[snip]

Stanley was quite glad that the captain had returned. He was in a hurry to introduce himself and get started with his job. Stanley could only hope that this would be a few quick interviews and a bit of written observation, and he could leave. But one never knew. He hadn’t completely liked the tone of Doctor Reynolds, his superior when he had given him this assignment. Stanley was pretty sure that the fellow was still angry at him for refuting one of his papers.

Stanley took a deep sigh then and rang the captain’s quarters. Stanley had slept and changed since he had been in sickbay, so he was back to casual dress. His slight frame covered now with a red and green paisley print poncho, loose green slacks and hand-crafted leather sandals.

“Come!” said Captain Glen, in reply to the door chime.

Stanley walked carefully into the captain’s cabin as soon as the doors swished open. He had never quite trusted these doors on star ships. And then there was that call.” Come!” It seemed so rude as if one were calling a dog to dinner. He walked though into the captain’s cabin his poncho moving as he walked making him look for all the world like someone’s view of the ocean after ingesting a hallucinogen.

As he always was Stanley was friendly to a fault as he stood in front of Glenn. He clasped his hands together beneath his chin and smiled broadly as he said, “Ah Captain Glenn! It is good to meet you at last! I am Doctor Wong, Stanley Wong. Just call me Stanley if you wish. I have been assigned to you from fleet.” Stanley paused and seemed to consider something before saying, “I am sorry I can’t give you anything computerized concerning my orders but as your admiral said and I quote him, “He can tell Glenn his orders verbally and this will be on a need-to-know basis. I don’t need everyone knowing that I have any of these people on my ships.” By those people I am assuming that he meant a psychiatrist. “

“It is good to meet you at last too,” replied Glen. “Your presence has caused quite a stir on my ship and while I have no doubt of the validity of your orders, I have wondered what those orders might actually be? Given that you seem to have visited every department and every spare cupboard aboard my ship, and even logged a shift in Sickbay!”

Stanley shrugged. “I like to keep busy so I help whenever I can. And of course, in my line of work things go easier if people trust you and don’t perceive you as some sort of threat. “A confuse look appeared on Stanley’s face. “Actually, I thought that you might have been the source of my orders. Or that you knew something in advance.” Again, Stanley shrugged as if it were of no great concern either way.

“But to be specific or not too specific since my own knowledge of my orders are it seems limited. There was a concern voiced through someone in a command position concerning some of your crew members. At the moment I have been sent here to interview these people and while I am here to chat with as many others as I can so that we can assure those in command of the status of your whole ship. I must confess that in the short time I have been here I have run into some rather interesting behavior to say the least. But what am really needing sir is your permission to begin my interviews.”

“No, I didn’t request a psychiatrist myself!” replied Glen, now quite puzzled. “Look, to be quite honest I’m not at all surprised that you found some ‘interesting ’ behaviour here really. This ship has been through hell and back. Some of the long-serving crew have experienced things that no one should ever experience. I include myself in that group. There are complex post traumatic stress disorders, there are symptoms of anxiety, feelings of isolation or of great loss, some have constant nightmares and flashbacks, others have broken marriages and relationships, a few have high emotions such as guilt resulting in irritability and depression. We’ve never had anyone qualified to identify these cases, never mind anyone who was actually qualified to treat them…”

Glen continued, “…You are welcome to interview them if you think you can help them, but this ship has had a least three missions that were ‘Top Secret’ and several others that were ‘Secret’ or ‘Classified’. I obviously cannot disclose the finer details to you because of General Orders and Directives, but some crew are aware of things that would shatter the Federation itself. There was some torture involved, and there were, er… temporal elements to some missions too. They cannot share those things with anyone, cannot disclose those things to you either, yet it is the very effort of withholding those facts and details that is the very cause of their problems. So, it is a puzzle to me what Starfleet hopes to achieve by sending you here? What they need is talking therapy and counselling, something we’ve attempted to put in place, led by my CMO. Can you tell me, was there an officer or crewman in particular that was a concern?”

Stanley looked down at the floor and blushed a bit as he listened. He nodded a bit in understanding as he listened to the captain. Finally, as Glenn finished, he sounded embarrassed as he looked at Glenn saying,” Captain I know about all the missions and such. I have received a rather high security clearance before coming here. If I didn’t understand at least a bit of background, I couldn’t very well do my job efficiently. However, I do not dwell on those things. I consider them only the canvas upon which is painted a persons present psychological condition whether it be good or bad.”

Glen thought that was highly unlikely as even Starfleet Command itself hadn’t any idea of some of what the Merrimack had experienced, at least not in this timeline, or not in the present day, but he ignored that and let Stanley continue.

Stanley paused then looking down at his hands before answering Glenn’s other question. ” After studying initial reports and records yes. At the moment I have two such people in mind specifically.”

Stanley then went about the project of reaching beneath his poncho and pulling out a sheaf of papers. He looked them over and said, “Two of my, main concerns at the moment are Lieutenant Commander Milligan. He has a record of anger issues, mixed most generally with alcoholic binges. He also seems to have a burning dislike for authority. ” Stanley shook his head slowly and said in a low voice as if Joe might be listening somewhere. “I quite frankly don’t understand how he is still holding a position of authority anywhere if his records are to be believed. “

“Ah! Commander Milligan joined us only recently actually,” Glen replied. “I was aware of his record and some previous problems but I wanted a second in command who wouldn’t follow me blindly. I wanted someone who would privately question my decisions if they were wrong, someone who would make decisions for the good of this ship and it’s crew, rather than just be a ‘Yes man’! I haven’t seen a problem with his drinking or temperament since he’s been aboard. He’s been sober while he’s been here, so I assume he has that under control now… Is he the only one?”

Stanley then clumsily plucked out another paper and read at the top. “Then there is your chief medical officer Lieutenant Cross. It seems that she may have several stress or shock related issues which probably need to be addressed sooner rather than later. “

“Miriam Cross has led a very traumatic life. There are experiences she has had that will be redacted from her file. With the possible exception of myself, she is the officer who has had the most unspeakable acts imposed upon her. I am aware of her fragility and her limitations, but I owe her my life and that goes way beyond any sense of loyalty I might have…” Glen stopped short of telling him that aliens impregnated her, held her captive and then stole her unborn child.

”…You see, to you my crew might appear to be damaged and broken individuals, but I know them to be courageous and heroic. They got through the challenges that were thrown at us and we overcame them… together. I’m not sure that any other ship in Starfleet could have done what we did. You yourself, owe everything that you hold dear to us, Dr. Wong! Not many people are even aware of that right now, but in the future we will be remembered. There will be books written about us, statues, memorials, and the Black Fleet, Fleet Six, will have it’s own museum to us. So, you look only at an imperfect ship, with poor discipline, and a crew who are flawed and impaired, while I am simply immensely proud to be their Captain. I also worked hard not to have the crew split up, because I think the knowledge of those shared experiences together helps many of them to cope with their terrible memories. Of course, crew turnover has diluted that over time. I’m a little concerned that your questions could make things worse.”

Stanley’s eyebrows raised. He had not counted on such resistance from the captain. It was something which happened all too often. People heard the word mental health and they naturally assumed that they were being singled out for something terrible. Stanley scratched at the top of his head at his short bristly hair. He could of course just turn and leave. Although the thought of taking another shuttle flight across such distances of space made his stomach want to do backflips.

Stanley looked down at the floor and then back at Glenn. “Captain.” he began. Although his voice was soft it also contained a bit of iron in it that no one had heard from the slight figure before.” Heros for a start are a thing which no one needs. And people who have statues erected to them are usually fools who went out seeking danger and in their wake left many of their comrades who as a result of one person trying to be a hero were killed..”

” Captain if your ship contains heroes then I will certainly advise fleet to pull in the whole lot and either scatter them to other ships or dismiss them altogether. I am here looking for the real hero’s and yes, I despise the word but it’s the only one available. I am here for people. Normal people who arise every day and go forth to do their duty. I am here for the normal person who goes forth each day whether they are tired or even sick to do their job and to look after their comrades. These people take the weight of any ten statue heroes on their shoulders and keep going. But to do that there is always a price to pay. I am here simply to help them pay that price. I am here to help them to go back and be the person they once were or as close to it as I can manage. I am here to make them smile. To be more content. I have no evil intent. I am no more than a doctor closing a wound. ” Stanley took a long-tired sounding sigh and then with his voice seeming to return to its former pleasant tone he smiled and asked the captain. “This being said then should I unpack?”

“I think you misunderstood me, Doctor,” replied Glen. “And I may have jumped to the conclusion that you would write up some report and immediately leave us. Sorry, I also think we are actually on the same page regarding heroes. Nor, am I a person who loves statues and medals, I only wanted you to understand that great deeds have been performed by this ship, unselfishly, and by exactly the kind of ‘normal’ people you described, but that those great deeds have passed by unreported. The reason they are unreported is because knowledge of some of them could change future history. Now, if your plans are to stay with us, and to work through these mental health issues and tend to their wounds until healed, then you seem to have the security clearance to see every redacted file. However, I must warn you that there are things in the files that no one else alive today knows about; things that once learned cannot be unlearned. These things will change the way you view everything. Are you prepared for this? It will certainly have an effect on yourself”

“Also, about Joe Milligan,” Glen said. “I forget to say that he was actually aboard the Merrimack as a COS first. This was before he became an XO and those reports of drunkenness and angry scenes. Miriam Cross and Joe Milligan knew each other back then before things all went crazy. What you have to understand is that there are important things that some crew, and those two in particular, don’t know about each other. When you start asking questions you need to be aware that you might not only be opening up old wounds, but creating totally new wounds. This is the reason I’m reticent about allowing you to prod around like a stick in an ant’s nest! Some things really are better if they remain unknown!”

Stanley smiled again and replied to Glenn. “I think you misunderstand my style of psychiatry. I am not of the school that all things in the past force a person to become a certain way in the present. After something happens to you at point A in your timeline of life a person still has free will and intelligence to change themselves and their surroundings before they get to point B.I don’t think that anything is written in stone. This being said captain I hope never to have to look at anyone’s file. But I would like to speak to speak to Lieutenant Cross first with your permission.”

“I have no valid reason to stop you speaking with my crew,” Glen replied. “Honestly, I do want their mental scars to get some treatment. I just need you to tread carefully and to not disclose information to one that to glean from the other. Also, Doctor Wong, two questions: Firstly, if you believed that your orders came from me, then who did send you here? Secondly, have you ever heard of a Starfleet department called Section 31?”

“My orders quite simply said at the request of a command staff officer. In my past experience this is usually an officer who is a person or group of persons direct commander who is in close contact with the people in question. So, I naturally assumed that the request came from yourself captain.” Stanley replied with a puzzled look on his face. Then after a moment he said to Glen with a chuckle. “Perhaps the order originated from the admiral that your Commander Milligan knocked unconscious at a poker game? It is said that the Admiral was caught out cheating. But being an Admiral only Milligan took offense at it.” Stanley laughed a bit before saying, “It may have honestly come from the last station you docked at or even anyone you had contact with after any one of your harrowing missions Captain. Even if it was a spiteful thing, a joke being played by someone else or someone having a real concern for your people. I don’t want you to worry. I will give your people the highest respect possible and do my best to help them. It is captain simply put my job as yours is to run this ship. And I daresay I pride myself in the work I do.”

At the mention of Section 31 Stanley’s face clouded over and his eyes narrowed. He shook his head and took a deep breath saying, “Captain one rarely pays attention to the seed that one’s neighbor plants. So, if you ask me will that seed be sugar cane or corn when the seed has only been planted how would I know? The future of that seed is only truly known by the seed itself. And the seed isn’t talking. So why waste time or energy worrying about little seeds?” As Stanley finished speaking it was clear that what he had said would be all he would say as he stood and asked Glen, “So Captain with your permission may I begin then?”

“Okay, go ahead and schedule your interviews,” Glen replied. “Let me know how they progress. I don’t need to know anything of the substance, just if the patients are open to speaking frankly with you. Just bear in mind, that even with Doctor-Patient confidentiality, honouring their pledges and oaths to Starfleet and the greater good, may mean that they will be unable to disclose some events. You must see why I still think this cannot possibly work, but if you wish to try anyway, I cannot stop you. I think you have already requested an office in Sickbay. Is there anything else you need that I can provide for you?”

Stanley frowned for a moment ant then asked. “An office? In sickbay? ” Then remembering he said ,”Aaaah that helpful doctor Hunter said something of the sort but I really wasn’t taking him seriously . ” Shrugging then he said to Glenn, “Captain I understand your concerns and I hope to gain your trust. And as for anything else? No I am a simple person. I need very little . Right now my only need is to get to work. I have been idle for too long. As you can see I love my work. Helping others is what I enjoy above all things. I shall go now Captain and once again I thank you greatly for your help.”

As Glen let Doctor Wong go, he felt a great uneasiness about his presence on the ship. He still didn’t think the man properly understood him. His main problem wasn’t with psychiatric mumbo-jumbo, or with Starfleet protocol, or even that Joe might learn he had a kidnapped child and be devastated by that news. Glen knew too well how being parted from a son felt himself. No; the problem was that the oaths they had swore to keep events secret were there for very good reasons; the very nature of everything in the Universe that they knew was at stake. Glen himself still had nightmares at least once a week, his bedsheets soaked in a cold sweat, where the Ancients, the Elders and the Harvesters visited his dreams. Nor could he forget feeling that pain of the Worm inside his head, and his utter obedience to obey it’s will. He doubted that any therapy or medicine was going to rid him of that feeling. Had it cost him his relationship with Andromeda du Astra and his own son Iain? Very doubtful, but it hadn’t helped with any possible reconciliation. You could multiply this across the ship; crew with similar nightmares, similar fears, other broken relationships. Doctor Cross was the prime example, with all her deeply kept secrets. By all rights, with her augmentation gifts, she should be in a penal colony, but Glen did not believe in punishment for the sins of one’s father. She had truly had some wretched life experiences, and she was only just beginning to improve. Digging over her old memories didn’t seem like the best way to make her better, but Glen was a Captain, not a Psychiatrist!

-Glen, CO