When Suzie Met Amelia
Posted on Thu Jan 25th, 2018 @ 12:40pm by Lieutenant Amelia Zano Psy.D.
Edited on on Thu May 31st, 2018 @ 9:50pm
1,165 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Episode 2 - The Enemy Within
Location: Counsellors Offices, Deck 5
Timeline: MD002 1100 hrs
Tags: SD 71373.1100
Amelia had been on board since before the departure to the Badlands but had been getting her office 'put into place'. A move to a new ship was always a daunting experience with new people and new surroundings to deal with. It always gave her great comfort in getting her office just right, for her and for her patients.
She had one 'penned' appointment for the time being and that was to meet her fellow counsellor, Suzanne Quinn.
Suzie ran her finger around the inside of her collar. She knew it was a figment of her imagination, but the tightness almost felt suffocating. She’s worn this uniform so many countless times before that the feeling made no sense...unless it was purely psychological because she knew the time had now come to meet her actual boss boss. No more reporting boss, no more mentor boss...this woman was the actual boss boss to whom the young counsellor was solely answerable to.
Pulling at her collar again, Suzie went to balance her hip at the side of her desk; missing the metal top before a momentarily hover in the air ended in her landing in a heap on the floor just as the office doors slid open. “F...”
As much as there was a swoosh of the doors there was also a thud that came right after. Amelia looked at the open doors and saw a pair of feet, she couldn't help but smile a little before heading towards the shoes.
Peering around the door she smiled, "Okay down there?" she asked rather jovially to try and alleviate the woman's possible embarrassment, also extending a hand for help up.
Suzie looked dazed for a moment before accepting the offered hand. There was no embarrassment in her features, so used to klutzy moves at this point. Instead a faint red colour flushed through her cheeks as she moved to her feet; using essentially her new boss as a counter balance. "I'm sorry...I'm fine. Just missed the desk I guess..."
Amelia smiled, "Don't apologise, everyone misses a desk at some point... just this time you followed through and meet the floor." The woman straightened herself up, "I'm Amelia Zano, nice to pick you up."
Trying with great effort, Suzie smoothed down her uniform jacket and trainers. “I know who you are.” The young counsellor bit down hard on her tongue as she realised her words might easily be misconstrued “Sorry...I meant I was expecting you. I saw you in my diary...a little research revealed your true identity.”
Her initial remark did catch Amelia a little off-guard but not by a lot. Suzie had just fallen so maybe she was a little embarrassed even if she didn't want to admit it. The second reply was friendlier, a bit.
"That's alright Ensign. Got me sussed already eh?" she joked at the true identity remark, a little of her Scottish accent floating in once again. For some reason she had been slipping back into her native accent... it was perceived as rough, non-counsellory sounding which was why she adopted a more 'well-rounded' tone of voice. Patients found it easier to talk to a more soft spoken person rather than her natural accent.
The accent threw Suzie, her forehead furrowing up as it rang a bell with her that she hadn’t heard in a very long time. “The British Isles? It’s been awhile since I’ve heard a fellow European in this job.”
"Born and bred, where abouts are you from? I get a British feel from you too, or there abouts?" she asked.
Suzie floundered a little, shrugging her shoulders at the recollection of memories from her childhood. “I was raised in Ireland...though if ever you said to my Grandmother that we were part of the British Isles she’d have whipped you several hard strokes As gaeilge and run you from her home.”
Amelia laughed, "I can see possibly why she would!" She had forgotten that the Republic of Ireland was not part of Great Britain, seemed a silly mistake given their history. "So how long have you been a counsellor?" she asked.
Suzie wrinkled up her nose before a light flush passed across her cheeks. "Um...two weeks? My previous placements were all in the medical fields through my first year of residency. I just entered my second year of residency and wanted to explore psychology so Star Fleet seemed to think this was a good place to give it a try."
"Oh..." Amelia began somewhat caught aback that Suzie had only been practising for two weeks and that her previous experience was in the medical field. "That's great you want to broaden your experience. If there's anything I can help you with I'm happy too. You're a fellow 'head case' now so we need to stick together." she joked, her slight immaturity coming through but still meant with sincerity.
“Commander Montgomery has been amazing!! A few times she’s sat me down and talked through things and given me tips!” Susie bounced a little in her seat as she recollected their encounters, “I mean it hasn’t been much...she’s busy, looking after the crew and all of that but...ye...it’ll be amazing to have you both to bounce things off of!”
"Yeah CO's and XO's have a tough life, I can barely get my father on comms most of the time..." she said trailing off, "But any way, I've got to boost. Was just popping in to say hi and I'm here if you need me. It was nice to put a lovely face to the name." Amelia said smiling at Suzie.
Suzie found herself a little disappointed, she’d like talking to the woman. It wasn’t often you found someone open and as bubbly as Amelia was coming across. It made things more fun over all; not as taxing as when people ran circles around you all of the time. “Oh...ok...maybe we can talk again another time? Outside of work even?”
"I know..." she started noticing the woman's face drop slightly, "Gotta listen to a Vulcan about him feeling a bit happy, lucky him eh?" Gods knew what Vulcans needed therapy for, usually after a session with one it was Amelia that needed some.
"Definitely!" she replied to Suzie's question, "You've got my number!" she said winking, "Be nice to have someone to drink with... ehm I mean talk too." Call that a Freudian slip.
With that she smiled at Suzie and turned to walk away, whistling an El-Aurian tune her father used to sing to her when she was littler... she's still pretty little.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Junior Grade Amelia Zano PsyD
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
Ensign Suzanne Quinn M.D.
Counselor, USS Pioneer
RSS Feed