Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Posted on Wed Apr 25th, 2012 @ 8:09pm by Jackson Banning V & Commander Oralia Zeferino & Janice Gree

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Jackson's Office - The Nexus Club

* * * The Nexus Club * * *

As Connor started off down the service hallway, Jackson backed into his office and let the door closed. The Doc hadn't said where he was going and Jackson didn't want to see which direction he took at the next junction. If he didn't see, he couldn't tell, right? Even if he had someone with a real talent for making him want to give in.

Oz.

Returning to his desk, he dropped into the chair with a sigh. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Let her know Connor had come by? Well obviously he'd need to mention that little fact at some point, but when? As for being the messenger, well, he decided that could wait till he actually had one to pass along. Nothing worse than waiting for word from someone. When you were looking for it, it seemed to take forever. Better to let it be a nice surprise.

His gaze fell on the guitar case and he frowned. Speaking of surprises. That guitar was one. The Doc himself was another. Of all the people Connor could have visited before he vanished into the maze of this station, Jackson would never have expected it to be him. So here he sat, between a rock and a hard place, staring at a guitar case. The soft chime at his door only barely registered.

"Come in," he called.

Poking her head through the door as it opened, Janice looked around the office, obviously expecting to see Connor. When it was apparent that he wasn't, she raised a brow at Jackson and quipped, "Usually it's the women who disappear without a trace. Was what he wanted to talk about that awful?"

"No, actually." Jackson still seemed rather stunned. Close the door. Janice." Once it was, he motioned to the guitar. "He gave me that."

Never one to deny her inner cat from having her curiosity sated, Janice opened the case and whistled in appreciation. "He must be falling for you, Jackie Boy," she shot a grin at Jackson. She knew about the busted guitar, about ...well, about everything, really. There wasn't much that Jackson got into that she didn't know about.

Jackson shot her his middle finger. "You are so funny, darlin'. He said he wanted to make amends for that day. I tried to talk him out of it but he insisted. So, I'll hang on to it till he gets back." He paused, realizing now that he may be the only one who knew Connor was disappearing for a while.

She stuck her tongue out at the one-finger salute. Her demeanor shifted to one of concern, "'Back'? Where is he going? Does that mean Oz is going somewhere, too?"

"I don't rightly know Jan. All he said was he was gonna disappear for a while, somewhere in the civvie sector. Takin' a vacation from duty. He didn't say where, or how long, and asked if he could go out the back way. He also asked if I'd be willin' to pass messages on to Oz for him. I bet that flies about as well as the Hindenburg." He frowned, considering it. "WHy why put me in a position purposely that will make me interact with Oz?"

After a moment's consideration, Janice voiced the one reason that made an iota of sense: "To test Oz?" Connor wouldn't care about Jackson's actions; he would care whether Oralia found comfort in Jackson's arms. If that was Connor's reasoning, then Janice didn't like the Doctor so much anymore.

"He was sincere in his apology. And I have no idea what their situation is anymore. I've purposely stayed out of it but I am gonna have to talk to Oz. Maybe from across the room." He smiled faintly. "She has a mean aim when she throws somethin'. "

"Tell her here; I'll make sure there are no knives layin' around, just waitin' to spear a careless bar owner," she smiled slightly. As she spoke again, though, her smile faded away. "You need to break up with those two; too much drama there, Jackson."

"I did, didn't you hear? My last talk here in this office after she...yeah...movin' right along then." He looked up at the ceiling. "Besides, I finally convinced Natalia to give us a run. Things were great till she woke up and told me she thought it best if we stayed away from each other."

Janice stared at Jackson for a moment. Sometimes, she just wanted to smack some sense into him. This was definitely one of those moments. "Perhaps you should. I imagine that she's just a touch easier to locate."

"Meaning? What exactly Janice? Harding? He's already here. He's what woke us up this morning." He frowned, recalling the conversation this morning. The day had been strange start to finish.

"Oh, goodie," her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Looks like all he needed to do was wait for the shapely Natalia to lead him to you." Shaking her head, she mentally washed her hands of the matter. "You need to be careful who you play with."

"Well, I keep askin' you and you keep blowin' me off." He grinned up at her. "Face it, Jan, I'm cursed. Just wish me luck when I talk to Oz. If I yell, call Sickbay."

"Maybe you should just wait for her to bring up the subject. Or wait till the wanderin' doc sends a message to be passed on. Even then, maybe you could just send the message on, anonymously."

"Or have Eli do it? Even if I tell her I saw him, I wasn't gonna mention any possible messages. Better to let them be a surprise, you know?"

"Better to not mention seeing him, then. Let everything be a surprise; hopefully his pickin' up and leavin' isn't one of those surprises, though." She thought about that a moment then, scrunching up her face into a worried sneer, asked, "You don't think he'd just take off on her, would he?"

"I don't think so no. That's not really his style." Jackson let out an audible sigh. "Tell me not to get tempted? Smack me hard if I do? at least she's still down on Archadia as far as I know. Hell, maybe I need a vacation or somethin'."

"I hear Risa is nice." True, Risa was nearly a year's travel away from their current location, but at least the trip would keep Jackson out of the Oz/Connor-made drama. It would also take him away from Natalia and the creepy Harding.

"Umm, that's a bit further away than I had in mind, sweetheart." He considered her words for a moment, then drummed his fingers on the desk. "As for Nat, this started with Harding, it will end there. Even if she hold to stayin' away from me, he and I have a score to settle. Then, whatever happens happens."

"Like I said: be careful who you play with," Janice warned him before shaking her head and heading for the door.

"I intend to." He stood and moved out from behind the desk. "Let's get to it, it's almost show time."

Everyone, even Jackson, knew that the road to hell was paved with good intentions.

______________________

Janice Greer
Soothsayer
The Nexus Club

Jackson Banning
Owner & Rock Climber
The Nexus Club