Posted by Civilian Jal’na of House Duroc (Head of Physical Therapy - Sacred Heart Hospital) in Eela’s Apartment- Processing (TMODJ)

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Eela’s Apartment- Processing (TMODJ)

(snip)

She snorted. “Understatement, my friend.” Eela drew in a deep breath. “I’m devastated,” she said, her voice wavering. “And angry, and a little lost. But it’s different than a couple weeks ago with Cory. This is… so much more, in part because it’s not just me. And the very real public piece of this not far from my mind. And everyone wants me to be grieving but I’ve barely wrapped my head around what happened yesterday. Not just Dash, but the Kuskaaritz too. She turned her head to look back at Jal’na and reached for her hand. “I felt his death, Jal’na,” she said, not even trying to hide her anguish. “Not his feeling but what his body felt. And the memory of it is so strong I can’t tell the difference between my own pain and discomfort and his. And then every time my stress increases or I re-experience the event, that causes me to tense and that is making my own physical issues worse.”

She dropped Jal’na’s hand and sighed. “The reality is that I have today to do what I need to be as okay as I can be and then tomorrow I have to be working. Even today I need to go see Mathis. It’s not an option. Caridee will be by soon, probably before you leave, so she’ll take another scan and see where my neurotransmitters are at and I guess the three of us can discuss how to manage between now and when I am back to normal.” Assuming there was such a thing. But if there was anything Eela Dasca was well practiced at, it was adjusting to new normals.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Jal’na hugged her carefully. “I am so sorry, Eela. And yes we do expect you to grieve. Grief is a process though, and it’s different for everyone. Allow yourself that process. You’ll be no good in your meetings if you don’t.” She took out a tricorder and scanned her back. She grunted in disapproval and sympathy. “If you are really going to insist that you work, then I’m going to increase the setting on your brace. There is swelling and compression.” Jal’na moved behind her and slowly and very carefully worked the muscles into relaxing.

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

She sighed, even as some spots were clearly bothering her. But the odd part that even Eela could identify was that it wasn’t always where her problem areas were. It was in moments like this that she was really starting to think that Hannah’s proposal was the right way to go, even if she couldn’t even wrap her mind around that process right now.

Jal’na took note of those areas, and was curious. She made specific mention of them and how her body reacted just incase it was connected to what Eela had experienced with Jones.

Eela breathed through the pain, trying to relax her body as much as she could. “I think I need distraction. Tell me about you. I heard there was a bit of drama with a certain sister of a friend of ours.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

The Klingon woman grunted, “Heard about that did you? Girl came out of nowhere, with a paint can of all things. Broke my nose, knocked a couple of teeth lose and bruised my jaw. I really thought Urg was going to kill her. I’ve never seen him like that.”

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

“I can see that of him. He’s a very passionate person and if he was directing that in defence of someone he loved, well…” Eela took a deep breath. “She is very fortunate she is not in many pieces I should think. But how are you? I can how it could be a rather unsettling event.” Not just the violence itself, but the reason for it. She had no doubt Jal’na could handle the injuries, but sometimes things could strike deeper.

“It’s just another day.” Jal’na laughed, “I’ve been hirt worse by patients. I wish it had not happened with Tenkiller’s sister. Our families are close, and Yavia is my dearest friend. But,” she shrugged, “it did and now we just have to deal with it. Lucky for her it happened on Oed soil and not the embassy.”

“Oh, for sure,” Eela said. “We have enough jurisdictional issues as it is. That would have been a nightmare for everyone. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Could you work on the back of my head?” she asked softly. Normally, Eela never made requests during her sessions. She trusted Jal’na to work in the way her body needed and gave feedback as they went along, but she never asked for anything specific. This was different and the instinct was one she was trusting.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Jal’na lifted the head rest higher and wrapped a warm towel around it. The center was open for Eela’s face. “Rest your head there and let it have your weight.” Her hands moved up to Eela’s neck and started there and then moving into her scalp. “Your daughter is here. I did not get the chance to meet her at the Gala. How is it to see her?”

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

She smiled within the opening. “I didn’t realize how much I missed Caridee until they arrived. I was very fortunate that despite my running around with the diplomatic corp, I was able to be there for their wedding and also the birth of Alais. But a lot has happened, so while I am so glad they are here, we have a lot to work through. In the end though, I am just so grateful that she was there yesterday. If not…” Without the knowledge of what was happening to her, things could have been so much worse.

As Jal’na worked, Eela felt her heart race and breaths quicken. It wasn’t that she was in pain but something was happening and it was hard to explain, but after a moment it settled into her brain. She understood that the mind-body connection could cause the body to crystallize mental and emotional distress in a physical way. A shudder swept through her body and she started crying silent tears even as her body was reacting. “I’m okay,” she whispered to Jal’na as her body tried to release the stress and trauma it had been holding from just before Dash died.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.