Personally Involved (Part 3)

Month 6 Day 31

0145 Hours

Capt Burke

Previously:

“Impress?” Smitty repeated. “Who said you have to impress me?”

The girl flushed, but Jane wasn’t sure if that meant uncertainty or embarrassment.

MacDowell lowered her face to stare at the floor. “Capt Nash of the Bartholomew. When he heard the assignment I wanted, he gave a sour grin and said he’d sign the paperwork, but it wouldn’t matter, because once I failed to impress Mr Smythe, I’d be sent back to a tug.”

  

“Sounds like Nash,” Jane stated, and turned to Smitty. “When she came on board, did you explain what you expect from a new lieutenant?”

“Of course I-” He stopped and thought for a moment. With a grimace, he admitted, “I may have forgotten.” Splotches of color grew on his cheeks. “There’s no excuse for my lapse, of course. I apologize, captain.”

“Don’t apologize to me,” Jane told him. “Apologize to her!”

“Oh. Yes.” He walked closer, facing the girl. “I apologize, lieutenant. I should have explained what I expected from you.”

“You made it plain enough,” MacDowell stated coldly. “I haven’t managed to satisfy you yet.”

“How could you possibly know what he expected if he didn’t tell you?” Jane asked. “That’s like giving a test without even telling the student what subject it covers.”

“I got the general idea with the first question he asked.”

“I shouldn’t have asked that.” Smitty cleared his throat, his face pink. “I believe it was asked when I was on probation for my current rank. It’s definitely not something I normally ask a new lieutenant.”

“Then why did you chew me out when I took too long to find the answer?”

  

I remember that day. He was genuinely surprised by the question he had asked. So how could he…“You chewed her out?” Jane asked.

Smitty put his mug on the corner of Jane’s desk, his cheeks darkening to red. With a glance at the girl, he slipped his hands behind his back. “It’s, uh, standard practice for me,” he stated blandly, either to both or neither of them. “I want my people to be on their toes, not so self-satisfied they don’t notice anything. Lieutenant, I apologize again. That was several hours later, and by then, I had forgotten what question I had asked.”

For someone who wants his people on their toes, he certainly seems to have been forgetful or preoccupied that particular day. How often does that happen? Maybe I should have Duck look him over. “So, if I understand this, her first day aboard, you unthinkingly asked her an impossible question for someone of her experience, then you chewed her out for not having the answer on the tip of her tongue.”

Smitty gave Jane a mournful glance. “I'm afraid so.”

  

Jane had trouble keeping her temper, but thought he might understand what he had done if he received a mild rebuke in front of the girl. “Between you and Nash, it's no wonder she didn't have any confidence and couldn’t answer your questions when you tried to administer a test!”

His face red, Smitty stared at the floor. “You're right, captain, of course. If I'd been more... sensitive, I would have realized what was wrong a long time ago.”

“And I could have impressed you!” the redhead stated. “I didn’t really believe anything Nash said, but... I couldn't do anything well enough, after day 1.”

“My fault entirely,” he muttered, still staring at the floor. He took a deep breath and raised his head, but not quite far enough to look at the girl. “I told you hours ago that you'd passed probation, but you didn't like my reason. Since you've now answered most of the test questions in far more detail than the computer expected, will you accept that you've passed?”

“If I'd answered those questions that way the first time you tested me, -”

“I'm not easily impressed,” he answered before she finished her question. He raised his face to look at her. “But what I usually get are the standard answers. I think tonight’s answers would have certainly gotten my attention.”

MacDowell nodded, then grimaced. “Back then, I would have given the standard answers. That was kind of drilled into me at the Academy. And I hadn't met Kolla yet.”

  

Jane took a drink of her coffee and something Smitty had said finally got through to her tired brain. “Wait a minute. You told MacDowell hours ago that she passed probation? Why didn't you tell me? Why did we go through this when I really wanted to sleep?”

“It would have been in my morning report,” he answered. “As for your plan, you never told me why I was coming to your office. Once I got here, you laid it out and got it started before I could-” He stopped, his gaze flicking to MacDowell.

“Yes, I didn't want to waste time arguing about it,” Jane admitted.

“And, since Colleen hadn't wanted to accept my earlier statement about passing, I thought if she could answer the questions for you, that should settle the matter.”

“Except, I didn't finish the test,” MacDowell stated.

“Yes, you have,” Smitty said quickly. “Every remaining question on that version of the test is a question you've answered correctly during past tests. Face it, Colleen, you've passed probation and are now a member of this crew.”

“Welcome aboard, Lt MacDowell,” Jane told her with a broad smile.

“Thank you, captain. And... uh... Smit. May I return to my post, before Ad- Lt Adams fries the circuits or something?”

“Why would he do that?” Smitty asked.

  

“I had him relieve her so she could take the test,” Jane explained. “Yes, lieutenant, you’re dismissed. Tell Adams for me that he is free to return to engineering, and that I have full confidence you will be able to repair communications yourself, should that be necessary.”

“Thank you, captain.” The redhead turned and walked out, back to the bridge.

Smitty watched the door long after it closed behind the girl, a half smile on his mouth. Has it dawned on him - again - that she's a beautiful woman? I hope not. We just got her to halfway trust him. What did she say to him when she came aboard? Something about them not needing to be at war? Don't remember his answer, but it sounded cold and half angry. She finished her coffee and stood up, ready to call it a day. “Smitty, I'd like you to keep an eye on Adams.”

“Both eyes,” he agreed musically.

She snapped her fingers in front of his face. “I said Adams, not MacDowell!”

  

“What?” He turned to face her, turned again to follow her into the hall. “What have you suddenly got against Adams?”

  

“He and Evans were standing at communications when I went out to get MacDowell. Evans is my problem; I’ll deal with him. I asked Adams if there was a problem with communications, and he implied there was. But MacDowell said she was listening to Yukoskian radio stations to learn more of their language.” She pushed the button to call for the lift.

Smitty scowled. “That doesn't seem feasible. She'd have to find a new station every 3-4 minutes.”

Jane stared at him in dismay and disapproval. After all he’s put her through, he still wants to discount anything she says. “I suspect that's more enjoyable than listening to 2 fools trying to impress her with their version of 'lady-killing'.”

“Then why have him come up to relieve her? He should have stayed in engineering and sent an ensign.” The lift door opened, and they both got in. “Deck 3, north,” he instructed.

  

“You aren't listening,” Jane told him. “Or maybe you're still asleep. Adams was already on the bridge when I walked out. Since he was there – and didn't have a good reason for it – I put him to work.”

“Serves him right for being away from engineering without good reason,” Smitty decided.