[G] Lt. (j.g.) Raissa Moonsong: What I Have Become. (No Tags)

[gemsong120]

((Deck 9 : Moonsong Quarters)

::Raissa sat on the floor in a full lotus position. She wore loose gold silky pajama bottoms and an old teashirt with the sleeves removed. Across the front were the words “A Credit For Your Thoughts”. Her dark hair was loose hanging down her back to tease it’s way past her waist. Her intention was to relax and meditate. Neither of those things were happening yet.::

::The only way she was going to find a way to deal with things was to let her mind go where it needed to go in order to relieve the tension in her muscles. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.::

::The first place her mind traveled was back to sickbay where she had spent hours being scanned and tested. The civilian neurologist, Ven Demar had ordered the different tests to understand what was happening to her. But Chythar had offered to do the tests himself since Raissa didn’t care for Ven.::

::Unfortunately this did not mean Ven wasn’t going to be there. The Bajoran was not pleased that Skyfire was overseeing *his* work. To make it more unpleasant the testing didn’t involve sitting on a biobed while the doctor waved at tricorder at her. No. It turned out that a great deal more was involved in this sort of thing. Plus Ven sniping at Chythar while she could only lay still did not make her feel confident in the least::

::Her upper body was enclosed in some kind of tub that flashed lights at her that eventually started to give her a headache. It was either that or that Ven was explaining to Skyfire what he was doing in a manner that implied that CD was a first year not-to-bright medical student. She gave CD props for not clocking the man on the spot. She had to resist the urge herself.::

::CD was there for two reasons. One: Because she wanted him there. Make that needed him there. Two: Because he had not only interest in telepathic medicine for helping others, but had to learn about it in order to properly treat or diagnose trauma associated with the abilities he now possessed as well. ::

::The scans took over two hours and the results confused her. Ven had mapped the neural networks in her brain, especially those related to her empathic ability. What he did not find was any trauma to her brain. She had not suffered a head wound. Thus the questions had begun. What was she doing when the spike happened? ::

::Parts of that memory was a little hazy. She had been in the Dinner Hall on the station. When the doors had sealed she and James had started crowd control. Since her empathic ability was limited to touch she had moved around the room touching people and projecting calm with her empathy. Something she had done in the past, but never so much or so often and the strain had been difficult. Then there was a flash. She hesitated before mentioning to Ven, but CD had nodded for her to continue.::

::The flash had come from CD when he had reached out for help. A telepathic connection filled with confusing images and pain. She was no longer sure the pain was his or hers at that moment. But after the connection was broken the pain remained and she was getting nosebleeds. She continued to project, maintaining calm in the face of a riot trying to start. After that, her memory became disjointed.::

::Skyfire and Ven conferred. Or rather Ven smugly pronounced his diagnosis, while Chythar kept his calm and asked if his own telepathic contact could have served as a catalyst to this event. While Raissa was only one quarter Betazoid, it did not mean that her human ancestry was psychic-free. She had been born with the potential and her genetic makeup only needed a boost. The combination of her heavy use and CD’s connection had done more to cause her talents to spike. It altered the pathways in her mind.::

::Raissa was no longer an E3 touch empath. She was now a T3/E4. A touch telepath. But she did not need to touch to feel or project emotion. She had been changed. And it was permanent. And it was partially Chythar’s fault.::

::She remembered staring at him. The flash of anger and pain that went through her. He looked so guilty, so anguished that her heart went out to him. She knew him too well. It hadn’t been malicious or intentional. It was just circumstance. Something they both would have to learn to live with::

::Raissa felt the muscles in her neck and back ease as the memory played to it’s conclusion. It was an accident. She could learn to live with it. She already had the mental tools that would help her control it. Tools she was going to give to Chythar.::

::She felt a smile flicker briefly over her lips. No, he looked nothing like her older twin brothers. Nor did he act like them. Except when he was being mildly annoying. The smile briefly made another appearance. She could predict their next session. Dealing with his guilt. The brief moment of anger she had felt was gone.::

::She was becoming more relaxed. She knew how to make this new level of ability part of her. Part of who she was. She had grown up with telepaths and empaths. She never lost sight of who she was among them and she wouldn’t now.::

::Her mind wandered to another thought. Carter. She hoped he loved her enough to be able to deal with what she was. Privacy would not be easy when they were together. But there were advantages when telepaths became intimate.::

::Speaking of intimacy her mind wandered along more… exotic paths all of which involved the man she loved. None of them conducive to the meditation she had planned when she sat down.::

::Oh well.::

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Lt. (j.g.) Raissa Moonsong

Counselor

USS Garuda

(Thanks to Dr. Skyfire for needed input)