Chaos And Organization

Posted on Thu Aug 13th, 2026 @ 8:26pm by Ensign Hailey Weston & Crewman Paul Randall

She was moving through the halls perhaps a little too fast, but the Chief had told her that she’d needed the most recent mapping scans from the Delta Quadrant as fast as physically possible. She’d used those exact words, ‘as fast as physically possible’, which told Ensign Hailey Weston that it wasn’t a ‘walking’ exercise to perform, but a running one. She’d been on a starship before, during her junior year of the Academy, but as a Cadet, she hadn’t been as hands-on for much of the time, instead taking notes, compiling notes, working with experiments to get used to things and generally learning as much as possible.

This ship was different, much bigger than the Nova-class her cruise had been on and the last thing she wanted to do was to disappoint her new boss in any way that mattered. Already she was worried about getting back on time after ducking around a security officer, then bumped into the wall and her feet got tripped up underneath her. She threw her arms out in a desperate effort to regain her balance, but failed as she fell hard onto her knees first and then skidded to a stop while the PADDs that were released into glorious flight scattered across half the hall, “Noooo, no, no!” She wailed before her elbows hit the ground and the rest of her followed.

Paul was strolling through the corridors his mind on various tasks, heard the clatter of PADDs hitting the floor from around the corner along with the sounds of a young woman, clearly in distress. He rounded the corner to see a young Ensign on her knees, clearly flustered, with a dozen PADDs scattered on the floor.

He immediately got down to help pick them up. Before picking up a single PADD, he looked at the young woman. "Are you ok, ma'am?" He asked, then started to pick up the PADDs.

Hailey pushed herself back up onto her knees and sat back on her heels as she rubbed her elbows, thankfully padded from the uniform before she saw the chaos that were the twenty PADDs she had been carrying in an organized stack, now hopelessly out of order and she slammed her hands into the deck in frustration, “I’m fine,” She muttered, starting to reach for the closest of the devices before crawling over to one that had tried its best to escape, “I’m so dead… My boss is going to kill me for taking so long, and now I’m going to have to put these back in order.” She grabbed another and glanced at the title on top, number sixteen.”

He could feel her frustration. "Ma'am, if I may, I think I can help. "

He took hold of the pads he could reach and with a quick glance at each one, lasting a few seconds, he organised them into the correct order. He then put them in front of her in a neat stack and then lifted some of them upwards till the one visible was number 17. "Slot it in and you are good to go" he smiled.

She slid the PADD she held into the spot and gave him a smile, “Thank you, umm..” Her eyes checked his collar and reviewed insignia in her head, “Crewman, I owe you one.” Hailey pushed herself back to her feet and smoothed her skirt down before brushing past her knees, feeling something sticky and inspected her hands, seeing the smear of red before bending over enough to flatten the skirt and see the trickle of bleeding from her leg, “Dammit..” She groaned, also feeling something sticky aching from where she’d hit the ground at speed.

"I think we need to you to sickbay and make sure you're ok. I'm sure your boss will understand. I will vouch for you if needed. Are you ok to walk or I could carry you if needed. " He asked.

“I’ll be okay, I’ve gotten hurt worse and walked it off.” Hailey flashed a reassuring smile before crouching down to pick up the PADDs, “If I don’t get these to the Lieutenant fast, she’s going to have my head.” She stood up straight, took a step and grimaced as the knee decided it wanted to object to the added weight on it, but she gamely started limping along, “See, perfectly fine.”

"I'm not convinced. But if you're sure then I guess I can't persuade you otherwise. I'm Paul Randall, the captain's Yeoman. I didn't catch your name."

“Hailey Weston, Science, this corridor’s local expert on reptiles and most other creepy crawlies. I’m a biologist, with a minor in oceanography to go along with all the general knowledge.” She stopped for a moment and leaned against the wall to take a breath. “Last time it felt like this was when I was sliding into third base on a close triple…”

He watched her limp again. "Sorry Miss Weston but I'm going to have to insist you come to sickbay. " He put his arm around her so she could put her weight on him. "The PADDs can wait. You're no good to your boss if your injured,"

Hailey shifted the PADDs to her left arm so she could put her right across his shoulders to let him help her, “She is absolutely, one hundred percent going to kill me…” She groaned, but didn’t object any further, “Thank you, Paul, I’m sorry you have to meet me in this particular way… I’m not usually this pathetic, I swear. I’ve walked off worse than this, I’m sure of it.”

"It's fine. I enjoy meeting new people regardless of the circumstances. I will gladly help you with your boss. I know a bit of self defense if they do try to kill you." He replied with a smirk.

“So you’re willing to stand between me and the wrath of the Lieutenant?” Hailey chuckled, “I’ll be able to return the favor and haul you to sickbay to make up for this, then.” They rounded a corner to the turbolift and she let him hit the call button, “Or just sic the Captain on her, maybe, since you know the Captain pretty well.” She had an Australian accent that made some of her vowels more rounded, “I just hope your girlfriend doesn’t see you helping me like this, I bet she’d be pissed. Or is she assigned to another ship?”

"I'm glad you've offered to help me if your Lieutenant goes for me." He hit the call button. He steadied himself as they waited.

"I'm single actually. I don't have a girlfriend. What made you think I had one?" He asked out of curiosity. "Also, I noticed you are a Trill and yet that accent is clearly Australian. How so?"

Hailey flushed red, “I just assumed, since you were so quick to help me out rather than just walk past, or help pick my PADDs up and go on your way. Not something usually done from my experience.” She tried to shake it off as they entered the lift, “But the second is easier to explain: my parents emigrated from Trillius to Earth for their work, set themselves up inn Australia because the climate was best suited for it, and that’s where I was born and raised. Accent and all.”

" I just saw you needed help and I couldn't just walk by. As for your accent, that makes sense and it's quite interesting. I have family in New Zealand, Inna town called Rotorua. ". The lift arrived on the appropriate deck. They made their way to sickbay and soon after arriving, a nurse helped Hailey to a biobed. Paul stood close by.

“Not too far from where I was, in the big scheme.” Hailey winced as the nurse clicked over her knee and started to clean up the blood, which had since stopped leaking out, then scanned it, pronouncing it to be a mild sprain that would be easy to clear up. “My parents live in the town of Geelong, just outside Melbourne, so I had access to all of the big city things, like a halfway decent baseball team to play on. Star pitcher, I was, my high school team made it to the world championship before we were beaten.”

"Impressive. I'm not really into sport as such. But I do enjoy running. I tend to be up early for a run around the ship on one of the lower decks where there isn't going to be anyone around. I also use the holodeck as well."

“I haven’t had a chance to look for somewhere fresh to run yet, just been using the gym along with everyone else on the track.” Hailey winced again as the nurse moved her knee around while scanning before deciding where to start. Then there was a hiss of a hypospray and the Ensign sighed in relief at the painkiller, “The track gets really busy at times, so I’ve only gone running a few times in the last couple weeks.”

" Why don't you join me at 6am in the morning for run on one of the lower decks? I'd enjoy the company." He said.

“I think I’d like that.” Hailey gave him a smile as the nurse flexed her knee to make sure everything had been put back into place, then gestured them away and Hailey hopped down from the biobed and took a few experimental steps on it, “That feels much better.. But maybe we can grab breakfast after we run? I never run on a full stomach.”

"Oh absolutely. Need to refuel after a good run. Now, do you need my help with your boss? Strength in numbers and all that."

Hailey glanced at the door as she gathered her PADDs up again, “I think it’s best if I handle her alone.” She said as confidently as she could manage, “With me having a record of being here in sickbay, that may soothe her a bit, but if it doesn’t… Can I comm you later? No.” She cut herself off, that had been too presumptuous, “I’ll tell you about it tomorrow morning, how’s that?”

"Sounds good. Hopefully it doesn't turn violent but if it should, I'd expect a blow by now account tomorrow unless you're in sickbay again afterwards." He smirked.

Hailey hid a smile behind one of the PADDs, “I’d like to think it would be one blow and I’m pushing up daisies.” She giggled, “I’ll see you in the morning, Paul, Deck 17, by the turbolift, 6am?”

"Exactly. I best get going, see you in the morning. "