Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in En Route- Mental Health Priorities

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Leah Hart (Nurse Practitioner/Counseling) in En Route- Mental Health Priorities

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in En Route- Mental Health Priorities
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

He was closed off and guarded, arms still folded. “No one else has the resources starfleet does. I’m not interested in accolades or awards, I’m interested in discovery. Starfleet is better for that than anyplace else I might’ve gone.”

~ Roman

Leah nodded. [o]It does excel at that for sure.[o] She paused, gathering her thoughts. [o]So you have a career path you love, a means to engage in that, and the threat of losing all that you’ve worked for. Those are pretty high stakes. Maybe not lives on the line life-and-death stakes, but the personal stakes are considerable. So here we are… talking. The question that leads me to is, why now? Why has this all come to a point right now and not at a point earlier. Besides a new doctor, what’s changed?”[o]

~Leah Hart, NP

Roman shook his head. “Nothing, honestly, nothing. It’s been the same for- for a long time now.” It wasn’t just the threat of losing his career either, which was a considerable threat to him, but Rand as well, he could be transferred away from. He shrugged. “I don’t know what answer you’re looking for.”

~ Roman

Hart shook her head. [o]Believe it or not, I’m not looking for a specific answer, Commander. What I am looking for is the truth. But the thing is that sometimes we can’t see that truth for ourselves, or it’s too difficult, too painful a reality. So we do all sorts of things to make the truth be anything than what it is. My job is to help sort out the truths from the fictions we’ve told ourselves, because once it’s all there in front of us, we can make decisions. We have options.[o]

Leah leaned forward slightly, her eyes holding warmth. [o]If we have to play some games at times to get to your truths, Commander, so that I have the information I need to write the report I’ve been asked to, then we play games. But you’re an intelligent person. You know we don’t have a lot of time to find the right cards to lay on the table, so I’m going to ask you to help yourself. It’s your career. If it really is important to you, we’re going to have to change the status quo. And we both know it isn’t comfortable. No one likes mandatory evals. Believe it or not, they’re not great fun for me either. I prefer having conversations with people who want to. But this isn’t about what you or I want at all, it’s about what you need. So… will you go there with me? Can we shake things up, be courageous, and dig deeper?[o]

~Leah Hart, NP

“I don’t need…” Roman started and then sighed, “Don’t hang up again.” He glanced away, at something out of view. Rand, mouthing tell her you have a fear of Sickbay! He looked back at the screen. “What exactly are you asking me to do?”

~ Roman

Leah spread her hands out in front of her before they disappeared from the screen. [o]I want to ask some more difficult questions, and that can make it feel combative between us, because I’m asking you to possibly go where you don’t want to. What I’m asking is to not be treated like the enemy. I would like you to give my questions due consideration and for you to answer truthfully, whatever that looks like in that moment. I would love for you to see that I’m actually on your side. I want to be able to say that Commander Roman Alden is okay to remain on duty at this time. If there are additional caveats with it, so be it, but you want to keep your career, and I want you to keep your career, so what do you say, can we work on it together?[o] She was being honest with him because she was asking no less of him.

~Leah Hart, NP

“I will try.” Roman said after a long silence. “I can’t promise anything.” He looked at Leah with a slightly less icy expression. “I just want to keep my job.”

~ Roman

She gave him a soft smile. [o]That you try is a good place to begin.[o]

Leah waited a moment and then tapped her fingertips together before resting her arms on the desk. [o]You said you don’t know why Dr. Kreed wants you to have this eval. But we both know that’s not true. And we’ve established there are consequences if you don’t. Now, as it happens, I know Dr. Kreed and he’s not a person who would make such a declaration on a whim, nor would he not talk to his patients about it. Why exactly do you believe you were referred to talk to me?”[o]

~Leah Hart, NP

There was a long silence. Roman glanced off screen again, then back to Leah. “I… avoided a physical. Doctor Kreed had to give me something for uhm…” It was embarrassing to him. The words didn’t want to come out. “for anxiety. To finish the physical.”

~ Roman

She nodded. “[o]Okay, that’s actually really good to know. What part about being in Sickbay makes you anxious?[o]

~Leah Hart, NP