Posted by Crewman Jasper Jarvis (Cardiology and Surgery) in side sim - psychiatry suite bording evaluation

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Anastasia’s dark eyes stared at him for a few moments, unblinking. Just as the silence grew uncomfortable, she tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear and commented, “I just joined the ship so I haven’t had the opportunity to meet the dentist; however, in my… professional practice… I’ve found that a treat and something else to focus on helps those visiting my office feel more at ease.” She didn’t need to mention that this was the first time she’d had a professional practice… that certainly wasn’t at all relevant. She held out the lollipop container for another beat to see if Jarvis would change his mind, and then placed it on the desk within arm’s reach of him. “Feel free if you change your mind,” she continued, gesturing with her hand to indicate the container. She paused a moment to gather her thoughts and then queried, simply, “tell me about yourself.”

Darren

Dr Jarvis forced himself not to think of some snide comment regarding Darren’s ‘at ease’ philosophy. Instead, he pictured the pool of green blood that would be present when making the first incision into a Vulcan’s chest cavity using an old fashioned scalpel blade. His recollection the oxidising copper almost strong enough for him to smell. He gave the counsellor a deadpan look and wondered if she had been filled in on the basic information from his file. “I am a surgeon who’s experimentation and procedures in the field of genetic modification were considered so abhorrent by the denizens of Tarisa II that they saw fit to arrest me.” That much would certainly be in the file and so he had no qualms about using it as the jumping off point. He watched closely for the reaction.

Dr J. Jarvis M.D

Ana’s posture remained rigid and upright as she carefully watched the doctor in front of her. He seemed to be watching her just as closely. She took a moment to note the curiosity of that situation and then took what felt like a deep breath, but her rib cage barely moved. She had had only a moment to review Jarvis’ record before being shoo’d to handle his evaluation and she felt not only inexperienced but uninformed and unprepared, both feelings that she was unaccustomed to and did not like. She narrowly resisted the urge to lick her dry lips and, finally, in a neutral tone, asked, “and how do you feel about that?”

Lt Darren, Psychiatrist

Dr Jarvis barely seemed to blink as he stared at the psychiatrist through his round spectacles. Her rigid posture suggested that she was not quite at ease. Perhaps he should offer her one of her own lollypops. He resisted the urge to do so. While it would amuse him to mess with her head, he had to toe the line. The Captain had made it perfectly clear that should she be given the slightest indication he was unfit for duty, he’d find himself on the next shuttle bound for New Zealand. And he’d had enough of the picturesque land of the kiwi for one lifetime. Still, Counsellor Pope had always talked about honesty…

“The incarceration was a minor inconvenience,” he said calmly, as though he’d made a comment about a pretty nebula that had passed by a porthole. “Not to mention that the Tarisian’s fabled tight-lippedness transpires to be a lot of hogwash. At least once the Federation gets involved. However, the prospect of finding a replicator that can make a decent cup of tea has been a strong motivator. Who knows, perhaps I’ll stumble upon some genuine tea leaves during my time here.” He gave Darren a thin, unnerving smile.

Dr J. Jarvis M.D

“A minor inconvenience?” Ana repeated back, in a way that might indicate some disbelief but her tone didn’t actually include any at all. “It seems here that you lost a promising career, a marriage, and a bit of your time over the whole situation,” she continued, her voice completely neutral and even. She returned his smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Dr Jarvis let out a hollow laugh. “My marriage, Counselor, was one of mutual convenience from the moment that relationship began. When I was arrested, it quickly became inconvenient for Nation and so it ended. I have lost no sleep over it and I very much doubt that she has either.” He interlocked his finger and began twiddling his thumbs as he studied her closely. “As for my career, do you honestly think I would have crafted an alternative practice had I been content with it? As for the time I lost, I was able to keep abreast of the latest advancements in my fields of interest and study materials on earth’s rather barbaric, but fascinating medical history. I also had the time to postulate some new theories of my own. The only drawback was the inability to perform surgery. So in those terms, it was a minor inconvenience.”

Ana didn’t seem to react to Jarvis’ blunt analysis of the situation. She imagined that some people were taken aback by his candor, but, in a way, his rationale made sense to her and she had a small streak of respect for someone who could own their decisions and accept any consequences, pleasant or unpleasant.

“What do you hope to gain out of your posting on the Ogawa, other than procuring genuine tea leaves?” she queried, feeling just a touch more comfortable with the situation at hand. Really, it wasn’t much different than the qualitative interviews she had conducted at the Academy in conjunction with her research. She could do this. Her hands unfolded from where they had been tightly linked together and she placed them flat on the desk in front of her, resisting the urge to pick up something to fill them and twiddle with. That would make him nervous, she chastised herself.

Lt Darren, Counselor

Jasper resisted the temptation to say that his twice-weekly sessions with Counselor Pope had been becoming irksome; the man’s therapy had been going nowhere. Instead, he answered, “perhaps the opportunity to encounter new species, with markedly alien physiologies, will allow me to use my skills in a positive manner.”

Dr Jarvis then adjusted his spectacles in a manner that suggested he was altering the focus of a magnifying glass. “So how long have you been posted here on the Ogawa, Counselor?”

Dr J. Jarvis M.D

“That seems reasonable enough,” Ana responded, but then flushed slightly as she realized that she had actually said that out loud. She gave up on her attempts not to fidget and picked out one of the lollipops from her container, spinning it on the desk with her fingers as she pondered Jarvis’ attempt to put the focus on her. Not only was that not appropriate therapeutically, but there was very little that made her more uncomfortable than being the center of attention.

“Not very long,” she responded simply. “I just completed postdoctoral research at Starfleet Medical.” She winced slightly that she had continued with more details instead of leaving it just at her first statement. “What do you hope to get out of this appointment?” she quickly added, black eyes meeting his as she redirected the focus back to him.

Lt Darren, Psychiatrist