Joint Duty Log - CO & CMO - aCapt Rhodes & Dr Rogers - Interrogating Doctor Rogers

Posted on 241408.10 @ 9:31am by Lieutenant Scarlet Rogers MD & Acting Captain Mark Rhodes

=*=Brig=*=

Doctor Rogers sat in the corner at the far side of her cell. She had her head resting on her knees. She refused to sit on the bed provided as she had been bed ridden anyway for the past week and a bit. The floor was a welcomed uncomfortable alternative. Her embarrassment of being forced to stay in the brig was getting to her and it had barely been just over a week. She hid her face more out of the fact that she felt her dignity had died a long with her reputation in a matter of a few days. She was emotionally drained and she was getting to her physical limit for pain. On hearing footsteps she peered up from her lap slightly.

Acting Captain Mark Rhodes stepped into the brig and put a hand up to the security officer who as preparing to escort him in. He stepped through the doorway and moved in front of the cell that held Doctor Rogers. "Good afternoon Doctor Rogers," said Mark stopping in front of her cell, spacing his feet about shoulder width apart and crossing his arms behind his back.

"Is it?" she asked slightly croaky but mostly in disgust of her lack of time awareness.

"It is," said Mark. "I have come here to hopefully exonerate you, and send you on your merry way. I trust the security staff has been treating you with respect?"

"Yeah, they've offered to play ping pong with me and to keep me entertained whilst allowing me my privacy when getting changed, not to mention the beautiful three course dinners every day," Scarlet said sarcastically.

"Delightful, good to hear," said Mark ignoring the sarcasm. "So are you feeling up to having a discussion today?" asked Mark changing gears. He didn't like the CMO sitting in the brig, but he needed to figure out what the hell was going on with her before he let her go back to having her run of the ship.

"I am, but please excuse me for not standing up," she sat up straight slowly still aching quite a bit and with a wince continued, "I'm still not physically able to be human."

"Understood," said Mark. Mark then took a seat in front of the door of the cell crossing his legs in front of him. "Forgive me, I would prefer to be at your eye level. I wouldn't want to look down on you in these times of trouble.

"I would like to start by saying: if you withhold any information in this setting and I feel as though I am not getting the full truth, I will leave you in this cell. And I can assure you no one would question me on that fact. We are a very long way away from home, and even when we go home I would be willing to defend my position," said Mark looking sharply at the doctor.

"There are a few questionable instances that I would like to discuss with you. Why did you leave your security escort on Bimi Station?"

"I will be blunt," Scarlet starter, "Lucas and I do not have the best working relationship. Her attitude whilst we were talking to the merchant was appalling and almost cost us the supplies. When we left I saw something and asked her to check it out because I was unsure of who it was. They looked like officers in Starfleet officers but I wasn't sure. I turned away to look at a stall I was near and when I turned back she had vanished. I assume lost in the crowd. I attempted to go find someone, or even her, but found Rinehart. In one sense, I was not upset I had lost Lucas because of personal and professional reasons."

"But you know when we are in a state of charged climate, like we are now, with uncertainty where peoples loyalties are, losing your escort doesn't look very good. What's to say you didn't signal the bounty hunter that was after Rinehart? I am not saying you were looking to collect a bounty, but if you are a traitor to the fleet, running off from your escort doesn't support your case of loyalty. You could have done anything while you were on your own. You could have signaled the UFP for all we know. They could be barring down on us as we speak. I don't care what the state of your professional relationship is, I don't care the state of your personal relationship, you are duty bound to follow protocol."

"You honestly think I would kill one of my closest friends I've ever had and not only risk her life, but risk my own. Not only from a bounty hunter but from you as well," Scarlet angrily said in honesty.

"From me? What is there to defend against myself?" asked Mark out curiosity intrigued by the answer.

"You and Rinehart are getting close, she's told me," Scarlet shrugged slightly, "It's more the case of if Tierney got shot because of me, then you'd be after me too, and I'm not sure who I'd be more scared of: Someone with a gun or someone with access to my records and a gun."

"My relationship with Commander Rinehart is not the question here. The question is whether or not you are a traitor, dear Doctor," said Mark smoothly. "I am not the one who has gotten into physical altercations with fellow senior staff, I am not the one who has threatened several members of the senior staff with being deemed unfit for duty, I am not the one who took off from her security escort in a foreign port, unarmed, to do god knows what. From an outside looking in, Doctor Rogers, there is a reason you are sitting in your fishbowl."

"At least fish get entertaining scenery," Rogers muttered, "In all truth, I understand what the evidence points to, I just know that I'm innocent and I don't know how I can prove it."

"Hence the problem we are both looking to solve," admitted Mark. "I don't like keeping my CMO in the brig. I suppose we are going to have to reach a middle ground. I need to trust you in saying you are innocent, and you need to trust me to command this boat."

"All I am guilty of is questioning your authority, including that of requesting advice from my prior captain," Scarlet pleaded.

"It is your place to do so in an appropriate manner. Threatening to have me deemed unfit for command simply because we do not see eye to eye, I would say in a professional sense, is not appropriate. To throw around such a serious allegation is unbecoming of an officer," said Mark. "You know how serious it is to mention such a change, let alone throwing it around at two of the senior staff of this ship, CO included."

"One of which, that relationship has been repaired. One is in the process and the other has no hope at this present second," Scarlet sighed, "Sir, as much as I am trying to get my head around your judgement of throwing me in the brig, but I would do better physically and mentally under a form of house arrest in my own quarters. I am going insane in here. I am emotionally and physically drained. I haven't done anything wrong, and yet I am being punished for potentially saving the life of a fellow officer and friend," Scarlet looked to the floor and attempted to pick herself up slowly with the help of the bunk provided.

"No," said Mark flatly. "That will not be happening. You will be staying in this cell until this is sorted out. At least this isn't going on your personal file, a blemish like this would effect a career doctor. The Chief of Security has reasons to keep you here, and I trust her judgement. If you need to speak with a counselor for your emotional problems, I am sure I could have one sent to speak with you."

"Of course Lucas would say that," Scarlet slammed her hands on the forcefield letting it flash wildly, "She's a trigger happy, god complexed woman with an attitude problem! And A shrink won't help, I want Thelin to talk to, or Tierney, I just need some sort of mental stimulation. This room is blank, there's nothing to do and the maximum social interaction I get, bar this, is when my meals arrive!"

"There is no need to get a temper doctor," said Mark standing. "Being held in captivity is a time honored tradition. If you truly did nothing wrong, then you would not be suffering from your captivity so severally. I would say I am sorry doctor, but under the current situation and suspicions, I am not sorry. There is a legitimate suspicion here."

"Do you have any idea what it is like to be falsely accused and then treated like a prisoner. I am still in recovery, my stress levels are high, I have no privacy here and I just want the comforts of my own bed," Scarlet stood up as straight as she could under the circumstances.

"You are still receiving just as efficient medical care as if you were in sickbay. I would hope the quiet is a good thing to help speed a long a recovery," said Mark continuing to sit cross legged.

"Going from the hero to the damsel isn't my idea of it being peaceful. I need something to do instead of being sat in here with stupid magazines that have read several times. Give me something to do!" Scarlet pleaded.

"I can provide you with a copy of Starfleet Regulations if you would like to reread them. Always good to brush up every now and again," said Mark.

Scarlet replied with a look of disgust, "are you fu-" she paused a moment and breathed, "maybe you should read it too. I've been in here too long, not to mention that Lucas has got off with assaulting a senior officer, harassment, stalker tendencies."

"The aforementioned suspensions on the part of the safety of this ship come first and foremost," said Mark. "There are far to many examples of questionable intent from you Doctor Rogers."

"So a potentially sociopathic, anger management member of personnel is safe," Scarlet mused, "Interesting!"

"Well I suppose hurling insults is where you have devolved to in your civil conversation," said Mark standing. "The Chief of Security will be along to speak with you... at some point. She has a few questions of her own. Until then, enjoy your solitude doctor."

Scarlet rolled her eyes, "At least I'm honest!" Scarlet slammed her hands once more against the forcefield.

Mark turned and headed toward the door of the brig breaking eye contact. "For someone in a spot of bother I would hope you would put a lid on the attitude, just a thought. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon Doctor," said Mark stepping through the doorway not allowing anymore time for another snarky comment.

Scarlet slammed both of her hands against the forcefield letting it flash wildly with a scream of hers in frustration followed by her shouting insults at this whole situation but mostly aimed at the captain for his slowness in all of this and his attitude.

--

Acting Captain Mark Rhodes
Commanding Officer
USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-F

&

Dr Scarlet Rogers
Chief Medical Officer
USS Enterprise