Posted by Ensign Iyun Riani (Scientist) in Counsellor’s Office - Iyun’s psychological evaluation

Posted by Lieutenant Anastasia Darren (Chief of Psychiatry) in Counsellor’s Office - Iyun’s psychological evaluation

Posted by Ensign Iyun Riani (Scientist) in Counsellor’s Office - Iyun’s psychological evaluation

(snip)

Slipping on the proffered chair after pulling her long braid over her shoulder, Iyun said meekly, “A glas of water, please.” For a heartbeat or two, she just stared at the jar full of lollipops, not entirely sure why Darren had them on her desk and was offering them to her. The last time a health care professional had offered her candy was after getting shots when she was a child. But not wanting to be impolite, she reached for the jar and took the first one her fingers touched; which happened to be a dark purple one. As she didn’t really know what to do or say, she started to fiddle with the lollipop in her lap; her gaze cast down.

~Ensign Iyun, Science

With deliberate movements, Ana stepped to the replicator to procure the glass of water for Iyun, choosing not to get anything for herself. She made her way back with the beverage just in time to see her select the grape flavored treat, but she noted that the woman did not open the candy. Picking up the small trash container concealed by her desk, she held it out expectantly for the plastic wrapper, indicating that the expectation was for Iyun to consume the treat. She seemed oblivious to the nervous behaviors of the officer, instead inquiring, “what brings you to the Ogawa, Ensign?”

Darren, CoP

Ria looked from the bin to the counsellor and back at the bin before hastily unwrapping the lollipop and putting the plastic wrapper in the bin while putting the lollipop in her mouth. Only to realize that sucking the lolly and talking at the same time would not work at all. So she lowered the candy back towards her lap and said with her eyes not fully meeting the counsellor’s, “I just graduated from the Academy and was assigned to the Ogawa.”

~Ensign Iyun, Science

Ana didn’t seem much interested in eye contact herself as she kept her gaze on Iyun’s right shoulder, although she was attentively listening to the woman’s response. “This is your first posting then,” she commented, acknowledging what the woman had told her in a somewhat forced and discomforted manner. Typically, she would have launched into her next question, but her recent feedback had indicated a need to encourage the back and forth of conversation without simply questioning her patients for these evaluations. “Why did you choose to attend the Academy?” There wasn’t much of a break between her acknowledgement and the following question, however.

Darren, CoP

Ria chewed a little on her lower lip while pondering how to answer that question. Not that it was a difficult one, but her main reason ‘Because I like science’ hadn’t been a good enough one, when she ‘d tried to get into the Academy, and she doubted that it would be a good enough answer now. So how to elaborate without oversharing? Eventually she replied, “For most of my life I lived on Deep Space Nine and I always loved science; anything related to physics and mathematics in particular. I got to know a young science officer there when I was still a kid and they took me under their wing, so to speak. I learned a lot about science and also about Starfleet. It sounded wonderful to me: Doing something I love while seeing new places and hopefully discovering new astronomical phenomena.” As she spoke her emotions were all of the place: joy, gratitude, excitement, longing, sadness, fear. She tried not to show them, though in this moment didn’t even consider that the woman in front of her might not be human, or fully human.

~Ensign Iyun, Science

Ana waited mostly patiently for Iyun to answer her question, pressing her hands together in her lap under her desk so that she wasn’t inclined to fidget with anything on her desk. She had found that it did not tend to lead to a relaxed encounter when the counselor appeared to be anxious. Finally giving in to her desire to move, she jotted a few notes down about what Iyun had said on the console at her desk. “You could do all of that without Starfleet, though, Ensign. Is there something in particular that led you to do so in a life of service?” As she asked the question, it occurred to her that the same could be asked of her and she made a mental note to ponder that later. Thankfully for Iyun, while Ana was an empath, she not only had no interest in reading the emotions of others, but actively engaged blocks to keep from being swamped with the emotions of others around her.

Darren, CoP