by Zanh Liis and Zander Blakeslee
80708.21
Awhile after A Fate Worse Than Death
-=Deuterium Storage, USS Alchemy=-
80708.21
Awhile after A Fate Worse Than Death
-=Deuterium Storage, USS Alchemy=-
She was tired.
She was dirty.
She was so angry and so sad at the same time that she couldn't pick a clear winner in the battle for supremacy between the two negative emotions.
She turned up the volume on the music buds in her ears- and just kept scrubbing one intake manifold sensor after another.
As she cleaned, she'd been working her way through the song files in Keiran's musical database. Most she had never heard before, and each one seemed laced with meaning that perhaps no one else in the universe would have understood- but that spoke volumes to her with crystal clarity.
Others she remembered so well, it hurt.
She was humming along with one such song, mostly on key, as Zander Blakeslee stood in the doorway of deuterium storage, observing.
At first he was not sure what to do. The situation was most unusual. Finding the Captain on her knees, toothbrush in hand, applying sufficient elbow grease.
Still she was not supposed to be in here, she was not even on duty, and she did set off the alarms so he did have a job to do. A job she gave to him.
“Captain?” He stepped closer. “Captain?”
He noticed the ear buds and realized she could not hear him.
He reached down and tapped her shoulder. “Captain.”
She didn't even startle as he touched her and somehow, Zander had to wonder if she hadn't realized he'd been standing there all along and been waiting for him to act.
"Security Chief Blakeslee, I presume." She set down the brush, removed her gloves and took the buds out of her ears, tucking them into her pocket.
"Captain."
"Here to do your job, I see?"
He nodded. "Sir, you are supposed to be on medical leave. If McKay knew you were down here doing this, he would not be pleased."
"I know." She put the gloves back on and resumed scrubbing.
Now Zander really didn't know what to do. Finally, he took the direct approach.
He knelt down beside her, and gently put a hand on her left wrist to stop the motion of her hand. “Captain Zanh, I assume you gave me this promotion because you have confidence that I would do my job.” He smiled. “So will you please let me do it? Or do I have to toss you into the brig?”
"Mood I'm in, I'd love to see you try." She was only half joking.
She gave a short, exasperated sigh. "Yes, Zander. You have my full confidence. I'm the one who specifically requested you take on the job that..." She was about to say the name of the previous Security Chief, but found she could not manage it. "...he had to leave. He recommended you too, you know. To the Admiral directly, when we were speaking with him."
Zander blinked in astonishment. He never realized that the former security chief thought so highly of him.
"One question for you before I surrender my brush, Blakeslee."
"Sir?"
"If I'm not doing this, what am I supposed to do all the way to Betazed?"
"If the Doctor has his way, the answer to that would be 'rest', Captain."
"And if I'm too...alert...to rest?"
"Well, there is the small holosuite. I know it's only supposed to be for training, but you are the Captain after all. Perhaps you could..." he realized that it was ridiculous to recommend participation in a holo-novel or any other form of empty entertainment to a woman who was trying to fill the void left by being removed from Command- even temporarily. "Huh."
"See what I'm up against?" Zanh sighed again. "So, then answer me this. Is it really so bad that I'm down here? Can't you just, please?" Her eyes were as he had not seen them before, almost pleading with him to just leave her be.
He realized that while she was off duty she was still the Captain, and this was still her ship. If she was happy scrubbing, maybe he should just let her scrub.
"Well, we would never had known you were in here if Commander Blane had not instituted the new security protocols after Avery took off." He rubbed his chin. “So I think that I’ve investigated the alarm and found no threat here. So I think I’ll be on my way.”
"I knew there was a reason I picked you." Liis smiled gently. "Thank you, Zander."
She was ready to begin scrubbing again, but realized she had worn the bristles down to nothing. She analyzed the damage carefully, holding the brush up for inspection. "I'm gonna need another one of these."
Zander looked at the frayed bristles. “Yup you will.” He turned to leave. “I hope to see you on the bridge again real soon, Captain. Oh, and thank you for having confidence in me.”
"Don't thank me, Zander," Zanh followed him out, headed for the nearest replicator. "I wouldn't have it if you hadn't earned it."
She put her hand on his shoulder as they walked. "Just do me one more favor, and show me exactly how to turn off Blane's damned alarm until I'm finished."
-=/\=- Zanh Liis
Temporarily Relieved of Duty
USS Alchemy NX 53099
and
Lt. Commander Zander Blakeslee
Chief of Security/Tactical
USS Alchemy NX 53099
Temporarily Relieved of Duty
USS Alchemy NX 53099
and
Lt. Commander Zander Blakeslee
Chief of Security/Tactical
USS Alchemy NX 53099