[V-COUN] Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: That's A Loaded Question
Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek
((Counselor’s Office, USS Veritas))
Rosek: ::shrugs:: Well enough. You?
Dugoras: Well doing good I would say, what brings you around Commander?
Rosek: ::sighs:: Required counseling sessions...both good and bad. ::smiles:: No offense, of course. It’s just more of a chore when I have the Brass breathing down my neck.
Dugoras: After living on Vulcan as a child the things people do and say that would offend most tend to simply amuse or intrigue me. By all means in these sessions, you can complain about counseling all you want if you ever need to.
::As genuine as she suspected the offer was, she’d also come to value these sessions as opportunities to explore deeper issues. Had she changed so much after all these years? So much had happened in such a short space of time. Granted, she still carried her share of burdens. But something about them seemed lighter than it had before::.
::Was it the friendships she was starting to develop outside of her close knit social circle? Was it the immense amount of satisfaction she got from performing her duties? She supposed that was partially due to her recent promotion. She’d taken to leadership in a way she hadn’t expected. After the disaster that was her attempt at the Command track during her Academy years, she hadn’t expected it to be such a natural transition.::
Rosek: ::smirks:: Thanks for the offer, but I wouldn’t want to waste your time. I could go on forever about my bad counseling experiences.
Dugoras: Well it's certainly useful for a counselor to know how his patients feel about counseling, that's how I feel anyways. So tell me how have things been?
Rosek: ::pauses:: Intense, but I’m managing. o0 Aside from the fact that if I don’t figure out a way to mate with another Al-Leyan, I’ll be dead in a matter of months. 0o
Dugoras: Good, good...:: He studied her body language as she spoke to him.:: I must say you seem to be doing alright, is there anything in particular you'd like to talk about today?
Rosek: ::grimaces:: Plenty. But I’m not sure quite where to start.
Dugoras: Please sit anywhere you'd like... Tell me where would you choose to place yourself if you could place yourself on a scale of one to ten. One representing hardship and struggle with extraordinary accomplishments, and ten representing comfort and peace of mind with no accomplishments.
::Lael slid onto the couch, arching an eyebrow. That was a mouthful and she wasn’t entirely sure she understood the question. If she was hearing right, he was asking her if she’d rather have extraordinary accomplishments or no accomplishments at all. The contrast between struggle and comfort was self-explanatory, really. She knew that from the greatest trials came the greatest victories. Her uncle had once said, “Pain is inevitable...suffering is optional.” She’d forgotten that somewhere along the way.::
Rosek: One.
Dugoras: And where on that scale do you feel you are now in comparison to where you would place yourself?
Rosek: ::pauses:: I’m not sure I can apply it given my current situation.
::Dugoras sat in the chair across from her, his expression thoughtful. Despite the fact that the medication seemed to be suppressing most of the symptoms, her empathic abilities seemed more sensitive than usual. It was a bit more intimidating with the way his gaze focused on her. A slight flush filled her cheeks. Vulcans were touch telepaths, but he was only part Vulcan. Did he have any telepathic or empathic abilities at all?::
Dugoras: And how in control of the course of your life do you feel now?
Rosek: ::grimaces:: Honestly? Not at all.
::She ran her hands through her hair and released a heavy sigh. Her head was spinning from everything that was going on in her life right now. It was all so overwhelming and with the mission starting so soon after she’d returned from the Atlantis, she really hadn’t had a chance to sort through anything. Once she’d flipped the switch to duty mode, she’d stayed there, welcoming the escape from the complications that were currently plaguing her life.::
Rosek: ::grimaces:: Counselor-patient confidentiality, right? Only the Captain, First Officer, and CMO have access to the records?
Dugoras: Response
::Her heart thudded against the walls of her chest as she again ran her hands through her hair. She had to take a couple of deep, calming breaths to keep from projecting the tempest of emotion swirling inside of her. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, her throat tightening as she struggled to find the words to explain her predicament.::
Rosek ::rasps:: Well, I suppose the worst of it is that I’m going through my season...the time of mating for Al-Leyans. Chythar has managed to suppress the more dangerous symptoms with a specialized medication...but even then, I can only stay on it for so long before it starts killing me.
Dugoras: Response
Rosek: ::murmurs:: If only it was that simple. If I don’t mate with another Al-Leyan, I’ll die.
Dugoras: Response
Rosek: ::shakes her head:: I’m an outcast. No one would be intimate with me. It would lead to exile. The Al-Leyan government is very strict about extra-racial relations.
Dugoras: Response
Rosek: ::grimaces:: My boyfriend is Human, which makes it even more complicated. ::pauses:: I did meet an Al-Leyan.
Dugoras: Response
Rosek: ::blushes:: The chemistry was really intense. We almost--If it wouldn’t have meant exile for him, I think we would have--
Dugoras: Response