"Climbing Trees"
(previous was "Executive Breakfast")
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Stardate: 60323.1705
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Counselor's suite
T'Reni entered the counseling suite as the ANUBIS' counselor stood to greet the Vulcan engineer.
"Lieutenant T'Reni... it sounded like you had something on your mind." Susan said as the nodded to a seat. T'Reni sat and steepled her fingers.
"Far be it from me to be a suspicious type, but I believe that David truly is not himself."
Susan nodded, but said nothing.
"I for one am glad that Captain Rikar reinstated him and he decided to stay... even if for one more mission..."
"T'Reni... let me ask you a question" Susan interjected, "does David being reinstated bother you in any way?"
T'Reni face twisted into a normal Vulcan scowl. "Ensign Mei, if you are asking if I am angry, upset, or maybe even jealous you err in your line of thinking. It is illogical for me to act any other way. David is the chief engineer and I am his assistant..."
"But for a couple of weeks there *you* were the CEO. I'm not trying to insult you, but promotions are things that some people don't like letting go of."
"Again Counselor, you are looking at this with human emotion. But I will say this. I have dedicated more than 40 years of my life to engineering and never have I seen a more proficient engineer than David. I have served on starships, bases, and the old Utopia Planetia shipyards. If anyone deserves to be the CEO it is him."
Susan blinked, "40 years?" and she smiled, "T'Reni... forgive me asking but how old are you?"
"I am 90 years old."
Susan's eyes widened. "I never would have put you past 30."
"Thank you Counselor" T'Reni nodded.
"But I believe that you didn't come here to discuss beauty tips. Getting back to David..." Susan said.
"David has asked the entire engineering department to get to know the GUNDAM class line... her strengths and weaknesses..."
"Well... is that something out of the norm?" Susan asked.
"For David... yes, it is" T'Reni replied assuredly, "because something of interest to him like that he normally does on his own... but it its my experience that tells me otherwise."
Susan's eyes softened, "As to what?"
"His shaking hands. His nervous fidgeting. It is like is mind is elsewhere. His lack of concentration... I can go on and on."
Susan stood and went to her replicator. She offered the Vulcan engineer something to drink, but she declined. After getting herself some tea, she returned to her seat. "Now... another question. Are you sure you're not... seeing more than there is to see?"
T'Reni's eyebrow shot up her forehead. "I see what is there Counselor."
"And I'm not doubting you either" Susan replied, "but how can you be certain that its not... getting back to work jitters? David has been on admin leave for quite sometime."
"This time its different. In the past it might have been for his anger or even his temper but you will agree more has happened since then." T'Reni replied.
"Well... I only know what I've read from your former counselor and my own personal interactions with him" Susan said as she thought back to the look of anger that flashed across David's face when she admitted to him that she informed then Captain Simmons of his reaction during their dinner with T'Preel and Gul Zulot. Susan tapped her chin.
"In your opinion, what more is there?" and she giggled inside as the Vulcan's eyebrow shot up her forehead once again.
"I am a Vulcan, Counselor. I do not have opinions. I merely state the facts."
Susan had to stifle a laugh, "And those facts are?"
T'Reni went into a explanation of how David would look lost or how hard it was for him to answer a question that would take a first year academy engineering student seconds to answer. And at times when he was making repairs how he'd stop because his hands were shaking. He'd curse, rant and rave about how he wished the ANUBIS would reach the MERCURYs last known coordinates and how all of this wouldn't be necessary if it were for Enaii. Susan nodded taking mental notes.
"Counselor, we believe that someone needs to talk to him."
"We?" Susan asked.
"Yes, we. The engineering department. Some have not voiced their... opinions about David's behavior, but just as we have gotten him back we do not want to loose him any sooner than we have to."
Susan nodded and tapped her badge. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Dawson."
=/\= Lieutenant Dawson is in the BLACK HOLE lounge, upper level, officer's mess. =/\=
Susan stood and so did the aCEO. "I'll go have a friendly chat with him. See what I can come up with."
"I thank you for your time Counselor." T'Reni said and exited.
**Oh great** Susan thought **Some things don't just go away by themselves**
Immediately she scolded herself for thinking such a thought, but she had been privately hoping that David would be better now that he'd been reinstated and that they were going after the MERCURY - he had, after all, decided to stay.
Obviously, though, these hopes had been unfounded. Pocketing a PADD containing information on the MERCURY, Susan prepped herself for battle. **And to think, Daddy.** she thought wryly, **You didn't even want me climbing trees!**
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Stardate: 60323.1720
Setting: BLACK HOLE lounge, upper level, officer's mess
The Black Hole was relatively quiet. It was too early for people wanting a light dinner and it was too late for the usual afternoon social gatherings that took place just before the change of shifts. However, it wasn't the wrong time for people sitting in dark corners, brooding.
Susan paused in the entranceway and looked around for a particular one of those brooders. She found him easily enough, sitting at a table off to one side and staring down at a PADD. She took a deep breath and made her move, walking up to him and standing behind him, waiting politely to be acknowledged.
She didn't have to wait long, obviously expecting one of his Engineers, David turned around almost immediately, and then stopped upon opening his mouth to ask what she wanted.
"... Ensign Mei."
he sounded surprised.
Susan smiled in what she thought was an amiable way, "Lt. Dawson." she nodded a greeting, "Congratulations on your re-instatement. You must be pleased."
He frowned and watched as she made her way to the empty chair opposite him, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Susan shrugged, "I'm not accusing you of anything. Just trying to be pleasant."
David looked back down at his work and muttered, "That's a first."
Ignoring his comment, Susan pulled up the chair, "May I?"
"Do what you wish." He was still looking down at his PADD, "I'm not the Captain."
This was going to be difficult. Susan frowned, probably as difficult as she'd thought it would.
"Listen, David..." she began. Before she had a chance to get any further, he looked up sharply, "If you don't mind, *ensign* Mei, I'm kind of busy at the moment."
Noticing the emphasis on her rank and tempted to jump up and excuse herself, Susan hauled the PADD out of her pocket, "Actually" she said, "So am I... or so *was* I. I would still be busy, except I wanted to know something about the MERCURY and I thought you could help me."
David looked slightly amused, "Miss Mei, you're a *counselor*. What could you possible need to know that would require the help of the chief *engineer*?"
Susan felt her face start to get hotter, "Well..." she said, "ship's manifest for one thing. When the ship was commissioned."
He raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "when the ship was *commissioned*?"
Susan nodded hurriedly, "You know, I've found that people who have served on ships for a long time tend to form a kind of bond with them, I was prepping a psychiatric analysis of what patients I could expect when it suddenly occurred to me that some of them may be suffering from... grief from losing their ship. That is, if they have served on it for a long time and it has become like a home to them. So instead of going through the whole manifest to find out who has served on the MERCURY the longest I thought I'd just come and ask you."
David seemed to be holding back a smile in spite of himself, yet his eyes twinkled slightly with humour at the counselor's clumsy attempts at an excuse, "I see." he said seriously, and just as he saw Susan begin to relax he smiled crookedly, "and you just *happened* to know I was in the Black Hole."
Susan looked absolutely lost and her cheeks flared with colour at not having added that particular detail into her strategy. "I guess it's a good thing that I'm not the ship's tactical officer." she admitted, guessing he'd seen through her story long ago.
"You got that right." David said, looking down at his PADD again.
**Oh great. ** thought Susan, **so much for that**
"You have to give me points for persistence." she rested her chin on her hands in a kind of 'I give up' way, "Last time I tried to talk to you, you threatened to kill me. And here I am, trying again."
He looked up at her in disbelief, "I threatened to kill you?"
"Well, your eyes did. You just told me to 'get the hell away from you'. So I did." He started to open his mouth but she quickly continued, "Don't try it again, though. It may become clichéd. And I hate clichés."
The corners of his mouth tugged, "Actually, I was going to point out that that's quite different from me threatening to kill..."
Susan held up a hand to stop him finishing that sentence, "Well, don't try that either because I'm pretty sure I won't like it any more than I like clichés."
She smiled at his silence.
"I thought you *wanted* me to talk" he said, noticing her expression.
"Who, me?" she placed her elbows on the table, put her chin in her hands and stared at him innocently.
David sighed, "Alright. I'll bite. What do you want? We both know that you're not here with some Engineering problem."
"Actually." Susan said seriously, "I am."
His eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You are?"
Susan sighed again and leaned back in the chair, "They're worried about you, David."
"My Engineers?"
She nodded.
"They sent you to check on me." It wasn't a question.
Sensing that he may get angry Susan shrugged, returning to that off-hand manner, "I know, I know, who can you trust these days? Fact is, it's my job to come and ask you if you're okay. You know? If there's something you want to talk about... if you need a shoulder to cry on..."
"What did they say?" David interrupted, quietly fuming.
"They didn't *say* anything" Susan was beginning to doubt the wisdom of her decision to be honest with him, "They just noticed that you seemed distracted - not your usual self. It's not their area to *say* anything. That's my area."
He was frowning deeply and staring at the PADD, but his eyes weren't moving. "They aren't trying to *betray* you, David." Susan said quietly, "They just want to know everything's alright. Well at least... under control."
He glared at her then, "They think I'm losing control?!"
This was not going well.
"I didn't say that. David, try to understand. You're their boss. They look up to you. Admire you. As a result, whether they are your friends or not, they care about you. They're concerned for *your* welfare."
He met her eyes for a second then shifted his gaze away, "Then they should have asked me instead of sending the counselor after me."
Susan frowned, "And you would have probably had them court marshalled for insubordination or some such. Admit it."
"I have half a mind to do that anyway." he muttered, still not meeting her eyes.
Susan leaned across the table, "Well, whatever the reason... I'm here now. And I am a shoulder to cry on if you need it. And a punching bag if you need it more... though I wouldn't advise it."
"Why not?" David asked, half trying to frighten her and half curious what she would say, "Cliché?".
Susan shook her head, "No, but my father would probably hunt you down and make mince meat of you. Or hire someone to do it."
David raised his eyebrows, "Your *father*?" he asked in disbelief.
Susan shrugged, "Hey, he wouldn't even let me climb trees when I was little."
David seemed slightly amused at this, "And you ended up in Starfleet?"
Susan nodded, an ironic look on her face. "Figures."
They stared at eachother for a few minutes, having reached a temporary armistice, then Susan looked down.
"I know it's my job to say all this, but if I'd wanted a professional session I would have called you to my suite. I genuinely feel bad about what happened at TANGIERS ORBITAL. I just want you to know that. And I want you to know that - whatever's eating you - you can *talk* to me. I won't eat you or turn your brain inside out." She looked up and smiled, "After all, I'm just an ensign. I'd have to be at *least* a lieutenant before I could do *that*."
---------------
Tallulah Habib {thabib@eject.co.za}
Ensign Susan Mei
Head Counselor
USS ANUBIS
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"Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in your own." - Adam Lindsay Gordon
and
Julian Knight(d_dawson_1@yahoo.com)
as
Lieutenant David Dawson
Chief Engineer
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
"A Starfleet officer... that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be." 2005 post #274
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
