Home » The Archives » Chapter 12 » Playing with Fire
| Re: Playing with Fire [message #466 is a reply to message #465] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 21:06   |
artisticrainey
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Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma:
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Field Commander
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Monday, October 15, 2068, 5:15 p.m., Tracy Island
Scott found himself in the Villa's workout room, hands taped, doing a seemingly endless tattoo on the leather speed bag. He didn't hear the door swish open or anyone enter, lost as he was in his thoughts.
What's wrong with me? I had no problem training plenty of wet-behind-the-ears pilots in the Air Force. Men and women alike. No problems. A lot of them went on to be top guns, as I was. But now... I don't know.
He sighed, and gave the speed bag one last, savage punch. It swung up and away; as it came back, he grabbed it to stop it from continuing its swing. He swept a hand across his nose, and turned... only to find he had an audience: his stepmother.
"That's some punch you have there, Scott," she said, smiling slightly. She was dressed in workout clothes, and as she spoke, she stretched, beginning the sequence of exercises he recognized as being part of her physical therapy.
"Yeah. Just trying to get some frustration out." He ran both hands through his hair. "Where's Gordon? Or Nikki? Aren't they supposed to be helping you with this?"
"I'm at a point where I can do this myself. I go back to the physio on Friday to see if the muscles are healing the way they should be," she explained. Her voice strained a bit as she stretched. "So what are you frustrated about?"
Scott sighed again, and dropped to a bench, rubbing the back of his neck. He lifted troubled eyes to Dianne. "I dunno. I seem to be having trouble connecting with some of our new recruits."
"Oh? How so?" Dianne concentrated on her leg lift, giving Scott a bit of emotional distance.
"I can't seem to train them to fly." He let out a pent-up breath. "First Kat, now Cassie. I suggested today that Cassie have someone else teach her to fly, like Kat ended up doing." He shook his head slowly. "She suggested, none too politely either, that maybe the problem was me." He leaned forward, his expression caught between hope and dread. "Is it me, Mom? Is it?"
Dianne sighed, and sat up, directing her entire attention to her stepson. "Y'know, Scott, I couldn't tell you for sure. I haven't seen you teach flying before. It might be that you're intimidating to these women."
"I didn't have any trouble teaching women in the Air Force," Scott began.
"But you're not in the Air Force now," Dianne reminded him. "You need to remember that, Scott. You can't treat our new civilian recruits the same way you treated those you've taught in the past."
"Mom, I didn't think I was!" Scott exclaimed. "I thought I was being patient and giving clear instructions. Brandon was fine... Luke's doing okay." He paused, then his eyes widened. "And Nikki! Nikki did just fine! No problems there! Passed her test on the first try. And Kat said she'd had difficulties learning to fly before she met me."
"True. Still, perhaps Nikki didn't feel intimidated by you," Dianne replied. "And perhaps Kat did to an extent, and Cassie does. I seem to remember that Christopher had something against you... though I'm hard pressed to know where it came from."
"Yeah. I don't know where that came from, Mom -- at least, before the rescue of the Prime Minister. After that, well..." Scott took in a deep breath and let it out. "In fact, I had a little run-in with Elise about Mobile Control today." He shifted uncomfortably. "I realize I... I don't like not being in the driver's seat there."
"If anyone understands that, Elise does," Dianne said with a chuckle. "Maybe we need to keep you home sometime and let you take the desk while Elise runs Mobile Control."
Scott made a face and gave Dianne a baleful look. "You know I hate the desk."
"Yes, and Jeff hates not being behind it as much as you dislike giving up Mobile Control. Do you both some good to step away from your usual role." Dianne grinned playfully at him for a moment, then sobered. "Seriously, Scott, you need to step back and evaluate how you're teaching. Ask Virgil what he thinks; he's seen you working with the recruits enough."
"He's already mentioned it to me," he replied sourly. "Suggested I try talking to her in a more relaxed setting."
"Might work, Scott." Dianne went back to stretching. "You should invite her for a walk on the beach or something."
He sighed heavily again. "I guess so. I'll give it some thought."
"Do more than think about it, Scott." Dianne sighed, and winced. "Give me hand here, would you? Press against my foot so I have something to work with?"
"Sure, Mom." Scott moved in to help his stepmother, pushing the idea about talking with Cassie to the back of his mind.
Posted by Tikatu on March 8, 2008
  
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