Looking for Freud

Posted on Thursday 27 September 2018 @ 13:45 by Captain John "Apollo" Barstow, M.D.

Mission: The New Collective
Location: =/\= Sickbay =/\=
Timeline: MD2, Overnight
857 words - 1.7 OF Standard Post Measure

John looked between the 2 Doctors as he laid in the bed, propped in a sitting position by some extra pillows, “Doctors, you both took the counselling and basic psychology modules, correct?” he asked, the modules being offered at Starfleet Medical Academy for those times when a ship may not carry a Counselor.

“Very basic,” Cara answered. “If it wasn’t going to be our specialty we didn’t take the full course.” She checked his monitors and noted his vitals in his chart while she waited for Michael to answer.

“I concur with Cara. However, when I was serving on the Grissom I took some advanced courses in the hopes that I would one day become a Chief, and here I am. Is there something on your mind Captain?” Michael asked as he glanced at the monitors. It seemed that Barstow was healing nicely, at leas his physical wounds were.

John nodded, “these Borg….I need a work up on them and our counselling department won’t be here for a week yet,” he explained, “I’ve put out a call to any bases and ships nearby for us to barrow someone, but, no one’s been able as of yet.”

“Forgive me sir, but Borg are all the same are they not. All they really want from life is well to take it and make it theirs. Assimilation is their sole purpose in the cosmos. To that end I wonder if what we are seeing in these Borg is simply a new tactic to get what they want. They have tried any number of things to wipe the Federation from the galactic map. Each time they have failed, however, they have seen how we operate, how we adapt. Perhaps this is simply their way of circumventing our adaptations.” Michael sat in a chair next to the Captain’s bed. It had been quite a long few days.

“Complete destruction and outright murder is more than just getting around our adaptation,” the Captain replied, “I don’t get afraid about much, however, this genuinely scares me. If I’m wrong then you both get credit for being able to update the information on the Borg, just interview the survivors and put together a profile for me?”

Michael was about to make a point about the adaptations when the Captain admitted his fear. “If you did not experience fear I would think that you were not alive. For that is what fear is, it is the brain’s way of telling us that we are alive, and do not want to die. It also could be exactly what the Borg want. They destroy and we expend resources trying to stop them. What happens when the resources run out? Now that is the question.”

Cara looked up at Michael’s question. She had never thought about it before. But what DID happen when their resources ran out? She looked at the Captain. “Is that possible? Could we run out of resources to stop them?” she asked.

“Remember Wolf three five nine and all it took to stop them at Earth,” the Captain replied and rubbed his face, if they took out 9th Fleet they’d have no issue getting to Earth before anyone could react, “we’re all just speculating here. The Borg could have picked up the wrong one nighter and gotten a virus, we just don’t know at this point. That’s why we need to investigate this, going head on didn’t help….” he added with a pang of regret, “I’m not discounting any theory bright now, let’s just get what data we can together.”

“We will see what we can get together for you sir.” Michael replied. He wasn’t exactly sure how helpful he would be in a psych work up on the Borg. But he would try his best.

“Excellent, thank you,” Apollo replied sincerely, “if you can see if one of your colleagues might be able to help us find a counselor too.”

“I will file an official request with Starfleet Medical. Lord knows if any ship needs one this ship does.” Michael said with a smirk. “For the time being I will serve double duty.”

Cara was grateful that Michael volunteered. Counseling was not her best quality. It was one of the things she liked about being a trauma physician. She didn’t see patients long enough to get emotionally involved. They were in her care, treated and either released or moved to another physician’s care. She checked the monitors again and said, “if you are satisfied, Captain, you really need to rest. I’m not comfortable with your blood pressure right now.”

Apollo smirked, “I don’t think you’d be comfortable with any of the crews blood pressure right now,” he replied with a chuckle but was already starting to doze off, flashes of what he had to do already starting to fill his dreams.


Captain John “Apollo” Barstow
Commanding Officer
USS Merlin
Task Group Commanding Officer
Task Group 47-A

Dr. Cara O’Reilly
ACMO
USS Merlin

Dr Michael Ki
Chief Medical Officer
USS Merlin