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Side sim: The Pet Interrogation

Posted Nov. 4, 2022, 7:35 p.m. by Lieutenant Commander Alexis Bonner (Assistant Chief Medical Officer) (Jennifer Ward)

Posted by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side sim: The Pet Interrogation

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Alexis Bonner (Assistant Chief Medical Officer) in Side sim: The Pet Interrogation

Posted by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side sim: The Pet Interrogation
Posted by… suppressed (28) by the Post Ghost! 👻
In Solal’s most recent letter exchange with V’alura, she had suggested he ask Alexis about pets. She’d said they were fulfilling and lovely and very helpful. All very emotional ideas. Solal could trust Alexis to give him a logical rundown of the idea. She was the most logical human he’d ever encountered. He decided to ask her off shift since it wasn’t duty related, and so that was why after hours he was looking for her.

~ Solal

Alexis had no idea that Solal was looking for her, but a quick inquiry to GALEN would let Solal know that Alexis was at the holodeck and Frigga was with her.

The holodeck was set up as an obstacle course, with various levels of difficulty, and several different scenarios waiting to be triggered from different species to animals, safe and hazardous situations.

Bonner and Frigga

Solal stepped into the holodeck almost hesitently, stopping just inside. A part of him would rather turn around and walk back out, but no, he’d written V’alura and told her he’d do this. So he cleared his throat quietly, “Lieutenant?”

~ Solal

Frigga had just come down off a ramp and Alexis knelt down and held something out for her to sniff. “Find,” and Frigga took off at an adjacent angle. Bonner looked over as she stood. “Dr. Solal.” She knew the holodeck wasn’t over scheduled, she had checked because these practice session were lengthy but necessary. It couldn’t be a medical emergency, the comm system was working, and GALEN would have notified her. Perhaps it had to do with the genetic testing he had recently volunteered for? Or....had she made a friend? What an interesting idea. She waved him over, “Come in. What can I do for you?”

Bonner

No, there were no emergencies, and Solal hadn’t scheduled time for himself in the holodeck in weeks - not since V’alura had sent him her Paris program. He’d been too busy, he told himself, and he had been, at first. Now he simply lacked the energy for anything besides working. But as long as he could work he was fine.

He stepped a little ways into the room, eyeing Frigga briefly before looking at Bonner. Then he contemplated how to ask his question. “My… ehm.” What did he call her? Sister still felt way too weird. But she was more than a colleague by now, he guessed. So… Friend? Still weird, but he went with that anyway. “Friend, seems to think I should ask someone about the benefits of having a pet.” He thought it was obvious why he would go to Bonner with such a question, given what she was doing.

~ Solal

Alexis nodded her head once slowly. “Ah. Well I can tell you why I got Frigga, but my situation, or my perspective, is different than why most people get pets. She was a prescription by the ship’s counselor. I was 20 and having a hard time communicating with people in my department. Before it hadn’t been such a big deal, I was much younger than everyone and I had my studies to complete. There were…problems with the way I approached people and spoke with them. The counselor thought it would help if I actually attempted to socialize some. Get out of my books.” This had always been an embarrassing topic for Alexis, but she felt okay about sharing this with Solal. Maybe because he’d spoken to her about his…relative, or maybe she was just familiar enough with him as a person. “The counselor thought caring for a pet would force me to leave my quarters and my books and interact with people. She told me, quite correctly, that if I wanted to be a doctor, for nurses, medics, lab techs, other doctors, to respect me and not see me as a ‘kid’ then I had to learn to speak with them in a professional manner I had to put the work in. I could not order them around like an EMH.”

Bonner

Solal listened intently. If he weren’t so commited to “the whole logic thing” he might’ve chuckled, he was known for being… Well, rather Vulcan in how he told other people things. He’d likely have the same problem if he were in any sort of leadership position. But he was still puzzled by her story. “Why would caring for a creature of lesser intelligence help with your interactions with other officers?”

~ Solal

Frigga returned after completing whatever task it was that Alexis had given her. “Sit. Stay,” Alexis accompanied these with hand signals. “GALEN task complete, begin task 2.” The scenery changed and the holodeck now looked like the triage area on deck 14. It was filled with people of various injuries. She looked at the pup, “Frigga.” Alexis waited for the dog to look at her, “Help.” Frigga took off around the room.

Then Alexis addressed Solal while watching the dog. “On a most basic level caring for Frigga forced me to go out into the ship. She had to be walked and exercised. For their physical health animals need room to move and explore and ‘do her business’ as we humans say. For a dog a junior officer’s quarters, well any standard quarters are too small. So I was forced to leave my room and walk about the ship. Most species are very curious and eager about animals and pets in particular. So even if I did not initiate the conversation, people talked to me because they wanted to know more about and interact with Frigga.” Frigga barked once and then dropped to her belly. Alexis issued a short one note whistle and Frigga started to inch toward a woman who was leaned up against the wall.

At first glance she seemed to have an injured wrist the way she was cradling it. “In fact her being of lesser intelligence was a huge help to me. Dogs in particular are very sensitive to vocal tone. I am often very analytical and clinical in the way that I speak. It is not that I am not concerned for my patients, but I sound more like I am simply reciting facts. I have been told that is not reassuring. Learning to use the appropriate tone for Frigga helped me learn how to modulate my tone when working with patients.” Alexis began walking toward Frigga and the woman and she motioned for Solal to join her.

Bonner, AMO

Solal thought about that for a moment and nodded. People gave him a pass on his vocal tone because he was Vulcan. He sounded like any other Vulcan. “People talk to you just because you have an animal with you?” He asked. Then his second question, “How exactly does an animal help patients? It seems.... Distracting.” When Alexa waved him to follow her, he did.

~ Solal

“Oh yes,” Alexis answered to the affirmative to his first question. “Most species seem to enjoy animals, especially ones they can get close to and interact with. Even people who don’t have their own pet for one reason of another.” Alexis reached down and gave Frigga a pat on the side and that calmed the dog who then sat quietly still watching the woman as Alexis ‘checked her’ and then dismissed her from the program. “I am also not very good with picking up emotional ques. Animals, canines in particular, are able to smell the difference when our bodies produce hormones in reaction to stimuli and the emotional process so she’s able to pick that up before I do. It’s also helped me learn to pay attention to those emotional clues. At first I found the patients attention on Frigga distracting and problematic. They were more interested in her than the exam I was performing. Over time though I discovered that if I could have patience through it, Frigga’s distraction helped keep the patience calm. Especially if they had been severely injured or had to go through a procedure that was stressful for them, her presence made the over all experience much easier.”

Bonner

Solal listened quietly while she explained. He did not entirely understand. He understood the idea of losing efficiency in order to gain it, that was, the patient’s distraction in order to not lose time waiting for the patient to calm. “So it was, overall, a positive, to be made to care for the dog?” He asked. “My..... Friend has been telling me how… Nice, pets are.” How he should have one… He wasn’t sold on that idea.

~ Solal

Alexis nodded. “It was. More than just professionally. I am not Vulcan, though there are many times in my life I wish I was.” And not because of the no emotions thing. “I do not know how much this will help. However, I started my tour of duty at 17, a year younger than the typical age to enter the Academy. I was very lonely. My first assignment, there were no children, no teenagers on board. Not that I really connected with them. And my colleagues were just that, people I worked with. I love my work, but I was very only and felt quite isolated. Frigga helped with that.”

Solal listened closely, suddenly seeming more interested than before. There were not many other people Solal connected with.

The dog in question returned with some trophy and Alexis took it. “Greet,” and Alexis pointed to Solal. Frigga approached him and sat looking up at him expectantly. “If you like you can let her sniff your hand and then you can pet her.”

“She provides me with companionship. Animals are very accepting of differences and uniqueness.”

Bonner

Solal crouched down by the dog and offered his hand for her to sniff. Once she had, he cautiously like she might eat him, began to pet her head and then her back.

~ Solal

Frigga loved meeting new people. Luckily for Solal she was working right then and on her very best behavior. Otherwise she would have run off to find a ball and bring it back. She sniffed his hand, touching her nose gently to his hand a moment. He smelled of curiosity and uncertainty to her though. So Frigga stayed very still while this new person pet her. Her tail swept the floor slowly back and forth. She dipped her head making it easier to get to her head. Also she had noticed that if she tried to watch or sniff their hands while they pet her, the nervous ones got more nervous.

When Solal started to pet her back she let her front legs slip flat to the floor and rested her head on her front paws. Then she looked up at him with a very cute look. Her tail began to wag faster and she resisted the urge to grumble happily. That tended to make the nervous ones more nervous too.

Frigga

Solal recoiled slightly at the cold wetness of the dog’s nose, and then relaxed and began to pet. Then the dog sank to the floor and Solal kneeled, following her down, continuing the pet. If one was not mistaken, he might even be enjoying it. But that did not show on his face.

~ Solal

Alexis watched on as Frigga did her thing. She was good with everyone, all species, people of all temperaments and backgrounds. Frigga stayed very still as the man kneeled down to the continue petting her. It was a calming and slow process. Her gaze gave Solal her full attention. If he tried to pet her side or seemed to move to adjust his own position so did she. After a few minutes her eyes flicked to Bonner with a small lolling of her tongue and a whine. Alexis walked over and handed a handful of small treats to Solal. “If you’d like to give her one.” They were small soft bite sized treats used in training. That way behaviors could be reinforced without over feeding her.

Frigga

Anyone who could read body language would be able to tell Solal was relaxing, though if asked he would deny such a thing. He tucked the treats into his palm and, cautiously, fed the dog one by leaving it on the floor near her mouth. He wasn’t quite brave enough yet to hand feed her. Her fur was soft and textured and her tail kept moving behind her. It was.... cute. No, Solal would not admit that, either. Never, ever, ever. No way.

~ Solal

Alexis busied herself resetting some of the tasks. The computer could do it, but it let her be busy. Solal looked like he was enjoying meeting Frigga though Alexis would never voice such a thing.

Frigga took each treat gently from where Solal setbit down. She would inch forward until it was right under her nose and then use her tongue to lap it up. In this way, eventually she was under Solal’s knee and he had to sit down on the floor. Give her a few more minutes and Frigga would be on his lap.

Frigga

Solal had to sit with his legs criss-crossed. He was tall and sitting with his legs under him was not comfortable. Even cross-legged was a little uncomfortable but manageable. After another couple treats he was comfortable enough to allow Frigga to take the next one from his hand. His free hand moved across her body, taking in the texture of her fur.

~ Solal

Frigga’s tail thumped happily a few times on the floor when he sat. When he offered the treats by hand she was extremely gentle, her nose touching his palm and her whiskers tickling slightly. Still she inched closer and eventually had her her muzzle resting on the X of his crossed legs, her tail continuing to swish rapidly.

Frigga

Solal spoke in a voice which betrayed his Human upbringing: a cute, high pitched baby voice. It also brought out his accent a little more than usual. “You’re very gentle, aren’t you?” He fed her another and then scratched the top of her head. Occasionally her tongue would touch his palm as she tried to grab the treats, her spit felt slimy and odd. But he did not consider it gross. This dog was allowed in sickbay, it would have to be disease-free.

~ Solal

Frigga’s tail began to swish faster at the voice. People used that voice when they liked her. She inched closer, her front paws now joining her muzzle on his lap, her tongue hanging out in a doggy grin.

Across the room Alexis tried not to grin. Frigga was a subtle force when she wanted something, and right now Ftigga wanted Solal as a friend. She was now half in his lap. Alexis would never tell, but she suddenly wondered if Solal was as lonely as she had been.

Frigga

Solal had been lonely most of his life. Southern France was not exactly a hotbed of Vulcans and so he hadn’t fit in that well. Then he’d entered adolescence and the resulting change in his emotions had caused behavioural problems that nearly got him removed from his school. He’d thought it would get better in Academy, and it had… somewhat.

His parents had not wanted pets, they had no time between the handful that was Solal and their jobs, both doctors at a French hospital. So Solal had really never been around animals much. He was surprised by the weightiness of Frigga’s paws and he quickly noticed the roughness of the paw pads, the large but dull claws protruding from each toe. He fed her the last of the treats in his palm and then both of his hands moved around her head and neck, giving her pet and scratch.

~ Solal

Alexis walked over and sank to the floor a couple feet away. “Dogs can be a lot of work though compared to other pets. They have to be walked, not just to relieve themselves, but focused exercise. Dogs are also pack animals so they need socialization or they become isolated and then aggressive around strangers. Other animals are more independent, like cats.”

Bonner

Solal looked up suddenly at her voice, as if he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to be. Then he seemed to settle back in hands still working their way through the dog’s fur. He nodded to what she was saying. Any animal was a lot of work, but he had heard dogs, especially active breeds, were a ton of work. There was training to think about too, with dogs. It might be worth it, looking at the very happy dog in his lap.... But why was he thinking that? He was not considering having one. No way. Too human. Definitely.

~ Solal

“May I inquire as to the purpose of your friend sought in having you inquire about pets?” Perhaps she was co sidering one of her own and wanted Solal’s opinion.

Bonner

Solal could remember the contents of the letter perfectly.

“Try petting Frigga and telling her she is a good girl. Dogs are so simple but full of love. That’s the appeal. Humans can be complex, but not dogs. They’re simple and cuddly. Perhaps you should try owning a pet? You seem like the cat type to me. Personally I love my tarantulas. … And if that is just far too much for you, then talk to someone with a pet. Treat it like they’re a patient and you’re observing them. Perhaps it will be an enlightening experience?”

He thought about that a moment. “She said I should try owning a pet. And if that was too much, then it would be enlightening to talk to someone with a pet. Your pet is well known on the ship. So I told her I would talk to you.” He gestured to the room, and then to the dog in his lap.

~ Solal

Alexis processed that a moment. His…acquaintance seemed more emotionally curious (at the very least) than Solal. “Frigga enjoys being around lots of people. When she has decided to be noticed, she will be. And that was good for my needs and circumstances. Animals, like any being, have different personalities, traits, and skills. Hypothetically, if you got a pet, why would you? What purpose would they fulfill?”

Bonner

That was an understatement. Whereas Solal required regular meditation to manage emotions, V’alura did not. She embraced her human side, even did acting before Starfleet. They were opposites. He considered Alexis’ question. “That is why I was advised to ask a pet owner. The reasons for owning one are almost exclusively emotional in nature. Companionship. Socialization. Relaxation. These are emotional reasons to do something. Something active, like a dog, also provides a reason for exercise, but there are plenty of logical reasons to exercise. One gets a pet for the emotional benefits.”

~ Solal

Alexis nodded, “This is true, most of the time.” Vulcans were an extremely emotional species. Violently so, even with the more ‘positive’ emotions. “That might be a good reason for a Vulcan to have a pet. I had a Vulcan professor who told me that Vulcan children are often given pets to teach them responsibility. He also told me he had a cat, that it would sit in his lap while he meditated and the purring provided a counter point.” She waved at Frigga, “However dogs have been used throughout human history to help with emotional regulation. Not just for people with trauma, but those who naturally struggle with emotional regulation. They can sense a break down of composure and alert before the person becomes overwhelmed or situations escalate. I have no first hand experience there, so it is purely conjecture.”

Bonner

The powerful and violent nature of Vulcan emotions was exactly Solal’s problem. He had been unable to regulate them, and it had resulted in fights and break downs and other emotional issues. After his parents placed him in therapy, the only thing that worked was the teaching of the Vulcan meditation rituals. It was why he had decided to follow those teachings completely. But he had started learning at thirteen, and he had grown up among humans. He was far more human than he liked to admit and it was a source of identity issues, which were common among people with multiple heritages. So ‘those who naturally struggle with emotional regulation’ definitely fit him. A fact he kept firmly to himself.

He kept a tight control on his emotions, knowing that the result of losing that control would be rather catastrophic in one way or another. He had once been told, by a previous counselor on this ship, that there were too many illnesses, compounds, and other interferences with the Vulcan meditation to rely on it as the only method of control. But for Solal, there was no other way he’d tried that worked.

He also had not known Vulcan children were sometimes given pets. He had not really spoken in depth, with anyone from Vulcan itself. He’d read about the planet and its culture, and he’d studied extensively the teachings of Surak… And he’d done it largely by himself.

He listened as Alexis spoke and then nodded. The dog did seem to have a calming effect on his emotional state. And he was also aware that part of the reason the dog worked as a ‘therapy dog’ was because she could smell or otherwise tell who needed her help. “That is most interesting.” He commented at last. “Feline purring has been studied for its calming and blood pressure lowering effects.”

~ Solal

Alexis nodded, “It has been. The studies have been repeated over the years. They have also been shown to help lower the risk of heart disease and improve sleep quality. There is even correlation between a cat’s purring and the body’s ability to self heal. A cat’s purr is therapeutic. Cats purr within a range of 20-110 Hz, which has a positive effect on health. The sound helps trigger the body’s self healing hormones. Like dogs they also can sense our mental state and will respond accordingly.”

Bonner


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