The perks of being a parent [Bendytimed to before podpop]

[gogopowersuit]

Oh boy

Comments

[spartanjohn_117]

The Chief has Samus' comm still, she left it with him when she took Komali up to medical. She needs that back, at some point. Probably sooner rather than later, head of security is a busy job.

"Ma'am?" he says as he comes in. Komali seems to be (relatively) alright, he observes, though the kid is out like a light.

[gogopowersuit]

Samus looks up when she hears the footsteps. Chief's armor makes a fairly distinctive sound, so she knows who it is even before she sees him.

She raises an eyebrow at his sudden formality. It doesn't occur to her that she suddenly demands more respect from him as his superior officer. Still, she decides not to comment on it.

"Hmn?" She wonders why he's here. She had completely forgotten about her comm.

[spartanjohn_117]

"You left this," the Chief replies, holding up the comm. Reason for being here established, he walks over to give it to her.

"How's Komali?

[gogopowersuit]

"Oh," that. She holds out her palm and accepts it before slipping it away. "Thanks."

She looks over at the little bird, "He'll be fine. On crutches for awhile, but fine. Just waiting until he wakes up to see if he gets what was wrong about what he did."

She knows this wasn't all Sherry's idea.

[spartanjohn_117]

"If you don't mind my asking, ma'am, did you manage to get the full story out of him?" the Chief asks. He really has to wonder, and he didn't catch most of Sherry and Komali's shouting match.

[gogopowersuit]

"Not yet, but from what I gathered-" Wait, no this wasn't right. She stops and restarts her thought, "Did you just call me ma'am?"

[spartanjohn_117]

"Yeees?" he says, though from his inflection it's clear he has no idea why she'd find this strange.

[gogopowersuit]

"What happened to just 'Samus'?"

[spartanjohn_117]

He tilts his head very slightly to one side. "I don't make a habit of being overly familiar with my superior officers."

[gogopowersuit]

And then it clicks. She's his boss. She pauses before telling him, "You really don't have to call me ma'am."

And by that she means 'Really. Don't.'

[spartanjohn_117]

He exhales. "If you insist, m-"

He just catches himself. "...Nevermind."

[gogopowersuit]

"Why the sudden formality? Just because I'm Chief of Security?

[spartanjohn_117]

"There's nothing sudden about it," he says. He almost called her ma'am again. This is killing him. He can't do it. It's too well ingrained.

[gogopowersuit]

"It's just strange is all. I never called you sir when you were first officer. I only call you your rank because you seem to use it as a name."

She isn't even trying to push or tease him. She's being honest. She really found the formality odd.

[spartanjohn_117]

The Chief just looks at her and suppresses the urge to shake his head.

"It's not my name."

She knows what his name is. There's a beat, then he adds, "Do not use my name."

[gogopowersuit]

She looks him in the faceplate. She's probably one of the few able to pick out his eyes behind the orange metal, and it's probably because she's behind her own helmet so much they might as well be their faces...

"I know," she states rather simply. It's an answer to both his statements.