round 10 JP: Lt Vance Sheridan & Cpt Greir Reinard - A Call For Help

[Sedrin Belasi]

((Flashback: Counsellor’s Office, USS Einstein, Stardate 239110.15))

::Since the initial breakthrough with Kellan a few weeks ago, Vance had made little progress. They’d reached the major landmark of Kellan talking to him a little bit, but he felt like he was starting to reach an impasse. He still hadn’t been able to start to address the reasons why Kellan had broken down shortly after being posted to the Einstein. The young Bajoran would really only say just a few words to him before stating that he’d had enough and he wanted to go back. Vance wasn’t even convinced that ‘back’ was Kellan’s quarters. It could have been somewhere else entirely.::

::All he’d got from the Bajoran so far about his previous service in the fleet were two names. ‘Richard’, with no surname attached, and ‘Greir’. Cross-referencing the names with officers Kellan had served with on the USS Vigilant and the USS Darwin, he found a long list of Richards but only one Greir. Captain Greir Reinard. A brief inquiry showed his current location to be Deep Space 6. Given that Kellan had referred to him as ‘Greir’ rather than by rank suggested that they had been friends. Maybe the captain would be able to shed a little light on who Kellan Joran was. What did he like? What could he share about what he’d been through? If he could pass on anything at all he could use to try to help Kellan open up then it would be well worth the call. You never knew if a senior officer like that was busy, but the worst that could happen would be that the call would fail to connect, in which case he could leave a video message to explain what was happening.::

::Sitting at the personal terminal on his desk, he tapped a few controls to make contact with DS6, with a specific request to be connected to Captain Reinard, then waited for an answer.::

:: On Deep Space 6, Greir was in his office drinking some green tea with lemon, having just finished a meeting with a representative of the Zakdorn when a call came through for him. He pressed the button and found himself faced with a LtJG with a teal collar. He wondered what the young man wanted. The call had been specifically directed to him. ::

Reinard: Good day, you have reached Captain Reinard, what do you need?

Sheridan: Captain Reinard? I’m Counsellor Vance Sheridan aboard the USS Einstein. I was wondering if you have a minute to talk about a member of my crew? Ensign Kellan Joran?

::The captain looked friendly enough and Vance was already picking up a vibe that he would do what he could to help him.::

:: Kellan. Greir well remembered the young scientist. The Laudean had tried to help him through some very trying times. He leaned back in his chair and swept his fingers along the blue band of his hairline. ::

Reinard: I do. Is something wrong?

::Vance breathed in deeply through his nose and scratched a temple. The answer to the question was yes, but he needed to respect confidentiality, so he could only go into detail where it was absolutely necessary.::

Sheridan: He’s been having... a few problems adjusting to being a member of the Einstein crew.

Reinard: Well if there’s anything I can do to help let me know. I served with him before on the Vigilant and was his counsellor at one point too.

:: The man obviously wanted something but could totally understand his reluctance to say too much. Greir remembered very well what it was like to wear a teal collar and work with difficulties of the mind. Kellan had been through more than most unfortunately. ::

::Hearing that the captain had served as a counsellor opened up a number of doors. Rather than just being a general request for information with smokescreens obscuring the ins and outs of Kellan’s problems, he could discuss them under the auspices of looking for guidance from a more experienced professional.::

Sheridan: ::Smiling:: OK, that’s a relief. In that case, let’s treat this like a request for professional advice, and then I don’t have to worry about what I do and don’t tell you.

Reinard: That works for me.

Sheridan: Shortly after joining the Einstein crew, Kellan had a major breakdown. He didn’t show up for a duty shift, and when medical staff eventually overrode the lock on his quarters to see if he was OK, he responded violently.

::Vance hadn’t known the Bajoran very well at the time, but it hardly seemed like something that fit his character. Officers didn’t just break down like that. There was always a reason.::

Sheridan: I mean, I’ve seen his medical files and I know that he was part of an alien experiment, but right now he’s pretty much unresponsive most of the time. It took me a long time to even get him to respond to me, and he’s talking a little bit now, but he won’t say very much.

:: Greir thought about it very carefully. The young scientist wasn’t usually violent by nature but he had experienced violence at the young man’s hands before in Ravensville. The more he thought about it, the more it sounded like he was behaving just like he had when he’d been in Ravensville, so what had triggered this? ::

Reinard: I was there with him in that alien experiment. We were in a place called Ravensville and he was one of my patients. I have seen him act this way before - unresponsive and I’ve seen violence too but only rarely. Only when he felt trapped and without any other options to protect himself.

::Vance nodded. Survival instinct was a powerful thing, and if Kellan really felt like he was under threat then it was understandable for him to be reacting the way he was. The reality of it all was that he wasn’t under threat at all, so it was Vance’s job to figure out how to help him to understand that.::

Sheridan: Is there anything you can tell me about that place? Anything I might need to know now?

Reinard: During that time he played the piano a lot – it was always the same song over and over. He hated to be apart from the piano. Whatever you do don’t let him near a piano. Don’t let him see one, don’t let him hear one. Not unless you want to fall into the rabbit hole with him.

::Vance’s eyebrows lifted and there was a touch of surprise in his green eyes.::

Sheridan: Understood. I’ll make sure he can’t order the computer to let him play anything in his quarters either. He’s being kept there when he’s not talking to me. Eventually I hope to get him out more, but I’m not confident he’d handle it at the moment. ::He barely seemed to be handling the visits to the counsellor’s office.:: Do you think talking about Ravensville is a bad idea then? That it might push him back towards wanting to play the piano and re-create that dependency?

Reinard: I’d keep your questions open and while not specifically mentioning or looking for input on it, just allow him to talk about whatever may be bothering him. It’d help if you tried to build a connection with him. I found the more distanced counsellor approach doesn’t work with him. Why not try taking him out. It sounds like he’s pretty cooped up between being stuck in quarters or the counselling suite.

::That sounded quite risky and if it didn’t pay off then Kellan could end up clamming up again. They would be back to square one, and it would be more difficult to retrace their steps to the position they were currently in.::

Sheridan: You think it’s worth gambling like that? Putting him outside his comfort zone?

:: Kellan needed something to look forward to if he was going to get better. Otherwise he’d get lost in his own mind, tormenting himself endlessly over whatever it was that was bothering him. After Ravensville he’d seemed to be happier for a while and Greir was aware that he’d started seeing someone. It was a real shame to see things going this way again and he wished he could be there to help Kellan through it once again. ::

Reinard: I used to bargain with him. In Ravensville the piano was the only thing he was interested in, so that was the bargaining chip. When he was cooperative with me then he would in turn get something he wanted. Kellan and I used to enjoy cake tasting. You could offer to treat him to lunch if he cooperates with you through a session and tries a little harder to open up. I don’t think you’ll find him to be a problem under these circumstances but if you need to build up some trust first then do lunch in his quarters with the understanding that continued cooperation will see him getting to go out somewhere more interesting.

::It was great to hear how Captain Reinard had dealt with the situation, and the information about the cake was certainly interesting. Giving Kellan what he wanted at the beginning of every session did seem like a counterproductive idea, as that could quickly turn into a dependant relationship. Vance didn’t like the idea of Kellan seeing him as some kind of carer. Playing it the captain’s way and offering him an incentive for co-operation seemed like an excellent idea, and he’d already seen his greatest breakthroughs when Kellan felt like there was something for him to gain.::

Sheridan: You know, that’s really a very good idea. I’m glad I called. I initially managed to get through to him when I told him I’d like us to try to make friends, so I can see what you’re saying about the distant counsellor approach not working. Maybe I’ll start with the cake idea next time we meet and see if that helps him to open up. Otherwise, all he has to look forward to is being taken back to his quarters to sit on his own, which would probably drive me crazy if I was in his shoes.

Reinard: Exactly. He’s been moved around a lot lately by the looks of things and it’s difficult for anybody. He had been seeing another crewmember before – Richard Matthews and for a while it was the happiest I’d seen him. I imagine its frustrating that every time he feels like things are starting to look up for him then something happens that spoils it.

::It was good to finally have a surname. If necessary, Vance could look up Richard Matthews and get in touch with him. It was certainly worth checking the ship’s comm logs to find out whether or not Matthews had been trying to get in touch.::

Sheridan: I understand. Maybe he just needs to know he’s safe here, and then we can deal with the reasons why he’s so withdrawn. Starfleet can hand you change without any notice at all, and he needs to be equipped to deal with that.

:: Greir nodded in agreement. He’d been moved a few times in the last couple of years himself and knew a great number of people who could tell similar stories. Starfleet did try to move families less often where possible but it was the nature of the organisation that anyone could be asked to move at any time. The golden eyed Laudean really hoped that this man could help Kellan back to a better place mentally and teach him the coping mechanisms that would help keep him from being a constant presence in the counselling wing. ::

Reinard: He does and I hope you have great success with him because when he’s not being like this he’s one of the nicest people you could hope to meet, a real joy to be around. He was a good friend. I should try to give him a call sometime just so he knows I’m still thinking about him.

::A smile lit up Vance’s face as he heard that. It said a lot about Greir Reinard that he was friends with an ensign. Most captains kept their distance from the people under their command. Not in this case, it seemed. He wondered what serving under a captain like that might be like. Things on the Einstein were very formal.::

Sheridan: I think that would be fantastic. Do you want me to give you another call if he opens up a bit more?

Reinard: Please feel free. If I’m not available right away I’ll make time. Nothing is too much trouble. ::With a smile::

::Vance leaned back in his seat, pleased with how the conversation had gone. It looked like Captain Reinard was willing to do more than just lend a hand on one isolated occasion.::

Sheridan: You might want to be careful, Sir, or you’ll end up mentoring me through this!

::He laughed. He could definitely handle it on his own, but with Reinard’s help, he would be able to help Kellan to recover more quickly. If they could fit in a call on the comm then that would do him the power of good.::

:: Greir chuckled although he had absolutely no problem at all doing that if it came to it. Everyone needed help at times be it personal or professional. You could stick the Laudean in any job under the sun but he would always be a counsellor, always be that guy you could rely on for help whenever you needed it. Family, friend or stranger, it didn’t matter to Greir, he lived for this sort of thing and it gave him enormous satisfaction to be able to help others in some way. ::

Reinard: I’m sure you can cope but you can count on me for whatever support you might need at any time. Now is there anything else I can help with today?

Sheridan: I believe that’s it, Sir. Thank you very much for your help. I’m going to get to updating Kellan’s case notes and writing up the revisions to his care plan. Do you have anything interesting happening this afternoon, or will you be hard at work?

::He imagined a captain’s schedule was always pretty full.::

Reinard: I have a couple of meetings, an evaluation and some reports to do. Once I get through with that I have some holodeck time booked. I’m looking forward to trying out a new adventure. Do you have much planned yourself, work aside?

::Vance had a little free time, but no specific plans.::

Sheridan: Nothing on the cards, but I’m thinking of taking a walk on the holodeck once this is all done. Maybe on a mountain trail somewhere. I know the fresh air isn’t real, but it’s good enough to make you feel like you’re out in the open for a short while.

Reinard: I agree and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for getting in touch and good luck with Kellan.

Sheridan: Thank you, Sir. I hope you have a good day too. I’ll be in touch as soon as we make any progress. Sheridan out.

::The screen blinked off as the line was severed. Vance was pleased that the conversation had been so productive, and he felt like he had a distinct advantage in the battle to save Kellan Joran from his inner demons. He accessed his records on his terminal and called up Kellan’s files. By the time he hit the holodeck, the next few steps along the road ahead for his Bajoran patient would be clearly defined and, where he’d previously been a little worried about failing to make progress, he was now looking forward to their next meeting.::

End Flashback

A JP by

Lieutenant (j.g.) Vance Sheridan

Counsellor

USS Einstein

and

Captain Greir Reinard
Simmed by:

Cmdr Renos
Commanding Officer
USS Darwin