Dr. Fletcher knew that Kassia the ships counselors office was on the same habitat ring of the station as Sickbay. He'd met with her many times regarding patients and in informal settings but this is the first time he'd visited her office.
Kassia was just finishing up a report when she saw Nathan walk in. She had no appointments so there was no problem. She smiled.
"What brings you here, Nathan? Need some advice on a patient?" she asked. Though she had the feeling it wasn't that. This was personal. But she was going to wait for him to tell her.
"Ugh...no. I'm here because the CMO suggested that I visit with you." He entered into the private consultation room and saw the rich colors and the over stuffed chairs. "May I?" He asked indicating a chair.
"Of course," Kassia replied. "Make yourself comfortable, please. Why don't you tell me what's been going on . . . Start where ever you'd like."
"I've been on station now for a little over three months, and hit the ground running so to speak professionally. Medical officers always keep long hours and deal with a lot of strain, as you know." He settled back into the chair and watched as she sat across from him.
"Yes, I am fully aware what it's like to be on this station, being a civilian and being part of the medical community . . ." she replied.
"Right now, its extremely busy with the war being waged on our door step so to speak. In all of my other assignments its been surgical or medical mishaps or conditions...but these patients are harder to take care of... I don't know how Jayme can face going out into the field to render care under combat conditions. That's a topic for a whole nother session." He smiled and saw that she'd smiled when he'd brought up Jayme.
"Its a job and I need to find ways to leave work-at-work, basically." He said.
"That can be a tough one," Kassia agreed. "Have you ever found anything that seems to have helped you in the past?"
"Play Racquetball, or go running, pick fights with the Marines. My specialty doesn't necessarily give me lots of free time."
"Well some of my patients seem to find the holodeck helpful," she replied. "I don't see how picking fights with the marines helps," she smirked.
"Hmmm, hadn't given the holodecks much thought. I've got tickets to see the Shakespearean festival next month." He thought about possible holodeck activities...
"As for picking fights with marines, for the most part they are good natured about it, and they're tough Ma'am, and when you're as good as they are then it isn't fair to pick on the Starfleet sissy's. And then there's...."
"Yes?" Kassia replied, knowing what he was thinking or rather who he was thinking about and waiting for him to filling her in in his own words. It was usually more helpful for the patient to put things into their own words and express it themselves.
"Kassia, can I ask you a personal question?" He asked sitting forward and resting his elbows on his knees, and making eye contact. He saw her shrug and nod yes.
"You are attached to a marine and live with him, correct?"
"Yes," she replied, with a nod. "I do . . . Col. Tarik is my fiancé."
"Do they ever relax or settle down? I mean...she's always working even when off duty." He rocked just a bit and added, "It is really tough when I'm trying not to have the same habit...of always being on duty?"
"Well . . . The medical profession is a bit different. And Jayme's requirements are a bit different than a regular marine. But she should be able to find time to relax," Kassia replied. "You both should have time to relax. Keeping up a high stress pace is going to eventually cause you to burn out or worse. You're a doctor. You know what can happen to the body if it's constantly under stress."
He sat back with a sigh. He rested his elbow up on the arm of the chair and ran his fingers through his thick black hair. "I know and I've seen it happen to others in the profession." He looked back into Kassia's eyes and nodded, and said, "Tell you the truth, I'm more worried about her then I am about me. And there is something underlying it all that she won't talk about..."
Kassia sighed and sat back in her chair. She knew exactly what Nathan meant. He didn't know the situation, but he did know that there was something. And there was nothing she could say. "This must be difficult on you," she replied, feeling that he felt somewhat helpless to do anything to help Jayme.
"I'm concerned and this goes way beyond having been her surgeon that put her knee back together. I spend more time in her quarters then in my own." A smile tipped his lips, and he added, "It's not like we don't have fun or do things together off duty. We're close, but not...." he blushed but continued, " I know of no medical reason to explain this failure in our relationship."
Kassia nodded. "It might not be as much of a failure as you think, Nathan," she replied. "Maybe you both need to talk more and . . . perhaps you need to give her more time . . ."
He nodded, and felt slightly weird having said what he'd just said to Jayme's friend, but decided maybe he was pushing her into a relationship, when she was working so hard to establish her career on the station and complete her degree... But damn, he couldn't go though a shift with think about telling her this or that; and the thought of her being away from him made him almost sick.
"I'll see about joining a racquetball league or something." He said with mild interest.
"Nathan . . . Things will work out . . ." Kassia said softly. She was sure of the future at this moment. "You just have to have patience and faith in what you want. Just give her time . . ." she said. "I have some interesting holoprograms you can check out if you'd like. Everything from sports to historical re-enactments. Or maybe you'd find a karate class better suiting . . . It will help you relax, focus and burn off excess emotions all at the same time . . . It's something to think about," she said as she looked at him, studying him intently. She could feel his worry. She wanted to ease his mind, but there wasn't much she could do where Jayme was concerned.
"I'll definitely choose at least one or more of those suggestions. He stood and reached out a hand to her, and said, "she is out of control, I can see that and I think yo can too." He made intense eye contact and asked point blank, " you are seeing her professionally and can intercede if need be right?"
"Nathan," Kassia replied gently with a calm smile. "Jayme will be fine. If, hypothetically, she got to the point where she needed intercession, yes, I could do that . . . But I don't see that happening. Take heart . . . everything will be fine . . . " She focused her energy toward him and tried to send him a sense of calm.
"Thank you, Kassia, for making time to see me." He stood with his arms crossed over his chest. "I will take more time for myself and I'll hang in there..." He turned and headed out the door into the main lobby and then out into the corridor.
Kassia immediate tapped her commbadge. "Lt. Kassia to Capt. Alcon," she said.
"Captain Alcon, here." Jayme said with a sigh and blowing bangs off her forehead as she tried for the third time to land the medivac ship sim without crashing.
"Jayme, when you have a moment, we need to talk," Kassia said. "I want you in my office before your working day is done . . ." She wanted to make sure Jayme wouldn't skip out on this. It was time they did some serious talking.
"Sorry Lieutenant, that just is not possible today."
"Captain, you'll make time." Kassia replied, "This is important."
In the background Shane laughed and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't go Jayme she knows where you live and she has a direct line to the Colonel, and I'd hate to deal with both of them. How many more times do you want to crash this bird today anyway."
Jayme so did not want to see Kassia. "Recieved, will be in your office in fifteen minutes. Out." Jayme broke the connection.
Kassia sat back in her chair pondering just what she would say to her friend. But one thing she had to do was get her to talk . . . To talk to Nathan for one thing. But she had to do it without breaking the confidentiality rule. Her role was a tricky one, she thought.
Jayme stood and angrily pulled on her duty jacket and watched Vansen climb out of the simulator first. Shane stopped and asked very seriously, "What's up."
"Nothing...everything, who know's." Jayme wanted her long time friend to move, "Get out of my way so I can go find out, and if its worth repeating I'll tell you later at Soma. Okay." She saw Shannon nod.
Jayme walked out of marine HQ and took the first lift up and over to the Medical level. She walked into the lobby for counseling and saw Kassia's door open as she approached. Inside she found Kassia waiting patiently as if she had just ordered a higher ranked officer to appear...
"Have a seat. Why don't you make yourself comfortable," Kassia replied, her green eyes as welcoming as always and a gentle smile on her face.
Jayme sat on the couch with her right arm on the arm of the chair and her legs crossed at the ankles, just slightly slouched and insulant.
"I know you don't want to be here, Jayme . . . However, I received a visit from someone today . . . Someone whose concerned about you," she said. She watched as Jayme's eyes opened up wide. "I can't go into too many details, of course, but this person cares about your a great deal. They know there's something more that you're not talking about . . . I get the impression it's affecting your relationship with this person . . ." Kassia knew that enough details had been given for her to figure out who she was talking about, and she hadn't revealed anything vitally important.
Jayme closed her eyes and shook her head, and said, "I don't just jump into bed with some one and its cause to report me?"
As soon as she said that she wished she'd not spoken so impulsively ...damn.
"That's not the case and I think you know it," Kassia replied. "He's only concerned anyway. The only reason I'm even telling you is because this is coming between the two of you . . . and it shouldn't." Kassia sighed. "If you want this relationship to work out, it doesn't mean hopping into bed with him. It means being open with him. I know you have a difficult time with that . . . But this is something he needs to know. For both of you . . ."
"I'm suppose to confide in him 'something' , that even I can't remember all the details of or deal with? How is that going to help either of us, you have an answer for that one?"
"If you at least explain to him what you do remember he'll understand . . . It might even take a certain amount of stress off the both of you," Kassia replied. "You'd be surprised what a support he might end up being to you through this, if you'd just let him in. Believe me, it's not in the details . . . and he can help you through this as well as I can. The more support you have, the better you'll be able to cope. You have been doing this on your own for too long, Jayme . . . It's time to come out of the cold."
Jayme stood and paced behind the couch, and after a few minutes, said, "Kassia. I am truly working on this, on my degree, and on my assignments as a marine. I too care for Nathan, but this is something I can't do yet, don't you understand that?"
Kassia sighed. "I do understand, but Nathan needs to understand too . . . You two are well suited for one another," she said, "And I would hate for the to get twisted up or lost because he didn't know . . . Jayme, I know how hard it is to talk about. But if an opportunity arise with Nathan . . . Try taking it . . . Open yourself to the possibility that the words will come."
Jayme hugged herself as if cold and never would be warm. "I've tried to tell him," Every time I talk to you or try to tell him then I get a migraine or more nightmares... I need what little sleep I get, Kassia." She moved around and sat down on the couch. Kassia stood an went to the repilicator, "Tea, Herbal mix 14B, "said Kassia. She brought the cup over to Jayme. "Take a few sips."
Jayme took the mug and took a few sips and the tighness in her throat eased. "Thank you."
"That's why this is so important as well," Kassia replied. "The sooner you talk about it, the less power it has over you . . . Then we can start to deal with it," she said. "There are quick fixes . . . However, none of them are going to help you in the long run. But I would be willing to help you long enough to tell Nathan . . . If you'd want that."
Jayme took another sip of the tea and thought about what Kassia had just said. She didn't understand. "What quick fixes?" she asked.
Kassia knew that this wasn't exactly part of her normal practice, but Jayme was a friend . . . "If you lower your personal shields, I can lower your anxiety and stress level surrounding the event enough for you to talk about it . . ." she replied. "Not in any great detail necessarily, but you could at least tell him what happened . . . and do it without feeling like this. But it wouldn't last. You'd have to take advantage of this while it's working. It wears off in about 12 to 24 hours. . ."
Jayme chewed on the inside of her lip for several minutes and then nodded for Kassia to do it. Jayme closed her eyes and envisioned an onion and peeled layer by layer off until just she stood at the center. In a whispered voice, "ok."
Kassia concentrated on weeding through Jayme's memories in her mind. A sheen of perspiration crept across her forehead as she searched and finally found them. The emotions surrounding them were strong. She immediately set to work lowing the intensity to a manageable level. She took deep calming breaths, allowing her own calm to transfer to Jayme at the same time. Finally, after several long minutes, she had accomplished what she had set out to do.
"All right," she said softly to Jayme. "Things should be manageable for now and for the next 12 to 24 hours. Take advantage of them." She smiled gently as Jayme looked at her.
Jayme nodded as she stood. Immediately she lost her balance and sat back down. She took several deep breathes and went to stand again, but felt Kassia's hand on her shoulder pressing her back down on the couch. "Sit and relax another few minutes."
Jayme shook her head and said, "that was weird."
"Sometimes it takes a moment for the equilibrium in the brain to right itself after that kind of procedure," Kassia explained. "But it goes away in a minute or two. How do you feel otherwise?" she asked.
"Nauseated." She paused and then added, " and confused..." She rested her head on her knees and took slow deep breathes. She tried to focus enough to bring her shields back up around her, and cried out, "Ouch, that hurt."
"Take a few more deep breaths," she said, and she felt Jayme's nausea begin to pass. The confusion was beginning to pass as well. "You should be feeling better now. I wouldn't recommend you bringing up your personal shields again until this runs it's course . . ."
"Thanks for the warning." Jayme said slowly sitting up. The nausea was getting better. She touched her combadge, and said, "Captain Alcon, to Dr. Fletcher."
"Fletcher here." He smiled and asked, "Where are you?"
"Waiting outside sickbay...thought we'd have dinner."
He laughed and said, "Stay put, I'll be off duty in a minute."
"Received, out." Jayme looked over at Kassia who was all grins. "Think I'll have him walk me home--I'm still not 100%. I'm still not happy about you ordering me here, but, I'll forgive you." She said as she slowly stood and walked back to the door. "Thanks." She was leaning against the wall when Nathan came out five minutes later.
Kassia closed her eyes and focused on Jayme as Nathan met up with her. She smiled to herself. She knew Jayme had not been happy with her at all about ordering her to show up to her office, but sometimes . . . a lot of the time . . . Kassia knew what was best. And in this particular moment, she knew. . .