Friendly Chat or Medical Chat?

Posted on Wed Feb 26th, 2020 @ 1:51am by Commander Tressa Brislan-Antilles & Jillian "Phoenix" Sullivan

Mission: Mission 15: Old Ghosts
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1300Hrs, December 8th, 2390

When Phoenix arrived at Tressa's office, her head darted in with skepticism. Tane told her the new counselor was aboard and the name sounded to good to be true. And considering her PTSD episode on the spoonhead the day before, Phoenix had to question her own sanity.

And true enough, there Tressa was. Phoenix had to rub her eyes a few times just to make sure it was not a hallucination.

"I've an appointment," Phoenix opened with a half-smile. She truly did not know what was to come from this and she knew no bond of friendship would spare her a trip to a padded cell, if that indeed was the endgame call.

"Phoenix," Tressa said warmly. She moved smoothly over to the woman and hugged her gently. "I've missed you."

Phoenix returned the hug. Not stiffly at all, as one might think. She hugged the woman as if she were craved for some sort of affection. "I've fucked up, badly."

That was the only statement Phoenix could make, and the fright in her voice confirmed it all.

Tressa just held her for a moment. "We'll talk about it," she said softly as she relaxed her arms and released her.

"I don' know why I keep doin' this shit," Phoenix spoke shakily as she pulled away and wiped her irritated, blue eyes. "An' Tane clipped my wings too, cause of it."

"You've been grounded? This must be bad."

"It's well...." Phoenix tried to search for an explanation that did not sound so bad, but found herself short. "Yeah, it is... I saw a Spoonhead on my hangar deck an' beat it up."

By the way she looked, with the guilt and disgust of herself, Phoenix did not like explaining that.

Tressa moved towards the replicator and returned with two glasses of water. She sat down on the couch and leaned back, inviting Phoenix to do the same.

"Tell me, how did you feel when you saw him," she asked.

"It's a she, apparently," Phoenix began with a shaky voice, and drank some of her water. "But I felt angry... Offended, that the Federation let it become one of us."

The pilot found it hard to talk after that, and began to drank on more water, then sat down beside Tressa. Anan, the counselor in their last posting, had seen Phoenix very sporadically, and that hurt Phoenix's progress.

"So, you were on the hangar deck and saw a Cardassian woman in a Federation uniform. What was she doing?"

"Fixin' a lift, I think." Phoenix swallowed hard. "I dunno why I attacked her. I just know she insulted my mom an' called me a terrorist."

"She insulted you? Did you know her from before?"

"No." Phoenix shook her head and blushed with embarrassment. "I took the bait, I know... An' I dunno why."

"That is what we will explore, Phoenix. You hold your hatred close to you like a blanket, when in reality it restricts you like a chain. We have much to discuss in the coming weeks. I would like you to see me every day for the next five days, then we will meet every other day for the following ten. You have been grounded by your CO?" Tressa said softly.

"Indefinitely," Phoenix confirmed, as if her whole life just ended. "But Tane an' I have history, so that is sorta somethin' she threatens a lot."

Tressa just nodded; she didn't think Phoenix would want to know that she agreed with her Commanding Officer. "That will give us some time then. Have you spoken to your mother recently?"

"She, Aryssa, an' Dad are settling in on a retirement colony that opened up. About five light years from Raxus VI," Phoenix noted with a small smile. "They got a fair medical center there, so Mom's dialysis treatment appears to be manageable."

"That's great news!" the counselor said, and Phoenix began to tell Tressa about her mother's new doctor.

"Yeah, it is." Phoenix had to smile at that admission.