Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Mandatory Annual Counseling - Ian with Cara…When the past doesn’t match the future or the present

Posted by Lieutenant Cara Esmé O’Farrell (Counselor / Education Specialist) in Mandatory Annual Counseling - Ian with Cara…When the past doesn’t match the future or the present

Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Mandatory Annual Counseling - Ian with Cara…When the past doesn’t match the future or the present
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Ian stood at Cara’s door and felt a knot forming in his stomach. To say he was irritated at being here would be like calling a Nausicaan warm and cuddly. It had nothing to do with the woman on the other side of the door. He would have felt this way regardless of who it was. It was the idea someone at a desk a million light-years away thought it would be a good idea for him to dump his dirty laundry all over the floor and then miraculously feel less stress. Still, orders were orders and the parameters of the referral stated it was time for his annual evaluation, so here he was. Hitting the door chime, he waited.

Ian Bordeaux CDO

Hearing the chime, Cara stood up from her desk and walked the few paces to the door and hit the control. The hiss of air preceded the visage of the Chief Diplomatic Officer. “Ian, come on in.” Cara stepped away from the door so he could enter. Immediately to the left of the door was a desk sitting catty-corner. A variety of places to sit, including a large reinforced couch, and low tables dotted the rest of the open area. The right wall was taken up with a wall to wall, floor to ceiling storage until. Books, various pieces of art, and nick knacks covered the shelves. The office was filled with shades of green and blue, brown and orange.

“Can I get ya anythin’ from the replicator? Food, drink, a set of darts and a target?”

O’Farrell

“No thank you,” he said politely but moved to the chair across from her desk. “I know you are trying to make this easy but right now I am having a hard time seeing you as Cara and not someone I am reporting to.” Sitting down in the chair, Ian waited for Cara to assume her position on the other side of the desk. It was not like Ian had anything against the woman. She was well-liked by the crew and had a spectacular record. It was more the bad taste in his mouth of being forced to come instead of willing to come. Again this was not her fault but some stylus pushing pinhead light years away thinking Ian needed a box of tissues and guidance on his life choices.

Cara’s desk sat facing the wall her door was on so that she faced the wall when she was working there. She didn’t believe in sitting on the other side of a desk and using that barrier to assert her position with the person in her office. It also conveyed a sense that even if she did sit at her desk she had to turn her back to it and give the person her undivided attention. “No, not easier, just useful.” Cara grabbed her tea from her desk and walked over to a more comfortable chair across from Ian. “And well, Ian, ya are reportin’ ta me. However, I hope that does’na mean that it can’na be a productive use of yer time for while yer here.” She was curious what ‘seeing her as Cara’ meant for Ian because they had very little interaction outside of official duties. That was a conversation for another time though.

“I heard congratulations are in order with you and the big guy,” Ian stated. Rumor on the ship was speculative about whether they were married, engaged, or just being shipped as Cardusk. His comment had genuine sincerity to it but also was a way to pass the hour before he was stamped mentally competent for another year of service.

Ian Bordeaux CDO

Cara smiled slightly, “Thank you,” giving no hint as to what might be true of the rumors. The statement seemed odd to her given Ian and the ‘Big Guy’ were practically at each other’s throats during the staff meeting. She wasn’t going to get into the middle of that though. There were more pressing events in Ian’s life than having a disagreement with the security chief. “Ya’ve had a hell of a week, Ian. How close is yer stress level ta the breakin’ point?”

OOC: Is it a week since Jessa came on board? I can’t keep track of the timeline. I know this is after the second staff meeting.

O’Farrell

OOC: Yes for the purposes of this thread, it has been a week. ~ Kate

“I have had worse,” he let out a small laugh. “The week Kelly and I found out we were married and were trying to decide if we were staying that way or getting it annulled was a doozy. There are a lot of things that need to be figured out before it reaches the level of that week with Kelly.” Ian knew Cara was not asking that question in a general sense but gently trying to get him to talk about Jessa.

Ian Bordeaux CDO

Jessa was actually the last of Cara’s concerns where it came to Ian at the moment. Not that the child wasn’t on the list. Cara smirked slightly. “That is a diplomatic way of evadin’ the question. I have no doubt that ya have had more than yer fair share of stressful weeks in yer position. That doesn’a answer how close ya are ta yer limit.” Cara didn’t believe that beating around the bush was going to work with Ian. They would end up the whole hour circling each other and getting nowhere. “I think I can safely surmise that though that week might have been crazy, the stress of deciding if ya loved each other enough ta stay married is much different from the stress this week. Risk comes with service, and I’m sure this isn’a the first time yer wife has been severely hurt in the line of duty. However, she was hurt because people were lookin’ for you. You were unreachable in a sudden unexpected, all consumin’ meetin’.” Cara knew because she had been the one Kelly had ordered to go get Ian and tell him to come to the transporter room. She’d passed on the message, but they hadn’t heard from Ian until later in sickbay.

O’Farrell