Chatting with a Friendly Ear.
Posted on Sat May 18th, 2024 @ 5:09pm by Lieutenant Harper Matthews & Breeze
1,657 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
The Search
Location: Counselor's Office
Breeze had another one of her nightmares, she hated the fact she often woke overly parched, she kept water in her cabin and hated the blazing glare of the replicator that burned her eyes so badly she had to put them out.
Unfortunately to do that... damages the replicator as well.
This dream from her past left her with cold sweats and chills; her head aching before the constant listening to the ship's complement of ambient voices. A constant noisy party going on around her as the loose thoughts just piled one over the other. Meditation or physical contact helped. Her race were strong enough to just filter most of the 'white noise' of crowds, but after the dream her natural disciplines are… weaker.
The headaches after a traumatic recall leave her needing to purge the feelings by expressing them and getting her mind cleared again. Thus time for a counselor to help her with this?
She rang the chime to the Counselor.
Harper had always been an early riser. She would get up and do some yoga in her living room and sometimes she'd do some aerobic exercise to wake her up. Her breakfast was often a hearty one to set her up for the morning ahead of patients and she got herself ready for the day, even being in the office for 0500 for those who were also early risers or wished a chat before their shift began.
As such one of those people had already arrived. Just as Harper placed her 'travel mug' of coffee down on her desk the chime to her door rang. She looked up sensing something strange from the other side. Harper had always had these feelings, it was strange to her. In her mind she was Human and thought she must have an extra sensitive empathy sense but to feel through a door was something else. She shrugged and called for them to enter. This feeling, her empathetic sense always came in handy and helped her become the counsellor she was.
In entered the woman she'd come to know as Breeze. Simply from the brief interaction on the the bridge recently. She hadn't spoken to her before but if anyone showed up at her door it was often for a reason.
"Please, come in." Harper said with a soothing Australian accent.
Breeze entered the Office in a cream long dress with white lace collar and shoulder piece the white shoes and cloth belt around her waist, Hair just past shoulder length hair fell loose, quickly combed to be presentable but it was not her best styling job. The headache and nightmare had a toll on her. She would 'tidy up' before going to her beloved duties in Ten Forward where she worked the bar and generally covered the Lounge operations.
"I hope you might have the time for a chat?" The Voice asked tenderly. "I sometimes have trouble sleeping and it helps to, talk it out." Her right hand a flurry by her waist and partly concealed.
Harper nodded. "Of course, I don't have any scheduled appointments until 0900 so we have plenty of time. You can take a seat, take the couch, or even stand if you feel the comfortable doing so." she replied noticing the small bundle of activity be her waist. Being that Breeze was trying to conceal it Harper would not bring attention to it unless Breeze chose to. After all, it might be something she was anxious about and force her to clam up.
"Would you like something to drink?" Harper asked moving towards the side cabinet where she had a pot of tea steaming quietly. "If not tea I can do you a replicator drink."
Breeze physically fought to calm her reaction as she cringed at the mention of a replicator, shaking her head a little she gained her composure.
[Tea would be wonderful.] Breeze used wrist keyboard hidden in a Bracelet that projected it for her use. [I do not like replicator s if given a choice.] She tried to force a smile. [ Please excuse me... replicated beverages have a metallic after taste to me.]
"You have nothing to apologise for, and tea is shall be." Harper smiled and began to pour two cups, one for her and one for her guest. "Milk? Sugar?" she asked. "Both are from the ships stores so not replicated either. I like real food as well if I can get it." she admitted.
[I like you already.] Breeze's voice reply. [Just sugar please. I know there should not be an after taste but I loathe Replicators but am forced in this situation to use them commonly. I replicate things mostly rather than ... food or drink.] The hands were a flurry until the tea was prepared and she reach with her left hand for it. [Very bad childhood hatred actually.] Her right hand still moving and the speech pattern slowed ever so slightly.
"Well, I am glad you like me." Harper smiled as she put some sugar in the woman's tea. "Makes talking to each other much easier." she said as she passed the woman the cup. "You can take your time to reply." she indicated the speech device. "Enjoy your tea, and you can talk to me about whatever you want, whenever you want."
[I have terrible nightmares from my... youth, it is after my Mother 'Passed' and before the Federation found me a drift on a dead ship." Her right hand a flurry of motion. [I wake and an anger in me being surrounded by... something that nearly killed me.] She looked to the Counselor. [I hate replicators, and I get really mad at them.]
"Tell me about your mother, before she passed, what was she like? Do you have any memories of that time?" Harper asked separating some of the things she had said. She would circle back or around them during their chat. Going straight into a negative was never a good idea, and if she had positive memories of her mother that was a good place to begin.
[ S-she would - be...] Both hands came into full sign language to get her words right. [She - healer, softest heart in all the stars, she hated seeing people in pain.] Tears were stinging Breeze. [I-I do not have that heart. She felt everyone and their joys or sadness. Always gave he affection for no reason, adored me. I miss her and how her imagery spoke to me...]
Looking away Breeze took a breath.
[Our language is... telepathy, we speaking in...whole images though physically silent. She kept me safe and warm in body and mind.]
Harper offered a small box of tissues for Breeze. Always a steady supply was kept as more often than not a tear or two was shed during sessions. "I think you share some of her heart." Harper replied. "You brought the captain a comforting drink on the bridge. To know they needed it takes a connection to emotion, and given you were not on the bridge at that point shows people here speak to you in their own ways. You have connection here, a new and different type of imagery." she tried to tie it back into how Breeze saw things.
"When you look in my mind, what images do you see?" Harper was curious.
Breeze had stopped her signing, her eyes looking past Harper's own; into what human call the Gateway to the soul, mind and emotions swirling together. Breeze knew what she saw; the image that connect itself to 'Harper'; the name in Breeze's language of her long and lost people.
[Oasis...] Breeze signed. [Palms surrounding a pool of blue water.]
Tilting her head but not breaking the eye contact and connection.
[A haven of sorts in the middle of the sands of a desert, heat all around yet in the Oasis there is shade and the winds cool once passed over the waters. This is the pace people can just 'Be' and not allow other fears or frustrations take hold. One is always welcome in an Oasis, it is not a large place but can serve many as they make their way to it... to you.]
Breeze smiled.
[That is the Image that connect as 'Harper. If your name in My language; what I would call you. The name Harper is that ... image in my mind, or the word in my Language. That image is a single word that would be spoken should I have told Mother your name.]
Breeze took the tissue after she concluded.
"Well, I think that the image is perfect. Not only as it probably does explain how I am in most instances but also it can be something that you can remember if you are feeling scared or frustrated." Harper smiled at the young woman. "If you take yourself to that Oasis, the place where you can just 'be' and no fears or frustrations can ever grip you then you should feel a sense of calm, of possibly even home." she paused for a moment. "Or you could create your own Oasis, your own safe space. I will say though that this is always somewhere you are welcome, and I will never turn you away in times of need... or even if you just want to share a cup of tea or a comforting image."
[I will continue to keep that as an option.] Breeze signed. [You do have the option of visiting the Ten Forward to share something as well. I do enjoy this type of chatting.]
"Well I tell you what." Harper said with a smile. "Consider me a regular in Ten Forward then. I go often but I will definitely make more of an effort now to come and see how you are doing."
[Looking forward to more stimulating times.] Breeze relayed. [I will always have something special waiting you.]
Lieutenant Harper Matthews
Chief Counsellor
&
Breeze
Civilian Specialist.
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