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CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Battle Bridge | D. 21 | V. 3 | “Ranger” of USS Theurgy] Attn: @EnigmaTales

“You have the bridge,” Cross nodded to the senior officer before beating a hasty retreat into the corridor.

The fingers of his flesh hand pressed against his temples and rubbed. He didn’t dare use his prosthetic, not when his head hurt this fucking bad. He’d likely rip his head off trying to get rid of this damnable headache. Cross dropped his hand and forced a neutral expression as he passed a few crewmen on their way to stations. They offered hesitant smiles and nodded in return. Once the corridor was clear again, Cross pressed his fingers against his temple, willing away one of the worst headaches he’d ever experienced.

He didn’t know which nurse or doctor he’d be assigned in Sickbay once he got there, but Cross knew they’d ask questions regarding frequency, initial onset, and pain level. The level was FUCKING BAD. Frequency was…Cross frowned. There didn’t seem to be a pattern that he could tell, but this wasn’t the first time he’d had this kind of headache. Though this one was bad enough, he was willingly reporting to Sickbay for relief. With the others, Cross had gotten them to go away by physical exertion, long showers, or jacking off (at least when Hathev wasn’t available and interested in sex). This one had built so rapidly that Cross hadn’t been given the option to do any of his earlier coping mechanisms before feeling the need for medical support.

[ Sickbay Lobby  | D. 21 | V. 2 ]

Cross was still frowning, near clutching his head with his flesh hand as he shaded his eyes from the glaring overhead lights with his prosthetic when he stepped into the lobby. Even if he couldn’t pinpoint frequency or even related factors that seemed to be in place during the times the headaches developed, he knew the initial onset had been soon after that disastrous meld with Hathev. His foolish attempt to learn Vulcan methods for controlling his new emotional ups and downs, thanks to the Savi fucks.

While things had worked out rather well with Hathev, and now SHE was relying on his emotional ups and downs to guide her into being more in touch with her emotions—like that wasn’t ironic as fuck—his headaches certainly hadn’t gone away. And neither had the occasional emotional spikes in rage, though, thankfully, he hadn’t spaced anyone yet. Cross honestly didn’t feel he was so close to any mental or emotional edge to be labeled as unfit for duty. Unless this fucking headache didn’t go away. Then, he would gladly go on a bloody warpath to get it to go away.

Lips drawn into a fierce frown, Cross stepped up to the lobby desk, ready to request help. Only his general bearing and fearsome grimace scared away the waifish nurse sitting there, and now Cross was left alone with a headache from the seventh circle of Klingon hell. He hadn’t felt so tempted to throw a table on its side in a long ass time, but he refrained, curling his prosthetic fingers inward and lowering that arm to his side, lest he give into the temptation to slam it onto the desk to get someone’s attention.

"I request," Cross spoke to no one and everyone, anyone who was nearby to listen, "medical assistance. I feel like I have trolls dancing in my head, and I would VERY," his voice tipped downward in a menacing tone, "very much like them to stop."

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #1 –
[ Lt. JG V'lana | Sickbay Lobby  | D. 21 | V. 2 ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz

V’lana was either making excellent progress, or none at all. Well, that wasn’t quite right, as two things could be true at once - On the one hand, V’lana had returned to active duty and was settling into her current assignment, having made friends with anyone who did - or did not - feel receptive to her attempts. Friends were something she would need, and something she was unfamiliarly short of.

On the other hand, she was still avoiding taking time for herself. Not because she didn’t want to, but whenever it grew too quiet for comfort, she didn’t quite know what to do with herself. As some trained in dealing with patients who had suffered either mental or physical trauma, she knew the importance of dealing with it. But she also knew that “dealing with it” wasn’t something one could do on a schedule. At least she had never seen minor breakdown on anyone’s timetable, and she wasn’t going to be the first to put it on hers.

But all in all, V’lana was doing okay. And okay was good. Not perfect, but good enough. 

The Elsarian had just begun her shift, and thus far it had been just the right amount of busy, but perhaps a little… boring? Which was an odd way to look at it. V’lana wasn’t someone who would ever regard someone’s medical problem as minor. What people struggled with was nothing she wanted to put on a scale, and pain was a highly individual experience. She had seen young science officers hold a broken arm and politely wait their turn before revealing it to the medical attending, and she had seen grown men cry in agony over a toothache.

Once finished with the first patient of a mildly interesting day, she made her way to the lobby - just on time to note one of the nurses hurry into her direction, then past her, making some sort of excuse as to why she was leaving her post. V’lana sighed, and decided that she wasn’t going to make friends if she pointed out that the woman ... well, shouldn’t do that. Instead, she made her way to the now deserted post, finding a man leading against the previously occupied desk.

And he didn’t look good. Aesthetics aside, his grimace and bodyposture came across as almost threatening, like an animal that was most dangerous when wounded. That bumped the day up to “somewhat interesting”, and V’lana approached carefully.

“The let’s get you sorted.”, she said in a warm, yet professional manner. Not overly cheery, but also not sharing in the growl the man’s voice had lowered to.

She extended her hand toward his shoulder, then thought better of it. Since waking from stasis, she hadn’t actually touched all that many people, and this was neither the time not the place to try out if her touch-telepathy allowed connection, or if any damage had been done.

“I’m V’lana, and you’re in luck, I specialise in pain management.”, she explained, motioning for him to follow her to the nearest bio-bed. “But before I can help, I need your name, and I would need to know a little more about that headache you are experiencing. I’ll make it quick, I promise.”



She would have preferred to administer an analgesic right away, but medical data on whoever her patient was, was crucial. After all, she had ended up in a stasis unit because a well-meaning Ensign hadn’t considered her Elsarian physiology, and effectively fried her neural pathways.

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #2 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Battle Bridge | D. 21 | V. 3 | “Ranger” of USS Theurgy] Attn: @EnigmaTales

Cross followed the dark-haired woman like a wounded puppy eager for healing. He followed so closely on her heels, in fact, that when she stopped and motioned for him to get on the biobed, Cross just about walked onto her toes. Muttering an apology, he took his hand away from his head long enough to use both hands to hoist his mass onto the bed. He gave his designation as requested and closed his eyes against the brightness of the lights.

Giving a synopsis of what Cross had determined so far on his way to Sickbay, he swallowed the desire to let out a slew of curses before adding, “This has built up over time ever since I was ‘fixed’ by the Savi on the Versant. I’m assuming it has something to do with the fact that most of my life was spent as a hybrid, and now, whether or not I fucking like it, I’m a full-blooded Vulcan.” Cross briefly opened his eyes, offering the woman an apologetic half-smile. “Sorry.” He closed his eyes again and sighed. “I was never keen on all the Vulcan meditation techniques my Vulcan mentor taught me; they frustrated me more than relaxed, if anything. Sha’mura seemed to help, though; I’ll give her that much.”

He sat quietly or as still as the trolls dancing in his head allowed while V’lana performed a series of tests. Though he was tempted to ask how fucked he was as she worked, he still had enough decorum as an officer to word the question in a more polite fashion.

“Well, what do I need to change or do moving forward to stop these headaches?”

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #3 –
[ Lt. JG V'lana | Sickbay Lobby  | D. 21 | V. 2 ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz 


V’lana offered a polite smile when Cross almost walked into her. She didn’t mind. When non-Elsarian friend made an effort to lower the lights to a for her comfortable level, they walked into her all the time. Or fell over furniture.

She reviewed his most recent medical record, then his medical history and… didn’t quite know what to say. She had never encountered anyone in a similar situation, and somehow she doubted that a similar situation was even possible. Then again, considering the adventures of the most famous of Commanding Officers, apparently anything could happen.

“Don’t worry about the cursing, I think I’d curse too.”, she noted empathetically before programming the bio-bed to perform what could be considered the most basic of tests.

“A lot, I would assume.”, she said in response to his question. “There is no physical trauma, and no neural decay. Those are good news, but they don’t exactly make finding a cure easy.” 

S

he frowned at the readout, then at the chart, then at Cross. “Well, first things first - no one should be walking around with such a headache, and whatever the cause of said headache is, the pain receptors in your brain are now entirely Vulcan and an analgesic is my first suggestion. But it’s a quick fix.”

She checked the list of substances that showed most effect, in particular in Vulcan’s, and then cross-referenced with Vulcan hybrids just to be on the safe side.

“I am more concerned as to what the cause of the headache is. I know Vulcans have specific meditation techniques, and customs that help them master their brain chemistry. Are you familiar with any of those?”

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #4 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Sickbay | D. 21 | V. 3 | “Ranger” of USS Theurgy] Attn: @EnigmaTales

Cross settled as comfortably as he could on the biobed while V’lana worked, listening to her comments with a grimacing expression. Occasionally, he offered a grunt of acknowledgment but otherwise kept his lips in a thin line as he fought the urge to roar in pain. At the offer of a pain med, Cross gave the woman a thumbs up with his prosthetic, only to groan when she asked about the damnable Vulcan meditation techniques.

“I suppose it wouldn’t be diplomatically correct to blame the damn Savi and ask them to fix this shit.” He waved his prosthetic over his body. “And yes, one of my rehabilitators was Vulcan, and she taught me the meditation techniques. At the time, the grand majority seemed like a waste, though I kept with the Vulcan martial arts and other more physical methods of meditation. The sitting still and humming and breathing in incense always seemed like a load of crock to me, and even now, I’d much rather shove my head through a bulkhead than do one of those blasted puzzles.”

Cross frowned. Just because the woman had accepted his foul language as being reasonable considering the pain, it didn’t give him an excuse to sound like a petulant dolt. Cracking open his eyes, Cross morphed his features into an apologetic smile, which likely looked like a snarling grimace, but the intent was pure.

“Sorry. If we do more scans, can we pinpoint what precise meditation techniques could be most helpful?” He was already bracing himself in case it was one of the fucking puzzles. He hated those puzzles. “

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #5 –
[ Lt. JG V'lana | Sickbay Lobby  | D. 21 | V. 2 ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz

V’lana gave Cross a somewhat indulgent smile, not minding his cursing, and understanding very much how frustrating it might be to attempt Vulcan meditation techniques. Once she had made sure that there was no contraindication to administering a general analgesic, she requested a hypospray with the appropriate dosage, and waited for one of the assistant nurses to bring it.

“Well, first things first, let’s make sure you are no longer in pain. Or at least minor to moderate levels of pain, not.. you said something about trolls. I don’t know what those are, but it doesn’t sound pleasant.” 

She administered the medication, tracking its success through the neurological scan.

“The thing is… you will hate this… but since you are fully Vulcan now, you will most likely have to deal with everything that comes with the territory. Every species has distinctive biology that developed over thousands of years, and it doesn’t really care that you used to be different, or find meditation frustrating.”



She considered, trying to think of a good example. “I get an enzyme injected that allows me to digest what is considered “normal food”, and I generally wear clear contacts that make working on well-lit environments less unpleasant. I could wear contacts to change my eyes, use a bronzer, and I could probably pass as human. But I am not. That became very much clear when someone injected me with a medication that was perfectly okay for humans, but basically fried my brain.”



Which had been the reason why she was in stasis, and V’lana would certainly still be angry at the person who did this - if that person was still alive.

“Fact is, your physiology likely doesn’t give a damn about whether you like meditation or not. Buuuuut I am absolutely willing to see if we can figure out what sort of meditation helps with your current issues, and then see what prevents others from popping up”, she suggested. “How’s the headache? Better?”

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #6 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Sickbay | D. 21 | V. 3 | “Ranger” of USS Theurgy] Attn: @EnigmaTales

The trolls stopped dancing and seemed resigned to a steady-state march for a few seconds until, at long last, they disappeared entirely. Cross opened his eyes as he released the breath caught in his lungs.

“Much better. Thanks.”

Taking a moment to study the lieutenant before him, Cross put her words and the personnel files he’d had to memorize. A name meant shit when your head hurt, but now that his mind was clear, Cross felt like a twerpish child for all his complaining when he recalled the details of how the Elsarian had ended up in stasis. His woes were small in comparison.

“I must sound like a baby to you,” Cross snorted, shaking his head at his own expense. “You have to deal with ridiculous shit every day and got the short end of the gobshite stick smacking you into stasis some until V-Nine figured out a way to get you out again.” Cross ran his flesh hand over the back of his neck and sighed. “Fucking puzzles are child’s play in comparison.”

Closing his eyes, Cross went through his mental database of Vulcan meditation techniques his mentor had once hoped he’d readily adapt but which most he’d wholeheartedly rejected.

“Kithira is the building-blocks technique that always pissed me off more than it helped me. Tiltra was a little more like basic mindfulness meditation, only fixating on a number, and that didn’t bother me as much. As for the breathing and mindfulness, I can start doing that again when I’m in bed. I did it during the Academy when transitioning into having a social life was hard as fuck.” He blushed, remembering he no longer had a valid excuse to curse. “All the martial arts were helpful because they required movement and concentration. So the sword dueling d'Alik'tal, hand-to-hand ke-tarya, lirpa-based khy'lan, and the basics of sof'el'itju and suus mahna. I was only barely exposed to Vulcan neuro-pressure techniques but what little I experienced seemed to help at the time.” He shrugged. “Do you think non-Vulcan techniques might help too? Like what exactly is the issue in there?” He pointed to his head with a frown. “Is it something more physical activity will help, more mental activities, or a change in diet?”

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #7 –
[ Lt. JG V'lana | Sickbay Lobby  | D. 21 | V. 2 ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz

There was no other way to see the “stasis thing” than to say that it sucked. For everyone involved. It was something that was very present on V’lana’s mind, and something she didn’t mind sharing. It helped her to relate to how powerless patients felt when they lost control over something that always seemed a given, or what it felt like when ones head decided to simply not work any more.

But that didn’t mean she wanted to invalidate what Cross was going through. The two things were hardly comparable, and this wasn’t exactly a competition of “who has it worse”. 

“So far, I have two theories. I will say that they are theories, but something we can work with. On the one side, this might be a  neurovascular problem - we just don’t have enough comparative data. Essentially, changes in blood flow and corresponding blood vessel dilation in the brain can trigger headaches. Th neuro-pressure methods you mentioned could potentially influence the vascular tone.”



She tilted her head, regarding Cross for a moment.

“And then, there is stress. If you look at physical and mental exertion, it can lead to a phenomenon known as central sensitization. This would involve heightened sensitivity of the nervous system, where normal stimuli may be perceived as painful. And you… well, you seem quite stressed. Which is understandable, really.”

Perhaps looking at non-Vulcan meditation techniques wasn’t a bad idea. V’lana’s own species had several of them, but she hadn’t ever tried them with someone who wasn’t like her. It was a sort of harmony resonance Meditation, is a revered practice that utilized the inherent vibrational frequencies her homeworld to promote balance, healing, and spiritual alignment.

“We could try something else, but I would have to see what can be set up on the holodeck - It involves the deliberate manipulation of sound waves through specialized instruments and vocal techniques, so I am a little unsure if it would work.”, she pondered, and added with a smirk “And if it does anything positive to you, or leaves you with the need to strangle me because you hate it.”
 

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #8 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Sickbay | D. 21 | V. 3 | “Ranger” of USS Theurgy] Attn: @EnigmaTales

“You mean you don’t have data because, until recent months, we’ve never encountered the Savi to the degree that we’ve had survivors, such as myself, who were ‘corrected?’ How surprising.” Cross didn’t try to hide the sarcasm dripping from his voice. “And I suppose I could either check with the other Vulcans on board to see if they’re skilled in neuro-pressure,” he immediately pictured Hathev, “or I can program something in the holodeck.”

The longer he thought about it, the better it would be if he used the Holodeck or someone other than Hathev. Not because he doubted her skills but because he doubted his ability to sit still and unaroused under her touch and with such close proximity.

“I wouldn’t say crossing into Romulan space uninvited is any more stressful than an average Tuesday on this ship.” Cross chuckled at his own words before responding to V’Lana’s suggestions. “Sounds waves, you say? It makes sense unless you’re suggesting that I’m the one singing and playing an instrument. If you are, I won’t strangle you, but you may want to issue noise cancellation devices to all the crew. I’m not known for having a lovely voice, but a powerful one.”

With the headache sufficiently abated, Cross was able to look at the woman with a more discerning eye.

“Have you been able to readjust back into your work well enough? Any residual issues?” He sat back up again and rolled his shoulders. “Is there anything you need me to address with your department members regarding accommodation?” He now recalled reading part of her file as a part of the dossier filled with all the personnel that had transferred in or been awakened just prior to their mission launch.

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #9 –
[ Lt. JG V'lana | Sickbay Lobby  | D. 21 | V. 2 ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz  

“Any voice is a lovely one.”, V’lana smirked, though she could very well imagine that Cross’ was the exception. “And I quite liked your cursing. Very … colourful.”

Of course she was always attempting to be as polite as possible, and in her role as nurse, being an understanding presence was part of the job description. That, however, didn’t mean she minded when people - especially patients - were less polite and understanding. Being in pain wasn’t pleasant, and headaches were the worst kind of pain. At least the worst kind she had ever experienced.

“I don’t need any accommodations. I am getting on quite well, as a matter of fact.”

She closed down Cross’ patient file and made a mental note to look into a proper treatment plan in her downtime. She could hardly let them man walk around with a headache, and she knew that any analgesic was only temporary.

“It’s… odd to be back.”, she admitted eventually. “Mostly because I don’t feel like I was gone. When I woke up from stasis, it was like waking up from a really long nap, and feeling like some landworm ate me, digested me, the reconsidered and spit me back out. But my brain hasn’t quite caught up to the fact that time has passed, and that things have changed. I’ve read reports, and I have a somewhat decent grasp on what happened while I was… asleep. Dead. Whatever you want to call it.”

She shrugged.


“But it reads a little like fiction. Like some really weird dream after eating a few too many colourful mushrooms.”

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #10 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Sickbay | D. 21 | V. 3 | “Ranger” of USS Theurgy] Attn: @EnigmaTales

Chuckling at her comments on voices and his cursing, Cross sighed. “I had some friends back at the Academy who took me on what they called a ‘pub crawl’ in Edinburgh. There was singing and dancing at every pub we went to, and if THAT was the kind of singing expected of me, I could hold my own. It was basically whoever was loudest or could hold the note the longest got the discount drinks.” His lips pulled upward in a sly smile. “I managed to get a few free drinks that night.”

As V’lana shared some of her experience of being in stasis and waking up again, Cross found himself picturing Blue and a number of others who’d been on the Versant or the Endeavour.

“There were a few of us who survived multiple fuck-ups and transferred in after the Versant incident,” Cross spoke after a moment of silence following V’lana’s sharing. “I can’t say anyone particularly resented our being here and integrating into the crew in positions former friends had been in, but there was certainly a period of time that it was difficult on all sides. And I can understand what you’re saying, looking back on recent events and feeling like it's some fictional storyline to a holodeck horror program. I’ve not been in stasis yet, and I feel like that sometimes.”

Cross let his gaze wander around the nearly empty room before asking, “Have you reconnected with friends onboard?” Wincing, he sighed. “Sorry, didn’t take into consideration that your friends may have been killed during stasis.”

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #11 –
[ Lt. JG V'lana | Sickbay Lobby  | D. 21 | V. 2 ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz  

Pub crawl. V'lana had never heard of it, but she found the idea of discounted drinks rather tempting. She banished these thoughts for the time being, and concentrated on Cross instead. His comments regarding transfers from the Versant or the Endeavour made her thoughtful, and she could only imagine how hard it had been to replace those who had been lost. For everyone involved.

"It's very much like a holodeck program.", V'lana nodded. "I read reports, and all I can think is 'well this doesn't exactly make narrative sense, I should contact the author and complain'. It doesn't really get through to me that this is real life, and that those... characters... were real people. A good few still are around, and I worry meeting them will feel... weird. Because frankly, seeing it as a holodeck adventure without emotional impact keeps me afloat right now. I concentrate on the medical reports. Someone got boiled alive while swimming in a body of water during a volcano erruption. That's... "

She didn't know what to say, and took a deep breath. It was horrible to read about, but again, there was no emotional impact just yet. She hadn't known these people, or if she had, not well.

"I haven't really reconnected with anyone yet. Trying to take it slow, focus on work.", she shrugged. "And yes, I will be seeing a counsellor. It should be mandatory after stasis anyway, and I have zero interest in a mental breakdown somewhere along the line. I wouldn't be working if I thought that was bound to happen, though." She quickly assured him, realising that she had a tendency to overshare things as means of connecting to someone. She had always done that, and it had gotten her into trouble more than once. And yet, it felt like the best approach to things.

"Either way. If you're up for it, I would like to try the sound-therapy I spoke about. You can try .... anything else in the meanwhile, but if the headache picks up again, I'd like to see you back here. And perhaps keep track of what it is you're trying, how it affects mood and headache, and so on. There's a lot you have to figure out, and I find keeping track of new things you try can help with that."

She smirked.

"So yes, keep a diary." 

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #12 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Sickbay | D. 21 | V. 3 | “Ranger” of USS Theurgy] Attn: @EnigmaTales

“If you find the author of the madness we’ve all been living in, do us all a favor and give him or her a good left hook.” Cross pushed off the biobed, presuming he was cleared to do so. “And yeah, I do think it’s unofficially SOP to meet a counselor at least once post-stasis. But beyond that, if you are leery of meeting any of the old acquaintances, we’ve had a lot of transfers in, and even defectors and refugees come aboard during your sleepy time. If you don’t want to restart then maybe a fresh start? I’m no guru on fresh starts, and I’m a far cry from a counselor in any sense of the word, but I’ll make myself free if you need some downtime. I do know a thing or two about feeling alone and a bit anchorless.”

Cross gave a non-committal shrug before following the action with a full round of shoulder shrugs and neck rolls. The last vestiges of the headache was gone, and he felt himself again.

“The sound therapy sounds worth a shot. Just give me some options for times, and we can see where our schedules overlap in the coming days. Can’t really guarantee much in the immediate future given our present mission.” When she added the note about keeping a diary, Cross couldn’t help but give a little snort of amusement. “’Dear Diary, today I wanted to punch my fist through a console because an ensign was chewing too loudly at a table nearby. Perhaps I should go visit the doc again.’ That sort of thing? Or more of a taking note of details surrounding the onset of another headache?”

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #13 –
[ Lt. JG V'lana | Sickbay Lobby  | D. 21 | V. 2 ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz  

"I think I can clear my own schedule to accommodate.", V'lana mused. She had been grabbing every shift available - yes, against the medical advise to take it easy - and didn't really have any other plans other than sit in her quarters and look at the not-very-interesting wall. Which sounded bad, but was essentially just what V'lana had always done after depleting her social batteries either in the company of friends or patients. That, and reading badly written novels.

"Those things are not bad to vent.", she grinned at the remark on the journal idea. "Just make sure no one ever finds it, or you earn yourself mandatory counselling for the next ten years. But usually, your brain is pretty good at filtering out what matters. Even chewing too loudly might be an indication of what is going on. Vulcans have a keen sense of smell and better hearing than Bajorans, so that, too, could be the cause of your headaches. I suppose I just want to exclude the minor stuff in case it's a relatively easy fix."

She closed down the console, sending a follow-up appointment to his personal calendar.

"Is there anything else I can do for you? Reasonable requests only, please. Oh, and can you recommend a counsellor? Apparently I have to meet with one, and I need someone who won't judge me for putting it off as far as I already have."

Re: CH 2: S [Day 01 | 1435 hrs] When Trolls Dance, Vulcans Growl

Reply #14 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Sickbay | D. 21 | V. 3 | “Ranger” of USS Theurgy] Attn: @EnigmaTales

He hadn’t even thought of his senses being a part of the problem, and now he felt like an idiot. Of course, they could be! He’d started using a nasal numbing hypospray, recommended by Hathev, only a few days prior and had yet to figure out what to do with all the noises the ship and its crew were giving off. He highly doubted there was such a thing as an auditor number, at least not one that would still allow him to do his job effectively.

“I think I’m good for now. Thank you for your time and efficiency.” Cross hesitated at her request for a recommendation. He only really knew one counselor on a more intimate basis than most. “I’ll be upfront with you. I only know Lieutenant Commander Hathev well, though the whole department has high ratings. Right now, though, with our vectors hither and thither and yon, whoever you can find should work. You should have access to their professional files to ‘browse’ the options and if you prefer, wait till we’re all back in one piece and go for the one you feel most comfortable with.” He gave a mirthless chuckle. “As for the judging, I can assure you there isn’t a person on this ship qualified to judge anyone for having put something off, like getting counseling. We all have our ghosts that we’d rather not tango with.”

Giving himself one more once over, he shifted toward the door, “If that’s all, I should return to the bridge.”
 
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