Post 444: I Don't Have Time For This

Stardate:80918.1630
Title: I Don't Have Time for This
Author: =/\= Zanh Liis
Scene: Various aboard Indy
Time: Following "Friend or Foe"
---------------------------

"G**dammit!"

Zanh Liis pounded the wall with her fist, and found that the doors to the ready room would once again release as she tried to step through them. She returned to the main bridge and stopped beside Maak.

"Scan the ready room- I want to know if one molecule of oxygen in the artificial atmosphere was displaced in the last five minutes! I want something- ANYTHING- that we can go on that will allow us to explain how the hell he does that!"

"How the hell who does what, Captain?" Blane asked, stepping quickly up to her. "Are you all right?"

"I just had a visit from your friend, Lt. Margolis." Zanh replied, addressing Fox as she and Blane moved toward her.

"Oh," Fox's hand immediately gravitated toward the pendant which hung from a chain around her neck. "He's back?"

"Yes, he's back, and I-" Zanh stopped as she heard herself being hailed by a very unhappy sounding Dr. McKenna.

[McKenna to Zanh, please report to Sickbay.]

"Can't this wait, DM? I've got a bit of a situation up here."

[No,] McKenna replied flatly. [It can't.]

"Mr. Blane, see to it that every inch of this ship is scanned, focus on the bridge and go from there. I want to know how Corbinsky is getting through. I'll be in Sickbay."

As the doors to the turbolift opened and Zanh stepped in, she was surprised to see K'Pajek, who was not posted to bridge duty today.

"Sickbay." She commanded, when it became apparent that he was not disembarking on this deck.

"Captain, a moment of your time?" The Klingon asked, "I was just coming to see you."

"Sure, why not. Everybody else wants one, why not you too." Zanh sounded frustrated, and she was. She hadn't had a day off in what seemed like forever, she was more rattled by Corbinsky's little performance than she wanted to admit, and what bothered her the most about it was the fact he claimed he wanted to help her somehow. She was ever loathed to accept anyone's help, for anything. It always seemed to cost too much when all was said and done.

K'Pajek waited a moment. Hesitation wasn't something she was used to seeing in him, yet she could have sworn that was what he was experiencing now.

"I'm sorry. What did you need, Commander?"

"I need. . .you to approve this leave of absence." K'Pajek said soberly, handing Zanh a PADD. "There is a. . .family situation I must attend to on Q'onoS. I regret that I was not able to give you more warning."

"Family situations never give warning." Zanh said, as she scanned the PADD and affixed her thumbprint to it, approving his leave. "We'll miss you. How long will you be away from us?"

"Sorry to say, I do not know at this time, Sir. I will try to handle things with all possible efficiency. Unfortunately, there is no set time limit when it comes to. . ." he fell silent.

"I know." Liis grabbed his arm and squeezed to show her support. "Do what you have to do, Commander. We'll find a place for you on the roster when you get back. Somewhere. I promise. You can always come home."

He nodded gratefully as she stepped past him and moved into the hall of deck 12.

"Safe journeys, K'Pajek."

"Qapla, Zanh Liis."

She walked through the doors to Sickbay with speed and found McKenna readying a tray of surgical instruments.

"Oh, no." She said, not even needing to ask him who these instruments were intended for.

"There's a malfunction in one of the valves of the new heart," McKenna announced. "That's why the Captain isn't regaining his strength. It's in the machinery, not the man. I have to go in and replace it."

"The heart or the valve?" Zanh was horrified. She knew how much it had taken for Gilmore to submit to this surgery to begin with- the thought of going under the knife a second time must've been a nightmare come true for him.

"The valve," McKenna replied. "The Captain is sedated and ready for surgery. He should do much better after it's, " he paused, looking at Zanh. She was pale, had dark rings around her eyes, and looked as if she was in pain when she moved. "Zanh Liis, you do not look well to me."

"Don't worry about me! Just get to work on fixing Gilmore! When will he be fit for duty?"

"Soon," McKenna replied, before stepping closer to her and scanning her with a tricorder. "The very last thing I need is to have our acting captain in my Sickbay as well. You're taking the rest of the day off. No discussion."

"DM," she began, to protest.

"No argument, ZL. I don't have time for it. You are off duty as of now, and you'd better be sure you get a good night's sleep or I may have to extend the order."

Zanh groaned. "I don't have time for sleep. I've got too much to do."

"You have time for it now." He picked up a PADD, typed hastily and handed it to her. "Or should I give this to Commander Salvek myself?"

"No," She said sheepishly, taking it from him. "That won't be necessary. Lt. Blane already has the bridge. Just. . .let me know the moment Gilmore is out of surgery? Or I'll come back to find out."

"I will." He pulled a surgical mask over his face and headed toward the next room, tray in hand. "He'll be fine, don't worry."

As Zanh retreated from Sickbay, she ran into Jariel in the hall.

[[I heard that you had a visit from Corbinsky,]]

"It was nothing." She walked past him without slowing.

[[But what did he,]]

"Not now, Jariel."

He quickened his pace to catch up to her, and he pulled her back by the arm.

[[What did he say to you?]]

"Not NOW!" Zanh barked, before shaking his arm off and disappearing into the nearest turbolift.

-------------------------------------------
=/\= Zanh Liis
USS Independence NCC-90791