[JP] Capt. Shayne, LCDR Nolen Hobart, Lieutenant Commander Talia Ohnari — Can't Get No Relief
Nolen Hobart
((OOC: This sim occurs roughly two hours before the Shayne sim entitled, “He's Leaving Home…”))
((CMO’s Office, Sickbay, Deck 6, USS Khitomer, Earth Orbit))
Talia Ohnari was poised and the picture of professionalism….outwardly. Inwardly, it was all screaming, crying and mildly vomiting. She had done it. Invoked the dreaded command: Mandatory medical leave.
Hobart: This is not a funny joke.
Momentarily, the Haliian’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits in the direction of the Executive officer. She understood his concern, but the implication against her medical integrity grated against her like sandpaper.
Ohnari: ::slightly sharp:: I can assure you Sir, I do not make this order under any sense of frivolity.
The three senior officers stood in a moment of silence as the weight of what the Chief Medical Officer just announced. And for Lt. Commander Nolen Hobart, the math of it all was hard to fathom.
Shayne’s tongue pressed against the top of his mouth to contain the flurry of indecencies that threatened to hurl themselves at the CMO in an oscillating barrage of linguistic legerdemain. He sifted through the cognitive onslaught for something positive, thoughtful, captainy.
Shayne: Huh?
Part of his brain thought back. Could he blame any of what he’d just heard on an illusion? A hallucination? Simply being black out sleepy? He realized with a grumble that he could not in good conscience.
Shayne: Doctor, you have every right to be annoyed with me- but aren’t there revenge pranks that don’t involve me legging it to your Sickbay?
Talia counted back from ten mentally. She loved both of these men dearly, and decidedly differently, but if either of them questioned her professional opinion just one more time….
Ohnari: Sirs, allow me to be succinct: I am serious, it is not a joke, and if you ask me one more time if I am certain, I am sending you both off of this ship until I deem necessary. Now, is that clear?
Hobart: ::slowly, obviously weighing the risks of testing her:: Ye-es.
Shayne glanced up at Hobart, and mouthed his own drawn-out “ye-es”, as if deciding in the moment to not tempt the wrath of the Prosthetic Princess. Normally Shayne would say Hobart had more at stake, what with the whole having a relationship thing- but in this case, what Ohnari was proposing was so outlandish, so startling, so absurd, that his stomach threatened to swallow his heart whole.
Talia was no longer in the room. In her place was Doctor Ohnari, Chief of Medicine of this fine vessel. And the two red collars knew it. They just didn’t like it.
Ohnari: Captain, I assure you this has nothing to do with me being…what did you call it? “Annoyed” with you? ::she continued on, not allowing for interruption:: This is not a retaliatory or “revenge” move. You, sir, decided yet again to not follow my medical advice and neglected the peptide cocktail I prescribed to allow the serum to metabolize harmlessly.
Hobart looked between them. So far the medical details had been kept from him, and out of respect for Doctor-Patient confidentiality (not to mention Captain's prerogative) he hadn't pried. Someday, he was sure, Shayne would explain himself, and Nolen was content to let him take his time. But that didn't help him resolve the current situation, where Talia was using long and obscure Doctorspeak that soared above his comprehension. He pressed a pair of fingers to his lips, and produced the most insightful and thoughtful inquiry he could muster.
Hobart: Huh?
Shayne held up a finger, but with a tenth of his normally keen authority. His eyes couldn’t even meet hers for long.
Shayne: Now, wait a minute- I took a fair number of doses; I didn’t mean to miss the rest… I forgot! We’ve had a wedding, repairs, a refit… Christ, Doctor, I forget to eat half th-
He stopped short, bringing a balled fist to his lips. That particular insight was not something that made his case any better.
Ohnari: Basically Sir, you’re experiencing one hell of a detox that no peptide blend in the known medicinal catalog can ease you through. ::rubbing her ridged forehead in agitation:: I get the stubborn streak…mind over matter and all, but frankly? Your imbecilic and flagrant disregard for my instructions has caused me to demand you take proper rest. And by rest I mean in the care of a dedicated team who will ::her voice seemed to raise with each word:: ensure you are not at risk of frying your temporal lobe entirely!!
The Haliian was standing now, leaning over her desk and glaring daggers at both men. This was supposed to be an uncomfortable, but still cordial meeting. It seemed the men had forgotten just who they were dealing with. And when it came to the health and wellbeing of those in her charge, she would be damned if they let her talk her down for the sake of “appearances” Or more likely, idiotic pride.
Shayne shrunk back, properly mollified. For a man who hated being the center of attention, inconveniencing others, or foisting his infirmities upon the innocent, he sure had a tendency to make things difficult for himself- and thereby others- from a medical standpoint. Proper sleep, proper food, proper relaxation… he remembered a time where he’d had to keep going, non-stop, to keep the anxiety at bay, the galling dread, the realization that whatever was dragging him down was going unnoticed and unrepaired, and would loom against his future tomorrow. His eyes lingered on the back of his left hand, where a patchy red scar still remained from his ever-present salt lick. Those days were far behind him, but perhaps one unhealthy coping mechanism had been replaced by another- sheer neglect.
Unsure of a safe harbor for his gaze, he instead looked up, as if gazing at his own forehead, clinging to the mention of his endangered temporal lobe.
Shayne: Ah.
That signaled to Hobart that the fight was up. He was perfectly willing to push back against the Chief Medical Officer’s judgment—regulations and certainly his feelings for her be damned—because as XO it fell to Hobart to think about the ship and its operations in a way that neither of Ohnari or Shayne did. Each had their own perspectives and demands, but if the Captain was resigned to being relieved of duty, and Ohnari insisted he was unfit in his present state, there wasn't any cause for the First Officer to inquire or object. He was there more as a witness.
Hobart: So that's it, then?
This had been a long time coming. Why did he have to be such a stubborn jackass all days of the week? Couldn’t he loosen up on… Sundays, perhaps?
Ohnari: ::struggling to remain professional:: Despite my….disagreement with your self medicating, out of my deep respect for you and the position you’ve held, I’ve…finessed the true nature of your stay at the holistic healing center. The official diagnosis is exhaustion with mild PTSD from our battle and its aftermath. You are not the first, nor will you be the last of any active commanding officer to receive such instruction. No mark or even the slightest smudge will tarnish your record. ::standing slowly, she leaned further:: But if either of you continue to question me or my decision, I can become very specific on the referral.
Shayne raised his hands in a clear sign of surrender.
Shayne: That won’t be necessary. I’m not… happy about this. I’m certainly not sure about this. But you are CMO. In this case I am…
He turned to Nolen, almost apologetically.
Shayne: …quite simply overruled.
Nolen nodded, sympathetically. And the wheels in his head started turning in the way that an Engineer’s did. A new reality was upon them, and griping or whining wasn't going to change it. It had to be incorporated. He folded his arms, determined, and looked over to Dr. Ohnari.
Hobart: How long?
Ohnari: Two weeks. Could be shaved to one, if he follows the doctor’s instruction to a T.
A small flair of hope alit in Shayne- though, of course, beyond notice of his impromptu vacation, Ohnari had yet to provide further doctor’s instruction.
Shayne: Oh! That’s downright grac- doable. Doable.
Hobart turned back to Captain Shayne.
Hobart: I'll notify Command. ::nod to self:: Sea trials are low stakes, they probably won't send anyone to take over. We should be back in a few weeks to return the Corps of Engineers observers. After that, though…
Starfleet would have to be crazy to send a ship back into combat with an untested Lieutenant Commander in the big chair. And despite what he routinely insisted about Starfleet Command, Hobart didn't believe they were that crazy. And what's more, he didn't want to lead the ship into combat without Captain Shayne’s experience and wisdom there to guide him.
Ohnari: The timing is never beneficial, but I assure you it is necessary. One to two weeks, and we go back to normal.
Mentally, Talia was packing her quarters. She had to be both fired and if Nolen freaked out about his promotion to XO and Lieutenant Commander, no way he was even going to look in her direction now he was acting Captain. But she would Not Cry. Not yet at least.
Hobart: ::extending a hand:: Good luck, sir. We'll see you in two weeks.
Shayne: Thank you Commander. My ship’s in good hands.
He looked pointedly at Hobart as he shook the man’s hand firmly, but then switched his gaze to Ohnari, who seemed… reluctant, and somewhat dour. She’d not wanted to do this, but duty had compelled her. He smiled widely at her.
Shayne: oO Well done. Oo
NT/End
Captain Randal Shayne
Commanding Officer
USS Khitomer
NCC 62400
G239202RS0
and
Lt. Commander Nolen Hobart
Executive Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A240001NH3
and
Lieutenant Commander Talia Ohnari, MD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Khitomer
C239205ME0