Posted by Lieutenant Todd Nyman (Chief Counselor) in Family Fun with the Counselor [FAO Nyman]

Posted by Commander Oliver Loughty (Executive Officer) in Family Fun with the Counselor [FAO Nyman]

Posted by Lieutenant Todd Nyman (Chief Counselor) in Family Fun with the Counselor [FAO Nyman]
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Walking through the ship holodeck, currently a replica of the moon Eden project mk2 Ollie watched his daughter splashing in the puddles of the arboretum floor as they awaited the counsellor. The sessions as Starfleet called them were to support him as a single parent and more importantly, make sure Hazel was getting everything she needed whilst being aboard a ship like the Leviathan. It wasn’t A family ship but the ship was a family, at least that is the impression he got.

Ollie was wearing his command uniform, his hair cleanly shaven though a light stubble coming through something that was growing on him both literally and figuratively. “Hazel dear you’re going to catch a cold if you get too wet” He said knowing that she was probably having to much fun to listen. She was wearing her favourite purple wellies a sun dress which was now damp at the bottom and clutched in one hand her precious teddy.

“Daddy!” She said as the doors opened and for the sake of the replicator having to recycle another set of clothes, he hoped it was the counsellor.

• Commander Oliver Loughty, XO

Nyman came in, full uniform and PaDD in hand. His long blonde hair once again tied back and out of the way. This time it was bound up in a faux leather hair piece, leaving only a short tale coming out the back. He was reviewing the recommended questions for family counseling, memorizing the most applicable ones. He could have, maybe should have, asked Dr. Whitley to take care of this session. She had more personal experience dealing with human families.

Looking up from his PaDD, he straightened up and greeted Ollie with a polite smile,

“Commander,” he said, tucking away the device under his arm, “Welcome aboard. I am Chief Counselor Nyman.”

Lieutenant Nyman took a quick glance around the Holodeck, his green eyes lighting up as he saw Hazel in her damp sundress,

“And you must be Ms. Loughty.” Addressing her with the same tone of respect that he had given the Commander.

~~~ Lieutenant Nyman, Chief Counselor

Before Oliver could take the opportunity to extend his warm greeting to the Lieutenant, Hazel, with swift agility, positioned herself in front of the chief counsellor, her hand extended in a gesture of introduction. “I am Hazel Loughty, and it’s a pleasure to meet youyou. I assure you, I’m perfectly sane,” she exclaimed with an innocent yet enthusiastic grin. Eager to forge a positive impression, Hazel seemed to be drawing upon information she had gleaned from the ship’s database about counsellors, though there was a possibility of some misinterpretation in her enthusiastic attempt to convey her mental stability.

The counselor, surprised by the sudden burst of attention, felt he had no choice but to cautiously accept her handshake.

“Hazel!” Oliver exclaimed, “Sorry Lieutenant she had discovered the ship’s computer system and has taken to some extracurricular activities unfortunately I haven’t yet set up any parental controls” ~’not that it would do any good’~ Were his internal thoughts, Hazel was astute at using computers, perhaps more so than he was at the age and more than any girl at her age. “I am Commander Loughty, though in these sessions I think it’s sensible to keep them informal so Oliver will be sufficient”. As a single parent and aboard such a diverse and interesting ship, Stafleet’s way of saying dangerous it was recommended that the pair took part in monthly sessions to make sure that both he and Hazel were coping with the change to their environment.

• Commander Oliver Loughty, XO

“Okay then… Oliver,” Nyman responded with a smile and a nod. He wasn’t used to children, or families, or calling a complete stranger by their first name, but like most things he just had to fake enough confidence until he could get used to it.

“I’ll be the one seeing to your onboarding appointment. For both you and your… ehem, you and Hazel. Perhaps we should find a place to sit, there are quite a few questions we have to go through.”

~~~ Lieutenant Nyman, Chief Counselor

Sensing that the Counsellor was a little uneasy Oliver nodded, “Hazel dear why don’t you go play in the big puddle we saw just by the big tree, but don’t wonder out of ear shot please.” The young girl smiled greatly and waved her quick goodbye before disappearing around the corner though her giggles and splashes could still be heard. Oliver guided them briefly to a park bench and table which was conveniently near a hidden replicator. “A Drink Counsellor?” He asked putting in the command for a coffee.

“A bottle of cola would be great, actually.”

“I’m sorry about Hazel she can come across as a bit strong, she means well but I understand that this ship isn’t used to children, well at least ones that aren’t anomalies at least.” He paused and chuckled “Though the jury is still out on that I suppose.” Oliver waited to see if the Lieutenant wanted anything before returning to his seat, “Thank you for taking the time to see us, as already touched on families are rare on the ship and I imagine that as such this may be a bit different to the normal session.” He stated empathetically.

• Loughty, XO

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Nyman reassured him, “I’m happy to help, I wouldn’t be of much use if I didn’t. Besides, I was actually looking forward to meeting you two.”

Oliver replicated the counsellor’s bottle of cola and placed it neatly in front of him on the wooden bench.

He sat down at the bench, smiling as always. This was a very important part of his job as Chief Counselor, and the thought of failure still bothered him. On the other hand, his own curiosity and fascination with humans in particular made him slightly excited to accept the responsibility. He hadn’t worked with human children before. Which, from what he had read, were raised very differently from Vendorians. For example, they were completely dependent on their parents for a rather long time. So, while different, it wasn’t too surprising Oliver wanted to talk one-on-one first.

“Now, I know a move like this can be challenging,” he started, recalling the questionnaire but keeping the tone casual, “How are things looking so far? Any concerns you’d like to discuss?”

|Lt. Nyman,
Chief Counselor|

Oliver considered his answer a moment, “Things have gone well, Hazel is adjusting in her way and while she has been a little more demanding the last few days I think that is just her way of coping. As for me, the move was stressful, it always is especially when readjusting from living on Terrafirma and then moving to ship life.Its been especially helped by how accommodating the ship and crew have been, our quarters are more than adequate for us both and offer us some luxury which we hadn’t expected. My only concern right now is how Hazel will adapt and how she will take to her education onboard, she has always had a good routine in classes and now receiving one to one mentoring I do wonder if she’ll loose that child and socialisation aspect in her life “

• Loughty, XO

“I’m glad to hear you have found our ship so accommodating,” Nyman replied. “I understand a change in environment can be very stressful, so having that support is important, for both of you.”

Taking a pause to open his bottle, he thought more about the socialization aspect.

“So, if I understood correctly, you seem to have some concern about how her social skills might be affected because of this change?” he asked.

|Lt. Nyman,
Chief Counselor|

“Perhaps even an understatement counsellor, my biggest concern is that she will suffer from not being around other children. I don’t want to see her grow up to fast or miss the finer things of childhood, the holodeck can really on cater for so much.” Oliver paused, “Of course, there are children on Hades so whenever we are docked she will be attending the children’s activities there.” Oliver sipped his own drink in thought.

• Loughty, XO

“Right, I’m certain that would help,” the counselor replied, “Is there anything else we could do to support? Perhaps some activities someone could do with her while onboard? Or maybe spending time with-“

He stopped himself. He was going to suggest she spent some time with the younger Cadets. But the youngest he knew of was 18 years old, and ten years was a significant age gap even for humans.

“Never mind,” he corrected himself, “Let’s get back to… is there anything else we could do to support?”

|Lt. Nyman,
Chief Counselor|

Oliver was curious about where Nyman was going with his first thought, “In all honestly the crew are already going above and beyond. These sessions alone will help me off load some of the emotional burdon though I do believe perhaps Hazel would benefit from her own session. I know there would be perhaps things she wouldnt feel comfortable saying, especially if she was unhappy if I was present. She is highly aware of what Starfleet means and she does hide her emotions well at time.” He sighed, “She is a tough young lady who has already expressed her desire to join Starfleet but I wonder sometimes if thats because Starfleet is all she has ever known. I wonder if I should try to show her something other than that life.”

Commander Oliver Loughty
Executive Officer
USS Leviathan

The counselor’s dark green eyes widened, sparkling with a hint of excitement.

“Hazel having her own sessions is an excellent idea.” he replied, “I’m sure we can arrange that.”

He paused, taking another drink of cola. There were times in the counselor’s own life where it felt like he didn’t have a choice. Sometimes because he wasn’t aware of other options. Other times he was explicitly told there were no other options, but that was obviously not the case with Hazel. Being raised in the Federation meant that however she chooses to be productive, Star Fleet or not, she had the right to that choice.

“If I understand correctly,” he continued, “Eight years is a little young to set in a career path. Would you be interested in us going over some other options with her in our sessions?”

|Lt. Nyman,
Chief Counselor|

“It’s not uncommon for children to express their early desires. Even when babies are born, health visitors inquire about parents’ expectations for their child. I simply wanted her to be happy. Undoubtedly, my current career has shaped her opinions and views on the universe we live in. Perhaps she’ll encounter others who might influence her perspective. However, I believe it would be beneficial for her to understand the world beyond Starfleet. So, I appreciate the offer,” Oliver expressed gratefully.

Just then, Hazel came running back over, eager for attention or to be part of the conversation. “Daddy, have you finished talking seriously now?” she asked, seeking involvement. “Of course, dear. The Counselor here was just suggesting doing some one-to-one sessions with you,” Oliver replied with a warm smile, acknowledging both the seriousness of the discussion and Hazel’s desire for a lighter atmosphere..”

Commander Oliver Loughty
Executive Officer
USS Leviathan