STF

Side Sim: Lieutenant Darren's Psychological Evaluation

Posted May 12, 2020, 1:51 a.m. by Ensign Dr. Mariah Lee Grayson (Psychiatrist) (Lori Miller)

Posted by Lieutenant Anastasia Darren (Chief of Psychiatry) in Side Sim: Lieutenant Darren’s Psychological Evaluation

Posted by Ensign Dr. Mariah Lee Grayson (Psychiatrist) in Side Sim: Lieutenant Darren’s Psychological Evaluation

Posted by Lieutenant Anastasia Darren (Chief of Psychiatry) in Side Sim: Lieutenant Darren’s Psychological Evaluation
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Grayson replied, tilting her head to the side in mild concern. She paused, then offered, “I could be misreading things, but it seems to me since we met, you’ve seemed a bit anxious. Am I off base? My intention is not to make you feel self-conscious, but if there’s something I can do to help, I would be happy to assist. The way I see it, you and I are a team here and if we can’t support each other, we are going to have a hard time convincing the crew we can support them.”

~Dr. Mariah Grayson, Psychiatrist

Ana’s pale complexion flushed pink as Grayson verbalized the undercurrent of tension. Her teeth pulled her lower lip into her mouth as she contemplated how to respond, chewing on it softly. “I do… I’m…” After two false starts, she took an obvious deep breath to steady herself, letting the exhalation rush out between slightly opened lips. “This is new to me,” she finally replied, although it was somewhat similar to a stammer. She reached out for her tea quickly again, forcing herself to take the next sip more slowly.

Darren, CoP

On the one hand, Grayson was glad to have the issue out in the open. She wouldn’t be a very good therapist if she were reluctant to bring up observations pertinent to evaluations or her current professional relationships. On the other hand, her candor seemed to have the exact effect she hadn’t wanted professionally speaking, which was to make Darren even more self-conscious. Even more, what Darren had shared was even more unclear. Weighing her options carefully, she finally offered, ” what’s new?”

~Dr. Mariah Grayson, Psychiatrist

Ana chewed on her lower lip for a few moments as she contemplated just how to answer Grayson’s question. Finally, she let out an aggravated-sounding huff of air and went for it. “All of this,” she exclaimed, a rare amount of inflection entering her typically steady vocal pattern. “I’m an academic, not a clinician.” Her outburst over as quickly as it began, she slumped slightly in the chair, her black hair falling forward over her face and giving her a more child-like appearance.

Darren, CoP

Of all the things Grayson expected to come from Darren’s mouth, that was decidedly not one of them. For several beats, she remain silent, noting the child- like appearance herself and feeling a mixture of puzzlement and sympathy as she considered what Darren had offered. Finally, she answered, ” it’s hard for me to imagine you would’ve been posted to a clinical position if you didn’t have any clinical experience, especially aboard such a specialized ship like the Ogawa,” Grayson offered gently. ” are there some circumstances surrounding your assignment here that I’m not aware of?” Mariah didn’t want to leave the impression she didn’t believe Ana but she still couldn’t believe Darren would be assigned to the ship if she were merely an academic.

~Dr. Mariah Grayson, Psychiatrist

For a few moments, it looked like Ana was going to pull it together and snap out of the moment of weakness as quickly as. she had entered it, but instead, she let out an exasperated sigh. She shoved her hair behind her ears with more force than necessary, uncharacteristic of the normally measured Betazoid. “Starfleet insisted that I fill a clinical position after engaging in clinical research for the first four years of my career.” She paused for a moment and then defensively added, “I completed all of the required internship hours in clinical practice. It’s just not my preference. I was originally supposed to just be a staff psychiatrist, but the Chief of Psychiatry was reassigned and it was billeted for someone of my rank, so here we are.” By the end of her speech, she had righted her posture somewhat, although it still wasn’t quite as formal as typical.

Darren, CoP

Mariah took in Darren’s words and contemplated what to say next. Even though this was Ana’s evaluation and she wanted her to feel free to share her thoughts and feelings, Grayson was mindful not to make anything she said next seem at all biased or self-serving. Anastasia, whether Darren wanted the position or not, was still her supervisor. “That does sound difficult,” Grayson acknowledged. “You’re being asked to act outside of your comfort zone and just as you’re wrapping your head around that, more responsibility is being thrust upon you. What’s that been like?”

~Dr. Mariah Grayson, Psychiatrist

Ana’s eyes darkened slightly with annoyance at her junior. “It has been responsibility,” she replied. “I am still not certain as to the precise nature of the duties. Perhaps it will become more apparent in our next assigned mission.”

Darren, CoP

Grayson still wasn’t entirely sure how Darren could have been selected for such a position without any prior leadership experience in a clinical setting, but it would do her no good to dwell on it or question it. For now, Grayson sought to understand how Anastasia was coping with all of this and how she could move forward. “Putting your discomfort aside regarding clinical duties and supervision, I am wondering, have you ever been given supervisory responsibilities regard to research?”. Perhaps Mariah could help Darren draw upon other strengths that could assist her, even if those prior experiences weren’t directly related to what she was expected to accomplish now.

~Dr. Mariah Grayson, Psychiatrist


Posts on USS Ogawa

In topic

Posted since


© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service

Version 1.15.9