Posted by Lieutenant Commander Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Reaching Out When Instinct Says Not To

Posted by Civilian Rafael Torres (Resident) in Reaching Out When Instinct Says Not To

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Reaching Out When Instinct Says Not To
Posted by… suppressed (14) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

She smiled warmly. Being around her seemed to make everything calm. “Mr. Torres. Please, this way.” She led the way to a lift and they went up to the third floor and past a lobby and into a very comfortable room with chairs and a couch. “We have a replicator or I can order from the cafeteria if you would like something.”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

He shook his head. “No, I’m okay. I ate at work. But thanks,” he said, taking a seat in one of the chairs. Raf braced his elbows on her thighs and rubbed his hands back and forth. “And uh, thanks again for meeting with me. It’s a bit weird meeting with a Starfleet officer, truth be told, but I think I understand Karilan’s reasoning.”

Rafael Torres, Resident

“I can understand how it can be disconcerting.” She took a seat in a chair opposite him. “First and foremost, I am a doctor. I am bound by doctor/patient confidentiality. The only times I may break that are if I know that you intend harm to yourself or others. You said you needed help with addiction recovery. Have you sought assistance before?”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

Raf nodded slowly. “The last time was over two years ago. I OD’d and flat-lined in the hospital twice. I had support for awhile after that and have been doing fairly well. But work was hard to find and I came here hoping to start over. New places mean a lot of changes.”

Rafael Torres, Resident

“Changes can bring all new levels of stress. And those ways we escape it can seem even more alluring.” She understood all too well about stress breaking a person. “What types of support did you have? What worked best for you? What didn’t work?”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

“Umm, at the time I was seeing a therapist and went to a support group. I’m not a huge fan of the groups as I’m pretty introverted, but it did seem to help. I had a sponsor and they went to group too and that was good.” He relaxed his hands and took a good look at them before looking up at Fayth. “I went back to finish some training and working with my hands was the biggest help. I have a job here where I can do more or less the same and my… friend is keen on me expanding my skills, so I feel like that part is in place. It’s the rest. That’s a lot of support to ask of one person, especially right now.”

Rafael Torres, Resident

“It can be, but it is also a lot on you to ask you to have only one person you can rely on.” She watched him for a moment, meeting his gaze. “Sacred Heart was an addiction recovery program. It is anonymous and secure and free. They provide everything from counseling to job placement, to helping you find new housing, and legal help. You sound like the job part is in place. Do you need housing? Do you need any medical care, big or small?”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

“I’ve a place to live.” His housing arrangement with Karilan would only last a another ten weeks but, as per their agreement, he’d be able to get his own by then. “I don’t have anything else though. Haven’t been here very long. I mean, I haven’t needed a doctor yet, so it hadn’t really crossed my mind.” Unease and worry flooded him as he realized something. “The program at the hospital… does it have any restrictions?”

Rafael Torres, Resident

“Usually you are admitted to the hospital for a period of time through and after detox. However you have been clean for two years. So I don’t see that as a problem. There is also restrictions on how you may contact your therapists and doctors. Such as, you may not show up to their home, harass or assault them. That you will stay away from people and establishments that would allow you access to the substances you have an addiction to.”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

Treating people well seemed like a given, and he was honestly surprised it needed to be said, but he could remember those days after detox. The mind didn’t always react the way you thought it would. “Sobriety is a condition of my employment and I have no intention of being a nuisance to people.” His relief was palpable that the one concern wasn’t a factor. “I did have a minor slip a year ago, but it was just the one night and I knew what I needed to do.” It was a bad time and a part of why he knew he needed to leave Ajilon for good. But he hadn’t counted that as ‘accessing services’ because he still had a sponsor at the time.

Rafael Torres, Resident

“Lapses happen. Addiction is a disease, Mr Torres. A chronic one that you must always work to cure. There is no shame in that.” Her head tipped to the side slightly, “Is there a particular concern you have about potential restrictions?”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

His right hand clenched unbidden as he attempted to find, what, courage? He did not meet her gaze this time. “I’ve not been here long enough, not enough to have formal residency yet. And… I have a criminal record from when I was younger and wasn’t sure if the program would have rules about that.” In his experiences, those in the justice system were given different options than others.

Rafael Torres, Resident

The doctor shook her head, black ringlets bouncing with the movement. “No, there are no such restrictions. We operate on the basis that everyone deserves help, and we do not withhold medical care for any reason. Now, you may be asked about your background, but for the purposes of helping you avoid falling into old routines where you would return to addiction. But knowing Mx. Massat, I don’t believe that is a problem. What questions can I answer for you?”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

“I’ve been through detox and the programs that go with that,” Torres said. “I guess I am curious how this program will differ given that I’m at a different point. And what’s the intake like?”

Rafael Torres, Resident

“So, you will bypass the detox admission. At this stage, our goal is to provide long term support so that you continue to be successful. Intake will consist of a full physical because the use of illicit substances can leave behind lasting effects in your health. You will also meet with one of our substance abuse intake counselors. This will be a psychological evaluation, but also a chance to discuss options for support and what will work best for you. After that you will be pared with a counselor and support group.”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

It all sounded pretty reasonable, so despite his nerves Raf nodded. “Okay. That sounds doable. I work during the day but I know I can get time off for appointments. I guess this means I want to do this. With my friend…” Raf had to pause. Dash’s death was all over the news having been declared suspicious. It was still making him reel. It was one thing for his old friend to be dead, but quite another for it to be so drastic. “It’s been a lot the last day and, um…” He sighed. “That diplomat that was found dead yesterday? We knew eachother as kids. He helped me get work here so I could start over and…” His hands clenched. “It’s been a lot and it’s everywhere because it’s news, because Dash was a person doing important things.”

Rafael Torres, Resident

Sharah knew all about it, of course. She’d been with Eela earlier in the day. “It is a tragedy, and I am so very sorry for your loss.” His anger and grief hit her hard, but she could cry it out later. “Why don’t you let Mx. Massat know you will be longer than expected. I’ll take you to meet on of the counselors, and you can talk and get some extra support now. You don’t need to wait for an appointment and come back.”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

His instinct was to brush it off and say it was fine, but so much was different than before. So Raf nodded. “Okay, that would be good, I think.”

Rafael Torres, Resident