Post 211: Contradictions

Title: Contradictions
Stardate: 053107:1200
Time: Following "Fight or Flight" By Lt. Grace and "Do or Die" by RJ Gilmore
Scene: Sickbay
Author: Cliona McBrayne

Cliona watched the exchange between Lt T'Ana and Gilmore for a few moments.

She could see the distress in Gilmore’s eyes when the tears started streaming down Lily's face. Additional angst was not going to help her patient make it through his upcoming surgery. While heart replacements were very routine in this day and age, they still held risk.

Cliona placed her hand on Lt T'Ana's shoulder just as Gilmore weakly held his hand up and spoke softly.

“No need, girl.......this badgering hen ....already talked to me.... about replacement too.” He waved a finger in Cliona’s direction. He had been a hard sell but had finally agreed with Cliona that he would have the replacement.

Lily looked up at Cliona, her cheeks wet with tears that had trickled down onto her chest. “Really?”

Cliona smiled and nodded. “He’s a tough sell but even R J Gilmore can be reasoned with.”

“Oh, Uncle RJ!” Lily propelled herself across Gilmore’s chest in an awkward hug. Cliona gently pulled her back into her seat.

“We need to run some tests before surgery and I don’t want to tire him out.”

T'Ana stood but her reluctance to leave showed. Cliona knew this was hard on the girl.

“I’ll call you when we begin so you can be close.” Cliona brought her voice down and spoke into T'Ana’s ear in order not to worry Gilmore about the young officer.

Lily eventually nodded. “You will call?”

“I promise.”

With one more look at Gilmore, T'Ana relented. February Grace, who had been standing mute over T'Ana's shoulder all this time, also moved silently out of Sickbay. Cliona noted that Gilmore’s eyes followed her from the room.

“They...worry...too much.”

Cliona shot him a look. “And you worry too little.”

Gilmore’s lips, surrounded by the stubble of his beard, puckered into an irritated frown. “Crone.....you’re...enjoying this...too much.”

Cliona couldn’t suppress a smile. Even feeling as poorly as he must be feeling, Gilmore’s spirit couldn’t be quelled.

“Not nearly as much as you think. We have to get you better. I hate winning an uneven battle.”

A scoffing sound came weakly from his lips.

“Time to rest. I’ll be back when it’s time to begin.”

She had preparations to make. Cliona was secure in her ability to perform the surgery but in this case she wanted no errors on anyone’s part. She knew Keith would find humor in her emotional response to this situation. As cantankerous as Gilmore had been, Cliona now had to admit she had a soft spot for him.

But not for worlds was she about to admit this to R J Gilmore.

Cliona McBrayne
CMO
USS Independence