Handling the Situation [Backpost]

Posted on 14 Jan 2017 @ 6:40pm by Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Commander Terry Walsh & Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler

1,513 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Endgame
Location: Security
Timeline: MD 11 || 1330 Hours

Joey stood behind her desk looking at the two men she'd called in minutes before. In that time, she said nothing, just looked back and forth between the two of them. She used the time to choose her words and attempt to calm herself a bit, but it didn't work. The anger she felt rolled off of her in droves, and the fact she was having to deal with a situation like this at all pissed her off even more.

"What the hell were you two thinking?" Corwin asked, her tone low, steady and frosty. It was meant to send chills down the spine, and if they weren't feeling it yet, they would before this was all over. "Not only did you both allow an unarmed crewmember into the cell of a very dangerous man without bothering to restrain him, but you put Miss Blake's life in jeopardy as well as your own."

"I accept full responsibility, Lieutenant," Ricardo said as he stared straight ahead. "As the senior officer in charge, it was my fault that Lieutenant Blake was injured. Major Jackson was assaulting himself while in the Brig and we called for Medical help. I had Miller flood the cell with Anesthizine but Jackson must have held his breath. When Lieutenant Blake went in, he grabbed her and I promptly phasered him."

Joey looked from Ricardo to Allen. "As far as I'm concerned, you're both equally responsible for what took place in the brig today... senior officer be damned," she snapped. "You're both highly trained Security officers, and yet, you didn't restrain the prisoner before allowing an unarmed woman to enter his cell! Explain to me how something so damn important got overlooked!"

Allen stood stock still, not making eye contact with anyone. He'd gotten in trouble before, but nothing like this. "I was the one who made the choice to keep him awake instead of releasing the gas into the cell. Had I chosen to put him out as soon as he woke up, none of this would have even happened." Not movement. Nothing. The only thing he made sure not to do was lock his legs while standing there. Being in Sickbay due to a fainting spell for that reason would be embarrassing. But maybe being under wouldn't be so bad at this point.

"You're both incredibly lucky I'm not wearing you for shoes right now, though there is absolutely nothing more I'd rather do," she stated as a visible shiver crept up her spine. The fact Jackson nearly escaped again did not sit well with her. In fact, she was positive he'd attempt to kill her again for what she'd done. "Jackson is a very crafty son of a bitch, not to mention extremely dangerous. He isn't the kind of prisoner that should be used for your personal amusement. If he'd managed to actually escape, who knows what he would have done."

"Yes, Lieutenant," Ricardo said, staring at the same spot he was before. He watched his career slowly spin around and around and realized that the spinning was it going down the drain. He felt the waves of fear coming off of Allen and felt sorry for him, but vowed inwardly that he would accept all the blame for Jackson.

He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that he tried to ignore. "Yes, Ma'am," said Allen. He hadn't seen this side of Lieutenant Corwin before and he hoped that he never would again. Then he wondered about the nurse who had been in there. She left without calling Medical. "Lieutenant? The medical officer that was...injured... Is she okay?" He was afraid. Afraid for himself, for Ricardo, for their careers, and for her...Blake. Despite his outward personality, he truly did hope she alright.

"Miss Blake is fine, and doesn't wish to press any formal charges," Joey replied. In fact, after Jayla left her office and she'd reviewed everything to make sure it matched up, she went to see Dani herself. The young woman was fine physically, but was still a bit shaken up by the incident. She couldn't be blamed for that.

"However... that doesn't mean nothing will happen to the two of you. I commend you both for keeping Major Jackson from escaping a second time, but there has to be some kind of consequences for what I consider a major oversight," she said, moving around the desk to stand behind the two of them. "This will be brought straight to the Captain, and he will make a decision based on what's provided to him. In the meantime, you're both hereby transferred to guarding waste extraction. It's a shitty job, and you two have been assigned to do it."

"Waste extraction...." Ricardo started. "Who is going to attack waste extraction? Also, in case you haven't noticed, Lieutenant Corwin, we're short on personnel as it is. What about the areas of the ship that are far more important and likely to be attacked?"

He notice the Lieutenant get up and move. But he wasn't going to budge for anything. Allen was glad to hear though, that the nurse was okay. Well, as okay as one could be. Waste extraction, he thought. Hopefully it was just a temporary thing until the Captain had a chance to review it all. Or...maybe it was the last place he would serve before getting the Captain's boot print permanently imprinted on his left cheek on his way out. Allen's shoulders dropped a little at that thought.

"Mister Gutierrez... I assigned you to a vital area of the ship earlier in the day, and look where it got us," the acting Chief snapped. The fact he was questioning her, though, proved he still wanted his job. Allen, on the other hand... She guessed he'd never been in a situation like this one before. That didn't mean he wanted his job, though. "Why would I trust you anywhere else? Besides... an enemy could beam into that very area simply because they wouldn't expect it to be guarded."

"I plan to go to bat for you two with the Captain. However... if I'm able to keep you both on board and something like this happens again, I'll lift his leg and boot you both myself. Do I make myself absolutely clear?" Joey demanded.

"Perfectly, Lieutenant," Ricardo said, but something went through his mind when she said she would lift the Captain's leg up even though he kept it off of his expression.

"Yes, Ma'am," said Allen, though he was still a little apprehensive. "I won't make that same mistake again." He moved his eyes and looked at Ricardo out of the corner. If they both managed to stay in Starfleet, it would be a miracle. At least that's how he saw it, because they still had to get through the Captain. And even with the Lieutenant's help, he wasn't too sure that he wouldn't be on waste duty for a long time.

Joey moved back around the desk and settled down. "I'll be speaking with the Captain about this before the day is over, so your punishment is subject to change. The two of you are to report to the training facility immediately and run through simulation levels one through ten. Should either of you die in said simulations, and that means one or the other, you're to start all over again," she said, reaching for a PADD. "Do not remove the safeties. They're there for a reason, and I'll be monitoring your progress. Dismissed."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Ricardo said before he did an about face and headed out of the room. He wanted to say a lot more than he had, but the acting Chief probably would have thrown him in the brig if he had. Then again, if he had been sent to the brig, he wouldn't be guarding shit and going through simulations.

"Understood, Lieutenant," he replied. Training...ugh, he thought, as he turned and headed out right behind Ricardo. As soon as the doors closed and they were a few meters down the corridor, he spoke up. "I'm not sure if our careers just ended our we became permanent crap guards."

Ricardo snorted. "Did you hear that she was going to take this straight to the Captain?" He asked Allen. "Di Pasquale is the XO right now, isn't she?"

Allen thought for a second. "Yeah, she is. I bet that'll go over like a Targ in a Bajoran Temple when she finds out. Better get ready for another round when that Brazilian guy gets back, Commander...hell, I can't even pronounce it. Anyway, waste extraction supplies are gonna hit the fan."

"Oh well," Ricardo said. "Mama always told me that I should have been a singer, but I had to become a 'fleeter instead. C'mon, Miller Time. Let's go see who dies first in the simulations."

"Haha! You shoulda listened to mama, Baby Face. You got the looks for it." Allen stepped up beside Ricardo as they headed to the training simulator.

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