Counselors, Discussion, Psych

Posted on 18 Jan 2013 @ 1:01am by Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle & Lieutenant Commander Evelyn Coleman
Edited on on 18 Jan 2013 @ 1:35am

1,136 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo, Chief Counselor's Office, Deck 3
Timeline: MD -02 -1000 hrs

ON:

"Thank you for meeting me, Lieutenant. I'm sure you understand my desire to make sure you're doing okay after all you endured in the last mission at the hands of the Klingons." Delainey was direct and to the point, something she figured the intelligence officer would appreciate.

Evelyn blinked and tilted her head at the Counselor. "Is that what you called me down here for?" She asks, "because of the Klingons?"

"Should I have called you down here for something else?" the counselor asked.

Evelyn sat down, looking at the Chief Counselor. "Honestly, I didn't know why you were calling me down. I had assumed I had to update my psych evaluations."

Carlisle couldn't decide whether Coleman was completely blocking the entire incident or she was truly unaffected. "We can call it whatever you like. After being tortured, an update seems reasonable."

Evelyn looked at Carlisle. "I wouldn't call being bounded and struck with Klingon pain-sticks torture." She countered shrugging it off.

This was not at all the reply Delainey was expecting, especially when faced with the horror that was Lirha's treatment. The counselor paused, then asked, "What would you call it?"

Evelyn looked at her, "A complete waste of time." she said seriously. "I've went through worse. Frankly I'm unimpressed. Now what they did to the Captain, that is torture..." she said looking at Counselor Carlisle, "have you scheduled an appointment with the Captain?"

"I'm afraid I can't comment as that would be a violation of privilege," Delainey replied. "As for your treatment at the hands of the Klingons, are you saying it wasn't traumatic for you at all, or merely not as traumatic as you have experienced at all?"

Evelyn moved to the edge of her seat, leaning forward towards Carlisle, "I've been in the Intelligence community for a few decades now, most in covert operations. I've experienced at lot way worse than on the Klingon ship. None of them were traumatic because I prepare for them. I was actually expecting worse from the Klingons."

Delainey wasn't convinced one could prepare for torture, but for now she remained silent.

"Besides, if you want me to be completely honest and open, last time a Klingon bounded my hands and dangling from the ceiling, lead to a very passionate and satisfying night with that warrior." She grinned, shifted back on the chair, bringing her her right leg over her left. "I had more bruises from that night than with this recent incident."

"Sometimes the trauma doesn't come from what actually happens, but rather imagining what could happen. What were you expecting from the Klingons?"

Evelyn shrugged, "What Lirha went through to be honest. All they did to me was initial round of pain sticks then idle conversation. "

"But as you said, you didn't know that's all they were going to do to you," Delainey pointed out. "How did you feel as you were facing that kind of uncertainty?"

Evelyn looked at Delainey, "Could we talk about something besides what happened on the Klingon ship, because that is a non issue."

Delainey wanted to point out Coleman's desire to change the subject suggested just the opposite, but she got the sense Evelyn really did have something more to say. "I'm willing to set it aside for now. Is this a good time to bring up what happened in sickbay?"

"I guess" Evelyn sighed as she leaned back in her chair, thinking about the incident. "I don't know what happened. It felt like a premonition, something that is about to happen to me, but it became more than that. It was as if, my mind, my consciousness was somewhere else and my body was still in sickbay."

"That's partly why you're here," Delainey acknowledged. "Had you ever experienced anything like it before?"

Evelyn thought it over, "I felt similar events, I've had flashed before, however nothing this profound."

"Any theories as to what it could have been?"

"Multiple." Evelyn replied cryptically. "Counselor, I could describe the incident, however you won't be able to understand..." Eve closed her eyes and paused for a moment. "I apologize, that may have sounded condescending." She said softly.

"I understand how difficult it can be to describe something complicated to someone who doesn't have a lot of familiarity with what you might consider the fundamentals of a problem," Delainey reassured. "Still, I can see this is bothering you and I'd like to help."

"El-Aurians are prone to time perception, I can get hunches of what may happen." She spoke carefully, "what happened in sickbay was a vision, of what might happen yet the people involved have been dead for several decades, a few for centuries."

Delainey nodded. "So it felt like a combination of a weird dream and a premonition, and you aren't sure how to take it?"

"That sums it up." Eve remarked, leaning back in her chair.

Delainey considered that and added after a moment, "I can try to help you figure out what's going on, but the most important thing isn't so much what happens to you, but rather how you're coping with it. Has this affected your self-esteem? Or your ability to function?"

"No, I'm still self-confident and stubborn." Evelyn replied honestly.

"Is that on the inside as well or just on the outside? I can't imagine the kind of uncertainty you described is easy to manage."

"You clearly haven't spent time with me." She chuckled.

"I haven't spent a lot of time with you, but I did see you in sickbay when this weird premonition occurred. I know how distressed you were...how out of control you appeared. I'm not out to pull you from duty, Lieutenant, and if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"Counselor..." Eve started leaning forward on chair, resting her elbows on her legs. "I miss my home. I miss my family, my friends, I miss my traditions and culture. My race is on the verge of extinction and my people's traditions, heritage, even advancements are fading. What happened in sickbay was a reminder of what I have lost. It was losing them all over again."

"That degree of feeling must be beyond overwhelming," Delainey replied. "All I'm saying is you don't have to carry this by yourself. You don't have to pretend something that huge can happen one day, and it not affect you the next. Grieving this kind of loss takes time."

Evelyn nodded, "Perhaps. If you don't mind, Counselor, we could end this session early. I have many things to accomplish."

"Of course," Delainey replied. "I would like to see you again, but I'll leave that up to you. Just know my door is always open."

[OFF]

Lieutenant Commander Evelyn Coleman
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

&

Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Counselor
USS Galileo

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