What Lies Beneath

Posted on 08 Oct 2014 @ 3:37pm by Lieutenant JG Dorian West

1,948 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo, Deck 3, Counselor's Office
Timeline: MD9, 1700 hours

ON:

Not really happy with being ordered here, Tyrion knocked on the counselor's door. "Lieutenant Miir? It's Ensign Faye... I have an appointment." He poked his head inside as the door slid open. "Hello?"

Dorian West looked up from the computer with a small smile. "One second," he closed the file and put the screen down, standing to move over to the more comfortable chairs, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Not Miir though. I'm Lieutenant Dorian West."

"Tyrion Faye," the Betazoid repeated, relaxing instantly when he saw his counselor was what looked to be a Human male. "You ah..don't have enough fur to be Lieutenant Miir." He smiled a little. "I'm just not quite sure what I'm doing here, other than that I was told to make an appointment. Other than the coming aboard evaluation, I suppose....I had my psych evals back on the Chesapeake a few weeks ago."

"I had a message," West admitted with a half smile, shaking his head. "Before we get into anything, let's get a drink and settle down. The replicator's sketchy, but I have a jug of icetea on the go if you'd like some?" he glanced back to him with the offer, motioning for him to take a seat on the sofa.

"I would, thank you sir." Somehow, Tyrion had the feeling that this wasn't going to be a quick session. He sat down, trying to get comfortable but clearly failing to do so. "Could you tell me what this is all about? Please?"

"From what I can gather, there is an unsolved murder and the victim was someone you knew," West said casually for the weight of what was being discussed, moving to sit with him and offering a glass over. "And...it seems you were taking a lot of interest in it."

"Of course I am. The victim was my lover, so I want nothing more than to see who killed him be brought to justice. Security on the Chesapeake seemed to have stopped investigating after not getting any further leads. And I was transferred here, and I really want to solve this. For my own peace of mind, as well as Tyrek's memory." Tyrion looked down. "He was Vulcan... and now he can never rest, his katra was lost."

Dorian nodded gently, sipping his drink as he gave him a moment of quiet. "Why don't you talk me through what happened? I don't know much, and I'd much rather hear it from you anyway."

"I'm not exactly sure, most of it is a haze," Tyrion repeated what he'd told the doctor earlier. "I remember going into the science lab to ask Tyrek out for dinner. I remember warding someone off after being thrown into a wall. Then nothing and the first thing I remember after is holding Tyrek in my arms and he's dead."

"Okay," West nodded gently with a frown, lowering his glass in thought. Sometimes it helped to concentrate on little details like smells and sounds to bring back repressed or clouded memories. "Tell me more about Tyrek. What was it you loved about him?"

"His quiet nature. He was a bit shy and he didn't like to be touched. He was also a bit scatterbrained, which made him all the more adorable. I was helping him getting over his fear of being touched, because of his telepathic skill, or lack thereof really. He had no control, and I wanted to help him with that, so he could go out more and make friends. Like me, he didn't have any friends. We shared a kiss a few times, and he was warming up to that, we were taking it very slow you see. He was returning my feelings, just differently. He wanted to, but somehow couldn't and it had nothing to do with his being Vulcan. He was afraid he'd hurt me with his lack of control."

"And did he ever?" Dorian asked softly, but with a gentle smile at the tenderness he clearly had for Tyrek.

The Betazoid shook his head. "No, he never hurt me. He never would because I was careful. I never pushed him too far, always taking small steps." He smiled sadly. "He had a very kind soul."

"It sounds like it," Dorian nodded with agreement, leaning back on the sofa with a gentle sigh at someone like that being killed so young and so violently. "So although you describe yourself as lovers, you....never....?"

"No, we've never had sex no. Like I said, he was scared to touch me or be touched so we were working on that first. We only kissed, nothing more. I don't regret not pushing him, but I do miss him very much. We weren't bonded by the way and it wasn't something we discussed yet. Too soon. So yes, im very kern on finding who killed the one friend and lover I ever had. Is that so wrong sir?"

"Justice is a natural wish," Dorian nodded quickly to him, frowning slightly. Sometimes though, it seemed like there wasn't enough justice. Or it never came. "So, that last time you saw him...walk me through what you remember. Take your time, there's no rush. You might even want to close your eyes to put yourself back in the moment."

Sighing, Tyrion closed his eyes. "I've already tried this sir. I had just come off duty, I was on alpha shift, and I went to the lab. Tyrek was busy so I didn't want to disturb him too long." He furrowed his brows in concentration but the black gap in his memory remained. "I didn't see his face. I didn't see who attacked him and me. We never got to talk..." His voice broke.

Dorian nodded as he watched his face, thinking it over, trying to put himself in his position. "What did you hear as you moved in to the lab?" trying to help him get back in touch with the moment rather than looking back on a memory like a picture...and also to lead him to try and work out if an assailant was already in the room when he arrived, or if they appeared later.

"Utter silence. Tyrek liked things to be quiet so he could concentrate. So there wasn't a sound in the lab except my footsteps. At least, I didn't hear anything else..." He fell silent for a few seconds, his eyes still closed, breathing deeply as he tried to compose himself. "No, nothing but my footsteps, and his. A computer beeping in the background at best."

"And what did you feel?" he rested his head in his hand as he leant against the back of the sofa, watching him. "With your telepathy I mean, what did you feel from the room?"

"Nothing." His expression changed, as if he was closing himself. "I don't use it. I don't want to use it, and I wish I didn't have it."

Dorian frowned softly at that, letting out a soft breath as he rubbed his jaw. "My understanding is that even if telepaths don't actively delve into people's minds, they still pick up....background noise. Did you feel anything like that? That might help with who was in the room and what they were feeling or thinking?"

"No." The Betazoid shook his head. "I only felt Tyrek, because I was looking for him. Like I said, I don't want to use it so most of the time, I don't feel anything either. Like right now, I don't feel you either, because I don't want to. Now if you were to display very strong emotions or thoughts I'd probably pick them up but as you are now there's nothing. Because I'm closing it off all the time." He didn't mention that this took effort on his part because, after all, telepathy did come naturally to a (trained) Betazoid.

Dorian nodded slowly, letting out a soft breath at having to move to less pleasant areas. "So moving ahead, what's your first memory after the black out," he asked softly. "Thinking about all we've been talking about....sounds, smells, feelings, not just sight..."

"Someone calling for security, and seeing Tyrek. I see blood on me, both red and green, because I'm holding Tyrek and he's covered in blood." His voice shook, his eyes wrenched shut as he tried hard to remember. "I remember checking for a pulse and finding none, and I want Chief Johnson on the scene because I know he's good, and I trust him." He took a deep, quivering breath. "They take his body away, and I'm ordered to sickbay. The rest is all in my medical file, treatments and all. I don't want to remain in sickbay, but the counselor wouldn't clear me for duty unless I talked to him then and there. I'm not sure but I think it took a day or so before I finally was cleared for duty."

"I'm sorry you had to go through something like that," Dorian said quietly and honestly, his frown deepening as he shook his head gently. "Do you ever dream about it? Even just...glimpses of what might have happened in the blank space?"

"I have nightmares about it," Tyrion admitted, "and sometimes my own imagination goes wild while trying to fill in the blanks. But no matter how hard I try, that blank is never filled. It remains this black void, this abyss, and it frightens me."

"You may recover it," Dorian replied, unsure if it was a reassurance or a warning, or maybe a bit of both. "Very often, if the brain has blocked traumatic events, it can start to return. It often starts in dreams, bits and pieces."

"Remembering is better than having this blank, isn't it?" Tyrion asked, not quite sure if he really wanted an answer to his question. "I really want to know what happened, why I have this blank but I'm afraid of what it will uncover. I'm hoping, no praying, that somehow I did see who killed poor Tyrek."

"It just means you will need to be prepared for the day that it could return," Dorian frowned as he leant to him. "I think it might be an idea if you think about having some regular counselling sessions."

"You think that regular sessions will help bring the memory back?" The mug in the Betazoid's hands trembled with anxiety. "What are the chances they will, and what are the odds they will never come back?"

"It's not so easy to have odds," Dorian said with a soft sigh at having to break that news. "It's so different from person to person. Talking about it might help you naturally regain memories. Or, it could help prepare you for the effect of if they do return."

"I think, that's what I want," Tyrion confessed. "I want to remember, maybe I saw who killed him. I so want justice counselor, is that so bad to want? For someone you loved?"

"No, it's natural," Dorian agreed with a slight nod. "Sometimes....we just have to be patient in how we get it."

Tyrion too, offered a slight nod. "Same time tomorrow?" he enquired. He still needed to get something to eat, have a bit of rest and then show up for his medical.

"Sounds good to me," West nodded firmly to him, his gaze reassuring. He was already gathering his thoughts on what he would relay back to the Markos for her investigation. This was a complex puzzle if nothing else.


OFF:

Ensign Tyrion Faye
Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

LT JG Dorian West
Counsellor
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

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