Baby Steps (Part I)

Posted on Mon Jun 5th, 2023 @ 3:10am by Ensign Connor Turner & Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhara Rynn & Sophia
Edited on on Fri Jun 9th, 2023 @ 8:13am

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Episode 14 - The Poseidon Adventure
Location: Counselor's Office, USS Pioneer
Timeline: 1000 hrs.

The thought of going to a counselor was terrifying to Connor. Worse, all the counselors on this ship were female. However, he had to get his emotional fitness clearance from someone before he could be on full time duty. On top of that, maybe someone could explain to him Ensign F'rar's bizarre behavior and why the Doctor seemed to think that he should contact his girlfriend. If only people said what they meant and meant what they said, like a computer, he would be so much happier.

One thing was certain, whatever counselor he was going to go to, he was going to avoid Vura like the plague. There was something about the Deltan. He did not know what it was, but in her presence, he felt like he was little more than prey in front of a very hungry predator. So, he numbered the remaining counselors and suggested that the computer pick a random number in range. The corresponding number was for Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhara Rynn.

At some level, Connor was relieved that she was a junior grade lieutenant, which meant that she was not that much more superior to him. At another, he again reminded himself that she was female. Therefore, with trepidation, he approached the counselor's door and rang the chime.

"Come in," Zhara said cheerfully. She slipped the PADD she'd been reading into a drawer and walked around her mahogany desk to greet the new arrival.

Sophia got up from her doggy bed and padded over to stand beside the counselor as the door opened.

Connor's eyes went wide when he saw Zhara. He knew that she would be female but did she have to have so many obvious curves on her to make his mind stop functioning? Relief was soon in sight, however, as Sophia came by.

He looked at Sophia and immediately bent down to let her smell his hand. He looked up at Zhara briefly and started talking, "Um, the doctor, um...." Realizing that looking up was probably a huge mistake, he looked back at Sophia and petted her. "Said I should probably come by to talk to you."

Zhara noticed his discomfort. Hopefully she'd be able to get him to talk about whatever was causing him distress. "That's Sophia. She's my therapy dog."

Sophia thumped her tail in greeting and gave Connor a doggy smile.

The office was decorated in blues and creams. On the walls were four prints. One of the Andes, one of Mount Seleya, one of desert cacti with sandstone cliffs in the background, and the last of the forest of Carpathia. A row of fern and a table with a rock waterfall lined the back wall. The air held just a hint of peppermint.

Connor walked in with trepidation and counselors were almost as scary as women, but Zhara was both. "Um, uh, Miss Zhara, um, where should I go...?"

"Have a seat on the couch or in a chair. Wherever you are more comfortable. Would you like some herb tea or water?" He needed something to help him relax. Or perhaps Sophia was all he needed, Zhara thought.

"Um, no. I think I'm, um, OK," Connor responded sitting himself first onto the couch, but feeling it was too informal, put himself in a chair. He watched as Sophia followed him. "You're a good dog, aren't you?" he asked Sophia.

The dog's tail thumped against the couch as she took a seat next to and partially on his feet to give him comfort.

Zhara took a seat in the other chair, a PADD in hand. "Let's begin with why you were told to see me."

Connor snickered at Sophia sitting partially on his feet and said, "You like me, don't you? Well, I like you too." He then realized that Zhara was talking to him. "Well, um, well, I'm not entirely certain, see...."

His eyes rolled to the side and back as he tried to remember. He played back the entire set of encounters back out loud. "Well, um, you see, I was coming onto the Pioneer. I was lost and I ended up bumping into Ensign F'rar. Um, she was really nice at first, but, um, then she started insulting people that came from bases and I transferred here from Utopia Planitia. To make matters worse," his voice became more high pitched and whatever nervousness was temporarily gone, "she started yelling at the computers! Then she started yelling at me and insisting that I was flirting with her! But I could not be flirting with her because I have a girlfriend! And she refused to believe me that I did! I mean, there was no talking sense to her!"

His eyes grew wider as he continued to relay the horror in a rapid fire that almost would have rivaled Paisley herself. "So, then she took me to see Counselor Vura. I couldn't even look at Vura. She's so, well, I mean, um, you know.... And I felt like I was being sized up by her. God knows what for but she seemed to be enjoying Ensign F'rar getting all worked up with me, I think. I don't know. The insults did not stop and I'd defend myself and once again, Ensign F'rar said I was flirting with her, which was ridiculous. Then, she absolutely insisted on coming with me to my medical."

There was a sigh of relief as this part of the story came out. "Thank God that the Doctor kicked her out while I was being examined. Would you believe that she wanted to stay with me?!" Connor bowed his head down and then scratched it. "I told some of this to the doctor, I think. It is hard to remember, and then I was telling her how Ensign F'rar did not believe I had a girlfriend. I mean, just because I have not seen or spoken to her in about a year, doesn't mean anything, does it? I mean, it was after we graduated the academy, so she's likely busy, right?"

Connor shrugged, looked down, and then pet Sophia more, keeping his focus on her. "So, that's when the doctor suggested I see a counselor. But, um, I did not know which one to see, so I assigned numbers to all of the counselors and told the computer to pick a random number within the set of counselors and your name came up and so I am here." The conversation abruptly ended as he said the word "here." His focus remained firmly on Sophia.

Zhara had been taking notes so she wouldn't forget anything pertinent. When he suddenly stopped, she finished her last note and watched him for a moment, measuring his emotions. "You've had quite a day. I can't say why Ensign F'rar thought you were flirting as I did not observe your behavior. She's half Cardassian, if I remember correctly. I'm not very familiar with their mating rituals. I do know that some species, like Klingons, see aggression--especially in females--as flirting. But we'll set that aside for now. Why did she feel it necessary to personally accompany you to sickbay and then to counseling? That's rather proprietary behavior for someone you just met."

Connor continued to talk but was looking at Sophia as he was doing it. "I haven't a clue. At some point I seem to recall her saying something like that the doctor could release me to her or the quartermaster and me telling Ensign F'rar, 'I'm not a dog.'"

He then apologized to Sophia, "Not that there is anything wrong with being a dog. You're super sweet." He stroked her on the back several times, making sure that he knew that he cared.

Sophia looked up at Conor and smiled as if she knew exactly what he was saying.

"Ah. I assume that as the Assistant Chief of Engineering, she wanted to rush you through your onboarding, but that's still a bit unusual. We're on shore leave and there's plenty of time." Zhara made a note to mention this to Vura. One of them should have a talk with Paisley about her aggressive behavior--after getting the other side of the story. "You can always say no--although engineers can be a force to be reckoned with. So, what prompted the conversation about your Academy girlfriend?"

Connor looked up at Zhara and said, "I'm an engineer. I'm not, um, a force. I just, um, like my computers.... Um, as to my girlfriend, uh, what prompted it?" He looked up towards the ceiling, trying to recall how that came about. "I think it came up when she accused me of flirting with her. I, uh, wanted her to know, well, I was unavailable, and would not do that. Then, well, she said something about my hand not counting as a girlfriend...."

"The force of nature referred to engineers as a whole, not you specifically," Zhara gently assured him. "Generally, if you don't hear from your significant other in a year, it's an indication they've moved on. However, there are rare instances when that is not the case." Although she was pretty sure the girl ghosted Connor. "Do you remember what she said the last time you were together?"

(To be continued...)

Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhara Rynn
Counselor, USS Pioneer


Sofia
Therapy Dog, USS Pioneer

 

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