Posted by Commander Brad Walker (Chief Of Staff/Second Officer) in Side sim: Primary Medical Suite
<snip>

The pressure was all so much. As captain there was a professional distance she was supposed to keep, and the situation with her parents and her responsibilities to her brother…she gave a small sigh and wiped away a tear. She wouldn’t cry.

Willow Taylor
Overwhelmed sometimes

“Ah, Hell,” Brad muttered, standing and moving to her side.

She sniffed and swiped at her face again, “I’m sorry…it’s fine…”

“C’mon, let me see that ankle. I had to shake a tail on my way here and saw a half-dozen giggling nurses and junior doctors outside, Gods only know what the rumor mill is going to make of you limping in here ready to tear me a new one.”

Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

This caused her to pause, moving her hand so Brad could get access to her ankle. “It’s just twisted, it’s nothing.” Had she noticed giggling? She couldn’t say she had been so focused on getting in here to kill Brad that she hadn’t even given a second look to those she passed in the corridor.

“What are they going to make of it?” She asked him, her green eyes searching his face, employing him to have an answer to a question she wasn’t herself sure of.

Willow Taylor
CO

“Apparently my visit to your quarters was a booty call,” Brad said bluntly. “And the NEs may or may not think we’re into tying each other up.”

His face burned a bright red at that statement.

Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

Despite the seriousness of that Willow to laugh. Really laugh, as the tears she had threatened in sadness now fell in mirth. “How on earth did they get that? I mean what were you thinking coming to my quarters in your pyjamas like a rumpled knight in cotton.”

Willow Taylor
CO

“I wasn’t necessarily thinking, but I had been woken from a sound sleep for someone breaking a promise to me,” Brad said with a half-hearted glare as he fought to suppress his flush. “Besides, I think we both have a certain precocious youngling of our acquaintance to blame in part. One of the rumourmongers I overheard swore he’d heard it from a friend, who heard it from another friend, who heard it from ‘the Captain’s son or whatever’.”

Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

“It was one movie night…ok so it was one movie night on top of a few later nights. I’m sorry…” she watched him, feeling a strong urge to reach up and run her hand across the flush in his cheeks. The idea made her heart skip a second. It was painful almost to break eye contact with him. This time Willow also turned red. “ Cai?” She asked somewhat disbelievingly. “ Why would he do that?” She asked her ankle.

Willow Taylor
CO

“I honestly gave up trying to understand the motivations of teenagers when I was one,” Brad said. “It could be anything from he thought it would be funny, to he’s running a Parent Trap on us, despite there only being one of him, Thank God.”

Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

Willow shook her head. “I just…don’t understand why he would do that. I mean how could he, he was in bed…” Looking at Brad again did nothing to help the burning in her skin. Her stomach felt like it was in knots. The rumours she would need to deal with or could she ignore them… she sighed and reached for the mug Brad had replicated, clasping it in both hands. The smell of the warm peach and honey was soothing, calming. She sighed deeply feeling the warmth in her hands.

“Well…as far as everyone’s concerned I’m here to yell at you. So if you ever disable my alarm again I’ll make sure you are seen scrubbing the deck plating with a toothbrush.” She smirked. “Ok?”

“Uh huh, sure,” he said, standing up and moving over to one of the cabinets underneath his monitor wall, rummaging around in a couple of drawers before returning to her side with a regenerator that he applied without further talking to her ankle.

“Give that about two minutes, you should be right as rain. Also, you should know that the next time I disable your alarm, I’ll also think ahead to comm the XO and let her you know you’ll be late, because hopefully I won’t be doing it at 0130.”

Willow Taylor
CO

Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

Willow rotated her ankle experimentally. She should say thank you, should agree with him, apologise again. She should do all of these things, instead she stuck her tongue out at him and blew a raspberry then drank from her mug.

Willow Taylor
Responds like a Child

Brad, in response, rolled his eyes. “Drink your tea, take a minute and fix your hair. Maybe you leaving this office more put together than when you came in will do a little to calm the rumour mill. Though I will say, if I ever track down which NE started all of this, he’s down for the most intensive physical of his life, up to and including every invasive probe and scan I can think of.”

Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

Willow chuckled. “It’s not funny! Honestly starships! It’s like high school all over again, people can just be friends!” She dark from her mug but did reach one hand up and straighten her hair back behind her ears.

Afterwards she looked around his office. “I should go, I’ve left Dira in charge but it’s not fair to just abandon her. Even if all the junior officers will be doing is playing games on their consoles.” She stuck her tongue out again at him and got to her feet. Gingerly testing her ankle, it took her wait with no more pain and she smiled moving towards the door.

Willow Taylor
CO

Brad got up and followed her out. “Maybe next time you don’t rush it,” he said. “After all, you generally know where I’ll be, there’s no need to hurry and hurt yourself.” The tone was a teasing one, as belied by the smirk on his face and the twinkle in his eyes.

Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

Willow turned back to him, she smiled. “Yeah well I wasn’t exactly rational while I was storming down here to murder you was I. I mean it next time…toothbrush!” Without thinking she reached her hand out and gently caressed the slight stubble across Brads face. The smile widened.

“Looks like I wasn’t the only one in a hurry this morning. You need to shave.” She gave him a grin and turned away heading back out of the suite to get changed, she had a shift to start.

Willow Taylor
CO