Posted by Lieutenant Tandra Mika (Counselor) in Side sim: You again!

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Side sim: You again!

Posted by Lieutenant Tandra Mika (Counselor) in Side sim: You again!
Posted by… suppressed (14) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
“We just… It wasn’t working… Long distance, you know? I mean, it was for the best, but…” Mika shrugged. “I miss her.” She was trying not to cry. She didn’t want to cry. It was months ago. Why was she still crying about it? It was months ago. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t… I don’t want to bring you down too.”

~ Mika

“Of course you do. You and Allie were close and served together for awhile. I am so sorry. And yes you should. I am your friend, Mika. You can share with me. You’ve been holding it in, you don’t have to. You miss her and you’re sad. It’s okay to be.”

Sharah

Mika nodded and hugged her again. Then she let Sharah go and dabbed at her eyes, drying the escaped tears from her face. “I know, I know.” She said, and then she sighed and took a long breath. “I guess I just don’t know what to do.” She and Aili had served together in Academy and dated for two years. It wasn’t forever, and she knew it wasn’t, but at twenty six it felt like a long time. And with all the transfers and moving around, it felt like the only constant had been taken away, leaving Mika a tired, lonely, mess.

~ Mika

Sharah was quiet for a minute. “You’re lonely, right? And new posting. How can I help?”

Sharah

Mika looked up at her. “I’m… What?” Then she considered it and shrugged. “I guess so. I- I don’t know.” She sighed and smiled sadly. “For being a counselor, I really don’t know what I need.”

~ Mika

“Well that is why doctors aren’t supposed to treat themselves. I do believe I remember getting a lecture from my CMO on my cadet tour about that. A rather lengthy one while I stared up at the ceiling from my biobed.” Sharah grinned and picked up her drink.

Sharah

Mika smiled and chuckled a little. “I might remember that.” She had given that lecture very sternly, when Sharah had that parasite. That doctors ignored symptoms in themselves, and downplayed, and it just didn’t do for them to try and treat themselves. “Should I see someone?”

~ Mika

Sharah lifted a shoulder. “It might be a good idea. You have been through a lot and I bet you have had very few sessions that weren’t onboarding checkins. It can’t hurt, right? That or I drag you out every night with the nurses.”

Sharah

“I… No, I haven’t. And honestly, when I do onboarding check ins, they see how recently my last one is and they… Aren’t very thorough.” Mika admitted with a shrug. Then she laughed a little bit again. “Every night, huh?”

~ Mika

“Then maybe it’s time to have a very thorough mental health check up.” Sharah nodded, “Someone is always up to something. You have a bit of a buffer since we have the infirmary on the Fleet compound. When I arrived it was just the hospital. So I got thrown into the mire, so to speak. Everyone who works there is really friendly and they will just drag you with them. Sometimes it’s wild and crazy and sometimes it’s laid back and quiet. There is always something going on though. And what about your herb garden. Are you going to start that?”

Sharah

“Maybe…” Mika didn’t want to. She knew she should but she didn’t want to. Maybe it was time for that. “Let’s hope for laid back and quiet.” She had yet to see much of Oed besides the hospital and the complex, and at the moment, she had little desire to. They would only reassign her at moments’ notice, why bother? Then Sharah mentioned the herb garden and all Mika could think about was Eela saying her garden was a way to lay roots. Nope, no way. Not happening. “Uhhhm my garden? I.. I haven’t even unpacked, I haven’t really thought about it yet.” Sharah would feel her apprehension, twinged with nervousness.

~ Mika

“Oh come on Mika, you loved your garden. If I can carry her,” she pointed over by the door to the bonsai tree, “with me, you can take a small herb garden. Come on. I mean I used to plant a very specific flower bed in the arboretum everywhere I went. Leaving a piece of myself there. So take it with you or leave it here. You should do it. And if you don’t want your own, there are some amazing community gardens on Oed. You know that if you had you for a patient you would tell them to get out of their quarters and do something.”

Sharah

“I did love that garden,” Mika sighed, “but I left it on Saracen. I’m just… Out of pieces to leave behind. I think I accidentally left one or two of my books on the last ship.” She sighed again, “You’re right, I would. I guess it’s just easier said than done.”

~ Mika

“Well you know we can always contact them and see if they have it and get Ops to send it to you. Books can be replaced, but we can also inquire about getting them returned. If not there is a really wonderful bookstore…well I hear it is wonderful. I haven’t gone yet. But we could. Come on, it will be good, we can plant together. There is a great store to get supplies from too. Not today, you are still settling in, but soon. If you want.”

Sharah

“I left it in the arboretum hoping someone would take care of it.” The books… probably in her old office. She wouldn’t be surprised if the new CMO after her had claimed them. Normally a bookstore would be just the thing. But right now it sounded like going to a football store or something. The garden sounded fun though, especially with Sharah. But for some reason, Mika just couldn’t make herself say yes. “I don’t know… Maybe,” Mika replied with a noncommittal shrug.

~ Mika

“Okay, if you decide you want to, I’m here.” Then she focused on her food. Sharah couldn’t make Mika feel happy, and Oed was kind of a shock. She was sure Mika would find her way.

Sharah

Mika smiled, “Thanks, Sharah.” Then she turned to her own food. Before long she was finished and she stood up to clean up after herself and get rid of the box the food came in. “That was really good. Thanks for taking me there.”

~ Mika

“It is one of my favorite spots for food between the complex and hospital. And all the food is really good. Beats a replicator any day.” Sharah stood and cleaned up. “Come on, you wanted to see what I did with my room.” Sharah led her down the stairs and it was immediately obvious that most of this level was underground. 6 doors, 3 to each side lined the hallway with a single door at the end - the master bedroom. Sharah stopped at the door farthest in the left, which was the furthest underground except the master. Sharah opened the door and stepped in.

The first thing one noticed was the large landscape painting on the wall. It was a forest in full growth with streaks of sunlight dabbled through the trees. The room was themed around the painting. The four poster bed and dresser were made of matching wood, the walls and bedding matched the colors of the flowers and the carpet gave the illusion of the ground continuing. Light filtered in through the solar tube in the ceiling.

The second thing was all the plants. They were everywhere. She had vines around the four posts of the bed, potted trees in the corners, plant pots on every surface. She had string hanging across a bar in the wall that held very tiny glass bottles with air plants in them. As if Sharah was trying to draw the forest out of the painting.

Sharah looked a self-conscious. “I may have gone overboard.”

Sharah

“No, Sharah, it’s beautiful! I love it!” Mika meant it. She loved the forested room. It was very Sharah, in a good way. The plants were beautiful and well taken care of and they added something nice to the room. “It’s really, really nice.”

~ Mika

“I can’t take credit for the room. Charles designed and furnished all the rooms himself. I really liked this one, so it’s mine. I just live the painting, so I went looking for plants that are in the painting. I’m not done yet. It has been very therapeutic actually, to work in it.” She waved her over to another dresser, “I have all kinds of herb seedlings here. More than I need if you want some?”

Sharah