Showing Gratitude

Posted on Wed Mar 5th, 2025 @ 3:33pm by Lieutenant Nicolette Riviere & Lieutenant Commander Michael Ki

2,919 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: All That Glitters Is Gibraltar
Location: Sickbay

Nicolette's night of sleep helped her process everything that happened on the HMS Victory. She was not certain that she fully understood everything that happened there but she did know that the Doctor likely saved her life more than once. She would be remiss if she did not thank him.

Consequently, before heading to her office, she took a small detour into Sickbay and started looking for Michael.

Michael had just finished updating the Sick Bay log with the last of the treatments from the HMS Victory. The doors swished open just as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Working on these damned computer screens always seemed to cause tension in his head. But it came with the job.

When he looked up he saw the ship's Counselor. "Lieutenant. Are you okay? Is there something you need?"

"Need?" the Counselor started stoically. "No, there's is nothing that I need. However, I did want to speak to you." She noticed that Michael had just closed a computer screen. "What were you working on?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing too crucial. Just updating the medical files on injuries incurred during the last mission. Is there something in particular you would like to speak about?" Michael sipped his tea. He was curious to see what the Counselor needed. After all someone had to counsel the counselor so it may as well be him.

The Counselor sat near the Doctor. Why had he not offered her something to drink? "I am glad to hear that I'm not interrupting anything in particular." She paused for a moment, a hint of a French accent coming through when she next spoke, "I just wanted to thank you for taking charge on the wooden ship Victory. I could have endangered myself and the past."

He smiled softly. "Yes, I could tell. That situation was stressful for everyone. However, I could imagine it was doubly so for you given the fears that you mentioned. I am not a trained psychologist, but, if you would like I could help you get to the bottom of where those fears come from and perhaps get past them. All in all, we are in this together and we will get through this together."

"Well, given what we went through, I think we may have gotten to the bottom of them, though it does not still make complete sense to me." She sighed softly and looked down at the floor. "You have seen my prescriptions, I'm certain. Do you know that after that event, for the first time, I was able to sleep without any medication?"

Nicolette chucked lightly. "Of course, it could have been complete exhaustion. I'll probably find out tonight."

Michael had not thought about that. It is possible that overcoming the fear had cured the slight insomnia. "If you do not mind. I would like to keep a sleep journal for a week or so. I am wondering now if it was the exhaustion or if you have overcome and come to terms. A journal would be a good place to start."

"I have not done that for quite some time, but your suggestion is reasonable. I can do that for you. I assume that even if sleep is difficult, you don't want me to take any medication during this testing period."

"That would be correct. If it gets unbearable let me know and I will prescribe something and take note of it. Rest is always needed so that will come first. However, if there is a problem even before contacting me try one of the tried and true methods. Such as warm milk or anything that would cause you to relax and for your brain to shut down." Michael smiled and sipped his tea. "For me it is always a warm glass of green tea and sake."

Nicolette smirked at the doctor. "You do know that generally speaking any alcohol is not wise to take before going to sleep. It is known to disrupt the sleep cycle." She then asked, the smirk getting more self-satisfied. "Bad doctor," she scolded playfully.

Her smirk quickly receded and her normal unemotional posture returned. "I will log everything, as you say. You will have a week's worth of documenting my entire life. I assure you that it likely won't be very interesting reading." There was something in that last statement that seemed teasing even if her tone and face did not match her language.

"I am sure that it will be infinitely more interesting than most. However, if it helps, I will make sure that I am not enjoying myself while I read." Michael was half sarcastic and half honest with that comment. While he did not look forward to reading about the Counselor's every movement, he knew that it was part of his job and would help in the long run.

"I wish that I could say that I had something interesting to read," she told Michael with an apologetic shrug. "As I said, my life is not that interesting." She paused for a moment and then had an idea. "If you want to liven it up a bit, we could have a picnic on the Holodeck. I know it is ironic, but I have always felt more at home in nature."

There was a moment, albeit fleeting, where Michael thought that she was perhaps asking him out on a date. If that was in fact the case, he was unsure of how he would actually respond. So, he decided it best to not consider it at all. "If you would like we could schedule an appointment to discuss your case on the holodeck. If that would make you feel more comfortable."

The Counselor considered his response. Showing no emotion despite being disappointed, Nicolette simply answered, "I was not thinking of an appointment. Just an outing." She shrugged and after a small pause said, "It was just a thought for giving you something a tad more interesting to read later. No worries."

Michael sensed that he may have offended the Counselor. "Get some entries into the journal. I will give them a read and then we can take a walk perhaps somewhere interesting on the holodeck. A change of scenery may do us both a little good."

"Very good. I can do that." She paused and then continued. "Do you have anywhere that you like to walk?" Nicolette asked cautiously.

"It depends upon my mood if I am totally honest. If I have a mind for home, I tend to walk among the trees in Okanawa. That helps me think and reminds me of why I am out here doing what I do. Sometimes I like to walk Starfleet Academy, get a reminder of my younger days." Michael sipped his tea as he reminisced.

"Younger?" Nicolette asked, her pitch rising. "Just how old are you, Doctor?" She paused and continued, intending to tease, however her voice did not reflect it. "Don't make me go look it up, now."

Michael raised his hand with a smile. "There is a stereotype about my race that has been around since time immemorial. That is that we never look our age, we are always older than we look. However, for me I am fifty. Which in this day and age seems young, but after the amount that I have seen it feels quite old."

"Fifty is hardly old when humans now can live to a couple of centuries in age. But, at 33, yes, I'm definitely younger than you."

She tilted her head when she heard that he had seen quite a bit. The counselor in her came out. "Tell me what you have seen and why it weighs on you so."

Michael smiled softly and sighed. He knew what she had attempted and in his mind now was not the time, nor was this the place. Besides he was not exactly sure he wanted counseling. However, he also knew that like most Counselors she would not stop unless she got something so he decided to give her something. "Suffice to say that in my time in Starfleet I have seen and done my fair share. Everything that a person accomplishes or witnesses weighs on them. What we are going through right now for example. This will stay with us for unforeseeable amount of time. Know that should I ever need, I will seek out your assistance."

"I see," Nicolette considered his words and realized she had likely slipped into counselor mode as her training so easily caused her and others like her to do. "I was merely asking as a friend, not as a counselor," she told Michael. "I am not my job."

Michael smiled and even chuckled a bit. "But, aren't you, aren't we all. You are a Counselor one who is ready, willing and able to guide people through the darkest and often scariest parts of life and their soul. This is a part of you as well, it is never not working. Just as I as a doctor am always making sure that the people I am with are safe and healed should they need it. You make sure that the people you are with have someone to talk to and shoulder to lean on should they need it. This is a very admirable trait. One you should not be embarrassed to show."

"I'm not embarrassed about it. I just want you to know and understand that I am not trying to, as some might say, dig into your brain. I know that there are people who get concerned with that."

She straightened up and tugged at her uniform. "And, I am much more than my job. I would hope that you are, too. Yes, it has influenced how I think and see the world but there is more to me than that. For example, despite my fear of the water, did you know that I make model ships?"

It seemed at least for the moment that she did not understand the spiritual meaning Ki tried to impress upon her. He decided that perhaps it would be best to let that sleeping dog lay for the time being. "No, I had not known that. That is a relaxing hobby I would imagine." It was Michael's belief that everyone was their job, and their job was them. If one's vocation was not a part of them, then they were in the wrong vocation.

"I rather enjoy it. It certainly harkens back to a simpler time. But maybe it was not so simple as we imagine, given what we just experienced."

"Times are never simple to those that are living in them." Michael stated in an almost philosophical tone. Ki took a nice drought from his sake cup. This quickly became one of those conversations where he wondered how he got so philosophical.

"I suppose that is true," Nicolette answered. "However, I would be curious what those folks might think of our times, other than what we were doing potentially being magic. Would they look at our society and see a utopia, or something else?"

"Oh, I tend to think that it would depend upon the person. Some may see a utopia, others, perhaps more educated would see a society with its own problems. There would be some that may look upon our technology as magic. But I think most would simply see that people have evolved in the future. Often I think that people do not give others credit for their intelligence." Michael was one of those that disliked the notion that people of the past would look upon the future with wonder and think it was magic.

"I don't know," Nicolette thoughtfully replied. "It might also depend on the era. If you were to say, go to the 21st century, I think that would be more true. However, if you went to something like the Byzantine Empire, it would be less so. So, this last one.... I don't know."

"That is true. During an age such as the Byzantine Empire people were a lot more superstitious. So, yes they would most likely look upon us all as some magical beings. But, I submit is that not always the way when one encounters something that they cannot explain. Look at the Bajorans for example. They encounter the aliens that reside in the wormhole and thought them to be Gods. Prophets they called them. Of course, that was in an age on Bajor which would equate to the Byzantine Empire on Earth. However, if we fast forward to our contemporary times they still believe in the Prophets. So, one has to ask when the superstition ends and the realism begins." Michael sipped his tea again. He seemed to be enjoying this conversation and the thoughts it provoked.

"And yet, both are true, no? The aliens are the Prophets and have abilities that we cannot duplicate. So, to us, it is magic, even if we know there must be something more. We say they exist within and without time. Did they make the wormhole, or did it make them?" So many questions....

"It may be like magic but we know it is not. Just as we know the Q are not capable of magic. It is simply an ability that we do not have." Michael understood the point that she tried to make, however, he thought it moot. There really was no such thing as magic and they knew that. Abilities on the other hand were natural and came with being a certain species.

"Because we have more information. Though, I have to tell you, I would be interested in real magic, as unlikely as it is to exist."

"Well, that may just be something worthy of your exploration. But, I will tell you many have tried to prove the existence of actual magic. Each and every time it has been proven to be some sort of process or some such." Michael was slightly amazed that a woman as schooled as Nicolette would be interested in something as trivial as magic.

"Magic may not be something as flashy as we expect it to look like," Nicolette replied thoughtfully. "Maybe it is things like love. We can certainly watch some of the chemical reactions but we cannot explain why it happens in certain situations and not others."

"Tatchi!" (touché in Japanese) "Now, you have something, I think. Many have believed that magic, true magic lays within the makings of a living person. As you said we can explain the how things work, your circulatory system, the chemical reactions etc. But the why now that is magic." He raised his teacup in salute. "You are wise beyond your years Counselor."

"I appreciate you saying so, but the only wisdom that I have is knowing how much that I don't know." Her demeanor slumped a little, when she started considering that statement. "And I don't know why we were sent back. I don't know why I had all these nightmares for most of my life. Nor do I know the connection between any of these things. It is frustrating."

"As to why we were sent back, I wouldn't ponder that too long. For in truth the why means nothing. The how we get home is what means more, but I digress. There could be no connection between our current situation and your past." Michael truly wondered why everyone was so fixated on the why they were here. It made no sense as far as the doctor was concerned.

"Perhaps that is the difference between our professions. The 'why' matters. Once you understand something, then you can determine either how to continue or avoid it in the future. In my case, it is even more relevant because I had these nightmares for as long as I can remember, and that very situation occurred to me. I don't believe in coincidence, so I need to know why."

"It has already been determined how to continue without understanding the why. We are going to go home. The question now is how we are going to achieve that. You could have had the nightmares forever and suppressed them somewhat. Then when we were aboard the HMS Victory the situation brought those nightmares back to the front of your consciousness. However, as you say I am not a psychologist so perhaps I have missed the proverbial boat on this one." Michael did not think there was any connection in any way. But it did not matter what he thought, so he decided to let the point go.

"Perhaps," Nicolette replied softly and disappointed. "Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling about whether home is near on the agenda."

Michael puffed out his cheeks. "I think you may be a pessimist. I can tell you with the utmost confidence that this ship and its crew is going to get home." He had absolutely no doubt that he was correct.

"I hope you're right, Doctor. The future will tell. For now, I should probably take my leave." Nicolette started to head for the door.

"There is always a glass of sake and cup of tea here for you should you need." Michael smiled and raised his cup then took the last swig that he had.

Nicolette favored the Doctor with a small smile and said, "Thank you. I'll remember that." She then walked out, leaving the doctor with his own thoughts.

Lieutenant Commander Michael Ki
Chief Medical Officer
USS Victory

Lieutenant Nicolette Riviere
Chief Counselor
USS Victory

 

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