Captain Lannister was awakened by a knock at his door. He ordered lights at half brightness, not wanting to shock his one good eye. He groaned and looked around the room. It was an efficiency about fifteen feet square, with an enclosed sleeping bunk on one side and a kitchenette and private bath on the other. He had a small worktable/desk and a couch for visitors. Two of the pilots had offered to bunk up so that he could have a room "suitable for an officer of your rank" as Captain Dowlings said. Every time she visited she wondered aloud if it was indeed suitable and tried to offer either her quarters or the master healer's.
Lannister politely refused each time. Truthfully, he found these quarters too big. He hadn't been able to save a single personal possession from his former ship. All he owned were a handful of clothing items they had given him and the slate. The work table was almost as superfluous. The room was barren and too big for his needs. If anything it served to remind him of what he had lost. There were times when he wished he were bunked up with his crew, still celebrating their survival.
The knock came again and he slid the door open. A man stood at attention. He was in the red of Consortium military and put his hand to his chest.
Lannister returned the salute.
"Sir, there's been an incident," the man began, Harish was his name.
"I figured, since you woke me. May I dress?"
"Yes, sir."
It only took a moment and since the outfit he pulled on was almost identical to the one he took off it was, perhaps, a pointless gesture. He slid his feet into a pair of soft soled shoes that he still thought were more like slippers than proper shoes, but this was all anyone wore on the ship.
On the way he said, "so what happened?"
"There has been an altercation between one of your men and a healer."
"Did my man do anything?"
"Just threaten, sir," the man in red said. "Scared her enough to call us in, though."
"What was this altercation over?"
"He keeps insisting he's in horrible pain. He had took a bad spill in the blast and hurt his back or something," Harish said. "Only the healer keeps insisting his back is fine and that his pain receptors are quiet. He got really mad, said a computer can't tell you how someone is feeling. Demanded they start doing something to treat him."
Chief Master of Arms Sutton joined them as they walked down the hall. When they came to the medical bay they were greeted first by Fox. He snapped a salute.
"Holy cow," Lannister muttered as he saw the metallic arm that now sprouted from Fox's stump. He caught himself and returned the salute. "Fox."
"Were you involved in this?" Sutton demanded.
"He put a stop to it," Kavinda said as he joined them in the hallway.
Captain Dowlings and her entourage were coming down another hall, accompanied by a female security officer.
"I suggest," Kavinda said, "that we adjourn to the nearest conference room and discuss this."
"I agree," Bankim said as he came out.
"The man?"
"Nara's with him, though he's cooperating now," Bankim said.
The conference room was empty except for a dozen or more low backless stools. As they sat, Fox noticed how the Others tend to sit with one or both legs tucked under them, their backs erect. The Americans tended to sit with legs out or down, their backs against the wall.
Fox didn't sit. He saluted Lannister one more time and said, "Sir, I am ready to give my report now." Lannister nodded and Fox talked. He told them everything, his suspicions back on the Cambridge, the behaviors he saw since their arrival and his discussion with Runningbear in the medical bay. Everyone listened in silence.
"How is the man now?" Captain Dowlings asked when Fox had finished his report.
Nara was standing in the doorway, listening. "He's tame as a pussy cat now," they said. "No problem at all. Says he's very sorry for his outburst."
"I say that's it, then," Kavinda said. "It was a misunderstanding, pure and simple. Now we know better. Such things can be prevented in the future. I will advise my healers to watch for these signs of addiction. We can make these people more comfortable while they are here. Whether they stay off the substance after, that's up to them."
"What?" Bankim groused. "A misunderstanding? He threatened a healer. I've a brig for such behavior."
"Right," Sutton agreed. "When we leave, we'll see his properly punished at home as well. It's against our law to use these substances."
"Really," Kavinda scolded. "When people are sick or hurt, they say things. It's stressful. Surely it's not what the brig is for. If I had every patient that ever got mad over a treatment locked up."
Captain Dowlings looked across at Lannister. "I tend to agree with Kavinda. This was a misunderstanding, nothing more. What say you?"
"It's your ship and we are but guests here." Lannister spared a glance at Sutton. "A report on his behavior will have to be made to my superiors, sooner or later. I'd prefer later. If you consider him a danger, let my men do the holding, please. I'll order him to stay in his quarters, have men bring him food. What do you think, Fox?"
Fox gulped. Sutton was going to have a cow about Lannister asking Fox's opinion, rather than his own. He was going to have an even bigger cow about what Fox felt obligated to say.
"Drugs like this are against our law," he said. "But studies have shown that voluntary treatment is most successful in dealing them, not enforcement. I think, I think there are likely others with similar problems. If we make it clear that the healer's have treatments for this, and we aren't going to punish anyone for seeking them..."
"We will avoid having this happen again," Lannister finished. "But how to get the message out discreetly?"
"Let this man carry the message himself," Nara said from the doorway. "Let him go free. Fox and I, we'll keep an eye on him. If he makes problems again, we'll drag him straight to Bankim's brig. But I doubt he will."
Captain Dowlings nodded. "I like this solution. And Captain Lannister? I apologize. I begin now to see what you mean by cultural differences. Perhaps your security crew should work with ours. They will have a better understanding of things like this."
"As you wish," Lannister replied. "And thank you. I apologize for my man's behavior. I promise it won't happen again."
"Fox?" Lannister said as the conference broke up.
Fox came over to him and saluted.
"Good job."
"Thank you, sir."
"Officer Sutton," Lannister said, with a quick look at the Chief's retreating back. "Is a great officer. I have been glad to have him on every other mission." The other hung in the air between them. "This time, I just want to keep things cool, try to get through this without any problems, understand?"
Fox thought he did. "Yes, sir."
"I would like you to report to me occasionally, directly. Keep me posted of any problems."
"Yes, sir."
With that Lannister took off, back towards his quarters.
Fox stepped out into the hall to find Nara still there. "Looks like we've got an assignment together," she said.
"Keeping an eye on Runningbear," Fox said with a grimace. "Story of my life." Nara raised an eyebrow. Fox shrugged. "Seems like someone is always wanting me to keep an eye on someone else."
"I don't think he'll be a problem no more," Nara said. "And we've another job. Captain Dowlings has asked me to switch permanently to security to back up Bankim. Or possibly keep an eye on him, as you say."
"I get the feeling he doesn't like us much," Fox commented.
"I suspect, you're right," Nara said. "But he's not a bad man, if a little set in his ways. Besides, Captain Dowling has final say."