Counseling The Counselor

Posted on Thu Jun 4th, 2015 @ 8:42pm by Lieutenant Raj Amani & Lieutenant Commander Robin Swift M.D., PhD

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Counselor Swift's Office

* * * Counseling Offices * * *

It was still early enough that patients hadn’t appeared yet in the counseling department. Raj had been good and not stayed at the new year festivities too late but it had been a good time. His load today was light, but one in particular stood out - Ensign Six. That was likely to be an interesting meeting, given their encounter at the Nexus Club. As he thought about it, he realized he hadn’t given his name that night. The thought made him smile.

Since it was early, however, he decided to stop in to see Robin. He knew the counselor would be in and it was a good time to have some tea and catch up. He reached Robin’s office and stepped in, surprised not to see Drusilla there. The inner door was open and he looked in.

“Good morning.”

“Ah, Lieutenant. Good morning. Come on in,” Robin said. “Want some tea? I just made a fresh pot.”

Raj smiled as he entered. “Just what I was hoping for, thank you. How’s everything going after all the excitement with the Admiral?” Raj took a seat, watching as Robin fixed the tea. “Just black for me.”

Handing the cup over Robin sat back at his desk. “Thankfully everything has died down now. The responsible parties are now in custody and, if I’m not mistaken, Admiral Wegener is back in command of the station. With a nifty little bonus command promotion, I hear.”

“I saw the announcement.” Raj blew on his tea gently, then took a sip. “This is delicious. And I”m glad some good came of that mess, despite all the ugliness and pain for some. Does that mean things have taken a quieter turn for you too?”

Robin smiled and knocked on the desk for good luck. “It appears so and, with any luck, it will remain so. I don’t mind a little excitement, but this was just a bit above my threshold.”

“Down time, my friend.” Raj smiled, then sipped his tea again. “It’s what keeps the counselors sane and counseling, especially after something like this. Which raises a good question. Down time. What do you have planned? And don’t tell me nothing.”

“To be honest, as Chief Counselor I don’t really allow myself much time off from work,” Robin replied after a sip of tea. Placing the cup on the desk he leaned back in his chair. “And now that Drusilla is off for the next week I wouldn’t feel right taking time for myself anyway. But I had toyed with the idea of maybe taking a brief vacation on Archadia, just to see something new. Would it surprise you to know that I’ve not set foot down there since I’ve been here?”

Raj laughed and shook his head. “No it wouldn’t. When will she be back?” He set his cup on the desk and rose, moving over to get the pot so he could refill their cups.

“I gave her five days. She’s been through hell in her own right, then getting dragged into this whole mess with the admiralty. Thank you,” he said when his cup was refilled. “She and Nico have found a beach house down below. I figured I owed it to her to actually get some real down time. She’s been such a good assistant, and friend, so...a bit of payback.”

Raj set the teapot down on the counter and returned to his seat. “That should be good for both of them. Does that mean that when she gets back, you can go? Trust me when I say that too much time on the front lines can get to you. It was so bad at Outpost 23 they sent me to Hawaii for six months. But I came back ready to go. Maybe you should make use of that beach house when they are done.”

Robin laughed. “I may not want to set foot in that house when they are done!”

Raj laughed as well. “Just what do you think they are going to do? Demolish it?” He thought about that a moment, then laughed again. “On second thought, I’d recommend something in town. There’s a lot to do down there. Good food too, trust me.”

“I don’t think that they’re much on giving tours but they do have a liaisons here on the station that I might speak to for ideas on which sights to see. Maybe find some good hiking trails or places to camp for a night. I hear there are places on the planet that can set a man to tears just with the view.”

“Now that sounds interesting, and off the beaten path too. There’s a lot to be said for something like that, something big to experience to bring you back to center. I can cover for you so you should do it. It sounds like it’s been far too long.” Raj smiled once more. “No worries.”

“Then I may do that. There are more than enough counselors here to cover so it shouldn’t be an issue.” Changing the subject, Robin asked, “So how is your workload looking today?”

The question brought a laugh. “Light but interesting. I have Ensign Six on the list for today. Have you met her yet?”

“No, but I have read her file. Interesting case and, from what I can tell, a charming young lady. Looks like she’s just having issues with other people allowing her to fit in, but that’s just my opinion from a glance. You may find it to be otherwise.”

Raj nodded. “Let’s say I have had the chance to observe her in a casual social situation and in that instance, she wasn’t have external issues. It was more a case of still adjusting to society as it is now for her. Her instincts are good, it’s sometimes the delivery that is the problem. I ended up with a pretty shiner on my forehead from that encounter.”

“She hit you?”

“Oh no,” Raj answered quickly. “She was speaking with the bartender there, Vic. Let’s just say that their interest in each other was riding high and it hit me a little hard. I choked on my drink and when she whacked me on the back, I don’t think she knew her own strength. I smacked my forehead on the bar. She felt awful of course.”

Robin did a horrible job of hiding his laughter. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh, but that’s pretty funny. But if it helps, you look fine now.”

Raj joined in the laughter. “Oh it was hilarious. Here’s the thing, though. She spoke to me but she doesn’t know who I am. Her arrival this afternoon should be….interesting in the other sense of the word. She has good instincts, which is surprising, considering that out of her twenty-two years, she’s had just about three apart from the Collective.”

“That should make for an interesting introduction,” Robin said as he finished up his tea. “Sadly, we don’t have much to go on regarding reintegration of former Borg. Those we have encountered didn’t really have much by way of actual counseling, just a bit of on the job counseling by their crew. So you may be writing the book with this one, so to speak.”

“I think you may be right. I know the stress of living in an environment that is under constant threat, which I don’t think is too far removed from her entire life. The transition to this life had to be huge for her.” Raj sipped his tea, then set the cup down. “Her Academy records indicate that she breezed through classes but didn’t really socialize. I think that will be a big focus. Her job performance shouldn’t be an issue.”

“I agree. I can’t imagine her having an issue with her duties, although, it makes me wonder why she’s not doing something a bit more technical than language?” Robin shook his head. “Likely more that she was pushed into this assignment for fear of letting a former Borg do something that may potentially wreak havoc with our defenses, or some other silliness. If she were going to do that, she could have done it a long time ago.”

A frown passed over Raj’s face. “That’s what I thought too. That fear, irrational as it may be in her case, is still dogging her it seems.I am hoping that once she’s had some time here to prove herself, we can change that and put her in a position for which she is better suited. I want to see how this progresses but I will be making a recommendation to that effect in time.”

Robin sat quiet for a few moments and finally spoke. “You know, if her counseling goes well with you, and she shows hope to move into a different position that you believe she would have no issue with, I would be willing to throw what little weight I have behind a recommendation like that. Admiral Wegener is very open minded and if he were to catch on that she may have been held back simply because of who she was, not who she is, he may also recommend to her boss that she be evaluated for something a bit more substantial. Of course, this is all speculation until you’ve had ample time to make your evaluation.”

“Indeed.” Raj finished off his tea and stood, carrying his cup back to the counter. “The tea was delicious, the company even better. Thank you Robin.”

“Anytime,” Robin replied with a smile and a quick wave as Raj walked out. Once alone he commented, “Seems like we got a decent one with him.”

Moments later, Robin’s monitor beeped, indicating an incoming message.

He had been cleaning up his tea set and turned. He regularly got messages but this one wasn’t from an internal console on 900. “Computer, display message.”

The text appeared on the screen, the origin listed as the USS Cooper.


Dr. Swift, I hope this message finds you well. We met quite a few years ago, as you may recall. Though our paths crossed a few times, it’s been many years since our last encounter, which you may also recall. I will be arriving at SB900 in about twelve hours, as I’ve been assigned to consult on the construction of Valhalla Colony. I would be pleased to stop by and say hello upon my arrival, if you have the time and the inclination. Regards, Dr. Niall Sala


Robin read through the message and focused on the name. “Sala?” he said aloud. “Niall Sala. Niall Sala,” he kept repeating as he walked around his desk, as if repeating it would bring forth a face to match the name. Then he stopped. “Stephen’s friend,” he said quietly and flopped down into his chair.

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Lt. Cmdr. Robin Swift
Meeting New Friends...or
Dredging Up The Past

&

Lt. Raj Amani
Giving Advice To The Advice Giver