Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Counselor’s Office - Checking In

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Charlie Bailey (Doctor) in Counselor’s Office - Checking In

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Counselor’s Office - Checking In

(snip)

Charlie smiled and nodded in agreement. She had never really thought about it that way but she had to admit, she was proud of how far she had come.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right, I never thought about it like that…” she mused as she crossed her legs. “I was on my last posting for just under 3 years so I was pretty settled but it just felt like something was missing,” she added as she thought back to why she had wanted a change. Charlie had discovered a lot about herself on her last posting but she had begun to miss the bustle and community of being on a larger ship.

• Lt (jg) Bailey (Doctor)

“Have you figured out what that something is?” Janna asked. There were several followup questions that came to mind, but now she took this slowly.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Charlie nodded slowly as she thought about her answer. “When I first graduated, I was so excited to be part of a crew and I think for the first time since I was a young girl, I found a sense of family. I made such strong friendships and close bonds but when I moved to the Defiant, I never really made those close connections. I had friends and got on well either everyone but I just didn’t find that same sense of family I had on the Constitution. I don’t know if it was because it was a smaller ship, or if I just didn’t gel with people but I was missing that deeper connection. I guess I’m hoping I can find it here?” She suggested. It was probably the most important thing to Charlie to have a close bond with people, probably on some level to compensate for her own lack of family.

• Lt (jg) Bailey (Doctor)

Janna smiled warmly. “You are not the first to come to this ship hoping to find the same, and indeed many find a sense a family within their crew. But if there is one mistake I often see people make, is that they wait for the family to find them. It doesn’t always work that way, and the Athena can be a mixed bag depending on the point of view you’re starting with. So, what do you think you can do to help build that sense of family here?”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Charlie nodded slowly as she thought about her answer. “Well I try to get involved with ship board activities when I’m off duty and I love to find people with common interests. On my last ship I helped put together a string quartet and we often played for official events and concerts.” She smiled as she thought back to their last performance at her leaving party. “I also try and befriend people who are perhaps a little bit different. Since I was a child I hated seeing people on their own with no one to talk to so I always made it my mission to make friends with them.” She added with a smile.

• Lt (jg) Bailey (Doctor)

Janna mirrored the smile, but it was genuine- she was glad to see that Charlie had options available to her. “The Athena has plenty of recreation space and you’ll find lots of people willing to be social. And you’ll definitely find your share of unique individuals on board, that’s for sure,” Kingston said with a chuckle. “The ship has a history of missions with large scope and high risk. We’ve brought a myriad of people into the crew that help facilitate those kinds of missions, even though our primary one is supposed to be exploration. I say this as a warning that as you settle in, you might hear stories and rumours, and you’ll meet people who have been through some pretty difficult things. It’s one of those commonalities around here that binds us all together.” She was included herself in that mix as well.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Charlie nodded, trying to take everything in. “I understand, I’m not exactly a stranger to difficult circumstances…” she added quietly, subconsciously biting her lip. “But I’ve often found during difficult times, the most meaningful and strongest relationships are formed.” She added with a guarded smile. What she and her sister had lived through had been the worst day of their lives but it strengthened their relationship in more ways than she could count.

Quickly changing the subject Charlie awkwardly cleared her throat. “It’s good to hear that there is lots of opportunity for recreation though, do you know if there are many musicians on board?” She asked curiously, hoping she could find some people to play with.

• Lt (jg) Bailey (Doctor)