Follow Up
Posted on Wed Dec 13th, 2023 @ 4:50pm by Lieutenant Vura & Lieutenant Junior Grade Mignon Mejia
Edited on on Wed Dec 13th, 2023 @ 7:18pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 15 - The Evil That Lies Beneath
Location: Chief Counselor's Office - Deck 5 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD001 0800 hrs
Mignon had not been in Vura's office since she completed it. So, Vura was going to be very curious as to her reaction when she decided to enter.
At the entrance to her office, she placed some blooming lavender plants, that gave off a pleasant soothing smell. On a wall, over a couch, she had put up a copy of Katsushika Hokusai's "The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife" above a periwinkle couch that swooped up and then down in the middle and then back up again. The couch had definite sensual innuendos written all over the convenient shaping.
The walls of her office were of a deep rose with hints of purple hues. From there, she opted only for a small desk, so the desk would not set a barrier between her and her clients. It was a semi-circle and she placed it carefully in such a way where she could swivel on a chair and quickly type something on a computer or PADD and not interfere with her relationship with her client. The color of the desk nearly blended into the wall but was more mauve on closer inspection.
Warm wooded mahogany chairs were available in case her clients did not prefer to be on the couch. There was a small glass circle table between the chairs. The table contained a small zen sand garden and rake for clients to manipulate.
Mignon was a little nervous about talking to the counselor. She normally had no trouble with her annual evaluations, but with everything that happened on the previous mission, and all the therapy she'd gone through since returning to the ship, she felt it was justified. What made her nervous was being told she wasn't ready to return to duty. She needed to get back to work, and she needed to be cleared. But she was still afraid the counselor would tell her no--and that might just drive her nuts.
The door to Vura's office was open, so she stepped to the doorway and paused, looking around at all the changes since her last visit. "This looks really nice," she said.
"I'm glad that you like it," Vura cooed. "Please," Vura told Mignon, gesturing further inside with her left arm, "make yourself comfortable."
"Okay." Mignon looked around again, then walked in and took a seat in one of the chairs.
Vura sat in the chair beside Mignon and smiled warmly. She placed her hands on her knees and leaned forward. "So, big day today, huh?"
"More like being let loose," Mignon replied. "I love having a day to read, or catch up on journals, but it's been too long and I'm eager to have the freedom to work and do other things."
Vura nodded understandingly. "Any jitters? I mean, going back out in space.... It has to bring up some feelings, no?"
Mignon shrugged. "Not in space. I've been doing that for years. Maybe if I get put in a locked room again, but it would have to depend on the situation."
"Have you been in a locked room since the incident?" Vura wondered aloud. Would it even be wise to try desensitization with her?
"No. I don't count my quarters as the door isn't locked to me." To her, that just meant no one could come in if they weren't invited. It wasn't the same as not being able to get out.
"That certainly makes sense," Vura agreed. "And what of the other sensations?"
"I haven't tried to cut anything off," Mignon said, half joking. "I don't want to, either. That's another reason I'm taking things slowly."
"Good! This is all good news. This is progress," she informed Mignon approvingly. "And your attitude is remarkably positive. Tell me, Mignon, what has given way to this?"
She shrugged. "I'm a scientist. I know that some things can take a while. And as long as I take this slowly, I'm doing okay. When you're working on an archaeological dig, you don't just transport away the dirt and call it good. You have to sift through it because you never know what you might find. You have to take the time to do it right. It's pretty much the same principle with emotional and physical problems. they don't just go away because it's easier."
"No, they don't. However, you can't ignore them either. You can't just put them in a box for study later," Vura countered.
"But I can't deal with them all at once, either," she countered. "So, dealing with them bit by bit keeps me sane."
Vura nodded. That made a fair amount of sense as long as everything, good, bad, and ugly was being reviewed. "So, can you tell me what you have been processing thus far?"
"Everything. I'm always thinking, is this still me or is it the drug? Most of the time I'm fine, but every now and then I have to take a step back and do something else, then come back to whatever I was doing. Or even if I wasn't doing anything in particular. It's mostly when my thoughts start going back to that place, and how I felt there. So, I try not to let myself dwell on those thoughts."
"Hmmm," Vura mused. "So, are you saying that you do not fully trust yourself?"
"No. I'm saying that while it's all still recent, I'm not going to let myself get overwhelmed or backslide. Plus, I don't know what parts of my life have been affected by my BIID, so I'm going to look at everything and slowly eliminate what isn't a problem so I can keep an eye on what might be. I'm treat it like an addiction. Just because I've decided to stop drinking doesn't mean I don't have to watch what I think and do."
Vura leaned back, impressed. "I have to say, Mignon, I'm very impressed with your attitude and your steps. I'd like to continue your appointments for awhile just to keep tabs on you but I think we can remove all your work restrictions at this time."
The science officer smiled. "Great." She was tired of the forced rest and really wanted to get back to work.
"That's an anticlimatic response," Vura replied with a light giggle.
"Not to me." Mignon chuckled. "I'm not one to jump up and down with joy. But I am happy to go back to the lab."
"Maybe we should look into your emotional spectrum at some point," Vura replied with a light chuckle, but with a mite of seriousness.
"Right now, my focus is on getting back to work and getting some distance--emotionally, mentally, and physically--from what happened. I don't need to worry about other things until I do."
Vura nodded. However, holistically speaking, just shelving everything was not healthy. However, for now, getting her in a routine and away from her negative thoughts was a temporarily satisfactory solution. After all, these other things could be worked on during therapy. For getting back on duty, Vura only had to evaluate if Mingon was a potential threat to the ship or herself and she was not. She crossed that bridge. After all, numerous people had psychological issues to work through, but they were not forced to go to counseling. It was the dilemma as a counselor. One could always fix more people but they had to be willing to do the "fixing." She rose from her chair, as if she was pulled by some sensual beat. "Well, then, Mignon, I guess we are done for today. I am very pleased with your progress."
The science officer rose, too. "Thank you. See you later." She smiled and headed to the science department to tell Alyssa she was cleared for duty.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant JG Mignon Mejia
Alien Archaeologist/Anthropologist, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Vura
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
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