Advice for a forlorn heart

Posted on Sat Dec 12th, 2020 @ 5:24pm by Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro

1,892 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 2 - Echoes Of An Empire
Location: Sickbay

Holding her hand, Tamaska found herself in Medical, she had mistimed a martial arts maneuver in hitting the heavy bag. Her mind hadn't been in focus since she had received an unexpected message from her first love, Kaiholo Pilipo Aukai. Even though they'd not been in contact with each other since high school she still carried strong feelings for him. To her, they connected on a rather deep level.

He wanted to see her sometime, he said he missed her, he loved her. Then she saw a posting of him becoming engaged to another person. What the heck? Why did he send her that message and then she saw posted announcements of his engagement to some admiral's daughter? That was when she punched the heavy bag and messed her hand up. She didn't know if her fingers were sprained or worse broken. That is why she was here.

Mel bit her lip as she watched the XO walk in holding her hand quite clearly in pain. "What happened Lieutenant," she asked indicating a free biobed. She whipped out a tricorder and shook her head. "You shattered two metacarpels. Your fourth and pinky finger."

Tamaska sighed, "Blast, well that makes me needing to take time off from my training. What happened? I wasn't focused like I should have been." giving a bit of a wince. "I had gotten a message that well... disturbed me." blinking back tears that threatened to escape. "I just don't know what to make of the message I received nor the conflicting news I've found out." starting in the middle of the subject, instead of at the beginning.

Mel nodded. "Is it a man Tamaska?" she asked. She was practically crying and this one was one strong cookie. It had to be a person. "Or woman," she added quickly. They had known each other awhile being original crew but Mel didn't know what sort of a partner the woman in front of her liked. The Trill grabbed a device to start reknitting what she could and set her fingers. Also a hypospray with a small shot of a pain killer.

"They like to make our lives tricky to navigate don't they?" she added softly. "Here this will sort the pain in your hand." She couldn't do anything for her heart.

"It's a man, my first love when I was but a teenager. We lost contact when he had to move. Never heard a peep from him until last night. He sent me a message telling me that he loved me and he missed me and wanted to see me sometime. Then this morning I get a piece of news saying he just got engaged to an Admiral's daughter." her pained expression fading as the pain killer did its job.

"I don't know if he is playing some sort of game or what. It got me angry though, I don't like it when or if someone is playing games with the heartstrings." Tamaska fumed.

Mel nodded. "Perhaps you need to have a conversation with him and try determine why he sent that message?"

Tamaska nodded, "Yes, I should do that. It will probably have to be a face to face sort of meeting and maybe I can get some answers when that happens." she gives a deep frustrated sigh. "Okay enough about me, how are you doing as of late? How is Charlie doing?"

Mel continued focusing on the instrument she was using to sort her fingers not meeting her eyes. It was hard enough to admit this as it was.

”She's broken. I know we are not the biggest ship but there was so many we lost. She had friends, even... a first love. It was just starting. She was so excited they had made it to date three. He didn't make it. No she's forever in that mindset road not taken.

She misses her brother. I do too but I'm glad Paddy wasn't here when it happened. If we had lost him so close to Ian..... ” but it wasn't close. Her husband has been gone 4 years she rationalised.

”She's worried about me too but she doesn't need to I have far more experience with grief. Seven other life times, ” she finally met her eyes one hand going to her belly where her symbiote nestled. ”And a doctor it's part of the course.”

”i hope we get a counselor soon, I confess I don't know how to make anything better right now and she's retreating into a shell, ” Mel said sadly.

”if I were you, Tamaska I would just call him, straight away on subspace, ” she changed the subject deliberately away from her current failure as a parent before she had to admit out loud how alone she too was feeling. And considering there was 7 other personalities within her that was also a hard thing to admit.

”lifes too short and what if the information you have on his marriage is not accurate?”

Tamaska gave a nod, then reached out and touched Mel's hand. "And here I am bemoaning my little problem and unloaded it on you, and you've got more things piled up on your plate. Maybe I can talk to Charlie?" Tamaska offered, giving a smile.

Picking up on Mel's concern about things. "You are a wonderful woman and mother, Mel. You've done more than your share of keeping us all together in more ways than one. And I don't recall the last time I've told you, how grateful I am, for you. Your wisdom and words of advice you've given me ever since I've come onboard, has kept me going." giving a warm squeeze before letting go.

"Thank you," Mel stammered not expecting that. "If you think talking to Charlie would help then yes please. She's not ready to open up properly to me right now." It made sense, even if she had to until they got a counsellor take up that mantle, it was a conflict of interests to be trying therapy with her own child. Also Charlie knew Tamaska so that might help.

"I thought about trying to get her a dog. After Nobu died she's been asking forever," Her memories went back to her old faithfully not to mention energetic cairn. "Maybe now's the right time. It might help perhaps. If I can find one. And its no bother. Men are complex and I understand completely how strange it would be to be in that situation. Definitely speak to him though. The sooner the better."

"I would love to converse with Charlie, and maybe if she's willing, I will teach her some meditation exercises if she doesn't know any yet. And I wholly agree, another dog would be a good idea. Might help all of us in the long run. Its been known that dogs are fantastic to help take away stress. I recall when visiting an ill friend in the hospital, they had service dogs who would arrive and it helped lift people's spirits this included the staff as well as the patients." Tamaska brightly smiled. "The one thing that would give me stress relief were horses. However, I just don't see how I would be able to fit a horse inside my quarters." giving a teasing smile. "What do you think, should I get a miniature horse for my room?" giving a laugh.

"Yes if that would make you happy. It would be adorable too," she said simply. "And imagine Keiben's face," she joked.

Tamaska imagined Keiben's reaction and snorted, then laughed outright. "oh my that would be something to see." she giggled. "I would say, I'll just stick with my stuffed toy animals. I've got a horse and a teddy bear that I have with me." then a thought hit her. "What sort of dog will you be getting Charlie? Something soft and fluffy?"

"Oh gosh yes. Cute and adorable. Its secretly for me too," she said with a smile. Charlie was growing up for too fast. Soon she would leave to take her next steps in life just like Paddy was doing now. Hopefully she would get to keep the dog at that point. Maybe not. Maybe she needed to get two, she mused.

"In fact I was reading a medical and psychology study on how holographic pets in medical and counselling are very therapeutic in putting people at ease. I was considering making a case for something just to use in certain situations if someone's panicking or just plain nervous. We do have some holoemitters here for Russ. Why not modify for an additional programme? What do you think?" she asked. Tam was XO now so really the case for it would probably end up on her desk anyway.

Tamaska mused on it for a few moments, then came to the decision. "That is a fantastic idea, Mel, and it makes sense to having something like that. I'll talk to Keiben about it, but I'm thinking that he won't be against that plan at all. You definitely have my stamp of approval."

She looked down at her hand that had been injured, and was feeling better, then back to Mel, "Don't be too surprised if I come and visit the fluffy puppy from time to time, besides seeing Charlie and you." she chuckled.

"Of course," she replied. "Shall we call it fluffykins?" she joked. "I can speak with Chief Stoun and fathom out how we would go about that."

Tamaska grinned, "That sounds like a good plan. Fluffykins. I do like that name." She tried to imagine what the holo animal would look like. Tamaska chuckled, " Now I am daydreaming of what the holo pet might look like." She moved her hand slightly testing it, "How's my hand now? It doesn't feel bad like it did earlier."

"Oh its going to be just fine. I've knitted the bones and muscles. You just need to take it easy for a couple of days. No more doing whatever you were doing though," Mel told her firmly. "That pain med should do you for a few hours. If you need any more I will authorise you to replicate another dose. It should heal completely in a couple of days. And I'm thinking golden retriever puppy."

Ian used to have one as a kid and talked about it all the time. They never did get one. Nobu was enough of a handful.

Tamaska nodded, " A gold retriever sounds wonderful." Impulsively, she gave Mel an embrace. "Thank you once again for your advice. I feel ever so much better. " her smile bright and cheery. "And I promise to be more careful when I do my exercises." she released Mel, and moved to stand up. "I am also going to see if I can get in contact with Kaiholo and find out just what is truly going on."

”Definitely, ” Mel said. ”I hope things are better there when you do speak.” She didn't believe for a second that Tam had being doing exercises but didn't comment further. ”And I'll send Charlie to you. Thank you for that.”

"I hope so too. It's quite the mystery and I plan on getting it solved or resolved. And I look forward to seeing Charlie as well." Tamaska certainly feeling a lot better now, and leaving medical with a bit more of a pep in her stride.

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