Ensign John Kendrick - Cold Peppermint Tea (Part II)

[Jon Van Pelt]

((Counseling Suite, Deck 7, USS Juneau))

 

As John looked around the Suite, it looked like the room had been decorated to make the crew feel comfortable and at home.

 

Kendrick: Good evening Counsellor. Thanks for taking the time to see me.

 

This was going to be his first counselling session ever. And having a counsellor with telepathic abilities, it would probably be very hard for him to hide his true feelings.

 

Tierney: Hello, Ensign. Please come in.

 

The Counsellor motioned to a couple of empty chairs which, John noticed, were all unique in design. He wondered why the Counsellor kept so many different chairs in his Suite. Perhaps it was a reflection of an eclectic spirit.  

 

He smiled inwardly. Here he was, the patient, analyzing the doctor. He decided to go for the chair in standard Starfleet design. It was familiar and somehow made him feel more secure.

 

Tierney: Can I get you anything to drink?

 

It was only now that he realized his mouth did feel a bit dry. For a brief second he wondered if the Counsellor had sensed he was thirsty. He knew it was against the rules for telepaths to probe people’s minds without their consent, but for telepaths like Tierney - who was Ulian -blocking off their telepathic senses would be like Humans trying to close their ears: you’d never be able to filter out all the noise around you.

 

He looked up at the Counselor. With his white hair and icy blue eyes there was something about him that he could only describe as magical.

 

Kendrick: Yes. Actually I do. A cold peppermint tea would be nice, thank you.

 

The tea wouldn’t only quench his thirst, it would also help calm his nerves.

 

Tierney: ::nodding:: I believe this is the first time we’ve had a chat. 

 

The Counselor was right. They’d worked together before. Just this afternoon they’d trained together on the Phaser Range. But this was the first time they were together in one room without anyone else present.

 

Kendrick: Yes. ::a chuckle:: To be honest, it still feels a bit strange, me sitting here with you.

 

Tierney: I see. I should mention that anything we talk about will be held with the strictest of confidence. Unless you intend to hurt yourself or others, what you say stays here.

 

John nodded as the Counsellor handed him a glass of peppermint tea.

 

Kendrick: Thank you.

 

He took a sip of tea and smiled.

 

Kendrick: Well, if it eases your mind, I’m not planning on hurting myself, or anyone else for that matter.

 

As he took another sip of his tea, his mood darkened.

Kendrick: I’m just suffering from these terrible nightmares, you see.

 

Tierney: I see. When did the nightmares begin?

 

He placed his glass of tea on the small table next to him and leaned forward, as if he was talking to the carpet on the floor instead of the Counselor.

 

Kendrick: It all started down Aturn VII. Commander T’Lea, doctor Rel and I entered an abandoned mining tunnel. I had the misfortune to be bitten by some sort of tick. Its poison made me sick and I fell unconscious for a while.

 

He looked back up at the Counselor.

 

Kendrick: And that’s when I had this, well, vision if you can call it that.

 

Tierney: A vision? 

 

Kendrick: There was this darkness at first. And then this spark of light followed by these warped voices. I didn’t understand what they were saying. But then I heard my father’s voice and I suddenly found myself back home.

 

Tierney: I see. Did you have a conversation?

 

He looked back down at the carpet.

 

Kendrick: He told me I shouldn’t have left home. I shouldn’t have left my family behind. And then I saw her.

 

He buried his face in his hands, as if he was ashamed to be sharing his nightmare with the Counselor.

 

Tierney: Her?

 

He looked back up at Tierney, teary-eyed.

 

Kendrick: The Captain. Telling me I don’t belong in Starfleet.

 

He looked at the Counselor, desperately hoping to find answers.

 

Tierney: That sounds like quite impactful imagery. 

 

John leaned back in his chair and diverted his eyes at the ceiling and let out a heavy sigh.

Kendrick: It certainly was.

 

A soft chuckle followed as he looked back at the Counselor.

 

Kendrick: Considering the fact I ended up here, in your office.

Tierney: What were you feeling at the time you heard these words?

 

Kendrick: I don’t know.

 

He paused, trying to find the right word to describe his emotions.

 

Kendrick: Guilt, I guess.

 

He nodded as he finally realized what he had felt. Guilt.

Kendrick: I’ve thought a lot about what I saw. Trying to interpret it, give it some kind of meaning. But I think guilt is the right word to describe what I was feeling.

Tierney: I see. It seems you’ve thought hard about this experience. What comes to mind when you remember it? That is, what do you think caused this vision to happen?

 

John couldn’t help but notice the Counselor used the words ‘I see’ a lot. Perhaps it was a typical expression used by counselors but it felt strange to be hearing it from a telepath who he knew could actually ‘see’ in someone’s mind.

 

Suddenly the image of his father flashed before his eyes.

Kendrick: My father.

 

Tierney: response

 

Kendrick: When I left home for Starfleet Academy, I wasn’t exactly on speaking terms with my father, to put it mildly.

 

He reached for his glass of tea and took another sip before putting the glass back on the small table next to him.

 

Tierney: response

 

Kendrick: I’m the first born child, so family tradition demanded I should be the one to take over the family business. ::a chuckle::  I of course had other plans.

 

Tierney: response

 

 

 

 

TAG/TBC

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Ensign John Kendrick
Security
USS Juneau, NX-99801
J239801JK3