Jayme called out, "Sergeant's Donte and Carter, Corporal Dayrne, PFCs Kaplan, Zack, and Esteva... fall in! You're with Lieutenant Sidle and myself on duty up ship. Hawke-one is Hasek, Duncan, and Tayge."
Five minutes later they were all headed up ship. Sara's shoulder length curly hair hung loose. "Deck three is triage and emergency treatment, Deck four is the operating and recover rooms, Deck five is the intensive care unit. Deck six is the medical surgical holding and rehab area. Deck seven through eleven are barracks and staff housing and offices. We are housed on deck two -- so that we are close to the transporter and the Hawkes," she said leading them into a classroom.
Inside the classroom, Jayme froze as she came face to face with Dr. Anna Alcon. "Doctor Alcon," Jayme said as they made eye contact.
"Captain Alcon, you and the Lieutenant will be working as physician assistants in the triage/emergency center. If need be you will be working directly under myself in surgery -- I assume you are fully qualified to assist?"
"I am qualified," Jayme said coldly noticing that the team surrounding her was confused and trying to figure out what was going on between their captain and this very straight and cold woman. Jayme glanced around and ordered, "Everyone take a seat." She watched as her group averted their eyes and moved around the table.
Jayme crossed her arms over her chest and met her mother's eyes head on, and stepping closer and in a voice just above a whisper said, "We are here as support and rescue, not to be absorbed into this ship's compliment of crew. We are here also as Marines so don't screw with me or my crew, mother!" Jayme moved and took a seat next to her new Lieutenant. She closed her eyes and shook her head and realized a headache was half blinding her as Dr. Alcon talked about their mission.
At a break, Jayme turned to Sara, and said, "Can you escort the rest of the members of our unit here for the tour and then we'll all head off to the cafeteria for meal period and then we'll have a meeting in our readyroom afterwards." Jayme walked over and replicated a cup of coffee and waved off several of her team members who'd approached her. Silent and angry she took her seat and seven minutes later Sara arrived with the rest of the team. Everyone stood and followed Dr. Alcon on her tour. Jayme hung back a few moments wanting to put as much distances as possible between herself and her mother.
Sara Sidle stepped up and handed Jayme a medcup with several red and yellow capsules. "Something for your headache."
"That obvious?" Jayme said tossing the meds down and finishing up her coffee. "Thanks."
"Care to tell me what's going on?" Sara asked watching the group leave. She took a step to follow. Jayme rolled her head on her shoulders and said, "It's a mother-daughter thing..." She followed in silence and after the tour headed back to her office letting Sara escort the crew to dinner and to the briefing in the ready room. Jayme lay on her bunk for thirty minutes and then rose and replicated a sandwich and soup from the ready room dispenser and ate while working on reports at her desk. She stood up when her team laughing and joking reentered the barracks.
Everyone found chairs around the table and waited for Jayme. "If I had the power to get us moved to any other ship I would. Most of you have picked up on the fact that there is some animosity between The Chief Medical officer of the McCoy and myself... she's my mother. I hope she will be professional enough to keep the issues she and I have with one another strictly personal and not take it out on you, in a way of getting at me. Now, we are going to be pulling shifts in rotation with their crews and will have one Hawke on alert and the other on standby. In a directive from the CMO here, the Lieutenant and I are not free to respond to any calls with the Hawkes so Sergeants you will be leaders. We, meaning the Lieutenant and I, will be working with the regular physicians." Jayme looked around and took a sip of her coffee. "Duty schedules will be posted in 30 minutes. Berke -- my office asap. Dismissed."
Jayme handed the hardcopies of the duty schedule to the Lieutenant to post and headed to her office. Five minutes later a knock at her door startled her and she called, "Enter."
"Ma'am. You wanted to see me?" The Sergeant entered and let the door close behind him.
"Yeah." Jayme scrubbed her face and ran her fingers though her hair and said, "Can you locate a bottle of whiskey... not synth, but the real stuff?"
Berke crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged a shoulder. "I'm sure there's some stashed for medicinal purposes."
"Get it for me." She said. He nodded and walked back out and fifteen minutes later her door opened and Berke and Lieutenant Sidle walked in. Berke shook his head and said, "Jayme..." He handed the bottle over to the captains waiting hand and left the room. Sara turned the desk chair around and sat down and watched while the captain poured a generous amount into a glass and set the open bottle on the desk between them. "There's another glass in the drawer." Jayme said after taking a sip.
Sara opened the drawer and took the glass and poured a finger full of it and sipped. Then asked with a husky laugh, "want me to replicate a couple of cola's to mix this with?"
"Nah, straight's fine." Jayme leaned her head against the wall, closed her eyes and asked, "How long has Dr. Alcon been on the McCoy?"
"Two weeks," Sara said before taking another sip.
Jayme shook her head, "When was she appointed CMO for this ship?"
"Two weeks ago."
"Was that before or after SF decided to move me and my Medical Response Team here?" Jayme asked.
Sara set her glass down and rested her head on her forearms on the chair back. "...After. Why?"
Jayme looked at Sara as she tossed off the rest of her drink and swallowed. "She was CMO on Mars and reserve status for SF... there is no reason for her to be here, other than to make my life a living hell..." Jayme's closed her eyes and rubbed them with the heel of her hand and drew her knees up and thought about the chain of command and who she could complain to... but Tarik was part of the fleet action and unavailable to her and would probably advise her to suck it up and be a marine... "She isn't qualified for this, Lieutenant."
Sara sat up and poured another finger's worth of whiskey into the glasses and pressed it into Jayme's hand before speaking, "Someone thinks she is or she wouldn't be here. Drink up!" She watched while her new CO sipped the drink. When she'd finished hers she capped the bottle and slid it into her lab jacket pocket. "I've reviewed the unit's records and will wake everyone up at 0500 for drill." Sara stood and slid the chair back under the desk.
Jayme sat up and stood facing the Lieutenant, and said, "Leave the bottle."
"Sorry. Sergeant Berke was concerned. That's why I came here... I understand, but getting drunk is no way to deal with how you're feeling. I understand you have a med order; and I suggest you take it and get a good night's sleep."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Jayme pulled off her jacket and toed off her boots and stood in her t-shirt and uniform pants. Hands resting on her hips she waited and saw Sara head for the door. When it was open, Berke and Ronning, the two senior Sergeants along with Corporal's Rashan and Dayrne hovered in the doorway. "What is this?" Jayme asked.
"Nothing," Sara said as she ushered everyone out of the door way and let the hatch close behind her. "Lights out in thirty minutes." Sara handed Berke the bottle and with a thrust of her jaw indicated he stow it.
Jayme stripped and in her t-shirt and shorts sat on her rack and thought fondly of how she wished she was back on Thermopylae. She closed her eyes and consciously worked on relaxing every part of her body starting with her hands and working systematically to her toes. She visualized sitting on the holodeck of Sb901 and watch the ocean waves from Kassia's program...
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