A really bad day - Aftermath

Posted on 12 Nov 2018 @ 5:06pm by Commander Scarlet Blake & Commander Luke Wyatt & Petty Officer 3rd Class John Hollenday
Edited on on 22 Nov 2018 @ 2:56am

1,581 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 3, Brig
Timeline: MD -145, 0800

[ON]

John sat up. The scratches now itched and hurt. "Damn Caitian," he remarked as he sat up. "Bet never washes those claws." He absently ran his hand over the one worse area but he had to smile a little thinking back to the Caitian's jaw getting busted. He was pretty sure that he had taken a lot more punishment then John had gotten. While the pleasure of beating that cat was nice thought the hum of the force field and the fact his back hurt from the hard surface of the shelf of a bed reminded him of where he was now.

He ran a hand through his hair and then turned his head toward the front of the brig cell. "Hey," he called to the security guy sitting there. "Think you could call medical and get these claw marks checked out? They itch somethin' fierce maybe got an infection."

"Not at the moment," the reply came. "I think you got visitors coming might want to look a bit more presentable if I where you."

A few moments later, Blake appeared with Wyatt at her side, features somewhere between cold and clearly not impressed. When she'd gotten the report, she'd been sure to liaise with Wyatt to make sure they got a grip on this quickly. Petty fighting amongst crew personnel was the kind of thing that actually managed to make her angry. It showed a lack of discipline and was an insult to the Starfleet uniform and what it stood for.

Whilst Blake wore her own expression Luke did not, though he imagined he was equally disgusted by the fighting he opted for the stoic and disappointed plainish stare. "Petty Officer third class John Hollenday Serial number OA-784-3050. It seems to me you have a history getting into trouble all through childhood, it makes me wonder why you haven't ended up in the brig sooner." He paused crossing his arms for a moment before going on. "Now things have calmed down would you care to give us your versions of events, bare in mind there is incrimination evidence against you."

John did not react very much. He knew better than to get into a verbal match with a senior officer. "I have only ever gotten physical when pushed into it," he said. "I got a call about a malfunctioning sensor here and after tracing it, it seemed not to be located in the sensor but elsewhere. M'yrthr was quite insistent that he had gone over the console and made various remarks about my competency. That though is not what I got pissed off about he started to make...shall we say very sexually suggestive remarks about a certain ensign I am...friends with. My mother did not raise me to continence to someone making such remarks. I simply defended her honour."

"Honor?" Luke replied, "Are you a Klingon? or perhaps a Cardassian? Maybe Andorian? Or even one of my security officer? No, I don't think so. No one this ship has the right to take matters into their own hands especially over something so heinous. Have you at all reported this allegation or did you think with your fists rather than your mind?" He asked firmly.

John just figured things were stacked against him at this point. There was no real use arguing to much further. Best he thought to ask forgiveness than to keep the argument up. "Well review the footage, but sir, I will say this now. I regret my action. It was not what one would expect of someone in Fleet." The only saving grace might be that the ship was woefully short of anyone with Engineering experience. They did not even have a commissioned officer available for the department.

"I don't need to be told how to do my job, we are in the process of reviewing all the evidence, however, I must say Mr. Hollenday it all stacks against you. If there was some kinda of sexual infringement you should have reported as soon as possible." Luke turned to Scarlet. "Commander?"

"I'm in total agreement with you, 'Commander," Blake nodded as she half turned to Wyatt, meeting his eyes for a moment, anger sparking in her own. She had been about to speak to Hollenday when Wyatt had answered, but he had put it very succinctly himself. "Hitting a fellow crew member over a comment isn't defending honour...it's assault. Official complaints should be passed up the chain...if everyone went around thinking with their fists first, we'd be in a mess. We're not even half way on our journey yet and have a tight number of crew to complete it...we can't afford this kind of nonsense," she added sharply, shaking her head briskly before motioning to the security office computer. "Let's take a look at that footage, 'Commander."

There was more to it than that but John figured the recording would show that the Caitian had egged him on. "Go ahead, but these claw gouges hurt like the devil. I sure would like them to be looked at if I could sirs."

Luke didn't respond to John though he made a mental note for someone from sickbay to come check him out. Following Scarlet over to the main console in security he stepped to her side bringing up the footage of the fight. It was a restricted view with Mryth's back to the camera and had no sound. Then as if from nowhere the engineering struck the Caitain. "It seems pretty compelling to me Commander" Luke spoke in a hushed tone. "My security officer could have been saying anything but it wouldn't warrant in such behaviour from Mr Hollenday and without audio, I'm inclined to believe my security officer events based of his account and that of this recording.

Scarlet nodded with a frown, keeping her voice low to him. "I'll be honest with you, I don't care who said what to who; this isn't a playground. There's no excuse to raise your hand to someone unless you're defending yourself or someone else from physical aggression...and the footage shows that Hollenday raised his hand to Mrythr first." The tightness in her usually calm voice betrayed just how angry and disappointed she was over it.

Luke turned so that he was turned away from the brig and spoke in a hush tone "We can't send him back, I checked and I can't afford to lose the Brig space" He let out a sigh, "I was thinking a few more days in the cooler before being confined to quarters. Maybe even give him some rubbish duties for some time?" He suggested.

Scarlet nodded with a frown as she folded her arms. Frankly, no one won with a useful crew member shut away in a brig. And a few days rest wasn't her idea of a real punishment either. "Let's keep him in the brig for another day, then have him restricted to quarters outside of work for a week. I want that temper of his checked out though, so he needs to be referred to the counselling department. I also want him to learn some bloody discipline."

"I'll make sure he has someone watching him for that week it'll give them something to do" He nodded to himself agreeing before adding "I'll make sure to include him into some of our more robust training sessions. See what he's really made of"

John just sat back down while the two senior officers exchanged his fate. There was something not right about the whole thing. The glitch he was positive had been in the control panel and that suggested that perhaps he had been setup but it was not worth the argument. They had made their minds up and that was that.

"Good," Blake nodded firmly, glancing to the brig with cool features. "Let me know if you need assistance; I'm more than happy to put someone with so much misplaced energy through their places. Get a medic to visit the brig with a medkit to see to those scratches he's complaining about. Brig time means brig time."

Luke nodded once in finality as he turned to Mr Hollenday. "After reviewing the evidence and statements we have decided a week in the brig. After which you will be on restricted privileges. Which means you'll have a security escort and other than duty-related tasks, visiting sickbay, eating food and attending the mandatory security training sessions you'll spend the rest of your time confined to quarters. This is non-negotiable and my officer wont take any crap from you so don't think about trying to weasel something from them. understood?"

John got back up and came to attention though his sides hurt and said, "Sir, yes sir." It might take time but he would when this was over dig into the engineering and computer recordings. Something just did not feel quite right.

Happy with that Luke turned to Scarlet, "Well I don't see any more point in loitering with intent. I'm going to finish up in my quarters and im sure you have better things to do." The chief said already walking to the door, "And I'll send a request to medical to get him checked out."

John simply sat back down.

[OFF]

LtCmdr Luke Wyatt
Security Chief
USS Galileo-A

PO3 John Hollenday
Engineering mate
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Warraquim]

CDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

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