Posted by Shara Calloway (Intel Liason) in Auxiliary Briefing Room

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Auxiliary Briefing Room

Posted by Shara Calloway (Intel Liason) in Auxiliary Briefing Room
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

She mentioned ‘cat’ as Alex was taking a drink, and he choked a bit. Putting his hand to his mouth he cleared his throat and then said “Cat? Right… cat. Of course.” OH THANK GOD SHE SAID CAT! he thought, and the relief was apparent in his face. “Ok… a cat. Hmmm…” and he sat back and thought a moment. “Well, if you are looking for my permission, that’s fine… under one condition. That you discuss the matter first with the Counselor and then with Faye before you get one. I want everyone on the same page prior to. Last thing we need is for you to get it and Faye deciding she isn’t ready. Fair enough?”

Cochrane

Shara had watched with amusement. “Well, permission wasn’t quite what I was looking for. More confirmation from a close friend of hers that it was a reasonable idea. But yes, I will talk to both of them first.” She was slightly disappointed as she had quite taken to the idea of surprising Faye with the cat as a gift, sort of a ‘sorry I couldn’t be there, but I’m here now’ sort of thing. But that was her issue and Faye’s needs were more important in this matter.

Tilting her head slightly in a probably familiar gesture, Shara smirked at Cochrane, “What exactly did you think I was going to say?” Her eyes said, ‘fess up because you can’t hide from me’.

~Shara Calloway

Cochrane just grinned and said “I thought you were going to suggest something larger than a cat, that’s for damn sure.” and he laughed easily. “And I think you and I can both agree that anything… well… larger than a cat… would not be a good idea right now.” and he took a drink.

Cochrane

There was the tiniest twitch in the corner of her eye even as Shara a more neutral face. “Indeed,” she said dryly before siping her now warm tea. “Like I said, much to my chagrin and dismay, I have zero say in the matter.” She wanted to intervene so damn much but it just simply wasn’t her place unless it was something Faye brought to her attention.

Shaking her head, Calloway exhaled. “I get it though. It took me a very long time to be able to even look at someone without feeling guilty that it wasn’t Edward. And then when you find yourself suddenly past whatever was holding you back it is tempting to throw yourself into your newfound freedom, damn the consequences,” she said, actually a little surprised at her candidness. Perhaps it was their mutual concern, or that despite having more than twenty years on Cochrane, he was the closest to her in terms of experience. Though she knew it probably had a lot more to do with having no one outside of therapists to talk to and him being someone Faye trusted.

~Shara Calloway

Cochrane simply said “I wouldn’t know. The one time I came close to that level of… attachment… it didn’t turn out so well. But I do know about the desire to lose yourself in someone without regard to the fall-out. It never ends well.” and he took a drink.

Shara simply nodded in agreement.

“So tell me about this cat, then…”

Cochrane

She smiled. “Well, a friend of mine who is much more knowledgeable in this matter than I suggested some breeds that might work. She agreed that a cat would be the better companion for Faye in her circumstances and with her lifestyle. But there are some breeds whose general personality works better for some people than others and she suggested one that was gentle and affectionate, and very much a lap cat, but also can be playful. She was also saying that a kitten might be too much intensity for Faye, maybe too overwhelming, but that perhaps a young adult would work well.”

~Faye Calloway

Cochrane thought about it for a moment and then said “Well, to hold off the ship being overrun by animals… and to make sure Faye isn’t receiving special treatment… I want you to talk to the Counselor or the CMO… maybe both… and get the documentation together showing this future cat is classified as a Service Animal before it is brought aboard. Once that is done; Faye, the Counselor, and I will sit down and go over the rules for having it on board.” and he smiled slightly. “I know, I know… this all sounds very formal and regimented. If it was just up to me, I’d say go for it. But I don’t want every Junior officer on this ship having a small furry things in the quarters.”

Cochrane

Shara nodded thoughtfully. “Understood. There’s plenty of research that shows the benefit of emotional support animals for conditions like Faye’s. I don’t think it would be a huge stretch. But once I talk to Faye about the idea, we can go through the necessary steps.”

“And I guess in the meantime we just be observant. She’s flying so high right now that a crash is inevitable. The only question is how bad is it and how quickly can she find level ground.” There were just certain cycles a person had to go through in order to reach equilibrium after a traumatic event and while she knew she couldn’t protect Faye from it, she at least wanted to make sure it didn’t stunt the progress she had already made.

~Shara Calloway

Alex nodded and looked down at the coffee mug in his hand. “Indeed…” he said , and his face showed concern and worry. “I am worried that the crash may be accelerated by others, as well.” and he looked at Shara. “I hope those that care about her… her friends… don’t take her new found ‘high’ as the norm going forward. That could end up hurting more than just Faye in the long run.” and he shook his head as he thought about those who had now invested themselves into Faye. Not just Wyatt, but the rest of her friends.

Cochrane