STF

Side sim: Family Revelations

Posted June 25, 2022, 2:27 p.m. by Captain Willow Taylor (Commanding Officer) (Calé Reilly)

Posted by Lieutenant Alexis Bonner (Assistant Chief Medical Officer) in Side sim: Family Revelations

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side sim: Family Revelations

Posted by Lieutenant Alexis Bonner (Assistant Chief Medical Officer) in Side sim: Family Revelations
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
A month later, after her morning appts were done, Alexis was sitting in her office going through and replying to her correspondences. Nothing more than routine. Requests for collaboration, arrival of medical journals, a letter from her parents that she would read later, and then a packet of information addressed to Anonymous Donor, C/O Dr. Alexis Bonner, USS Ogawa.

Well there was only one such thing she had helped with, and checking the information on the sender confirmed it was from the study Solal had participated in. She downloaded the file packet to an isochip and stood up. Solal was on the duty roster for Secondary today, so Alexis made her way into the main bay, which was mostly empty except for a few nurses. Crossing the bay Alexis checked the duty office and found him doing medical charts.

She knocked on the door frame. “Dr. Solal, do you have a moment.”

Bonner

Solal had heard just last night from V’alura. She was his half-sister. A biological family member. He still didn’t know what to think about that. He never wanted to know anything about his biological family. He’d decided long ago never to go looking. He was sort of in his own world while he was working, so he jumped a little when Bonner got his attention. “I do. What do you need?” He said, standing from his spot and turning the screen off on his PaDD.

~ Solal

Alexis moved into the room a step, she hadn’t meant to startle him. She knew that kind of concentration though and wouldn’t take up more of his time than necessary. “I won’t keep you. I just wanted to deliver this.” She reached into the pocket of her lab coat, pulled out the isochip, and handed it to him. “This arrived today while I was in rounds. It is from the research project, for you.”

Bonner

Solal eyed the isochip like touching it might poison him or something. “From the research project? What would they need to send me?” Nothing he wanted to know. But having the chip didn’t mean he had to read what was on it. He took the chip and pocketed it. Then he was quiet for a minute. Finally he said, “She’s my half-sister. The Ark Angel scientist. Related on our father’s side.”

~ Solal

In the ensuing first silence, Alexis began to answer what she would realize 30 seconds later was probably a rhetorical question from Solal. “Many researchers share the final results of their work with participants. It could be a copy of your genetic break down for your personal records…” Oh. Solal wasn’t actually looking for an answer. She’s told Solomon she didn’t always get the social cues first. Not that she couldn’t she just didn’t think about it first.

No, he hadn’t been looking for an answer, but Solal didn’t look annoyed when he was given one. Typically he followed Vulcan practices of logic and meditation, letting go of emotion, and so usually he was not very emotive at all. Today he looked much more human than was normal for him.

Well now this was awkward because Solal seemed upset over the news. She knew he was half human, but…well Alexis probably shouldn’t try to speculate on his emotions and which biological heritage he followed. It wasn’t her business. But appeared as if he didn’t know before, but she didn’t know Solal well enough to read his expression. However if that was the case it was inexcusable of the researcher to have let that information slip when it was done anonymously. Really where was the standards of research. “Speaking as a geneticist, they may have found some genetic information that they felt it would be medically unethical to not give you.” Should she ask? He has never appeared to be one to want to engage socially. Part of the reason they worked so well together. But he mentioned it, so Alexis would attempt the effort. “You didn’t know she was related before this study?”

Bonner

Because Solal had a lot less training than the typical Vulcan in meditation, things could get to him emotionally, and this was rather obviously one of them. “That’s why I asked you to send it anonymously. I don’t want to know. I’ve been tested for more common genetic diseases, like Bendii syndrome.” His parents on Earth were doctors, and they’d thought he should at least know that.

He shook his head in response to her question. “I was left on the doorstep of my parents’ house as a very young baby. It was never discovered by whom. So I don’t know anything about my biological family. I never wanted to know anything about them.” And that was why V’alura being his half-sister was so conflicting to him. He’d liked his adoptive family, even though they weren’t that well informed on Vulcan issues and customs. He liked V’alura, she was… A friend. Which was also conflicting to him, because he wanted to follow Vulcan logic. And friendship was emotional.

~ Solal

Alexis wasn’t quite sure what to say. She had had an amazing childhood, considering how strange she was a child. She was raised by her biological parents who doted on and supported her. She’d never felt that they didn’t want her. There were social struggles, but that was not one of them. What did the counselor say to her? Oh, of course, ‘how does that make you feel?’ Alexis was certain that question was not going to work in this situation. So she fell back on what was comfortable. “It is unfortunate that the researcher made such a grave error in violating the ethical standards of research protocol.” She wasn’t sure she should offer, but Solal seemed to need something. “I do not know what was in the data packet, but would you like me to look at it. See if there is anything medically necessary for you to know. It would, of course, fall under Federation HIPPA laws.”

Bonner

Solal shrugged, “I don’t blame the researcher.” Then he shook his head, “No, Lieutenant, that won’t be necessary, thank you.” That was right, Bonner hated small talk and other people’s personal business nearly as much as Solal did. And here he was, blabbing his mouth. “Sorry, Doctor Bonner. I.. I can get back to work. I didn’t mean to take up your time.”

~ Solal

Alexis felt bad. She was so bad at this, and Solal seemed like he needed to talk to someone. She supposed she could send him to psychology. The work and studies on mental health from the Vulcan medical schools was well respected. She didn’t know anyone in that department well enough to know if they understood the Vulcan approach to psychology though, or if even a different approach would be best for Solal. It was one of a small group of topics that Alexis failed at. Alexis would have loved to have had a sibling when she was younger. Of course Solal didn’t say he didn’t have sibling just that he didn’t want to know about his biological family. His parents had found out what they could for genetic and health purposes, so what more purpose was there?

Solal wouldn’t have liked that suggestion anyway. He avoided psych evals like some certain officers avoided medical. In fact, he was overdue for a psych eval… He hadn’t mentioned it but no, he had no adopted siblings, nor had he ever had much interest in having one. All he heard from his classmates was how annoying younger siblings were and how controlling older siblings were. And, frequently, how unfair treatment was between siblings by parents. Solal was perfectly happy to receive all of his adoptive parents’ time and affection. They were both men, and so unable to have their own kids. They had been more than happy to have a child appear on their doorstep, as if left by a stork, like the old earth story for kids.

“It’s quite alright, Dr Solal. You did not take up my time.” Alexis, taking his words of more of a dismissal, wanted to respect his privacy and turned toward the door, but paused, “Collaboration and consultation are greatly beneficial tools when doing our work, whether pure theoretical research or to provide a patient with necessary information and data to make personal decisions about their health....I have found that can be true of personal topics as well. If you should find that such a resource would be beneficial, I am willing to assist.” What that wrong to offer? She had no idea, but even Alexis benefited from a sounding board as she worked through the information she was given or discovering during her research. She certainly could have used it years ago when she had first encountered Soulis, but there had been no one. She often even talked to GALEN or the EMH just to have a focal point at which to verbalize her thoughts and that helped to speak and sort everything in her head.

Bonner

“Thank you,” Solal said, seemingly eager to end the conversation as he reopened his PaDD. He typically did not verbalize his thoughts at all, to anyone. He wasn’t close to anyone on board, anyway. So instead he typically meditated his feelings away. But that wasn’t working so well for this. And that was frustrating. Vulcan meditation taught that one should simply let go of their emotions, to watch thoughts go by without reacting to them. So why was it so much harder to do that with this?

~ Solal

Alexis nodded and went out the door, back to her office, and the paperwork there. Then she was off to the labs for whatever work she had there, that no one but her seemed to understand. Solal crossed her mind a couple of times, but she didn’t know what to do about it. She also didn’t think it would be appropriate to go ask counseling or Walker about it. The information was told in confidence, she’d said so. Perhaps he should reach out to his parents and talk to them about it.

Bonner

Ooc: guys, this was awesome, thank you both


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