Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Temp Quarters- Assessing the Situation

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Leah Hart (Nurse Practitioner/Counseling) in Temp Quarters- Assessing the Situation

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Temp Quarters- Assessing the Situation
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

This was one of those tricky moments. Was she completely honest, or did she not throw Rand under the proverbial bus. “You asked me not to, and ethically I’m not allowed to share anything with a patient’s family that they haven’t agreed I can share. Outside of certain circumstances, of course.”

“They want to talk to you, Roman. They have been wanting to for awhile. They were wanting to wait until you were ready, but I think we all know you’ll never think you are ready. So I think we should call them anyway. Rip off that bandaid and see for yourself. You are a part of their family whether you think you deserve to be or not, and it seems like this family is pretty determined to stand by you.”

~Leah Hart, NP

Roman seemed relieved by her words. “I don’t suppose ‘maybe later’ is an option?” He tried. He wasn’t sure what the problem was but the idea of talking to them.. it wasn’t comfortable. And the fact he didn’t know why made it worse.

~ Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

“What would talking to them later accomplish? How would that help?” Leah said.

~Leah Hart, NP

“By making it so I don’t have to do it now?” Roman replied.

~ Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Hart shrugged. “To what end? We already agreed that you need to talk to them, and that they want to talk to you, so how does putting off that conversation make your current situation better?”

~Leah Hart, NP

“It… doesn’t?” Roman answered. “I don’t know, I-I just… What would I even say?”

~ Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Her smile was soft and she leaned forward ever so slightly, but not so far that she would fall off the bed. “Roman, I know having control of the variables makes things predictable. That can make things feel safe. Maybe you don’t have to know what to say. Maybe we just start with making the call and seeing what happens?”

~Leah Hart, NP

He shook his head slightly. “I’m a scientist. I know all the variables before I do anything. Anything at all.” It was too emotional, too much. He… He felt terrible about it but how could he do this?

~ Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

“But life isn’t the science lab. There are variable we can control, and ones we can’t. We can’t control how this call will go, because it involves more than just us. So what things can you control during the call?”

~Leah Hart, NP

“I don’t know. What I say?” Roman replied. The call must have been a big deal to him because he was starting to fiddle with his hands the way Rand did. It was something he’d picked up from her and didn’t realize he was doing.

~ Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

She nodded as she watched him, taking in all the little deals. “That’s one thing. What else can you control?”

~Leah Hart, NP

Roman shook his head. “That’s it. I don’t know.” He called Pipkin over and started petting her, giving his hands something to do. “I don’t know,” he said again.

~ Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

She gave him a minute to just be before she replied. “Often we forget the small things that are within our control, partly because they are so obvious that we forget about them. There are things like asking for a break, or asking for things it be set-up a certain way before the call. I can approve things within reason, so it won’t hurt to ask. Some of those thing could be where you sit, what you wear.” She gazed at him to see how her comments were landing.

~Leah Hart, NP

“You’ll let me change what I’m wearing?” Roman asked. He hated that he cared so much but it was the way he was raised. He felt that he simply couldn’t help it. “I just want something that’s mine. Let Rand pick it out.”

~ Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

She gave a light shrug. “Sure, I don’t see why not. I can’t let it be your uniform until you’re cleared for duty but if you want to wear your own clothes, I will allow that with minor restrictions, like no belt.”

“I need to get the computer, and I will ask Rand to bring some clothes down. Anything else that would help?”

~Leah Hart, NP

“No- ugh, fine.” Roman sighed, frustrated and annoyed. “No, that’ll be all. Thank you.”

~ Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

She gave a nod and slipped to her feet. “I’ll be back shortly.”

Out in the corridor, Leah accessed a comm terminal. “Hart to Yeoman Rand.”

“Would you be able to bring a set of clothes for the Commander down to my location? Something you think he’d be comfortable in around other people. But no belts or other accessories.”

~Leah Hart, NP