"Fooled"
(Previous Post: Tiffany's 'Concentrating...')
=====================================
Stardate: 60313.1900
Setting: USS ANUBIS, David's Quarters
After spending the past hour reading over some of his
great uncle's exploits, David programmed into the
computer some clothes that would fit his new identity.
After replicating them and trying them on he looked at
himself in the mirror.
"I look like me... but then again, no one has ever seen
Brell... so I guess a little cosmetic surgery isn't
necessary..." when the computer chimed.
=/\= Lieutenant Dawson, the time is 1900 hours. =/\=
"Dammit" David said as he pulled his pocketwatch
out... if he didn't hurry, he'd be late for his
session.
======================================
David entered the counseling suite when the doors to
Ensign Mei's office opened and a Bajoran woman
appeared.
"Right on time Lieutenant. I must say that you are one
of my most timely patients..."
David glanced around. "Um... have we met?"
"We met the other day... and two days prior to
that... and two days..."
"Well... you have me at a loss then" the former CEO
said, "I have a pretty good memory and seldom forget
faces."
The woman nodded. "Funny you mention that. You say you
have a good memory, but you don't remember attacking
Captain Simmons or Lieutenant Serrena" the Bajoran
woman countered.
David smirked. "Who the hell are you lady?" the
towering man asked.
"David its me... Susan" she giggled and David shook
his head.
"You find this funny?" the CEO grumbled.
"Well... I'm two for two. I even fooled Maya."
David rolled his eyes. "I believe anyone could fool
Maya"
"David... that wasn't very nice" the ANUBIS' counselor
replied.
"Shoot me" he said as he looked at her, "well... let's
get this over with."
She extended her arm to one of the couches in the
office and as David sat, Susan crossed her legs.
"So... want to pick up from where we left off?"
"Before we do that, just who are you supposed to be
for this mission?"
Susan explained and David shrugged.
"This is going to be complicated."
"How so?" the counselor asked.
"Just is... our missions always have a way of... going
the opposite way."
"Well... we're not here to discuss the mission.
David... I was reading some information from your
previous sessions with the former counselor..."
David nodded and thought about Mowree.
"I want to ask you a question. Who is 'Richard'?"
"Never heard of him. Is he a new crew member I haven't
met?"
Susan shook her head. "No... you mentioned him in your
last session with..what was his name..."
"Mowree" the engineer replied.
"Yes... Mowree. Now.. .there were several references made
to a 'Richard'... and since you said that you have a
pretty good memory I wanted to see if you remembered."
David shrugged, "I said I had a good memory, I didn't
say that it was flawless. Maybe if you gave me some sort of
hint..."
Susan looked into his eyes, as if trying to work out
if he was being truthful or not. Apparently deciding
that he was, she put down the PADD she was holding and
smiled, "Oh, I wouldn't worry about it.
How have your past two days been?"
David frowned. God, he hated this. It wasn't as if his
past two days were any of this woman's business... but
catching himself before he said something he regretted
(and remembering that his job, and maybe his entire
future was on the line), he smiled, "Not too bad,
considering."
"Considering...?" Susan prompted.
As if she didn't know! "Considering..." David
endeavored yet again, "That I don't have a job."
Susan's eye narrowed, "Of course you do!"
Despite himself, David's heart skipped a beat. His
eyes narrowed even more than hers, "What do you
mean..."
Susan sat back in her chair, "What do you define a job
as being, David?"
This took him off-guard. It wasn't something she'd
asked before. However, he didn't let it show on his
face as he stated simply, "A profession."
"mmh hmm." said Susan in a note-taking kind of voice,
though she didn't have a PADD anywhere near her. "And
tell me, David, have you stopped being an engineer
recently?" she leant forward in mock-seriousness, "I
hadn't heard. In fact, what I did hear was that you
were helping Mr. Elan with some robotics on NEW
ALEXANDRIA and giving useful tips to the USS HORUS'S
engineer."
David smirked, seeing where this was going, "And...
I'm just supposed to be happy with the odd jobs that I
can put my skills to, is that it? I've worked hard to
get my posting as a chief engineer... not a damned
lackey."
Susan gave a sigh and leaned back again, looking more
as if she were on a holiday than counseling a patient.
"Mowree noted that you enjoyed second-guessing. But
I'm afraid that you're wrong Mr. Dawson."
"Oh, it's Mr. now is it?" David asked with a smirk.
Susan's eyes met his and she waited for a minute
before continuing, giving him a chance to realize what
he'd said. Then she stood up and walked over to her
desk, "Alright, Lieutenant then. You're still
wrong."
She picked up a PADD and took it back to the couch
where she sat, crossing her legs again. "I wasn't
going to say anything about odd jobs.
I was going to point out something you've undoubtedly
noticed."
"Which is?" David was losing patience again.
Susan handed him the PADD and he saw the picture of
Brell in his Armour staring back at him.
"You still have a job." she said quietly, "Maybe not
what you'd want but... no-one's trying to take away
your profession. If that's how you define a job?"
David looked up from the PADD, cornered and not happy
about it.
"So..." said Susan, pointedly ignoring any sign of
discomfort or anger and leaning forward on her knees,
"It's not the job that really matters is it?"
When David didn't answer, she continued, "In the three
weeks that I've been seeing you, I have noticed that
you seem to believe that a lot hangs on your job. A
lot more than, possibly, actually does."
Susan held up a hand to fend off his protests and
continued, "What is it that really makes you mad,
David? I, know, I know, I ask you that every two days
and every two days you answer me by telling my how
it's unfair that you've lost your job - I know these
aren't your words but hear me out - how you feel
betrayed because you can't even remember
doing anything wrong and now everyone treats you like
a firecracker ready to go off. All of these issues,
and in fact the whole reason you're here every second
day, are, in essence, because you've lost your job.
Am I right?"
David, taken aback by the sudden pause, squinted at
her as if trying to find where she was trying to
undermine him... and lost his chance to speak.
Susan, taking this silence as agreement, continued, "But, as you've just told me, a job is a profession. And since you still have your profession, I am guessing that it is actually your possession on this ship and in the lives of the crew that you are really afraid of losing."
He opened his mouth as if about to say something, but
once again she cut him off, "Yes. I did say 'afraid'."
David was beginning to wonder if more than just
Susan's looks had changed. Usually she made him do all
the talking and just sat there taking notes. Even
though he felt frustrated by constantly being
steamrolled, there was a small part of him that was
slightly - and only slightly - interested in what she
was trying to get at. So he sat and listened. For a
few minutes more at any rate.
"And that's alright." Susan continued, "You have every
right to be afraid. You passed out for a few hours
three weeks ago and woke up to find your world falling
down around your ears. And by 'your world', of
course, as you have probably guessed, I mean 'your
job'.
She paused and looked at him. Surprised he had let her
speak for so long. She took a deep breath then asked,
"Would you like something to drink?"
"Is this a trick question?" David asked, half
expecting one of those 'half full or half empty?'
questions.
Susan laughed, "There you go, second guessing again.
Tea, hot." she looked at him pointedly until he said
quietly,
"Raktijino"
"Hot or cold?" Susan asked.
He frowned, half hearing "half full or half empty" and
grunted, "Either."
"Hot" Susan told the replicater, then turned to David,
"I'm not trying to trick you, I'm just thirsty." She
gave him a kind of lopsided grin,
"I'm not used to talking so much."
"*This* I can tell." David replied.
She handed him his drink and then sat down with hers,
gazing into it. Eventually she took a sip, then looked
up at David, "Us Starfleet officers, a lot hangs on
our jobs: They're our lives, our homes, our
family's even. And that's where not having one can be
scary."
David wished that she wouldn't remind him.
"I'm a Starfleet brat myself." she explained, "My
whole life was angled towards becoming a part of this organization. Granted,
I never thought I'd be in intel but... I understand how it is. From
what I read in your file, your whole family is also Starfleet."
It wasn't a question, so David kept quiet. He was
wondering what this had to do with anything though...
"So sometimes, I understand, it's hard to believe that
when you don't have that job... the one you've been brought up to
have, the one that is your life, your home, your family. When that gets
taken away from you, for no good reason... it seems as if your whole life
has gone with it."
David couldn't take it anymore, "Your point is..." he
said through gritted teeth.
"My point *is*." Susan said sternly, "That it hasn't"
she ended casually.
For a second David didn't know what she was talking
about, "It hasn't?"
"No," Susan repeated, 'It hasn't."
"I don't follow you." David admitted.
Susan tapped the PADD with the information on Brell.
"You still have the profession, the life, the home.
What's missing?"
David grunted and Susan strode, again, to her desk
making David
wonder why she hadn't just sat there the whole time.
With her back to
him she said, "So, David. You thought that counseling
was tough so far.
Having to drag yourself all the way here every second
day?"
Wisely, he didn't answer. It had been his goal, he
reminded himself, to
say as little as possible to the young lady who was so
intent on
psychoanalyzing him.
"Well, I've got news for you." She continued, "It's
about to get a whole lot worse."
He watched her digging in a desk drawer. "Worse?" was
all he asked, hoping that the one word summarized everything he was
feeling.
Susan appeared not to have heard him, "With only a
week left until you become Mr. Brell... ah ha!"
She seemed to have found what he was looking for, "I
have decided that we'd better get to the bad stuff."
David raised his eyebrows and she handed him a PADD.
When he looked at it - and found it empty - he looked back up
at her again, puzzled.
"Homework."
She stated this simply and then sat down again,
opposite him. "It's a relatively simple assignment... but I doubt it's going
to be as much fun as playing a bounty-hunter."
David was still wondering whether she was allowed to
do this when she explained, "I want you to compile a list. - just a
list so don't look at me like that, it's not like I'm begging you to keep a
dream journal - just a list. I want you to compile a list in the next two
days of all the things about your new status among us that make you mad. And
don't worry if we've covered some of the stuff- or all of the
stuff - already."
David looked at her, both shocked and frustrated "You
want me. To make a list. Of veering that makes me *mad*?" he asked
with barely contained anger.
"Yes," said Susan casually, "and you can put me at the
top of the list. We'll discuss it in two days time."
She stood up as if this signaled an end to their
meeting. "Wait a minute!" David also stood up, "What does this have to do with
my definition of 'job'?"
Susan cocked her head and smiled, "You tell me."
She then made her way around the desk and picked up a
PADD lying
on the top of the pile on her desk as she sat down.
When David didn't
move after a full minute, she looked up and said, "You
can go."
So he did, not quite sure what had just happened and
why he was taking home... homework.
-----------------------
Julian Knight (d_dawson_1@yahoo.com)
as
Lieutenant David Dawson
and
Tallulah Habib {thabib@eject.co.za} 2005 post #127
Stardate: 60313.1910
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Counseling suite
brought to you by
Chief Engineer
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"
Ensign Susan Mei
Head Counselor
USS ANUBIS
---------------
"Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in your own." - Adam Lindsay Gordon
