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A Davis

Seeing it Through - Johnson Kenyon & Amanda Davis

“Seeing it Through”
Johnson Kenyon & Amanda Davis

Johnson walked slowly down the hall and pressed the chime on Dr. Davis’ door.  The smell of fresh tea and scones drifted down the hall even before she opened the door.

“Hello, Lieutenant,” she said congenially.  “How may I help you?”

“Dr. Davis?” he asked as he stepped in, extending his hand in greeting. “I didn’t realize we had a counselor on board.”

“Well, that’s understandable.  I’m usually in my office, and if I am not, you can page me. But please, do come in,” she said stepping aside after shaking his hand.  “Nice to meet you.  May I offer you tea and scones, Lieutenant…?”

Her office was very Victorian, as was her dress. Apparently she was a civilian.  Rubbing his chin and looking at her directly, he responded taking one, “Yes, thank you.  Johnson.... Kenyon Johnson... I just got back from a 4 day trip on the Ni.... whatever the name of that Romulan shuttle is.”

“The Nei’rrh. Then you’ve been through quite a bit,” she supplied, setting a cup of tea next to him, then turning to retrieve one for herself. 

“What I've been through isn't the worst of it... I'm afraid I don't trust our Chief Engineer anymore.”

“And why would that be?”

“I don't know if he was playing some sick game, but on that shuttle, when our power shut off... he said we could blow up.  That we shouldn't engage the engines... then after minimal modifications to the shields... he decides to test them and bring her to warp.”

“Have you talked to him about that? Asked anyone else about that situation?”

“I don't think I can talk to him now... I'm angry and he just got his kid back.”

“Was there anyone else on the ship that you could talk to?”

“I haven't decided, but I think I may need to switch departments.... or bring it up to the Commander,”  Johnson paused just now taking in the counselor’s question.  “ Tarisa was there, but she dutifully obeyed his directive... I just thought she was a robot.”

“Before you make any judgement, may I suggest you take some time off, then talk to someone who was there,” Counselor Davis offered.

“Actually, the only thing that gives me comfort in this situation is working.  Just keeping myself busy... helps me to think.”

“Well, if you believe it helps, then by all means. But please, before you judge Commander Korjata's words or actions, talk to him. Ask him why he said that. I'm sure he has a very good explanation.”

“I am not sure I can.  Like I said, he just got his kid back.  Still, I think what he did was wrong.  He jeopardized the life of everyone on the Nei’rrh.”  Johnson paused and breathed a cleansing breath.  “I don’t understand it.”

Johnson stared at the ceiling for a moment then he returned with a hardened look of resolve.  “I can remember it like it was yesterday.  I was sitting at the navigation station and we had just modified the shields.  The Chief gives us some coordinates and tells us to go to warp.  Tarisa dutifully punches in the coordinates while I question it.  I tried to reason with him.  He had previously told us that going to warp might cause our destruction.  We had also speculated that going to warp could create more of the waves which affected the shuttle.  And…”

Counselor Davis watched him intently but did not interrupt.  A major part of counselling is listening and allowing the patient to let the emotions flow. Often, just sitting by and listening opened more doors than expected.  He was, essentially, thinking aloud.  He looked both torn and frustrated: two major emotions that need attention.  Eventually he would get to the core of the matter. Only then could he deal with it.

“...And he ignored my concerns, took us to warp briefly and talked callously about how I had signed a waiver when I joined Starfleet.  ‘Either we’d die or we wouldn’t.’  Since we didn’t die, then he supposed we’d live.  Sort of rubbed my concern in my face.”  Johnson leaned forward and rubbed a blemish on his forehead.  

Since his pause was longer than normal, she ventured, “You remember that vividly, which makes sense.  We all have a ‘fight or flight’ instinct when we face danger.  In this case, you were allowed neither fight nor flight.  Your instinctive reaction of survival was denied. So Lieutenant, if you can, think about how the incident makes you feel now, at this very moment?”

“Angry.  He as much as told me life was a 50-50 gamble anyway.  I got up and left the navigation station and got myself,” Johnson smiled widely for the first time in the session, “a cup of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream.  He had just risked my life without so much as hearing me out and I was stuck on this DAMNED shuttle with him.  I needed a moment to calm down or I was going to push him out an airlock or something.”

“You restrained yourself in the face of grave danger, Lieutenant.  That’s commendable. A lesser man would not have reacted that way.  He would either fall apart or take over.”

Johnson again looked up, this time he had a tear forming in the corner of  his eye.  “I need to report it to Commander Coleridge and request a formal investigation.  I don’t want to do this.  I may never be able to look our Chief Engineer in the eye again, but there are too many things that need to be answered.”

“Johnson,” Amanda began, using his given name for the first time, “holding things in never helps a problem, so I would like you to consider a few things.  You say that you ‘don’t want to do this’.  That’s understandable, but why do you not want to do this?   Earlier you said that you didn’t want to face him because he ‘just got his kid back’.  Now you say that you ‘might never be able to look our Chief Engineer in the eye again’.  Those two statements tell me that you are compassionate, Lieutenant. It’s good to be compassionate, but I’d like you to consider something else.

“If you ask for a formal investigation, you will eventually get to the heart of the matter. You might even be reconciled with Commander Korjata.  Alternatively, if you don’t ask for a formal investigation those questions will nag you for a long time, and in the future, lives could be lost.”  

While Amanda waited for that to sink in, the thought came to her that there might be another option, so she asked him if there was one.

“Yes, Counselor, there are other options, but I don’t think there are other options I can live with.”

Amanda nodded, then waited patiently in case he wasn’t finished.

Johnson scratched behind his neck and looked at the scone in his left hand.  He leaned forward slightly and took a bite.  Smiling, mouth half full, he said, “these are very good.  Do you make them yourself?” he said as he covered his mouth.

“Yes,” she replied, smiling.  “My mother’s recipe, handed down from one generation to the next. I’m glad you enjoy them.”

Johnson chewed and swallowed before continuing.  “You must be very proud of them to share them with everyone or perhaps you believe in comfort food.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that I’m proud, but I am thankful that my family passes things on, especially recipes.  And it is comfort food.  If it makes someone feel better, I’m glad.”

Johnson sighed and nodded.  “I do feel better.  I guess I have a report to write.”  Johnson’s eyes grew wide with the revelation of what he’d done.  “Do you think you could keep what I said about Tarisa to yourself?”

Amanda looked curiously at Johnson, “Of course, Lieutenant.  Anything that is said in here is purely confidential.”

Johnson shook his head and half smiled before speaking.  He opened his mouth and closed it again.  Amanda had a pretty good idea what that meant.  “You like her.”

“That’s about it.  I really don’t want to accuse someone I’d like to date of being without emotion.  She had her reasons and they will come out in any official investigation.”

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