Post 285: Tug of War

Stardate:70704.2340
Title: Tug of War
Author: RJ Gilmore
Scene: Main Bridge
Time: Following "Can I Get Fries With That?"

"If you're through with your little reunion," Captain Gilmore click-tapped his way over to Reece and Zanh. "I'd have a word with you, Zanh Liis."

*Oh boy. Here it comes* Zanh Liis thought, and she was right.

"In there. Open the door." Gilmore pointed to the ready room.

Zanh tapped the security code in. The doors opened and then closed behind them. She waited for him to speak with her hands clasped behind her back, eyes locked on his.

"The more I thought about it on the way up here, the more I realized how out of line you were before." Gilmore spoke through clenched teeth. He looked at the woman before him with a small amount of sympathy, knowing she'd been working days without sleep. She'd been thrust into the Captain's chair abruptly due to his illness and subsequent surgery, during a time of extreme stress on the vessel and its crew. But a line needed to be drawn that she would think twice about stepping past again.

"I want to make one thing perfectly clear to you. While I appreciate your concern for my physical well being, if you ever, ever threaten to call security on me on my own ship again? Whether Starfleet is calling you 'acting captain' or not- if I have anything to do with it your tenure here will come to a very quick end. Are we clear?"

"Captain, I wish you'd sit down," She looked as though she was really worried about him. The expression of concern on her face did not go unnoticed by him.

But concern or no concern, there was only so much he was willing to take. "Are we clear, Zanh Liis?"

"Clear, Captain Gilmore." She held her head high, still looking him dead in the eye. "Are you finished, Sir? Because there is a lot that needs to be done around here and I'd really like to get to doing it."

"Yes. Go with Reece down to engineering, and get this mess with the holodecks cleared up."

"You're retaking command?"

"Let's just say I'll be watching the bridge for awhile."

"My orders, Sir," she began,"were to remain in command until you were cleared by medical. You are asking me to disobey a direct order from Starfleet, and I'm not willing to do that."

"Don't try to go around me."

"I'm not. Captain, I really feel as if it is in the best interests of the ship and the crew if you return to your quarters and finish your rehabilitation schedule. What good will it do in the long run if you shoot yourself in the foot now by ignoring your physician's orders and end up back in Sickbay?"

"I'm more worried about the lives of our people in the holodeck at the moment."

"And you don't trust me with those."

"No," he informed her bluntly. "I don't."

"Starfleet does."

"Then they're one up on me." Gilmore tapped his cane against the floor. "You've got a real attitude, Zanh Liis. It's very likely to get you killed one day. I would prefer that when that day comes and you burn yourself out, you don't take anyone else on my ship with you."

"Captain, if we're speaking of burn out can I just remind you that you're the one whose heart was replaced a week ago?"

"A fact of which I am constantly aware."

"Then let me do my job," She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder imploringly."I apologize for my temper earlier. It's been a hell of a week around here, and my nerves are starting to fray, it's true. But Captain, honestly, the very last thing I need right now is for you to make yourself sicker and then we'll be in a real world of hurt."

He considered her words a moment, as she put her second hand on his other shoulder.

"You have no idea how much you matter to this crew. To everyone on this crew." she paused."If I overstepped my bounds then I was wrong and I'm sorry. But even if I could have been more tactful, I stand behind my orders from command. You do not belong on the bridge at this time. If you insist on doing something, then you can be so much more of a help to us by going back to your quarters and looking over those schematics. Find us a trail to follow. I swear to you, I'll do my best to be sure we follow it to the letter."

RJ looked her over. As exhausted as she was, she was doing the job that any officer worth their salt would do- no matter how she was questioned. She stood her ground, admitted her mistakes and was ready to get back to work. Maybe it was time that he finally learned that sometimes, he had to let go and delegate.

"I will be in the conference room," he replied, still feeling as if he wasn't at home in this ready room yet. "I will find the trail for you, Zanh Liis. But you better mind your manners and hope to hell that we get our people out of there in one piece. Their fate rests on your shoulders."

"I give you my word, I will do whatever it takes to get them out."

"Don't fail," he warned, "dismissed."

He followed her out of the ready room and watched as she grabbed Reece by the sleeve and tugged him toward the science console.

*She gave her word,* he thought. *Time would tell just how much the word of Zanh Liis was worth.*

"C'mon, Spot." Zanh said, addressing the flamboyant Trill. "Let's get to work."

RJ Gilmore
Commanding Officer
USS Independence