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Counsellor's Office: Cadet Ven Miya reporting for check-in

Posted March 27, 2021, 9:29 p.m. by Cadet Ven Miya (Doctor) (Claire M)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Vanessa Lofton (Counselor) in Counsellor’s Office: Cadet Ven Miya reporting for check-in

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Vanessa laughed. “I can imagine the looks you’d get!” She sipped her cocoa again before continuing. “There are quite a few instrumentalists among the current crop of cadets - we may need to rope all of you into doing a concert for us,” she teased. “And don’t forget about being able to play the tivara on the holodeck,” she said more seriously. “Keep yourself in practice.”

She shifted, tucking her feet onto the sofa behind her. “Sounds like you get along well with peers socially; what about when working with them? What role do you find yourself in on teams or in groups?”

Lt. Cmdr. Lofton - CNS

(OOC: sorry for the delayed reply - the dreaded RL, I’m afraid!)

“Oh, the holodeck - of course! I never thought of that.” Miya shook her head at her own stupidity. “It’ll take a bit of practice before I feel confident enough to perform for an audience again,” she confessed. “I had to neglect my instruments during the last few months at the Academy - there was just such a lot of work to do so we could complete all our assessments and prepare for our placements. I’ll enjoy getting back to it, though - assuming I’ll have the time here, of course.” She hoped she’d get some time to play, but her work in sickbay would obviously take precedence. She had to complete her training and graduate, then she’d finally be able to achieve the role she’d been sent by the Prophets to fulfil.

The Bajoran considered Vanessa’s next question seriously, taking a sip from her glass of water before answering. “I do find it easy to get on with people, whether socially or in work - I was the same back on Bajor too; I think that’s partly why I found being a prylar so interesting. There are a lot of similarities between being a doctor and a prylar - both roles involve lots of listening and then trying to see what you can do to help,” she added; it was an observation she’d made many times since joining Starfleet Academy.

Vanessa nodded. “I know many clergy, and many counselors, who have said the same thing,” she said, sipping her cocoa. “We all deal with the emotional well-being of our flock,” she added with a smile.

“When I’m working with groups of people, I tend to gravitate to whichever role needs to be fulfilled and do that - if someone needs support, I’ll work with them; if a task needs finished, I’ll push it over the line; if nobody’s taking the lead, I’ll step up and, well, tell people what to do.” She shrugged one shoulder. “It’s a useful skill to have, because it means I can help out in pretty much any set of circumstances. I’m looking forward to seeing how I’ll fit in with the existing group of cadets in sickbay.” A smile spread over her face. “It’s such an exciting time!”

[Cadet Ven Miya]

She laughed brightly. “Lieutenant T’Saie is going to love you! But yes, that ability to flit from role to role can be a good one, and I can’t wait to see how you fit in with the rest of the cadets either.”

She finished off her cocoa and set it aside. “You’ve had a varied set of experiences,” she noted, crossing her legs. “Which gives you a lot to bring to the table as a Starfleet officer. What’s one thing you’d like to improve, or get better at?”

Lt. Cmdr. Lofton - CNS

“Oh ....” Miya puffed out her cheeks in a sigh. While it was nice to hear the counsellor say she had a lot to give to Starfleet, she knew she still had much to learn. “Thank you for saying that, but there’s so much I’d need to get better at!” She started to tick the points off on her fingers. “Medically, I need a lot more experience in emergency medicine and I’d like to undertake a surgical elective - not that I plan to be a surgeon, but it helps to have some basic knowledge. There’s still so much to learn about all the different aspects of counselling … oh, wait! You said ‘one’ thing to improve!” Miya looked embarrassed. “Looks like I need to improve my listening skills.” She ducked her head, earring jingling faintly, as she thought hard about what answer she could give.

A memory came unbidden: her last holo-conversation with her parents, before she’d left to join the Challenger. They had been proud of her good scores at Starfleet Academy; she always worked hard to live up to the task the Prophets had chosen for her, but her mother had said something that she remembered only now. “Make sure you take time for yourself, Miya,” she’d said. “You can only serve the Prophets if you’re able to look after yourself, too.” At the time, caught up with the excitement of preparing for life aboard a starship, she hadn’t thought much of her mother’s words. Now, however, they took on a new meaning.

She glanced at Vanessa. “I think .... I think I need to get better at - uh, at balancing my life. I’ve been so busy studying, first on Bajor and then at the Academy, that it’s hard to remember I will eventually graduate and life will be - well, very different. Not that I won’t need to study, of course I will, but …” she waved one hand - the one not occupied with her glass of water - to indicate the room around them and, beyond, the complexity of the Challenger and all who lived and worked on her, “I need to work out how I’m going to manage my role in sickbay and my life outside of it. Bring things like sports and music back into my life. That’s one thing I definitely need to get better at.”

[Cadet Ven Miya]


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