Posted by Commander Janusz Korczak (Counselor) in Reaching Out When Instinct Says Not To

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

Posted by Commander Janusz Korczak (Counselor) in Reaching Out When Instinct Says Not To
Posted by… suppressed (12) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

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

“Aright,” she stood and walked behind the desk that was in the room and tapped on the console and then turned it around. “If you need to contact Mx. Massat. I’ll be right back.” She left the room and went down the hall. She could have done this from the room, but she wanted to give Mr Torres privacy to make any calls he wanted to make. She checked the schedule of who was available. She smiled and nodded. That would be a good fit she thought. She contacted Korczak quickly and explained that she was on her way with Mr Torres and the reasons.

Raf indeed did contact Karilan and let them know what was happening. He also did apologize profusely for not being able to return to work even though he knew Karilan wanted him to get help just as he was doing right now.

She returned a couple of short minutes later. She knocked politely and waited to be admitted. She smiled reassuringly. “If you’ll follow me, we’ll go see Dr Korczak. He’s wonderful.”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

Torres would take that assessment under advisement and see for himself, but Dr. Fayth seemed confident about this man so he tried to be optimistic. Not his strong suit, all told. “All right,” he said and followed her through the corridors.

Rafael Torres, Resident

Sharah didn’t say anything as she led him down the corridor and stopped at a door. She pressed the chime and waited.

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

Bump

Bump

The door to the office slid open. The room had the feel more of an old fashioned den or study than an office. It was lit in a more subdued manner than the rest of the ship by wall mounted lights; and bookcases now lined one wall, filled with copies and originals of many texts on many different subjects and in more than a few languages. The desk was set against the opposite wall facing away from the corner, window to the left of a person seated at the desk and allowing for a large open space in the middle. Here there was a couch and a few chairs, one chair which sat in front of and facing away from the desk. A low table graced the middle of the area, and on it was a small bowl filled with softly glowing crystals. Pictures hung all over the walls, some were even old photographs.

The man seated at the desk was wholly plain looking. So plain looking in fact that he may have been overlooked entirely except for the fact that he wore actual glasses on his face. He was dressed in a Star Fleet uniform, on which Commander pips sat on his collar.

Korczak rose and said “Well hello. Welcome. Do come in.” he said politely. The man’s voice was clear and easy to understand, but his accent was certainly unique… as if two wholly unrelated accents were vying for supremacy, but neither one was dominant.

Korczak, Counselor

Fayth loved this space. It had been a source of personal refuge many many times for her. Just being in there gave her a sense of calm and security and acceptance that she found in very few places. She stepped in, encouraging Torres to follow her. “Hello Dr Korczak.”

Raf hesitated as he stood a step over the threshold. It was a welcoming environment and the man had an ease about him that calmed Torres’ nerves a fraction. Still, he turned to Dr. Fayth. “Umm, thank you,” he said. He knew this was a much needed step, but that didn’t make it easy.

Rafael Torres, Resident

The diminutive doctor smiled reassuringly, “Of course Mr Torres. You can call me anytime you need me.” She turned to Korczak, “Dr Korczak, this is Rafael Torres. Mr Torres, this is Dr. Janusz Korczak.” Then she quietly stepped out of the room and let the door close behind her.

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

Korczak smiled and said “Mr. Torres, it is a pleasure to meet you. Please! Do come in and have a seat, won’t you? I was just about to make some tea, if you would like. Not replicated. From my home.”

He generally preferred coffee but tea wasn’t so bad. Besides, when he had observed that when people had a preference for one particular type of a thing, it was often worth at least trying. Raf moved towards the desk and took a seat in the chair opposite the counsellor’s.

Korczak walked to the replicator and ordered hot water in a tea pot and two cups. He then carried that to his desk, turned and picked up a brown wood box and opened it. He took out two tea bags and dropped them in the pot. He then carried the tea to the small table and set it down. He took a seat and looked at Rafael. “Now tell me… what brings you to me today?”

Korczak, Counselor

Torres gazed at the cups as he tried to gather his words, unsure how much Dr. Fayth had told him. He looked up and exhaled a tight breath. “Umm, I am struggling right now after the death of my friend. I am an addict and I’ve been clean and sober for awhile now, but… it’s hard right now. I’m new here and don’t really have my usual supports in place. I wasn’t even sure I’d be staying.” Raf sighed. “It’s a lot and I know it wouldn’t take too much to tip me over the edge and derail my sobriety.”

Rafael Torres, Resident

Korczak, unlike any other counselor or therapist Torres may have spoken with in the past, did not take notes. He simply listened. When Torres finished, he nodded in understanding. “Feeling isolated and alone can certainly trigger a desire to return to old, problematic, behaviours. That, coupled with grief, is a potent cocktail for a relapse.” Korczak then smiled at Torres. “And the fact that you recognized that and sought help is a wonderful step, Mr. Torres. Many, many individuals in your situation would not have been able to do that. So take some pride in yourself for that.” He lifted the pot and poured the two cups three quarters full. The smell of citrus and fruit filled the space with a wholly relaxing aroma. “Black currant and lemon. My family’s favorite.” he said and picked up a cup. He inhaled the aroma and smiled slightly before taking a sip. “The smell always make home seem a bit closer. So where is home for you, Mr. Torres? Do you have family?” he asked.

Korczak, Counselor

The smell naturally didn’t elicit the same reaction, but it wasn’t unpleasant at all. Raf sipped from the cup and took a moment to process the mostly nice taste. It also gave him time to gather his thoughts. “I come from Ajilon Prime. I suppose that is home because it’s where I’ve lived most of my life. And the only family I have that matters is my pops. He still lives there.”

Rafael Torres, Resident

“Do you speak to him often?” Korczak asked. “Is he a source of support… or conflict?” he asked and sipped his tea. Open and frank conversations were key to assisting those with dependency issues. As was getting a strong understanding of where they come from.

Korczak, Counselor

It was hard. Raf didn’t do great with strangers, but as he gazed at Korczak, he figured he might as well approach it similar to how he had with Karilan. “Pops has always stood by me, even when I didn’t think he would or even should. But… my last full relapse was hard on him. It’s not a great day when you get a call that your son is in the hospital after overdosing.” He swallowed down the guilt and shame. “He raised me himself and we’ve always been close. I had a… moment, not a full relapse but one slip, and I realized after how much I was hurting him. I had to get back on my feet properly and not rely on him so much. So I’ve been trying to do just that. I call him now and again and I let him know where I am and how I’m doing, but I’ve only been on Oed week. He knew I was off-world looking for work and I was going to call him after I got settled in at my new job but then…” Raf gritted his jaw, breathing through the emotions. “Then my friend died, and I haven’t been in a good head space to make the call.”

Rafael Torres, Resident