"Bruised enthusiasm" by Ensign T'Kang Assistant Engineer's Log: Stardate 9812.28 Lieutenant Hannoyh has informed me that the Bajoran officer, Gabriel Bolden, has been reassigned by Starfleet and will be leaving the USS Intrepid. Since Gabriel has been nothing but a constant thorn in my side since I arrived on the ship, preaching about manners and proper etiquette, I must admit I am not sad to see him go. The ship has docked with Starbase 202. Chief Engineer Hannoyh has me preparing to remove the warp core injector assembly in order to correct a misalignment in the plasma flow inducers. **** T'Kang opened his tool kit and began surveying his tools. Carefully he checked that every item was in it's proper place, occasionally removing one of the delicate instruments and verifying that the calibration seals were still in place and current to Starfleet specifications. "Is that a repulsion spanner?" came a chipper female voice from the Klingon's side, "I haven't seen one of those since the Academy." T'Kang's eyebrows furrowed as he turned and saw a pert young woman wearing an engineer's jumpsuit much like his own. "Yes. It is." He grumbled back with all the enthusiasm of a Rigellian blood worm. "It is needed to remove stem bolts 34 through 46 which do not have adequate clearance to extract with a conventional wrench." The strawberry blonde Engineer smiled, in spite the Klingon's rudeness. "That makes sense. No point in using a repulsion spanner if there's room for something else. My name is Darla, Darla O'Donald. I was assigned to help work on the warp core injectors." She smiled. She was very lithe, and delicate. Quite a contrast to the bulky warrior's build of the Klingon. Her hair was chopped short in what T'Kang believed was called a `pixie' style. T'Kang frowned. "Miss O'Donald, have you ever worked on a warp core injector assembly before? You do not seem old enough to have done so. No offense." "That's all right. You are right. I have never done this before. That is why Chief Hannoyh thought it would be a good idea for me to help out. So I can gain experience and learn through doing. Isn't that just great?!" Darla explained in an upbeat tone. T'Kang's expression turned from mild annoyance to outright disapproval in an instant. "Wonderful.." he bit through clenched teeth while returning to inventorying his tools. "This is my first assignment on a Starship since completing basic training at Starfleet. I can't wait to get started and learn all there is to know about a Starship like the Intrepid." Darla chatted on while T'Kang worked. "How about you sir? Have you been on board the Intrepid for very long?" T'Kang let out a low growl. Socializing and making `small talk' was not one of the Terran activities the Klingon was very good at. In fact it would be more than accurate to say T'Kang avoided it whenever possible. But given the situation where Chief Hannoyh placed him in charge of the warp core injector disassembly until she arrived, there looked like no way of avoiding it. "I have been on board for only a few months." He responded in a not too pleasant tone. "Really? How cool! So we are both pretty new here then." Darla smiled. T'Kang sighed. "They were a long few months *crewman*. In that time I have literally worked on every major sub- assembly and system on the ship." "That's great. I hope I am as fortunate as that. I can't wait to get started." Darla said enthusiastically. "So where were you assigned before the Intrepid sir?" T'Kang glanced over his shoulder and looked at the eager crewman. Her bubbly personality was really beginning to rake his nerves. "Before I was assigned to the Intrepid I was stationed someplace else. Now if you do not mind, I have to prepare these tools for use on the injection assemble." T'Kang growled rudely. This time, the Klingon's rudeness was not lost on the young engineer. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. Let me help you." Darla reached for one of T'Kang's tools which made the Klingon's eyes widen and his nostrils flare. With lightning speed, T'Kang reached out and latched onto the young engineer's wrist, grasping it firmly. "Do not touch my tools!" "Ow! You are hurting my wrist!" Darla called out, pulling it back while dropping the wrench she had picked up. T'Kang immediately released crewman O'Donald's wrist, but it was too late. He could tell his harsh grip had injured her delicate wrist. "You should not touch another's tools without getting permission first." the Klingon explained. Rubbing her bruised wrist gingerly, the young engineer looked at the Klingon with eyes welling in tears, though she was careful not to let them fall. It was obvious she was in a lot of pain. "I'm,. I'm sorry." She managed. T'Kang frowned for a moment and then asked, "Let me see your wrist." "It's okay." Darla said, turning to her side, away from T'Kang. The movement angered the Klingon. "That was an order crewman. Let me see your wrist, NOW." he scolded. Darla turned to faced the Klingon, but couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes. Instead she looked down at the ground even as she extended her injured wrist for the Ensign's examination. "You should report to sickbay and have this looked at. The doctors there can repair your injury so it will no longer cause you pain." T'Kang explained again in a condescending tone. He felt bad about causing the injury to the young engineer that was only trying to be nice, but he somehow couldn't bring his warrior's pride to say so. "It is nothing. I will be all right." Darla lied pulling her wrist back to herself. T'Kang regarded the engineer for a moment and then insisted, "You will report to sickbay immediately and have your injury attended to. When it has been repaired report back here. We should be ready to extract the warp core injection sub-assemble by then." Darla looked up at T'Kang and just looked at him for a moment. "I meant now crewman." T'Kang ordered sternly. "Yes sir." Miss O'Donald replied before turning to exit engineering and locate sickbay. T'Kang watched as the young engineer walked out. He felt bad for hurting her wrist, but just couldn't find the words to say so. Returning his attentions to his tools, the assistant Engineer continued getting things ready to extract the injector unit.