Psychiatrrric Interrrview

Posted on 31 Aug 2013 @ 6:48pm by Ensign S'Ranna T'Srrr'Kharh & Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle
Edited on on 01 Sep 2013 @ 8:22am

1,542 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 04 - Exodus
Location: USS Galileo - Counselor's Office
Timeline: MD-02 - 2000hrs.

[ON]

Delainey was looking forward to meeting Ensign T'Srrr'Kharth, as she had never personally interacted much with Caitians before. She wondered whether her seating was going to be comfortable for the Ensign's tail and decided she would ask once she arrived. It was important to Carlisle not to make any of the crew feel self-conscious, whether because of species or personality quirks, but she was also not one to shy away from honesty. She was sure the Ensign had encountered people who had never met Caitians before, and perhaps would appreciate Delainey just being direct about that.

Beings of all species had a way of sensing when others weren't genuine, and being authentic was the first rule of counseling.

S'Ranna was similarly looking forward to the experience. She was a naturally chatty sort - it had taken her a while to work out that the engineer co-pilots at the Test Range didn't wear earplugs because of 'engine noises' - and generally the counsellor was one of the few people willing to listen. Tail swishing determinedly, she made her way along at the appointed time. Delainey Carrrlisle, she purred to herself. Humans have such interesting names.

Entering the office, she greeted the doctor with a raised paw and a polite wiggle of her whiskers. "Grrreetings, Counsellorrr, I have the honourrr of being S'Ranna T'Srrr'Kharh. It is a pleasure to be meeting you!" She made her way to the seat - and, in fact, managed to sit down perfectly comfortably, her tail curling around the back of the chair and ending up in her lap as she squeezed her paws together.

Tail crisis averted, Delainey allowed herself to relax and take in the other woman's obvious sociability with a characteristic smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, and I'm pleased to see you've made yourself at home. May I get you something from the replicator?"

S'Ranna considered this. She'd run a hunting holosim only an hour ago, which always left her feeling satisfied; but of course, holographic prey didn't actually fill any nutritional needs. "Perrrhaps just some milk," she settled on.

Delainey complied with the request and suppressed any amused reaction she had. Stereotypes contained a grain if truth in many cases, but that didn't mean people wanted to be reminded of them. "I promise not to keep you too long. I like these meetings to be pretty informal, and just an opportunity to see how people are adjusting to their new surroundings."

S'Ranna took the milk and lapped up a small amount, carefully wiping her whiskers clean before speaking. "Of courrrse, but please: I have not been on this ship long orrr met many people yet. So forrr me the opporrrtunity to sit down and talk with someone is actually rrratherrr welcome."

She just hoped they would not have to do those funny human ink blot tests. S'Ranna always found herself seeing the shapes as various different kinds of prey, and her vivid observations tended to unnerve the counsellors.

Delainey grinned. "I'm glad I can oblige. I'm actually grateful for the opportunity too, as you're the first Catian I've met. I can't help but wonder how others, especially humans treat you?"

S'Ranna smiled. "Humans and Caitians get on verrry well. We have a long historrry of worrrking togetherrr in the Federrrration, and I had many human frrriends when I lived on Earrrth. Occasionally, they would say things that werrre a little offensive, but I am most cerrrtain that they did not intend such. Just - a little culturrral confusion."

Her eyes narrowed. "The only thing I do not like is when they confuse my people with theirrr Terrran cats. Theirrr pets. We may both be 'feline', but I assurrre you, we are quite differrrent!" she said indignantly, her tail flicking side and side. She then took another lap of her milk. "The verrry idea! Harrrumph!"

Delainey nodded. She may have found the similarities odd, but she would never go so far as to treat her like a pet. "Does it bother you to see Terran cats as pets? I know you are different than they are, but to me and to many humans, I think there appear to be enough surface similarities for us to assume you would feel that way."

"Scrrratch beneath the furrr, though, and we arrre verrry differrrent," S'Ranna said, bristling a little. Aware she was becoming defensive, she tried to inject a lighter mood by adding: "Besides, I have owned pets of my own. And I do not worrry about rrreptilian species being offended by my taking carrre of some pet lizarrrds!"

Delainey nodded. "I suppose we all have our norms." Noting the hint of defensiveness, Carlisle added, "I did not intend to make you feel defensive. I only wished to understand you better, and I attempted to do so using something familiar to me as a frame of reference." The counselor paused, then added, "I point this out, not because I'm upset by your reaction, but because I expect others unfamiliar with your species will do the same. I would be very surprised if many of them had ill intentions by doing so. That said, I do realize that isn't always the case with some people."

The defensiveness, no matter how slight, suggested an attempt to protect herself from pain. The counselor had to wonder if there was more to it than mild irritation at others making assumptions.

"I'm glad we agrrree. I have always got on well with humans. I am thinking they arrre a morrre tolerrrant race than some. Vulcans, forrr example, arrre not so considerrrate." S'Ranna's ears gave a wiggle of irritation at the way the fussy, logical - and extremely nasally sensitive - species had treated her people in the past.

"But even then, I am thinking I will be getting on well within everrryone on the ship: so farrr they have all been mostly frrriendly."

"Mostly?" Delainey asked. She wasn't sure if that was a reference to the stereotyping mentioned earlier or something else.

"Yes." S'Ranna frowned quizzically. "I did not mean that they had been otherrrwise at all."

Then she gave a soft mrrrrr of understanding, accompanied by a wiggle of her ears. "Forrrgive me, I am not always being as, perrrhaps, as cautious with my worrrds as humans arrre. Caitians use much body language to communicate in a way that humans do not have." She smiled sympathetically at the poor, tail-less counsellor. "You must not rrread too much into what I say, I assurrre you! Rrrreally, I have encounterrred no prrroblems frrrom the crrrew I have interrracted with thus farrr."

Delainey grinned. "Reading into the spoken word is what a counselor is trained to do, but I believe you when you say things are fine. If you ever do have a problem, please know you can come to me or Scarlet. We expect everyone here to be treated with dignity and respect, differences or similarities aside." Carlisle paused and after considering her thoughts offered, "I've gotten what I need to clear you for duty, but before you go, do you have any questions or something else to share?"

S'Ranna wafted her paw. "I did not rrreally think this was strrrictly about being clearrred forrr duty. I highly doubt I would even have been assigned herrre had therrre been any doubts about my fitness. I just look forrrwarrrd to the chance to talk a little. I wonderrred whetherrr you had any advice on what I might be doing to get to know the rrrest of the crrrew a little betterrr?"

Delainey smiled wanly and took a moment to consider the question. The truth was, Delainey, despite what she did every day, was somewhat shy when it came to getting to know the crew socially. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable with the idea, although she hadn't met many people in her career who weren't treated on some level as if they were always on duty and shouldn't be trusted.

"Don't be afraid to introduce yourself to people on and off-duty. Simply saying hi and asking how people are can go a long way. There's also lots of opportunity to interact in places like the Mess and the crew lounges."

S'Ranna nodded keenly. "Yes, yes, I have alrrready made one frrriend in the Mess Hall. A small human with twigs in herrr hairrr. And she intrrroduced me to anotherrr, a verrry big human." She gestured Natalie and Jacob's heights with her paws down, then up.

"Well, thank you forrr the advice. If therrre is nothing else - maybe I can call back in a few days and let you know how I am getting on?"

"That would be great," Delainey replied with a smile. "I would welcome more friendly conversation."

S'Ranna smiled and gave a friendly nod, then rose to her hindpaws. She first deposited the now empty milk glass in the waste recycler, and then made for the door, stopping to give a courteous flick of her ears to Delainey. "Until next time!"

[OFF]

Ensign S'Ranna T'Srrr'Kharh
Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

Lt. Delainey Carlisle, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Chief Counselor/Doctor
USS Galileo

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