Last Session

Posted on 06 Jan 2016 @ 5:46pm by Ensign K'os Beaumont

860 words; about a 4 minute read

Swanson: Are you ready to begin, Ensign?

Beaumont: This is recorded again?

Swanson: Yes. This will be the last recorded session of your debrief.

Beaumont: [QUIETLY] And then I can return to work?

Swanson: Let’s just keep taking this one step at a time. Just like we talked about in our first session.

Beaumont: Okay.

Swanson: Alright. [The sound of PADDS shuffling about is heard] At the end of our last session I gave you an assignment to work on. How did that go?

Beaumont: Okay, I guess.

Swanson: You spoke with your father then?

Beaumont: Yes.

Swanson: How did that make you feel?

Beaumont: [long pause] Can...can we not do the “feelings” thing again? I mean, all we do is talk about how I feel. You know how I feel already. I feel everything. All of it. All at once. How I feel has no bearing on my actions. We’ve already talked about that. You’ve run the tests even. What you’re trying to ascertain is if talking to my father about my interrogation was cathartic. It wasn’t. Did I tell him? Yes. Then he spent the rest of the conversation doing nothing but cry. And not just the regular crying either. It was that red eyed sobbing cry. You know? The kind that makes your nose run and your throat hoarse?

Swanson: Why do you think he reacted that way?

Beaumont: [puffs air through his lips] I have no idea. Shame maybe? Guilt? Which is ridiculous really. He didn’t interrogate me. An alternate version of him did. It wasn’t him.

Swanson: You can see why that might be difficult for someone to hear? The idea that a different version of yourself somewhere out there is capable of doing the things you describe could be hard to process. Not to mention how difficult it must be to hear of your son being subjected to what you were subjected to.


”Do you feel it yet?” Cole whispered. “The weakness that overcomes you. You can feel it draining, right? Your heart betrays you, with every beat it brings you closer and closer to death. All you have to do is tell me what I want to know and this will all stop. It hurts me to do this to my own son, you know.” Cole’s voice was anything but sincere. He stood and looked down at K’os lying on a metallic chair. The young hybrid looked like he was being presented to a dentist.

The pale young man continued to stare off into space. His eyes were glazed and didn’t seem to respond to anything or anyone in the bright room. His mind was far away; compartmentalized; protected.

“My goodness, Cole. Did you gork his brain?” Raj Mallory said from the back of the room. He had come to get an update.

Cole’s grey blue eyes flicked to Raj and he gave him a dimpled grin. “No. He’s in there somewhere. He’s just playing hard to get.” Cole raised the sharp instrument he’d been using just a moment before and began wiping blood off it with a cloth. “He’ll open up to me one way or another.


Swanson: Are you experiencing any trouble sleeping?

Beaumont: No.

Swanson: Are you having difficulty focusing--?

Beaumont: No. Really. Look, I’ve told you. I really am okay. I’m not traumatized. I took precautions to protect myself. I mediate. I exercise. I really am fine. The...things that were done to me...I hardly remember. Really.


”Aaaahh!” K’os screamed as the sound of a tiny saw cut through something wet.

“Ah...there you are, son.” Cole chuckled. “That wasn’t so hard. Allowing yourself to feel the pain this time. Good. That’s good. We’re getting somewhere. It’s progress. I’m so proud of you.”

“Stop.” K’os choked the word out.

“Oh...I’m so sorry, son. But we can’t stop. I told you. We’re in this together, you and me. You tell me what I need to know and then I can stop. I can end all of this.”

“Not that…” K’os struggled to catch his breath enough to speak more than single words. “Stop...calling me…’son’.”


Swanson: Tell me about your support network. Do you have friends or family that you can talk to? People that can help if you ever do feel like your coping skills are not working the way you’d hoped?

Beaumont: Yeah. I’ve got friends…

Swanson: Are you seeing anyone romantically? Dating?

Beaumont: Yes. Well, no...I mean yes, I’m dating but not anything serious. I’m not very good-- just--I’m not seeing anyone.

Swanson: It can be difficult sometimes for partners of someone that has experienced trauma. They usually need a little help on what to look for and to be mindful of the healing process after something like this.

Beaumont: I’m sure they’ll cope. If I was seeing anyone, I mean. Now...when can I go back to work?

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