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Clara arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Clara has arrived.
Niko is working, yup. Of course. What else would he be doing. He casts an
annoyed look at one particular form, but his expression clears as he looks
up. "Hey, Clara. What's up, y'need something?"
Clara makes her way in, a chart folded closed in her arms, and for once looking particularly serious as she stops before a particular desk and ventures a half smile. "Can I talk to you, Niko? It's important."
Niko nods amiably, setting aside his work--oh, the horror. "Sure, yeah. Here?
Somewhere else?"
Clara's eyes flicker over the busy room for a moment thoughtfully before she
answers, "Perhaps somewhere a bit more quiet? I...this is best discussed
quietly," she adds, dropping her voice so that it doesn't carry beyond the
desk.
Niko keys off his terminal and gets to his feet, snagging his soda as he does
so. Can't exist without caffeine, after all. "Your office? I'd offer mine,
but, well, I don't have one. Or the room." Gesturing vaguely upwards, he
grins faintly at that, though he's also apparently caught some of your
seriousness.
Clara laughs quietly and nods, tucking the chart up under one arm. "Sounds good. You can get reacquainted with McCoy," she decides, heading for the door.
[Travelspam deleted.]
Niko trails in after you, expression thoughtful. McCoy gets a brief half-salute
before Niko inquires, "So what's up? I feel like I should be talking into my
pen or something."
Clara ignores the desk for a moment to head over and drop lightly into one
corner of the couch, rubbing at her forehead. "Talking into your pen?" That
gets a faintly puzzled grin. "You're a spy?" Still, she can't repress a sigh,
and taps at the chart. "It's Riley."
Niko leans against the arm of the couch, expression suddenly serious. "What's
the matter? He's been working too hard, I know--I've been trying to get stuff
done, but, well... there's only so much time in a day." The words tumble from
his mouth before he cuts them off and shakes his head, downing a swallow of
his soda before he turns back to you.
Clara leans back at gives you a rather solemn look. "That's just it, exactly.
He finally let me give him a physical last night, albeit at home and at 0200.
The man hasn't been getting more than four hours sleep a night for a while
now. I did tell him I didn't want him to work more than twelve hours a day,
six days a week. What do you think? Reasonable?"
Niko nods firmly, after a moment of consideration. "More than reasonable--if you can hold him to it. I can do more, pick up the slack."
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
One brow quirks at you bemusedly as Clara shifts to rest an elbow on the back of the couch. "No, you can do less, actually. That's the other problem. Riley won't work under eighty hours a week unless you agree to the same. And you know what? I happen to agree with him," she explains firmly.
Niko's brows lower at that. "Clara, the work has to get done," he says
pragmatically. "I mean, isn't that why I took the job? So that Riley wouldn't
have to do as much? I sleep, I eat. If I can get the stuff done in the time
that you set--sure."
Clara climbs to her feet to pace lightly before her desk, arms folded in a
manner over her chest that becries extreme concern. "I don't think you get
it, Niko. You are -both- going to get very, very ill if you continue this
pattern. It's self-destructive and extremely unhealthy. Which is more
important? A random bit of paperwork done a week before schedule, or your
personal life?"
Niko hesitates for a long moment before he answers. "Clara, if I'm going to be gone for two weeks, I -have- to get the work done before schedule. Otherwise you -won't- be able to hold Riley to what you said, because it won't be getting stuff done early, it'll be finishing them on time." After another pause, he says quietly, "I don't want to give up that trip, Clara. I really don't. But if I can't get enough done beforehand, I'm not going to go."
Clara continues to pace, a line deepining between her brows. "But the wedding
is soon. And then you have two weeks off. What about when you come home? Are
you still going to try and pull these insane hundred-hour weeks? Do I have to
watch the two men closest to me collapse from overwork? I won't do that, you
know that."
Niko perches lightly on the couch-arm upon which he's been leaning. "After I get back, I'll have to catch up on the backlog," he replies equably. "After that... well, if you can get Riley to cut back, I will, too."
Always a short fuse, Clara stops pacing to turn back and regard you with a look
of almost desperate frustration. Likely because she's been sleeping on
Riley's schedule, lately. "What part did I not make clear earlier? He won't
cut back until you do. But you won't cut back until he does. I'm seeing a
rather nasty cycle here, and damnit, it's going to end you both up in the
ward! Two weeks, Niko. You will both have two weeks after you get back from
vacation to work out a schedule. If it isn't done, I'm hauling you both on
the carpet before General Conley."
Niko's brows lift very slowly. See, he's twenty-two, so he's still immortal. He
can't be made ill by something so insignificant as overwork. But he also grew
up in a houseful of women, and knows when to acquiesce without question.
"Yes, ma'am," he says, with all apparent meekness. After a brief pause, he
says, "We'll work something out, Clara. Y'don't have to get so upset,
everything will be fine." He really can be earnest when he's trying to
reassure.
Clara stops pacing on her backswing towards the couch and drops back onto it
wearily, nodding slowly as she pulls one knee in to rest her heel on the edge
of the couch. "I already knew Riley would work himself to collapse, but I
didn't know you would do the same." She attempts to regather her composure,
then sighs and gives up. "Just don't forget that there's someone up on the
fourth floor who needs you with her now and again, okay? And more than just
when the two of you are asleep."
"Clara, I get plenty of rest," Niko replies patiently. At that last, however, he looks more than a bit guilty. "Ela understands," he says, a little too quickly. "She knows that my job is time-consuming. She understands."
Clara finally gathers together a bit of that composure and looks up at you with
sidelong bemusement. "She may understand, but don't think it doesn't mean
she's happy about it. And no, she hasn't said a word to me. I haven't even
detected anythiing of the sort from her. But I know how women think." A
pause, then a wry grin. "Can't imagine why."
Niko ducks his head for a moment, then looks back at you. "D'you think I'm happy about it?" he inquires quietly. "Come on, Clara. I don't like it that I can't be with her more. A lady like Ela... I -hate- it, wish I could be with her all the time. But, see, the work still has to get done."
"Does it?" Clara insists gently, peering up at you curiously. "Is every bit of
that paperwork so utterly vital to keep this place running that it keeps you
in security fifteen hours a day? Think that over before you answer...and
answer honestly."
And, to his credit, Niko doesn't answer immediately, but takes several moments
to consider your question. "The paperwork, no. Some of it isn't necessary,
would actually be more useful in a bonfire or something. But it's the system.
And there are the calls, and that sort of thing as well. It's not just
paperwork, that's just a lot of it."
Clara leans back into the couch and shakes her head slowly. "I guess I really
just don't understand how or why if the XO is supposed to be the backup for
the CO, you're -both- working more now than either of you were during
Interegnuum."
Niko shakes his head, with a quiet, wry chuckle. "Y'know, Clara, I have no idea
why. You're right, it shouldn't be the case. I don't really know the volume
of each particular form before I was made XO--but, hey, I could check into it
if you like," he adds, obviously joking. "I mean, I don't have enough to do
and all."
Clara grimaces in dry humor and reaches over to snag a cushion and swing it over in a thwapping attempt. "Please, no. Not a chance. No research. If I really wanted that information, I'd put in a few extra hours a day myself and find it. I just..." She exhales heavily. "I'm worried. Very, very worried."
Niko deserved that, he holds still for the cushion-thwap. "I'm sorry," he
replies, and he honestly sounds it. "But... well, can you see my point? I
can't just hie off for two weeks without trying to get some of the stuff done
ahead of time. You -know- Riley, you know he'll want to make up for my
absence. I mean, I almost didn't agree go because of that." He pauses a beat,
then inquires, very slowly, like pulling teeth, "Do you think I should not
go? I could try a lighter schedule, then."
Clara groans and all but collapses against the back of the couch, by now
half-laughing. "Ni-ko! I'd toss you out of here for a month, if it were up to
me. It's your honeymoon, for crying out loud! I'm worried, yes, but not
because I think the work won't get done. I'm worried about Riley -and- you.
Just...promise me you'll think before working so hard you fall asleep in
Security?"
After a decidedly relieved look at your first comments, rubs lightly at the back of his neck. Sheepish? Nah, not him. "Uh, did Kayce tell you about that. That was a little much, yeah, rather avoid doing that again."
With completely serene deadpan, Clara explains, "No. I'm taking omniscience lessons from Anya, actually." Unfortunately, she's unable to hold the expression and grins faintly. "Riley told me last night. If I'd known about it, you'd be on twenty-four hour medleave today, by the way."
Niko shakes his head at that. "Wouldn't be necessary, though," he says. "I went home, I slept, everything's fine." With a soft snort, he adds, "I'm not all bad. Bet Riley doesn't mention the times that I go home on time, and sometimes early, even." Okay, once. "Doesn't want to make himself look bad."
Clara shifts slightly to peer up at you with a raised brow, not particularly
buying it. "Early. Mm-hmm. What, five, ten minutes? Tell me this...when was
the last time you took a day off?"
Niko retorts, with a quick grin, "It was an hour early, actually--to deal with
the wedding and all." At that last question, however, he pauses, then hedges,
"I'm not sure."
"Uh-huh. And you're leaving that poor woman of yours to plan the whole wedding by herself, then. Except the whole whopping hour you took off early," Clara points out. "Not sure? Rough estimate, then. In the last month?"
Oh, twist the knife a little more. Looking decidedly guilty, Niko murmurs, "But
it's not going to be complicated or anything, just us and the words and the
people and all." At that last question, he sighs. "Maybe more like two, I
don't know."
Clara quirks a brow, snorting faintly. "Shows how much -you- know about
weddings. Do you have the license yet? Are there going to be any flowers?
Where is Ela getting her dress? Have you gotten your dress uniform ready yet?
Where are you having it? Have you chosen and exact day? There's about two
dozen more questions I could think up, trust me."
Niko regards you for a moment, then shakes his head. "We're having it by the lake," he replies patiently, his sigh audible. "We're holding off on picking an exact date til the met report is a little more clear. My dress uniform is just fine. Uh... license, yeah, I've got to get that. And I don't know about flowers, but she's going to comm you about maybe finding a dress." He pauses a beat. "I remember asking you about that. I did, right?"
Clara actually grins at this, although she rolls her eyes. "Yes, you did. Or Riley did. Someone did, at least. Okay, so you've got the main points covered. I stand corrected, and I apologize." She pushes to her feet lightly and gestures with her head. "Okay, I've yelled at you all I'm going to. But...please take off at a decent time today? Please?"
Niko nods as he pushes off from his perch on the couch arm. "Sure, I'll try." Of course, your defenition of 'decent' might be very different from his. "Nice chatting with you," he adds, as he starts for the door.
"Niko..." Clara starts, trying to catch at a uniform sleeve and peering up
imploringly. "Think about what I've said. I'm frightened for both of you."
She releases the sleeve, if it were caught at all, and steps back with a
wistful smile. "Have a good day."
Niko pauses, sleeve caught. "I will," he replies seriously, bringing up his
hand to give yours a gentle squeeze, assuming it isn't smacked or attacked by
a random kamikaze penguin. "I'll think about it, promise. Once Ela and I get
back from Hellas, Riley and I can hammer out something that will work. And
thanks, Clara."
Clara exhales a breath of relief, smile coming more easily as she nodds.
"That's all I ask, then. For now. Tell everyone in Security I said hello."
The penguins are refugees, not kamikazes. Well, except the Frankenstein'ed
one.
Niko, irrepressable, flashes a grin over his shoulder as he heads back through
medbay. "Will do, sure. Even Kathlyn."