morning after

[hallelujahpilot]

She has spent rougher nights; rougher nights in brigs, even. On way less sleep. That doesn't mean she feels any better walking into Quaritch's office, though.

(she's trying to ignore the bruises, and the fact that the damn table caught her right across her ass; she actually succeeds fairly well.)

She was the one who threw the first punch, so she gets to go first.

Lucky her.

Comments

[not-inkansas.livejournal.com]

Quaritch hasn't had a great night either, but that's more because unlike Trudy, he has to interview everyone so nobody can say they didn't get to say their piece...which is setting up to make for a complete wasted day.

Standing behind his desk, Quaritch waits for Trudy to salute. He is not enjoying this one bit.

[hallelujahpilot]

Oh, she salutes. Sharp despite the hangover, not a shake to her hand.

"Sir."

[not-inkansas.livejournal.com]

Quaritch returns the salute.

"Well?"

He's going to let her explain herself before chewing her out. Frankly, he's quite curious as to what she'll say.

[hallelujahpilot]

"I shouldn't have done that, sir."

[not-inkansas.livejournal.com]

Quaritch nods. "Good answer. Best I've heard all morning, in fact." And he takes a deep breath. "Could you give me a bit more detail? McKinley is trying to say you had no reason to hit him."

He knows that's baloney, but he still needs a contradicting statement. The fact that the video's audio is actually inaudible at that point otherwise leaves it as his ear vs. McKinley's word. He wins in that case, but this is...not his favorite situation to be in if he can help it.

[hallelujahpilot]

Trudy's eyes flash pure anger for a moment, but she takes a deep and calming breath before answering.

"I overheard him insulting my former co-pilot, sir." Her former, dead co-pilot. "I heard him quite clearly, as there was a lull in the room noise. I asked him what he said, and he repeated his statement, making sure that I knew he was talkin' about Chief Warrant Officer Schimdt. I gave him opportunity to take it back, and he refused.

He called her a nigger bitch, sir." She's dead. She remembered my birthday, and she was killed, and they had to cut her body out of our Samson because the front was so fucking smashed up, and he had the nerve - "And I snapped. Given he's nearly a foot taller than me, I didn't think I'd be able to reach his jaw without getting too close, so I grabbed a bottle."

Her voice is very, very even.

[not-inkansas.livejournal.com]

Quaritch nods. His eyes are almost sympathetic; he doesn't like the situation he's in. But it happens, it's part of the job, and so he takes a deep breath.

"You are, of course, aware that technically speaking you committed assault with a deadly weapon." That's a statement, not a fact. "But I am also taking statements from everyone else, reviewing the tapes, and I was there."

[hallelujahpilot]

Beat.

"Yessir," Trudy says, meaning 'yes, I know' to both parts of what he said. She would just...like to try and avoid overtly saying 'yes, I knew you were there, and I did it anyway'.

[not-inkansas.livejournal.com]

"Two weeks in the brig. McKinley's going to get everything I can afford to get him." Chain of command issues be damned, he'll have McKinley's boss in here all day hearing about it if that's what it takes.

Then, quietly, Quaritch smiles. "One other thing, Chacon. Good shot." That shouldn't even be audible outside of the office, and so help him if Trudy says anything to anyone about it. "Dismissed."

[hallelujahpilot]

It would be unprofessional to smirk, so Trudy doesn't. Her lips curve, just a little bit, before she salutes him.

"Sir," she says, and leaves the room with her back straight.

Two weeks. It's a slap on the wrist.

She can handle that.

(One other thing, Chacon. Good shot.)

And it's totally, utterly worth it.

[not-inkansas.livejournal.com]

Quaritch returns the salute, and then makes a note to call Geology for a long chat.