<snip>

“Last question two questions,” Kelly stated suddenly wanting to wrap this conversation up but for a purpose Dr. Satis may or may not understand. Since it was personal in nature, Kelly needed to fully end this conversation before bringing it up. The last thing she wanted was for Bren Satis to think he was in a quid pro quo. “Are you happy here and can you maintain a professional relationship within the department.” She would be surprised if the answer wasn’t yes and yes. It was just one of those dot-the-paperwork items. After his response, if yes, Kelly would take a chance on him like Bren took a chance on her.

Kelly Bordeaux CO

For a moment the doctor wanted to parse her question. How could he know he was happy here if he’d only just arrived? He anticipated he would be and he wanted to keep the posting, but that level of pedantry would serve no purpose here.

“Yes, Captain, I am happy here and have no doubt about my ability to maintain professional relationships within my department and the Atlantis as a whole.”

Satis, MO

Kelly let his answer hang in the air before a slight nod indicating approval of his answer. The pause was more of her time contemplating how she was going to bring up the new topic. Her easy, laid back personality was a bit more tense. “Dr. Satis I need your help with something. It involves Jessa and your Betazoid heritage. It is a more personal favor than professional one so if you are not interested in hearing any more you can just walk out and we are still good.” Kelly did not expand on the other option. If he remained in the room she would continue.

Kelly Bordeaux CO

Bren felt his eyebrow raise involuntarily. It was obvious he was curious. He’d come to the Captain fully expecting that his assignment aboard the Atlantis would end practically before it had begun and now the Captain was asking a favor of him. It didn’t escape his sense of irony that the favor seemed to fall within the same realm, or perhaps vicinity, of the part of him that had landed him trouble to begin with.

“Please, Captain, tell me how I can help.”

Satis, MO

“I fully respect your Betazoid heritage and I am not asking you to do anything you don’t feel comfortable with but,” Kelly finally stopped hemming and hawing around her question, “I would love to know your gut thoughts on her emotional state when you have interactions with her. We keep her under close supervision and those allowed access to her a select few. I need to ensure the safety of not only my crew but also her. While I am not privy to disclose everything going on right now, there are a lot of moving parts behind the scenes. I am not asking you to mind meld with her psychic style but more your general impressions.”

Kelly Bordeaux CO

Bren was silent for a moment. A number of thoughts rushed through his mind, but he wanted to avoid an unfiltered response. He had studied psychology as an undergrad, but his expertise was the physical wiring of the brain, not the emotional complexity the brain’s electrical impulses manifested.

“Most of what I sensed from Jessa lacks context, so please take that into consideration. I’m not qualified to diagnose anything beyond her physical health, but I met a girl who seems to be struggling internally while doing her utmost to display an adult confidence externally. What I felt from her could be a strong case of cognitive dissonance. The mental model of the world that has been developed within her for the past twelve years isn’t helping her make sense of her current situation. In fact, it’s likely doing the opposite and that can create a heavy psychological toll.”

Satis, MO

The fact Bren Satis hadn’t stated ‘oh hell no’ when Kelly mentioned Jessa was a good sign. She didn’t want to make this an order and even if she had to, there were so few crew she felt reasonably safe in assigning the task to. “Rinker has stated much of the same as you in his sessions with her.” Taking a more formal pose, Kelly clasped her hands in front of her and looked at Bren.

Bren’s eyes momentarily looked to the side as he tried to place the name Rinker in his quick study of the ship’s senior crew. His memory didn’t land on the person, but he kept himself from interjecting. The Captain looked ready to continue and he waited for her to fill in the context.

“You are new to the crew but I want you to know that when I can give full disclosure I do. When I can’t I give,” she paused debating on her words, “murky honest.” The word should impart enough meaning for Bren to guess what she alluding to. “There is a push from command to ascertain what the suit can do at any cost. I want to minimize the cost to everyone.” Unlike some in Starfleet, Kelly struggled with Jessa’s age and mental state when looking at her actions. “Jessa is a child and Jessa has the potential for great violence.
Right now those two facts are mutually inclusive however I am hoping to make them exclusive. It’s no secret that Jessa and some of the crew are like oil and water. She was very close to the prior CMO, Evrilla however she is not here now. Jessa and the current CMO got off on a bad foot so I am going to assign you to be around to monitor Jessa’s physical state when we test the power of the battle suit. Rinker will be there to monitor her psychological status however since you are Betazoid and Rinker is a physician maybe you can cross-collaborate. Of course, you are also free to collaborate with Dr. Tallisse on any thoughts you have but I am trying to keep the people involved with this task small and those to whom Jessa has been relatively lukewarm in regards to personal relationships. ” Kelly let her comment sink in and waited for a response from Dr. Satis.

Kelly Bordeaux CO

“I’m glad to know that Jessa is at least lukewarm toward me,” Bren’s lips curled slightly into a playful smirk. “I’d be happy to work with Dr. Rinker and make sure that any tests we do with regards to her battle suit do not cause her physical or psychological harm. If there’s a chance we can return Jessa to some semblance of a healthy adolescence, I want to do my best to help. What are our next steps and to what extent are we being transparent about our goals with Jessa? I gather she may be pretty attached to her battle suit.”

Satis, MO

“She refuses to remove it and we don’t know if we could safely remove it from her.” Kelly paused for a second knowing Bren could sense all her emotions even though she was trying to remain neutral. “My goal is for her to remove it herself by choice and not force. She will only sleep encased in the armor which means she doesn’t feel safe. I had hoped that moving her into Ian’s and I quarters and giving Jessa her own space would help but it hasn’t. We fight the battles we need to so sleeping encased in armor is not something we are tackling right now.”

Bren wasn’t a parent and from what he was gathering, neither was Bordeaux, at least not before Jessa’s arrival. So he was impressed with the insight and patience she was showing with her unruly tween.

The weight and strain of the past two weeks could be read even without a medical degree on Kelly. Her eyes had dark shadows beneath them along with a sag in her shoulder only created by fatigue. The medical records Bren had access to would show Kelly physically was recovering from the skull fracture and concussion sustained during the initial meeting.

“As to transparency, we are going with murky opaque,” she let out a small chuckle that was heard more than seen. Taking a sip of her coffee, Kelly melted back into her seat no longer caring about prim posture. If Bren was all in on this, he would see the side that was not all Captain. “Jessa likes to point out how advanced she is compared to us so we are running with that. We are going to let her show us what the suit can do in controlled situations. Well as controlled as we can make it.” Taking another sip of her coffee, Kelly savored the warmth in her mouth. Aside from a stiff drink, a strong cup of coffee healed most of what ailed her on a daily basis.

“I am not an idiot. I am also not pro this choice but we all have our orders so I would prefer Jessa to see it more as educating us than a tactical exercise. Just use your discretion when asking her things or interacting with her. I trust your judgment.”

Kelly Bordeaux CO

“That approach makes sense. From what I’ve experienced any approach that seeks to assert authority over Jessa is only going to experience resistance. Asserting reasonable behavioral boundaries is one thing, but anything she sees as an arbitrary force of power will just backfire.”

“Is that your medical expertise or your minor in counseling stating the universal constant of all teens are dicks?” Kelly’s tone was neutral but her mannerisms indicated it was more dry humor.

“I’ve also heard that three year olds are assholes,” Bren quipped before his prefrontal cortex could filter an inappropriately familiar declaration from his speech.

Bren paused. He was coming off more as counselor than physician. Had he chosen another path that may have been his role, but what fun was it to take the route most expected of his people?

It was possible the Captain saw this conversation as finished. He had brought her a problem. She had provided a path toward a solution. Now she had reciprocated and he had agreed to help in anyway he could toward finding a solution. Yet he hadn’t been dismissed, so he pushed forward, if only slightly.

“How are you feeling, if you don’t mind the question?”

Satis, MO

“Mentally or physically,” she asked with a slight upward tinge to the corner of her mouth. On some level, Kelly understood that answering both was needed. Bren was a doctor and as such was the point person to suggest other avenues of medicine past a bandaid and a hypo. “Well, I can’t tell if the exhaustion is from life, the brain surgery, or both. I seem to have a mild headache that is not going away no matter how many analgesics I choke down with the coffee. I am taking things a bit slower because it feels like it takes me a minute to think but at least for right now I am not having to make critical life decisions for the ship. I talked to the XO and we have a great working relationship. He has my back if I needed. Other than that I am just peachy.”

While Bren was not the doctor who initially treated the Captain, he would have access to her medical records showing that ten days ago, Kelly suffered from a skull fracture with underlying subdermal hematoma. She had surgery to repair the damage but was in a medical coma for three days after the event. Post surgery, Kelly had healed but was diagnosed with a severe concussion along with the bumps and bruises from being tossed about the room like a rag doll when the Elders attacked the first night they arrived. Kelly had been discharged from sickbay in the aftermath of the promenade attack three days ago; however, Kelly’s version of taking it easy probably didn’t match what a doctor would term taking it easy.

Kelly Bordeaux CO

“I believe you believe you are taking it easy. I’ll just encourage you to pay attention to what your body is telling you. Don’t dismiss any unusual fatigue, lightheadedness, or headaches. You have a whole Sickbay at your immediate command. A few years ago, while on leave, I decided my time would be well spent building a series of planters on the wall of my apartment’s balcony. It took a couple of days. Both nights I ended up lying down with a stomachache. I chalked it up to working my body in a way it wasn’t used to and a diet of pizza and beer while I did my home improvements. By the time a spiking fever sent me to the doctor, my appendix had already perforated. I, of all people, should have known the signs. At the very least I might have thought to reach for my tricorder, but I didn’t. The experience didn’t turn me into a hypochondriac, but I’m a little more sensitive to the signals my body sends me.”

Satis, MO