Posted by Lieutenant Commander Thomas McGregor (COS) in Lounge (side sim)
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“Counselor, would you like to help me get him out of here?” he asked.

COS

“Sure, where are we talking him,” she put the man’s other arm around her neck but the height difference was going to make walking more like a three-legged race instead of a simple stroll. MacGregor was going to have to half-hold him up and Vanessa just balance him.

Vanessa Slade CNS

“As luck would have it, his quarters are on this same deck,” Thomas said, leading the group towards the door. “Easier to drop him there and let him sleep it off than haul him up to Deck 5 and my brig for the same purpose. I’ll still be writing him up, and it’ll go on his file, but I’d rather not have to haul 100 kilos of mostly-deadweight any further than I absolutely have to.”

COS

“Why because he fell off a bar stool,” she let out a small chuckle almost dropping her half of the passed-out man they were transporting to his quarters. “People drink for all sorts of reasons. For fun, to blow off steam, to hide the fact you have told your parents your current posting is on Vulcan and not the Genesis and they keep trying to find a time that is convenient to visit,” Vanessa’s last reason was oddly specific but she continued talking.

“Besides if you write a report it will end up on my desk and then I will have to schedule a meeting and then file a report to go with your report. Can’t we just go with a stern warning and not generate a report?” Vanessa said it in a humorous tone but with a hint of seriousness.

Vanessa Slade CNS

“Gee, I thought you wanted him to get help for his drinking problem,” Thomas replied. “Unless you plan to unofficially drop in on him in the morning?”

COS

“Of course, I will,” she looked at MacGregor like he had just said something crazy. “Well, maybe not at 0630 but before 1000 hours.” She waited until the COS opened the door assuming he had to have a master override to general crew quarters locks with his clearance and job responsibilities.

“I can work with 1000,” Thomas said, thinking already of programming Redmond’s door to not open before then.

“Before the Genny, I worked in Starfleet Veterans Affairs in Boston. A lot of people go through more than anyone can imagine. Most of my clients were from the Dominion War. They joined with some crazy patriotic fervor at eighteen or twenty. Spent a couple of years in the war and came back but didn’t seek out treatment. Instead, they hid it through alcohol or drugs, sex, gambling,” she ran off the normal list of vices. “This caused interpersonal problems, marriages collapsing, health issues, and then usually due to some legal issues they end up on my doorstep twenty years too late. Now I use what I learned the past ten years with the vets on the current staff which involves showing up before breakfast, attending PT, going to religious services, paintball, horticulture, jujitsu,” she nodded down at her leg she was favoring with a limp. “Apparently throwing a counselor across the room is Ensigns Waltick’s preferred form of therapy. I mean technically we call it lessons but hitting a mat is hitting a mat,” Vanessa let out a laugh. “To be fair I don’t know his issue but I do know there is something this man does well so I just need to find whatever that niche skill is and use that for his therapy.”

Thomas shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you that, but if that’s what works for you and them, more power to you both,” he said. “I’ll admit, my preferred way of working through things also involves hitting things, I just go out of my way to make sure they’re things that a) can’t hit back or b) are socially acceptable to hit, like punching bags or holographic Klingons.”

He took full control of Redmond at this point and deposited the insensate NLt. on his bed, not bothering to divest him of his uniform or even take off his boots.

Vanessa moved to the end of the bed and began to pull one shoe off and then the other. She wasn’t going further than that but no one wanted to sleep in shoes.

Standing up she looked around the room. “Well he is single. Maybe he is going through a break up?” Looking at MacGregor she let out a sigh. “Why do single men not have a single throw blanket anywhere.”

Thomas shrugged. “Why do women have them and useless pillows everywhere?” he asked in return. “I don’t see much point in having things around that 99 percent of the time serve no function at all. Waste of resources.”

Vanessa could not help but break out laughing seeing Thomas’ expression as he shrugged. It was the same expression every man had and his comment was the same as if it was genetically patented through DNA. Every man she had ever known felt the same about blankets and pillows. They were just obstacles to getting into bed and time wasters when making a bed. “Form versus function. The thing that divides everyone and it is function for the win tonight.”

Looking back at the bed she stifled a laugh. The drunken sailor had a dopey look complete with the half open mouth and a spot of drool forming. “Help me roll him up like a sausage,” she commented pulling her side of the bedding out and tossing it over the man’s body.

Suppressing a snort of his own, Thomas picked up the other side of the bedding and worked to encase Redmond in it.

Vanessa Slade CNS

COS

COS

“So,” Vanessa tucked the blankets tightly around Redmond and then began walking to the door. “How would you feel about hitting me,” she asked the chief of security. “You are due for your yearly eval and unless you would prefer to come to my office for tea and crumpets we could so do it in a less formal setting.” Thomas was the chief of security. His job was to kill you seven ways from Sunday using only a toothpick and a dull spoon if needed. His job also was to use force as a last resort and train others in that art. Her flippant comment about using her as a punching bag was not meant to be literal. It was her guess that Thomas would be far more relaxed doing something than being put in the spotlight like an interrogation. It would also give Vanessa a chance to learn more about the officer and improve her right hook probably.

Vanessa Slade CNS