"Come with me Jansen..."

Posted on Thu Apr 1st, 2021 @ 2:27pm by Lieutenant Sky Jansen-Carey

Mission: The Mentarin Effect
Timeline: Follows straight on from "Admittance"

"Come with me Jansen..."
Commander Yvette Kane, Chief Operations Officer / Second Officer
Lieutenant Sky Jansen, Chief Counsellor

*****

After speaking with Greyson, Eve stood briefly on the bridge, with her eyes fixated on the Captain's chair. She kicked herself for giving in so easily when he'd insisted on going down to the Planet himself. But then, this was supposed to only be a routine mission. Mainly a treaty negotiation. Strictly speaking, it wasn't really a job for a ship like the Resolution, and if she hadn't just gone through a refit, then maybe this wouldn't even have been the mission that they'd been lumbered with. Kane wasn't going to take any chances when she went back down to the surface with Johnson and a security detail.

Before then though, she had to make a stop off.

She headed up the ramp to the back of the bridge, and stepped inside the Turbolift. As the doors closed behind her, she instructed the lift where to take her.

"Sickbay"

*****

The turbolift doors opened, depositing Eve near to sickbay. She knew that it was almost impossible that the medical team would have an update on the Captain's condition, after such a short time, but she wanted to see him before she beamed down. As she neared the doors to sickbay, she spotted an officer in the medical colours. Whilst she hadn't previously met this officer, it stood to reason that someone in a teal uniform stood outside sickbay would be on the medical staff.

"Lieutenant," she called out, spotting the pips on her collar. "What's the situation?" Eve had met the CMO, and whilst this certainly wasn't him, it stood to reason, to her at least, that maybe she knew something.

Sky was in Sickbay hoping to be of use to those who needed to speak to a Counsellor at this point in time. She knew very little of the Captain’s condition at present but at least she was on hand if she was required. Turning to look at the officer who’d spoken she offered a smile. “Commander, I’m afraid I know very little at present. I’m Sky Jansen the new ships Counsellor, I came down here to see if I could be of any help.”

"What help?" Eve asked, somewhat harshly. She instantly chastised herself. This Lieutenant had done nothing wrong. It wasn't very long before she offered her apology. "I'm sorry Jansen. It's just, things with the Captain have got me on edge." She breathed out a sigh. "I shouldn't take it out on you."

Sky nodded respectfully. “Apology accepted. Are you friends? Or is your relationship with the Captain purely professional?”

That was a good question, of course. What exactly was their relationship? Unlike the rest of the senior staff, Kane had served aboard the ship prior to the refit. She'd gotten to know the Captain reasonably well during their three years of service together, and vice versa. But were they friends? She wasn't sure of that. Did she consider him a friend? Maybe. Was that reciprocated by the Captain? Maybe not. She definitely looked up to him. Admired him. Eve certainly considered him a mentor, of sorts. "How about somewhere in between." Eve eventually replied, after what seemed like forever. "I've served with him longer than I've served with most Captain's. He's one of the good ones."

Sky nodded. “He’s obviously made a good impression on you then. I don’t know what happened but I certainly hope he comes out of this alright.”

"I'm taking a team down to the surface shortly to investigate exactly what happened," Eve replied, "but I hope we don't lose him. At least not before I get the chance to let him know how pissed that I am that he didn't make me his Ex-Oh, and how much I'd hate it if something happened to him." Eve sat herself down on a bench in the waiting area outside sickbay. She was more slumped than sitting. "Whether he knows it or not, he's been a great mentor to me. More than my CO's before him. Just what you'd hope for from a Captain on a ship like this."

Sky took a seat as well and offered an understanding smile. “I haven’t even had chance to meet the Captain, he sounds like a wonderful man. I can only hope that he makes a full recovery. No matter what I’ll be here for you and everyone else onboard including the Captain.”

Eve nodded. "He is a good man, in his way." She didn't like to think about the possibility that Captain Leonard wouldn't recover. After what seemed like a long time of silence between them, Eve asked, "did you manage to make it aboard before the refit was complete?" That she said that she hadn't had the chance to meet the Captain could have suggested that she'd missed it. Kane wasn't sure what made her ask the question.

“I arrived just after, I don’t know why but I didn’t get around to introducing myself to the Captain. I just got stuck into my duties.” She paused. “I would very much like the opportunity once the Captain is on his feet again.”

"Make sure you do," Kane replied, adding, "that's an order," with a small smirk. She silently hoped that Lieutenant Jansen would get that opportunity. The briefing, fleeting, glance that she had seen of the Captain when he had first beamed into Sickbay hadn't been promising.

“Do we know what happened on the surface?” Sky looked at Kane curiously. “Will there be another party sent down there?”

"I'm actually leading a team down to the surface shortly, to investigate what happened," Kane replied. "As far as I can tell, the Captain and his team were met with protesters on the ground, and whilst being escorted into one of the planetary governments main facilities, he was shot from afar. None of the team saw where the shot came from, and there wasn't a second one, so we're going to have our work cut out for us."

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Sky looked at Kane curiously. “If they’re going to be investigating what happened then I can tell whether people are telling the truth. My abilities might come in useful.”

"Maybe you should..." Kane replied, standing up. "Come with me Jansen..." she said, as she walked away down the corridor, not really stopping to check if the Counsellor was behind her.