Love to be Loathed

Posted on Mon Dec 23rd, 2024 @ 8:41pm by Lieutenant Commander Oscar McDonald MD & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

1,797 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well

It was nearing the end of shift, and Adrianna has one last job to do: a spot check on lower decks to ensure there was no contraband on board. Whilst it would be security that should run the checks, owing to Adrianna's background with Intel and knowledge of smuggling rings, she volunteered to do it regularly.

Normally, she would go with a few wannabe intel persons from either security or comms, but she had felt that the poor doctor was feeling down when he had done her tattoo removal. She knocked her knuckles on the door frame of his open office door with a grin, "want to help me make some lowerdeckers cry?"

“Some say it is my reason for existence,” McDonald replied as he looked up from the staff report he was approving. “Although I suspect it is something you could manage quite admirably on your own.”

He was sure she would take the compliment for what it was.

She smirked, "si, I could do a contriband check myself, but you looked like you could use some fun when you sorted my tattoo. Thought you may appreciate an outing. We get to keep what we find... And harvest tears at the same time."

“It sounds a wonderful idea,” Doctor O’Connor answered for him as she entered the room, “and there is absolutely nothing on that desk that needs him to be here an hour after his shift ended. Please, please take him away.”

Even as she spoke, she was all but hauling him out of his seat and pushing him towards the door. “Go, harvest those tears,” she encouraged him, mouthing ‘thank you’ behind his back towards Ade.

McDonald signed, holding his hands up in defeat. “Okay okay,” he relented. “I can take a hint.”

“Wow,” Chloe replied, eyes wide, “there really is a first time for everything.”

“I guess I’m all yours Lieutenant, let’s go torment some lower deckers.”

Adrianna subtly and comically bowed to O'Conner and grinned at the doctor, gesturing for him to walk with her, "the best is when they think they've got away with it but then you catch their relief and find the hiding spot. Today, though, Lowerdecks should be near enough empty as most are on shift for the section we're spot checking," She chuckled heading to the turbo lift. She held out a PaDD, showing some CCTV footage, "appears we have a minimum of three bottles of alcohol and I'm not sure what that is, but I will assume it is not suitable for lowerdeckers, let alone any Starfleet officer."

“Here’s hoping they’ve heard of single malt and those aren’t bottles of the hooch they keep brewing down in engineering,” McDonald commented. “At least then we could at least recognise they have some good taste.”

"They're lowerdecks... They have no taste," Adrianna snorted, "ready to make them cry though? I'll even let you shout and bring them to attention ready for inspection."

“Is this some form of intervention?” The physician asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

She raised a brow, genuinely confused, "intervention for what? An education in better taste?"

“Most people need to be at deaths door before they willingly ask for my help,” he pointed out.

She chuckled, "look, let's just make people cry and beg for mercy. It'll be fun. When we're out of the lift, call for everyone to be at attention by their beds. Watch the colour train from their faces. It's beautiful."

“I do recall that look well,” he mused as the lift began to slow, “it is why I am on a first name basis with the medical review panel.”

"Excellent," she grinned, "you make them cry, and I'll find the contraband."

Still suspecting this was some effort to improve his mood, be chuckled as the lift slowed to a stop. As the doors opened he gestured for his companion to go first. Many things could be said about him - most true - but he was always a gentleman.

She smiled stepping out and grinning to him, "my Liege. Please... Do the honours."

With a chuckle he strode out of the lift and down the small stretch of corridor which curved before branching off. Few souls were about, but enough to make it particularly enjoyable to stand in a perfect spot to allow his voice to be heard possibly on the bridge as he bellowed, “attention! Congratulations! You guessed it - Its inspection day!”

Cadets and ensigns scurried to their beds, with a few trembling and desperately trying to cover some items up. Each stood to attention, trying to avoid eye contact and act innocent. Adrianna smirked at the doctor and started making her way down the corridor. She bowed her head in amusement.

Adrianna watched a few people looking to a particular ensign. She stepped over and smiled. She lowered her voice, just got the ensign to hear, "are you aware that there are a lot of eyes on you? It tends to mean one of two things-- you yourself are hiding something that they know will get them into trouble, or you are the weak link and they think you're going to crack."

The ensign gulped, "no, ma'am. Nothing is going on here."

Adrianna looked over to the doctor, "what do you think, doctor? You've seen many nervous people in your field. Do you think this one is nervous out of guilt or fear of others?"

McDonald crossed the short distance so that he stood to the side of the unfortunate ensign and the lieutenant. "Hmm... perspiration above normal, heart rate elevated from the way that little pulse in your neck is hammering away... curious. Do you notice how he is looking everywhere but at that spot ..." he shifted to stand behind the ensign so as to be sure of his suspicion before pointing to the bunk diagonally opposite, "over there. I do believe, on this occasion, I diagnose fear. But do feel free to prove me wrong before we walk all the way over there dear boy."

The ensign looked like his eyes were about to flood, "it's a stash of Romulan ale. I know we shouldn't have it but--"

The others near him groaned and shook their heads in disappointment. Adrianna spotted one person with a look of relief though out the corner of her eye. She smirked and stepped over, "seem relieved, ensign. What has that poor ensign missed when ratting you out?"

The girl gulped and looked to the floor, shaking her head, refusing to say anything. Adrianna cocked her head to the side, waiting for a moment, "do you know why I do this and not security, Piccola?"

The ensign looked up, curiously. Adrianna leaned in and whispered something into the ensign's ear. The poor ensign went rather pale and shakily pointed to a loose panel next to the bunks, "anything else?"

"Just a ouija board under Ensign Dilly's mattress," came the timid response.

Adrianna raised a brow, "Madonna, seriously? Keep that, it may help since Comms are out." The dark humour came out. Adrianna got to work on grabbing a mysterious bottle out of the wall panel and then wandered over to the other cubby, grabbing the Romulan ale.

"Do you think we're done, doctor?" Adrianna asked, looking around to see if anyone else was looking relieved.

"I think since we even know of the ouija board, all is good," McDonald smiled as he ushered Baciami back the way they had came, waiting to move a step or two to allow the assembled lower deckers to relax before a loud exhale of relief caught his attention.

"Although," he added as he spun around, his eyes narrowing in on the ensign second on his right. "I may be wrong. You seem quite pale, Ensign," he commented as he approached. "Are you unwell?"

Adrianna chuckled quietly. The doctor was very vigilant. She'd have to bring him more often, this was fun. The ensign remained quiet and so Adrianna asked, "Doctor, do you remember if this Ensign has had all of his vaccinations? I know that this close to anomalies such as the deadzone, sometimes technology fails and you have to use old fashioned methods. What size needle do you have to use for vaccines?" Adrianna exaggerated with her fingers the length, watching the ensign go more and more pale, "about there? Or bigger?"

“Oh definitely bigger!” McDonald enthused. “You see my eyesight isn’t quite as good as it used to be, so I like to leave no room for error.”

"Ah, Madonna, of course, that makes sense," Adrianna nodded, before looking at the ensign. The ensign's eyes rolled back into their head and they fainted onto their bed. She chuckled and looked to MacDonald, "all yours whilst I look around?"

“Indeed,” McDonald sighed, shaking his head. Back in his day, the lower deckers were made of tougher stuff it seemed.

Adrianna started going through all the usual spots, before finally going to the more obscure spots, only knowing of them because of being undercover for so long. She finally found a cubby between the lower and upper bunk, a pocket cut out of the mattress. She pulled out a hip flask and... Was that an old fashioned packet of cigarettes and lighter? Adrianna turned around with the reward from the search. "How is the ensign?"

“Quite fine, vital signs are steady, no cause for alarm,” he assured his companion before pointing to the ensign nearest to them. “You are now a field medic. Congratulations. Now sort out that mess of a bunk by end of the day but first, stay with him. Now when he wakes it is important to keep heart rate elevates so you are responsible for making sure he gets something healthy to eat and then some exercise. In fact, I prescribe it for all of you!

"So,” he spoke up so all those in the section could hear him, “everyone in this section will complete three laps of the deck minimum. I want confirmation of lap times by 2200 hours. Anyone who doesn’t complete the laps by end of the day will report directly to me at 0600 hours. Anyone who even thinks of cheating will be cleaning the medical bay bio filters for a month.”

He lowered his voice and turned his back so only Adrianna could hear, “too harsh?”

"I would have been worse," she shrugged somewhat amused, "you had fun?"

“Actually…” the physical pondered as they walked away from the poor ensigns, “I do believe I did.”

She smiled, "whatever you needed an intervention for-- tell them I fixed it. It'll get them off your back for a little while. And if you fancy doing this again, let me know."

OFF

 

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