STF

Counseling Appointment

Posted Sept. 9, 2020, 10:21 a.m. by Crewman Taw Yllek (Nurse) (Russell Watt)

Posted by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) in Counseling Appointment

Posted by Crewman Taw Yllek (Nurse) in Counseling Appointment

Posted by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) in Counseling Appointment
(snip)
“Please come in.” Upon entering the office it was very subdued. The harsh grays and blues that came standard were replaced by earth tones of browns, bronzes, greens, yellows, oranges, and deep reds. There were several areas to sit, couches, chairs, floor pillows. There didn’t appear to be a desk anywhere. The shelves were filled with pieces of art and memorabilia that honored her heritage. The pictures were a mix of landscapes and abstracts, carefully placed around the room so as not to clash with each other. The shelves also included an array of different objects, from singing bowls, to art supplies, to mandalas. There was also a computer interface to allow patients to choose the background noise of their choice.
“Please have a seat Lt. I’m Lt. Revna Edman. Would you like something to drink?”
Lt. Edman, Counselor

“A kava juice, please Lieutenant, I’m Crewman Taw Yllek,” Yllek answered, smiling, even as she sat down in a chair, she took everything in as she glanced around the room, before her eyes returned to one of the abstract pictures, “that’s an interesting picture,” she commented, pointing to it, “who was the artist?”

  • Taw Yllek, Nurse

Revna stepped over to the replicator and requested the kava juice and an Arnold Palmer. She walked over and handed Yllek her kava juice before sitting down across from her. She glanced at the painting Yllek was looking at. “That was done by Ellesworth Kelly, late 20th century. Do you enjoy painting, or just looking?” Another reason Revna had art in her office, it always got people talking.
Lt. Edman, Counselor

“I’m a dabbler in art,” Yllek replied, “my parents encouraged us to appreciate art in all its forms and to try our hand, our foot, our voice at whichever ones took our fancy. My older brothers were singers in the main, but my interest in art and in medicine was piqued by the former CMO here, when I was toddling, he had me in sickbay telling him what colours various pieces of medical equipment were. Some colours meant the equipment was working, others meant it wasn’t working. Reilly was getting me to do his work for him, lazy and clever man that he was.”

“There is an art form that comes with age, when our ‘elders’ realize that they can ‘mentor’ us by making us do their work for them. If they are bad at it, we resent it, but do the work anyway, and if they are good at it, we volunteer to do even more.” Revna sounds like she’s been on the mentored end of both scenarios. “Were you interested in medicine before you met Reilly or was he the reason you pursued it?”

Yllek smiled, “I was a toddler, 3 or 4 at the time, Counsellor. Reilly-with-Cane answered my ‘why’ questions with real answers. He didn’t treat me as something to pity or to entertain or to talk to with baby-talk. I felt safe with him and my interest in medicine was certainly piqued by him. Throughout my life, he was my hero. But I discovered that I didn’t have the patience to become a doctor, or the ability to do the training required to become one. But I still wanted to join Starfleet in Medicine. Not even my father’s death and my mother’s blindness in the line of service to Starfleet and the Federation stopped my desire to join Starfleet in Medical, if anything, they made me more determined. My brothers both went into Starfleet, Noremac in Science and Yeldarb in Security. So when I finished school, I entered the NCO medical training to become a Nurse. I learnt that Reilly was back here as CMO and I was fortunate enough to be placed here. Mum carved me a walking cane that I could give him and a fellow student was able to hook it up to act as a combadge for him. Mum got artificial eyes, much like the Enterprise D Chief Engineer ended up getting. So, yes, Doctor Alexander Reilly, who only allowed me to call him Reilly with cane because I was a toddler at the time.”

“So, will you stay here on Atlantis, or do your career goals pull you off to other places within Star Fleet?”

“I plan to be here for as long as the Captain and Doctor Summer wants me here and for as long as I can fulfill my duties as Nurse for the crew,” Yllek said, “I did most of my growing up on the previous Atlantis before going to the island of Tasmania on Earth with mum to finish my schooling. I wanted to become a Doctor, but my results, particularly in science weren’t up to that level, but I still wanted to help people, and serve the Federation which gave mum her sight back. So, I entered Starfleet Medical as a nurse, graduated, and after an initial posting to DS9, I applied for and got this role when it opened up. Even without Ryley being here, I’m committed to this ship.”

“Do you want to continue to become a doctor? Sometimes it is simply a means of gaining experience that helps us understand what previously was difficult. I’m sure Doctor Summers would be happy to help you if you wanted to do that. I would as well, if that is something you are still interested in. Though, if you ask me, doctors are nothing without their nurses. Have you spoken to Ryley recently? What did he think of your career as a nurse?”

“I am very happy to be a Nurse,” Yllek replied after a moment’s thought, “I want to be the very best Nurse I can be and to be at the top of my profession. I want to do my bit to help the doctors ensure the health of the crew, whether it is alongside them in sickbay in my scrubs, running standard tests on aliens or doing the stocktake. I actually enjoy doing the stocktake,” Yllek paused, and laughed, “wait a moment, does that mean I’m insane? I mean most don’t seem to enjoy doing the stocktake. I think I’m perfectly sane, but I’m not an expert in the field.”

“No I don’t think that enjoying the stocktake makes you insane. It’s a quiet repetitive activity that engages the brain, but allows it to wander in order to contemplate other thoughts and problems, or you can allow it to consume all of your consciousness and become engrossed in the work. I enjoy doing it as well. It can be quite therapeutic.” Revna sipped at her drink, “Have you ever though, Yllek, about doing a mentorship program? You were very lucky to have someone who took you under their wing. Have you considered paying that forward?”

“Oh yes, I spent some time on Oed V following graduation and while there trained first year nursing students. It was basic stuff I did with them - bedside manner, using the equipment, interpretation of results, that sort of thing - their Sacred Heart Hospital is an intake for Starfleet Medical but left after mum decided to return to the island of Tasmania on Earth. I had heard Ryley was back and I wanted to see him again.”

Yllek sipped at her drink, “you know the replicators never get the essence of the kava juice correctly, the real fruit has a certain zing to it that the programmers of the replicators don’t get it right, still, it is refreshing.”

“How about your drink, have you ever had one of those unreplicated?” Yllek asked.

  • Taw Yllek, Nurse

“Harry, the bar tender, in ten-forward makes an excellent Arnold Palmer. Though he uses more tea than lemonade. I have heard though, that Mike in Mike’s bar can get anything. Nothing replicated in his bar. Perhaps he or Harry could get some real kava juice for you.” Revna set her glass down and observed Yllek. Nurses were the backbone of the medical department. Sickbay couldn’t run without them. Doctors were important but they couldn’t do much without their nurses.
Lt. Edman, Counselor

“I will have to ask one of them,” Yllek replied thoughtfully, then her mind went to the encounter she had outside Revna’s office, the one with the strange ex-Counselor, “what do you know of John-King McKenzie, Lieutenant?” she asked, “he claims to have once been a Starfleet officer, a Counselor, but he seems rather unusual, but now he’s a bartender or similar in 10 Forward … exactly how many bartenders do we have and need on board this vessel?”

  • Taw Yllek, Nurse

“No I have not met this John-King McKenzie. I am sure I will though. Counselors tend to find each other. I did see him briefly in ten forward at a staff meeting, but I didn’t speak with him. As for number of bar tenders Mike isn’t going to share his bar, but I’m sure Harry will appreciate getting a shift off now and again.” She laughed. Some of the regulars to ten forward would not be happy if Harry is replaced. He knows them all, what they want, and there is a lot of mutal respect there. John-King has his work cut out for him. “I would try Harry first. Mike tends to, from what I have heard, lean towards accessing your favorite alcohol. It’s good for his bar, but he could get the kava juice I would assume.”
Lt. Edman, Counselor

“Very good, I wish you luck with him,” Taw Yllek said sipping at her drink.

  • Taw Yllek, Nurse

Revna smirked, “Thank you. I appreciate it. Meeting new people is always a challenge, one, obviously, I enjoy.”

Lt. Edman, Counselor

Yllek looked at the other woman and then at her glass, without raising her eyes, she said, “I am struggling with one thing. We’re coming up to the anniversary of my father’s death. He died in the line of duty saving the lives of his family and crewmates. I was a toddler at the time, and so don’t have a lot of memories of him, but he always seemed to be larger than life and I remember him telling me he loved me. Each year, mum, Yeldarb, Noremac and I get together to remember dad. This year, I’m the furthermost away from them that I’ve ever been, and I won’t get to be with them. I’m struggling emotionally as a result. Am I being disrespectful by not being there with them, Counselor? I can’t exactly jump on a transport ship to Earth and be there in time from out here.”

Yllek closed her eyes at that and rubbed them with her fingers.

  • Nurse Taw Yllek

Revna leaned forward in her seat slightly, “No you are not being disrespectful. Your father was a fine officer, from what you’ve said, and in staying to your duty and giving your all to the commitments you have made, just as he stayed to give his all to his duty, is also a way to honor your father. We could also set up a time for you to be able to live comm with your family so that you could spend some time, that day with them. If not physically, at least then in presence. Revna knew what it meant to be away from loved ones when you needed to honor those you had lost. Everyone on this crew knew that. Yllek was not alone. “If you would rather not be alone that day, I would be happy to sit by your side as you remember your father.” She looked Yllek in the eye, “The only way to disrespect those who have gone before, is to act in a dishonorable fashion, and you are not doing that.”
Lt. Edman, Counselor

“Thank you, Counselor, Yllek replied, “I appreciate the offer and I really wouldn’t want to be alone on that day. I believe that even though he died in a different place and time, that he is with the Prophets.”

  • Crewman Taw Yllek, Nurse

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