A Little Inquisition - Part One

[DrDMatthews 0]

She found herself in an unusual position. Not that it hadn't happened before. She'd had her fair share of "private chats" with higher ranking officers. But those conversations were usually about health related issues. This was the first time she'd ever felt it necessary to discuss such a personal matter with an officer so far up the chain of command.

 

Lieutenant Grace Allen was the Reaent's Chief Nurse, a role she was well suited for. She loved the job. She was just a step or two below the CMO but she had less than a third of the paper work to deal with. Grace was quite content with her position on the Reaent. She could only hope she would still have both her rank and her job once she finished talking with Commander Ridire.

 

Grace wasn't the least bit intimidated by those extra pips on the Commander's collar. But even she had to admit she was stepping out onto thin ice. She wasn't meeting Mr. Ridire to discuss his health. She was planning to ask him a few questions and point out a few facts about something he might consider "none of her business."

 

If that was his reaction, she was prepared to "help him understand" that anything having to do with Debbie Matthews was most definitely "her business." Not only was Deb her commanding officer, she was also a close, personal friend. And less than 48 hours earlier, Debbie had agreed to marry Aidan Ridire. Therefore, Gracie was compelled to sit down with this man and decide for herself if he was the knight in shining armor her friend thought he was.

 

Grace knew the two were in love. That was especially true for Debbie and it seemed to be the case with Ridire as well. Although Lieutenant Allen had little contact with the Commander, she was keenly aware of his demeanor whenever he stopped by Sickbay for an unannounced visit with the CMO. She saw the way he looked at Deb....the way he talked to her. There were even a few occasions when he actually touched her. Those touches were nothing more than a pat on the shoulder or a quick squeeze of the arm but the fact he made any physical contact at all was remarkable...and it spoke volumes.

 

She wasn't going to bring up any of that during her chat with the Commander. She doubted he was even aware of it and she didn't want to burst his bubble. She knew both Ridire and Matthews had bent over backwards to be discreet about their relationship. Grace was fairly certain not many people on the ship suspected anything was going on....at least not until very recently. Both the Commander and Deb had become less secretive during recent weeks. But even then, Grace had always known about the blossoming relationship between them. She knew when and what to look for. Others didn't.

 

Lieutenant Allen stopped in front of Mr. Ridire's door and casually glanced up and down the corridor. Nobody was around so she rang the chime, hoping he would answer quickly. She didn't want her commanding officer to know about her appointment with the Commander,at least, not yet anyway.