Counseling The Counselor

Posted on Sat Aug 3rd, 2024 @ 8:45am by Lieutenant Nicolette Riviere & Lieutenant Commander Michael Ki

2,077 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: The Trafalgar Roll
Location: Sick Bay - USS Victory

When Michael arrived at the Sick Bay he stood there and held Nicolette for a moment. "Counselor, I am going to put you down and when I do, you are going to stand and talk. Not run or yell. Please nod if you understand."

The trembling counselor nodded, her anxiety rising. Nicolette's head started swiveling around and each time that she did, her body started to tremble more.

Ki placed her down and looked around for anything that could steady her nerves. Finding nothing, a notion struck him. Michael looked out the door and found a Cabin Boy. "Boy, fetch a ration of rum. If anyone asks, tell them that the ship's surgeon has ordered you to do so." The boy nodded his understanding of the order and ran off. "Now Counselor, tell me what is going on."

Her voice was a terrified whisper, as she informed Ki, "I'm going to die here. You may not believe it," she told Ki with a dread certainty. "But it is true. I'm doomed."

Michael cocked his eyebrow in the Vulcan way. He refused to admit it to Nicolette, at least not yet, but he had had the very same thoughts. At least similar ones. "Why are you certain that you are going to die here. History records that many of the crew of the Victory survive the battle of Trafalgar. How do you know you are not one of those people?"

"I'm not," Nicolette replied confidently but shaking all the while. "I've had this nightmare almost every day of my life. I'm a boy in those dreams, or at least I watch as the boy drowns on this ship." She shrunk into a ball, placing her knees to her chest. "I never dreamed it would be real."

Precognitive dreams were not uncommon, Michael had read at least half a dozen papers on the subject. However, he did not believe this fell into that category. More information was needed to confirm or deny this. "If I recall your record correctly you are French but raised in the United Kingdom. Your family has a long history in France. Have you ever thought that your dream took place on a French vessel. Here you are on a British one." It was a logical thought process, albeit a longshot of a thought.

Shaking her head in the negative, Nicolette told Michael, "No." All strength in her voice was absent and reduced to a near whisper. "You're correct on my history. I know ships. I build them. This is the place. This is the ship. I die here."

Having exhausted the only thought he had in the immediate Michael had another idea. It was a longshot, but he hoped it would help calm Nicolette down. He glanced around at the instruments and remedies in his "Sick Bay." Within short order his eyes fell upon a surgical mirror. He held it in front of her face. "Counselor, you like me are a medical professional. Now I would like you to approach this with the eyes of the Counselor I know you to be. What do you see when you look into this mirror?"

Michael's question was cut short as the cabin boy he had sent out earlier returned. "Sir, ere is the ration you asked for. Sir." Michael smiled and took the spun copper cup from the boy. "Thank you boy. Now return to your duties." He said and the boy turned on his heel and left. "Counselor drink this." Ki said and returned to holding the mirror in front of her face. "Then tell me what you see."

Despondently, the Counselor reluctantly took the proffered cup and drank from it. The metallic taste from the cup was notable and not preferred by Nicolette. However, she did not complain.

Slowly, she raised her eyes to look into the mirror. "I see me," she admitted. "However, that is not what everyone except our crew sees." She sighed, still clutching her legs to herself. "I wish I could explain that."

Michael snapped his fingers "Precisely! You see yourself, the Ship's Counselor of the USS Victory. Now, I ask you. In your dreams how do you know that it is actually you whose death occurs here? For all we know the person you represent dies here and you return to our Victory. For all we know we all have to 'die' to return."

"That we "must die to return," is far from comforting, Doctor. Is this your bedside manner with everyone?" she asked, unfurling lightly. "Perhaps you saw my medical records on the ship?" she asked. "I have been medicated in huge dosages for these nightmares and they were no longer enough. It is almost as if the closer I get to the end, the greater the nightmares."

"Indeed, I have seen your records and that's the reason that I am working with you. What I mean by 'die to return' is if we all return to our ship, our time, then it is possible that the people of this time will simply record us as dead." Michael paused for a moment and stroked his chin. "There could be a clue in those nightmares, there could be a correlation."

"I suppose that your theory is a possibility," Nicolette admitted. She considered the matter further, uncurling a bit more, her face regaining some of its passiveness. "I suppose that we could try to explore my nightmares. If either of us were Vulcan, I'd suggest a mind meld so we did not miss a detail. However, I can tell you whatever you want - whatever I remember."

"Then I believe in the parlance of this time you should tell me your tale. We can have rum and stories." Michael smiled in an attempt to comfort the woman. Psychology was not his forte but with her psychology knowledge and his medical knowledge it is possible that they may get to the bottom of this.

"I am usually the one to listen, Doctor," she replied unfurling, a certain calmness returning to her voice. She placed her hands on her knees and sat straight up. "The irony of this is not lost on me but that ship has sailed." She paused just long enough to see if the Doctor was following her sense of humor.

Michael smiled. "Well someone has got take on the task of counselling the counselor and that may as well be me. So, here have a proper seat." He placed a stool next to her and took a seat on the other stool opposite.

After a small sigh, Nicolette continued, "It always starts with the ship sailing. I hear cannons. I see myself, well, no, a boy, climbing up towards the deck. It falls away and the ship is taking on water. I, well, the deck and wood falls on top of me and I can't escape. Well, the boy cannot. And I, well, he, drowns."

"Hmmmm... Tell me. When the boy dies in your dream do you wake up or does the dream continue into another dreamscape?" Michael had a theory to work with, but this would confirm or deny it.

"I wake up," the Counselor responded, her head tilting to the right and her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Tell me, have you ever investigated the idea of past lives? That your soul has existed hundreds and perhaps thousands of times before in different people?" Michael Ki was first and foremost a man of medicine. However, he was also a spiritual man, something he did not reveal to many. He believed that the Counselor had experienced a vision of her past life.

"I've considered it." She paused and hopped to her feet. "After all, there is the scientific theory that information is not lost, so it stands to reason that our souls are reused like everything else." After another momentary pause she continued, "But what does not make sense is if this was a past life, why would I continue to relive that moment or why it would be stuck with me and cause me nightmare after nightmare?"

"If we are going to continue with the idea that this is a past life then it stands to reason that your past self is trying to tell you something. Your subconscious which is most connected to our past selves has something to say. It is using your past death to connect the dots as it were. It happens more than you would think. I have experienced this phenomena as well." Michael hoped that she would accept his theory as it may calm the Counselor down for the time being at least.

Nicolette moved towards Michael, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Tell me about your experiences," she replied in a firm but curious voice.

"I once dreamt that I was a samurai in the days of the Shogun. Prior to this dream I had visions of katana blades. Even replicated one to work with. I had never even held one before let alone know how to use one. Yet when I held the blade it felt real, felt like it belonged in my hand. The more I worked with the blade the more vivid the dreams became, the more believable the dreams became. I learned later that an ancestor of mine was a Samurai to Tokugawa Iemitsu. To this day I have the sword in my quarters and yet I still do not know what my subconscious was trying to tell me." Michael's voice was soft as he told of the memory. One could tell by the tone of his voice that he had never spoken of this to anyone. He did so today because he knew that Nicolette had needed to hear it.

Nicolette nodded, not questioning a thing that Michael said. "This sounds much more believable than saying that you were a king. I've heard many of those stories. Though, you are aware of an ancestor, so it sounds like your soul seems to wants to stay within the family. If this is my past life, as you hypothesize, I can't be certain of who this boy was or whether related to me. Certainly, he likely did not have an heir."

"Research is needed, research such as I did. That is how I learned about the ancestor. The boy may have not had an heir. But it is possible that an ancestor of yours is linked to him in some way. Perhaps your ancestor was the boy's aunt or uncle or something like." Michael was pleased that the conversation had calmed her down somewhat. It was imperative that they draw no attention to themselves other than what was warranted to survive in this time.

"I don't even know his name," Nicolette admitted. "Everyone here seems to refer to me as 'boy' or 'lad." Given our circumstances, I'm not certain what research can be done. Besides, in the end, does it matter? Our situation is as it is and we need to determine if my end is my end or our release."

"As to the end being the end that is something that we have to determine for everyone. Clearly, I am not myself in this time as well. Someone of my heritage would not be on this vessel in the capacity that I am. However, I think I may be able to help in regard to the name. The Ship's Doctor has a log book of everyone who serves on this ship. I could look it up and see what turns up. For now, though I would simply perform the duties asked of you to the best of your ability and help your crew get home." Michael smiled softly and took a mental note to check the logbook for each and every one of his Victory's crew members.

"It would be nice to be known as something other than 'boy,' or 'lad,'" Nicolette admitted. "And I strongly doubt that they have a need for a counselor, so unless I am to do something else, I'll stay on as your assistant." The less that I see the water, the better.

Michael smiled and nodded in agreement. That would probably be the best. "Right then let's get this Sick Bay in readiness. There is going to be a lot to do. But first we can have a look at that logbook."

"As you wish," Nicolette responded with a small, resigned chuckle. "Let us see what we can see."

 

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