All About a Sweater-Part 3

Posted on Mon Apr 7th, 2025 @ 10:11pm by Captain Liam Grimaldi-Ral & Lieutenant Haz Mondo PsyD & Reittan Ral

Mission: 01-A Change
Location: Deep Space K-17- Medical Bay
Timeline: MD01-0830

Now, only Liam and Tiki remained. The ambient hum of Sickbay’s systems filled the silence between them, a quiet undercurrent to the unspoken tension lingering in the room.

Tiki started quietly cleaning the area she had used, tricorder and hypospray set aside for cleaning while the biobed was set to sanitize. "Well?" she finally asked, the silence almost deafening to the point of making her crazy. "You may as well start yelling at me and get it over and done with before you bust a blood vessel or have an aneurism."

Liam's smile widened, a glint of admiration flashing in his eyes. She was every bit the formidable woman he'd heard about; strong-willed, unwavering. He tilted his head slightly, his posture relaxed but deliberate.

"I don’t want to yell at you," he said, his voice even and measured. He shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. "I’ve never found yelling to be particularly productive, anyway."

Shifting his stance, he planted his feet slightly apart, exuding a quiet confidence. His expression softened just enough to temper his words. "To be completely honest, Doctor, I’m impressed with you." A beat passed before he added, "My only disappointment has nothing to do with your work, it’s in your appearance." He gestured subtly to her attire, arching a brow. "Care to walk me through the lack of uniform?"

"It irritates my skin," she said with a shrug, carrying the tools to the autoclave for sanitizing. "I tried all kinds of antihistamines and other medical options, tried a bunch of herbal options but the fabric against my skin causes irritation to the point that I was practically trying to rip my skin off." She lifted up one side of the sweater to show freshly healed wounds along the side of her stomach. "This seemed to be the lesser of the evils."

Liam nodded, his expression unreadable as he regarded her. After a brief pause, he let out a thoughtful hum. “We’ll try to find you something that looks, perhaps, a bit more… uniform.” His words were measured, carrying just enough weight to suggest expectation without outright admonishment.

He tilted his head slightly, taking a step back as if assessing her once more. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate individuality as much as the next person. But there’s something to be said for looking like part of the team? Even slightly.” His voice was smooth, almost conversational, though there was no mistaking the underlying authority in his tone.

His arms remained loosely crossed, his stance relaxed but purposeful. He wasn’t here to reprimand—at least, not yet. Instead, he offered the opportunity for them to get on the same page. He would even be open to a negotiation.

Tiki blinked slowly, steady gaze fixed on him. "It's a piece of clothing," she countered, reaching up to tuck her hair back behind her ear, revealing the d'ja pagh. "Besides, it's not like anyone has given a damn so far about anything we do here. We're just here to serve our penance and not be a burden on the good little boys and girls in uniform."

Liam’s tone softened, the playful edge slipping away as concern took its place. “You need to look around a bit more—maybe step outside Sickbay once in a while,” he said, his expression earnest as he met her gaze. “This isn’t the same forgotten outpost you were dumped on. Not anymore.”

He paused just long enough to let the words settle, then turned toward the doors leading out of Sickbay, his voice carrying a quiet authority as he added, “I’ll have Commander Gillas start digging through the uniform database for maternity appropriate styles. I’m confident we can find something that fits your needs while still keeping you in line with Starfleet regs.”

There was no judgment in his tone, just the reassurance of a commanding officer who gave a damn and wanted the same from his officers.

Tiki rolled her eyes but didn't respond immediately. Instead she studied the new CO for a moment in silence. "You can't make a sows ear into a silk purse," she finally responded. "A little paint and a few new shiny new toys doesn't mean that much at all." Her tone was matter of fact, clearly the voice of an officer very much jaded about the situation.

The Captain offered only the slightest shake of his head, a subtle dismissal of her barbed remark, too seasoned to be baited by a flash of attitude. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said coolly, his voice even and unreadable.

Without another word, Liam turned on his heel, the soft swish of his uniform marking his exit from the Medical Center. The doors slid shut behind him with a whisper, leaving the tension of the moment hanging in the sterilized air.

Now onto the next challenge: a meeting with more of his senior staff. All he had to do was find his office. One step at a time, Captain Grimaldi-Ral reminded himself, with the kind of ironic calm only Starfleet command could require.