THIS IS JUST A SHOUT OUT FOR ANYONE WHO KNOWS ABOUT OTHER FAMILY TYPE STORIES LIKE THIS. IF YOU DO PM ME. I JUST READ ONE BY ECLUCAS CALLED IT TAKES A VILLAGE. IT IS GREAT. I FEEL THAT EITHER FEW PEOPLE LIKE A TRADITIONAL STORY ABOUT KIRK AS A DAD OR I AM JUST NOT FINDING THEM. ALSO, LEAVE A REVIEW WHILE YOU ARE AT IT :)

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CH 35 THE THREE STOOGES ATTACK

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SECURITY HALLWAY

Hendorff intercepts Jack as he makes his way to the Brig. "Sir we need to speak before you go in there," he says blocking Jack's way. The look on George Hendorff's face stops Jack cold. His second in command rarely smiles but something in his eyes tells Jack he is not going to like this conversation. "We have Slayton and Hyden secured, but they are demanding to press charges."

A long moment of silence fills the air between the two men. Jack waits for Hendorff to add something to his statement like and I told him kiss my ass or we had Bones hypo him, but that statement never comes. The looks in Hendorff's eyes shows he is just reporting the facts of the situation and leaving the final decision up to his commander on how to proceed. Jack has had enough of the insanity running through his department like a disease tonight. No one is thinking on their own which concerns Jack greatly. Being in the security field means you have to think ahead, sideways and backward in every situation. It is not a field you can spend time debating your actions. Things happen too quickly. You either know your shit of you endanger lives. Starting tomorrow, Jack is going to hold in services until he feels confident his people have a clue about what the fuck their job responsibilities are. If it takes a month, so be it. "They can't press charges against someone they assaulted. That is basic law enforcement," Jack says pushing his way past his second in command. "Has everyone lost their damn minds tonight!"

"They are pressing charges against Dawson," Hendorff clarifies from behind Jack.

The mention of his laid back enlisted crewman stops Jack again. "And what did the senior chief do," he asks not turning around. Of all the people under his command, Dawson is one man that has never failed him. A sickening knot forms in his chest praying he is not jumping to conclusions.

"The senior chief might not have been the best choice for an escort in this situation. From Michaels and Paulson's report, there was an altercation in the turbo. Both men are claiming that they saw nothing but the damn tube is only four feet wide and five feet deep. There is no way they didn't see anything; however, as per regulations, we are holding Dawson in the interrogation room until this matter can be straightened out along with Michaels and Paulson."

At least one person on his team had the sense to follow protocol tonight. Jack doesn't need the specifics of the event to know what happened. Dennis Dawson is the most laid back guy he knows except when pissed off. Then his 6'5", 220-pound body is something everyone avoids. "Pull the video feeds. I want to know exactly what happened," Jack orders striding into the brig and heading to a security monitor. Bringing up the video feed, he watches the playback of thefive men in the turbo before what appears to be a hand covering the camera. A second later, the turbo goes dark followed by sounds of a fight. Jack can hear muffled grunts and the cracking sounds. Five seconds into the darkness the lights come back on and Hyden and Slayton are no longer wearing the smug smiles they sported in the shuttle. Blood pours from Slayton's nose and Hyden's arm hangs at a grotesque angle. Both men appear to need help standing and are slightly hunched over. Jack adjusts the volume finding that he no longer has sound even though it clearly shows the men in the turbo are talking.

"Hyden and Slayton are being treated by Bones in their detention cells," Hendorff reports in a formal tone knowing Jack's next question. "It appears the speaker was damaged in the incident. We don't know what was said after the incident."

"You don't say," Jack mumbles low. At least, Hendorff has the wherewithal to keep his comments vague. The last thing Jack needs is more rumors. Glancing at Bones still working to set Hyden's broken arm, Jack decides to deal with the security escort first. He can't blame the men for what they did. Hell, he was close to it himself in the shuttle, but he also can't condone vigilantism which is exactly what happened. None of them men in the security escort were present in the shuttle when Kate and John were assaulted by Slayton or Hyden. They must have gotten wind of the story through the hangar crew. With such tight quarters on the Enterprise, this was bound to happen. News travels fast and bad news faster. Unfortunately, he will have to reprimand Michaels, Paulson, and Dawson in some form. If not it would send a clear message to anyone that people are above the law. Jack just hopes the trio in interrogation can give him something to work with to lessen the blow.

"I want to know what exactly happened between the time you three departed the hangar with the prisoners to now," Jack thunders taking a seat in the interrogation room.

"Turbo buckled and they fell," Dawson says smoothly. The look on the Senior Chief's face tells Jack Dawson is at peace with his actions. He is not wearing a malicious grin or smug try and catch me smirk. It is an expression of a man who is ready to accept whatever is about to befall him. This is just another time that Jack is proud to serve with Dennis Dawson.

"I am not in the mood," Jack says hiding his admiration for the men before him. If he wasn't working for the man and have kids to explain his actions too, Jack would be taking his days in the brig like Dawson is prepared to. "How did Hyden and Slayton get their injuries?"

"Lights went off," Paulson says innocently.

"I tried to help them up but they panicked. Seems the dark and petite teenage girls are something they are scared of. Who'da thunk it," Dawson lays on a thick country boy accent pretending to be a dumb hick. Jack locks eyes on Dawson. He doesn't miss the senior chief's use of the personal pronoun I. All three men are ready to take the fall for their actions but Dawson isn't using any words to spread the blame.

"I think this should be a drill," Paulson says adjusting to a new position in his hard, plastic molded seat. The idea of making the seats uncomfortable is to encourage suspects to talk is working like a charm. Paulson's ass is already stiff. Whoever designed this chair has to be a masochist.

"Excellent idea, Lt. Paulson," Michaels says with a hint of levity to his voice. "We can practice close quarters handcuffed escapes, in the dark on a falling turbo. We can't be too prepared can we?"

"You are so right," Dawson says. "I will add it to the training roosters. Hyden and Slayton can demonstrate how not to do it." The senior chief's comments bring a round of snickers from all the men except Jack.

Jack glares at them. "The next person that speaks thinking this is funny will be pulling sanitation duty for a month understand?"

"Can we speak if we don't think this is funny," Dawson leans forward with a serious expression on his face.

Jack taps his desk annoyed. He walked right into that comment. It would have been something he would say but can't. This is just another reason Kirk can have all his headaches as Captain. Jack prefers a witty comeback to the political correctness, which Kirk has to live by 90% of the time. "Two people were hurt. I see no reason for jokes now. You three are in serious shit." Jack finds his words don't affect any of the men he is speaking with. In reality, it wouldn't affect him either, but Jack has to say something. After long seconds of silence, he decides to get this over as quickly as possible. These men aren't going to break or beg for leniency. Jack wouldn't expect them to but he wants to get this shitty ass night over as soon as possible. "So your statement is they panicked, slipped and you tried to help them up," Jack reviews their signed statements via pad. He works to keep a smirk off his face. The signed statements of all the men are the same cut and pasted sentence in all three documents. "Is that your story?"

"Yes sir," all three men say sharply in unison. The volume and tone at which they agree tell Jack they are fully united in this decision to rise and fall as one. He leans back faced with a new problem. He has to find some way to make these three accountable when that is the last thing in the world he wants to do.

"I'm going out to speak with Alec and Dimwit…Dewitt," Jack corrects his statement realizing what he just uttered. The soft snickers and chuckles prove all three men heard his slip. Continuing as if it never happened, Jack brings up the video on the PADD. "Maybe you three can give me a viable explanation about this." At this point, Jack just wants the situation to go away. He will take any reasonable excuse as he plays the video. All three men rewatch the video loop: a hand over the camera, scuffling sounds, black screen and then the three men standing with no sound before Hendorff takes Hyden and Slayton into custody at the brig level. Jack makes a hand motion gesturing for the lame ass excuses to begin.

"Power fluctuation," Michael's says promptly

"Ion storm," Paulson adds.

"Gremlins," Dawson says with a deadpan expression. "They are nasty little suckers. My Nana says they typically arrive in an ion storm and cause power fluctuations." Dawson says it so straight Jack has to fight not to laugh.

"Yeah, I would get Scotty on that ASAP," Paulson plays along.

"And a zookeeper," Dawson stands up. "I'll catch him but I am not in the disposal business. You know If you don't catch Gremlins there is no telling what kind of havoc they will wreak on the ship. Paulson…Michaels with me. We will need a case of beer, pound of bacon, and a butterfly net."

"Sit your ass down Dennis," Jack rolls his eyes at the bizarre list of tools Dawson is requesting to complete the job. "I am not in the mood for your Pittsburgh hillbilly home remedies for crap that doesn't exist. Maybe I should call in your German grandmother and Chekov's Russian brethren because they have solved or invented everything since the dawn of time." As amusing as this conversation is to the three men in front of him, Jack has to get them to focus. "So Hyden made a comment that pissed you off and you reacted," Jack starts the likely conversation hoping one of the men will fill in the blank.

"Kinda hard to talk with a broken jaw," Dawson says. "He hit the deck really hard sir."

"Broken jaw," Jack says slowly.

Michaels leans forward recognizing Jack's amusement with the witty banter is fading rapidly by the way he is tapping the desk with his index finger. "Off the record sir," he asks.

"If it will give me any sane answer then yes, off the record," Jack leans back exasperated.

Michaels looks at the senior chief for permission to continue. Although Michaels is an officer and will always outrank Dawson, the gesture is a sign of how much the men respect the Senior Chief. A slight nod tells Michaels to continue. "Sir Walters and Becker told us what happened with Kate."

"Then I gave them someone their own size to pick on. Turns out they should have stuck with 12-year-old girls," Dawson admits. "I knocked them on their asses all by myself. Michaels and Paulson tried to cover it for me,"

"Kiss my ass you clodhopping redneck," Paulson interrupts glaring at Dawson. "I was not trying to cover the damn camera but fell into it when your tree truck of a fist shoved me against it. And for the record, we wanted to help but nooo. You had to do it all yourself."

"You do always do this Dennis. With your ten brothers and sisters I would have thought you would understand the concept of sharing dipshit," Michaels takes a stern fatherly tone.

Tapping the desk, Jack realizes he is not going to get a straight answer. Slapping his palms on the table sends a reverberating thump through the room pulling the three men's attention on him. "Do not leave this room," Jack says slowly rising.

"Oh come on Colonel," Paulson says pissed. "Are you seriously going to side with them after what they did to the kids?"

The raw anger in the Lt.'s voice signals to Jack it is not over in Paulson's mind. It is as if it happened to him and not the children. He needs these men to cool down before he releases them back into the ranks on the ship. "That's for me to know and you to find," Jack says over his shoulder heading for the main brig.

"Injury report from Bones," Hendorff hands Jack a PADD as he exits the room. A quick glance at the medical report shows just how far the betrayal by Hyden and Slayton has hit the men of the security department. The first report Jack sees is for Kirk, Katherine Ann followed by O'Neill, Jonathan Jacob. There is no reason to show Jack this except to piss him off which it does perfectly. Jack is more worried about the injuries to Hyden and Slayton than the kids. From the look of the men in their cells, Dawson did a number on them. To say Jack doesn't care is false. He is just as concerned about Kate and John's injuries as the rest of the ship, but he triaged it Section 31 style on the shuttle. No blood or broken bones meant the kids were fine for the moment. Jack sends Hendorff a disapproving scowl but lets his eyes scan the notes. To the untrained eye the terms listed sound far worse than the actual injury, but abrasion means a scrape, laceration means a cut, and contusion means a bruise. These are all injuries that have filled pages of the kid's medical records except this entry hits harder because it was inflicted with malice by an adult and not due to everyday childhood accidents. Scanning down he finds Slayton's report next. The injuries read like a bar fight went wrong. Slayton, Alec Christopher has a nasal fracture, cracked ribs, and contusions. Hyden, Dewitt Arnold is suffering from a mandibular and ulna fracture, contusion of the trapezius, and ecchymosis. "This day is getting better and better," Jack slaps the PADD into Hendorff's chest as he approaches Bones. "How are they," Jack asks the chief medical officer only to be professional. The reality is Jack wishes they were writhing in pain. "You done yet?"

"yes, and they'll live," Bones reports running the osteo-generator over Hyden's arm.

"Too bad," Jack thinks silently to himself.

"First time he ain't ever used a hypo in his life for pain management," Slayton says in a nasally voice holding the bridge of his nose.

"I left in a hurry," Bones growls sending a deadly glare at the officer. "And a little suffering is good for the soul. The kids didn't need a hypo so why would a big, tough guy like yourself need one?"

"What happened in the turbo lift," Jack asks the simple question required of him as a commanding officer.

"Dawson attacked us. He broke Slayton's nose and then the son of a bitch broke my arm and jaw. I want to know why he is not in a cell right now. I am a ranking officer. He is enlisted. I will have is post for this," Hyden threatens moving his jaw slowly back and forth. The movement hurts like hell. Secretly Hyden thinks about bringing a malpractice suit against the doctor. There has to be a law somewhere about treating a patient with the callousness he and Slayton received from McCoy.

As if he can read Hyden's mind, Jack replies. "Let me remind you of your current charges. Number one is striking two minors,"

"We never hit her. We detained her and she struggled," Hyden takes on a haughty tone. If Jack wants to play this game, so be it. He will have his comments on record just like his CO's.

"Number two is detaining said minors excessively resulting in noticeable contusions," Jack continues not missing a beat. He is done with these two officers. Since they are not displaying any sense of remorse Jack will waste no more time on them trying to get it.

"They are kids and she was running the track. Everyone saw her fall and you helped her up not two hours before this. You are not going to blame me for her clumsiness," Hyden challenges Jack. "She also attacked Paulson and Michaels not even a week ago and then had us in a turkey shoot as she assisted the aliens in their escape. Those bruises could have come from anywhere."

"The bruises on her arms not related to her fall in the gym," Jack responds monotone. "If you would like I could have the good doctor match up your hand to the bruises on her arm for comparison. As for her past transgressions, we have been monitoring her. You two were not assigned this duty due to your attitude towards her that has been well documented."

"Our attitude," Hyden thunders. "She would kill us all in our sleep if you gave her half a chance. The only reason she hasn't tried another escape attempt before tonight is because Sulu blew her ship to kingdom come. If he was off by a smidge she would have gone bye bye with the other aliens."

"And that would have made your day, wouldn't it," Jack sneers. He hates that they have baited him into this conversation again, but surrounded by his team and not the general crew gives Jack permission to speak freely. It also helps that the voice recorder is on. This is standard procedure but the two nitwits in the cell seem to have forgotten this regulation. Jack can attribute his less than professional comments to seeking the truth. Hyden and Slayton will not be so lucky if this is ever reviewed.

"Damn straight," Hyden shoots his mouth off.

"You feel the same Slayton," Jack turns his head addressing the other officer.

"She is damaged goods," Slayton says. "Some people are not worth saving. She will pull the Captain and the crew down. I have worked too hard to be the joke of the Federation."

Jack hears someone approaching him from behind. Extending a hand to the side, he hopes it will be what he needs to end this insanity. Hendorff hands Jack a PADD containing a document titled with two simple words: Transfer request. Jack signs the first request not bothering to read it. The two officers in the cell rise thinking Jack is signing their release forms. As soon as Hyden gets out, he is heading to the officers club. He and Slayton are not the only two people on the ship who loathe the Captain's blonde daughter. "Since the two of you are dissatisfied with your current posts, you are being transferred to the Nomi Colony."

"Transfered," Slayton yells. "We are not looking to be transferred Nomi colony. That is in the ass crack of space!"

"Better than being near a kid your scared will kill you while sleeping," Jack signs the second form with a proud flourish.

"I demand to see the Captain. You can't transfer us off without his order," Hyden snaps.

Jack spins the PADD showing Jim's signature at the bottom the page. "And for the record you two are clumsy. Turbo hit a rough spot and you two fell to the floor. They helped you up. I will get Scotty on it ASAP," Jack says with a hint of humor to his voice handing the PADD back to Hendorff who walks off to file the orders. If the situation wasn't so serious he would throw in the Gremlin comment.

"We won't agree to that," Slayton sneers.

"Fine then," Jack says signaling his second in command back to his side. "Hendorff let these two write out their statements regarding the events of the evening. I will inform the Captain you want to press charges on a 12-year-old kid resisting arrest. My guess is the Captain will press charges on you assaulting his daughter. Starfleet will love that publicity and you will get so much sympathy from John Q. Public over being attacked by a little girl. Either way… in the end… you will be tried, found guilty and instead of a shitty assignment in the ass crack of the galaxy you will spend the next 20 years rotting in a federation prison. The Captain is doing you a favor which is more than I would in his position," Jack says over his shoulder heading to the security office. The silence from the cell indicates both men have realized they have no supporting evidence to back their claim.

"I want the three stooges in here now," Jack thunders taking a seat at the desk.

Several seconds pass before Dawson appears in the doorway followed by Michaels and Paulson. The men's face doesn't show remorse nor does it show fear. "Colonel," Dawson speaks for the group.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here to say you, Moe, and Curly took care of Hyden and Slayton to make a point. Now I will make one. You used the clumsy excuse. It won't be good enough for the next time and I don't want a next time understand? Even if someone deserve it, you will be jailed and prosecuted for another stunt like this one."

"There won't be a next time sir," Dawson says full of confidence. "I will make sure everyone knows what happens when you touch one of our kids."

"Do that, Larry," Jack mirthlessly names Dawson final third Stooge.

"Are the kids okay," Dawson asks not caring what punishment befalls him. He can handle anything thrown at him over this.

"She will recover as will John. They just got their egos bruised. Couple of scratches a hand sized bruise on Kate's forearm," Jack reports using laymen terms for their injuries.

"What is going to happen to them," Michaels asks from behind Dawson.

"They are being transferred to Nomi colony. "I want your reports before you leave here and then you are confined to your quarters until 0800 hours tomorrow. You are dismissed," Jack says in a no-nonsense voice. The three men offer Jack a sharp salute before heading to a console to file their report.

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