Counselor's Counselor

Posted on 02 Mar 2012 @ 8:36pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy

2,955 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Episode 00 - Pre-Deployment
Location: Starfleet HQ, Lirha's Quarters
Timeline: MD 03 - 2115 hrs

[ON]

After speaking with her sister for the better part of a half hour, Lirha was in good spirits. Though she knew she had a lot of work to complete the following day, she was nonetheless excited that Nesh would be coming to San Francisco and spending time with her at the HQ. She would have to work out something for Nesh to do while she was at work, but she felt confident that she could arrange plans for her. Lirha laid down happily on her back, then curled up on her side as she picked up a PADD from her nightstand and began to read through an updated supply manifest.

Dru walked up and down the corridor a few times, unsure if she should really be doing this. After their conversation earlier, Dru felt that Lirha was someone she could talk to, to share her concerns with but part of Dru also said that the woman is her Captain. Captain's can't fully be friends with their crew, they need to remain somewhat set aside. Dru had a feeling Lirha was different though...she wasn't sure why but it was a feeling. Dru hit the chime of the Captain's door before she could have second thoughts.

Hearing a soft chirp echo throughout her quarters, the captain sat up somewhat surprised. It was late in the evening, and to her knowledge, she wasn't expecting any visitors. "Enter." she said quietly as she folded her legs on her bed and looked to see who was outside.

As Dru walked into the Captain's quarters she had to prevent herself from running back out of the room again. As she stepped forward she looked around, finally locating the Captain who was on her bed, "Oh! I'm so sorry, I'll leave. I didn't mean to disturb you while resting." Dru moved to leave the room.

"Dru, wait..." she called out as she watched the brown haired woman start to leave. "There's no need to go, you aren't bothering me." she said in a soft voice, then moved out of her bed and to her feet. She was wearing her night attire and barely clothed, but hoped that Dru wouldn't mind seeing as her visit was unannounced. "Please, have a seat." she said, then flicked her eyes to the small couch near the window. "Can I get you something to drink?"

Dru looked away as she realised Lirha's state of undress and stumbled slightly. She was only ever used to seeing men in states of undress, she had never witnessed it with a woman before and was uncertain she was comfortable with it, "I really don't want to put you out Ma'am." Dru realised her mistake once the word Ma'am slipped out but she felt so fluttered she didn't know what to do.

Seeing her counsellor once again flustered invoked a range of emotions within Lirha. She had hoped that after their casual lunch conversation earlier in the day, she would have been more comfortable around her. Yet despite her best attempts to put the woman at ease, Lirha was beginning to feel increasingly upset with herself as the moments of awkwardness persisted. "Dru, please call me Lirha. Especially at this time of night in my quarters." she said quietly with a small smile. "I'm off duty right now and the last thing I want to be called is Ma'am or Captain." she said, then sat down on the couch with her green legs crossed.

Dru turns back to Lirha and noticed the nightie riding up her leg. The counsellor quickly closed her eyes, trying to block it out, "Ma...Lirha...Can I ask you for a favour...Could you put on a night gown? A pair of bottoms? Something?" Dru opened her eyes and looked straight in Lirha, feeling so confused and uncertain, "Please Lirha?"

The captain nodded and gave Dru an apologetic smile as she stood and went to her chest of drawers. She rummaged around for a moment and pulled a pair of grey sweatpants and a loose white shirt from the drawer. She quickly slipped into them and returned to her seat on the couch, then pushed some of her out of her eyes. "My apologies."

"I'm the sorry one. I'm not used to seeing so much of a woman's body in such an intimate situation. I know Orions are comfortable with their sexuality and bodies but it isn't as easy for some humans, like myself", Dru smiled graciously.

"Yes, I've noticed." she replied with a sigh. "It was hard for me to adjust to Earth culture when I first arrived, and I still find myself occasionally putting people in uncomfortable situations." she added. "So, what's on your mind tonight?"

"I...I...um..." Dru looked down where her hands where playing with the helm of her jacket, "I guess I needed a friend and I wasn't certain who else to go to."

"You're always welcome to come talk to me." Lirha replied, "Please have a seat." she said, and moved over on the couch so Dru could sit next to her. Despite the late hour, she was actually happy to have some company, as it took her mind off other matters. "Did you finally get some rest this afternoon?" she asked.

Dru hesitated slightly, uncertain if she would be able to sit at Lirha's side as she was still slightly shaken up from seeing Lirha half naked. Realising she might upset Lirha, Dru moved over to sit on the edge of the couch. She had come here looking for a friend, she didn't wish to distress Lirha in anyway. "Well I followed your orders and went to bed, I wasn't able to switch off my mind so it was a very restless nap that I managed."

Lirha learned her head against the cushion and stared at her blue-eyed counsellor. "At least you tried," she said with approval. "Are you feeling overwhelmed by this new assignment? Or is there something else going on, maybe something personal in your life?" she asked Dru. The captain didn't often venture into the personal lives of her crew, but she was somewhat concerned at the moment for the woman's mental well-being.

"I'm finding it difficult to readjust. I...." Dru looked down at her hands as she tried to figure out what she wanted to say," I thought a small ship would be easier compared to a bigger one but it isn't. Even though on my last ship we all knew eachother, at the end of the day you saw other's so briefly that distances could be maintained. When I saw people days or weeks would pass before I had to see them again, I could shelve away their troubles and issues. Already I've only been here two days and the strain of trying to read up on crew bios, trying to retain the information is weighing down on me. I..." Dru reaches up a hand to squeeze her eye lids shut, "I don't know how I can console a crew when I can't even handle my own emotions and feelings. I...I don't see how I can help them."

The Orion captain watched her counsellor intently as she voiced her concerns. "You can help them just like you have done with every other crewman who's stepped in your office." she said reassuringly, and tilted her head to the side as she turned her body to face Dru. "Just because the ship might be a different size or configuration from what you're used to doesn't mean that your duties should be any more complicated. Your job is to help the crew and help them work out whatever issues they might be having." she said quietly. "When was the last time you had a night to yourself or were able to relax without any interruptions?" she asked curiously.

Dru thought back through the last few months, "It's been awhile. Being the counsellor on a ship the size of the USS Gladiator meant I was 24/7. Since getting back to Earth I'd had to get ready for the change of ships and since getting here, I've had all the crew reports to go over, make myself available for the crew who need me and try get the gel packs off of my desk."

Lirha grinned at the reference to her disarrayed ship. "Do you have any friends or family here in San Francisco?" she asked, thinking of something to help Dru take her mind off of work. "When I start to feel overwhelmed, I like to talk to my siblings and my old friends. Helps to keep me grounded, in a way." she added.

Dru shook her head, she really didn't want to go down that route right now. She couldn't try cope with settling in and cope with her family aswell, it was all too much. "I try to use other methods to unwind and ground myself but noone of them are helping right now...thus why I thought having a friend might help."

"I'll do my best," she replied softly, then thought for a moment as to what might make Dru feel more relaxed. "Are you by any chance fond of floral arts?" she asked, wondering if the brown haired woman wanted to see her small collection in the back room. It was a hobby which Lirha was rarely able to indulge, but she had nonetheless acquired a few exotic species of plant life over her years of travel.

Dru looked up at Lirha with a small smile on her face, "Flowers? I'd love to see it." Dru always had a passion for flowers, they were the innocents in the world, there to show their beauty, to share it with the world.

Standing up and stretching her back, Lirha led Dru into the back room of her quarters, a small area which contained the kitchen and storage cabinets. Several different species of flowers lined the inside ledge of the counter, each in their own separate pots and vases. She stepped to the side so that Dru could walk past her and get a closer look.

As Dru steps inside the door she can't believe her eyes, "You have a bajorian lilac?" Dru careful reaches out to trace her fingers across the pink and red petals of the flower, leaning down to smell the scent the flower is giving out. As she straightens back up, a flash of dark blue, "a midnight orchid?!?" Dru spun around to face Lirha with a big smile on her face. They are all so beautiful.

"Yes, I'm quite fond of the orchid and I haven't found another quite like it in many years." she replied, then shrugged. "It was a gift from my last boyfriend. We didn't exactly see eye-to-eye but he was very adept at indulging me." she added.

Dru turned back around to stroke her fingers across the leaves of a rose. "Your lucky...noone has ever bought me a flower. Did you know they all have each of their own meanings? The earth rose for example. Red is for love/seduction, yellow is for friendship, white is for mourning and pink is for joy." Dru picked up a discarded petal between her fingers and lightly rubs it with her fingers tips.

Lirha raised a curious eyebrow. "No, I wasn't aware of that." she said as she went over to the replicator and materialized two glasses of water. "You seem to be very well versed in the subject. I usually just pick them because I like the colours and the smell." she said with a smile, then walked next to Dru and handed her one of the glasses. She was happy to see her counsellor finally happy and enjoying herself, considering the state she was in when she first entered her quarters.

As Dru takes the glass of water she turned back to the flowers, "But they are so much more then that Lirha. They are living and breathing like you and me. All they want is to be taken care of. If you tend them with a gentle and caring hand, they will always reward you in the end. When they open up to you, they'll show you their in beauty, their vibrant colours. They are saying thank you."

Dru's lovely sentiment and passion for the plants had a warming effect on Lirha, causing her to lean contently against the wall as she watched the young woman delicately inspect the plants. "Would you like to have one of them?" she asked. It wouldn't be right not offer one to her, especially since Dru had much more of an appreciation for them than she did.

Dru shook her head to show a negative response, "They belong to you Lirha. No matter the reason they were given to you, they had reasons behind them. Weather it was a boyfriend saying sorry, or a boyfriend saying here take this and get off of my back, it doesn't matter. They each have a place in your life."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." she replied thoughtfully. Her mind turned to her sister's visit tomorrow, and she wondered what Nesh would think of them. Hopefully she would be able to appreciate them as much as Dru had. While Lirha's mind was on the subject, she remembered she needed to make arrangements for her sister while she took care of her duties during the day. "What are your plans for tomorrow?" she casually asked Dru.

Dru stood gazing down at a vulcan orchid, "Tomorrow? I guess more reading of crew bio's and also I have a handful of evaluations schedualled. How about yourself?"

"I have more administrative work and a few additional interviews. It seems more of the crew have arrived and I need to speak with a couple new senior officers." Lirha answered in a quiet voice. "I also made arrangements for my sister to come visit the HQ, but am struggling to find something for her to do while I am occupied in my office." she added, then looked into Dru's blue eyes. "Would you mind if she spent some time with you during the morning?"

"I'd love to Lirha. What age is she?" Dru turned to smile at Lirha while setting her empty glass on the table.

"Her name is Nesh, and she is fifteen." the Orion answered. "I haven't been able to see much of her over the past year because of my career, but she's a smart and savvy young woman. And she's growing up fast." she added with a sense of family pride. Lirha walked back into the main room and retrieved a PADD, then returned to the kitchen area and handed it to Dru. Displayed on the front page was a large portrait of Nesh from several months ago.

As Dru looked down at the picture she smiled slightly, "I'd say you've plenty of problems keeping the boys away from her. She has your eyes, not just the colour, but there's a small twinkle in it which I sometimes notice in yours."

Lirha smiled at Dru's compliment. "Yes, she's quite beautiful. And unfortunately, she seems to already have a boyfriend of sorts." she added with a disapproving sigh. "I get enough stares from the men here in HQ on a regular basis, I don't want to add to that by having my sister with me as well."

"People are always going to look no matter who you are with. It doesn't matter what race you are, humanoids are naturally inquisitive." Dru handed the PADD back to Lirha.

"I suppose." she said with a shrug. "Anyway, I really appreciate you looking after her. I was thinking I could drop her off at your office around 0930, and then the three of us can go to lunch together around noon?" she proposed. "I'm hoping to take her to the drydock in the afternoon so she can see the Galileo. I think Commander Holliday will be on board, so hopefully he will be able to give her a quick tour."

"Sounds good to me Lirha. I'll try figure out something I can do with her to keep her occupied and I'll also ensure I keep my morning free." Dru moves to head towards the door, "Lirha.....thank you for tonight. I'm sorry about the state that I was in."

Lirha shook her head, dismissing Dru's apology. "It's quite alright, there's no need to apologize. In fact, you are the one who should be thanked, for agreeing to look after Nesh." she said with a warm smile, "Are you sure you're feeling better? You don't have to leave if you're not ready." she asked as she followed Dru to the door.

Dru hesitated slightly, uncertain if she did want to leave yet. She had been starting to enjoy herself and felt more relaxed with Lirha when she'd done in a longtime, she was loath to give that up. "Um...I don't wish to disturb you any further."

The captain put a green hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side. "Trust me, Dru, if you were disturbing me I would let you know." she said then retreated back to her couch and curled her legs up. "Besides, I could use the company."

Dru smiled over at Lihra and walked over to join her on the couch, "So Lirha tell me....."

The Orion stared back at Dru as they began to chat. She had no qualms with indulging her senior officer, and she smiled happily as the two of them began to converse.

[OFF]

--

CMDR Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo


Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy
Chief of Counselling
USS Galileo

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