<USS Avalon> "First Patient"

"First Patient"
Cmdr Skyler & Patience Merritt-Ketchum, Lt.  2nd Class
 
 
 
 
 
Skyler knew that while they had been in orbit around earth they had  obtained 
some new crew members, one of which was a counselor, who happened to be  the 
Captain's wife. It wouldn't be long before a message would appear on her  
computer requiring her to make an appearance. After all she had gone through in 
 
the past few months, perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea. 
 
She hated the thought of having her head examined, but it came with the  
territory and there was no point in putting it off any longer than necessary.  
She 
still had the thoughts of the meeting with the Captain, et all, regarding  
the mission, so the sooner the better.
 
She made her way to the counselor's office, thought about turning and  
running, but, like a good little officer she remained and rang the chime 
waiting  
for an answer.
 
The pop tunes of earlier were replaced by the more soothing sounds of  
Debussy's Romeo and Juliet.  It held a special place for  Patience.  When Keith 
had 
proposed, it was playing in the background.   Like a girl who still maintained 
a crush, the familiar notes brought flutters to  her stomach each time she 
thought back to that night.
 
Having expected Ryan to stick his head in the door any second, Pacey was a  
little puzzled.  Her assistant often rang the chime, but when he knew  she 
wasn't with a patient, just walked right in.  Raising her brows,  she looked up 
and asked with a bubbling lilt, "Who goes there?" 
 
Skyler did not expect the voice she heard from the other side of the door,  
nor did she expect to hear the music. Most counselors she had been to were the  
stuck up kind who figured they could find out every thing about you and not  
really care. She hoped this one was different. She had to many things to deal  
with before the mission.
 
"Uh, it's Cmdr. Skyler XO and Captain's worst nightmare. Thought you might  
want a patient and I could use some advice or what have you."
 
"Come in!"  A huge smile lit Patience's face as the door opened to  admit the 
Commander.  She was out of her chair in an enthusiastic second to  shake 
hands with Skyler.  "I'm surprised," she chuckled, "I knew my  methods for 
getting 
people to my office were a little unorthodox, but  wow! I'm better than I 
thought."
 
Skyler shook the counselor's hand but was wondering just who this person  
was. "Just what methods did you employ? I came of my own volition not due to  
some message. If you are busy I can always come back later." Oh lord, what  
have 
I walked into now?
 
A genuine laugh escaped her lips and she waved Skyler to a seat.  "I'm  one 
of the least busy people on this ship," she confessed.  "I told my  assistant 
to invite all the senior officers to the Mad Hatter's tea party,  costume 
required."  It was obvious the woman was holding back a  laugh.  "I wanted to 
see 
how long it would take for one of them to show up  to see what I was all 
about."  Finally, she did giggle a bit, waiting for  the Commander's reaction.  
First meetings were always interesting.  It  was Pacey's goal to always put 
people 
at ease, make them feel like they were in  their friend's home and not a 
counselor's office.
 
With a slight grin Skyler commented, "That is definitely one way of  
attracting people. Not quite what I expected, but I suppose one shouldn't 
expect  too 
much, now should they? Unfortunately I don't have a costume and I am not  
going to replicate one."
 
Leaning forward conspiratorially, Pacey whispered, "Neither do I."
 
"And they let you graduate with a degree in analyzing people? Maybe they  
need to be analyzed?"
 
"I've been telling them that for years, and yet, here I am," she said  
brightly, leaning back again.  "So, do I need to do the 'cover for awkward  
conversation segway' and offer you something to drink?  Are you  thirsty?"  She 
thought a moment.  "You're the Diet Pepsi drinker,  right?"  
 
"Uh, that would be me, but how did you know that? I don't think they list  
that is Starfleet files."
 
"No, but I happen to be married to the man who knows this crew  personally.  
And he talks in his sleep," she winked.
 
"Oh wonderful, is nothing sacred around here? Can't wait to hear what he  has 
to say about me."
 
"You have a wonderful sense of humor," Pacey commented, ordering drinks for  
the two of them.  "Don't worry, he hasn't spilled anything the least bit  
juicy yet.  I've been so disappointed."  She mocked a pout to prove  her point. 
 
"So," she sat as she handed Skyler her drink, "what is it that  brought you to 
my humble abode?"  
 
"Some would disagree with you on my humor. As for why I am here,  
it's...well...weird." Taking a sip of her drink Skyler finally sat down even  
though she 
was full of nervous energy. "Just how much do you know about  me?"
 
"Only what's in your file, Skyler.  Keith has mentioned a few things  in 
passing, that's how I knew about the drink, but nothing truly  personal."  
Patience crossed her legs and leaned back on the sofa,  regarding the woman 
seated on 
the other end.  She took a swallow of her  juice and sat it on the table.  
"The wicked truth about me is... I just  like people.  I love to talk to people 
and get to know them.  It's  like unwrapping a present at Christmas time.  So, 
never a more interested  listener will you have, weird your problems be, or 
not."  There, the  invitation was laid out and if the commander accepted it, 
that was  fantastic.  If it would take more time, that was fine too.
 
Okay, you came for a reason so spill it or shut up. "It would seem  that 
lately I have had some rather uncomfortable experiences. There are  some things 
I 
am having trouble dealing with or accepting. I am not sure how to  handle them 
or if I should even bother?"
 
"Well, that's all a little vague.  Don't worry about where to start,  just 
throw it all out there and I'll make sense of it, okay?  I'm pretty  good at 
that."  She smiled like they'd been old friends for ages.
 
Hesitating for a moment Skyler was trying to decide what to "throw" out  
there. "Okay, you asked for it. All of my life I thought I was an only child,  
when my parents were killed I lived with a family friend, who happens to be  
Chief Nurse on this ship, I have now come to find out that I apparently had a  
little sister, who is also serving on this ship. I don't know how much you know 
 
about Betazoids and traumatic events, but it would appear that when my mother  
died, I completely forgot about having a sister. Now she is going by the name 
 that her adoptive parents gave her, and every time I hear her call her 
adoptive  mother her mother I want to scream. Now, she is going to have a baby 
and 
she  wants me to tell her about our parents, but I don't know what to say or 
do. So  instead of dealing with any emotion that might hurt someone else I 
worked out in  a holodeck program for three days with the safeties off. I would 
rather feel the  pain than hurt someone else. I don't know what to call my 
sister, I don't like  it when she calls our mother by her given name and calls 
her 
adoptive mother,  mother. Does any of this make sense to you? Because it makes 
none to me."
 
"I think it makes more sense to you than you realize.  If it didn't  make 
some sort of sense, you couldn't put that into words at all.  I  think... well, 
it sounds like you've had a lot of things to adjust to recently,  though I'm 
sure that's an understatement."  
 
Understatement my ass. It's been a living nightmare. "You're the  Doc, why 
does it bother me so much?  My whole life changed when I found out  I had a 
sister. How do you deal with it? Then to make matters worse I interfered  in a 
problem with a good friend and I am afraid that the friendship is strained  or 
different."
 
"Well, Skyler," Pacey began, re-crossing her legs and reaching out to lay a  
reassuring hand against the other officer's, "you're going to be the only one  
who can tell yourself exactly why it bothers you so much, and hopefully  
together, we'll put a name to those fears that your anger stems from.  In  the 
meantime, rest in knowing that it's not at all uncommon.  It is a  completely 
normal response to repress certain traumatic memories and the road to  
regaining 
them is often laced with strife.  However, I believe that  acknowledging those 
feelings is the first step towards healing, and that's what  we're going to 
do here.  You're already a step ahead of this problem  because you seem very 
self-aware."  She smiled and squeezed Skyler's hand  slightly.  
 
As much as she wanted to focus on the problem with Skyler's sister,  Patience 
knew when to follow a subject change.  They would have plenty  of time to 
revisit each of the topics. "Would you like to tell me about this  friend?"
 
Skyler wasn't sure what she wanted to do, but she had to do something. She  
didn't want to end up in the abyss of darkness she had been in before.
 
"Nothing I say here goes out of here correct?" Skyler wanted to make sure  
that nothing was going to get back to Elissabeth.
 
"Of course not, it's in my contract," Patience grinned slightly.   "Otherwise 
they space me.  Captain's orders."
 
"The friend is Elissabeth Marksbury and I did something that I deeply  regret 
and don't know if she will ever forgive me." It doesn't help that I  have a 
crush on her but nothing's going to happen there...
 
"The funny things about friendships is that they're a lot more resilient  
than you think.  Have you talked to Elissabeth about how you feel?"  
 
"Yes, on several occasions. She is the one that was able to bring me back  
from the abyss and kept me from letting go and dying. Then how do I repay her  
but by butting in where I shouldn't have. I was just trying to help and it back 
 fired. She was extremely upset with me for quiet a while."
 
Why am I talking about Liss when there will never be  anything....
 
"And you don't feel like your friendship has recovered?"

"I'm not sure. I know that something is going on with her and I want  to be 
there for her, but I don't know if she would trust me again. She  hasn't come 
to talk to me in a while so to be honest I really don't know. I hope  it has or 
will." 
"There are few enemies as bad as uncertainty, Skyler.  Unless you think  it 
would do more harm than good, maybe lunch with Elissabeth would ease some of  
these feelings.  What do you think?" 
Skyler's legs were twitching mainly because she was very nervous. "To be  
honest I don't know what to think. I know she is or was involved with someone  
and was spending all her time with him. I don't know if she would take time out 
 
to have lunch with me or to talk to me." 
Damn, sound like a jealous school girl, grow up Skyler and put your  hormones 
in check... 
"I suppose the only way to find out is to ask." Patience arched her brows  
comically.  "What's the worst that can happen?"   
"Rejection, hurt, and pain which I don't deal well with. Like I said it's  
weird. She could say yes and then she could say no. I don't handle rejection  
well, which is why a certain someone messed with my holodeck program." 
"Rejection, hurt, and pain are all a part of life and something that each of  
us have to learn to cope with.  But you want to know the secret?  In  the 
end, you're a much stronger person than you were before.  These  experiences 
are 
what shape us into the people we are."  The chime rang on  Pacey's door again 
and this time Ryan did stick his head inside. 
"Oh, I'm sorry.  I didn't realize you were with someone.  Your next  
appointment is here." 
"Thank you, Ryan."  Standing, she moved over to her desk.  "Skyler,  I'd like 
you to come back and visit with me once or twice a week if you're  
comfortable with that.  I've really enjoyed talking to you."  She  smiled while 
looking 
at her schedule.  "Could you clear out Monday and  Thursday afternoons and 
make time for the lonely new counselor?" 
Looking at Pacey Skyler wasn't sure what she was getting into but if it  
would help it would be worth it. "Sure, I will have my yeoman put you on my  
schedule. Thanks for listening. You are quite good at what you do." 
Skyler got up and left the office wondering just what she had gotten herself  
into. Twice a week, Monday' and Thursday's. Oh lord what have I  done.

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