Evaluating the Physician's Mind
Posted on Thu Feb 8th, 2018 @ 1:27pm by
Edited on on Thu May 31st, 2018 @ 9:46pm
2,342 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Episode 2 - The Enemy Within
Location: Counselor's Office
Timeline: MD003 0900 hrs
Tags: SD 71375.0900
Richard had read the directions with his fingertips to find his way to see the ships counselor. As far as he knew she was the only one trained in the mental health profession other than himself. Other than his name and what information was contained in her Personal file. For his part it had become a habit to have an evaluation upon each arrival at a new posting. In fact, it was mandatory in a way no other persons had been who had been allowed to serve when he was younger and considered a genetically altered human. Now it was more relaxed for him and as routine as any other officer.
He stopped and reached a hand up to trace the dots that made of the letters indicating the room beyond the sliding door in front of him. His face broke into a broad smile as he realized he had arrived at the proper location. Moving his hand to the door chime he pressed the device that wound announce his presence to the women he hoped was within.
Suzie sat cross legged on her chair as she balanced a PADD in one hand and a cup of green tea in the other. The PADD containing relaxation exercises, recommended for the aid of relaxing patients in order for them to feel more at ease in her presence. Anything was worth a try she figure and it seemed that a willing case study for her to work on had just arrived. “Come in!”
As the door opened Richard stepped through the sliding door into the counselors office. He grinned broader as he saw the woman in such a position, "Lieutenant Ricard Ballston, I'm here for my psychology evaluation." The Azzian hesitated a moment then added, "are you in need of assistance detangling yourself counselor?"
“Lieutenant Ballston...” As comprehension flooded across Suzie’s face, she moved to exit her chair; tripping and nearly hitting the floor before using the table edge to regain her balance. “Lieutenant...Doctor...I’m so so sorry. I was just...ah...practicing.” The counsellor felt her face flush read as she tried to straighten her uniform jacket, acutely aware this man was technically her boss.
Richard's smiled broadened as he listened and watched the woman, "You are fine counselor, I'm glad to meet you."
Rubbing her hand across the back of her neck, Suzie tried to recover from the situation as she extended a hand to invite the officer to take a seat. "And I you Sir...I'm not used to being in charge, even if it was only temporary. Commander Richardson was great of course! But she has her hands full...I'm not used to being left to my own devices really."
The physician grinned, "neither was not that long ago." He chuckled as he took his seat, "counselor please just be yourself, I've been exactly in your shoes or at least pretty close to it and I think you will do just fine."
Suzie wasn’t certain what to make of the man’s words. On one hand she wanted to jump at somebody believing in her but on the other...he barely knew her and in a lot of cases people changed opinions on her very quickly.
Following her senior officer, the counsellor took her own seat as she folded one leg over her knee. “Time will tell I believe is a phrase largely used by humanoids. What’s brings you here today sir?”
Richard chuckled, "I came because I'm do an evaluation."
He grinned broadly and leaned back slightly in his seat, "It's great to be on the other side, the patient rather than the counselor."
“Oh...” Suzie found herself momentarily taken aback...she was to evulate him...but he was her boss...she was to decide if the Doctor was fit to do his job of supervising and aiding in her own field of discipline.
Rubbing her hand across her forehead, the hound counsellor tried to ward away the pending headache before focusing back on the matter at hand. “Ok...so...we’ll...um...” Suzie found herself stuck for a starting point before finally managing to think of something; struggling hard as she’d only read the man’s basics and not delved in far for fear on invading her bosses privacy. “So tell me, how do you feel about this new assignment?”
"I'm excited to fulfill my duties here aboard the USS Pioneer but I have to admit I miss my family," Richard said with a smile. He relaxed back a little in his seat, "I feel the ship needs me here."
"That's a strange expression to use...you feel the ship needs you here?" Suzie smiled a little as she tried to force herself to relax.
"Well I am referring to the people on the ship, not the actual ship itself," he chuckled and blushed slightly, "to me a ship is more then just the sum of its mechanical and computerized parts, it's the people who work and live aboard it."
"That feeling would make sense when your position is to fix people more than fix machines and computers. You have a past in counselling and psychology also if I remember correctly?" Suzie replied.
Richard nodded, "that is correct counselor," He offered her a broad smile, "when I first tried to join starfleet it was the only path I could take."
“Did you ever imagine that you’d end up here today as Chief Medical Officer of a Federation ship when you decided to take that option?” Suzie relaxed a little more as she looked to understand the man better.
The smile faded some from Richard's face as he shook his head, "you don't know my story then?" he offered in a low tone and then let the smile return, "counselor up until about six years ago I was considered a genetically altered human. It was a blessing to even be allowed to serve as an enlisted person and I did so for several years. It was not until my species classification was changed that I could technically use min medical degree although commanding officers found their way around that from time to time."
Suzie carefully listened to the story, trying to more carefully choose her words as she noticed the man’s initial reaction to her question. “What do you mean in that commanding officers found their way around that from time to time?”
Richard drew in a deep breath as he gazed on the counselor, "I've served through three wars and each time I have been called upon not just to be a counselor but to take care of the wounded. Yes, I performed triage and yes I was an extra hand in the department when under Red Alerts but when the number of medical staff would dip low or the need was greater I would be serve more as a physician than a counselor in spite of the restrictions."
“And how did that make you feel? Given where you’ve ended up now, I assume Medical to be where your heart truly lies? The physical instead of the medical?” Suzie’s voice softened as she kept the man’s gaze.
Taking in a deep breath Richard's smile broadened, "my heart is in service, I would clean clean torpedo launchers and sleep in a storage bay if that was the only position they would give me. But, if pressed I would have to say being a physician would be my first choice."
“As difficult as things may have seemed before it seems now you’ve been placed in a position to be able to place your right foot forward and do what you love. There must be some solace in that for you with all you’ve been through?” Suzie smiled softly.
"It is," Richard said with a smile, "and proves that patients pays off."
Feeling relief that her boss seemed to have a smile back on his lips, Suzie wondered weather to dig deeper or leave things be. If this was meant to be a proper physical evaluation, she should dig deeper. There was obvious indicators to things not being one hundred percent right and they seemed to dwindle on in Richard’s mind but the counsellor found it difficult to separate out the man who was her boss and the man who was her patient.
Suzie took a momentary deep breath before forcing herself to push a little. “I got the feeling earlier that perhaps the side manovours into landing you in medical instead of counselling on previous positions may not have been the full extent of your experiences?”
"Officially," the man began "I began practicing medicine on Betazed well before I was allowed to be a member of Starfleet." Richard chuckled as he looked at the counselor, "I got a bit of a late start in my career."
Suzie wondered if the responce was a deliberate misstep or a genuine misundertanding. Either way, it left her in a difficult situation of being uncertain which direction to take this conversation. "I mean that I got the impression that perhaps you had other experiences on your previous assignments beyond being the ship's counsellor but ending up in a medical role."
The man nodded, "there were many other experiences Counselor that were not pleasant. He let out a sigh, "when you are mistreated and experience prejudice it is never a comfortable thing."
“How recent ago was this mistreat and prejudice in your life?” Susie replied softly.
"Not long enough," Richard admitted with a heavy sigh, "I had just been reassigned from from my duties with the Federation Ambassador to the Azzians and ordered to a Rear Admiral at Star Fleet headquarters for an evaluation. I was physically attacked by the man who refused to believe I was anything but a Genetically Altered Human, that was about three years ago now."
“Physically?” The shock was evident in Suzie’s voice as the pitch of her tone raised a little and she tried to process this information. “What was done to the man for what he did? Was he incarcerated?”
"Yes," the physician said giving her a nod, "He is serving a ten year sentence." He tilted his head watching the woman as he spoke, "though the I've received numerous hate mails from individuals who think his imprisonment was unfair." He drew in a deep breath and continued, "when a lie is spread with enough consistency and for a long enough time it become the accepted truth even though there may not be any shred of truth in it."
Suzie felt an almost anger bubbling beneath the surface. It’s was wrong, it was unjustifiable! How could anyone be prosecuted for the actions of others. “Lies can be unraveled though and shown for what they actually are. Have you tried?”
Richard sighed and offered a faint smile, "I have fought this all my life counselor." He drew in a breath before continuing, "I have requested numerous over the years most of which were either in granted or had little effect on those attending. I've written journal articles, addressed Starfleet Medical personal and others at various venues, wrote a book on Azzians and have managed to get false information out of both psychology and medical books used not only at Starfleet Medical but at a number of other institution." The man shook his head, "I am not aware of an avenue I have not tried. If you have a suggestion please let me know."
“I’m...ah...not really quite sure.” Suzie leaned forward in her chair once more, her hands clasped in front of her knees as she tried to consider the whole situations. “Have you tried the legal route? Bring him to court? Have you much evidence to back up what you are saying?”
"Him," Richard narrowed his eyes questioningly, "would you mind telling which person I should seek justice from?" He drew in a breath and continued, "The physician has already lost his Starfleet Career, His practice, his license and is in jail who attacked me. It is extremely hard to kill ignorance or even bring that to trial Counselor especially when that ignorance is willful and back by false information provided by Sector 31 and propagated by the Medical establishment and other areas of society for nearly eighty years."
Suzie had to admit that she found herself completely at a loss now to try and follow the man's situation. Perhaps she really was getting in over her head, "Ok...well then if that is the case why still dwell on it today instead of moving on with your own life?"
Richard tilted his head at her suggestion of him still living in the past, "am I?" He furrowed his brow and began again, "if I am then it is a good thing i came to see you."
Suzie laughed a little at the comment as she shook her head a little. "I'm only basing my words on what I am hearing from you. A man beat you up and then got thrown into prison. No matter the circumstances behind his imprisonment surely you should feel some closure on a justice of sorts having been served?"
"If that incident had been the only one I would agree," Richard offered as a protest, "My life has been riddled with such things counselor." He drew in a breath and tried to relax, "from birth eighty seven years ago until about seven years ago my life has been plagued by a series of injustices through which I have had to endure primarily in silence or face the loss of career and the reputation I have worked so hard to build. One does not easily forget that."
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Richard Ballston M.D. PsyD
Chief Medical Officer, USS Pioneer
Ensign Suzzane Quinn M.D.
Assistant Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
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