Counseling the Counselor

Posted on Fri Dec 13th, 2019 @ 2:45pm by Commander Edra Crow & Lieutenant Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova
Edited on on Fri Dec 13th, 2019 @ 2:48pm

Mission: Bless the Maker
Location: Millie's Quarters
Timeline: MD 1; 1600

Edra walked the corridors, easily finding Millie's quarters. She wished for anything but this, but it had to be done, and she was in charge of the crew. One more step forward triggered the chime.

Millie hadn’t moved from her chair since Banks left, and her cold tea still sat on the small table nearby. She had been staring out the viewport until the chime once again pulled her thoughts to present. "Enter."

When the door swished open the XO stepped through. She noticed a packed bag next to the door, and the bare room, even for the younger woman's minimalist tendencies. Edra's heart softened, having a bit of an idea what it was like to be a drifter. She wanted to offer some comfort, but she wasn't sure how this would turn out. That wasn't to say she didn't think the counselor held some of the blame for the situation, but Edra felt the same about herself at this point. "I'm sorry for how that confrontation turned out. I was hoping you both could blow off some steam, then come to see reason. It's obvious now that that was the wrong approach for me to take."

Millie sighed, gesturing to the empty chair. "It's alright, Commander."

Edra sat down. "You obviously don't need to worry about me taking your job, but I do need to know what is going on that you felt the need to call out the Captain in front of everybody."

Millie looked back out at the stars outside of the viewport. “He has been dodging me for weeks, Commander. He got angry and walked out of one of our sessions three or four weeks ago, and he’s refused to speak to me since.” Her eyes came back to Edra. “He’s told me to meet him, and then never showed. He’s scheduled calls with Starfleet on top of our scheduled sessions. He’s blown me off every time I try to talk to him.”

"There are other ways to deal with that, including coming to me. Calling him out on it, in front of the rest of the crew, who is gathered for a funeral, is hardly the way to get what you want, personally or professionally. Is anything unclear about that?"

Millie paused. “Permission to speak candidly?”

"I'd like the answer to my question first." If anything she'd learned anything about her mistakes earlier, it was to not let the conversation get away from her.

Millie took a breath. “After over two years of him dodging me, avoiding sessions, cutting our time short, and talking to me like a small child, I felt like I no longer had a choice. It was an act of desperation, not of professionalism. My own Captain is not letting me do my job.”

Edra sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "I'm going to take that as a yes, then. Lieutenant, let me explain something to you. I am here to talk to you about you and your behaviour. Not him, at least not yet. I understand that you are here to help us...all. We know that, but he is the Captain, and your superior. When we're on duty, there is no excuse for how you reacted. In your current position, you do not have the authority to override him or his orders. You can come to either me or the Chief Medical Officer. But at the point that I'm understanding this was at, you don't take him on yourself. You certainly don't in front of everyone. Am I making myself understood?"

"Yes ma'am," was the simple reply.

Thank the Prophets for small miracles, Edra thought. Now that she'd seemed to get through, the XO's countenance softened. "Okay. Now, tell me why you felt you had to act out of desperation?"

"He's been dodging or cutting early out of sessions for months, but a few weeks ago, he blew up at me. Stormed out of my office and has outright refused to talk to me at all. About anything." Millie sighed, her eyes wandering back to the view of the stars..

Edra nodded, letting her get her entire answer out before responding. "I can understand why all of those would frustrate you or annoy you. But what made you desperate? What made you think it's now or never?"

“Because the crew is watching this happen.” Millie’s gaze turned back to Edra. “They are watching him dodge me at every turn. The way he steps around me and keeps walking. How quickly he shuts me down, as if I were a child. He even---He left his combadge in his Ready Room when we were supposed to have a session, which left me standing at the door while the entire bridge crew watched.” Millie swallowed back the lump forming in her throat. “I am not a child, Commander. I am a Starfleet Officer. I am not a doormat to be walked on at his convenience.”

The XO sighed. What had he been thinking? "I agree," she responded. "That was inappropriate, and I will be speaking with him about it...on multiple levels." She hoped Millie knew what that meant. "I do need you to understand a few things though, and resist the urge to assume I'm making excuses for him. The fact is, there are times when he will have to put off a meeting here and there. I'm not saying these are those times, but it will happen, and right now you're biased against that behavior. But as Captain, emergency situations do arise. When that happens you need to let him go. I will ensure he understands that he should give you a reasonable explanation, and that you will be coming back to reschedule. If you suspect he's dodging out of spite again, you come to me or Caressa. Okay?"

There was a moment of silence before Millie nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

"Thank you," Edra responded gently. "Now, I'd like to speak to you about your techniques. Part of the reason this happened is the Captain's stubbornness, but part of it is also your approach. Sometimes, or for some people, poking works, but for others, it pushes them away."

Millie nodded. "I do not intend to come across as 'poking'. I know that it is hard for some to open up the parts that are still painful."

"I fully believe you, Millie." She took a cue from the Russian's book and rested a hand gently on her arm. "I know you have the best intentions, and trust me, you're needed here. But forcing people to open up is not how to earn their trust, and that's what they need. Someone they can trust. I wish your profession didn't still have the stigma it's had for centuries, but for some, it does, and you're fighting that too. I want to help you be able to do your job, so if you're having the same issues with anyone, come talk to me, alright?"

Millie nodded, putting her hand on top of Edra's. "I will."

Edra smiled. "Good." She took a breath before continuing. "I'll talk to Henry, about his part in this and about reinstating you."

Millie nodded, looking away. She didn’t respond...because she wasn’t sure how. To be honest, she was fully expecting to receive reassignment orders.

Edra noticed her reaction. "Millie, part of your job requires people to trust you right? It's your turn to trust me," she said with a smile that turned to a more knowing grin. "Besides, I have some pull with the Captain."

The counselor turned back, not mirroring the smile. “Was there...anything else, Commander?”

Edra sighed, supposing she couldn't blame the woman for not sharing her optimism. It was a lot easier to think positive when it wasn't your neck on the line. She stood, shaking her head. "Not at the moment, Counselor. I will keep you apprised of the situation as I can." Without waiting for an answer, and dragging out her farewell, she left the room, with her own quarters as her destination.



Commander Edra Crow
Executive Officer, USS Mercutio




Lieutenant JG Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova
Chief Counselor, USS Mercutio