Conversations

Posted on Thu Mar 16th, 2023 @ 9:03pm by Lieutenant JG Evelyn Stewart & Lieutenant Rowena "Rena" Campbell

1,345 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Good Will Tour: Mountain Home [Part Two]
Location: Triton Seabase-Sickbay: Counselor’s Office
Timeline: MD: 13 15:00hrs

Stewart had done everything she could to delay her psyche evaluation as long as possible. Evelyn liked Rena, but she had no desire to waste time hashing out feelings and emotions with yet another counselor when she was fine. She switched duty shifts with the other helmsmen multiple times, got off the base during shore leave, made herself useful to Callan at Ops, even tried to join a security training rotation through Vi, but it was inevitable. Orders had come down from the captain when she was taking a sonic shower to sober up before her shift that morning that she was to report to Rena for her required psyche evaluation upon taking on her new assignment.

Stewart was relieved that the hangover from the night before had at least by dissipated mid morning. Mostly. She wanted to get through this with the minimal amount of time spent. She had spent the last hour before arriving at the counselor’s office doing mental exercises to help suppress her emotions so the Betazoid wouldn’t be able to read her so easily. With a heavy sigh, she hit the chime to the door.

Rena was ready. She expected a lot of pushback from Stewart. While they were friendly outside of work, she was like some officers-hating psych (and usually medical) because she thought she was "just fine." Rena had learned long ago to never push someone with this mindset, and she had learned that that would be especially true with Evelyn.

"Enter!!" She said, with a smile. When Evelyn came in, she indicated the couch. "You can sit, if you want. Do you want something to drink?" Rena asked.

"Since this isn't a...personal session, I will just stick to the regular questions I have to ask and then you can leave, ok? But before we start, I have to give you the usual bullshit. This office is a safe space-whatever you tell me here won't leave this room UNLESS you tell me you're a danger to yourself or someone else. Alright? How are you today?" She would start off with small talk, get her calm. She put on her glasses and got her PaDD.

Stewart couldn’t help the small, amused smirk that appeared on her face for the briefest of moments as she went to sit in the corner from the couch. “No, I’m fine. Thank you.” She said politely. Once she settled into her seat comfortably, she addressed the elephant in the room. “Rena, listen. We both know this is a waste of time. You’ve read my file, you are an empath. That should be enough for your report. Let’s both not waste each other’s time.” Evelyn intentionally kept her tone logical and reasonable.

Rena nodded. "Humor me. Please. It'll take me away from paperwork for the Captain for a half hour. Even if we just shoot the shit." She sighed. "I am serious. How are you today? I am tired, myself. Tell me about that man you've been talking to." Rena noticed things. "Someone you met in the City?"

Evelyn sighed in annoyance that she couldn’t talk her way out of the office. “I’m fine.” She lied, ignoring her linger headache. It took her a moment to piece together that Max must have opened his mouth about Ben. She shrugged casually about the man. “He’s just a friend.” She said guarded about her attraction to the intriguing man. She had spent the afternoon walking the beach chatting and debating with him. He proved to be far more interesting and complex for a simple surf instructor, “I wouldn’t read too much into it.”, she added honestly. She and Ben had agreed to keep things casual and not look for anything more than a friendship and good time.

Rena grinned. “Just a friend, huh? Ok. Does this just a friend have other friends he could set YOUR friend up with?” She joked. “How are you interacting with the Captain?” Rena knew her previous psych evals had her down as a problem. Rena disagreed; her beefs with the Fleet were valid, and Rena knew that the Utopian view that many in the Federation held wasn’t helpful. She did tread lightly, still.

Stewart gave a polite smile that clearly didn't meet her eyes. "I'd be happy to ask him." She said about Ben having single friends. Her tone going flat as she drop the pleasantries. The fact that Max had discussed her and her private life in one of his and Rena's many, lengthy, sessions annoyed Stewart to no end. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Well clearly you've spoken to the Captain. So you know how we are interacting." Her tone as cold and hard as the glare she gave the other woman. "I'll just put it this way, Counselor, I didn't ask for this assignment, no more than I asked to be here. He knows that and so do I. Now, why don't we stop wasting time and you ask me any pertinent questions you may actually have before I walk out that door."

Evelyn sat back in her seat and fixed Rena with a long, hard stare, as if challenging her to test Stewart and her resolve. Despite her icy demeanor, Stewart could feel the explosive rage deep inside her that has been simmering just below the surface since she first got her orders this morning. She didn't even bother trying to use a meditation technique to calm herself in this instance.

Rena sighed. "Ok. I am sorry. Let's just get it over with." She knew the woman meant no foul, and she DID understand why certain officers, particularly the type like Stewart, were hesitant to open up to her, but she KNEW she couldn't force it, no matter how much she just wanted to help. "There's five questions I have to ask you before you can go. Are you in danger of hurting yourself or someone else on purpose? If yes, how and when?"

Stewart sighed in annoyance at the standardized questions. “No, I am fine and not a risk to myself or others.”, she answered in a sarcastic voice. “I have healthy coping strategies when it comes to stress.”, she continued rattling off answers to the generic questionnaire she has had to answer more than a dozen times as she started to stand. “My goal is to stay out of trouble this month.”, her surly demeanor speaking of her underlying anger at her time being wasted. “Anything else?”

Rena sighed, too. "Yes, just a couple of more. Sorry. Do you or any one in your family have a history of substance abuse problems? If yes, what substances?" There weren't that many; humanity as a whole had *mostly* evolved beyond that. As far as Rena knew, there was Ketracel and Blood Poppies, and that was about it. And alcohol, maybe. "And any family history of mental illness?" *Other than a personality disorder*, Rena thought to herself.

Evelyn looked at her. “I didn’t know my parents, but as far as I know there is no history of mental illness but you are welcome to check their files.” She said annoyed, ignoring the first question. “Now may I go now?”, she asked with growing agitation, feeling like a caged animal being cooped up in the small office.

Rena smiled sadly. "I am sorry you didn't know them. Yes, I find you decently fit for duty, your dislike of counselors notwithstanding. Please try not to antagonize the Captain for the rest of the day; I am not in the mood to deal with him today." She was still a bit mad at him for the situation in the water the earlier. "Thank you for coming by, I know it was probably sheer agony."

She watched the woman walk out, and wished that they could've had a better meeting, but she had a feeling that this was the best she'd ever get.

OFF:
Lt. Rowena "Rena" Campbell
Chief Counselor
Triton Seabase

 

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