08-14-2024, 02:30 AM
What is going on here?
Tyra was the last person Robin expected to walk through the door. The distraction of Mara's behavior had seemed to be calming before it lit off again.
“Can someone please start explainin’ what’s goin’ on here? And no more of this 4D chess bullshit.” Her tone of voice was pure poison. “I saw the look on your face when Tyra came back in here. You were just as surprised as we were. What are you? Some kinda plant, just playin’ at bein’ a CO so some arsehole with square pips can get his rocks off?”
What? Seriously?
The CMO could only stare as her friend came closer and closer to wrecking her career. This was beyond unacceptable, and if one of her own people had talked to her like that they would have been scrubbing bedpans for the next month... if they were lucky. Givens had already made clear that the crew was skating on thin ice. The Security Chief was now accusing her of being a plant?
That doesn't even make sense. I don't know what's happening, but accusing someone of that.. accusing a Captain of that is beyond the pale.
For her part Captain Crawford was confused, and tried to stop Mara... but it was too late. Givens had had enough.
"I have been in your presence for less than thirty minutes and I have personally witnessed two tantrums that I wouldn't even find acceptable from a midshipman, much less a Lieutenant and much less my Chief. I can appreciate loyalty and I can appreciate this situation is difficult but I can't appreciate how someone with the emotional control of a tantruming three year old is wearing that jacket on this ship. If you can’t handle yourself in this controlled environment, you will be the knucklehead that brings this house of cards down at the first sign of adversity and there is nothing she," she waved at Tyra, "will be able to do for you. Is that what you want?"
The words at least seemed to have an effect. Robin's enhanced hearing easily picked up Mara's next words, though... and she could only hope Givens hadn't heard, because they didn't show the slightest remorse.
In the meantime Robin had her own (thankfully lesser) problem. She felt the full weight of a long, long day. "Beka," she said, not loud but enough so her friend could hear, her voice cold with a hint of exasperation. "This is a briefing. Coffee is one thing, but you look like you're enjoying some free entertainment. Throw the popcorn away."
I'm not going to have my department dig the hole further. What the hell is wrong with everyone? She put her head in her hand for a moment and centered herself. I just want to hear what the mission is, and then I want to go to bed. The command issues can sort themselves out later.
She took out her PADD and began to type, her fingers flying over the virtual keys with all the speed her enhancements granted her.
[From: Lieutenant Commander Mayfair. To: Lieutenant Mara Calleja. Under my authority as Chief Medical Officer I am ordering you to immediately make an appointment with the Chief Counselor and attend therapy sessions as he deems fit until he determines that you are able to control your outbursts.]
She signed it with her finger but didn't hit "send," instead saving the draft copy as a file where it could be pulled up if needed. How the next few minutes played out would determine whether the purple-haired CMO would send the order to the Security Chief. She hated doing so, but Mara's clear inability to control her anger was proving to be a real problem. And she had no doubt that such a blunt instrument would pour fuel on a raging fire, pissing the Security Chief off further. But this was going into insubordination, not just irritation at a new Captain... and the root of it was her struggle to control her own emotions.
The insubordination was a matter for the First Officer and Captain, but the lack of emotional control was under her umbrella as Chief Medical Officer. Only a minute before Mara had looked like she was going to deck the First Officer and possibly a small woman she outweighed by nearly a hundred pounds. She'd mouthed off to a senior officer in the middle of a briefing. Loyalty was something Robin understood (especially to Tyra Crawford), but this wasn't about loyalty. Could Mara even follow orders if she was angered? Would she flat-out refuse to comply with an order she disagreed with from Coleman? Or if Givens stayed on, from her? Robin wasn't even sure therapy would make a bit of difference. Mara had been through a hell of a lot, seen things (and done things) that the nurse couldn't imagine. She was sympathetic... but that didn't change the fact that the outbursts had to stop.
She put the PADD away and say, hoping against hope that things would calm down and they could find out what was going on.
I have been working since 0500. Enough. Everybody calm the hell down before I sedate the lot of you and ask for a transfer to somewhere calmer... like the Klingon border.
== Tags ==
Tyra was the last person Robin expected to walk through the door. The distraction of Mara's behavior had seemed to be calming before it lit off again.
“Can someone please start explainin’ what’s goin’ on here? And no more of this 4D chess bullshit.” Her tone of voice was pure poison. “I saw the look on your face when Tyra came back in here. You were just as surprised as we were. What are you? Some kinda plant, just playin’ at bein’ a CO so some arsehole with square pips can get his rocks off?”
What? Seriously?
The CMO could only stare as her friend came closer and closer to wrecking her career. This was beyond unacceptable, and if one of her own people had talked to her like that they would have been scrubbing bedpans for the next month... if they were lucky. Givens had already made clear that the crew was skating on thin ice. The Security Chief was now accusing her of being a plant?
That doesn't even make sense. I don't know what's happening, but accusing someone of that.. accusing a Captain of that is beyond the pale.
For her part Captain Crawford was confused, and tried to stop Mara... but it was too late. Givens had had enough.
"I have been in your presence for less than thirty minutes and I have personally witnessed two tantrums that I wouldn't even find acceptable from a midshipman, much less a Lieutenant and much less my Chief. I can appreciate loyalty and I can appreciate this situation is difficult but I can't appreciate how someone with the emotional control of a tantruming three year old is wearing that jacket on this ship. If you can’t handle yourself in this controlled environment, you will be the knucklehead that brings this house of cards down at the first sign of adversity and there is nothing she," she waved at Tyra, "will be able to do for you. Is that what you want?"
The words at least seemed to have an effect. Robin's enhanced hearing easily picked up Mara's next words, though... and she could only hope Givens hadn't heard, because they didn't show the slightest remorse.
In the meantime Robin had her own (thankfully lesser) problem. She felt the full weight of a long, long day. "Beka," she said, not loud but enough so her friend could hear, her voice cold with a hint of exasperation. "This is a briefing. Coffee is one thing, but you look like you're enjoying some free entertainment. Throw the popcorn away."
I'm not going to have my department dig the hole further. What the hell is wrong with everyone? She put her head in her hand for a moment and centered herself. I just want to hear what the mission is, and then I want to go to bed. The command issues can sort themselves out later.
She took out her PADD and began to type, her fingers flying over the virtual keys with all the speed her enhancements granted her.
[From: Lieutenant Commander Mayfair. To: Lieutenant Mara Calleja. Under my authority as Chief Medical Officer I am ordering you to immediately make an appointment with the Chief Counselor and attend therapy sessions as he deems fit until he determines that you are able to control your outbursts.]
She signed it with her finger but didn't hit "send," instead saving the draft copy as a file where it could be pulled up if needed. How the next few minutes played out would determine whether the purple-haired CMO would send the order to the Security Chief. She hated doing so, but Mara's clear inability to control her anger was proving to be a real problem. And she had no doubt that such a blunt instrument would pour fuel on a raging fire, pissing the Security Chief off further. But this was going into insubordination, not just irritation at a new Captain... and the root of it was her struggle to control her own emotions.
The insubordination was a matter for the First Officer and Captain, but the lack of emotional control was under her umbrella as Chief Medical Officer. Only a minute before Mara had looked like she was going to deck the First Officer and possibly a small woman she outweighed by nearly a hundred pounds. She'd mouthed off to a senior officer in the middle of a briefing. Loyalty was something Robin understood (especially to Tyra Crawford), but this wasn't about loyalty. Could Mara even follow orders if she was angered? Would she flat-out refuse to comply with an order she disagreed with from Coleman? Or if Givens stayed on, from her? Robin wasn't even sure therapy would make a bit of difference. Mara had been through a hell of a lot, seen things (and done things) that the nurse couldn't imagine. She was sympathetic... but that didn't change the fact that the outbursts had to stop.
She put the PADD away and say, hoping against hope that things would calm down and they could find out what was going on.
I have been working since 0500. Enough. Everybody calm the hell down before I sedate the lot of you and ask for a transfer to somewhere calmer... like the Klingon border.
== Tags ==