Distraction "
By: Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]
Giuseppe Silvio, Chief Engineer, [RNPC]

Stardate: 58205.25 1415

Patia watched, silently, as the other senior officers filed from the room. She pivoted slowly in her chair. The gentle sway keeping time with her thoughts. There was no way to avoid it; she was going to have to mention the men in the brig to Silvio. He would be the last one to leave before her. Intently she stared at his back.

Silvio waited at the door to the conference room as all the senior staff seemingly tried to go through at the same time. Silvio realized Patia was not among them and could feel her eyes burning a hole in his back. Smiling, her turned around and looked at her, "Are you coming?"

Absently, she nodded. She gathered her PADD and slowly rose from her seat. As Patia crossed the room she locked eyes with Silvio, her expression serious.

Silvio let the smile slip from his face as he noticed her expression. He was certain they had worked out their issues regarding Mason, but the look on her face was less than thrilled, "You look unhappy," he said, "What is the matter?"

"Do you have a minute," Patia asked, "before you need to get back to engineering?"

"Sure," said Silvio, "What's up?"

"Walk with me back to my office," Patia asked, her eyebrow arched. "There is something I wanted to discuss with you about the crew and we don't need to fuel any more rumors."

Silvio nodded as they left the conference room and got onto the turbolift. "Deck 8," said Silvio.

Patia shifted impatiently from one foot to the other, even though the ride took mere seconds. The doors whooshed open and Patia strode through them, moving toward her office at a sharp clip.

Once inside her office Silvio made himself comfortable on the couch. He absently picked up a bright yellow pillow and set it in his lap.

Patia settled into her chair. The only concession she made to proper decorum were the shoes slipped off in front of her seat. She tucked her feet underneath her and wrapped the fingers of her left hand around her ankle. "I understand you have a couple men in the brig, Chief," Patia began.

Silvio sighed, "Yes, Busch and Spencer, they got into a little fight last night." He paused wondering why she was worried about them, "Why do you ask?"

"Did you hear what the fight was about?" Patia asked. Her fingers flexed and squeezed the delicate flesh of her ankle as she waited for his reply.

"Chief Jarvis said they had a drunken fight in Miranda's," said Silvio.

"Did she tell you what the fight was about?" she continued?

Silvio shrugged, "Not really, I assumed it was just some trivial disagreement. Do you know what it was about?"

"Apparently, there was a question about the nature of our relationship. It escalated and now two members of your team are cooling their heels in the brig." Patia sighed.

"It was about our relationship," said Silvio, "What a dumb thing to be fighting about. How did you find this out?"

Patia blushed. "Chief Jarvis didn't want to go into the details in the meeting in the hopes of avoiding an embarrassment for us, since we were both present. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, she didn't restrain her thoughts on the matter. I don't know all the details, but I am a little concerned about the general principle of the situation."

Silvio sighed, "So what do you want to do?"

"I am interested in hearing your thoughts, since it was your men, but I am also concerned about the potential impact within the rest of your team. Is this relationship too disruptive to your department? Especially considering the current status of our mission?" Patia asked. She was concerned about his response, and hoped it didn't validate her question.

"Busch and Spencer are hot heads," he said, "Our relationship is not disruptive to my department." In fact, his team was doing very well right now. "Please do not think that these two hot heads are a good representation of the whole engineering department because they are not."

Patia shifted her leg and propped her chin on her knee. "So you are saying Busch and Spencer have drawn brig time for other incidents between the two of them? Or this is the first time their behavior has escalated to this point?"

"No, this is the first time they have been tossed into the brig, but I am not surprised, they both like to run their mouths off. If it wasn't us, it would have been something else that got them tossed into the brig."

"But it was us, it wasn't something else." Patia shook her head. "How much of a topic of conversation is our relationship within your group?"

"They are not talking to me about it," said Silvio, "I am sure it has been discussed, but I Just do not see that it is something that is distracting them. Busch and Spencer are an aberration." Silvio, was going to have a nice chat with those two after he let them sit for awhile longer in the brig. "Perhaps I should send them to you for an evaluation," suggested Silvio.

"I will accept your assessment of the situation, but I am concerned should this situation escalate, Silvio. The safety and serenity of the crew must be preserved, perhaps an anger management evaluation for crewmen Busch and Spencer is in order. No matter the cause of the disagreement, the reaction was extreme," Patia replied.

"I will have them report to you after the get out of the brig," said Silvio. About your other concern, it is a valid one, and I will pay closer attention to things; if there are any more problems we will have to deal with it then. ok?" Silvio smiled at her. "I need to get down to engineering, we have to get this ship battle ready."

"Please, let me know if you feel the situation is getting out of hand," Patia smiled slightly. "Although I don't think you will need the well wishes, good luck with the battle preparations." Patia stood, gracefully. "Thank you for meeting with me about this situation."

Silvio stood up, looking at Patia he gently tossed the yellow pillow at her, "It will be ok."

The corners of Patia's lips upturned gently as she caught the flying cushion. "One way or the other, it will work out, I know. I will see you later, then?"

"I will be working late tonight, I will try to stop in and see you this evening though," Silvio smiled. He thought about telling her he loved her again, but then decided that she probably already knew he was thinking it anyway. "I will see you later."

"I will be here late as well. You know how to track me down, but don't be surprised if you find me in the office," Patia brushed her palms against the pants of her uniform.

"I'll find ya," said Silvio as he headed for the door.