USS Galileo :: Episode 20 - Reconstruction - Two Peas in a Pod
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Two Peas in a Pod

Posted on 12 Sep 2024 @ 3:15pm by Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle & Lieutenant JG Hovar Kov
Edited on on 14 Sep 2024 @ 7:19pm

3,896 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: Episode 20 - Reconstruction
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 3, Counselor's Office
Timeline: MD 02, 1830 hrs

[ON]

A Klingon chaplain?! Delainey noted inwardly the idea could be a good set up for a joke, but then instantly chastised herself for the thought. Yes, she was exhausted. Yes, her concentration was suffering, but that didn't mean she wanted to be unkind, even if it was only in her private thoughts.

What she was, honestly, was grateful. Even before the crew started experiencing hallucinations, her workload wasn't exactly light, and Carlisle wasn't about to turn away qualified well-intentioned help. It was true the chaplain came in unexpected packaging, so to speak, but if service in Starfleet had taught her anything, it was not to judge a book by its cover.

In truth, she was less concerned about interacting with someone of Klingon heritage and more unsure about what collaboration would look like given the Lieutenant's professional background. Delainey had had limited interaction with the chaplaincy, but she appreciated their role. Not everyone wanted their emotional support to come in the form of traditional therapy, and while Carlisle was well-versed in helping people explore the role they wanted spirituality to play in their healing, that wasn't the typical lens she viewed things through.

If Hovar's personnel record was any indication, she was about to meet someone who presented a very unique lens indeed.

Currently, that clergyman was trying his best to find his way through the ship. The odd looks from the fact that he was a Klingon aboard a Federation starship wearing a Star Fleet uniform was one thing. The more odd looks that he got from the fact that he was a member of the Chaplain Corps was on a whole different level! The recipient of those looks, Hovar Kor, was more than used to that.

He spent four years in the Academy in the Counselor track, and the additional years in the Chaplain Corps school. If there was a look one could give to Hovar, he got it. However, he seemed very calm, and he always had a rather peaceful expression on his face. At the current state, Hovar looked absolutely confused, trying to get out of the way of everyone as personnel were coming and going, supplies were being prepped for coming and going, and this was the first time that Hovar was alone.

As the humans would say, he looked like a virgin.

From outside the Counselor's Office, there were sounds of a Klingon trying to avoid people here, magnetic lifts there, and he sounded like a lost child...

"Excuse me...oh...pardon me can you...my apologies...wait, wait...I'm trying to get to the Counselor...her office...yes...thank you, ouch!...that was my shin...no, no, I was not looking...take care."

After a quick moment, there was a tall Klingon who was deeply breathing as he wondered into the Counselor's Office. His uniform looked like any other uniform, except instead of the green of a medical/counselor officer, it looked like a roman collar formed around his neck. Attached to the neck were the pips of a Lieutenant Junior Grade. The officer in front of him, who he noticed was a woman, filled his heart with hope that he found the right office.

"Excuse me, do I have the honor of addressing..."

Hovar looked at a PADD that rested on his hand, his mastery of Galactic Basic being very much short of the mark.

"Dell...ain...ey, uhh, Carl...isle?

The blond haired blue eyed human stood behind her desk, poring over her notes and hoping her upright position would somehow ease her concentration issues. Hearing the tentative pronounciation of her name, she turned and appraised the owner of the voice, knowing instantly whom she was addressing.

Carlisle smiled and nodded. "You do indeed. Lieutenant Kov, I presume?" She gestured for him to step inside and have a seat in the chair before her desk if he so wished.

The Klingon was very much sighed as he accepted the seat, where he had every intent to plant his body on it.

"I am honored to meet you."

There was one thing that Hovar needed to do after he sat down. This need was based on what he saw.

"I do apologize if I was interrupting..."

"Not at all," Carlisle replied. "I was just reviewing your orders and personnel record and reflecting on how pleased I am to have another set of hands. I'll admit, I haven't had a ton of interaction with representatives from the Chaplain Corps, but I recognize the value you bring to the table and I'm looking forward to figuring out how we can best collaborate."

Hovar smiled peacefully as he contemplated the words of no one knowing who or what the Chaplain Corps was all about. Sometimes, he felt like the Chaplain Corps was as secretive as Star Fleet Intelligence! However, his humility kept that part of his ego in check.

"From what I was taught, chaplains are meant to counsel others on a philosophical/pastoral basis rather than on a psychological/analytical basis. We are also meant to maintain a ministry of presence; which in as few words as possible, means that wherever I am needed I will be there. Of course, how any of that will work in the fleet remains to be seen. After all, I was ordained and commissioned when I graduated from Chaplain school roughly seven months ago."

Carlisle was aware of his degree of experience, of course, and while she would have preferred to have someone with a bit more time under their belt, she also knew there were advantages to mentoring and working with someone who was fairly new to Starfleet. Such fresh faces tended to be more open minded, for example, and more motivated to learn. In her experience, they also tend to be less jaded and she understood that limited experience did not mean ' unqualified' or ' incompetent,' though she would expect someone to have a mixture of strengths and weaknesses, whatever their degree of experience.

The counselor nodded. "I do understand how our roles differ theoretically - the pastoral versus analytical - as you say. Counselors, like chaplains, have to maintain a sense of presence and to meet people where they are. Service in Starfleet, and in any helping profession, also requires adherence to certain legal and ethical obligations. I am curious to learn more about your practical experiences and specifically, what it was like for you working alongside counselors like myself? My understanding is, you are also a trained counselor as well as a chaplain, but as you indicated, those two roles look a bit different, depending on which hat you're wearing, so I'm wondering how are you navigate both roles and how you think I might best utilize your skills on behalf of the crew?"

Hovar pondered for a moment. As the humans would say, he had a giant red stamp on his head that said "NOOB" and every one knew it. Hovar swore that the only ones who didn't know he was a rookie were those he hasn't met yet!

"I like to think of myself as a walking mobile crisis counselor. As such, I spent most of my focus on acute therapy such as Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Critical Incident Stress Management. As a Chaplain, I also provide chaplaincy services such as pastoral counseling, emergency notifications, suicide prevention and awareness, the obvious religious services, as well as premarital and marital counseling as well as family violence intervention and family advocacy."

Hovar then shrugged as he was about to address the major differences between the two.

"There of course two primary differences between the two of us. To the first, Captain Tarin has placed me with the Security department as part of my Red Alert obligations. I am still a Klingon warrior after all. Second and most importantly, as a Chaplain, I do hold clergy-penitent privilege. I am not bound by, nor am I compelled to, disclose any information concerning what has been said to me in a pastoral setting."

His emergency station and Klingon warrior status aside, much of what Hovar outlined was consistent with what she had in mind, but there were a few points that needed to be ironed out. "I do hope for everyone's sake, suicide and family violence intevention is very rarely, if ever, needed, but as a trauma therapist myself, I know some things are a reality no matter how much some would pretend otherwise."

Carlisle paused, considering her next words carefully. "My goal is to collaborate with you. We are, after all, after the same goal - to provide the best support possible to the crew. It does occur to me, however, it will be important for the crew to understand what your dual roles can and can't afford them, depending on which hat you're wearing with them at the time. For example, when you're acting as a therapist, there are exceptions to privilege as I'm sure you're aware - we are obligated to report when people are a danger to themselves or others, or otherwise unfit for duty in our case as we're with Starfleet. It's a tough balancing act to be sure. That you are also a chaplain at the time you're avcting as a therapist, doesn't, at least in my view, supercede that. As your department head, I also expect those serving with me to keep me informed of any safety issues concerning the crew, understanfing that as a supervisor, I will keep those confidences of course. Does that track for you as well?"

The Klingon readjusted himself in the seat, knowing what he was about to say might not be received well.

"Unfortunately, violating the conducts of a chaplain would have me be subject to excommunication, as well as a court martial. Mercifully, I am required by regulation to bring anyone suspect of self-harm or harming others to Sickbay, to you, or the Brig depending on the situation."

When spoken out loud, the divisions between Counselor and Chaplain are vast with certain circumstances.

"With all of that said, I would like for us to develop the means for the crew to be able to tackle those situations before they even begin. Something that I was taught was to help develop classes and other programs to be able to reduce the overall stress of the crew. Also, if I notice that the general mood of the crew changes for the worst, I submit to your counsel to help me figure out how to change that."

Delainey nodded. "Yes, I agree, preventative measures are of course, ideal. However, I think you'll find that, however good our intentions at times, the universe gives us plenty of challenges we must meet in the moment the best we can."

Of course, that was the goal of every counseling department. There was one thing that was on his mind, and it would take a much more experienced member to understand.

"I do wish to start these measures with the two of us by being honest with each other. I mean what honorable Klingon isn't honest?"

A soft chuckle escaped his lips, and then a look of concern as his head twitched slowly to the side.

"I spoke to Captain Tarin before I came down here. I asked her if there was anything that I needed to know as Chaplain for me to understand the crew. She was rather...deflective. I do not wish for us to have a similar deflective behavior towards each other. What can I do for you to help us take care of everyone?"

Carlisle kept her features inscrutable at the mention of the Captain. Inwardly, however, she wasn't surprised Hovar and found the interaction with Tarin challenging, and though Delaney wasn't seeking it, his comment was validation the senior officer's shields appeared to be up for others, or at least professionals like herself. On a personal level, she perhaps would've liked to take a moment to compare notes, on on a professional level, she knew it was important to behave professionally and not even hint of speaking ill of anyone.

Another part of her wanted to ask why he would assume she would be equally defective, but she resisted the temptation to go into clinical mode and instead appreciated he was not trying to be presumptive, but was instead looking to be helpful.

"I appreciate your question and I believe I understand your intention. I believe for us to be most effective, it's going to be important to divide and conquer, so to speak, and also stay in regular communication with each other. We are a small crew, but there's still fewer of us to cover an entire crew. I like to have weekly meetings so we can discuss the state of the crew in general as well as specific individuals where necessary. I don't intend to micromanage or interfere in the relationships you're building with individuals, but as department head, I'm still expected to know the needs of the crew as a whole and specific individuals at any given time. It's important I be kept in the loop regularly, especially when it comes to matters of risk and safety. Might ask the same of you? What can I do for you to help us take care of everyone?"

Hovar contemplated the question, and he thought about the nature of the crew. What could his superior officer do for him to help the crew? Honestly, it was unusual question for the young officer. It was while he was thinking that he felt the two forces within him coming in full force as if he was having PTSD. In fact, he was having PTSD, though not for obvious reasons. Looking into her eyes, he tried to explain it as best he could,

"I suppose the best way for you to help me is to understand me by both the race that I am and my insignia on my neck."

Hovar showed her the cross on his neck, signifying his status as a Christian chaplain. He let it go as he contemplated the words he would say.

"Within me are two forces that are at odds almost to the extreme of a saint and a demon. On the one side, there is Hovar the Priest, who wants to nurture the living, care for the wounded, and honor the fallen. He wants to preach, minister the Sacraments, and to minister to the crew as best he can. The other side is Hovar the Warrior, a son of Hell, who the angry gods of war sees him as their minister. He wants to protect his House, in this case the Galileo, with his life. The Warrior is, like many Klingons, hard and imperious, and is not afraid to kill anyone who is a risk to anyone. You could call it a feudalistic mindset that is common to all Klingons."

Taking a breath, Hovar continued,

"Because of that feudalistic mindset that I have grown up with as a Klingon, a threat to the ship becomes a threat to you. Anyone who becomes a threat to you, and I do mean anyone, shall meet the Warrior as I kill them and the Priest as I bury them. The Priest, by definition, is trying to hold back the more extreme actions of the Warrior by finding some kind of balance."

Hovar came to the conclusion:

"What I need from you is to help remind me that I am more than a warrior or a priest. I am a chaplain who is also a counselor. I need your patience as regardless of being anything, I am what you humans would call a rookie, or a noob as I sometimes hear, to the fleet, least of all a ship like this. I trust in your judgement, your counsel, and your guidance to have Hovar the Counselor help keep the other two forces within me in check."

Carlisle considered each word carefully as they were being spoken. She could see as much as he wanted to provide candor, his message wasn't easy to articulate and he was revealing a certain level of vulnerability. It was also a lot to process, and she wasn't entirely sure what it all meant going forward. In her experience, everyone faced conflicting impulses, and while no one was perfect, it was also true she believed those serving in certain professions had an obligation to ensure those impulses were under better control than most.

Exactly how well could he control those impulses? Did his newbie status indicate a lack of experience in impulse control as well? Surely, he wouldn't have made it through his training if that were the case, but then again, how much of his training actually tested him in this way? If her own training experiences were any indication, he should have been tested a lot. Then again, she was thinking in terms of clinical scenarios, and from what she gathered, those were only the circumstances that could trigger these impulses. She needed more information.

"I don't wish to oversimplify or minimize your experience, but I think all of us, at least to some degree, must learn to balance our impulses for the greater good. None of us are perfect in that regard of course, but I would hope despite your limited experience and training, you would have some coping skills to help temper those dual aspects of your nature? Perhaps it would help if you could give an example of a time when it was difficult to manage those impulses during your training?"

"Indeed it was."

Hovar leaned back slightly as he remembered the event.

"I had to bare with insults and suspicion to provoke me into fighting them or suspecting that I was a spy. I wanted to minister to them, to prove that I can counsel them, yet I was met with provocations to let the warrior out, to show them I was a better Security Officer, or a brute of a washed out student on some freighter somewhere. Every time I was provoked, I would remember my Christian promise to not let my wrath out, to not let the Warrior out."

He blinked a few times.

"When I became Father Hovar, my parents excommunicated me on the spot. I was no longer their son. My brother, the heir of the House, had already produced heirs himself, so I was no longer needed in their House. My sister, who let me tell you is a firebrand herself, also denied me as her brother. But Oleg, my brother, he placed his hand on my right shoulder, looked at me in the eyes, and told me that no
matter what, "we are brothers before any other rank or title."

Hovar glanced down and save a soft chuckle.

"As a Priest, I minister to all who come to me. As a Warrior, I will fight to protect all who come to me. That's how the two forces have been able to play along well."

Delainey listened carefully as Hovar recounted the challenges he'd already faced while growing up and as he progressed professionally. Her heart broke as he related being met with suspicion, provocation, and ultimately, rejection from colleagues and family members. The professional part of her understood the cause of such reactions, but that didn't mean she condoned them, especially from members of Starfleet. Carlisle had certainly encountered her fair share of hostility because of her profession and the fears it elicited from some people, but no one had viewed her humanity as cause to engage in the sport of trying to provoke her because of what her humanity represented in their minds, whether accurate or purely based on stereotype. The compassionate being in Delainey wanted to immediately embrace him and let him know he was safe here, but she also knew she had a job to do.

Thinking about his last statement, her mind couldn't help but see the potential for conflict. "Hypothetically speaking, how would you handle a situation in which a crewmember reported during a counseling session he or she was being abused by his or her partner physically and emotionally?"

Hovar pondered for a moment. This question was, thankfully, a situation he was able to endure with at the Academy...after learning that you cannot threaten the abuser with a knife and give them a scar tattoo. At least verify that the complaint is substantiated first. However, as a Chaplain, it made everything different.

"This is a double edged sword for me. By regulation, interpersonal abuse is something that Chaplains are trained to not only educate, but to help report; therefore, Chaplain privilege is out the window. The other side of the sword is since I have no command authority, I cannot compel anyone to do anything about it. This is where I would take the report, get as much information as I can, and then hand it to you."

The Klingon then tilted his head side to side as he sighed in disappointment.

"Even though everything in my being would want to hunt them down and bring them to Sickbay for...fall damage. Repeated, fall damage."

Carlisle had deliberately presented a scenario in which the two sides of him would be in conflict and it took her a moment to fully assess his answer. That he recognized his own dilemma in this hypothetical scenario was a good start, but it wasn't all she was concerned about.

"I will never say a desire to care for and protect the ones you serve with is a personality flaw. However, I think it's important to be able to recognize when that desire is truly altruistic and when it is self-serving. Your efforts to protect someone may be seen by you as a way to help while preserving your honor and self-esteem, but they could be viewed by others as completely undermining their autonomy over their own lives. Regardless of whether a situation calls upon you as a counselor, chaplain, or merely a member of this crew, I do expect you to temper your desire to protect with respect for others' rights to make decisions about their own lives."

Hovar nodded as he received Clarlile's counsel. Hovar had already known that she was an experienced officer and a veteran of the crew. If there was anyone to ask, or talk to about being a better counselor, the one who he needed to talk to was the one who was sitting right in front of him.

"I appreciate and respect your counsel. I also look forward to your continued...what is the best human phrase for this? Your continued guidance for me to be a better officer, chaplain, counselor, and an individual."

Delainey smiled. "I look forward to working with you too. I suspect there is much we can learn from one another. Shall we schedule your first case conference with me in a few days' time? I want to give you time to settle in, but as I'm sure you know, we have our hands full and I'll need to have you dive in sooner rather than later."

Hovar smiled back and nodded in hope at his new superior.

[OFF]

--

Lieutenant Junior Grade Delainey Carlisle
Chief Counselor
USS Galileo-A

Lieutenant Junior Grade Hovar Kov
Chaplain
USS Galileo-A

 

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