Lilly/Gabe

||USS Fenris
||Bridge
||1010


Gabe watched the engineering board in front of him as Lillian's announcement came over the Comm System. Shore leave wasn't something he was used to, indeed this would be only the second time since he'd joined Starfleet he'd taken time off. He shook his head and walked over to the captain's ready room, PADD in hand and pressed the doorchime.

Lillian had expected visitors, but not this soon after her announcement. "Come in!"

She was pleasantly cheerful that morning, but she equated that to Taylor and just kept the smile on her face. Lillian was more than ready to start the day and see how her engineers were doing, which meant talking to Gabe. Marlo was more of a bridge gal these days given her promotion to XO, and though she knew Marlo missed Engineering just as she missed Sickbay, they were both content.

Gabe stepped inside and handed Lilly a PADD.

"Repairs are about as far along as we can get 'em, Heck I've personally been running double and triple shifts since I got here, but with an understaffed department we're running a little slow." He said stroking his beard, "I can always keep going if needs be. I'm sure that given a few more days, a week at the most we can have the ship running like the day it left space dock."

Gabe figured Lilly knew that he was attempting to get out of the shore leave, afterall he still had work to do and hated the idea of leaving his people to continue while he sat on a beach somewhere taking in the rays. He also knew the attempt was doomed to fail, but he had to try.

Lillian looked over the PADD he'd given her and took a deep breath before she set it down on her desk and looked up at Gabe. She knew that people were going to want to be on the planet and some weren't, but she thought Gabe might actually want to relax. She hadn't wanted to have to force everyone down on the planet, but 'required' was the only word she could use to make her point.

"You're my Chief Engineer, Gabe, and I trust you more than pretty much anyone to take of this ship, but that being said I want you to take a break and get some fresh air while we're here." Lillian said with a smile. "The kind that comes from the planet, not a Hollodeck."

"Fine, fine. I can take a hint." He replied, "Still not really used to 'relaxing' lark. My people can get the job done, I just wasn't happy about leaving them alone. Not after we've all busted our asses, felt like I should be leading from the front as it were. Besides fresh airs overrated and I can relax just fine with my feet up and a nice cold beer in my hands." He added with a grin, "Well then, which shift ya want me to take on the planet?"

Lillian smiled at him. "I'm not saying go down for the whole time--there's plenty of time for you to be up here with your crew to keep everything functioning properly. I just want everyone to at least spend an hour down there. When we get back onto course and leave here you'll have more than enough time to spend with your engineers, I promise."

She laughed a little and then looked the PADD over once more before addressing him again. "You're the Chief Engineer, Gabe--you can decide whether you want this first one now or if you want to wait until later to go. I'm letting my Senior Officers have more freedom to decide, but I do want you all down there at one point or another--your men included."

"Don't worry, they'll be down there as will I. Figure this is as good a time as any to get some 'fresh air'." He joked, then added, "I take it you'll be following your own orders?"

Lillian laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I'll be taking my own orders. I'm in need of rest according to our lovely medical staff, so I'll be making sure I get some much needed RnR. Do you need anything else, Gabe?"