Posted by Lieutenant Corinne Dalton/SARAH (Ships AI/Avatar) in Pre-Sim: Doctor? Don’t mind if I do…

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Royal Sinclair (Counselor) in Pre-Sim: Doctor? Don’t mind if I do…

Posted by Lieutenant Corinne Dalton/SARAH (Ships AI/Avatar) in Pre-Sim: Doctor? Don’t mind if I do…

(snip)

Cori had lowered the glass but she now carefully tilted it around in circles slowly, watching the ‘legs’ of the liquid formed by the minute evaporation of the alcohol within the distilled beverage cause it to change its viscosity and cling to the glass slightly before it slipped back in to rejoin the rest of the liquid. “He’s not wrong,” she said softly, repeating the motion and watching with all-too-vivid eyes. “How can he think otherwise? So many of the people who were on the ship when I was flesh and blood are gone. There are few people here who even remember the woman who worked in the science labs. Back then, it was still fresh and people of course stood up for me, wanting to believe their colleague wasn’t dead.”

Her hand stilled and she looked up to meet his gaze. “Now, I’m a new variable for each person that comes aboard the ship, or is off the ship and hears about me. What do they care about previous service records and even Doctor Sharise’s reports? Because you’re not the first therapist to work with me, you know. She was here when it happened and she helped me in the immediate aftermath. But all the people who were there back then are gone, save one and I don’t know where I stand with him right now. And I can’t exactly go ask until I sort my own feelings out.” She set the glass down and leaned over the desk slightly. “You think that defence was gruelling? Try having to do that sort of thing every day of your life, hoping you pass the invisible and ever changing test and they let you keep existing. So a jackass, Welby might be, but whoever his source is, knows just enough to make a judgement, inaccurate as it may be. And I don’t see this changing any time soon. Precedence or not, people get wary about things they can’t understand. Fear is a powerful motivator.”

~Corinne Dalton

Sinclair looked at Corrine over the lip of his glass for a moment, listening as she spoke. After she finished, he didn’t move or speak, just sat looking at her. Finally, after a few very contemplative moments, he took a drink and said “You want some advice?” Sarcastically, he added “Free of charge and derived from the wealth of information and experience I have in matters psychological and emotional?” and he pulled his feet off his desk and leaned forward to look at her very closely.

“&^%k ‘em.” he said flatly and looking her right in her holographic eyes; the brogue lending a weight to the expletive that would be lost without it. “And I am quite serious. You are who you are. If they can’t handle that, they aren’t worth your time trying to explain yourself to them.” and he leaned back. “People like Welby, his informant, the people who have let you down and hurt you because they can’t handle your situation… they are a drain to your emotions. To your well-being. In the psychology field, we call them ‘toxic personality adherents’. They serve no purpose except to sap your strength and cause you to doubt yourself. And they are, in reality, almost completely without value. The only positive they bring is the opportunity for you to learn to listen to yourself before you let them get in your head.” and he smiled warmly at her. “You are an amazingly strong woman, Corinne Dalton. And I mean that sincerely. Your mental and emotional fortitude are absolutely astonishing. And I fully intend to help you realize that yourself.” and he cocked his head to the side and said with a grin. “I am a Doctor, after all.” and he chuckled.

Sinclair, CNS

She gazed intently for several moment and if she weren’t perpetually aware of the precise passage of time, Cori thought it would feel like time was expanding before her. Finally, she offered a slight smirk, even if she gave it wearily. “That you are.” In truth she thought he had his work cut out for him, since he was dealing with a person whose very existence depended on the whims of others. The rest of the crew chose to be here, but they could in fact, leave if they wanted to. They could walk away from Starfleet and display agency over their own lives. While she remained a tangled part of the Saracen’s systems, she was bound to the ship and to the whims of those that commanded not only the ship but the commanders themselves.

“I am grateful, by the way. I appreciate your confidence.” Dalton turned the glass on his desk. “Did you always want to work in mental health?”

~Corinne Dalton

Sinclair laughed out loud and said “Oh hell no!” and laughed again. “This ?” and he waved his hand about the office and, by default, the ship. “This was chosen for me. I was a Security Officer who made the mistake of asking if I could get additional training in mediation and negotiation. I thought it would help me diffuse tense situations. Turns out, some of the brass felt I had a knack for it, the psychology thing. Next thing I know, I’m in front of Admiral Turner who is explaining how we have a shortage of qualified and dedicated Counselors in the fleet, and if I would be willing to get that training then there were more opportunities to serve the Fleet and the Federation. You know, typical recruiter.” and he laughed again.

“Naw, Turner is good people. And she really thinks I am good at this.” and he paused and looked at Corinne. “I guess she wasn’t too far off. Got my Doctorate today. I’ve only been in this field a year and a half, give or take.” and then he paused and looked intently at Dalton. “I guess we have that in common, huh? Both in a role neither of us asked for.” and then, as had happened a few times in their interactions, Sinclair stated something that just seemed appropriate to the conversation. “But at least I can leave, if I want. I’m sorry that, for now at least, that option isn’t available to you. That must be a huge burden.” His voice held true sorrow, but not pity. It was more akin to a friend commiserating with a friend who hated their job and wanted to quit, but couldn’t.

Sinclair, CNS