Timeout

Date/Timing: 20 January 2019
Setting: Marshal's office, The Shed; Vaucluse, NSW, Australia
.
"They won't stop!" wails Chief Kelly, throwing Klingon and Chuck to the floor.
Marshal Xiong peers over her monitor and mutes the wailing, klaxons, and hissing. "What would you like me to do about it?"
"Make them stop!"
Xiong looks at Chuck. 
Xiong looks at Klingon. 
Chief Kelly basks in the quiet. 
"Stop."
Chuck exchanges looks with Klingon.
Xiong unmutes her monitor. "Thomas, is there actually a fire?"
Klingon shrugs.
""I DON'T KNOOOOOW!!!!""
"But—that—they—"
Xiong mutes the monitor. "Do you expect me to give them a time out?"
"Yes?"
"Gentlemen, you are all adults. I will not solve this conflict for you."
Klingon pipes up, "Chuckles's still—"
"You /fucker!" Chuck roars, lunging—
Chief Kelly sticks out his leg and grabs—
"Very well." Xiong laces her fingers.
They freeze.
"Ranger Jones, sit in that corner. Cadet Hansen, sit in that corner. You will neither speak nor move from those spots for fifteen minutes. Chief Kelly, you're dismissed." She returns to the monitor. "Thomas, Chief Tse—"
Klingon smirks at Chuck.
""I CAN'T FIND HIM GOD HELP ME THEY'RE ALL GONE!!!""
Chuck makes a face at Klingon.
"Thomas—"
Klingon makes a face at Chuck.
""It's like they were never there! It's just a wall! With paint! Nothing!""
Chuck mimes something distasteful.
"Thomas, can you locate a triplet?"
"That's /it." Klingon goes for Chuck's throat except they're on either side of the door so Xiong's Squire clotheslines Klingon and flips him.
""There are triplets here.""
"Well done, Nang. Keep him there, please. Thomas—"
"Thank you, ma'am. May I sit on him?"
"Yes, you may. Thomas, there are triplets. In fact, there are three of them despite their best efforts to the contrary."
Nang plunks down on Klingon's stomach.
Chuck snickers.
""So I didn't have the same conversation with the same person eight times.""
"Doubtful, but I would not put it past them." says Xiong. "Cadet Hansen, Officer Nguyen's filing system is not correctly alphabetized; I'll have you deal with that, please."
Chuck gapes.
"You will find a washroom through that door, I recommend you make use of it."
"Wha ...?"
A light cough from Nang. 
Chuck attends—
Blushes as hard as he's ever blushed in his life. 
"Thomas, if you can find a triplet, they can help."
""Find a triplet. Okay. How do I find a triplet?""
"Follow the mayhem back to its source. Cadet Hansen, if you would prefer to let you condition work itself out, those cabinets aren't going to order themselves."
Category:Ficlet
Category:Cultural Exchange
Category:Chuck H
Category:Chuck H's POV
Category:Chuck H is a teenager
Category:Chuck H (ficlet)
Category:Hong Kong is a Madhouse
Category:Kelly
Category:Kelly (ficlet)
Category:Jackson
Category:Jackson (ficlet)
Category:Xiong
Category:Xiong (ficlet)
Category:Xiong's (cruel) unusual punishments
Category:Nguyen
Category:Nguyen (ficlet)
Category:Sydney Shatterdome (setting)
Category:Conversations via video
Category:Nang
Category:Nang (ficlet)
Category:Chantell (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Ficlets in need of tweaks