<USS Avalon> "No Rest For the Wicked"

No Rest For the Wicked
By Lieutenant Commander Anthony Manson
and Senior Lieutenant Elissabeth Marksbury


Anthony walked down the corridor, wondering if Elissabeth would mind a visit. 
He hadn't spoken to her since everything happened, and considering repairs were 
too many to do, having some time to spare was actually a blessing. Anthony 
stopped at the door to her room in sickbay, tapping on the chime a little 
hesitantly. 

Elissabeth was sitting up in bed, legs tucked up under her. The second 
treatment had been given that morning and she was starting to feel a little 
less sick. Or maybe it was her talk with Caine. It really helped to say all 
that out in the open. Having gotten someone to bring her padds, she was working 
on the rigorous detail of preparing all the reports - the "official" ones and 
the classified ones. 

Looking up, she wondered who was next in the long line of "fix her, cheer her 
up, lend her an ear" visitors. "Come in," she said idly, returning her 
attention to her work.

Anthony walked in, noticing Elissabeth was working. He cracked a smile, "No 
rest for the wicked, huh, Elissabeth?"

"That's what I tell my minions anyway," she smiled, looking up. "Hey you. 'Bout 
time you showed up to torture me too." 

"Oh, I?m hurt, and here I thought I'd recruit you to do some cleaning with the 
nacelles," Anthony smiled. "So I?m sure everyone asked you the usual questions, 
and it's my turn - how are you?" 

She stuck her tongue out at him. 

Anthony laughed, "I take that as a 'fine, thank you'."

"Indeed." Once he reached her beside, Elisabeth reached out and gave him a 
quick hug.

"So when are you out of this place?" Anthony asked, letting her go.



"Tomorrow, I think," she sighed. "It's about to drive me nuttier than I already 
am. I hate being confined. I hate being weak even more than that. And then add 
to that a steady stream of visitors who care for my well-being, which just 
totally turns my world upside-down." She shook her head and looked up at him 
with a hint of mischievous smile, "I need isolation." 

"Know that all too well," Anthony replied, "I'll go. Don?t want you going 
crazy."

"Too late, and I didn't mean you, you know. Sit. Tell me stuff that's 
happening. Please. Isolation with information," she amended. 

"Well, there's really nothing going on. Repairs are under way, slow, and one 
too many," he thought about it for a second as he sat on the stool. "Uh.. 
that's really about it. The quarantine on deck thirteen is still in effect..." 

"Quarantine?" 

"Oh, yeah. That stuff that Romulan beamed over," Anthony started. "Something 
went wrong and quarantined part of the deck. Half the engineering team are 
stuck down there. And apparently, I was recently informed the Romulan is in 
there with them."

"Why isn?t the Romulan in custo-" She stopped as chaos seemed to erupt in 
sickbay outside her door. Furrowing her brow, she looked to Anthony, "What's 
going on?" 

Anthony got up from his seat, "Don't know." He immediately saw a few of the 
engineering crew. Not wanting to bother the medical staff, Anthony tapped his 
combadge, "Alder, what's up in sickbay?"

"There's been a site to site transport from deck thirteen. The medical staff is 
busy, but they've reassured that we won?t be needing a quarantine in sickbay."

"Thanks," Anthony said, looking intently on the patients.

The link was cut and Anthony turned around, "You heard, right?" Referring to 
his update with Alder.

"Yeah..." her face was a mask of confusion. "What in the hell was the Romulan 
doing down there? Why didn't Sierra have him in custody, questioning him? 
That's his job, isn't it? His duty to the 'Fleet?" She spoke with a lot more 
bitterness than she realised she was holding inside. 

He frowned, "Apparently you're not alright. Care to tell me where that came 
from?" 

Blowing out a slow breath, she looked at Anthony. "I'm sorry, sir. Please just 
disregard that." 

The frown deepened as he folded his arms instinctively, "Sir? You're off duty, 
Elissabeth, don't sweat it so much. Does Sierra really get to you like that?"

"Now this is where it gets fuzzy, isn't it? Am I talking to my superior officer 
or my friend? Or both?" 

He cracked a smile, "More friend than officer. Now spill it."

"Sierra and I have never seen completely eye to eye on things, but I thought it 
was getting better." She stopped and looked up, wondering how much to continue 
saying. 

"Oh," he replied and shrugged, "I've never really had to work with him, so I 
wouldn't know. But he did his job. It was by the Romulan's request he stay and 
figure out what was happening."

"I want out of his department." 

"You two work within the same department, and you're part of one of his 
security teams. To completely be out of it would be a blow to security," 
Anthony replied cooly as he sat back down. "But if it's what you want, I can 
pass it by the Captain."

"Maybe I'm just being a baby, acting like I'm unable to put aside differences 
and work with him, but every time I think about it, I see him standing in that 
doorway telling me that if I had been looking out for Starfleet interest and 
personnel that there would be one less body in the morgue." 

"He said that?" Anthony asked a little startled, but shook his head, "He wasn't 
there. None of us were. It was you and your team. That's out of line."

"Tell me about it. He's been nothing but arrogant and condescending ever since 
I've been under his command, but that was just too damn much. You think I'm 
wrong here? I really am thinking about requesting that my department be made 
separate from his and leaving Security Team A." She shook her head lightly. 
"And then I tell myself to grow up and get over it." 

"As I said, I never had to work with him. And I could pass the request to the 
Captain. What he said wasn't right. You and your team did the best you could 
under the circumstance given. You were all short on time, the Avalon was in the 
midst of battle, and you had a time limit." Anthony shook his head, "Definitely 
out of line. I think the more positive aspect is that you didn?t lose your 
entire team, that most of you came home. I know I?m happy to see you here." 



She offered him a small, but genuine, smile. "Thanks. I'm really glad to come 
back. It got... well, let's just say I wasn't sure I'd make it back and that's 
not something I'm ever going to get comfortable with feeling." 

"I know that feeling," he mumbled. "Anyway, I gotta get going. I?m supposed to 
take over while Alder gives a hand to an engineering team on deck six."

"I understand that. Not everyone is lucky enough to lounge in bed all day like 
me," she sighed, obviously frustrated. 

"Minus the reason why you're here, I wouldn't mind being in bed." Anthony gave 
a reassuring smile, "Take it for what it is. You're not out there with the 
chaos."

"Trying to keep perspective, sir. Now get back to work," she winked at him. 
Anthony mocked a salute as he headed out the door and Elissabeth picked up her 
padds, beginning to work once again, hoping to get her mind off of Sierra and 
his words that just wouldn't leave her. 


                
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
 Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term'

Other related posts: