Counseling Encountering Counseling

Posted on Tuesday 14 March 2017 @ 02:52 by Commander Save'ena (Sav) Tillatix & Captain Melody Jones & Lieutenant Caleb Mitchell

Mission: Escape from Dark Ventures, Sav's Tail
Location: Starbase Counseling Offices - 2810-02
Timeline: MD27 - Mid Morning
3650 words - 7.3 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

====== Starbase, Deck 28, Trauma Counseling Offices 2810, room 02 =====

Sav came into the room supported by Melody and followed by Caleb. To her, it had been a total disaster the day before in the afternoon when she met with Counselor Veastri. First, she was totally frightened to even go into the counseling offices, her phobia definitely coming to the fore. After getting her into the offices, the esteemed male Counselor and his coming up to her to try and stare into her eyes caused her to say all sorts of things she didn't mean, and it tore her up. That wasn't her, it wasn't, but she could not tell anyone about the imprints as they would not let her. And now, here she was again, same deck, same offices, just a different room.

She whispered out to Caleb and Melody, "Please... please... no more counseling, no more 'this is at it is', I recused my complaint.. just no more, please..."

Melody took Sav's hand and gave it a supportive squeeze "I'm right here with you Sweetie but this is important. I'm sorry but you have to...."

"I know how you feel," Caleb responded,"trust me, I do. But, this is something you need now more than ever.."

Sav sat down dutifully on the large couch, one big enough for five people, let alone three. She was still feeling light pains from the extensive surgery she had gone through, as well as all those ants crawling through her skin and fur. She felt terrible, even though her physical therapist had said that when the Toluene poisoning fully got out of her system, she would no longer feel those ants and would feel like before her incident on Apollonia. Right now, though, Sav just could not believe it. She had been living in pain and constant numbness for the last six years, and the ants seemed to be worse. She sighed out, "Sorry for my ill temperament, I am just not feeling good, sorry."

Melody tried to reassure her "Hey, it's ok Sweetie. You've been through a lot lately and it's going to take some time to adjust." She smiled warmly at her.

The back door to the consulting room opened and a female Half Betazed/Half Vulcan came into the room. She smiled to the three before her, "Welcome to my sanctuary, dearest ones, I am Dasoda Azai." She moved around the desk to squat before Sav and into Sav's field of Vision. "Hey there, Save'ena, I am here to help you, not hurt you. Counselor Veastri let me know what he encountered, and I am most definitely the one to be here for you. Now, my question to you is, may your friends stay with you, or is it to just be me?"

Sav began trembling lightly as she squeezed Melody's and Caleb's hands tighter. Melody was her best friend, and while Caleb was a counselor and male, he was crew, and probably had to be there. Sav nodded, "Yes.. yes... let them stay... I need them, okay?"

Dasoda smiled and nodded, "Alright, yes, they can stay, if that is alright with them."

Melody nodded "I'm here to help Save'ena any way I can."

Dasoda got up and went behind her desk to get out a stool, then returned to the three sitting on the sumptuous couch. She sat down on the chair and smiled at them. "My approach is a little different from what you are used to, Caleb, it has to be for what we are about to do." She looked into Sav's eyes, "It will be okay, it will." She looked at Melody and Caleb, saying, "Okay, please, Caleb, Melody, continue to hold Sav's hands and now take up my hands so we make a circle. Good. Everyone close your eyes as I talk us onto a little journey."

Dasoda now spoke out gently, "Everyone breath deeply, clearing your thoughts. Float within yourself, seeing yourself floating along in protective darkness. Just float there, and now, sense for each other, be drawn to Sav to support her. Sav, we are here for you, to be with you, feel our presence, know us... please don't shirk away. I am a woman, not a man, and am truly here to listen and understand, not try to force anything upon you."

Sav took in a sharp intake of breath as a wave of fear, angst, and terrifying, ripping pain flowed from her to the others.

Melody took a sharp intake of breath also as Sav's pain seemed to wash over. Her entire body trembled briefly then was still again.

Dasoda weathered the sudden, emotional storm that had been felt by all. She now said, "Sav, we are still here for you. The mesh implanted into you should have killed you, way back in the hospital. How did you..." Dasoda was going to make a point that Sav had lived despite that, but the key words were 'killed you'.

A sudden light shone as Sav was the Advanced Medical Center recovery bed, the healing fields 'not working'. Melody, Caleb, and Dasoda were there with her, along for the ride into Sav's psyche and memories.

Dasoda sent to Melody and Caleb ~We are within Sav's mind. She can feel us as we work towards helping her. Right now, in this memory, we 'are not' here, even as we are. She will let us know when she needs help. Please, don't be afraid, nothing here can hurt you, and it will only help Sav.~

Melody was trying to orientate herself. she moved over to Sav's bedside but couldn't touch her. She got the feeling that Sav knew someone was there but was this really happening or just a memory?

Just outside her room, the 'Esteemed Federation Councilman' was talking with doctors about her condition, even as Council Diplomats, as well as specially chosen Counselors, wait to pounce on her once the doctors gave the okay. Sav could still swear she thought she heard from the two, 'Her condition, worsening? *glee*', 'No, improving.', 'What? *anger* You said she would not live past two months with that mesh.. do you know how many favors?', 'I know, but, against all odds, she seems to be improving, but, in great pain and incoherence.', 'Okay, that's good, then.'

These remembrances of Rep Eurytlus' overheard words with the docs, the fighting of ownership at the hospital between Rep Eurytlus, the lead doc, and the IPA Marshall, her coming in and out of wakefulness in dire straights, all began to form a deep bubbling pit of emotions rising within her. Sadness, doubt, shame, fear, grief, guilt, hurt, despair, pain, all came rushing through her as her mind realized that the attention to her was not for her benefit, but for Mr. Eurytlus. She was supposed to be dead, dead, dead, his deed and wrongdoing forever erased. ~Why why, why, why, why, why, why..~ rolled over and over within her mind as she screamed out a long 'nooooo'

Melody put her hands to her ears to try and stop the emotional barrage but it was useless, then suddenly..... Everything went quiet.

Suddenly, that scene was gone as the total conglomeration of memories of the continued trying to kill her whispered about and turned into a dungeon chamber enclosing her as the 17-year-old Mephetian female laid curled into a ball upon the floor in a pool of her own blood and pieces of her internals. Multiple spotlights shone down upon her to highlight what had been done to her for others evil delights. Around her, the chains, whips, chores, and extreme movies waited for her to once again get up for their use. However, even in this despair, hurt, and sinking, Sav felt as though someone was out there, still hoped she would be rescued, that this was not a figment of a dying girl's imagination. She thought she remembered a kindly, grey-bearded IPA Marshall swooping in to rescue her, but after time, the memory was fading. Was there anyone to help her now? The multiple spotlights enclosing her kept the three nearby away, even as the lights tightened their grip upon the girl lying in the middle.

Melody tried to go over to kneel beside her but the lights stopped her, she could not touch her. Tears were starting to roll down her face as she spoke softly to her, "Sweetie, I'm right here. Can you hear me?"

Within the mind's battleground, another Sav stepped out of the shadows. This one was dressed in striped leggings, boots, skort, long sleeved blouse, a techno band t-shirt, and hair bow. She spoke to the other three presences, "You're here, you're finally here to help." She looked over at the Sav trapped within the psychic imprints, then said, "I am the separation that kept her sane, to keep up hope, to be her outside. But, I can no longer. The imprints, their tightening, they're about to win. Please, come with me, to see the secrets and lies so as to break the imprints, so I may escape, and live. Please, will you come with me and help me break free?"

Melody stood and looked at this new version of Save'ena. She held out her hand "Of course we'll go with you."

Caleb arched a brow, nodded and agreed with Melody, "We are here for you."

Sav grabbed onto Melody's and Caleb's hands. She began walking towards the Sav in the spotlights with them in tow, even as Dasoda followed along, feeling out for those imprints and the tie points used to keep them embedded and controlling Sav.

As they walked, the scene of the dungeon shifted to show a restaurant with many college students about. That scene now zoomed onto Sav being approached by a dapper Terran in a white suite with a Red Rose. It was just after a University sponsored dance for the upcoming summer. She turned down the invitation to a Dinner Party and Dance at Mr. Thompson's place but readily accepted piloting his private Space Yacht. She went to see the Yacht first, then into the office to sign the paperwork. It was there, during the celebratory drink, she was slipped a mickey by Mr. Thompson's Bartender.

Dasoda found the first imprint as it tried to rewrite the bartender and resulting carrying down into a secret dungeon into a private room with liquor cabinet for Sav. As she worked on removing the tie points, one of the lights covering the Sav on the floor went away. Around the observers, the story continued.

When Sav woke up, she was in a dungeon cell. Sav demanded, stormed, pleaded, but was not let go. For the first week, she was left alone and given a little water and no food. Now in a very weakened state, the psychological warfare began upon her. At first, her food was regurgitated by other girls, even as she was poked, prodded and slapped while being forced to do demeaning chores, very specific ones. Mistress Elizabeth had a very deep understanding of the psyche, how to tear it down, then put in fear and a slave mentality. The treatments progressed to whippings, beatings, shown extreme movies including snuff films, all the while letting Sav know she was being trained for and to be sold as a slave. For those waiting word about her on the outside, money was sent regularly along with high quality forged messages. Inside, the tortures and chores continued, however, nothing was done to Sav that would leave a permanent mark, or take her virginity from a prospective buyer.

Melody watched all this in horror. She knew something very bad must have happened to Sav in the past but she never imagined anything like this.

Caleb shook his head, saddened and angered by what had happened to her.

Counselor Dasoda was being kept very busy. The time of this happening to the poor young girl was several months. Two imprints were here, one to keep Sav quiet, the other to try and force memories of living out of her private room, going to far away places for fun, and generally having a 'good time' in Mr. Thompson's employ. As she broke through these two imprints, two more lights went out over the Sav on the floor.

Then, Sav was sold for 20 times cost to a buyer, from the normal 250K to 5 Mil, and one wall changed. Instruments of skinning were shown, complete with artists diagrams of Sav in how the instruments were going to be used to remove her pelt. Somehow, within her core self, Sav remained defiant and planning. Thus, on the day of the 'accident' in question, four months after capture, she was slipped a mickey again and woke up in leather bondage gear and hoisted up on an x-frame, spread-eagled, into the air by Mr. Thompson (Canine) and Mistress Elizabeth (Caitian). A Federation Councilman, one Diostos Eurytlus (Zibalian), wearing enhancements taking her, ripping her, tearing her; all while a tube inserted into her femoral artery and tied to her ear splashed blood over them. His words and delight at her pain and taking echoing in the room. Eurytlus had bought her for her virginity, life, and pelt. Mistress Elizabeth held her head so Diostros could stare into her eyes as the life fled from them. However, right before that happened, IPA authorities burst into the room, throwing Diostros away from the girl as they rescued her and arrested the three within. L'Tandrey Meditech was put onto Sav, the crystalline tech nanites immediately going to work to save the girl's life, and then she was transported to the hospital.

Tears were now running down Melody's face. She so desperately wanted to rush to Sav's said to hold her, comfort her. But all of this was in the past and there was nothing she could do to alter it.

Caleb again was left shaking his head.

Dasoda barely kept herself in check at the gruesome scene as it played out in front of her. She instead used her anger to help fuel her abilities to take out another imprint that was trying to change this scene into one of Sav working on Mr. Thompson's yacht, then falling onto a pile of debris below, and Sav, while pinned with a piece of metal piercing her femoral artery, managed to get up multiple times to fall back upon the metal spike impaling her once more. Soon, that false memory and imprint were gone, and another light over the Sav in the middle as well. There was one light left.

However, at the hospital, right before the surgery, Federation Council assistants and Starfleet Personnel moved in and swiped Sav, taking her to their medical clinic, citing they had the best care for the 'poor Mephetian'. Now, scenes followed Sav's waking moments, of the talk between doctors, lead doctor and Fed Rep, the quick substitutions in surgery, and her recovering, despite all obstacles placed in her path. During this time was the trial, and evidence going missing, records going missing, and everything being chiseled down to an 'accident' at Mr. Thompson's Private StarPort. Sav recovered enough to learn about the trial and what happened. She could not let them get away with what happened. She acted and lodged a complaint.

Now was the time for damage control. Ten different counselors kept pressing upon her, five of heavy psi who kept pressing memories not hers for no dungeon, no taking, and no fault by the Councilman and Aristocrats. Diostros could not be at fault, never. Thus, the Counselors used forbidden tactics of interrogation to get done what they needed. Lack of sleep, middle of the night sessions, neural stimulators, weeks of pressing to make her KNOW what really happened and save the careers of those involved. Sav left, the complaint withdrawn, an obedient 'slave', and returned to her final year of college. Yet, deep within, her own psi abilities and her commitment to her core self kept herself intact, and knowing, despite never being able to talk about it.

Despite crying, Melody smiled to herself. Sav was fighting this all the time. God, she was strong willed.

Dasoda was working hard on the last imprint, the hiding of what happened by Starfleet Personnel upon a civilian having fallen prey to the basest sorts of individuals.

All during this walk, the four kept getting closer and closer to the Sav on the floor, even as the Sav walking kept pace with changing outfits of the scenes that had transpired. The two seemed to start blurring as they got close to one another. The final spotlight, representing The Barrier, went away, now that others knew and the psychic imprints by the counselors were finally broken. Logical Sav reached for the Emotional Sav, the two now seeming to join as Logic bent down to fully flow into Emotion. One Sav, the one on the floor, was left and she was now holding onto Melody's and Caleb's hands, tears within her eyes. "You saw... you know... no more secrets, no more lies. Please, let us leave this place." She pulled herself off the floor and glommed onto them both. Behind her, on the floor, lay three meshes in a jar with Doc Caroline's label on it, their hold over her broken like the psychic imprints.

The scene shifted and the four were back in Dasoda's office, Sav between Caleb and Melody while Dasoda was on the far side of them. All were still holding hands. Dasoda waited for Sav to fully come out of the session within her own mind. Shortly, Sav's bright eyes focused upon her. She smiled to Sav, and asked, "How are you feeling, Save'ena?"

Sav felt, she felt, she didn't know how she felt. She tried to speak, but nothing came forth. She tried again, and finally said, "Tired, sore, drained, empty.. so much for so long.. I don't know..." Sav's eyes gently closed and she shifted back into the couch, on her tail, having fallen asleep.

Dasoda let out a sigh, then told Melody and Caleb, "That was better than I had dared hoped for. I fully expected her to start screaming and crawling into a corner to escape after having gone through that again." She now looked to Melody and Caleb, "My big concern now is you two. How are you holding up? Would you both consider some counseling sessions to help with what you just witnessed?"

Melody had stopped crying now but tear still stained her face. She was holding herself very rigidly to stop herself from shaking. She, herself, had gone through counseling after her experience with the Borg and she didn't relish the prospect of more. A Deep burning hatred was forming toward those who had done this to Save'ena. In a way, they were worse than the Borg. Trying to cover their tracks. So many lies and deceptions. She looked down at Save'ena sleeping peacefully on the sofa longing to hold her again..... but this was not the place.

She looked back at Dasoda and nodded slowly.

I'm not sure," Caleb ventured, "I'll take some time to try to relax, then I'll let you know."

Dasoda smiled to the two before her. She spoke first to Melody. "I will get something setup for you Melody, and I will be your direct counselor for as long as you are at the Starbase." She focused on Caleb, "I understand, Counselor Mitchell. Just remember, we do have specific counselors for the Counselors on Starships. Everybody needs an ear to lean upon once in a while."

Dasoda pulled a medical tricorder from under her chair and ran it over Sav. "Good, she is past dream state and into a deep, healing rest. I will get a gurney with corpsmen in here to get her to her room." As she went to her desk and hit the button, she asked, "Melody, after what I saw, I think she should have a female friend nearby for when she awakes. Would you contact one to hold vigilance?"

Melody shook her head, wiping the tears from her face. "There's no need to call anyone, I'll stay with her. She.......... she means a lot to me. If that's ok with you?"

Dasoda smiled, "Yes, you can, as long as you think you're truly up to it and can be there to support her. We all experienced something from the dredges of society that should never be, and while she was the victim and focus, we saw, and can never unsee."

Two female corpsmen came into the room with a grav gurney. They gently maneuvered Sav onto it and went out the door with Melody and Caleb in tow.

Once more alone in her office, Dasoda closed her eyes and breathed, trying to calm herself. Suddenly, in an atypical fashion for her, she threw the tricorder across the room and into a wall with enough force to break loose some internals. The outburst now past, she returned to her desk to dictate the session, add personal observances, and to get notes for those who would be counseling Sav in the next weeks before the Merlin went on its next journey.

She was actually very thankful the Merlin's head counselor had been there to see and know what he would be dealing with for the next several years. While Sav may never fully be free of what was done to her, she could have a chance at a 'normal' life, and it all started with helping Sav to rediscover she was a beautiful woman, wanted, desired, and to be interacted with. It would take time, but it would happen.

OFF:

Lieutenant Save'ena A. Tillatix
CAG / Uroboros Squadron Leader
USS Merlin

Lieutenant Commander Melody Jones
Executive Officer
USS Merlin

Lieutenant Caleb Mitchell
Chief Counselor
USS Merlin.

Lieutenant Dasoda Azai
Traumatic Injury Counselor
Starbase