Making It Work

Posted on Mon Nov 28th, 2022 @ 6:26am by Lieutenant Victor Barclay de Tolly & Lieutenant Tate Sullivan Ph.D.

Mission: Season 6 : Episode 1: Circinus
Location: Tate Sulivan’s Office
Timeline: Right before and ending with when power went out.
1152 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Victor recently got married in a quiet ceremony with Tonya. He now has everything he wanted and he did feel anxiety as he wanted to make sure it worked. In a conversation he had with his mother, she suggested he should see a counselor because he had to stay focus. Victor agreed because it was time to see one.

Sitting in the waiting room, he started thinking on how he would start the conversation with Doctor Sullivan. Main thing is he wants to make this work.

" Victor," Tate greeted with a smile, approaching the familiar face in the waiting room. "It's good to see you again. Care to follow me back?" Sullivan knew Victor was more comfortable with therapy than most and after having worked with him and members of his family, she knew him to take counseling seriously and to be someone who wouldn't seek help unless he truly needed it.

“Gladly,” Victor answered. He walked into her office as he waited for her to sit but he eventually sat down generously. “Good day to you. Let me start right off saying in case of you have not heard yet, Tonya and I got married last week. We did it at her Uncle’s house in Scotland. She and I wanted a quiet wedding because of her four previous fiancés were killed off before the big day.”

Tate knew of that particular statistic, but still hearing it, she inwardly winced. She couldn't imagine being that unlucky or surviving such trauma. "Keeping up with crew events is critical for someone in my position, but I admit, not everything gets back to me promptly. Congratulations. I know how much you to care about each other." Naturally, Sullivan wondered what his concerns might be. Was there conflict in the marriage already?

“I do assume this ship has a routine where we have to see a counselor,” Victor said as he scratched his head a bit. “I always thought on the Aventine, it was a great policy,” Victor continued. “Reason why I am here because … actual reasons why I am here, I do not want to over do anything with Tonya. Plus still coping with the fact of all the friends I had made over the years growing up and professionally, the only ones who know me are El Aurians who knew me, my sister of course and my daughter. Oh and because of some kind fluke Quantum Incident, Tonya’s sister Mira remembers some details from the other reality. So where shall we start?”

Tate smiled. "I think you already have, but that's just fine. You're right, routine psychological evaluations are required and your timing is perfect. That said, you know my door is always open to you. As for where we should start, perhaps we should start by talking about your new marriage. When you say you're concerned about overdoing it with her, what exactly do you mean?"

“Well,” Victor says as he thought about his answer for a brief moment, “I am a romantic guy and she is not used to it. I do something romantic and she tells me I did not have to do that. Like last night, I gave her a rose plant because I know she likes plants. Plus I like singing to her but she asks me not to sing.” Victor shrugged his shoulders.

"Have you asked her why she doesn't want you to sing?" Tate knew Tonya had survived a great deal of trauma and in her experience, many trauma survivors struggled with self-esteem and feeling worthy of attention and love. Sullivan couldn't help but wonder if Tonya didn't feel deserving of Victor's attentions, or if it was something more.

“I have asked her and her reply was she said in a teasing way,” Victor answering the question. “I have a hard time reading her sometimes as in seldom. Women are hard to read. My mother was always firm going up and my father was absent. So only role models were ones like Riker and LaForge. Yes, I grew up on the Enterprise. Maybe I am worrying over nothing.”

"I would never dismiss your feelings," Tate assured him. "I'm just not sure if you have enough evidence to know something is wrong. Is it possible you're anxious because of things you believe about yourself, not anything she is doing or not doing right now?"

“You are right,” Victor shrugged, “Maybe I am seeking advice to make it work. We all have fear of the unknown, at least some of us do.”

"A lot of people do," Sullivan reassured. "What makes you think you don't know how to make this work simply because the future is unknowable?"

“I guess it is an occupational hazard as an Engineer,”, Victor sighed, “It is my job to make things work. I know, I know, marriage is not a starship. Actually, it is something bigger to me. I need to make the marriage work. There are no short cuts. So any tips will be welcomed. Plus when do you feel I should suggest having more children. Yes, yes we talked about it before getting married and she says no rush. Good thing I do not suffer from anxiety.”

Tate nodded. "As an engineer, your job is to anticipate problems and ways to fix that before they happen. Still, you have to focus on what you know to be true, right? You would replace a perfectly normal conduit simply out of fear that it could probably will need replacing at some point, right?"

Victor shrugs again. “You are correct. So basically I have nothing to fear but fear itself. I know love is true and I should concentrate on the present. No telling what might happen a year from now. Maybe a year from now we will have another child. Thank you for seeing me Tate. I am not use to anxiety. In fact, this is the first time I ever experienced any form of it at this level.” Victor paused for a moment. “I feel I am good now.”

All of a sudden, the lights flicker. Power went out as the two of them were in the dark. Victor pressed his communication badge but no response. “Tate. Communications are down. Are you okay?”

Tate smiled. She never grew tired of being present as people worked out their own solutions for themselves. She was just about to speak when she was suddenly the power went out and she was momentarily disoriented. This was not the first time it had happened to her, of course, not even the first time aboard the ship, but it was still shocking. She was grateful she wasn't alone. "I am OK," she answered calmly. "Are you OK?"

“I am,” Victor answers. “Duty calls. You stay here. I need to make it to Engineering.”

And with that, Victor left post haste to see what was going on.