[V-CO] LCDR Moonsong & LT. Skyfire: A Change in the Air Part I

[Chythar Skyfire]

(( USS Veritas, Counseling Office))

:: Raissa was working in her office. She had a lot of appointments due to the recent mission. A lot of people were having trouble dealing with things. The isolation in the Shoals was a factor that kept her very busy sometimes. ::

:: Chythar pressed his thumb to the chime and waited for a response. It was still mandatory, but whether that meant it was caused by the fact he still had the words “mandatory counseling” in his file or because his new boss mentioned the mental training, he didn’t know. ::

Moonsong: Come in.

:: The door slid open upon her words. ::

:: Chythar smiled softly at Ris in greeting, though today was definitely work-related as opposed to the social call from the other night. ::

Skyfire: Hello. :: taking a seat across from her. :: So, should we start with the medication, the counselors, or the last mission?

Moonsong: ::chuckles.:: I think we should be comfortable first. :: She rose to her feet and gestured to the two overstuffed chairs to the side.:: Or did you forget how I do things, Dr. Skyfire?

:: Chythar smiled slightly as he moved toward the overstuffed chairs. It had been a while since they were in a professional capacity, and perhaps slightly longer due to the stint in the alt-verse. Nearly three years. ::

Skyfire: May’ve slipped my mind, professionally speaking. It’s been a while.

Moonsong: :: moves to the replicator:: Would you like something to drink?

Skyfire: A cup of jasmine tea, if you would.

:: She brought him the cup of tea and then carried it over to him, setting on the low table before she took a seat across from him. ::

Moonsong: So, let us start with what is really on your mind.

:: As he went over the list of discussion points in his mind, he realized there was one additional one he needed to bring up. Mostly because it concerned his best friend and the freak-accident surrounding the few seconds she was dead on the table. ::

Skyfire: Tell me something. Is there a way to prevent forming mental bonds with people?

:: Raissa blinked and her eyebrow went up in surprise. They had forged a telepathic bond between them years ago.::

Moonsong: :: slowly.:: It is possible. 

Skyfire: Ah ken we aren’t supposed to get close to our patients, but somehow… :: His accent slipped away as he continued. :: ...I’ve managed to forge one with Lael. Similar to the one we have, I guess. Another damned freakish accident.

:: She frowned slight. She knew of this from talking to Lieutenant Rosek, but she hadn’t quite realized how in depth the connection was. ::

Moonsong: Usually you should not connect beyond the surface with another telepath would be one way. What exactly happened?

:: He sipped his tea and swallowed it, managing a slow exhalation before continuing. ::

Skyfire: Dr. Alexander and I performed spinal replacement surgery on Lael earlier this year. Technically speaking, she flatlined on the table for a few seconds. We brought her back, twice. The second time, Dassa was losing it and was prepared to give up. I wasn’t, and reached out telepathically because I was stubborn and didn’t want to lose my best friend. When she came out of her coma three days later...we discovered a link.

:: Raissa kept her emotions under control and behind a shield. Once upon a time they had been best friends, but time and distance had changed that between them and now she wondered if they would ever get that back. ::

:: He was shielded, for the moment. Chythar had gotten at least better about shielding to the point where he didn’t require help to maintain them, but sometimes when his emotions got the better of him they would slip. His hand reached for the cup of tea in front of him and he had another swig of it, resisting the impulse to fidget with the tags around his neck. ::

Moonsong: If you have already formed a connection, then preventing one becomes moot.

Skyfire: Ah’m aware. Want to avoid it happening again.

Moonsong: I can only give suggestions. I have not made a connection with anyone since you. I do so by not getting too close and not mentally connecting beyond surface thoughts. In times I must go deeper, I surround my… inner self with shielding to avoid telepathically merging with a patient.

:: He nodded slightly,. As he considered her words, he allowed himself to relax a little. He hadn’t considered that possibility before, but it seemed like a good suggestion for him to keep in mind the next time he was going to embark on any major life-saving things with his best friends. ::

Moonsong: Just something I believe you should consider, Chythar. :pause: Now… due to the connection we share there is still something on your mind.

Skyfire: :: slowly. :: Recently recovered from space-bear virus. Affected me more than others.

Moonsong: I am sure Doctor Ryan will go over that during your physical. 

:: Again, CD nodded. There were a few things running through his head, and it was a bit difficult to choose any one topic. As he took another sip of his tea, he chose one of the many ongoing topics. ::

Skyfire: Alex asked me tae move into his quarters. 

Moonsong: ::smiles.:: Cohabitation is a big step in a relationship. It will be a real test of the connection… love between you. There will be things that you will share, an intimacy which while pleasant, can also raise a few difficulties as you learn each other’s patterns.

Skyfire: True. :: He paused for a moment and sipped his tea again. :: I’ve spoken to Dr. Ryan a little bit during the last mission when I informed her of my more recent rating. She asked if I had received the proper training of when to use my gifts and when not to, to which I answered it was ongoing. I know that hasn’t been a focus of our sessions of late, but...can you provide that, or suggest a teacher?

Moonsong: ::slight tilt of her head.:: To begin with, we have not had a ‘session’ in a couple years. I thought we were friends.

Skyfire: We’re still friends. :: Another slow and deliberate pause. :: I meant…before I left the Invicta and was accepting my abilities as gifts rather than curses, we were working on shielding if memory serves me correctly.

Moonsong: :: nods.:: That is correct.

Skyfire: Appropriate usage wasn’t exactly covered. Since then, every ship I’ve been on that hasn’t been a focus for me. Since talking with Dr. Ryan, it needs to be. Hence why I asked the question.

Moonsong: I will forward a copy of the guidelines to you. And I will schedule time to work on honing your ability. I had the opportunity to have six months of intensive training so I believe I have full control of my abilities now.

:: Chythar nodded slightly. He had...six months of training or similar crammed into three sessions of weird with that blasted Vulcan in the other universe, and those lessons were unkind to him physically. ::

Skyfire: Good to hear. I’m looking forward to the reading. :: He had another sip of tea, thinking over for a moment if he had anything else to mention. :: I don’t think I told you this, but I have a new nickname from the Gorkon. Lazarus, because I pulled two people back from the brink of death in the span of a month. Shortly after this, I began to discover my faith in a higher power.

Moonsong: Really? How does that make you feel?

Skyfire: The nickname is...It’s taking some getting used to. Most people who weren’t on the Gorkon with us don’t know about it. Still learning the story.

Moonsong: I was referring to your newfound faith.

:: That was a good question. In a lot of ways, it made him feel justified, like he knew why he was here...but to an extent, that was still clouded in mystery. He was only a man, too small to understand the will of God. ::

Skyfire: Ah, yes. :: He had another sip of tea as he sought for a word. :: Justified, I guess. For a while, I was wondering if I had a knack for anything besides chainmail and healing. 

Moonsong: And now? What do you feel?

Skyfire: Still trying to figure it out. Feels good.

Moonsong: I am glad to hear that. :: She paused. :: I would hope that this will decrease your tendency to risk your life without thought.

:: That earned a wince. He’d been a martyr in the past, and had given little consideration to the fact that he was risking his life to make things happen. Truth be told, since finding his faith, he hadn’t gotten around to testing his tendencies of reckless self-endangerment against his beliefs just yet. ::

Skyfire: I’ll get back to you on that, once I have sorted it out.

Moonsong: The tendency has been going on for several years now, Dr. Skyfire. We should discuss this.

​TBC

----

=/\==/\==/\==/\==/\==/\==/\=

Lt. Commander Raissa Moonsong 

Ship’s Counselor

USS Veritas

=/\==/\=G239107RM0 =/\==/\=

& 

Lieutenant Chythar Skyfire, MD

Medical Officer

USS Veritas NCC-95035

O239002CS0