Fields

no choice

There was a knock on his door.
Ghost didn't look up from the documents at his desk, acknowledging the knock with a stern reply. "Come in."

The door opened and it was Kate lasswel the woman above him and above his captian
She had a seat and looked at him
"Have a moment to talk?" She asked

Ghost raised an eyebrow and set the documents down, giving her his full attention. "What is it, Lt. Lasswel?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

"as you're well aware it's recruit assignment week" she began

Ghost's expression remained stoic, but he gave a small nod to show that he was listening. "I'm aware," he replied, his voice still even.

"right so....I'm at a loss why I dont have your recruit transfer on my desk" she said

Ghost's brow furrowed slightly at her words, but he kept his composure. "I'm not taking on any recruits this year," he stated simply.

"I'm afraid it's not optional Simon... you're not a Sargent you're a lieutenant and it's part of your responsibility" lasswel said

Ghost's jaw clenched momentarily before he spoke again, his voice tight. "I'm aware of my responsibilities, Lt. Lasswel."

He paused for a moment, his gaze unwavering as he met her eyes. "But I've chosen not to take on a recruit this year. I have my reasons, and I request that you respect that decision."

"Simon..." She said her voice leaving no room for reason

Ghost's shoulders tensed at the tone of her voice, but he held his ground. He clenched his fist under the desk, forcing himself to keep his cool. "With all due respect, Lt. Lasswel," he said, his voice still even despite the hint of anger in his eyes. "You can't force me to take on a recruit."

"there you're wrong...if you won't take one on then you'll be assigned one...I don't see why you're making such a big deal of this.. you work just fine with soap mctravish" she said

Ghost's expression hardened at the mention of Soap. "That's different," he gritted out, his jaw tensing again. "I work well with Soap because he's earned my respect, and we've been through a lot together. I can't say the same about some fresh-faced recruit."

"you forget you were new too Simon" she said

Ghost's eyes narrowed at her words, but he knew there was truth to them. He let out a huff of air, his expression still tight. "I know I was new once too," he said. "But that was a long time ago, and things were different then."

"fine you leave me no choice" lasswel said

Ghost's gaze flicked to her, a mix of irritation and wariness in his eyes. "What do you mean?" He asked, his voice low.

"effective immediately I'll assign you a rook from the female recruitment team
It'll be your responsibility to teach the woman the ropes and make her part of the team, am I understood?" She asked though there was not room for arguing under her direct order

Ghost's jaw clenched again as he struggled to keep his temper in check. His fingers dug into the armrest of his chair, his knuckles turning white with frustration. "Understood," he said through gritted teeth, his voice laced with annoyance.

"good" she nodded a d stood from her chair
"Simon...why are you so hell bent on not having an apprentice?" She asked

Ghost's eyes darted away, avoiding her gaze for a moment. He didn't respond right away, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he struggled to find the right words.

Finally, he spoke, his voice quieter than before. "I don't want the responsibility of training a newbie right now," he admitted. "Especially not some fresh-faced rookie that's only going to get themselves killed."

"it's up to you to make sure they don't get themselves killed" she said

Ghost's jaw clenched again, but he knew she was right. He let out a low growl of frustration, knowing he was trapped in the situation.

"I know that," he said, his voice tight. "But that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it."

"I'll draw the paperwork for her file and have it to you first thing in the morning" she said

Ghost let out a frustrated sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Fine," he muttered, his voice lacking any enthusiasm.

"And you're certain that I have to take on a female recruit?"

"problem working with women?" She asked

Ghost's expression hardened at her insinuation. "No, not at all," he said, his voice defensive. "I can work with any gender. It's just that I've never trained a woman before, and I'm not sure how it will change the dynamic of the team."

"it's non negotiable Simon..." She said

Ghost let out a deep exhale, feeling more and more frustrated by the minute. He clenched his jaw before replying.

"I understand," he said through gritted teeth. "I'll do my best to train her, but I can't make any promises on how it will turn out."
"Right... I think we're done then?" Ghost asked, his tone bordering on dismissive. He desperately wanted her to leave so he could brood in peace.

"yes we're done here..I'll have the file for your recruit assignment in the morning" she said before leaving

Ghost watched her leave with a mixture of irritation and resignation. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Bloody hell..." he muttered under his breath, his jaw clenching once more.

He sat there for a moment, stewing in his own thoughts. The thought of having a female recruit under his command made him uneasy, though he couldn't quite place why. He'd always worked well with women, but something about taking on a rookie was rubbing him the wrong way.

Ghost let out a long sigh, trying to push the thought away for now. There was nothing he could do about it anyway.

"Might as well get some work done..." he muttered to himself. He reached for the stack of paperwork on his desk, determined to try and lose himself in his work and forget about the impending responsibility of training a rookie.