Orwig attempted to step around his superior and assist the sergeant, but a steadying hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Iss they is ay ot nay ee thay ime tay", Eve-Stay admonished the young troop.
"He's right", Proteau concurred, "if DANA wanted Stauch dead, he'd have killed him by now."
Though the corporal could see the logic in their statements, his emotions warred within him. The thought of abandoning Stauch lit a fire inside. "Maybe if you were human you'd feel differently",
he shot back at the others, venting his frustrations on the aliens.
Proteau stared back, clearly perplexed. "What do you mean, Orwig?"
The corporal locked eyes with the Security Chief. "I mean, I can't just leave one of my own behind", he stated defiantly, but Proteau's hurt expression forced him to drop his eyes to the floor.
"You wouldn't understand."
"I think that I do, though", Proteau replied, placing a reassuring hand on the corporal's shoulder. "You feel helpless to assist the sergeant, and by venting your anger on us", he explained,
pointing to himself and Eve-Stay, "you are able to release some of it."
Orwig considered Proteau's words, letting them sink in passed the emotional turmoil. "Yeah", he remarked after several seconds, "I think you're right." He looked up at Proteau sheepishly.
"I'm sorry, sir."
Proteau smiled back warmly. "I was young too, once", he admitted, "full of emotion and energy, but lacking the wisdom to use the combination properly."
Eve-Stay stepped forward. "Ee way ave hay an aying say on ay eye may anet play", he intoned, " 'On't day oh gay oo tay ed bay ad may'."
"Yeah", Orwig said, nodding soberly, "you can say that again."
"On't day oh gay oo tay ed bay ad may", Eve-Stay repeated, earning him appreciative chuckles from the others.
"Hey, that's real special", Stauch's words echoed distantly through the ventilation shaft, "but if this Leave it to Beaver moment is over, I could use a little help."
