"Consoling"
(previous post was the consoling "Counselling")
----------
Stardate: 60322.1130
Setting: USS ANUBIS, 'Black Hole' Lounge
There were times when Susan really didn't enjoy being a counselor.
Sitting across from a wailing Shillian had proved to be one of them.
Susan passed Maya a tissue and offered a quiet "there, there.". She had
learned that it was often a good idea to let people cry out their
frustrations, but this was easier said than done.
Susan had found the Shillian quietly sobbing at her station on the
bridge where they had left her and had promptly offered her lunch. Far from
calming her down, the trip to the Black Hole had started the tears afresh.
When Maya took a breath between sobs, Susan decided it was time to
intervene, "Maya... it's alright. There's nothing to worry about. You
don't need to cry."
The Shillian shook her head, "No... you don't... you don't understand!"
Susan leaned forward, concerned, "What don't I understand?"
She met Maya's teary eyes, and with a deep breath the woman began to
calm herself. "You don't understand. It's not about being insulted. If that
was all it was then I could of course put it aside, I mean I respect Enaii
more than anyone and if she were to simply comment on my hair or my
abilities as a Science Officer then I could deal with it I mean it's not as if she's just an ensign - no offence - or anything. She's a level five field
operative and that's got to count for something. It's just that... well... she said."
Her eyes began to tear up again as she took a breath. "She said that my
'abilities as a Shillian are lacking' those were her exact words and it
wouldn't be bad if I were a human... or even a Vulcan. Though I suppose
being a Vulcan it wouldn't effect me at all because I would..."
Susan held up her hand to stop Maya going off track, "But you aren't."
she stated.
Maya looked down at her drink and said in a surprisingly short
sentence, "No, I'm not." She swallowed back more tears, "I'm a Shillian and I'm the *only* Shillian. If my abilities as a Shillian are lacking..."
Susan saw where this was heading and cut it off before it got there,
"Then who is Enaii to judge? If you're the only Shillian then how can she
know what is 'lacking' and what isn't?"
Maya looked up hopefully for a second, then frowned, "Enaii knows. Why
else would she say anything? I mean..."
Susan cut her off again. She knew that one of the first rules of being
a counselor was not to interrupt your patients... but she though Maya may
be the exception. "Can I make a guess?"
The Shillian nodded.
"My guess is that she wasn't trying to insult you at all. My guess is
that, in some strange way, she was trying to compliment you."
Maya looked disbelieving. "Compliment me?"
Susan nodded, "What did she say besides... you know?"
Susan didn't want to bring up the subject of what Enaii had said in
case it set Maya off again. Maya appeared to think for a moment then smiled
slowly, "She said 'I am not a failure and... I think she said some other things
after the part about my being a failure as a Shillian except that quite
obviously I didn't hear them. Actually I'm sure I heard them but it is
likely that I forgot them in view of the fact that I was concentrating
on the fact that she had insulted my abilities as a Shillian Being..."
Susan was certain she would of continued, but started nodding in a
'there you go!' way that made the Shillian stop and smile broadly, "thank you
Susan. I hope you are right."
"Of course I am." Susan stated before Maya had a chance to start
talking again, "As a Vulcan would say, 'there is no logical reason Enaii would
insult you.' To me it is quite obvious that not only are you an
excellent science officer, but the very fact that you lost your Cardassian form points out your amazing abilities as a Shillian. Think about it. Even if Enaii for some obscure reason *was* trying to insult you, she obviously has no
idea what she's talking about."
Susan offered a broad smile as Maya put this through her head, "But...
if I was a better Shillian I would have been able to *control* the change."
Susan smiled wanly, "But you did. Don't you see? You managed to stay
Cardassian the whole time you needed to. It was only after the mission
ended that you let yourself revert to your natural state."
Maya looked as if she hadn't thought of that before and with another
smile she announced, "You know. I *am* actually hungry after all."
----------
After sharing a wonderful lunch with a much more cheerful Shillian,
Susan was more encouraged to find a certain Romulan/Terran hybrid. She didn't
know what Enaii may have said to her - or even if Enaii had said anything to
her - but she decided that it was her duty to find out. She found
Serenna on the bridge manning her station rigidly.
"Aren't you supposed to be off-duty?" the ensign asked as she stepped
up behind the Ops officer. Serenna's eyes did not leave her station, "I am
head of my department and therefore I am never off-duty."
Susan wondered briefly whether Serenna had realized that her time as
the Tal'Shiar agent had ended.
"Well, that's news to me." Susan said, implying that *she* was
off-duty.
Serenna turned at this, "Forgive me, Ensign Mei, but I am currently
running a scan of the ship and it requires my full attention. If you wish to
talk then I suggest we meet later..."
"That would be good." Susan said abruptly. "As a matter of fact, I
*would* like to talk to you."
Serenna looked curious but did not ask for further details. Instead,
she turned back to her station and continued with her work, "I will let you
know when I have finished here."
Susan seriously hoped she would.
----------
There was one more person left on the list of people Sabrina had given
Susan. She touched her nose and felt the now-familiar wrinkles.
**Well... no time like the present.**
With the perfect excuse literally written on her face, Susan set off to
talk to a particular doctor about the exact time she'd be free for a
session.
--------------- 2005 post #228
Stardate: 60322.1230
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 60322.1235
Setting: USS ANUBIS, corridor
Tallulah Habib {thabib@eject.co.za}
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
