More positives than negatives

Posted on Sat Oct 24th, 2020 @ 2:34pm by Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik

Mission: SEASON 4: Episode 1: Know Thy Self!
Location: Deep Space 16
Timeline: MD 7
1022 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON]

Miraj found the offices of the counselling department easily enough. DS16 wasn't the biggest station going. There were familiar faces in the waiting room too. Plenty of other crew were here, and for the same reason. Mandatory counselling review.

She entered her details into the terminal, and waited for someone to collect her.

Dana Monroe checked her counselling appointments it seemed her next client was waiting in the waiting room. Walking out of her office the Betazoid offered a warm smile as she looked around. “Ensign Derani please.”

"That's me." Miraj got up, her pink bunches swinging, and walked towards the office door.

Dana smiled warmly as she walked ahead into her office and waited for Miraj to enter. She motioned to the available seats. “Please sit down.”

Miraj sat as requested. "So. I've not really had one of these things before. I mean post trauma sessions. What do we do?"

“It’s basically the same as your usual counselling sessions just a bit more ... in depth.” Dana relaxed back in her seat. “So how’s about you tell me your part in the recent mirror universe events.”

"I didn't really have a part," Miraj explained. "I was pretty much like everyone else. beamed onto the station and left to it. At first I managed to join up with some people, but then we got separated and I got caught." She fell silent, remembering. "By their Sthilg. I think he would have tried turning me into an orion. But his process wasn't working right. So I got off lightly compared to others. I stayed myself, no one....touched me," She'd heard what had happened to the Captain's Yeoman, and to others who'd been caught.

Dana nodded. “I’ve heard what happened and read some of the reports, you were lucky to escape serious harm. Did the mirror Sthilg say what made you immune to his treatment?”

"No. But I sometimes have weird reactions to drugs. Our Sthilg thinks that's what happened. So instead of going compliant, I ended up in laughing and unable to lie."

“That must have been interesting” Dana smiled. “It must still have been a frightening experience, are you experiencing any nightmares?”

Miraj shook her head, bunches bouncing. "No. Should I?" She asked, worried.

“No of course not” Dana offered a relaxed smile. “You maybe one of the lucky ones who comes out of this stronger and more resilient, just don’t be afraid to talk to someone if you do start experiencing any bad dreams or flashbacks okay?”

The young woman nodded. But she looked pensive. "I'm lucky, I guess. It was horrible, and so many bad things happened to so many people. I not only got off lightly, but I got something good out of it. I've never met my mother, not here. But she was there, in the other place. I got to talk to her. She saved me, and so many others. Does that make me a bad person, that I've got good memories? That I'm the only one, probably?"

Dana shook her head. "Miraj, having good memories doesn't make you bad it makes you lucky!" She offered a smile. "How did it feel to meet your mother?"

"I don't know. Its..." she searched for the words. "I know she's not my real mother. She never had children. And she's sleeping with my brother which is gross and weird. But it was nice. We're both pilots at heart, we love our ships. I'd like to be like her. She's so graceful, and clever, and cool."

"There's nothing wrong with that." Dana nodded. "Do you feel able to cope with returning to the Elysium? Do you have any worries or concerns?"

"As long as I'm flying, I'm happy." Miraj worried she should be more broken that she felt. "Is that normal?"

“If flying is what makes you feel better then that’s fine.” Dana smiled warmly. “I can understand your concerns about not feeling unhappy Miraj, but you shouldn’t feel guilty. You were fortunate not to have gone through the hell others went through, right now your friends need your strength."

"What if it just upsets them? That I got off lightly? That I got something I always wanted, sort of. And they just got traumatised."

“There may be that possibility” Dana nodded. “But in the long run I don’t believe any of your shipmates would hate you Miraj. There maybe general anger, and resentment but not of you, more of what happened to them. Be there for them and they’ll be there for you.”

The counsellor sounded a lot more positive than Miraj felt. But she was the expert so MIraj nodded. "I will," she promised.

"I know it doesn't feel like it now Miraj but it's going to take time to recover from this. Just remember that you have your own counsellor's aboard ship that you can rely on to help you."

Miraj nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I won't forget."

“I didn’t think you would” Dana smiled. “You put me in mind that you’re a strong young woman Miraj, don’t be afraid to let your strengths show through.” She tapped her PADD. “Is there anything else you’d like to talk about before I sign you off?”

Miraj didn't know. Everything just felt... too soon. She'd barely had a chance to process it all, let alone know what she wanted to talk about. "I don't think so ma'am. Not right now at any rate."

“You’re not expected to know how you really feel so soon Miraj” Dana smiled comfortingly. “These counselling sessions are there to just help those who need to talk.”

"Yes, ma'am, thank you ma'am." Miraj got to her feet, glad to have got off lightly, "I'll come back if things get worse."

Dana nodded. “If you need to see me I’m only a call away, anytime night or day.”

The young pilot promised to do so, and greatfully escaped from the office.

Watching her go Dana tapped a note into her file before picking up another PADD ready for the next patient.

[OFF]