Posted by Lieutenant Corinne Dalton (Scientist) in Meeting Cori

Posted by Lieutenant Dr. Mariah Lee Grayson (Chief of Psychiatry) in Meeting Cori

Posted by Lieutenant Corinne Dalton (Scientist) in Meeting Cori
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Mariah waited for her next arrival with a heightened sense of anticipation. She was used to dealing with all sorts of complex people and problems, but Cori was certainly going to be one of the most unique people she had ever met. At the same time, just knowing what she had been through, Mariah felt a strong desire to protect her, give her a safe place to process all that she had been through, and to ensure she never felt like an oddity in Mariah’s presence. Grayson understood she couldn’t control what anyone else felt, but that didn’t mean she didn’t tried to channel the best of her intentions into her efforts.

~Doctor Mariah Grayson, CoP

After checking in at reception, Cori waited a few minutes before she was told she could go on in. Down the hall a little, she stopped in front of the door she had been directed to and pressed the chime, inhaling a steadying breath.

When bidden to enter, Cori stepped in, her lean body still not entirely strong but improving every day. Her raven hair was loose, hanging past her shoulders. “Hi, I’m Corinne Dalton, your next patient? I mean, of course you know that,” she said shaking her head. “I just..” She flushed slightly. “Sorry, I don’t know why I’m so nervous. It’s not like I’m not used to talking to a therapist.” But Royal was different and their situation, their history was different. Grayson was a stranger to her. A well-regarded one, but a stranger nonetheless.

~Corinne Dalton

Mariah offered what she hoped would be a reassuring smile. “No worries. To me, it’s perfectly understandable. I may do something you’re familiar with, but that doesn’t mean another stranger to you right now. With time, I hope that will change for both of us.” She gestured toward her seating area. “Would you like to sit down and make yourself comfortable? I’d also be happy to get you anything from the replicator.”

~Doctor Mariah Grayson, CoP

Cori moved over and took a seat in one of the armchairs. “I’m okay, thanks,” she said as she leaned on one of the arms. She studied her hands and the floor for a moment before she lifted her vivid blue eyes to Mariah. “So… how do we want to do this? My last experience with a therapist was an evaluation where we did in fact establish I was a sentient person and all that jazz. But a lot has happened since then. It’s like being an entirely different person, and… not at the same time.”

~Corinne Dalton

“These sessions are just for you,” Mariah assured. “I will be assessing your well-being, of course, but my hope is you’ll feel less like a specimen under the gaze of a probing scientist and more like a person talking to someone who cares. I know such trust doesn’t come easily, but I’m a pretty patient person,” she added with a smile. “My wish is that this will become a safe place for you.”

~Doctor Mariah Grayson, CoP

Something about Grayson’s tense-usage made Cori widen her vivid blue eyes. It was the use of the future ‘will’, an understanding that right now this space might not feel safe for Cori. Immediately she felt something within her shift and Dalton breathed out some of her anxiousness, her body relaxing into the chair. “I appreciate that. I’ve spent many of my recent years having to prove myself to people. Prove I’m still a sentient person. Prove I’m not a danger. Prove I’m loyal to Starfleet. It’s strange to be on the Ogawa and have only a handful of people know about before. It feels like a new start, but that sort of feels like a trap. I don’t want to forget everything that’ happened, but I am very much ready for new things. If that makes sense?”

~Corinne Dalton

Bump

Mariah nodded. “It makes perfect sense. I think even when we have terrible things happen to us, if we’re lucky, we are able to hold onto the drive to keep moving forward… To thrive and not merely survive. I’m really sorry you were treated with more skepticism than compassion,” Grayson offered sincerely. “I’d like to think most scientists and healers worth their salt can meet their obligations for a proper evaluation without losing their sense of empathy. We are not just people to be analyzed and then utilized, I believe we all want to feel a sense of purpose and connection. To do that, we all need a safe place to just be ourselves.”

~Doctor Mariah Grayson, CoP

Cori shook her head slowly. “It wasn’t those people usually. It was those higher ups. Those that had the safety of the ship and crew in their hands. And I get it, I do. They had a potential threat lurking in their computer system, but those trained to see threats saw me as that first, rather than a person. And even if they got to know me, there was always this feeling I got like people were just waiting to be proven right.”

~Corinne Dalton

“Confirmation bias,” Mariah replied with a nod. “A common flaw of sentient beings, but no less harmful to missions and to relationships, especially relationships between senior officers and their crew.” Grayson positive, then offered, “I don’t have to tell you we lack the ability to police one another’s thoughts, but I can promise you we do have the ability to police one another’s actions to create an atmosphere which discourages marginalizing people because of ignorance. I can tell you the Captain cares very much about you and wants to see to it you are given fair treatment and a safe place to be.”

~Doctor Mariah Grayson, CoP