Good News and Bad News

Posted on Mon Mar 28th, 2022 @ 9:59pm by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Edited on on Mon Mar 28th, 2022 @ 10:14pm

1,729 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 12 - Risin' To Risa
Location: Ready Room - Deck 1 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD002 1030 hrs

Lunara stood outside the ready room, PADD in hand. She hated every second of it, but she'd finished her session with Lyie. She didn't expect to be able to cure her in one sitting, but she had hoped she could get just a bit more done before the young Romulan was sent to Starfleet Medical. Still, sending her there was for the best. Lunara may have had plenty of experience in Starfleet, but she was still a new counselor. Besides, there was only so much one could get done on a starship. The counselor could only hope the experienced therapists and sophisticated equipment could guide the girl to a full recovery. She double checked her PADD to make sure she'd brought the right one, took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell.

Tyler knew who was there before he called her in. He had sent for his Chief Counselor. They had to know how Lyie was doing, she was one of their own by extension. This meeting would help Tyler decide if he would approve Vaebn's leave or not. He hoped that he could cure Lyie on the ship and keep his friend aboard as well. Well I think it is time to get this over with. he thought. "Come on in..." He called to the door and sipped his coffee.

The Trill stepped through the doorway and gave a small nod to the captain. "Good morning, sir. I hope everything's well with you?" Even if she hadn't gotten to know the Captain personally on the ship, she was almost infallibly bright and chipper at staff meetings. None of that was present here - likely a first. Instead, she was much more subdued and mellow. Definitely not the look of a doctor giving a clean bill of health.

Immediately the Captain knew something was amiss. Lunara was usually the bright ray of sunshine when everything seemed dark and dismal. Yet here she was seeming to be as dark as ever. "Morning Lunara please have a seat. Is everything ok? You seem a little out of sorts."

Lunara gave a small smile, making her way over to the desk chair. "Thank you, sir. I'm all right - was just a bit on edge with the session, is all.".

"And how is our patient doing? I know Vaebn has been staying away for the time being. He said that it would be best until Lyie got some basics sorted in her head." Tyler responded. He felt for both his friend and Lyie. It is very tough when you have a relative in danger and you are not sure how to help them.

She nodded slowly, looking off into the distance. After a few moments, she turned back to the captain. "...I've got good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

"I have always found that good news has a tendency to soften the bad news. So hit me with the good stuff first." Tyler was pretty sure that everything Lunara was about to say would be bad news. He just didn't see a good way out of everything that has happened.

"Well, I can tell you with absolute certainty that this was brainwashing, and not an act of willing treachery." She figured the captain would object to the idea of that, so she raised a hand as if to stop him. "I know what you're going to say, but we need to consider everything. Trust me, I've seen it." She leaned back and sighed. "There's also a good amount of her old self still, 'beneath the surface', so to speak. She's clearly struggling with her new programming. I couldn't tell you if he intended to dispose of her after he got her brother, or needed to get her ready in a hurry, but this wasn't as thorough as the Romulans are capable of. That's good news for us."

"I find it hard to believe that the Romulans would go through the trouble of kidnapping, and brainwashing just to get their hands on Vaebn. If they wanted him, they could have just kidnapped him. No, I think there is something else at play here, something bigger. I am glad to here that it is not treason." Tyler paused as he ran his hand through his hair and let his head hang for a moment. This day seemed to be going from bad to worse. "If that is the good news, then what is the bad news?"

Lunara pursed her lips, trying to find the best way to say it. "Sir... even if they didn't go as far as they could have, they've still caused plenty of damage." Her voice was much softer and gentler now, well practiced after delivering bad news over several lifetimes. "Whatever they did to her, they still did a good job. Romulan techniques are incredibly sophisticated, and they had her for some time. Without being able to interrogate her captors to find out exactly what they did to her, it'll be that much harder to come up with the proper treatment plan. The doctors at Starfleet Medical will be able to help her far more than I can, but even they can only do so much." She shook her head. "I don't like saying this, sir, but we have to accept that she may never be her old self again."

Tyler leaned forward with a sigh. He was afraid that this would be the prognosis. "We are all products of our experiences, and they are ever changing us. I can only hope that this horrible experience effects Lyie and she returns to some assemblage of herself. Does it seem like you are able to get through the brainwashing at all?"

"I... think so, sir." Lunara nodded slowly. "It's hard to tell, but I think I made some progress. She definitely has doubts about her new identity."

Tyler smiled. "I'll take it... Doubts is definitely a crack in the shell and step toward her going back to herself. I think you have made the team at Starfleet Medical's job easier. Stop me if I am wrong but the fact that she is doubting it means that there is a chance of getting her back to normal."

"Normal's relative, sir." Lunara didn't want to bring down the mood, but she had to be honest. "We won't really know how things will turn out until they start treating her. Now, will she get better? Absolutely. Without a doubt. How much better will she get...?" Her voice trailed off and she looked out the porthole. "...Sir, have you ever heard of the Hattan Crisis?"

Tyler was content in letting Starfleet Medical and her brother handle Lyie's problems. However, Vaebn was a friend and Tyler needed to know more if he were to help his friend. "I can't say that I have..." He said as he sipped his coffee and leaned forward.

Lunara nodded. "I'm not surprised, it's practically ancient history at this point." She exhaled, leaning back in her chair. "It was back on the Legacy. Our ship was disabled and half our crew was kidnapped by a race called the Hattans. They were... held in a hospital. Told that Starfleet was only a delusion. Surgically altered to look like Hattans. "Treated" for their condition, if you can call it that." She shook her head. "It was two weeks until we were able to find them. By the time we got there... some of them had started believing it." Her eyes stared off into the distance, not focused on anything in particular. "Some of my friends took years to get better. One of them... never really came back. He lived the rest of his life second guessing reality." Lunara shook her head, stopping herself before she went on a tangent. "My point is, sir, that you can't guarantee anything in a case like this. Her mind is young, and likely to bounce back. But we need to be prepared for a long, hard road ahead of her."

"Understood... In truth I am more worried about Vaebn and his mental state. The loss of his family and a large portion of his people is still an open wound. Now, to lose the only family he has left. One wonders how much more he can take. A long road to recovery for Lyie is expected, but if Vaebn is going to help with hat he is going to have to bounce back a heck of a lot quicker. What's your take?" Tyler was not a Counselor, but, you did not have to be a Counselor to understand that Vaebn needed help too.

Lunara pursed her lips. "If I had to guess... I'd say he'll pretend to be fine, and do an excellent job of it. Perhaps he'll even convince himself. This is purely speculation, of course. I don't know him too well, so I'm generalizing off what I know about Romulans. They usually don't... show affection the same way a Human or Trill might. That being said, their family bonds are... quite strong. I have no doubt he's suffering deeply. Someone close to him should tell him he needs to put up a strong front for his sister if he wants to help her."

Tyler nodded grimly... "It seems that at least on this vessel I am the one for that job." It was clearly not something he looked forward to. "Counselor, I would like you to keep an eye on both of them. Both eyes as often as you can spare them until we get back to Empok Nor."

Lunara nodded. "Of course, sir. I'll be sure to drop in on her brother today. Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"

"Just keep me informed of the progress. We are going to have to prepare a full report for Starfleet Medical before Vaebn and Lyie depart. And Counselor, thanks." Tyler said as the Counselor left the Ready Room. This was indeed a heavy cross for his old friend Vaebn to bear, but if anyone could do it Tyler knew he could.

A Joint Post By

Lieutenant Junior Grade Lunara Hol
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer

Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer

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