A/N: Right, off to China in... 5 minutes, so have a happy summer everyone! All stories will be updated ASAP on my return.
The Drabble Files
3) Something Borrowed
Ryan Tiller isn't entirely sure what to make of his newest subordinate. He is aware that he is a little old-fashioned in his thinking, but still, he thinks it a little too democratic that the powers-that-be decided to place a boy with absolutely no sense of co-ordination (not to mention a terrible haircut) in the ship's workshop. He daren't give Billy the job of spraying the spare bulkheads with the strengthening agent; he might well spray it on himself and turn into metal, like the tin man in the Wizard of Oz. Though perhaps he would make less mess that way.
Billy also seems to be in a state of permanent apprehension, which certainly doesn't help his habit of dropping things. Tiller now makes a point of coughing before he speaks to him, since without the warning countless things would inevitable get broken due to Billy's jump of surprise.
Considering his generally grumpy temperament, it is somewhat surprising that Tiller has yet to speak harshly to the lad, or even put him on report, but the thing – that he will not even admit to dear Miranda – is that the clumsy Crewman with the shock of ginger hair reminds him of himself, in his earliest years, hindering his father in the workshop he ran for the servicing of vintage vehicles. Seeing Billy jump at every sound is like borrowing back a bit of his youth.