Go Over

Date/Timing: 13 January 2019
Setting: Marshal's conference room, The Icebox; Anchorage, AK, United States
.
"—team from Shinohara will arrive in three days to make the repairs. Until they're finished, the rest of you will cover /Brawler's scheduled patrols," intones Pentecost.
A collective groan.
The pile of Team Chrome Brutus sweater that is Cory jerks awake.
Cait bounces her heels.
Sergio places a hand on her thigh.
She squeezes it, keeps jiggling.
Sergio swallows a sigh.
"Anything else?"
Cait waves her hand in the air like a kindergartener.
Luna-May stifles a giggle with a gulp of non-DriftSci coffee (the traitor).
Zeke rolls his eyes.
Pentecost gives him a Look. "Yes, Doctor Lightcap?"
"We just got back from Sydney—"
"We know," mumbles Yancy.
Ilisapie elbows him.
"—and we found the most a-/mazing thing! A Universally Drift Compatible person!" Cait squees.
Raleigh leans forward, eyes bright. "Really?"
Pentecost raises an eyebrow. "The officer who Drifted with Cadet Hansen?"
"The very one! We're—"
Yancy frowns.
"—still crunching the data but we're going to learn /so much from him! Even more if you'd talk to Nguyen about transferring—"
"Doctor, let's discuss your recommendations in my office."
"Right now?"
"If there's nothing else ...?"
Silence around the table.
"Doctor, with me. The rest of you are dismissed."
Chairs scrape back.
Cait hops up, bounds over to Pentecost and out of the conference room.
Yancy wanders over, says quietly, "How did this go over with our Chuck?"
Sergio gathers his stuff. "Pretty well, actually."
"Really?"
"Really."
"That's ... good, right?"
"Think so." Shrugs. "I'm not the brain doctor." Raises his cup to Yancy. "See you around."
Yancy nods, heads off.
Sergio strolls back to the lab, knocks on one of the servers.
""Go away.""
"Want some hot cocoa?"
""No.""
"How're you doing?"
""I'm cold, my head hurts, and everything is /terrible.""
"Hot cocoa can help with at least one of those things."
""Fine.""
Sergio parks himself at the coffee filing cabinet. 
Luna-May shuffles in, nods to him. 
He nods back, indicates the kettle. 
She settles herself at her work station. ""That'd be great, thanks.""
Sergio flicks it on. 
""Hey, Chuck?""
""What?""
Sergio preps one cup. 
""How goes data-crunching?""
""I'm learning how to form a regex to get this stupid pile of numbers into something less awful.""
Sergio works on cup number two.
""That ... that's a really good idea.""
Sergio starts cup the third. 
""Need any help?""
""I'm figuring it out, okay?"" 
The tablet under the sugar bowl pings. 
Sergio rearranges things, wipes off the screen. 
""I'm just asking."" 
""Go ask someone else!""
.
TO: DRIFTSCI—Food tablet
FROM: CAFETERIA
SUBJECT: Darling_mealplan
[The Dining Room Proudly Presents--Your Dinner!.gif]
(except it's breakfast)
.
Sergio huffs a laugh, tucks the tablet away. "Chuck?"
""I'm busy!"" 
"I'm getting your breakfast."
A beat. 
""Thank you.""
Sergio grabs his sweater from the couch. "Luna-May, you want anything?"
"Oatmeal would be /amazing."
"Two sugars, one pack of nuts?"
Luna-May smiles. "You two are so cute."
Sergio cringes. "That's Caitlin."
"That's Caitlin." 
"One sugar, two packs of nuts?" 
"Got it in two." 
Sergio hangs his head, slinks from the lab, then heads down to the mess hall. 
""D'onofrio!"" shouts a cook. 
Sergio gets himself to the gallery. "I'm here."
The cook hands him a warmer. "One extra-fatty, high-calorie Native Alaskan porridge for your charming intern."
"Especially charming this morning."
"I was being sarcastic."
"So was I." Sergio shoulders the warmer, snags a handful of topping packets. "Got any Ranger oatmeal back there—"
His phone buzzes 'urgent'. 
"Hang on, sorry."
"No worries." The cook disappears into the back. 
AGNIS: DS Code 000: Possible emergency in progress // Motion sensors: suggest a sudden change in S-CDAR_533.48-G's center of gravity; detect brief, urgent movement along one vector
Lt_Sergio_Lightcap:: Seizure?
Lightcaps_Eleven: Right on schedule!
"Hey?"
""Yea?""
A Canadian strolls by, "Heee-eey yea-ah." 
Sergio calls, "Can I take a raincheck on Chuck's breakfast?" 
"Something come up?" 
Sergio hands back the warmer. "Yea. Thanks for the oatmeal, though." 
"And an extra in case Intern Sunshine gets hungry." 
Another Canadian cheers, "All the oatmeal!" 
"Thanks," says Sergio. 
"You're welcome; have a good day!"
"You, as well."
Category:Ficlet
Category:Skeleton Key
Category:Anchorage Shatterdome (setting)
Category:Shinohara Heavy Industries (mention)
Category:Stacker
Category:Stacker (ficlet)
Category:Caitlin
Category:Caitlin (ficlet)
Category:Sergio
Category:Sergio (ficlet)
Category:Zeke
Category:Zeke (ficlet)
Category:Yancy
Category:Yancy (ficlet)
Category:Ilisapie
Category:Ilisape (ficlet)
Category:Raleigh
Category:Raleigh (ficlet)
Category:Pietr (mention)
Category:Chuck H (mention)
Category:Chuck D
Category:Chuck D (ficlet)
Category:Nguyen (mention)
Category:Cory
Category:Cory (ficlet)
Category:Luna-May
Category:Luna-May (ficlet)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Hyperbole and a Half (reference)
Category:Canadians
Category:Outcast (reference)