Trouble with a Capital T

Posted on Tue May 12th, 2015 @ 10:49am by 1st Lieutenant Kara Melo & Captain Cameron Bourne & Sergeant Amarylis Beckinsale

1,164 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Deadly Diplomacy

ON

Sitting in his office, Cam read over the medical report on Beckinsale. He wasn't pleased. High Levels of narcotics and evidence of long term substance abuse. This was not good for her or her career.

"Sergeant Melo, Report to my office"

"On my way," she said. She put down the PADD she was using to set up the next month's shift rotation and headed for Cam's office.

She rang the door chime and waited for his authorization before entering.

"You got the report?" she asked quietly.

Cam nodded, "I did, and I'm not happy"

She walked behind him and put her hands on his shoulders in a gentle caress. "What does it say?" She'd already expected a bad report from what she'd heard already. Even so, she had a feeling the report would make everything worse.

"It said that she has high levels of alcohol and cocain in her system and that she's been taking narcotics for a while, at least six months" Cam answered, as he reread the report, "as it stands my only option is to relieve her of duty and convene a court martial"

She rested her cheek against the top of his head while she digested the information. "There's been nothing to indicate that she's been on drugs. Not in the time I've worked with her."

Cam shook his head, "I saw this sort of thing all through the war. People trying to escape their fear, their pain or just make it through the day. Those of us who didn't turn to drugs either ended up like I did or managed to come through relatively ok"

"Yes, but the amounts she is supposed to be using would kill a normal person. How could she function?" She knew what the stims had done to Cam. She'd dealt with more than one of his flashbacks and she had no desire to do so again. Amarylis had been through a lot, but the evidence and the report still seemed unrealistic. Or was that just wishful thinking on her part?

"I would call that evidence of long term use. If you use a substance like this over an extended period, your body begins to build up a resistance, so you need more to get the same level of buzz" Cam explained, "the same thing can happen with adrenaline junkies and even everyday medications"

"I know, but even with you there were signs. Not often, and probably only because we spent so much time together, but there were signs. With Beckinsale there was nothing."

"Perhaps the state of her quarters is the signs. It may have only started with a few beer bottles here and there and grew from there, I'm not sure" Cam said sitting back in his chair, "one thing I can tell you for certain, she'll never be the person she was before"

Kara nodded. "Do you want to go talk to her?"

Cam sighed, "might as well go see how she's doing" he said, rubbing his forehead, "I don't want to get rid of her, but as it stands I can't think of a way to keep her"

"Come on. Let's see what she has to say for herself," Kara said. She kissed him on the cheek. "Then we'll see where we go from there."

Cam smiled as a thought crossed his mind, but he shook it off and stood up, "alright, let's go"

Amarylis gingerly left sickbay paying careful attention to planning her steps. Her head was throbbing as the withdrawl symptoms began to take hold. Her stomach also began to twist in knots as she navigated the corridors towards her quarters. She desperately longed for her bed where she could lie down and contain the contents of her stomach.

"Beckinsale!" Kara called, seeing Amarylis in the corridor ahead of them.

"Ugh! Please don't yell." Amarylis replied cringing as she clutched her head bending her torso slightly.

"I don't think you're in any condition to leave sickbay," Kara said, walking up to the Sergeant.

"The doc cleared me, I'm fine I just need rest." Amarylis responded regaining her composure and a complete vertical stance.

"I can respect the doctor's decision to release you, but for the time being your quarters are off limits to you. We'll find you a bunk in the Barracks" Cam said

"I'll pass, Gunny. I don't sleep in the same company as junior NCO's." Beckinsale shot back sharply.

Kara's eyes widened, not sure if Amarylis realized she'd just called the Captain a Gunny. "I asked the Captain to come talk to you, to get your side, but you seem determined to torpedo your career."

Cam frowned, "Sergeant Beckinsale, do you wish to rephrase your statement?"

"Did I stutter sir?" Amarylis snapped back sternly to the Captain.

"No you did not, but you assume I am giving you a choice. You are an NCO, you WILL sleep in the barracks until further notice. It's either that, or the brig. Your choice"

Kara folded her arms and remained silent, waiting for Amarylis to respond.

"Fine, the brig it is." Amarylis responded crossing her arms and giving the two a smirk.

Hearing this, Cam sighed, "very well, you leave me no choice" he said, pulling out a set of handcuffs, "Sergeant Amarylis Beckinsale, in accordance with the Marine Corps Uniform Code of Military Justice, I am placing you under arrest on charges of insubordination, conduct unbecoming, disobeying orders from a superior officer and being drunk and disorderly while on duty" he said, stepping forward and holding up the cuffs, "arms up"

"Whoa wait, hold on there cowboy." Amarylis said holding only one hand extending her index finger. "I'm not on duty. Commodore York took me off active duty in sickbay. Secondly, you gave me an option, the barracks or the brig. I chose the brig. As for the other two charges, guilty....you got me. But are you seriously gonna drag me through this ship in cuffs? After all I've given to this ship that's what I get?"

"No sergeant, I'm not going to drag you through the ship in irons" Cam said, grabbing her extended hand and placing one end of the cuffs on her, "I'm going to use a site to site, and just to make sure you cooperate..." He continued as he secured the other end of the cuffs to his own wrist, "I'm going with you"

Tapping his combadge, Cam kept his eyes on Amarylis, "Transporter room, requesting a site to site transport to the Brig"

Cam and Amarylis dematerialized, leaving Kara alone in the corridor. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. Beckinsale had always been stubborn, but this...this had crossed over into unreasonable and she couldn't fault Cam for the way he was handling the situation.

She shook her head and headed for Beckinsale's quarters to see how the investigation was going.

___
OFF

Captain Cameron Bourne
Marine CO

Gunnery Sergeant Kara Melo
Alpha Platoon Leader

Sergeant Amarylis Beckinsale
Marine

 

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