Chewing the fat part 2

Posted on Tuesday 2 April 2019 @ 15:45 by Commander Caroline Miller & Lieutenant Michael Ki MD
Edited on on Wednesday 3 April 2019 @ 22:36

Mission: The New Collective
Location: CMO's office
Timeline: After "the fallout begins" posts
1620 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Previously on Chewing the fat,

“You have a duty of care to her as a patient but also to the crew to ensure they are safe, and at present the state her head is in and the way she reacts is not safe to the crew. If someone is a danger to themselves and the crew, doctor patient confidentiality does not apply. What you are doing here is making an exception for someone who you have overlooked things for too long and protecting her from fondness.

And now the continuation …………...

Now the Counselor had hit a nerve. "I will have you know that there you are incorrect. I have not, nor would I ever overlook any issue from a patient. You of all people should know how easy a patient with psychological issues can cover it up and keep it all to themselves." His face turned slightly red and the anger welled inside him, the accusation alone caused Michael to teeter on explosion. In a short moment he managed to gain composure of himself. "I do agree that her behavior was overlooked on her previous assignments, and if you look at my initial physical and report to the Captain when O'Hara boarded this ship you will see that I recommend she be relieved of duty pending a psych evaluation. However, I was overruled. I will give you one good guess who overruled me."

That said, if and only if the Captain is in full know and agreement, I am willing to give her a chance to clean up her attitude and work through her issues and protect her this “one” time so that her career doesn't abruptly end. But I am not putting my job and reputation and yours for that matter on the line agreeing to state on record "that her actions were due to a non lethal side effect of the brain surgery that she has undergone" when that’s not the truth"

"You have looked at her record. Tell me has O'Hara ever been suicidal in the past. I see no record of it. So the question must be asked why is she suicidal now. In Diagnostic Medicine anything and everything can be the cause. So can one say that the surgery and the puppet master being in her brain caused her suicidal tendencies, no one cannot say that. However, can one say that it didn't cause the suicidal tendencies, no one cannot say that either. So without any further evidence one way or the other she must undergo testing to figure out what is happening. So going on record is not a lie, nor is it the entire truth." He sighed, and then sipped his coffee. "If you would be willing to recommend to the Captain that O'Hara stay on the Merlin for her treatment. Then it would be best to go to the Captain."

"No there's no prior record that we know of her being suicidal in the past but that's not what I am referring too, you have a fondness for her that lets her get away with certain verbal behaviours for instance in sickbay and to you. Laugh it off, make an excuse its just the Irish in her but its disrespectful," Caroline tried to get through to him. The problem was he was too comfortable in that right now to admit it to himself.

"And theres no mystery, I can tell you exactly why shes suicidal now. Shes gone too long believing no one can touch her. That she's ahead of the game, of everyone else, more important than everyone else and that allows her to get away in her head with the behaviour she has been displaying. Not tackling the constant insubordination and attitude has also fed into this. Now suddenly, she's realized that she's not untouchable because that thing got into her head and she couldn't fight it back or take it apart, defeat it in any way. That's knocked her to the very core and shes gone too far the other way in her head now and stupidly with the aid of the decision to abuse alcohol and her meds, tried to take her life believing she had no self worth left.

"Of course I am willing to recommend to the Captain that O'Hara stay on the Merlin for her treatment, because I know if she lets me, I can help her. That, we can both help her. What I am not willing to do is cover up and fudge information to my CO. And neither would I be willing to do that with you in any way. Its not ethical. It doesn't sit right with the trust that should exist within the chain of command and the senior crew. Barstow knows O'Hara.

Caroline softened, she took the same tone he had and addressed him as he her without his rank like when they had been conversing outside the brig, "Michael, trust in your CO that he will support her also. He does need to be bothered about this as he does care about all his staff. If he found out it had been played down for his protection he would not be happy. And can you honestly say you would if you put yourself in his place?"

Michael took a deep gulp of his coffee. He felt like he had aged ten years in the short time that he had been serving on the Merlin. The weight of all that happened was heavy on his shoulders and on his brow. He placed his cup down on the saucer and reached out to take her hand. It was more of a friendly gesture, something that would be reassuring he knew that the woman brought him back from the dark places of his own psyche. A task that many before her fulfilled. "Very well... I do have one condition however, this is for the safety of our patient. The Captain must be made to understand that this information cannot be shared with anyone else on the crew. We must be the only three who are aware of her condition." He paused for a moment as considered the rest of what Caroline had said. "I have no particular fondness for the Lieutenant, in fact it is the opposite. I do not care for the woman all that much. I allow her to get away with the insubordination and the comments, because I find that with people like her it is easier to allow them to self destruct in their own ego. I believe the old adage was give them enough rope to hang themselves. It is now our job to rebuild her, well more accurately to help her rediscover who she is without all the bravado."

"Who overruled you?" Caroline asked that sentence registering in her head.

Michael actually laughed. "I am sorry I thought it was evident. The Captain overruled me stating that at the time we could not replace her and still complete the mission. So she was allowed to go to duty as it was believed that it was all part of her natural personality. Of course this was also in absence of a Ship's Counselor. Heck we had just drudged the Merlin up from under the water. I decided that I would keep an eye on her, if you notice I was always one step behind her as she did what she did."

"Well thats not the case anymore. If O'Hara needed to be replaced, she could easily. And by someone with as much talent. That argument is mute and besides the Captain has asked me to "manage" both the engineer and the Corporal when they are "Acting up". And he knows I won't be shy in that respect. Its not carrying on," Caroline stated.

Michael leaned back in his chair and tented his fingers for a moment, as he thought things through. In a short time he had an answer to all that they had discussed. "Very well! If the Captain is going to entrust you with taking care of the Lieutenant and the Colonel then I should as well." He smiled "They are all yours. Medically speaking O'hara is clear, however, it is all psychological now. I place that ball in your capable hands. All I ask is that you keep me informed of the developments, and treatment plan. I will also set up a briefing of sorts with the Captain."

Caroline nodded. "Thats a good idea. I think we should really have time to appraise each other with all patients and overlapping treatment plans. I want to get counselling - assuming I am allowed some more staff," she grinned at him, "working seamlessly with Medical."

"In a perfect world..." Michael chuckled. "To further with O'hara I would like to assist if I may with her treatment. You see, it is hard for me to make friends and believe it or not I consider Stephanie to be a friend." What he did not add was that he hoped in due time the Counselor would become a friend and perhaps something more.

"If she will allow it and if shes ready for that of course," Caroline nodded. It would probably be hard enough to crack open that exterior as it was, without the additional pressure of her having to let another person in. But if O'Hara and him were friends, she would hopefully respond well to that idea.

Michael smiled warmly as he sipped his drink. In time he thought that perhaps Caroline would get used to his smarmy ways, and they could spend more time together.

OFF:

Lt Michael Ki MD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Merlin

Commander Caroline Miller
Chief Counselor
USS Merlin