Posted by Lieutenant Commander Dr. Royal Sinclair (Chief of Security) in Cori’s Quarters- Evaluating Options

Posted by Lieutenant Corinne Dalton/SARAH (Ships AI/Avatar) in Cori’s Quarters- Evaluating Options

(snip)

He understood and that made Cori smile, at least for a moment. Pulling out the fabric, she revealed her class of 2383 Starfleet Academy t-shirt, holding it up to herself. “I always did rock a t-shirt,” she said, her electric eyes brightening for a moment.

“You know what really bothers me about not having my shoes? Them being considered evidence and being held by others feels like they are being tainted. It’s like before, they were made of something pure, but by dragging them into the mess that surrounds the reason I exist they way I do, they’ve contaminated them. Is that weird?”

~Corinne Dalton

Royal shrugged and shook his head. “No, not really. But try and think of it like this. The shoes are the shoes. They are yours, and they are important to you. They also prove who you are as a person, and that’s why they are in evidence. Because they prove who you are to others, as well.” He pointed at the shirt and then to the bedroom, indicating it should be put away as it normally would.

But Cori rested the shirt in her lap, frowning slightly. What did she need clothes for? It’s not like she could put on the t-shirt. But she did understand what he was trying to get at by just keeping it somewhere.

“The shoes aren’t being used *against * you. They are doing for others what they do for you… prove who you are.”

Sinclair, CoS

They had only barely gotten into the deep and difficult task of working through the various pieces that formed her trauma, and it hadn’t been until Royal had pointed out that she really needed therapy that she even allowed herself to consider that she was not okay. But then things changed and while he was her friend and sounding board, he wasn’t her therapist anymore and she wasn’t sure if she was (or would ever be ready) to go through this all with someone else. But he certainly wasn’t wrong, even though she could feel herself resisting his words, knowing she still had a hard time believing others would believe them also. Still, she nodded her head slowly.

With a sigh, and the t-shirt still on her lap, she reached into the crate to pull out another tissue wrapped object. Holding it in her hand she shook her head. “Whoever put all this stuff away was incredibly delicate about it. I could probably look it up easily, but there have been times I’ve wondered who was stuck with this task.” She looked at Royal intently. “I mean, can you imagine what that must be like to have to go gather all the belongings of a crew member who was lost or died?” She didn’t voice the thought that she wondered if it had been Jarred, or if it had been too painful.

~Corinne Dalton