Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Eela’s Apartment- A New Place to Begin

Posted by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Counselor) in Eela’s Apartment- A New Place to Begin

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Eela’s Apartment- A New Place to Begin
Posted by… suppressed (12) by the Post Ghost! 👻
After seeing Kenzo, Eela returned to her apartment and gathered what she needed to set herself up to be comfortable in the living room while she tried to rest her body for the remainder of the day. She knew Karilan would be be around later and also that she needed to make the call. So she contacted Séan and he agreed to make a house call, especially since she wasn’t mobile. All she said about it was that the aftermath of the Kuusakritz was a literal pain.

When Iven arrived a block and a half from the Government Tower, he found a modern and clean building with the security desk set to the left in the large open lobby. From there, one could see the sets of lifts, with one set farther at the back on its own. To the right was a hallway and large windows that showed a glimpse of a pool. The junior grade Lieutenant working the desk, a Denobulan female greeted him and seeing that he was on the approved list, did a very quick screening. “You’re all clear. Captain Dasca’s apartment is on the twelfth floor and that back lift will take you straight up there. We’ll let her know you’re on your way up.”

Up the lift, Séan would step out into an entry way in front of a large door that was flanked by two CCDA agents. The small upper floor had only the one penthouse apartment.

Contrary to how things went usually, one of the agents actually unlocked the door and let the counsellor in under Dasca’s instructions. It was a temporary procedure until her physical health improved and had been in use all day while she was home.

Her apartment was essentially a giant rectangle broken up into visible and hidden spaces. Iven was standing in a large foyer, which had a closet to the right and another door on the left that led to a storage room. But there were also two comfortable arm chairs in a floral pattern on either side of a console table. On the walls were a couple of art pieces: a delicate pencil drawing of some sort of shop with jars of items on shelves behind the counter, and a watercolour style painting of an aurora sweeping over the night sky, illuminating a lush looking hillside. The sight lines from the front door looked right into the open plan dining room, which held double doors amongst the span of floor-to-ceiling windows and led onto the large patio that spanned two-thirds the length of the penthouse. There were no buildings right beside hers that blocked the view, so one could see the central part of the colony in and around the Government Tower.

The dining room had a solid wall on the left (the kitchen was on the other side, and it was divided from the living room on the right by two smooth pillars and a transparent fireplace. A long hallway bisected the entire place, passing in front of the foyer. The hard floors were a black matte stone with white veining, and the walls were painted a light taupe colour that added warmth.

I’m just to the left of the dining room,” Eela called out.

He found her lying propped up on pillows on her left side on the left of two plush white couches that flanked a low coffee table. A mug and PADD sat on the table, along with a piece of sheer grey fabric and her antigrav brace. A plain black cane rested against the table. Eela was wrapped up in a thick knit blanket and she offered him a weak smile. “Hey, thanks for coming over. There’s coffee in the kitchen but the kettle has water in it and there’s loose tea in the cabinet above it if you prefer. I’d help but my hostess skills are a little out of commission right now.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Séan stepped into the foyer of Eela’s apartment, taking in the modern and inviting atmosphere. The Denobulan security officer greeted him warmly, efficiently confirming his clearance before directing him to the twelfth floor.

As he entered the spacious living area, Séan admired the tasteful decor and thoughtful arrangement of furniture. The artwork on the walls added a touch of elegance to the space, while the large windows offered a stunning view of the colony below.

Following Eela’s voice, Séan made his way towards the cozy seating area where she lay propped up on pillows. He returned her smile with a gentle one of his own, noting the fatigue evident in her expression.

“Thank you, Eela,” Séan replied, his tone warm and reassuring. “Coffee sounds wonderful, but I’ll help myself to some tea if you don’t mind.” He moved towards the kitchen area, taking care not to disturb her belongings as he retrieved the kettle and prepared the tea.

left down the hall. The right side of the available wall space was taken filled with framed images that documented the six decades and of Dasca’s life. Family, friends, three quadrants of travel- the highlights of much of her life where there. The images on display were deeply important, like those of all her grandparents and her late parents, or her promotion ceremony when she made Captain. But nothing from her wedding, and there was an obvious hole in the gallery of photos where one no longer hung.

Heading back down the hallway to the left of the foyer, the left side of the hallway was filled with recessed bookshelves entirely full of books with protective doors. Some looked newer and many appeared old. There was poetry and many volumes of literature in a myriad of languages. These all seemed to be works of fiction.

The hallway led to the side of the apartment with the spare rooms (her workout and rehab room was obvious with its open door), her office (the door was closed) and the family area that included the kitchen, that was open plan to a small casual eating area and a cozy sitting nook. Hanging a right at her office, he stepped into the large and well appointed kitchen, whose view also looked out over the patio lending evidence that the back of her apartment was floor to ceiling windows and that the patio spanned most, if not all, of the apartment.

Once he returned to the living room, Séan settled into one of the armchairs opposite Eela, placing the steaming cup of tea on the table between them. “How are you feeling?” he asked softly, concern evident in his eyes as he regarded her.

Counselor Iven

“Terrible,” she said with a chuckle. “But I’m more emotionally steady than yesterday, so I’ll take it. My body is very sore and it’s not doing a great job of listening when I remind it that it was not in fact beaten up. And of course that has caused a flare-up of my physical issues, namely more compression of a spinal disc that was giving me problems when I first got here.” Eela sighed. “But that is a whole realm of discussion we may or may not get to today, so moving past that I am overwhelmed with the amount of things I’m trying to juggle both mentally and emotionally. I went out to see Ambassador Mathis this morning, to check in on her and I wanted that to be in person if at all possible. So I did . But after I stopped in to see the Governor and he convinced me especially given the hefty things on my plate, I should take time off. Proper time off, so my body can heal and I can slowly deal with everything else. So… yeah, I’m off for the next seven to ten days.” She tried not to frown but a tiny one did grace her face.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Séan nodded, understanding the complexity of Eela’s situation. “Taking time off sounds like a wise decision, Eela. Both your body and mind need the space to heal and process everything that’s happened.” He took a sip of his tea, the warmth of the liquid providing a comforting contrast to the heavy topics of their conversation.

“It’s not easy to step back, especially when you’re used to being in control and managing a multitude of responsibilities,” Séan continued, his tone gentle. “But sometimes it’s necessary to prioritize self-care, even if it feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar.”

She gave a soft snort. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand how to take care of herself, but her life was rather different now than when she had been in Starfleet. Nearly everything about her life was different now and with those changes also came so much new knowledge about how she might need to act towards herself now. So he was right, it was unfamiliar and uncomfortable, but mostly because she was used to doing and rest was one thing, but it felt like she was abandoning her duties. That was something no one had ever been able to accuse her of. Well, one person had but she no longer counted him.

He paused, studying Eela’s expression. “You mentioned your emotional state is more steady today. That’s a positive step forward, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. Healing, both physically and emotionally, is a process, and it often comes in small, incremental steps.”

“Yes, I know,” she said softly. “I guess I wasn’t sure when I left this morning if I was ready for any of it. Reality, however, decided I really don’t get a choice in it. Not if I want to be a functional person.” She shrugged with one shoulder.

Séan took another sip of his tea, collecting his thoughts. “You also mentioned a flare-up of your physical issues. Would you like to discuss that further, or is there something else on your mind that you’d like to focus on today?”

Counselor Iven

She considered all this for a moment and slowly nodded. “I think it’s a piece of everything weighing on me, so we should discuss my current and future situation.” Eela reached forward towards the table, wincing for brief moment as she grabbed her own mug and drew it to her. She took a sip of the still warm coffee and rested the mug on the cushion in front of her.

“How much do you know about my accident? I mean, medically, anyway.” The whole mission was still classified, so beyond her medical record and the citation for her award, there were no details available to even her health care team.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“I’ve familiarized myself with your medical and psychological history.” Séan replied softly. “You were injured very badly during the destruction of your ship. The medical means were insufficient to treat you until after you were brought to a starbase. You had what I can only assume was an incredibly painful recovery of which there are still lasting effects on you.”

He paused to take another sip from his tea. “In essence the drive you’ve had your whole life and career has likely been impeded by the state your body is in.”

Counselor Iven

Eela nodded slowly. “I’ve spent several years just trying to figure out what to do with my life after I left Starfleet. And by the time the job on Oed rolled around I was happy to be on the go with the Diplomatic Corps. It kept me in space and meeting new people. But it also took a toll on my body. The constantly fluctuating gravities was hard on my spine and when I had my medical checkup here I was having compression in my disc in the space between my spinal fusion and the good vertebra above that. I’ve worked with my physiotherapist Jal’na to correct a lot of that after we fixed some issues with my anti-grav brace”-she gestured to the flexible brace on the table-“but… the reality is that between doing a lot of sitting, the stress of my job, and just the emotional stress I’ve been under these last few months, there’s only so much we can do. Jal’na told me this morning there was more compression, which makes sense given what I just went through physically with the Kuskaaritz, but is also really frustrating.”

She sighed. “I had a meeting with my orthopaedic surgeon recently and while I was doing great and he was really pleased with the progress I made, the reality is that I will never have more than the 95% mobility I had at my peak recently. And so we’re thinking long term. So I met with a specialist, our Assistant Chief Medical Officer, and she works with prosthetics. Rather than wait for the inevitable day where my spinal fusion fails and I’ve been in more pain than I usually am, she’s proposing to replace my spine entirely with a rather amazing prosthetic spine.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Séan nodded as he thought over the revelation. “What sort of downtime comes with a replacement surgery like that?”

Counselor Iven

Eela blew out a breath. “At least two weeks off my feet. I could work from home but obviously not at first and having been through a similar recovery it can be really variable, but it’ll make the time off I’m taking right now seem simple. Then there is weeks to months of rehab.” She carefully lifted her coffee to her lips and sipped. “Mind you I would be starting in a very different t position than I did before. I’m not in a coma and a lot of the initial testing of my nerves and muscles is made easier. But it’s still major surgery and even if it has a good success rate, it’s still risky and it will take a lot of time and energy to recover from. The risk of I don’t is that it’s not a matter of if my fusion will fail, but when. It’s being compromised anytime I put strain on my discs. But I can’t stop living my life and I’m not okay with moving to mobility devices other than my cane u less there is no other choice.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“I know that this wouldn’t be ideal but perhaps a middle ground of extending the fused vertebrae to the newly compressing discs would be sufficient.” Séan stated carefully as he was certainly wasn’t a medical expert. “Was that discussed as an option?”

Counselor Iven

She shook her head. “It wasn’t discussed, but Fusion Failure Syndrome is progressive. If one part of the fusion fails, you’re playing a game of diminishing returns. And they can do surgery, but there is an amount of pain that can’t be eliminated. In the end we’re talking about my quality of life.” Eela sucked in her breath and could feel tears swell around her lower lids.

Eela took a couple moments to gather herself. “The prosthetic spine Dr. Asimina is offering me is fully articulated Séan. It’s the possibility of something I had given up on ever being able to do: dancing. Don’t get me wrong, I can move around a dance floor very carefully and that recent evolution was lovely, but I long to move the way I used to. To feel the freedom in my body. Yes, I still have vertigo when I turn and I can’t spin, but there is some improvement that can be made in that area. But without a spine that can flex, I’m… limited. Can I live without dance? Yes. But it does make this surgery that much more enticing.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Séan listened attentively as Eela spoke, his expression reflecting empathy and understanding. “I don’t mean to sway you one way or the other but it would be remiss of me to not discuss all of the options. The decision you’re facing is undoubtedly a challenging one, Eela,” he said softly. “Balancing the potential benefits of the surgery with the risks and uncertainties requires careful consideration.”

He paused, allowing Eela a moment to collect herself before continuing. “The prospect of regaining some degree of mobility and freedom through the prosthetic spine is undoubtedly enticing, especially when it comes to something as meaningful to you as dancing. It’s understandable that you would feel drawn to that possibility.”

Counselor Iven

She nodded slowly. “And Dr. Erasus is eager to think long-term, which I appreciate. If we wait too long to do a surgery like this, by the time we do the outcome might not be as good, or I could have more complications because I’m that much older and my fusion will have deteriorated that much more. From a strictly factual perspective it seems like an obvious decision, but…” She gripped her mug and gazed down into the dark liquid. “It’s hard to wrap my mind around going through that recovery process again, even if I’m in a much better place than I was back then.” She lifted her gaze to Séan’s. “And it’s not just me I have to factor in. I will need significant care in those first weeks. I won’t be able to do much of anything for myself and that means I need to rely on others. That in of itself is fine, but it’s hard on everyone. We’re not talking about taking care of someone when they’re sick with a cold. Being a caregiver is hard and I already put my daughter through that before. It was not a good time for any of us.” Not that Caridee would likely even be on Oed but she knew her daughter would be constantly worried.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“Does your staff know of your surgery and the work they’ll be taking on?” Séan asked next.

Counselor Iven

She swallowed. “No, I haven’t mentioned it yet. In fact I blurted out the idea of the surgery this morning during my physio session. Jal’na and my friend”-she frowned at the inaccuracy of the term, but still didn’t have a better one-” Karilan were troubleshooting my back issues and trying to balance my needs at the same time. I got frustrated and said I might as well go ahead with the surgery if what they were suggesting was where we were at. My daughter might have overheard that part as she was in the kitchen, but other than them and the doctors involved, no one else knows. I hadn’t been ready to truly contemplate it given everything going on work-wise. I mean, just the Vren here alone makes this a terrible time to be out of commission. I told Dr. Asimina I would think it over and talk to the people in my life, but we hadn’t quite got there before… well, before Dash. And though I’m off now, I’m not in a strong position for surgery right now.” She let out a bitter chuckle. “And my poor staff are already overworked. I just… I don’t know, I really don’t.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“This is an incredibly complex situation you find yourself in, as you’re definitely aware.” Séan stated the obvious with a sympathetic look. “If I can summarize everything as I currently understand it, and you can add to or correct anything I get wrong, then the core issue is that your mental health affects your physical health but similarly your physical health affects your mental health. Which adding on to that is the trauma of literally experiencing a loved one die, with the added physical impact that had on you. This business with the Vren consuming all of your energy, not only physical but mentally and emotionally as well. Your staff are carrying more of the administrative and diplomatic load than you intended, and despite their assurances and insistence that you take the time to recover you’re unable to keep from worrying about them and everything else. You’ve got a very complicated family thing going on that we’ll need to unpack at a later date but it still bears mentioning. This potential surgery will touch on every aspect that is causing you stress and what you care about.”

He paused to let that sink in and took a sip of his tea to wet his throat.

Counselor Iven