Yearly Mental Health Check

Posted on Sat Oct 22nd, 2022 @ 9:53pm by Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Ensign Mrera Sr’au & Lieutenant Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen [Taylor]

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Counseling
1440 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Shortly after boarding the Elysium, Ensign Sr’au received the general orders from the Captain to report for her mental health assessment. She never considered herself as having Poor mental health and realized that this was just routine.

Walking in to the counseling offices, she registered to see on of the counselors. Not knowing them, she agreed to see the first available counselor.

Arriving for her next batch of appointments Alicia was given the latest appointment list. “Ensign Sr’au?” She hoped she’d pronounced it correctly. “Please come with me.”

The was quick, Mrera thought. “Yess,” she answered with a giggle, Sr’au…it rhymess with meow.” She followed the doctor to an inner office.

“Please make yourself at home” Alicia smiled. “Feel free to call me Alicia whilst you’re in here, it saves using ranks all the time.”

Ensign Sr’au sat in a comfy armchair. The tears for the arms made this visit more comfortable.

“Yes, Comm…” Being fresh from the academy, where you never addressed your professors by their first name, Mrera realized this may take some time. “…I mean Alicia.”

“If you feel more comfortable using my rank, then please do but the offer is there” Alicia smiled warmly. “So this is your first assignment, was this your only choice of ship or did you choose the Elysium yourself?”

“Thank you, Commander,” Mrera responded. She was not against first-name basis, but after getting to know the person. Commander would suit until that time.

“I didn’t know much about the starships, nor their crews,” the ensign admitted. “I trussted in the academy to assign me to one that would be appropriate. I looked into the Elyssium afterward, and felt content with the assignment.” A soft purr ensued, definitely a sign of contentment.

Alicia smiled warmly. “Well you’ve been assigned an excellent ship, we’re all one big happy family. Any problems, or any worries you can talk to myself or any of the counselling staff. So how are you feeling about being assigned to your first Starship?”

"I am sso Excited!" Sr'au vocalized in an almost meow. Her tail danced with excitement. "It wass sso boring where I am from. I looked forward to graduating and heading into the universse. I look forward to the adventure."

Alicia grinned. “I can sense how excited you are, it’s so nice to see and feel. Being out in space for weeks to months at a time has its own challenges, how do you think you’ll cope with the isolation?”

Mrera shrugged her shoulders. “Thiss iss a big sstarsship! Hopefully, I will find good friendss to trusst.”

“Well let’s start with a couple of the counselling department” Alicia smiled and tapped her comm badge. “Commander Savar, Lieutenant Tate, please report to my office.”

Savar heard Alicia's hail and went to her office. "You wish to see mt Alicia?" He politely inquired while acknowledging Mrera with a polite "Hello."

“Thank you for coming so quickly Savar” Alicia smiled at her husband.

Mrera nodded and smiled at the Vulcan who had entered. She wondered if he were different than the Vulcan students she had met. They seemed so intelligent and sure of themselves. She didn't understand how one could be so calm in the midst of crisis. At times, Ensign Sr'au thought that Vulcans thought of themselves as superior, the apex of evolution. She hoped the Lieutenant Commander would prove that theory wrong.

Once both had arrived Alicia motioned to Mrera. “I wanted to introduce you both to Mrera, she’s one of our newest arrivals and as such doesn’t have many friends yet.”

Savar faced Mrera fully, "A pleasure to meet you Mrera. I hope you find your assignment on the Elysium to be fulfilling and beneficial. You also have three new friends in Alicia. Tate and myself."

A Vulcan being a friend. If they suppressed emotions, how could they be empathic enough to be a supportive friend? Or even a counselor? Of course, history had taught them of the great friendship struck by Ambassador Spock and Admiral Kirk, but Spock was half human. It took him greater effort to suppress his emotions. Didn't it?

"Thuss far," the ensign answered, "it has been fulfilling indeed. I am content." A purr followed almost as if cued. "I am meeting new people and beginning to build relationships. A few of us in operations are going to rough it a few days and do some rock climbing."

"It is good you are meeting and making new relationships." Savar agreed then went on, "Rock climbing can be challenging and dangerous. I hope you all take appropriate safety precautions."

"Of coursse," Mrera agreed. "We have a few that may not be as sskilled as myself. I am perssonally getting the shoes, harnesses, helmetss, carabinerss, ropess, and hand chalk ready. Lieutenant Bond is organizing the adventure. Ssomeplace called Bozeman. It will be purrfect!" Her tail danced at her excitement.

"it sounds like you are prepared. A word of advice, do not get overconfident in your abilities." Savar cautioned.

Overconfident?, the ensign thought as her eyes widened. Mrera had never thought of herself as overconfident in anything. Especially climbing! She had used climbing as a means to escape her father's insisting that he follow in her mother's or his steps. They wanted her to remain on Cait and become a stay-at-home mother or become a local leader. Whenever her father would insist their path be hers, she would wander off and begin to climb the nearest rock formation. She was surprised at how natural it seemed. At first, she did easier climbs, but was soon challenging herself on each successive climb.

Alicia offered a smile as she looked towards Mrera. “I take it being overconfident has never been a problem you’ve encountered? It can happen, which can come as quite a blow sometimes. Not that I’m saying it’ll happen to you.”

"Indeed, I am not saying that. I am simply stating do not get overconfident in your abilities." Savar replied.

Mrera’s grin revealed two small fangs. “I have taken risks. Only in the sense of adventure. I practiced on the holodeck first. Make sure I’d be able to do the climb in the best possible way. When I have less experienced climbers, I do use safety equipment.”

“It’s good to be safe, but a certain amount of risk is acceptable when you know how far to go.” Alicia smiled warmly.

Mrera relaxed more with the good counselor’s words. “Yess, it is!”

"Until the first time you go to far." Savar observed.

“Are you alwayss so sserious?” Mrera teasingly quizzed Savar. She paused a moment, then grinned, showing her small fangs. “Climbing iss my sstrength. I wouldn’t take unnessessary risks otherwisse. Another sstrength is reading body language and facial expressionss, which iss handy for a communicationss offisser. Vulvanss are beyond my expertisse. Purrhapss you can help me with that.”

"I believe Ensign that Alicia would disagree with your statement that I am always serious. As to your 'reading' body language, how can I assist you?" Savar inquired.

It was at this point Mrera recognized something in Alicia’s eye. What Savar said implied an intimate relationship. We’re they married? She hadn’t seen that coming.

“We’ll,” Ensign Sr’au continued, “Vulcan’ss don’t give much away in body language and expressions. They ssuppress them. Are there other ways to be able to read what they are ssaying iss truth?”

"Vulcans do not lie Ensign. That should eliminate whether what I say is true or not." Savar replied evenly.

“I’m ssorry. I’m not accusing you of not telling truth,” Sr’au apologetically said. “But tell me, Hisstory books tell us that Spock pretended to kill Captain Kirk with a Vulcan death grip,” Mrera answered with a grin. “Was that not a lie?”

"No. No it was not." Savar said and then expanded his statement. "It was an exaggeration told to the Romulans to help the Enterprise obtain a Romulan cloaking device."

Mrera raised her brows in surprise at Savar’s response. “I was alwayss told that if ssomething is not wholly the truth, it iss an untruth. We will have to agree to dissagree on the ssubject, Lieutenant Commander.”

"As you wish Ensign. That is your prerogative." Savar replied calmly.

“Sso,” Mrera probed with a smile, “am I stable enough to take my post?”

Alicia nodded. “You’re free to go Ensign. Any problems you know where to find us. The door is always open.

{OFF}