Tears for the Fallen
Posted on 26 Jun 2024 @ 11:06am by Ensign Jonathon DeLaney & Petty Officer 2nd Class Liam O'Connor & Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle & Ensign Mimi & Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor & Ensign Asha
3,576 words; about a 18 minute read
Mission:
Episode 19 - Tomorrow's Galileo
Location: USS Galileo-B - Deck 7, Main Engineering
Timeline: MD 03, 2308 hrs
[ON]
The cacophony of disruptor and phaser fire had been silent for several minutes now, and within the heart of Galileo-B's main engineering hub, power levels were returning to their normal parameters devoid of the spikes in combat systems demands. Shields, phasers and quantum torpedoes were all now on standby and the vessel had downgraded its master operating mode from Red Alert to Yellow Alert. One Romulan scout ship had been destroyed and the other had disengaged shortly afterward - most likely in an attempt to retreat and report the two Nova-class starships' position to the closest Klingon-Romulan attack force.
For now, however, an opportunity for some semblance of calm allowed for personal introspection following the adrenaline-fueled engagement. Sometimes such rumination could be difficult, especially when those down in the engineering bay had a clear view to the hatch which they'd sealed to doom Petty Officer Hollenday to his coffin. Had it been a simple case of 'the needs of the many', or had there been a chance to save a life which had been overlooked during the turmoil of ship-to-ship battle?
Tears still slowly coming down her face Asha moved around engineering trying to do the best she could to keep the ship running. When the red alert klaxons had ended and the red flashing lights turned to yellow she let out the slightest sigh of relief but didn't stop issuing orders. "Ramirez, Jackson shield generators. Ava, Michaels the phaser power trunks, if the Romulans come back we're going to need everything we have." She said before sitting down on a chair by a console and looked through the vast amount of damage reports that were coming in. Breathing heavily as the adrenaline wore off she began to cry and sob again.
After what happened at the hatch, Sera had gone to a quiet space in her mind, considering the events of the last few minutes, while outwardly she continued to direct and perform what stabilizing measures were necessary from the still functioning panels in main engineering.
Only onboard the ship for less than a week and her very first legitimate order was to send a subordinate to his death. What was worse exactly…to have given the order that placed Hollenday in a most inopportune spot within the ship or following the order that doomed him?
It was…disquieting what she was experiencing, and she wanted nothing more than to return to her quarters to meditate; to seek clarity. Most unfortunate. Her keen hearing picked up on the muffled sounds that Ensign Asha was making as she grieved for the loss of her father, just so recently returned to her. Sera couldn't even begin to contemplate the temporal ramifications of all this as her gaze darted over to the bowed engineer's form.
The sound of the Main engineering doors opening gave Sera pause from her 'logical' ruminations. Her attention was diverted to the doors to see who had just entered.
On her way to engineering, Carlisle didn't have much time to think about what a counseling emergency in the middle of a battle would be, but she knew it had to be serious if the captain were requesting her assistance. Most of the time, her work came after the battle, and that was if she could get people to stop and process what they had been through. Some people more readily reached out for help than others and unfortunately, that meant some people had to collapse and reach their emotional limits before they could accept help.
It occurred to her then she didn't know who she was helping or the specific circumstances, but as red light turned to yellow, she was relieved. They weren't entirely out of the woods yet, but perhaps she would have a little time to offer support.
As soon as the doors parted, the counselor scanned the room. Engineers were going about repairs with the expected efficiency, but the tone was somber, and the air was thick with grief just waiting to be unleashed.
Delainey's eyes met Sera's and the counselor instinctually scanned her from head to toe, looking for signs of physical as well as emotional injury. She recognized the glassy eyes of dissociation and shock, and she knew intervention needed to be offered quickly before Sera collapsed. Emotional shock could have dangerous physical consequences.
As she crossed over the threshold and began to make her way towards Sera, she could hear Asha's sobs. For a split-second, Carlisle was torn over whom to see to first, but then, reminded that the quietest of the traumatized tended to decompensate the fastest, she continued her approach to Sera, she offered by way of explanation, "The captain sent me."
Upon seeing Carlisle come through the double doors of engineering, Sera considered probabilities as to why the counselor would be down in main engineering...and on the orders of Saalm? Did she really 'care' or was this simply an action to assuage guilt? Sera realized she was taking too long to answer.
"Understood Lieutenant Carlisle. It is the captain's ship. We have all come to serve." Sera replied in a solemn Vulcan manner, and then looked away from Carlisle and back to the console she inputting commands into. That change in focus, to a Vulcan, would have constituted a professional dismissal. We are done communicating, in essence.
The lack of movement out of Sera's peripheral vision caused her attention to again leave the console and focus on the stationary officer standing across from her.
"Ensign Asha has just lost her father. She is quite emotionally compromised, and I have lost her engineering expertise and her hands to grief. If my postulation is correct as to your presence here, then you should offer counsel to those who are in need of it. Please see to Ensign Asha."
Delainey would not be so easily brushed aside, but she knew she still had to tread carefully. Her goal was to provide psychological triage, offering a listening ear and small comforts until more could be done. Like keeping shrapnel embedded in the body to guard against further hemorrhage, Carlisle had to be judicius about what she did, but whatever she did, it had to be accepted.
Delainey offered a simple nod and without a word, she walked over to the replicator and requested two warm mugs of apple cider. The drinks weren't anything fancy but would provide warmth and energy to two shocked bodies.
Walking over to Sera, she handed her a mug. "Please drink this. It'll help both of you." She then chucked a thumb toward Asha and said, "I'll be over there if you want me."
Sera looked down to the mug the counselor was holding out to her and then back up to Carlisle's face. She barely restrained the brow raise that was just itching to be demonstrated. This ship's engineering department was still in shambles and this woman wanted her to drink something suspicious?
There was something unspoken in the counselor's eyes that Sera could not determine with any degree of accuracy but she did not wish to test it for she sensed it was something formidable. Reluctantly, she the cup from Carlisle and without further ado tipped it back and drained the steaming contents with a few swallows.
There. Orders were followed. What an odd drink. It was sweet and held the essence of the Earth fruit apples, but there was something else in it. An unbidden feeling of increasing warmth flowed across the skin of her chest and up her throat to her face.
Sera looked down at the empty mug in her hand with suspicion. Had the counselor drugged her??
With a backward glance, Delainey sighed inwardly in relief. It wasn't much, but she'd gotten Sera to at least attend to herself momentarily. "It's apple cider," she offered by way of explanation. "It'll warm you up after your adrenaline spike. I'll be over here if you need anything else."
Sera raised her brow but also tilted her head...or was her head listing? It felt strangely heavy. She blinked slowly and shook her head in an attempt to clear out the sensation but it only seemed to make main engineering tilt and sway like she was on the deck of a sailing boat.
"Fascinating..." She said softly to no one as she looked back down to the console she had open to replace the fried duotronic circuitry.
With that, Delainey made her way over to the distraught Asha. She hadn't yet met her, so she didn't dare touch her, even if it would only be to offer reassurance. Instead, she hoped her words would offer small comfort. "I'm so very sorry for your loss. We don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I thought I might just be with you if that's ok." She placed the second warm mug of cider on the desk near Asha, but said nothing else for the time being.
Asha didn't look away from the console but her ears twitched as Delainey talked to her.
Johns's sharp eyes caught the entrance of the ship's counsellor into engineering, a sight that elicited a low grumble from him. With the ship barely stitched together after the battle's turmoil, the last thing on his mind was mental well-being sessions. "Just what we need," he muttered under his breath, his tone edged with irritation. To him, there were far more pressing matters demanding attention than delving into personal introspection.
On the other hand, Liam, his colleague, seemed to take a more open-minded approach. Despite the ship's recent losses and the toll it had taken on them all, Liam appeared more receptive to the idea of addressing their emotional needs. "Come off it mate, people have lost friends... family, its not all about work."
For John, however, it was clear where his priorities lay – ensuring the ship remained operational and their crewmates safe. Anything else could wait until they were out of the immediate danger zone. "If we don't get these microstresses fixed, the leaking plasma, the EPS overloads and the fire control systems operating we're all going to end up dead, the emotional fluffy-ness can come later, the bodies are still bloody warm and they want to come down here and.... talk" With a resigned grunt, he returned his focus to the task at hand, leaving the counsellor's presence lingering as an unwelcome distraction in the back of his mind.
Liam sighed, he wondered if John was more affected than he had ever let on, whether it was because of the loss of engineers or the damage to the ship he didn't know.
The doors to engineering began to open and the moment there was enough space for her to slip through Mimi was through the doorway, her eyes quickly scanning and her nose scenting the room looking for Asha. Within a few seconds she found her and all but sprinted over to her. "Asha." She called out and quickly hugged her crying daughter
In almost a blur Asha was out of the chair and in Mimi's arms pulling the shorter Nekomi tight into her chest. "He's gone Ama we killed him I could have gotten to him I needed a few more minutes." She spoke extremely quickly.
Delainey was surprised but also relieved to see Asha embraced by someone she clearly trusted. The counselor considered for a moment leaving the two of them at least temporarily to comfort each other when she heard Asha's tearful torrent of words. Carlisle was tempted to intervene, naturally, but she also understood the two of them hadn't even spoke as yet, let alone established even minimal rapport. To interject herself in such a personal moment as a stranger seemed a mistake.
Even so, simply walking away when she had no idea how things will unfold seemed wrong also, so she decided to wait as unobtrusively as possible.
"It is ok Asha." Mimi said as reassuringly as she could muster, it was hard to keep her own composure, especially as the short sharp twinges of pain from the small cuts on her face were starting to make their presence known again. "Tell me what happened."
"Sera sent him to fix something, then he got stuck, we tried to get to him. but we got ordered to leave him." Asha replied still speaking quickly. "I could have gotten to him."
Mimi spared a quick glance over at Sera, she wondered why the Vulcan had picked John for that specific job; cold hearted logic like usual no doubt. She quickly turned her attention back to Asha. "It must have been his time." She told her, hoping that her aunt Tali had taught her about the Nekomi belief in fate. "Do you remember what Mosti katia, katia means?"
Asha nodded slightly. "What happens, happens. It doesn't make it any easier though."
"That's true," Delainey acknowledged softly, taking the opportunity to speak up, "I have no magic words to erase anyone's pain right now, but no one's demanding you ignore it and press on either. Some events are so life altering, the immediate priority isn't keeping the ship going, but making sure you are supported and not expected to handle things that would be beyond anyone's cognitive and emotional capacity to handle right now."
Mimi looked at the woman who had stood quietly beside them. "You are Delainey, the counselor?" She asked, somewhat recognising the woman but never having spoken with her.
Delainey nodded. "Yes, that's right." Now that her attention was focused on one person for the moment, Carlisle noticed the small cuts on the other woman's face. "Would you like me to attend to the cuts on your face and perhaps get you something to drink from the replicator? I know it's not much comfort given all that's happened, but perhaps it's a start?"
Pushing Mimi back from her slightly Asha looked down at her, she could see the blood drying on her face. "You're hurt?"
"I have had much worse." Mimi looked up at Asha before turning to Delainey with a slight nod. "Nothing quick a dermal regenerator will not solve."
"That I can do," Delainey replied with a small smile of reassurance. She regretted not bringing a medkit, but a quick trip to the replicator and that was easily sorted. As she approached Mimi again, she offered, "Would you like to sit down? I can also get you something from the replicator if you like. It's important to stay warm and hydrated after shock."
"I am alright, thank you." Mimi said, she sat on one of the nearby stools so Delainey could tend to her. She held Asha's hand rubbing her fingers over hers reassuringly. "I am fine Asha."
Carlisle ran the dermal regenerator over Mimi's cuts in silence, finding satisfaction in healing something she could see, no matter how small. She knew the emotional wounds were not going to be healed so easily.
When she was finished, she offered, "Good as new." The counselor didn't want to overstay her welcome, and she sensed the two might want to talk without an audience. "I should check on the others, but please, give me a shout if you need anything. I know you have a lot of work to do, but it's OK to take a breath and lean on each other."
Delainey stepped away and decided to take the opportunity to return to Sera. Other than a warm drink, Carlisle had not offered much. The counselor had no idea how she'd be received given all that was happening, but it wasn't as if she was unused to being met with skepticim.
Approaching Sera, she offered, "Asha and Mimi are coping for now, but I told them to take some time to lean on each other. I know you need all the hands you can get, but I'd not take the risk for now. How are you?"
Sera looked away from the console she was working on to find that the counselor had found her way back over. Ever since she drank the 'cider' that Carlisle had offered her, she felt...slightly altered. It wasn't bad, quite the opposite really. In spite of feeling exhausted and...she felt relaxed.
"Good. Fine. Ok. How are you?" Sera responded using colloquialisms she had heard being used during 'tiny talk' in the past as she looked away from the screen to regard the counselor with slightly dilated eyes.
The reply was so unexpected, Delainey had to stop herself from falling into a fit of stress-induced giggling. She couldn't remember the last time anyone asked her how she was feeling, and that wasn't a sign Carlisle was feeling resentful, but was just an indication that something felt off. Not quite able to put her finger on it, Delainey offered, "I know you're really busy, but it would mean so much if you could sit down with me for just a sec?"
"Sit down? Counselor, I am in the middle of my duty shift. We have sustained battle damage and the situation has settled currently but is far from decided--" Sera forced herself to stop talking and took a slow breath in an attempt to ground herself.
"Why must we sit?" That the lieutenant would make such a request was rather...inexplicable. Brain Doctors. They were always up to something.
Carlisle's reply was patient but direct. "You and your team have experienced emotional and physical shock. Adrenaline and their equivalents are coursing through each team member's body at the moment, but that heightened state can only be sustained for so long before everyone becomes exhausted. I'm asking everyone to sit down so they don't fall down for just a few moments."
There was no time for this. No time. And yet, it was inefficient to fight. The counselor outranked her...and she was very 'nicely' ordering her to sit. Fine.
Sera stepped forward and quickly brought herself to the floor to sit next to the counselor. Everything was so...wrong, why not take a seat in the middle of main engineering after condemning her colleague to death in the vacuum of space?
"I am Vulcan. I have far more stamina than other species. Your...concern is noted but it is unnecessary."
Oh yes. That was a good statement. Very Vulcan.
"Fair enough," Carlisle replied evenly. "I'll wait while you tell the captain exactly what you told me and then I can be out of your hair." The counselor's tone wasn't smug, just matter of fact. All the healer really knew was that everyone had suffered significant trauma and she had been ordered to provide support. Delainey was concerned about all of them, including Sera but without a more proper assessment, she wasn't exactly disagreeing with the Vulcan either.
Her eyes shuttered and any hint of expression on her face washed away. This was a grossly inefficient use of her time - to sit and 'talk' was...ludicrous. Regardless, it would be easier simply to indulge this counselor versus reaching out to Commander Tarin who ordered the counselor to come here to begin with.
"Then perform your duties, Lieutenant." ...and then go., she added silently.
"Very well," Delainey replied agreeably. She took out her tricorder and began her scans. Unsuprisingly, signs of the flight or fight response were clear, and although normal under the circumstances, it was better to intervene before sheer exhaustion took over. "Try slowing your breathing for me."
Sera straightened herself as if preparing for meditation and slowly exhaled the air in her lungs. The urge to close her eyes was almost oppressive but she dared not give into it. Talk about inopportune timing...
"Is this acceptable?"
It took a few moments, but readings showed the engineers vitals were slowing. They weren't back to normal entirely, but things were better. No physical injuries were revealed, but just to be on the safe side, Carlisle asked, " during the battle, did you lose consciousness?"
"I did not, counselor. I suffered no significant injuries during the battle. I must apologize, there are more repairs to perform. I have submitted to your breathing exercise but I must insist that I return to my work, unless you deem me unfit to continue my duties." Sera quickly stood and looked down to Carlilse.
"Thank you for your concern and...assistance." It wasn't what a Vulcan would say at all, but she was dealing with a human and they had different social rules. With a quick dip of her head, Sera strode away from the counselor to return to her duties.
It was a better exchange than Delainey expected, and for that, she was glad. Carlisle had no cause to remove Sera, of course, and the counselor knew she had done all she could. Sometimes placing bandaids on bullet holes was the best any healer could do.
Taking one last glance around engineering and offering a silent prayer for strength, Carlisle turned and left engineering behind.
[OFF]
--
Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
Acting Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A
Lieutenant Junior Grade Delainey Carlisle
Chief Counselor
USS Galileo-A
PO2 Liam O'Connor
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-B
[PNPC L. Wyatt]
ENS Jonathon Delaney
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-B
ENS Mimi
Deputy Operations Manager
USS Galileo-A
ENS Asha
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-B
[PNPC Mimi]