It’s good to talk

Posted on Sat Nov 7th, 2020 @ 10:01pm by Lieutenant JG Heather De La Rosa {Kelea-Salik} & Lieutenant Tate Sullivan Ph.D.

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Pacifica - Quarters
Timeline: Current
1115 words - 2.2 OF Standard Post Measure

{ON}

After everything that had happened of late Heather was feeling like she needed to talk to someone. She didn’t want to pester Alicia so she decided to call Tate, they had become good friends during prior counselling sessions. She tapped her comm badge. =/\= Heather to Tate, if you’re available could I see you in my quarters on Pacifica? =/\=

Tate tapped her internal intercom. "Absolutely, Sullivan replied, grateful for the distraction from writing her notes. Given what the crew had just been through, the recent sessions had been particularly intense and there was a lot to document. She enjoyed actually talking to people much more.

Heather was waiting for the door chime to go, She was supposed to rest after the implantation procedure do she remained sitting on the sofa. When the chime rang she called “Come in” and offered a smile. “Hi Tate, I hope I didn’t catch you at a busy time?”

Tate entered and shook her head, offering a smile. "Not at all. In fact, you saved me from some paperwork, I desperately needed a break from."

“Oh there’s always plenty of paperwork” Heather grinned as she motioned for Tate to take a seat. “I kind of need to ... clear my head after everything that’s happened.”

"You're not alone there," Tate replied, taking a seat. "What's on your mind?" It might've seemed like an obvious question given what they had all just been through, but Sullivan had learned that even with common experiences, different aspects stuck out for different people.

Heather gave Tate a thoughtful look. “Fernando and I received some surprise news while on Pacifica, long story short Mirror Fernando impregnated a young woman and she doesn’t want the child. She gave us the option of having the baby via fetal transfer and I accepted. We had the transfer done I’m three weeks pregnant but ...” she paused. “As much as I want to be a mum, I think Fernando is struggling with the idea of it all. He says he wants to make me happy and be a family but I think he’s just saying that to make me feel better.”

Of all the difficult things Tate expected to hear, she had to admit, this was not even close to what she anticipated. In fact, she was genuinely surprised any of this was allowed to occur so quickly without a psychological evaluation and a discussion with all parties involved. This may have been a personal decision about family planning, but it still involved Starfleet officers. Anything that could impact their physical and emotional health, and as a result, their potential fitness for duty, was a valid reason for a Starfleet physician and counselor to get involved before such a procedure. "That's an incredibly big step. I'm sorry I was not there to help you sort out these choices before they occurred, but I'm glad I could be here now. Forgive the sensitive question, but considering the universe we just came from, I think it's relevant and I have to ask. This young woman who became pregnant by Fernando's mirror counterpart, was she raped?" Naturally, there could be other reasons why she wouldn't want to have the child, but it seemed a logical possibility under the circumstances.

Heather nodded. “I believe so, she couldn’t cope with keeping the baby so she commissioned an agency to either let us have the baby or put him or her up for adoption. I leapt at the chance to be a mother even though the baby isn’t my husband’s but his mirror.”

"I'm curious. Why do you think you were so comfortable with the idea of carrying this baby?" Tate couldn't help but notice Heather had led with her eagerness to become a mother.

“This is Fernando’s baby ... at least in a way.” She paused a frown on her face. “I know this baby isn’t my Fernando’s but I ... couldn’t just let him or her be sent who knows where! What if Fernando had decided he wanted to know the child? He’d never have been allowed! I couldn’t let that happen!”

"It sounds like you're doing a lot of management of other people's needs and feelings. How does Fernando feel about all of this?"

“He’s putting a brave face on it around me” Heather sighed. “But he's got mixed feelings. If I hadn’t volunteered I think he’d have willingly let the baby go to a different family.” She looked at Tate. “Should I have leapt at this so quickly?”

"Is that what you think?" Tate normally tried not to answer a question with a question, but in the situations, sometimes it was appropriate. Ultimately, it was not Tate's place to judge anyone's decision after the fact, merely to help others explore their own feelings and whether their behavior was consistent with their values.

“No I ... think I did the right thing.” Heather looked at Tate. “This baby deserves a mother who will love him or her and I will.”

"I have absolutely no doubt of that," Tate assured Heather. "I can also see how this could be a lot harder for Fernando than either of you fully realize. In essence, not only does he have to come to terms with being a parent to this baby, but it also means understanding another version of him was a rapist and it's because of that behavior this baby exists." Tate paused, "Given what you've been through, I can't imagine that's easily overlooked for you either, is it?"

Heather’s smile turned to more of a frown as she shook her head. “I was supposed to be sold as a breeding slave, but the control drugs I was given interfered with that. I expected to be carrying child after child not that I wanted to, now I ... just want to be a mother! I love Fernando with all my heart and I just want him to be happy. What if I’ve just made a huge mistake?”

Tate leaned forward in her chair to close the physical distance between them, but also the emotional distance. "I think it's important to take a deep breath and a step back," Tate reassured. "What's already been done isn't easily undone, but to be clear, I think things may be challenging, but not insurmountable. I believe whatever the two of you decide going forward, you can get through this, and I am here for support."

Heather smiled. “Thank you Tate that means a lot.” She had no doubt that with Tate’s support and Fernando’s love she could get through anything.

{OFF}