out of it.
Thankfully the CMO found a way out of it. Looking at her tricorder as
if it told her that Vulcans' weren't green blooded, she asked, "How does the
other guy look?"
That threw Eva and Susan for a loop. The aSec raised an eyebrow. "How
does *who* look?"
"The guy that was on the receiving end of that kick. I have never seen
a fracture of the first, second *and* third Metatarsal before. Unless it
was on a Martial Arts expert who kicked something large. *Very* large."
Susan looked at Eva, she certainly looked fine, not in any kind of
pain. But a Counselor has some medical training and she knew that kind of
break (or breaks) could and would be painful.
"He's missing some teeth," Eva said blandly.
Lea then gave her a look as if to say "And?"
Susan then was little more than surprised when Eva burst into a grin.
"And he needed some reconstructive surgery. On his ridges. They say
Klingons have hard heads for a reason."
"You kicked a Klingon? Multiple times? And he went down?" When Eva
silently nodded she couldn't help the next set of rapid fire questions,
"What did he do? What did you do? When was this?" Susan started
asking in a rapid fire manner. Lea would have interrupted her but she was
curious as well.
"That would be about... 3 years ago," Eva replied sitting back, clearly
not minding the personal questions. Thinking back on the incident she
could shrug about it now. "He said something that was quite honest, but
meant as an insult. I was dumb enough at the time to take it as such and to not admit he was right."
Susan now wanted to know more but didn't want to bring up what was a
personal matter in Sickbay.
"Any other injuries?" Lea asked, looking around.
"Tons," Eva nodded. Smiling wryly she admitted. "I have a quick
temper. I just limit it now to the holodeck. Well at least when it comes to
hurting myself," she amended thinking of a certain blood splattered tennis ball in her bag. Sighing she admitted, "I know you want to know what the
Klingon said, Counselor."
"Susan," the Cns amended. "How?"
Lea couldn't help but interject with a small smile of her own, "It's a
little obvious."
"And I'm empathic, the stronger emotions the better. And it helps
you're sitting next to me," Eva chuckled. "He insulted me by saying I had no
honor because my husband clearly wasn't...well we're not in a bar so I'll say
that interested in me. I don't think the phrase would have bothered me but
the fact he was trying to bother me it did. And I didn't want to admit to
the truth either."
"So you kicked him?" Lea asked.
"Actually first I punched him, I didn't start kicking until he started
to go down," Eva offered helpfully. "You don't want to kick first unless
they're halfway down, otherwise that opens you for an attack. Better to keep
your limbs close to your body, limits the way you open yourself," she
advised. Seeing Lea looking at her, Eva stuck out her right hand and said, "Here the other fracture is here, although if memory serves it was a much smaller fracture."
Lea grinned as she scanned the offered appendage. The number of
fractures Lea had detected since the start of the medical examination had reached what most CMOs would have considered to be scary. Countless minor
fractures, all of which had healed over time, had been found. Added to that count the many more severe breaks made Eva appear as a walking jigsaw puzzle. Lea sighed, bones were not meant to be broken like this and certainly not this
often. If this was to be any sort of indication about the woman's temper,
giving Eva her space would prove wise for everyone.
In a moment of shared concern, Lea and Susan exchanged a quick glance,
the CMO and Cns thinking about the same thing. Actually, the same person,
one who shared a common trait with their new Assistant Sec/Tac. Whatever
physical strength David had over Eva, the Sec/Tac clearly made up for
in skill and speed. Had the two met at the peak of their tempers, it
would have likely been an historical battle. Luckily, if one could say such
a thing given the circumstances, this had no longer been an issue.
With her scans complete, Lea placed the tricorder back on the medical
tray. With her back to Susan, Lea hoped that her thinking about David and his
decision to leave would not be detected. David leaving because the
'bag guys' had gotten away had been childish. As much as Lea might have
disagreed with the reason, she understood it in some way. The CMO had
hoped that David would have the time to look at what he was leaving behind.
To forget about his temper and hurt feelings for a moment and see that he
was leaving more than he was going after. Selfishly Lea had hoped that
what the two of them had shared, as brief as it had been, that it would have
been enough.
"If you will excuse me, I need to compare these scans with Eva's file,"
Lea said. The CMO had learned a few tricks to hide her emotions from her
friend the Cns. The most effective of these had been to just run and hide, a
habit that Susan had dismissed as being part of Lea's character. The problem
in this particular instance had been Eva, and her Betazoid heritage.
"Did I miss something?" The Assistant Sec/Tac asked of the Cns.
"What do you mean?" Susan replied.
"Lea, she is very sad."
"Sad?"
"Very," Eva confirmed. "I could have sensed it from across the ship.
Was it something I said or did?"
Susan reevaluated her perception of Lea. Obviously she had missed
something, or had chosen not to see it for one reason or another.
Hurriedly, she shook her head, "No, no, I'm sure it's nothing to do
with you."
She looked at the ensign and wondered whether to tell her about David.
Though Susan knew that TANGIERS ORBITAL was on the CMO's mind, she was
certain that the CEO leaving was a far greater cause of sadness.
Eva's eyes narrowed, "tell me."
**Damn.** Susan had to get used to having an empath around!
Checking quickly that Lea was out of earshot, Susan said in a low
voice, "It's our CEO. He had some... personal issues with the Romulan and
Cardassian and he's decided he's leaving because they got away. Lea was
pretty close to him."
Understanding dawned in the ensign's eyes, "So that's why when you
mentioned TANGIERS ORBITAL..."
Once again Susan nodded hurriedly. She was happy to let Eva think that
that was all that was concerning Lea. The other stuff... the other stuff was
personal and it wouldn't be right for Susan to say anything.
Not fooled by the quick nod, Eva frowned slightlly. Susan sighed,
sitting next to the empath had proved to be a mistake.
Eva had the distinct impression that the Cns was not telling all... but
as she was about to ask for more details, Lea appeared again, unable to
hide any longer.
"I'm sorry, Susan. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She said,
having found a solution to the problem of the counselor's stare, "Ens
Doratheva, would you please step behind that screen..."
Though Susan was reluctant to leave Lea, she was relieved that she
wouldn't have to answer any more of Eva's questions.
With a concerned glance at the busy CMO, Susan said with what she hoped
was a warm smile, "I'll be in my office if you need me."
=/\=
and
=-=
Ensign Lea Summers
and
--------------- 2005 post #243
Cady O'Brien {cadyob@gmail.com}
Ensign Doratheva
Assistant Chief of Security
USS ANUBIS
Tiffany Rose {lady_tiffany_rose@mail.com}
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS
Tallulah Habib {thabib@eject.co.za}
Ensign Susan Mei
Head Counselor
USS ANUBIS
---------------
"Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in your own." - Adam Lindsay Gordon
