Original: Burn Scars
Title: Burn Scars [ INDEX]
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Massey and Max (mention of El and the rest of the science team)
Rating: PG
Summary: All it takes is one little spark...
Warning: After/around the same time as Bad Dream *Written for Quick Fic Amnesty at writerverse. Prompt: Sweet & Sour, "Arms" (song by Christina Perri), and Hating
Disclaimer: The original characters of The Wizard of Oz belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters of Tin Man belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The Disney characters belong to Disney, their authors, and their respective actors. The OCs are mine and bizarra's. And, now gatechic's, by default. Garrett Cain belongs to gatechic and is, as always, used and abused with love. ♥
Massey stood in the doorway of the science lab for a moment, watching Max. Max was sitting on a stool, leaning into crossed arms. Fights between officers were far from unheard of, though this was probably the first one recorded that ended in one of the fighters getting a Time Out.
Massey had responded to Medical, to get Lieutenant Carson's report on what happened. Unsurprisingly, the older officer was making more of a fuss than necessary, claiming that his attacker was nothing more than a psychotic brat who didn't belong there. As far as he was concerned, Max was an unhinged kid who was going to hurt someone, if not all of them.
It didn't matter to him that practically everyone else on-board saw the eleven-year-old as an inquisitive officer, albeit a little shorter than everyone else. Yes, having a child on-board was strange, but it wasn't the first time a younger officer had been assigned to a duty station, and it surely wouldn't be the last.
What concerned Massey wasn't that the fight had ended with someone in Medical -- the solution that had been knocked over didn't do much more than scald Lieutenant Carson to the degree of a strong sunburn, which wouldn't even leave a scar -- but that something had pushed the younger Lieutenant to violence.
The rest of the science team had been dismissed, while Max had been ordered to stay in the lab and clean up the mess he'd made. Massey, as the First Officer, had been called to investigate the situation. Afterwards, he would report to the Captain, and a decision would be made regarding punishment. However, as the Captain was Max's mother, it was going to take a little more than 'He said-He said".
Ensign Tucker had given his version of events to Massey, outside Medical - as the ensign had been unofficially tasked as Max's guardian, during duty hours. Massey had also spoken to Commander Alexander, the science team's leader, which is how he knew where to find Max, currently.
Moving in to take one of the stools next to the small boy, Massey said nothing, but matched Max's pose against the counter. "Do you want to talk about it?" Massey asked after a moment of silence.
Max turned his head slightly, but never looked away from the table. "No, sir," he replied in a tiny voice. Max knew he was in trouble, after all. He'd been waiting for someone to come, and had expected his mother. He didn't really know if Massey showing up was any better.
With a heavy sigh, Massey sat up and pulled at his rank insignia, removing it from his uniform. He set the pin down on the counter and leaned toward Max. "You need to tell me what happened," he said, in a low tone. "Max," he added in a whisper, reaching for Max's arm. Max flinched automatically, which made Massey nauseous. Max was, for all intents and purposes, his little brother. And that was never a reaction Massey wanted to get from him. Pushing through the sick feeling, Massey put a hand on Max's back and leaned around him, his large size nearly enveloping the small boy. "Why did you push him?" Massey asked in a whisper.
Having heard versions from multiple sources, Massey knew that this whole mess had started with Carson holding Max's book over the flame of a lab burner in a threatening fashion. None of the members of the team knew what had started it, but that it escalated extremely fast. All of a sudden, they each explained, Carson had set the book on fire and Max's face turned red as he lunged for Carson. Being just tall enough, Max had got the taller man square in the stomach with both hands, and his momentum had send Carson backwards, reaching out to catch himself. Carson had ended up knocking one of the lab experiments over; the solution in the vials mixed and exploded, causing the fabric of Carson's uniform to disintegrate and his arm was burned.
As Carson had stumbled to his feet, Tucker and the other two members of the science team said that Max had frozen stock-still, but still beet red. Carson moved to attack, but was stopped by Commander Alexander, and Tucker had jumped in front of Max, protectively.
Max slowly uncrossed his arms and sat up, letting Massey see that the boy had been protecting a now-charred book. It took only a second for Massey to realize exactly why this had happened, as the book in question was one that had been written by Max's father. El had told him, the other night at dinner, that Max had been so excited to find a copy of the book in the ship's library, and had taken to keeping it with him at all times, with special permission from the commander to take it out of the labs while he was on-board.
It had been almost six years since they had lost Trey, and during all that time, Max had handled the loss of his father far better than anyone else in the family.
Until now...
In a swift move, Massey threw one arm around Max's front and hauled him into a hug. "Oh, kid," Massey breathed, feeling his shirt getting damp the second Max was in his hold. Even at his large size, Massey didn't even try to be strong, his own tears falling as Max sobbed against his big brother's chest. As he stared at the charred cover of Trey's book, Massey knew El was going to have to be the one to deal with the disciplinary action. As far as Massey was concerned, Max had been punished enough, the last six years.
And, as for Carson, Massey's vote was to shoot the bastard out of airlock.
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Massey and Max (mention of El and the rest of the science team)
Rating: PG
Summary: All it takes is one little spark...
Warning: After/around the same time as Bad Dream *Written for Quick Fic Amnesty at writerverse. Prompt: Sweet & Sour, "Arms" (song by Christina Perri), and Hating
Disclaimer: The original characters of The Wizard of Oz belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters of Tin Man belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The Disney characters belong to Disney, their authors, and their respective actors. The OCs are mine and bizarra's. And, now gatechic's, by default. Garrett Cain belongs to gatechic and is, as always, used and abused with love. ♥
Massey stood in the doorway of the science lab for a moment, watching Max. Max was sitting on a stool, leaning into crossed arms. Fights between officers were far from unheard of, though this was probably the first one recorded that ended in one of the fighters getting a Time Out.
Massey had responded to Medical, to get Lieutenant Carson's report on what happened. Unsurprisingly, the older officer was making more of a fuss than necessary, claiming that his attacker was nothing more than a psychotic brat who didn't belong there. As far as he was concerned, Max was an unhinged kid who was going to hurt someone, if not all of them.
It didn't matter to him that practically everyone else on-board saw the eleven-year-old as an inquisitive officer, albeit a little shorter than everyone else. Yes, having a child on-board was strange, but it wasn't the first time a younger officer had been assigned to a duty station, and it surely wouldn't be the last.
What concerned Massey wasn't that the fight had ended with someone in Medical -- the solution that had been knocked over didn't do much more than scald Lieutenant Carson to the degree of a strong sunburn, which wouldn't even leave a scar -- but that something had pushed the younger Lieutenant to violence.
The rest of the science team had been dismissed, while Max had been ordered to stay in the lab and clean up the mess he'd made. Massey, as the First Officer, had been called to investigate the situation. Afterwards, he would report to the Captain, and a decision would be made regarding punishment. However, as the Captain was Max's mother, it was going to take a little more than 'He said-He said".
Ensign Tucker had given his version of events to Massey, outside Medical - as the ensign had been unofficially tasked as Max's guardian, during duty hours. Massey had also spoken to Commander Alexander, the science team's leader, which is how he knew where to find Max, currently.
Moving in to take one of the stools next to the small boy, Massey said nothing, but matched Max's pose against the counter. "Do you want to talk about it?" Massey asked after a moment of silence.
Max turned his head slightly, but never looked away from the table. "No, sir," he replied in a tiny voice. Max knew he was in trouble, after all. He'd been waiting for someone to come, and had expected his mother. He didn't really know if Massey showing up was any better.
With a heavy sigh, Massey sat up and pulled at his rank insignia, removing it from his uniform. He set the pin down on the counter and leaned toward Max. "You need to tell me what happened," he said, in a low tone. "Max," he added in a whisper, reaching for Max's arm. Max flinched automatically, which made Massey nauseous. Max was, for all intents and purposes, his little brother. And that was never a reaction Massey wanted to get from him. Pushing through the sick feeling, Massey put a hand on Max's back and leaned around him, his large size nearly enveloping the small boy. "Why did you push him?" Massey asked in a whisper.
Having heard versions from multiple sources, Massey knew that this whole mess had started with Carson holding Max's book over the flame of a lab burner in a threatening fashion. None of the members of the team knew what had started it, but that it escalated extremely fast. All of a sudden, they each explained, Carson had set the book on fire and Max's face turned red as he lunged for Carson. Being just tall enough, Max had got the taller man square in the stomach with both hands, and his momentum had send Carson backwards, reaching out to catch himself. Carson had ended up knocking one of the lab experiments over; the solution in the vials mixed and exploded, causing the fabric of Carson's uniform to disintegrate and his arm was burned.
As Carson had stumbled to his feet, Tucker and the other two members of the science team said that Max had frozen stock-still, but still beet red. Carson moved to attack, but was stopped by Commander Alexander, and Tucker had jumped in front of Max, protectively.
Max slowly uncrossed his arms and sat up, letting Massey see that the boy had been protecting a now-charred book. It took only a second for Massey to realize exactly why this had happened, as the book in question was one that had been written by Max's father. El had told him, the other night at dinner, that Max had been so excited to find a copy of the book in the ship's library, and had taken to keeping it with him at all times, with special permission from the commander to take it out of the labs while he was on-board.
It had been almost six years since they had lost Trey, and during all that time, Max had handled the loss of his father far better than anyone else in the family.
Until now...
In a swift move, Massey threw one arm around Max's front and hauled him into a hug. "Oh, kid," Massey breathed, feeling his shirt getting damp the second Max was in his hold. Even at his large size, Massey didn't even try to be strong, his own tears falling as Max sobbed against his big brother's chest. As he stared at the charred cover of Trey's book, Massey knew El was going to have to be the one to deal with the disciplinary action. As far as Massey was concerned, Max had been punished enough, the last six years.
And, as for Carson, Massey's vote was to shoot the bastard out of airlock.