Posted by Cadet Alex McCall, MD (Doctor) in Counsellors Office - McCall checks in

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Vanessa Lofton (Counselor) in Counsellors Office - McCall checks in

Posted by Cadet Alex McCall, MD (Doctor) in Counsellors Office - McCall checks in
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

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“It would be strange if I did not recognise it, being an Edinburgh man myself…. I think it was more unusual at one point to see student accommodation that didn’t feature a print of the Singing Butler when I was at the university.”

“Well then, to students with good taste,” she raised her cocoa mug in a mock salute with a smile. “I imagine he would be pretty popular in Edinburgh.”

Alex took the offered mug with a smile and settled himself on to the sofa, his posture relaxed.

“So, Vanessa, what exactly would you like to get to know about me?”

Cadet Alex McCall, MD

She rolled the cup between her palms as he spoke. “The kinds of things I won’t find in your files,” she replied, gesturing toward her desk terminal with her head. “I have reams of data on your psychological profile, your scores in every class you’ve taken, projections on scores in classes you didn’t take… but I’m more interested in what’s not there.”

She sipped the cocoa. “So let’s start with the easy stuff - what do you like to do when you’re not in class, or working? Any hobbies, interests?”

CNS Lofton

Alex cradled the mug in his hands, feeling the warmth of the chocolate as he considered the last few years of his life.

“Hobbies… to be honest I haven’t really had time for much outside of work and my studies the last few years… medical school….residency…the academy….” Alex paused, and glanced down, inspecting the carpet of the office

“I’m sure you, as a fellow medical professional, can understand how all consuming it can be? Studying, shift work, constantly needed to keep up with the latest developments and research? Doesn’t leave a lot of time for macramé or learning to surf does it?”

Cadet Alex McCall, MD

Vanessa nodded in commiseration, recalling sleepless nights studying at the Academy. “Yes, but having free time, making sure we get in that time away from work, is critical to our well being,” she responded, adding slightly more force at the end of the statement. “We risk burnout, cracking under pressure - things we don’t need light years away from a planet or starbase.”

“Sounds just like Claire.”Thought Alex, mostly able to keep the grimace out of his otherwise neutral expression.

“I’ll make sure with Dr. Frankenstein that you have some free time - and time which you are to spend on yourself.” She eyed Alex momentarily. “Before you entered the Academy, did you have anything you liked to do? Any sports, instruments, genres that captured your attention?”

Vanessa sipped her cocoa, focusing on the cadet. Burnout was real, and the fleet lost too many good officers from it. It was one of the main reasons the ship’s counselor role had been made a staple of deep space ships fifty years before.

CNS Lofton

Introspection had never been Alex’s strong suit or preferred use of his time, usually preferring to keep busy, precisely to avoid the sort thoughts that the counsellor was dredging up.

“I’m not a complete bookworm, I socialise, see friends, even occasionally read a book that doesn’t have 6 different authors and been through a peer review process.” He said with a smile, trying to keep the atmosphere as light and informal as possible. Intellectually he knew the Counsellor was correct, but he hadn’t joined the academy and flown a few hundred light years away because he wanted to carry on getting hen pecked about his work ethic.

Cadet Alex McCall, MD

“That’s great!” she enthused. “What genres or authors do you like? I’m a fan of mid-22nd colonial mystery authors, personally,” she added.

She could feel he was reticent to fully discuss, so she wouldn’t pursue the topic beyond this much, but her goal here was to learn more about the new cadets, as a person, and not a set of psychological profiles.

CNS Lofton

“Oh you know, I mostly read the classics, Shakespeare, Austin, Pratchett… I like that their social commentary, although based in their own time, is still relevant today in many ways.” Alex settled himself more comfortably in his seat, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other.

“In many ways, it’s interesting that no matter how our society has evolved, even with the discovery and integration of other cultures that would have seemed like science fiction to those authors, that people are still just people at the end of the day, with the same character flaws and group dynamics that those ancient writers sought to illustrate, explore, and document. “

Cadet Alex McCall, MD

OOC: Apologies for the delay David, I have been ill.

IC:

Vanessa smiled as he answered, nodding slightly. “I should read some Pratchett,” she admitted. “I’ve never gotten around to him, though I’ve heard great things.” She lifted a PADD from the low table and flipped a new document open in the interface. “Do you have a recommended starting place with his works?”

After their discussion about the science fiction author, she set the PADD back on the table and leaned back against the sofa again. “You mentioned socializing, seeing friends - how was that at the Academy?”

CNS Lofton