A Heart Stopping Shock

[DrDMatthews 0]

"Doctor, the ship is yours."

 

You could have heard a pin drop as the Captain took his leave, a mischievous smirk plastered on his face. His words hung in the air like.....like what.....a foul odor?

 

Deb finally closed her mouth, glancing surreptitiously at the floor to make sure none of her teeth had fallen out. The fact the Captain had decided to personally lead the away team had been a huge surprise. Him leaving the CMO in charge of the ship went far beyond that. It was a heart stopping shock....especially to the CMO.

 

She glanced around to find the bridge crew gawking at her. Most were grinning. Some appeared to think it was funny but there were a couple who were clearly nervous about this unexpected development. Then there was Lieutenant Commander Brian Smith. His expression was a combination of both...mixed in with a little disappointment. Clearly surprised by the Captain's decision to leave Deb in charge, she had no doubt Brian would have been more than pleased to assume command, even if was only temporary.

 

Deb slowly moved toward the center seat. The Reaent had just undergone an extensive refit so this was a new bridge. Even the Captain hadn't spent a lot of time in this particular chair. As she moved closer to it, she felt her mood darkening.

 

She should have suspected Michaels was up to something when he unexpectedly appeared in Sickbay requesting an exam. She'd been his doctor for years and that was the first time he'd ever willingly showed up for a physical. She was usually forced to threaten to declare him unfit for duty before he would begrudgingly drag himself into Sickbay. "I must have missed something," she mumbled, drawing closer to the troublesome chair. "Obviously, he's not well."

 

Adding to her disagreeable mood was the attitude of some of the bridge crew. More than one seemed to consider her incapable of handling the responsibility. Granted, she rarely had such an opportunity, nor did she desire it. But she had no doubt she could handle it....up to a point. The Captain must have considered the risks before giving her the assignment...and they must have been negligible. Then again, she suspected their esteemed leader was suffering from a mysterious malady that she had somehow overlooked during his recent physical...a malady that might have affected his mental acuity.

 

Dr. Deborah Matthews stood directly in front of the illustrious command chair and stared at it for a long moment. Drawing a deep breath, she gracefully sat down, impressed by how comfortable it was. Leaning back, she forced herself to relax, silently reviewing various command protocols. Around her, the bridge resumed to a somewhat normal state. Deb offered a prayer the situation would remain just that....normal.

 

Casting a quick look to her left, it suddenly occurred to her the XO was missing. Of course he was! If he'd been on the bridge when the Captain left, she wouldn't be sitting in this oversized chair right now. Was he in on this as well....a willing participant in the CO's little joke? Considering the circumstances, she was mildly embarrassed she hadn't noticed this sooner. Looking straight ahead, she addressed the ops officer sitting at the station in front of her. "Maintain orbit and continue tracking the shuttle. And would you kindly locate the XO."