Posted by Lieutenant Commander Sorazo Dar (Counselor) in Side SIM: Dar in his office (Open to anyone)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Dr. Rahm Vesta (Chief Medical Officer) in Side SIM: Dar in his office (Open to anyone)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Sorazo Dar (Counselor) in Side SIM: Dar in his office (Open to anyone)
Posted by… suppressed (14) by the Post Ghost! 👻
SNIP!

“Awesome!” He cleared his throat. “Excuse me. That would be great.” He said in a less enthusiastic voice. “I can paint something up and have it for you in a couple days. Is that good?”

Lt. Commander Sorazo Dar, CNS

“Once we get finished aboard Jupiter Station?” Dr. Rahm thought out loud, mentally shifting duty shifts and Poetry Club meetings and video call appointments to make room. “I can make the time.”

“Now, I’m not much of a painter, but I can hold a brush,” she admitted. “I’m more of the writer. You’re going to have to instruct me a little, but I am a quick learner.”

“Great! Do not worry. I will have drawn the outline on the wall. It makes it easier.”

Vesta finished the last of her tea.

He noticed her drink was finished and got up to refill it and bring her back another one. He should have asked but he didn’t.

“Thank you, Sorazo!” Vesta said, accepting the tea gratefully–it gave her something to do with her hands.

“So other than your office, how has your transition to the Challenger been? I’ve only been onboard for a short time myself,” she said. “But she’s a good ship “

-CMO Rahm Vesta

“Yes she is. It has been ages since I was on a ship and it feels like my first time again. I was doing private practice for a while. I am finding it easier to make friends and build relationships on this ship far better than my last time. How is this ship different from your last?” He said as he sat back down.

Lt. Commander Sorazo Dar, CNS

Vesta took another sip of tea and laughed.

“It seems like our stories are a lot alike! Before this role, I was working as a diplomatic attaché on behalf of Bajoran relations for inter-Federation allies,” Vesta explained. “I have some experience with the Occupation and Resistance and in the Dominion War that followed, and you’d be surprised how many people still want to hear those old stories. What was your practice like?”

-CMO Rahm Vesta

“That sounds interesting and yes. Our stories are similar. My practice was doing well and I had an office near the Academy. I was on the Main Base side and I usually helped people that had PTSD, trauma and the like from the wars, mostly veterans, but I had a handful of personnel still serving that I helped with those and other things.” Shaking his head. “Wow! A diplomatic attaché? What was that like?”

Sorazo Dar

“That is very important work,” Vesta said nodding. “People went though lifetimes of trauma in hours in those days. Some still do. Still are.”

He frowned. “Yes they did.”

She paused for a moment, remembering. “Work as a diplomatic can be very good. But a lot of it is what I call ‘The 4 Cs’: Classes, Calls, Conferences, and Cocktail Parties. Very occasionally would I get to do medicine or field work. Much of a diplomat’s work is after the conflict is over.”

She smiled sadly.

-CMO Rahm Vesta

“I see. So it is not a glamorous as I thought. You are basically a gopher and do all the work for the diplomat themselves and clean up afterwards. A glorified secretary if you will. But cheer up my good doctor. You are here now, practicing medicine and saving lives.”

Sorazo Dar, CNS

“Exactly,” she said. “I jumped at the chance to get back on a crew and impart some of my knowledge to the cadets.”

She paused for a minute to consider her tea.

“Why did you join? Leave your practice? It sounds like it was quite a success!”

-CMO Rahm Vesta

He leaned back and away from her a bit. “Well. I wanted to be in space one more time before I retire from Star Fleet. I might consider another ship or another tour on this one if everything goes well. “

“I’m sure you have several more tours to go! You’re still a young man,” Vesta said–having a little more time on the click than he did.

“Oh. I am not going to retire, just from Starfleet. I will find a place that calls to me and then setup a practice there and spend out the rest of my days. That can change if I find a lady and marry her or another war breaks out.”

“It has been a long time since I was last on board. My first couple years were spent on ships, then with the war and all, a lot of personnel needed help from people like me, so I am others were sent back to Earth or to Space Stations and assigned a bunch of cases.” He wiped a tear from his eye. “I helped as many as I could, but sadly, some lost their battles with themselves. I remember even watching one, trying to help the poor lad, but he was quicker than I was. But all in all, I did my very best.” He didn’t even look to see if her tea was empty, which it wasn’t, and got up and went to the replicator. “Let me get you some more tea.”

Sorazo

“No, no more tea,” Vesta said, touched. “Come, sit back down and let me get something for you, from Bajor.”

She stood, her face wracked with a combination of knowing and grief for those feelings, moved by the similarities in their stories.

“It sounds like you’ve seen a lot of the same kinds of things I’ve seen. The Dominion Wars were not an easy time to be in the fleet. What do you want to find out here?”

-CMO Rahm Vesta

He stopped and finally noticed what he was doing and nodded and sat back down on the couch. He knew one day someone would get to the real question of why he decided to get back on a ship. What he told them was the truth, just not all of it. Rubbing his head and then looking back up at her with a mist in his eyes. “I want to find myself out here. I wanted to see if I can do it and get back onto a starship since the wars. I want to find peace and most importantly, I want to find closure. That is the truth of the matter.”

“So. What are you going to get me from Bajor?”

Sorazo

“Thank you for sharing that with me,” Vesta said, touching her d’ja pagh earring. “I do hope that you find what you seek among the stars. But first–“

“Two mugs of cela tea, body temperature,* Vesta said to the replicator. She handed one to the Counselor and took one for herself.

“This is a special tea,” she said. “On Bajor, it’s brewed in the Rakantha Province by monks, where it has been brewed in the same way for hundreds of years.”

She took a sip of the tea and, despite its bitter taste, was filled with a brief sense of meditative calm.

“The effect might be psychological, to be honest. I’m not sure. But when I take a sip, I van almost feel the guidance of the Prophets.” Vesta said, smiling gently at the man. “I believe that they want you to find this closure too.”

-CMO Rahm Vesta

Sorazo took the tea and smelled it and made a small face, then drank some and made another face. But he continued to sip it and it got better. “Thank you very much for sharing this with me as well. It tastes better once you get used to it and I hope I do find an answer up here. Thank you Rahm.

Sorazo

“Call me Vesta, please. Rahm is my family name, but my true friends call me Vesta.” she said. “I have to know. Is the tea helping or is it just a psychological thing influenced by my culture and religious beliefs?”

She peered at the man, quite curious.

-Dr. Rahm Vesta

“Alright then. Vesta. And to be honest, I do not know if it is working or not. My mind is not on the tea. I think it is because of you, not the tea, that is helping me. And I thank you for that. Even a counselor needs a counselor from time to time.”

Sorazo

“Whole body health,” Vesta said, recalling their earlier conversation from Sickbay. “You always have my ear, Counselor. Whether on the Challenger or where ever we end up, know this.”

She touched the man’s hand.

He smiled a very grateful smile and put his other hand on hers. “Thank you. Know that You will always have mine.”

“Space is vast and deep, and we need each other to do our best for these cadets. Now about your mural,” she said, trying to change to a lighter subject. “That’ll be a good change in here–don’t you think?”

-CMO Rahm Vesta

“Right!” He patted her hand and then let go of it and got up and went to the wall where the mural would be. “I will always do my best for all of the cadets and anyone else that needs me.” Turning back to the wall. “Now. This is what I was thinking.” (https://youtu.be/_BYQLDU9xhI)(Start at 11 seconds to see the main view.) “We will put the hill here, the cove, bay here and the town over here.” He said as he was going from wall to wall. “Then the tree here. What do you think?”

Sorazo

“I think that it is going to look fantastic,” Vesta said. “You’ll have to get started on those sketches so I can help with the painting part and get a better visualization of the space for the furniture planning.”

She madeca frame with her fingers and began to l9ok at Sorazo’s desk chair. “I believe it will do. You mentioned a wooden desk as well. What else for the space? A textured rug? What lighting?”

She was getting into the creative process.

-CMO Rahm Vesta

“Yes. A wooden desk and nothing else as far as space is concerned. I am going to do all of the walls. Lighting will be soft and focused in certain areas. Maybe some kind of candle smell or something to help stimulate the outdoor feel. What do you think?”

Sorazo

“What more do you need, with technology?” Vesta replied. “Maybe the use of light and shadow to hide your replicator, or a mirrored panel?”

-CMO Rahm Vesta

“That’s a great thought. Anything else?”

Sorazo Dar, CNS

Vesta closed her eyes. The image of the landscape on the office walls, spare decoration, some therapeutic scents and sounds… She opened her eyes and grinned.

“No, I think that sounds like the perfect space. So I’ll join you in a few days to get started on the painting process! I’ll have to brush up–pun intended–on my technique!”

-CMO Rahm Vesta

He laughed. “That sounds great! I will contact you in a few days then. Thank you again for coming over and helping me. I needed this distraction.”

Sorazo Dar, CNS

Vesta stood. “I’ll come in my grubby handyman clothes. Just let me know,” she said. “I’m sorry to rush–I’ve enjoyed this, too,” she paused, standing at the door. “A bientôt, Sorazo.”

The door opened into the coordinator and Vesta gave a final smile and wave before exiting the Counselor’s Office and returning to Sickbay and her duty appointment, excited for the painting to come.

-CMO Rahm Vesta