Deja Vu: Part 1

Posted on 01 Oct 2014 @ 1:44am by Commander Scarlet Blake & Lieutenant JG Dorian West

1,162 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 2 - First Officer's Office
Timeline: MD 10: 0905

ON:

Dorian West came to a standstill outside the office, frowning as he took a deep breath to gather his thoughts and level his emotions. This wasn't a time to let his own anger get in the way. It wasn't exactly a pleasant task, but it was necessary. After seeing Aria like that...he swallowed back his anger with a frown, pressing it back down and stopping that line of thought to keep it that way as he pressed the chime.

Blake glanced up from her computer with a frown, sitting back slowly in her chair with a soft sigh at the headache throbbing in the base of her skull. She was starting to realise it was just going to be one of those days. "Come in."

Moving in, West paused to glance around the officer before moving down to her desk, nodding seriously. "Commander, do you have a spare moment?"

"Not really, but I'll find one," Scarlet shook her head with a small, wry smile as she motioned to the chair opposite her. "What can I do you for, Lieutenant?"

"I'm afraid I've come with a complaint," West frowned, his eyes dark with the weight of it, his features set in a stern expression. "Well, not a formal complaint, but at least...I need to express a strong concern."

Scarlet pursed her lips as she sat back, arching an eyebrow. It really was her lucky day. After already having had Warraquim and Mott present a formal complaint, she was lucky enough to be treated to another so soon...she checked the clock....all of thirty minutes later. Talk about deja vu. A slight frown managed to reach her usually cool features and she motioned lightly with her hand. "Then you'd better tell me."

"It's about an incident that happened in Sickbay, when the Away Teams returned to the ship..." he paused to count back as he took the seat on the other side of her desk. "Three days ago now."

Scarlet's heart sunk at the words and she physically sat back more heavily in her chair. Another one about that incident? The deja vu only grew when she thought back on Warraquim and Mott's complaint about the Commodore's conduct at the same place and time. Rubbing her temple for just a second, she used the same hand to flick forward in a motion towards him. "I know when you mean."

Dorian nodded, his frown deepening both in thought as he considered his words carefully, wanting to weigh up expressing the depth of his concern with not being over dramatic, and also with the faint burn of anger that stirred in him as he remembered the state Aria had been in when she'd woken up from that nightmare. "Ensign Rice is my roommate, and I'm deeply concerned over an incident in Sickbay that seems to have been traumatic for her."

Scarlet's eyes narrowed slightly with worry at the mention of Aria's name together with the word 'traumatic'. She was also mildly surprised with the words...she had expected it to be in line with the earlier complaint seeing as they were talking about the same time and place as the complaint against the Commodore. However, Warraquim's and Mott's complaint had also gone on to encompass Aria's behaviour. She hadn't had the chance to review the security footage of Sickbay from when the Away Team was beamed back yet, it was something she'd planned to fit into the next couple of hours. Searching West's features, she could see the anger in him that he was trying to keep held back in favour of presenting a calm front. She recognised it because it was something she often did. For a moment, it was like they were two counsellors together. It had been a little while since she'd felt that. "What happened?"

Dorian leant forward with a heavy sigh, shaking his head slowly from side to side as he talked. "I woke up hearing her in the middle of a nightmare. When I woke her up, she was clearly distraught. She told me that she had dreamt about what had happened in Sickbay...that Ms Hex was cut open during surgery in front of her, in plain sight, that she saw the blood and open body as surgery was performed on her colleague. She really was deeply distressed and it took some effort to calm her, and even when calm she couldn't be alone," he met Blake's eyes, knowing she'd understand the symptoms he was describing.

Scarlet held his eyes with surprise and then concern. She cleared her throat, glancing down with a frown. If it were true, then it was completely unacceptable to allow an already injured, disturbed and battle fatigued crew to be subjected to a potentially traumatic sight like open surgery. She had already decided that she needed to watch the security footage of Sickbay from when the Away Teams returned after the formal complaint brought to them earlier, and now that need had just been confirmed by this deepening story. She now understood the anger she'd seen glimmering in the counsellor whose job it was to limit the crew's levels of distress. "I'll look into it," she finally said quietly, her features calm and not showing any indication either way as to what she might be thinking.

Dorian took a sharp breath as he sat back, rubbing his knees and licking his lips. He was tempted for a moment to push just how concerned and downright angry he was that something preventable like that had been allowed to happen and had resulted in trauma to a usually pretty chilled out crew member. But as he looked at her, he held his tongue and tightened his jaw. He gave a nod, standing quickly. He had done his part, she'd make her own mind up, she didn't need his help. "Thank you for your time, Commander," he said quietly.

Scarlet nodded softly to him, recognising the hesitation in him. "Welcome. Dismissed," she stood to turn away from him, activating the large screen behind her desk on the wall. "Lieutenant?"

Dorian stopped at the door, glancing across to her with dark eyes. "Commander?"

"This wasn't a formal complaint, was it?" she met his eyes with question.

Dorian was silent for a long moment, considering it, emotion in his eyes as he thought back on how distressed Aria had been. "No," he finally said quietly, putting his trust in the First Officer, and ex-counsellor, to do what was needed to make sure it didn't happen again without the need to go down that route. "Just...a very deep and pissed off concern that I'm bringing to your attention."

"Very good, carry on," Scarlet nodded with a faint smile on her lips. That was something to stop this mess from spreading too far at least.

TBC:

CMDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo

LT JG Dorian West
Counsellor
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

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