Talk To Someone: Part 1

Posted on Mon Jul 31st, 2023 @ 10:16am by Lieutenant Michael Amato & Ensign Tobias "Toby" Dienstag & Lieutenant JG Fargo Greene

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 4: Through a Glass, Darkly
Location: Deck 4: Medical Division
Timeline: M4 MD02 (2268.07.11) 0800

The waiting room in the counseling section of the medical division had been sparse ever since Dr. Dave's departure. Starfleet had yet to send them a replacement, but right before they left Starbase 10 they were assigned a chaplain.

With her parting words before Thraxina left Starfleet, she had told Toby and Mike to talk to someone concerning their relationship and a chaplain was better than nothing.

Neither of them looked at each other while they sat in the Burke chairs. Toby stared at his shoes while Mike was staring at the bulkhead. He had only met this new chaplain once during a staff meeting. He knew Tristan wasn't super thrilled, having wanted a Catholic priest and all.

A bleary-eyed man entered the waiting area and looked around. He took a sip from the steaming cup in his hand and coughed. He looked borderline in a lot of ways, borderline sober, borderline awake, and borderline insane. "I understand you two would like to see me about something?"

Dr. Amato took one look at him and was about to say no and then leave, but before he could he heard Toby open his mouth...

The young officer stood up, "Yes, we have an appointment for couples' counseling," Toby responded with his stupid grin.

"This way," the bleary-eyed man said as he gestured back toward his office and then led the way back toward it.

His office was disorganized and cluttered. He also had a 3/4 empty bottle of whiskey on his desk. As he walked in he grabbed it and tucked it into his desk. "Please have a seat."

Dr. Amato rolled his eyes and removed a stack of reports and binders from one of the two chairs in front of the desk and Toby did the same. Frankly, Dr. Amato was annyoed at the state of the place. He was already forming a quick opinion of the chaplain and wondered how Tristan agreed to having an officer in such a sorry state take the post. He always figured Tristan would have enough pull to get a priest, which Mike could deal with.

The bleary-eyed man blinked a few times, yawned, and stretched. "Sorry, I was just having a brief period of unconsciousness," the man said by way of explanation, he didn't bother to explain the state of his office. "No then, couples therapy. This is a bit trickier than regular therapy, but I think we can manage." He sat down in his seat and wiped his eyes. "Now then, what makes you think you need therapy?"

Dr. Amato rolled his eyes, reinforcing his usual bored expression, but said nothing.

"We seem to be avoiding each other, not making any time for each other," Toby explained, ignoring Mike's expression, "Like we're distracted by something else."

"Often times when you find yourself distracted and distant in a relationship, it means there is something that isn't being addressed. A small problem that has gone unchecked for too long," the bleary-eyed one said sounding barely awake. "It's easy enough to let something that could be talked over turn into something that keeps you from talking." He paused and looked at them both in turn. "So, I'll ask, what do you think is causing this problem? Be specific, or at least as specific as you can get."

Toby's eyes widened, "I honestly don't know," he said, before shooting an eye at Mike.

Dr. Amato finally spoke, "I have a problem with Toby's friend, Carter Page... He keeps sniffing around and I know he has romantic intentions," he commented.

"No he doesn't," Toby scoffed.

"Are you sure? The way he looks at you, the way he always finds a way to come into Science Lab #1 almost every day?" Mike accused, "Maybe it's the age gap... I don't know..."

"Sounds like we've gotten to a source of tension," Fargo said leaning back in his seat. "Or at the very least we've found a trust issue." He looked over both men and considered them for a moment before turning his attention to Mike. "Can you tell both me and your significant other here, what is it that makes you afraid? Are you afraid of losing him or is it something else?"

"I'm afraid that you prefer spending time with Carter over me," Mike responded frankly, "Seems like your interests and his intersect more than ours these days. He definitely has the hots for you..."

Toby sighed, "Maybe he does, but I don't for him," he responded, "I've been spending time with him because you haven't had any time for me."

So far this was going well, but good back and forth was only the first step. Fargo knew when to sit back and keep his mouth shut.

He wondered if this couple wanted his religious guidance or simply his secular guidance. In a fleet full of atheists and agnostics, not many came to him for religious guidance. But as always, there was a special class of people that included religious figures and bartenders, people that people came to in their time of need. He'd done it, not so long ago.

"Sounds like a lack of communication," Mike commented as he folded his arms. He turned to look at the haggard man, "Are you going to weigh in?" he asked. Mike was incredibly skeptical of the new Chaplain. Given their recent lack of success with personnel in the medical division, he was even less willing to keep an open mind.

"You're talking, it's not my place to butt in and make things more complicated," Fargo replied honestly. "And no, I don't think the issue is communication. It's trust. Both of you have valid concerns and desires. You both want the same thing, to feel secure in your relationship, but that means being honest with what you want and what you need out of the relationship." He paused and looked at them both for a moment.

Toby sighed and his smile faded, "I was asked this not too long ago by a friend," he said, "I don't know. Mike's kinda my security blanket... I go to him to forget about the world and to feel safe."

Mike nodded in agreement, "I go to Toby when I want reassurance that the galaxy isn't as terrible as I think it is," he responded. He tapped on the chair, wasn't sure how much detail to give, but he decided just to let it out, "This mission has me on edge... Part of it is excitement, another part of me is dreading it. My brother was the Navigator aboard the Defiant. I haven't dealt with this too well..."

 

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