Trading Problems

Posted on Sun Dec 14th, 2025 @ 11:30pm by Lieutenant JG Katie Kellerman & Lieutenant JG Kally Kellerman & Senior Chief Petty Officer Jadizon Enor

Mission: A Princess Of Tial
Location: Katie's Quarters
Timeline: Evening, After Looking for the Doc

"And she just went nuts on me," Katie said, sniffling. She had her head on Jadizon's shoulder, snuggled up with him on her bed. "Evidently I'm supposed to override the shuttlebay manager and do all the shuttle work myself. I don't know when that rule started, but I missed it and now Jenna's furious with me."

Enor shifted slightly so Katie could settle more comfortably against him, one arm coming around her without hesitation. “Hey,” he said quietly, voice low and steady. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You’ve been carrying more than your share, and anyone paying attention knows that. Sometimes people get loud when they’re overwhelmed. That doesn’t make them right.”

"Yeah but we work our butts off, and she's acting like all we do is sit around! I've never had so much to do since I started this post! And that's just computer work! You know, the thing I'm specialized in."

He exhaled slowly, thumb tracing a small, absent pattern along her arm. “You’re not sitting around. You never have. You’re doing exactly what you’re trained for, and you’re doing it well. Just because someone doesn’t understand the workload doesn’t mean it isn’t real. I see it. So do a lot of other people, even if they don’t always say it out loud.”

Katie leaned up and kissed his jaw. "Thanks," she said.

The doors to Katie's quarters opened and Kally walked in, her eyes dark and her mood low. "Hello, you two," she said. She walked over and leaned over, kissing Jadizon softly, then Katie. She noted Katie's puffy eyes and tear-streaked face, frowning at her. "What's wrong?"

"Jenna tore me a new one because I didn't do something," Katie said.

Kally wiped a tear from Katie's cheek and kissed her again. "I'll hear all about it in a bit. Just give me five."

Katie nodded as Kally quickly divested herself of a layer or two, heading for the bathroom. While Kally was gone, Katie snuggled closer to Jadizon and kissed his neck again. "So, yeah, I appreciate you listening to me vent. It's just been a stressful day."

Enor dipped his head slightly, resting his temple against hers for a moment. “You’re allowed to be frustrated. You’re allowed to vent. That’s part of surviving days like this.” His tone softened. “I’m glad you came to me. You don’t have to carry it all by yourself.”

A few minutes later, Kally stepped out of the bathroom, fresh from the sonic shower, and walked over to Katie's dresser to steal something. She pulled out a pair of shorts and a tshirt and slipped them on quickly. She turned and walked back to the bed, coming around and sitting down by Jadizon's other side. "And how are you doing?" she said, rubbing his knee.

Enor took a breath to answer, but it did not come as easily as it should have. “I’m steady,” he said, though the word felt thin the moment it left his mouth. His gaze drifted for a heartbeat, unfocused, like he was listening past the room.

You always say that, the voice whispered, closer now. Not loud. Certain. And every time, you believe it a little less.

His fingers flexed against his leg without him noticing. A faint pressure built behind his eyes, not pain, just weight. Like something settling in.

Katie frowned up at him, feeling the difference in his mood, her face concerned.

“I’m just worn down,” he added, quieter. “That’s all.”

If that were true, you wouldn’t feel me this clearly, the voice replied, no longer asking permission to be there. You opened the door. I only stayed.

Enor rubbed at his temple, the motion absent, instinctive. He did not recognize it as surrender, only fatigue. “Being here helps,” he said, forcing a small smile that barely held.

The voice did not retreat this time. It lingered, patient and calm, as if it had nowhere else to be. Rest, it murmured. You’re already doing the hard part for me.

Katie frowned more. "Why didn't you tell me you were tired?" she said, sitting up and immediately going into Nurture Mode. "I wouldn't have taken so much of your energy with my own complaints."

Jadizon went still for a breath, eyes unfocusing as something brushed the edge of his awareness. His jaw tightened.

Not now.

The thought carried weight. A deliberate push. The sense of a door closing somewhere deep and familiar, reinforced by habit and discipline. Whatever had been pressing in receded, muffled but not gone. The quiet that followed was controlled, intentional.

When he spoke again, his tone was steady, practiced.

“I didn’t say anything because it didn’t feel like something that needed attention,” he said calmly. “I was tired. That’s all.”

Katie put a hand on his chest, opening her mind and sending him some comforting thoughts. "You need rest too," she said. "Don't be afraid to ask me to let you rest."

At Katie’s touch, he let her in just enough to feel reassurance without inviting questions. “I appreciate the concern,” he added gently. “Truly.”

"Are you still having headaches?" Kally said, her tone more analytical, but just as concerned. She looked in his eyes and felt his forehead.

"Headaches?" Katie said, frowning at him.

"Mister Drake blew through my Sickbay today," Kally said. "And in between disrupting my staff and overtly, accidentally, objectifying my head nurse, he told me you were having headaches and looking distracted in a staff briefing." She leaned forward and looked him in the eyes, also opening her mind and letting him feel her concern. "If you're feeling that bad, you need to take some time to recover." She gave him a small smile. "Do I need to confine you to our quarters?"

He turned his head toward Kally. “Drake did come to me earlier,” Jadizon said evenly. “He noticed I seemed off during a briefing and asked if I was all right.” A brief pause. “I told him it was nothing major. Just a long day catching up with me.”

His thumb brushed once along his jaw, thoughtful. “If he thought it rose to the level of a medical concern, I’d like to understand what he saw that made him think that.” He met Kally’s eyes, open but composed. “I’m not dismissing it. I just don’t want it to become something bigger than it is.”

The room felt quieter after that. Not tense. Just… contained.

"All right," Kally said after a moment. "As of tomorrow you will be delegating some responsibilities and restricting your work hours to 35 per week until further notice. No more 'one more thing' nights that turn into three hours of overtime. You will be under observation for the next two weeks to gauge your stress levels and your ability to relax afterwards."

"I promise I will make a thorough and comprehensive report for you, Doctor," Katie said, sounding overly professional and stern.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Kally said professionally. She moved onto the bed, straddling one of his legs, Katie mirroring the position on his other leg, the two of them effectively pinning him down. "And while you may have as much alone time as you wish," Kally said, "we are going to ensure you have some fun in your new off hours. Some socializing, some private time on the holodeck." She leaned in an purred. "And some private time at home." She kissed him gently as Katie leaned in and did the same. "Otherwise, you are going to learn that all work and no play makes Kally a grumpy Doctor, and makes you confined to quarters. Am I clear, dorogoy?"

Jadizon drew in a slow breath, the weight of the moment settling before he spoke. “I understand the intent,” he said evenly. “Delegation, observation, adjustments. That part’s clear.”

His gaze settled on Kally, steady and unflinching. “What I’m pushing back on is the hard cap.” He shifted slightly beneath them, not trying to break free, just reclaiming ground. “Thirty-five hours works on a chart. It doesn’t always work in practice.”

At Katie’s overly formal tone, he exhaled once, almost a chuckle. “Lieutenant, if that report comes back with appendices, I’m blaming you.”

Then back to Kally. “I don’t chase overtime because I can’t switch off. I do it because when something needs finishing, I finish it. That’s not poor stress management. That’s how I’ve kept people safe for a long time.”

A brief pause, then a concession that was clearly considered. “That said, I can ease the load.” He nodded once. “I’ll temporarily assign Kael as Chief’s Liaison, provisional status. He can absorb some of the cross-deck coordination and keep things moving without everything bottlenecking through me.”

His voice stayed calm, measured. “I’ll delegate more. I’ll walk away sooner when it actually can wait. I’ll submit to observation.” He met her eyes directly. “But I need flexibility. Not a blanket restriction that assumes every ‘one more thing’ is a mistake.”

"As you know, I am extremely flexible," Kally said, with a wry grin. "The important thing is that we get you to scale back a bit. And your willingness to compromise makes me all the more willing to do so too." She held his hand and smiled.

The edge eased, just a fraction.

“As for the rest,” he added dryly, “I’ll trust your definition of ‘fun.’” A beat. “Even if it feels suspiciously like compliance training.”

"We're only being bossy because we love you," Katie said, leaning forward and hugging him tightly. "So trust your girlfriends to have your best interest at heart, and tell us when something's wrong, okay? I know you're my rock, but we can be yours too."

Jadizon let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and settled into the embrace, one arm coming up around her without pulling away.

“I know,” he said quietly. “And I don’t doubt where it’s coming from.”

He rested his forehead briefly against hers, voice low and steady. “Being the rock is easy. It’s familiar. Letting someone see the cracks… that takes more work.”

A pause. Then, honest. “I don’t always know when something’s wrong until it’s already been wrong for a while. But I hear you.”

His grip tightened just slightly, grounding. “I’ll try to say it sooner. And if I don’t…” a faint, wry breath, “…you have permission to be bossy.”

He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “I trust you. Both of you.”

Katie looked back at him and smiled, pouring nothing but love through their connection and leaned in to kiss him again. "I should get dinner started," she said when they broke apart.

"You two cuddle. I'll get dinner set," Kally said. She stood up and leaned over, giving each of them a kiss, lingering on Jadizon's for a moment and then standing up and turning to the replicator while Katie snuggled down into his arms.