Gale finally wandered into the main medical ward of SB Bravo after spending some time roaming the promenade. The silence of his room had felt oppressively and suffocating so he’d quickly placed his things down and fled to the comfort of the noise. In the station at large he was able to just lose himself in the stream of white noise of conversation, sales being made, and arguments taking place. The was peace in anonymity here. Itself an unusual thought because he’d never expected to enjoy being just another face in a crowd. There was certainly some mental trauma to unpack there. But that would have to be a task for someone better suited than himself.

He held the pad with the details of his people’s needs for deuridium infusions, and the suggestions for how much to keep on hand and so forth. Most of it was medical jargon beyond his own level of comprehension. He just knew he needed it or his cells would begin to deteriorate. A prospect he didn’t find comfort in. He felt like a stranger and clung to the mouth of the bay glancing around awkwardly hoping to be noticed. It was quieter inside. He didn’t like the quiet after them. He took a short moment to mourn the loss of that piece of himself. Replaced by an impulse placed into him by something other. He could remember being quite private. Comfortable in silence and solitude and often times preferring it. Now he was left the near manic need to be near people and noise for reasons he didn’t enjoy.

Ensign Geraldine Parker walked out of the corridor leading to the Deputy Director of General Medicine’s office and searched for her next target.  They had been working through new and old staff with marked precision.  A new name had popped on her curated lists and she’d frowned at the time.  She wasn’t familiar with the Kobliad species and it had taken her a few minutes to do her research on her walk from her desk to this moment.  “Ensign Vantek? Ensign Parker, assistant to the Deputy Director of General Medicine.  I’ll take you to her office.”

It was a short walk down the hall and around a corner to the large doors where Parker tapped the chime. A second later, a voice bid them enter.  She led Vantek into the room, “Deputy Director, Ensign Vantek.”  She stood to attention and departed.

Cassidy gave the young officer a glance, “Welcome aboard Starbase Bravo, Ensign.  Security’s a helluva choice in this madhouse.”

Gale gave Parker a thankful nod and a curious expression as she noted the comment about the madhouse. Perhaps his decision to forgo a ship posting wasn’t as wise as he’d previously thought? Well, he was here now, so no going back. He offered the Deputy Director the pad that held his medical records on them, including the required notation about his affliction with the Borg genetic tampering via the transporters. His case had been described as artificially mild in comparison to others due to his people’s dependency on deuridium. Something about it shielding from genetic tampering or something: he got lost in the medical nonsense of it, but he knew enough to suss out it was the overdose he’d given himself. It’d cost him though. A couple of weeks of mandatory convalescence to recover. But it’d helped save some lives, and that made it worth it. 

“I was told departing my last post that I would need to check in with medical to my…needs.”  Gale hated it, but it had been a silver lining on Frontier Day. Perhaps that was reason enough to cut himself some slack. It’d be no different than if he worked in an aquatic environment. It was just one more thing than most others he needed to function. He fidgeted with his scanner ring on his left index finger. The subdued quiet of the office pressed in on him, the bustling chaos of the station’s interior just beyond reach. Mission first. He could do that. Clear medical, then peace. 

Montgomery appraised the young officer as a thinker – there was plenty going on in his head with very few words coming out.  She accepted the PADD and slid it onto the pile on her desk. Cassidy pushed out from her chair, picked up her medical tricorder, and started her evaluation with a once-over scan, “Your last post was very forthcoming about your needs, Ensign.  We have others in your situation onboard Bravo so supply shouldn’t be too much trouble.  I know in the past it’s been troublesome.”  She reviewed the scans from the tricorder, “For a first scan, not too bad.  Blood pressure is a little high.  Weight and height are normal for your situation.”  She slipped the tricorder onto her belt and pulled down a larger scanning unit from the ceiling, “How do you feel?”

How did he feel? That felt like such a loaded question lately. “If you’d have asked me a few weeks ago? I’d have said fine. Excited maybe? But now?” Gale shrugged as he trailed off. 

“Now I’m not so sure. Not fine.” He paused, searching for the right word. “I don’t know, troubled maybe? Haunted?” The answer to such a simple query felt elusive and difficult to grasp like trying to grab a fish in the water. It just slid right through his grip. 

“Guess I’m still processing B day.”

Cassidy gave a doctorly nod as he spoke.  There was still much work to be done to clean up the mess created by the events and experiences from Frontier Day.  She had her part, but that was still in the shadows.  She used the more extensive scanning suite to complete a full body sensor run and then tapped a few buttons to send the report to her PADD.  “There are a lot of things to be said for what happened during…and plenty more still to be said for after.”  She offered him the chair that sat before her desk as she slipped her PADD back in hand to review his results, “Your levels are showing normal at the moment.”

She showed him the screen, “What it tells me is that your doses have been on a bit of a rollercoaster in the past month or so.  You are well aware if that rollercoaster goes on longer than it should.”  She leaned up against her desk, looking the Kobliad officer in the eye, “I don’t often concern myself with the officers on this station.  I leave that to my physicians, orderlies, and nurses.  However…”, she tapped at her PADD, “Your situation requires a steady hand.  I’m assigning your medical care to me, Ensign Vantek.  I called it a madhouse because it’s an impossibly large station with lots of moving people and pieces.  I don’t want you or your care to get lost.”

Gale blinked. Then realized she was referring to his stunt during Frontier Day, or in his own opinion, Borg Day. All he could do was offer up a silent nod. Nothing she’d said was wrong. And he had no reason to protest. He’d caught himself up in a precarious dance of avoidance while trying to maintain enough connection to not be completely shut out. The fact is he wasn’t entirely sure he was comfortable with the idea of people because there were bound to be more of them lurking out there. Sleepers waiting to put a phaser in his back, or an admirals chest. Quick thinking and wreckless medical decisions had helped him save lives, but now his own health was bearing the brunt of those choices. It was time to get that much right at least. 

“Uncertain times have called for unusual solutions. But you are right. My health has been a bit of a mess, and it needs to be corrected. Thank you.” He hesitated but forced the next statement out of his lips before he could chew the words into mush. 

“It…might also not be a bad idea to see a therapist. That is, I’m not questioning your own judgment or anything.” He quickly added, not wanting to offend. “It’s just that I’ve been processing a lot lately, and I should probably unload some of this baggage I’m carrying if I don’t want to unravel at the seams.”

Cassidy chuckled, “I’m a doctor, not a psychologist.  I would question my own judgment of offering my services as a therapist. My director would be second in line to ask what I was thinking.  There would be shouting.”  She leaned back on the desk, her eyes searching the ceiling as she remembered the names from the morning report, “Counselors Champney, Musgrave, or Ashfield are at the top of my referral lists.  They also have a Deputy Director of Psychiatry who’s earned a strong track record – Lieutenant Elegy Weld.”  She tapped into her PADD, “I’ll send you their information…look through their profiles and see which one feels like a good fit.”  Montgomery pushed off the desk and walked back to her chair, “The mind – human or alien – is a place that needs minding when there’s a lot going on inside.”  She sat down, “I can mend the literal seams, Ensign Vantek…the metaphorical ones are up to you and the team you select to help you.”

She stood and shook his hand, “I’m glad you’re here with us, Vantek.  Bravo may be a madhouse, but it’s a place with a place for everyone.”  She watched him leave out the door as Parker stepped in, doing the same.

“He’s mighty interesting, don’t you think, Deputy Director?”

Cassidy was about to change the subject but stopped, “What do you mean interesting, Ensign?”  The young woman’s face blushed, and she gave a weak smile.  Her boss stared at her and laughed, “I’ve found your weakness, Parker.”

Geraldine begged, “Don’t tell anyone, Deputy Director.”

Montgomery assured her, “Trust me – anything that knocks you off your focus is my secret to hold until death or a Black Hole takes me.”  She gestured at the PADD her assistant was holding, “Now let’s get on with the reports, shall we?”

Gale left with the list of referrals. Something to study when he had a moment. Now that he was back within the chaotic ambiance of the station? He felt less isolated. He let out a slow deep breath, and went for a walk. There was still plenty of time before he had to report to his first line leader and he wanted to spend that time feeling a little more at ease.