Reunion Part 3: Psych clearance

Posted on 01 Feb 2017 @ 2:24am by Lieutenant JG Stephanie Fraiser (KIA) & Commander Marisa Wyatt & Senior Chief Petty Officer Martin Caine (KIA)
Edited on on 02 Feb 2017 @ 4:12am

2,973 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Episode 13 - Rogue
Location: Earth - Starfleet HQ
Timeline: MD -40 1200

On:

Cottage

Martin stood waiting, he was glad this day had finally come. It had been almost a year since the death of James. They had just been physically cleared for duty. They just had to pass this interview today. He had dropped JJ at a Starfleet child care facility to a screwed up face without tears. *Being separated from mum and dad for a couple of hours wasn't going to kill you.* Martin had send to her as she screwed her face up.

*But Dadda!* JJ sent back with a quivering a lower lip.

*No tears it won't be that long and dad won't be far away and if something scares you I am just here.* Martin sent to her tapping her head.

JJ giggled then saw another girl her age, threw her blankie over her shoulder and headed over to her with a smile on her face.

Martin then headed back to the cottage and was met by Steph at their door. "Oh we're trying walking in full gravity for the first time?"

Her face showing her concentration Steph nodded with a smile slowly taking steps closer to him like a baby first walking. "I wanted to at least try ..." she wobbled a bit before smiling as he rested her arm on his so she had support but independence as well.

"Well let's take the chair for when, you get tired then," Marty said as he helped support her weight as she had years before.

Stephanie nodded "Good idea we can program it to follow us." She rested against him slightly as they walked.

"Good point. Sasha was definitely happy with your progress but let's not push it as soon as your legs start feeling sore you go back to the chair no arguments." Martin said with a smile.

Smiling she nodded "I promise. "


Counsellors office

LuAnn sat at her desk, reading over the files sent over by Starfleet Medical. She'd been tapped to help with the final psychological evaluation to see if the family was ready to return to duty. That was something that always made her happy. She liked working with people, and she especially liked giving people good news. From what she'd read in teh file, there was every chance she'd be able to do that today.

She looked at the chronometer on the wall. They were due to arrive at her office in fifteen minutes. Good. That would give her enough time to make sure everything was set.

She moved the furniture back so there was more space to maneuver and set out some snacks on a side table.

Steph had made it nearly half way with Martins help so far and she had the biggest proudest grin on her face as they kept going.

Martin smiled encouragingly as Steph had done do extremely well. They were in the shade of a tree."Your doing so well Steph, we can rest here for a bit or push on we have about fifteen minutes till our appointment?"

She thought then said "Maybe rest for a few minutes in the shade?" Normal gravity was harder work than she remembered.

Martin brought the chair over. "There you go a nice easy, I won't say comfortable place to place to rest your legs. No you don't have to use it if you don't want to but it is easier for you to sit at waist height than on the round at the moment."

Sitting in the seat with a sigh of relief she admitted "I may have reached my full gravity limit."

"Okay then I guess it is back in the chair then. That was a long distance for a first walk in full gravity. It took me six weeks to get back to that distance. Don't feel bad about not being where you should be, Sasha was very pleased with your progress, otherwise you wouldn't have passed you physical.

She gave him a grateful look at his praise as she felt embarrassed with how little she could do on her own in full gravity. "Thanks Marty I needed to hear that."

"I thought you might. It wasn't much more than fifteen years ago that someone gave me the same speech." Martin said as Steph sat and they continued to the appointment.

When it was time for her next appointment, LuAnn walked into the main counseling lounge to wait for her next appointment. She preferred to greet them and escort them back to her office than wait for the receptionist to announce their arrival.

Just as LuAnn arrived in reception her next two appointments, Lieutenant Frasier and Senior Chief Petty Officer Caine arrived together. Martin saw that it was a different Psychologist for today, he had seen her around but not to know her name. "Hello, Miss your new? I just have one question as to your partially, do you know whom my mother is?"

"Hello," LuAnn said cheerfully. "I'm LuAnn Lovegood, and no, I do not know who your mother is. Why, is it important?"

"My mother doesn't like Steph, sorry Lieutenant Frasier, much. She doesn't see her as an appropriate wife to her youngest son, my late brother. That being said it is even worse, in my mother's noble eyes that she is the mother of my niece." Martin said with a smile and said "Not knowing my mother is a good thing, it shows you won't hold her back just because my mother said too."

"It wouldn't matter if I knew her or not," LuAnn said. "I don't let other people tell me how to treat my patients. Besides, she sounds like someone who hasn't learned how to be happy with the cards life gives you."

She waved her arm down the hallway. "Now, if you will come this way." She led the way and opened the door to her office for the others to follow. "Please, take a seat."

*Ladies first.* Martin sent to Steph with a smile as he took a seat and reached for one of the small cakes and poured a coffee.

Steph made a face as she wheeled in after LuAnn and found an area to sit comfortably. "I'm not really sure how to start this ...? She took a sip of the chocolate drink she had grabbed and gave a happy hum.

"Start at the beginning," LuAnn said. "It's a very good place to start." The counselor smiled. "Or at least at the beginning of recent events. Unless your childhood is involved, we can skip that part."

"Um ... the beginning ... well I first met Marty and James at boarding school ... I was sent there during the dominion war and so were they. Marty was older but James was in my year. All three of us joined Starfleet but James and I went officer."

LuAnn nodded. She glanced at Martin and then back at Stephanie. "So, why does your Mother-in-Law not like you, and what happened to bring the two of you here." She glanced from one to the other again. "Yes, I've read your records, but I would much rather hear your side than rely on dry facts."

"Not quite mother in law but I think it is likely has something to do with my mother's noble house background my mother is a fifth house attitude. Fifth and Third house's don't mix well. Mum should have bonded to a boy of the fifth house but got a third house, she has been bitching about it for at least thirty years. James had the fifth to a tea, but..." Martin looked at Stephanie. "Your family is third house tight? I think mum may have been trying to save him the arguments that she was unable to solve with my father."

LuAnn nodded. "Unfortunate, but many parents try to live their lives through their children as a way to atone for their own mistakes. It doesn't work, as I'm sure you know. Everyone has to make their own way in this world. Hopefully, she'll come to realize that in time."

"The unfortunate thing is that my brother won't be here to see the change." Martin was glad to have taken the time off to have helped Steph with her, rehab. "I hope she does."

Steph nodded "I really want her to spend time with her grand daughter, to get to know her. Shes a link to James and Martin really."

LuAnn nodded. "How do you feel?" she asked Stephanie.

Stephanie made a face not looking at either of them as she spoke "I think this is where I am supposed to say I'm fine ... But honestly ... I'm not. I miss all of them like crazy, I hear a joke and i go to tell Mark ... he was the joker in the team and I know he would love to hear it and then it hits me that he's gone. Mark, James, Diera, Jaqui ... We spent so much time together and just ..." She shrugged not sure how to put it into words.

Martin could feel her. Feel how upset she was. not only that he could feel it setting off his grief. "It will be okay eventually Steph. I know you were all good friends. James would feel the same way if it was you rather than him."

"I agree. It will be okay eventually, but it takes time," LuAnn said. "If you'd said you were fine, I would know you were lying. What steps have you made to improve both mentally and physically?"

Steph thought about it "I've challenged myself physically... I actually walked half way here in full gravity." She grinned at that accomplishment. "I finally managed to go through James things with Martin about a month ago I just didn't feel up to all those boxes before then. "

"I think if it wasn't for Stephanie I wouldn't have remained mentally stable after James death. Not saying I would have done myself in but I am certain I would not have fought as hard to stay in Starfleet." Where did that come from.

"So, why do you want to return to duty?" LuAnn asked after making a few notations on her PADD.

"Cause it is better than being drummed out with twenty plus years of service before retirement. What would I do take my pension and go farm some cows for the rest of my life?" Martin laughed quietly.

"There are a lot more options than raising cows," LuAnn said. "You need more of a reason than that to stay."

Martin stayed calm through the statement, but simply said "Cause my brother died doing what he loved. Now I don't expect I'm going out to follow what he did but I feel the best way to honour him is to return to service and honour his death by being the best intermediary between officers and enlisted that I can be." He ended with a smile. It was painful to think of his friend and brother but left him with a happy feeling to be getting back out there.

"That's very noble of you, but you also need to go back out there for yourself," LuAnn said. "Because the time will come that the pain will ease and you'll need to have something else to keep you going besides the memory of your brother and the wish to honor him."

"Oh I want to be out there for me miss, That has never changed. It was always something I wanted. If I was going to give up on it I would have a long time ago, when I damaged my back in high school. It never waited then and it won't wain now. I want to be out there." Martin said quietly.

LuAnn nodded, accepting the answer. "And you?" she asked Stephanie. "Why do you want to go back to Starfleet?"

Stephanie sat thinking about the question. Why was she so determined to go back to the thing that cost her her friends and fiancé as well as nearly costing the lives of her and JJ. "You don't ask the easy questions do you? There are so many reasons I could give you including love, duty, honour. But they are all just excuses."

She paused again and seemed to almost segue and she said "You know I asked my dad that same question. He was the Betazoid diplomat to earth. All his friends were fighting and dying and I asked why he and they did it. I finally understand his answer." She swallowed "I have a gift, an ability with science that not everyone has. I have a responsibility to myself and others not to squander that gift but rather to use it to the betterment."

Martin shook his head. He knew Starfleet was important to Stephanie, as important as the mother body the UFP was to her father. Martin liked her father a great deal. "The betterment of what though honey. Why had he said that.

"The betterment of everyone... Not just the ones with the most money or power or the strongest forces. That was the point of the holograms we created. It was so that EVERYONE had access to medical help no matter how small a ship or colony or how rich or poor. We still have people dying of things that they solved in the 21st Century on some worlds simply because they aren't seen as prestigious enough for a 'real' doctor to want to live there." Stephanie bit her lip worrying at it as she looked at her hands thinking she might have said too much. "I guess what I'm saying is I still believe in what Starfleet stands for, yes my friends and fiance gave their life for its values but that's the choice we all know we might have to make. It was just a stupid accident that no one could have stopped."

"Sounds like a good reason to get back to being a research scientist." Martin said with a smile.

"That is why I hoped you wanted to go back," LuAnn said. "The best way to survive, to overcome, is to fight for something, and to give something." She pulled out two PADDs and handed each of them one. "You've taken the written test before. That's the last thing I need from you in order to certify you fit for duty. Both of you have the right auras to go back to work, you've satisfied me that you're ready, now all you need to do is take the psychological exam and you'll be ready to go back to duty."

"Shit I hate these stupid things if wheel A turns clockwise at 35RPM what direction does the much smaller at Wheel z turn. It gives me the head ache at the best of times. Martin said. "It is absolutely necessary Miss LuAnn?

"I'm afraid so. The way you answer the questions gives me a good idea of your mental health," The counselor said. "I can learn a lot by talking to you, but this fills in the gaps."

Steph just hid a groan as she started to complete the task. "I'm glad I'm not a counselor these things always seem so subjective 'I believe I am in charge of my own fate.... rarely, sometimes, often, always, never...' how do you answer that?"

"I'm a full blooded Betazoid male, I come from a society the is matriarchal, I usually answer it never." Martin said with a smile.

She burst out laughing at that "Good plan especially knowing your mum."

"I thought it was James seemed to have her wrapped around his finger but nothing I ever did was good enough, Her reaction when I went General Entry was why couldn't you study harder to get Academy marks. felt like slapping her and saying the General Entry do more than an Admiral." Martin said with a smile.

"There are no right or wrong answers," LuAnn assured them. "Just pick the answer you feel most applicable. Then you can both relax with a nice swim. That can be quite cathartic -- especially if you use a holodeck and swim in the woods."


"Mmmmmmm a swim, I suppose we could start teaching JJ some water safety. The holodeck would be the safest place to teach her." Martin said smiled and started tapping his answers he laughed "Okay I won't be bad an tick the this guys is nuts answers, might get me a promotion to Admiral."

"Or an early retirement," LuAnn said passively.

Martin laughed "You played my joke better than I could have hoped." He worked on the test muttering to himself about stupid damn dyslexia a number of times before he finished. As he did he said to Steph, "You finished?" He knew her Dyslexia was worse than his. But she was much higher intellect that his which got her into and through the Academy, so expected she was.

Steph frowned rereading a couple of questions and changing the answers as she had read them wrong then nodded with a sigh "finished."

"Thank you both," LuAnn said when they handed her their PADDs. I think you'll both do very well."

"Thank you Ma'am cause this is the final condition to re-entry to the fleet. So having fingers shed it feels do good.

"Then I should say, welcome back to Starfleet," LuAnn said, slipping the PADDs into a slot in the computer for analysis. "I wish you both all the best."

Martin smiled "Thank you ma'am I'm happy to be back. Looking forward to be back in space soon.

Stephanie grinned "Me too ... but not as much as our daughter is."

[OFF]

--

Lieutenant LuAnn Lovegood
Counselor
[PNPC Sandoval]

SCPO Martin Caine
Chief of the Boat (CoB)
USS Galileo

Lt (jg) Stephanie Caine
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

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