House Call

Posted on 14 May 2015 @ 12:37am by Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen M.D. & Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy
Edited on on 15 May 2015 @ 3:02pm

1,818 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 08 - NIMBUS
Location: USS Galileo, Deck 4 - Drusilla's Quarters
Timeline: MD 01 - 1600 hours

[ON]

Having spent the day in sickbay with Olsam, catching up on the various medical matters of the Galileo, Tuula remembered she had one more patient she had to check up on. Lieutenant McCarthy.

She had missed her appointment earlier in the afternoon. Which wasn't totally unexpected, given how traumatic her experience was the last time in sickbay. Normally Tuula didn't do house calls, however for her, this case was more than professional. It was personal. While she wasn't brutally assaulted by a Reman space pirate, there were a number of parallels between Dru's situation and hers six years ago. She knew she wasn't supposed to get too close to her patients, but she had been losing sleep the past few nights over Dru's situation. She wanted to reach out to her, to hug her and tell her everything was going to be all right. And to help her make her decision...

no... thought Tuula. Only she can make that decision.

With that, she rang the chime to Dru's quarters. In as gentle of a voice as she could muster, she called out her name. "Dru, it's Tuula. Dr. Voutilainen. You missed your appointment..."

Dru was pacing the floor, boxes around her full of personal belongings that she still needed to move to Markum's quarters. The conversation she'd had with her room mate only yesterday still played on her mind. It had helped...helped enough that she had made moves on making her quarters change more permenate but still more played on her mind.

As she heard the chime echo around the room, her body force before a familiar voice announced themselves. Her eyes glanced around at the boxes before she made a quick choice by picking up two and activating the door release. "Doctor...mind giving me a hand?"

"Moving heavy boxes isn't exactly my thing," explained Tuula, glancing down at her legs and letting Dru draw her own conclusions. "I actually came down here to talk to you and see how you were doing."

Closely studying the Doctor's contraption for getting around, Dru considered the situation for a moment before moving across to grab a smaller box which sat carefully on the other woman's lap and didn't require any clinging onto to keep it in place. "There you go. We just need to go up two decks and a small bit of a walk and we will be at Markum's quarters."

Without awaiting a reply, Drusilla grabbed a bigger box before turning on her heel and making her way to the aforementioned turbolift.

"Oh?" asked Tuula, raising an eyebrow as she tagged along behind Drusilla. Dru had made it out into the hallway before Tuula could broach the subject of the real reason for her visit, a conversation which required more privacy than a corridor on a starship could offer. Still, a little small talk might help break the ice, she figured. "You're moving in with him?"

Dru carelessly shrugged her shoulders as she knew that the woman was making small talk. The problem was that the counsellor knew what the topic of subject was going to end up being and still she couldn't discuss it without it ending in tears. "He asked me before he went off ship...I guess I'm dragging my feet a little incase he arrives back and has changed his mind....I mean not that he would...I think...."

Dru could feel the headache building from the tension inside as she sought to at least change the subject, "On which note, how are things over on the USS Chronos?"

"Well, the Red Squad cadets are absolutely insufferable, and the word 'spartan' doesn't even begin to describe the cramped, uncomfortable quarters there, or the lack of amenities. Can you believe they don't even have a holodeck? I had to play around with the environmental controls to jury-rig myself a sauna in a storage closet!"

As Tuula spoke, she kept an eye on Dru. While she nodded along, Dru seemed distant, as though something was troubling her. "Computer, freeze turbolift," she called out in between floors. She turned slightly, to look at Dru head on and look up into her eyes. "Dru... I think we both know that I didn't come here to help you move. As your doctor, I've been worried about you. I know it's painful, but we need to sit down and talk about this."

Still trying to distract herself; Dru looked around the already cramped turbolift before offering a small smile, which didn't reach her eyes, to the Doctor. "Well I don't see any seats around here for us to be able to sit down and talk." As she spoke, the counsellor felt her chest tighten as an overwhelming feeling threatened to take her over, "Perhaps another time may suit?"

Tuula sighed. "I'm going to be returning to the Chronos shortly for the war games. I'm afraid we don't have much time." She could see the empty look in Dru's eyes. "Dru, I know this is hard for you, but I'm your doctor. You can talk to me. And..."

She took a deep breath and glanced down at the floor for a moment before returning her gaze to Dru's eyes. This was going to be difficult for the both of them, but it was her last hope for a chance of breaking through to her.

"...I'm not going to say I know what you're feeling right now, but I've been in your shoes. For me, it wasn't Reman pirates, it was an abusive boyfriend. And I was left alone, carrying his child, with a difficult decision to make."

A flicked of naked and raw pain passed through Dru's eyes as she listened to another put into physical words what had happened to the counsellor. It didn't go beyond her attention that the Doctor had said that she herself had been in a familiar place once. "Then surely you understand the need to keep loving the life you know and are familiar with...to hold onto the one thing that's solid left in your life."

"Yes..." replied Tuula. In truth, that one thing for her should have been Jaana, but she was too afraid to even talk to her about it for years. Instead, she plunged even deeper into her studies, even spending days at a time on campus, sleeping in a quiet corner of the library. "I understand. But I want you to know that you have more than one thing. You're part of a family, and you have me and Markum and anyone else on this ship to support you in this. You don't need to suffer alone."

Hesitating for a moment, Dru placed her box on the ground before seating herself gently on top, testing that it would take her weight. "It's difficult to see it that way...this family is one that's easily pulling in seperate direction...it's happened once before and it's even happening at the moment, even if it's temporary."

Rubbing her hands across her face, Dru looked up at Tuula with a sad smile. "It's easier to ignore everything that's happening and focus on the one consistency in life...my job. The people and faces are ever changing but not the job itself...."

Tuula nodded along; she understood what Dru was talking about. "You can't ignore everything forever," she replied. "Maybe it's too soon right now and you need to go at your own pace, but if you don't go on living, then he -- whoever did this to you -- wins. And if you need anyone by your side, I'm right here for you. And..."

Tuula decided to pause for a moment to let that sink in before continuing. There was another matter she had to talk to Dru about, but putting it delicately would be an understatement. "...there is also the matter of the fetus you are carrying. You will have to make a decision, and the sooner the better, as medically speaking, the procedure gets more complicated the longer you wait... that is, if you decide to terminate the pregnancy."

As the silence in the turbolift surrounded both individuals, Dru just looked down at her hands, clasped loosely between her legs. She didn't know what to say...she didn't even know what to think. "I can't connect being pregnant with carrying a living child inside of me....I make my decision knowing the decisions impact upon another, like I won't drink alcohol but...at the same time it doesn't seem real. It doesn't feel like it's happening."

"I..." Tuula pushed herself a little closer and leaned over to place a hand on Dru's shoulder. This situation was rapidly spirally beyond anything in her medical training. Dru needed a counselor, but who do you call to counsel the chief counselor? "I know. It's hard. But, as difficult as it is, this is something which is happening. It's something which, as your doctor and your friend, I'm going to support you in that. And if you need a counselor, I'm sure we can arrange for you to talk to one in via holo-communicator. Or... if you just need someone to talk to, I'm here."

Dru smiled sadly as she gently shook her head as the suggestion of a counsellor. "Although I understand better than anyone how important it can be to have a professional to discuss your feelings with I genuinely feel it would muddy the water more than help me...I understand that I carry the life of another human being...one which didn't ask for this situation to occur anymore than I did. If anything the baby is the innocent in all of this....I'm just struggling to understand what would be right for me...a decision only I can come to."

"I know," said Tuula, gently rubbing Dru's shoulder. "It's a scary situation, and one you should have never been put in. I just need to know that when you're ready to make that decision, or if you need any support or even just someone to talk to, that you know you can come to me."

For the first time, Dru looked over at Tuula with a smile. "Thank you...it means alot to know that I do have support around me...there is one favor you can do for me though..."

"Oh?" asked Tuula, raising an eyebrow. "What would that be?"

"Markum...look after him for me? Make sure he comes back in one piece." The smile reached Dru's eyes as she thought of her friend...well she guessed he was more than a friend now. "It'd be one less thing for me to need to worry about."

"I'll keep him out of trouble," replied Tuula in an upbeat tone. "Now, these boxes..."

[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy
Assistant Chief Counsellor
USS Galileo

LTJG Tuula Voutilainen
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

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