EXETERRPG: (3 - 1504) MS - CSO Lt Jg Erin Cortez & Counsellor - Sigmund Rogers

[Jaclyn Smith]

Mission: Murder on the Exeter Express

Day:03

Stardate: 2445:12:03

(USS Exeter – Sickbay - CSO Lt Jg Erin Cortez & Counsellor - Sigmund Rogers
- 1504)


Lying back in the biobed, Erin sighed. Her physical injuries were all but
healed and she wanted to get out. Out of sickbay and back to her quarters
but she had yet to be released.

Sighing, she flexed her hands, feeling a slight tingle in the extremities.
Closing her eyes for a moment, a flash of the light that she had seen
before the electricity had hit her flew before her eyes. Knowing that she
was trembling a touch, she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

Rogers approached Erin gently and cautiously. “Hello Erin, I am Counselor
Ziggy Rogers,” he said with a faint smile. “Captain Williams asked me to
talk to you. I’m glad to see you’re doing well. You’ve been through a lot.”

"A lot is the polite word for it." She replied, sitting up slowly. "Been
expecting you to be honest."

“My friends tell me I’m the king of understatement.” Rogers said, taking a
seat next to the bed. “So what would you want to talk to me about?”

"I know what the captain wants me to talk about so how about we start there?

Rogers couldn’t help but chuckle. All of these starfleet officers only care
to meet with a counselor when commanded, it seems. “So what is it captain
wants you to talk about?”

"Let's see, kidnapped, held hostage, watched a member of my staff die,
watched a friend kill twice albeit one was a hologram of his fiancé and
then there is the fact that I was electrocuted and pretty much died."

“Yes, Captain is concerned about trauma. Any one of those things would be a
traumatic experience.”

"Used to trauma. But, to be honest, this has been different…" Erin’s voice
trailed off as she took a breath.

“It’s ok, go on.”

"I… welcomed what happened. Saw it as punishment because I, in my head,
caused the death of someone close to me." She replied,  honestly.

Normally Rogers was a smooth talker, but even he missed a beat. “Do you
think that now?”

"Now… part of me does. But that's a part of me that has always run. I mean,
hidden from what has happened to me. Found crackpot ways to try and cope. I
can't do that anymore. "

“I’m glad you recognize that. If you run too long you get exhausted.”

"I'm exhausted. I'll be honest. But not for that reason. I've been through
a lot in my life and now, I have a job that I love, friends and someone
that accepts me for who I am and calls me out when I'm being an idiot. "

Rogers chuckled, “That sounds like a good foundation, right? You enjoy what
you’re doing, you have good friends, and they keep you accountable. So why
do you say you’re exhausted?”

"Physically. I feel like I've been ten rounds with a Klingon. Mentally,
this brought things, feelings back that I had dealt with."

“I’ll let Dr. Kruze handle the physical. So this experience opened up old
wounds.”

"In a way. A lot I have dealt with and moved on but some are more raw than
others."

“Tell me more.”

Erin looked at him for a moment and smiled softly, "Well, let's see. An
abusive ex broke my collar bone and had me believing that I was worthless,
my first posting on Mars, I got a megalomaniac Cardassian Scientist in my
head and carried his memories of some atrocities whilst attacking members
of the crew in an effort to escape.

Now, the man who showed me that i was worthy of intimacy was murdered, a
member of my department and a close friend died as well."

Sigmund Rogers was never taught how to handle such situations in school.
There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments as he tried to wrap
his mind around what he had just been told. “No words can express my
sympathy Lieutenant. That is an awful lot to endure.”

Erin nodded,  "And yet here I am. That counts for something right?"

“Of course.”

"Someone told me recently that owning your trauma is healthy. Not hiding
what has happened and not hiding behind it is no bad thing. I have been
through it, that is a matter of record. But now, I am not running. Younger
me would have. Did infact. Me here and now, I don’t want to do that."

“I’m very glad to hear that. I don’t want tominimize what you’ve been
through, it is, of course, a horror. But it does sound to me like you have
a good foundation, and you know what you need to do to heal.”

"That’s true. That and there's someone on Mars who would be the first one
to call me out if I slid down the self pity route." She smiled gently.

“I think I have what I need for my report.” Rogers said as he got up, “But
please know, if you need anyone to talk to, I’m always available.”

"I'll remember that. I trained as a counselor. I know a good one when I see
one. You have a great career ahead of you."

Rogers smiled, “well thank you. See you around.”

(Reply None)

(Posted by Tim and Jackie)
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