Posted by Lieutenant Commander Ever Zeanar (Chief of Psychiatry) in Friends or Frenemies-SB 157 Medical

SNIP

Alexis put the tricorder back in the pocket of her lab coat and crossed her arms leaning back against the bulkhead. “Ever, I’m not a child anymore. You can shower me in compliments to attempt to bribe me into helping you and then throw in your practiced insults in an attempt to goad me into help you just to prove I can. But that won’t work now. I’m happy to look at your research and see if it’s something I’m interested in working with you on. Or if it is even within one of my many areas of expertise. I will also have to determine if I even have the time to commit to it. Being AMO is a big deal for me, and I won’t compromise my own career goals, for yours.” She wasn’t being insulting, but just typical Alexis. She would help anyone, but she wasn’t willing to give up her own aspirations for anyone else, not anymore. She’d grown a lot since Soulis. “Now, I’m more than happy to look at it and give you my honest medical and scientific opinion on it. Then we can decide from there.”

At Ever’s last question, Alexis spread her arms out palms up. “Yes, Ever I can, but if you like, feel free to delve into my mind as much as you want. It might make my psych check in go much much faster.” Alexis meant it. She fully expected Ever to go spelunking into her mind and she waited while she did so. She didn’t expect it to be pleasant or painful, but certainly strange. Alexis stayed there, leaned against the wall and waited for Ever’s assessment.
Lt. Bonner, AMO

“I don’t need to....” Ever stopped. There wasn’t much point to any more personal attacks. She was just more in the habit of disliking Alexis out of habit than evidence. “Reading your thoughts and emotions is not something I do with intent. Sorry. I will try to do better in not speaking out loud to the fact that I know some of what is on your head. For the last few years, working with prisoners, being forthcoming with that was therapeutic. Just out of practice being around non criminals.”

“I have nothing to hide, Ever. And it doesn’t bother me. You’ve obviously made a name for yourself as well.” The details of some older injuries were classified and Alexis could only see the treatment. Ever had obviously done good work, or she wouldn’t be head of psychiatry on the Ogawa. Nothing to scoff at. Alexis had no use for covert and secret work. She, intellectually, understood the need for it, but had no interest in being involved in it.

“This research is of extreme importance to Starfleet and the intelligence community in particular. Parts of it will be published. I am offering you a chance to be in that and all the potential awards that come with it. Other parts are to remain classified I am afraid. But, that type of favour to the Intelligence Department will not be a bad career move too,” Ever said sighing heavily. Inviting Alexis in had not been her idea and she had adamantly objected and was overruled. Soulis had insisted and that was the end of the argument. Biting her lower lip until blood pulled into a dark red just beneath the surface of her skin, Ever stopped herself from screaming out the truth. 

Zeanar, CoP

Alexis watched Ever and shook her head. She’d seen that look before. Ever always wore it whenever she saw Alexis before she found out about Soulis. The almost bloody bitten lip set off warnings in Alexis’s head. Alexis may be a creature of habit, but so was Ever. “I have no desire to make friends with Intelligence. Everyone goes around bending the knee to them. I have critical work to do too, and their attitude that their work comes first is unpalatable.” It was an inaccurate response, and Alexis knew it. Intelligence was not S31. Now there was a side of Star Fleet she never wanted to cross. “It might get me favors. I’m not worried about being published. I’ve been published more times than years I have in Star Fleet.” It was a humble brag, but totally true. “But you are hiding something Ever, and it’s not something that is classified. If you try any harder to hide it, your lip will bleed.”

“Obviously, there are details I can not go into unless you agree to the clearance checks and agree to come onboard the team. I have read your research and every paper you have published. Which is why certain members of this team wanted you to join. They believe....I believe you have a lot to contribute. This goes beyond the intelligence community. We could use it to help people live a normal life again instead of living the rest of their lives locked up on a penal colony. You could help people get a second chance, a real chance,” Ever said standing up and moving directly in front of Alexis. 

“If you really want to work together than we need to be on a clean slate. I don’t expect to be your best friend or even talk to you socially, but I’m not having the wool over my eyes. And I’ll still need to evaluate the research to determine if I can even commit the kind of time it would need. I know my priorities, and helping SF Intelligence with a little side project isn’t high on the list at such a vague description.” Walker had set his expectations of her, and by God she was going to keep making a name for herself and she didn’t need Ever to help her out of a sense of guilt or last resort. She waited for Ever to decide what she would do.
Lt. Bonner, AMO

“Unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of being completely honest with you or anyone for that matter. Maybe that’s why I do not have a single friend,” Ever said dropping her hands hard against her sides keeping as open as a posture as she could muster. Sure she wanted to tell Alexis about Soulis if nothing more than to see the look on her perfect face. Not one damn wrinkle or blemish. Part of Ever felt a need to watch her crumble and part of her wanted to warn Alexis from the dangerous game Ever was dangling before her. Finally Ever broke eye contact and threw her hands into the air in resignation. “I can only offer you the obvious about the research. It is not a secret that I work with a highly specialised team of doctor’s from Vulcan and Denobula. And that we have already published papers on memory erasure and DNA alterations. We have hit a wall with something involving the DNA, which is were your genius brain comes in.”

Zeanar, CoP

“Well, if that’s the best you can do, then I will re-read your research papers. I glanced at them once.” Alexis remembered almost everything she read, unless she wasn’t paying attention. So either she’s biding time to make a decisions, or she just insulted the whole team for doing work beneath her notice. And since she had a specialty in genetics it probably wasn’t an insult. Alexis had never been that way. But years had passed and there was no way for Ever to know for certain. The idea that the team had hit a wall and needed Alexis to figure it out was more tempting than she was willing to admit.

“It is, unfortunately, all I can give you at the moment. Like I said, most of it is classified. Once you agree to come aboard, you can have full disclosure,” Ever said careful not to bite her lip. That of course, was a lie. What information Alexis would be given would be up entirely to Soulis. Memories awakened with the gentle caress of his name, taking pleasure, giving pleasure, with a rush of energy, carefully guided like a thief stealing her surrender. Soulis was a man like no other, beautiful as the expansion of the universe and who had a touch that could awaken dying cold space like a god breathing life. “But you know, if you are afraid you are not up to the challenge or maybe you are not as smart as you would like everyone to believe you are, I understand. No hard feelings.”

Alexis sighed, always the ever present sneer from Ever. Alexis didn’t, of course know, it was because Ever envied her youthful appearance. Alexis had honestly meant to start with a fresh slate. If not for their past, Alexis probably would have enjoyed having Ever as friend, and probably still would. “Who is they? Who on your team wanted me?” Alexis would look up their work specifically. She would examine it for research methods and ethics first and foremost. Success didn’t matter to her. Just as much was learned from failure as success. Alexis didn’t like going into research when she didn’t know who she would be working with. Work habits and ethics could destroy a team, and a little bit of pride peaked through her professional manner, they needed to be at least as brilliant as she was.

She looked over Ever’s scans and added them to her record and signed off on it. “You’re cleared for Duty, Lt. Cmdr.”
Lt. Bonner, AMO

Ever caught the questions unspoken about the research team, but did not respond. The failures had come before Soulis had taken over the team. Truthfully, Alexis was the last person Ever wanted to work with or wanted on the research project. And even more so, she wanted to keep Alexis as far away from Soulis as possible. Smiling with an over exaggerated gesture, Ever slide off the biodbed and headed towards the door. “The offer expires in 48 hours. I do hope you give it careful consideration. Feel free to decline.” 

Zeanar, CoP

Alexis snorted, “Thanks for the easy out Ever, but if I need one, I’ll decline on my own.” She wasn’t going to give Alexis the name. She’d have to do her own research on the research and the people who had done it. The whole prospect made Alexis uneasy. The idea excited her, but something wasn’t right. Too bad Alexis didn’t study psychology, she might have picked up more on what Ever wasn’t telling her. But she never had. She’d never been asked to, and so Alexis had never made that a focus of any of her studies. Though if she was going to work with Ever, then she might want to. It was so tempting to want to be friends with the woman. She had saved her, in her own way, without knowing, from a horrible situation. Alexis wanted to start over. She had no friends, close colleagues to be sure. But no one who shared her drive for knowledge and a hunger for more information. Her mind never stopped and so she bored others around her so easily. But Ever, something about herself made Ever look at her with disgust often times. She guessed disgust was better than pity.

Ever left and Alexis turned back to the work she had been doing. The problem of her social life tossed aside as so much scraps for the garbage. Her mind already analyzing the earlier work she had read. And before the next half hour was up, she was already scouring the research Ever spoke of, and cataloging supplies while she was at it. Names and dates were filed and remembered for later when she had time to dig further. And then half an hour after that, she was back to her work for Cmdr. Walker and Ever and her research was a wisp of smoke. Soulis though refused to be dislodged from her memory.
Lt. Bonner, AMO