Pike stood at the threshold of the med bay, his posture unwavering and his eyes already locked on the figure of the lieutenant who was trying, rather poorly, to avoid the inevitable. He could see the faint signs of injury—the way the lieutenant’s movements were more sluggish than usual, the subtle wince that betrayed their pain. Pike’s expression tightened with concern, though he tried to keep his tone steady as he approached.

"Lieutenant," he began, his voice calm, but the underlying steel in it made it clear that this wasn’t a request. "What in the world were you thinking?" He didn’t give them a chance to respond before continuing. "You were supposed to stay on the ship, not sneak off on some wild mission."

The lieutenant’s eyes flickered to him, and Pike could practically hear the gears turning in their head as they attempted to brush him off with a simple shrug, trying to walk away and make light of the situation with a pout.

But Pike wasn’t having any of it.

Without hesitation, he reached out and firmly grasped their arm, pulling them back toward the nearest biobed. His grip wasn’t harsh, but it was insistent, unyielding.

"Hey—hey! Don’t you walk away from me!" Pike’s voice dropped slightly, but the force of his words was clear. "You're not going anywhere until I get some answers. And until you sit down and let the medics do their job."

His eyes softened just a fraction, but the authority in them remained. He wasn’t about to let his crew’s safety be treated like a joke—especially not by someone he respected. Pike’s gaze lingered on the lieutenant for a moment, a mixture of frustration and concern in his expression, the weight of command pressing down on his shoulders. He needed to know why they’d risked everything without thinking it through.

And, as always, he would get to the bottom of it.