<USS Avalon> Life Lesson -- Doctor Felicity Roan

Life Lesson
-- a log by 
Felicity Roan

    Felicity sat in the safety of her lab and pined for the past.  Not a past 
she'd never lived through or to see people that she didn't know, but for her 
present and her friends and family.  She could only imagine what this was 
doing to the rest of the crew, those who enjoyed socializing and being out and 
about.

    For the first time in a long time she wanted company and suddenly felt 
the need for companionship of another person.  As she had successfully avoided 
the crew of the Avalon, that left imaginary friends.

    "Computer, active Emergency Medical Hologram."

    "Acknowledged," and there stood a likeness of Doctor Zimmerman, the model 
for the EMH program.

    "Please state the nature of the Medical Emergency," he began, glancing 
around the Lab.

    "Well I am the emergency Doctor.  I need someone to talk to," she smiled 
weakly and hoped that he'd be even the slightest bit forgiving.

    "You activated me because you wanted to... TALK?  Doctor, I don't know 
what you're idea of a Medical Emergency is, but talking does not qualify in any 
Star Fleet Manual issued protocol to date."  He was obviously more than a bit 
annoyed.

    "Don't you ever get lonely in between Medical Emergencies?  We've only 
activated you twice now, including today.  Doesn't human companionship 
registered in your processing subroutines?"

    He looked at her with a grimace on his face and if smoke could have come 
out his ears, it probably would have.  EMH programs were designed for just 
that... Medical Emergencies.  "Very well Doctor ... what is it that you want to 
talk about?  Man troubles or something like that?"

    She looked startled by the question.  Man troubles, well since she'd only 
ever dated one man in her life, she didn't think that was the problem.  She 
just didn't have time for dating, and the Avalon seemed to have a rather 
attached crew, the dating pool surely wasn't large.  No, that decidedly wasn't 
the 
problem, "No Doctor, that's not it."

    "Fine.  Work problems then?  Looking for my Medical advice on something"

    Work problems?  The crew was healthy, physicals were up to date and 
Georgia and Idrys hadn't killed each other this week.  The Captain hadn't asked 
her 
for any odd requests, so that too was not the source of her grief., "No I 
don't believe that to be the trouble either."

    Felicity sensed the annoyance growing, but continued to smile at him 
weakly, "Well, I'm not quite sure what that leaves for you, so go ahead and 
spit 
it out."

    "Well it's like this," taking a deep breath before blurting out, "We're 
500 years in the future, under attack by Time Police, No certain way home and 
I'm ... lonely."  She blinked and felt herself near tears, but held them back.

    "Lonely?  Doctor, there are more than 200 crew and civilians on this ship 
and you can't find one lively soul to talk to besides some Computer program 
you've activated?  What is wrong with you?"

    "I... I... I don't like to talk to other people much.  That's why I 
wanted to be a Counselor.  You just listen and offer opinions.  You don't 
actually 
have to do a high degree of interaction outside of your four walls.  Even here 
in Medical, things are safe.  You treat the patients and you make them leave. 
 You stay and you have a barrier.  I like my safety.  You don't have to take 
risks."

    "Doctor, at the risk of sounding more real than I prefer, what are you 
thinking?  You are a young woman and you have to take risks.  Risk-taking is 
free my dear.  It's one of the few things in this world that costs nothing and 
other than the chance of embarrassment or failure.  Even those are learning 
opportunities.  How long have you been on this ship?  More than just a few 
months 
and you haven't been out of these four walls for any true meaningful 
conversation than when you first arrived ... what are you waiting for?"

    "Computer End Program," she watched the Hologram disappear and she again 
found herself in an empty lab.

    Felicity sat and listened to the computer program's advice and truly had 
no answer.  It was just safer in here than out there.  She had risked her 
heart for love once and it hadn't worked and wasn't so sure she wanted to do 
that 
again.  She had friends and family thankfully but they were 500 years in the 
past.  She knew that a computer program was better at living life than she was 
and in that, she found the true irony.  For her, this was a life lesson, 
learning to interact with people and taking risks, even at the sake of being 
hurt 
again.

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