Panic Attack Aftermath (Backpost)

Posted on 15 Sep 2019 @ 10:49pm by Captain Akio Tachibana & Lieutenant Amiri Aldana 365, D.V.M., M.D. & Lieutenant Commander T'Lara & Lieutenant Junior Grade Steven Bernard, Ph.D. & Sombra C.G.CA/U, C.PSA, C.ESA

Mission: Hahai i na pilikua nui - Hunting Monsters
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Immediately Following "Page Not Found"
Tags: Sombra, 3CW4YMF696F

ON:

Bernard reclined on a bed in sickbay, finally conscious, feeling embarrassed and ashamed. The worst thing he could think of happening on his new ship that happened: He had a mental breakdown on his first week. He hated himself, and now a bunch of people were here, probably deciding to send him back to the insane asylum.

Sombra noticed the black-n-white one and gave the quietest little alert. Doctor Aldana – whom was on duty when Bernard was brought in – was sitting near-by monitoring his condition (and reading the latest issue of “The Astonishing Aardvark” set down hir PADD and went over to him and took his pulse. “How do you feel?”

Bernard was nauseous, but sure he wouldn’t throw up. “Fracking awful,” he said, “is it the med patch? Did I–” he didn’t know how to say it – “did I spazz out because I wasn’t wearing the med. patch?”

Aldana took out a medical tricorder and began taking some readings. “It’s hard to say. We’ll need to run some more tests, but from what Mister Tanahashi describes that he witnessed, you might have had a panic attack.” S/he looked up at him attentively and asked, “can you tell me from your perspective what happened?”

Bernard shook his head. I can shoot Jem'Hadar, but I can’t deal with being the weird one at work. He thought. What a joke.

Doctor wasn’t sure why Bernard was just shaking his head. It wasn’t as if s/he could read what he was thinking. “What’s that mean? No? You have no memory of what happened? Ensign, do you feel up to being subjected to another set of scans for a physical like before? If you’re worried this could have something to do with the med. patch, then perhaps we should test that hypothesis. I’d like some ‘after’ shots to go with your ‘before’ shots we took earlier.”

Bernard realized he had missed the doctor’s question entirely. “No, no. I remember,” his eyes started to fill with tears of embarrassment, so he looked down at his lap. “I was in a lounge, trying to unwind and I found— ‘Paperboy’ there. I tried to make simple conversation and then the topic of death was brought up and I made along—speech. I started to feel like I was just making a mess of something that should be so simple and I wanted him to like me, but I just kept saying weird stupid dren. My voices kept saying things to me. To shut up and to leave, so I tried. Then I got dizzy and was falling, so I called medical and I ended up here.”

Aldana remained calm, cool, and collected as s/he remained professional. S/he looked at Ensign Bernard, “Ensign would you feel more comfortable moving into a private room to continue our conversation?”

Bernard shook his head. “Yes, but it doesn’t matter.”

Aldana called Sombra to hir, “well, why don’t the three of us move into the consultation room then.” The ‘fe/male’ doctor motioned in the direction of the room.

It was then T'Lara walked into sickbay and saw Bernard sitting on the biobed. She looked to Aldan and then simply said, “Doctor Aldana, report!”

Aldana turned to face the other doctor. S/he smiled. This was Aldana’s case – s/he would relinquish it to hir superior if she forced hir to – but s/he hadn’t had a new one in a while, and now Bernard had asserted his right to privacy, and s/he had to respect that even with another doctor unless s/he needed a consult; and only then with his permission. “Mister Bernard has presented with a personal issue. I issued his physical earlier, and now he wishes to discuss his problem privately. We were just headed for consultation room one.” S/he continued to smile brightly; hir tail swishing lightly and free.

The black and white man shook his head. “It’s alright, Doctor. Perhaps she should know in case—” His eyes welled up. In case I have to leave the ship, Bernard thought.

Sombra sensed the man’s anguish and without hesitation his therapy training kicked in, and he went to him without shame nor condemnation nor judgement. He quietly pressed into the man in order to help comfort him, and without expectation, but hopes he’d reach back out to him.

Aldana stood back for a moment. S/he wanted to praise Sombra, but at the same time this was the second half of what he was trained for. S/he waited to observe what would happen next. S/he hoped that T'Lara would stay her curiosity and questioning for the moment.

Bernard reached back out to Sombra with both hands, holding the dogs head. He touched his forehead to Sombra’s and sobbed. I’m sure this is the end now, Bernard thought, Security officer, crying into a dogs mane because you can't talk to people. Sickening. Bernard cried all the more.

Sombra didn’t make a noise, he didn’t move – except in anyway the black and white man might move him or request of him – he was only patient and listening in case the man wanted to talk, but whatever he wanted to do, Sombra was there, and non-judgmental.

Aldana looked to hir boss and whispered, “I think we better give them some time; can we meet in your office?”

T'Lara nodded and just walked to her office and took a seat behind her desk. She just nodded to the other chair that Aldan was welcome to sit.

Once in hir former office, Aldana looked around to see what had been done to the place. It seemed suiting to a Vulcan sense of décor. S/he sat in the indicated seat. “I think this man has been passed from institute to hospital, and so on, back and forth, for a very long time. Even you might understand the phrase ‘passing the buck.’ Well I think we need to make sure the buck stops here. I’ve begun a medical treatment for him, and I’d like to see it through. However, I need your help. I think Mister Bernard needs a counseling specialist, but I don’t think the staff we have can handle him. I have a friend… a college… whom I think can help us, but I need your help to convince the captain to get him all the way out here.”

T'Lara in the meantime had turned her monitor on and called up Bernard’s medical records, while still listening to her colleague. She nodded. “I agree, doctor. I'll see if the captain is available.” She reached to her commbadge and tapped it. =/\=Captain Tachibana, this is doctor T'Lara. If you have some time, could you please join me and Doctor Aldana in sickbay?=/\=

Speaking up so T'Lara’s commbadge would pick hir up too Aldana added; =/\=Uh… it might be prudent for you to use the CMO’s entrance directly into her office, sir, we have an officer who needs a moment. =/\=

Akio appreciated the additional context Aldana provided. It sounded like someone was in trouble. =/\= On the way =/\= Akio responded.

Meanwhile back out in the main sickbay, someone silently put up a privacy screen around the therapist and his patient.

Sombra whimpered soft short repeated whimpers into Bernard’s ear, as if to be saying “there there, everything will be alright. Let it all out.”

Bernard held Sombra in a big hug and tears ran until no more would come.

Sombra carefully reached up and placed a forepaw around the man’s shoulder. He would stay there, quietly, patiently, and still non-judgmental, for as long as the man needed him.

Akio appeared in sickbay shortly afterwards.

“Report,” Akio interrupted the doctors.

As the captain entered, Aldana stood respectfully, and greeted the captain with hir traditional hug, though a light one, and offering her, hir chair. The AMO proceeded to brief the captain on the situation going on out in main sickbay with a non-specific Science/Security officer. S/he stopped hir brief, just shy of making the staffing recommendation for T'Lara.

“Thank you, captain, for coming so fast,’ T'Lara replied. “As my colleague explained the situation to you, I would like to add to this that I think it is time we needed [another?] counselor on the ship. I am just a simple doctor, and my specialization is mostly surgery, so I don’t think I am capable to assist in this matter. My colleague here, according to hir record is mostly specialized in veterinary. I would recommend we request a ship’s counselor from Starfleet Medical.”

Aldana was slightly surprised at T'Lara’s error – though s/he did not show it – but s/he was confident their captain knew hir specialties, and hir contributions s/he could make to their ship. S/he was secure in hirself and hir abilities, so the Kazarite hybrid let it slide for now. S/he decided s/he might find a better time to clarify the information seemed to have.

Aldana chimed in again; “sir, I have a colleague I’d like to recommend if I may?”

Akio was not surprised that Doctors knew one another and raised an eyebrow. “Who?” he asked.

The Kazarite-hybrid brought a PADD out of hir pocket; accessing the Starfleet Medical Personnel Database s/he brought up the bio of, “Doctor Perrin Arc, Psy.D. He’s a joined Trill with lifetimes of experience.”

“Interesting,” Akio paused as he read a bit of the doc’s bio. “If you believe him best to help and he’s in the Battle Group, I don’t see why we shouldn’t welcome him aboard. Thoughts, Lieutenant?” the Captain turned to T'Lara to ensure he wasn’t stepping on her toes.

"No, sir," T'Lara said shaking her head, "As you know, sir, I am a surgeon not a psychiatrist. Also the medical circles I went around in were not exactly Starfleet. I think my colleague here has more connections than I do at this time."

OFF:

Akio Tachibana, CAPT, SF
CO

Aldana D.V.M., M.D., Amiri, Doctor, Starfleet
Asst. CMO

Bernard, Steven J., ENS, Starfleet,
TAO

Sombra
TA