Not My Views - Part II

Posted on Saturday April 30th, 2022 @ 10:40pm by Lieutenant Commander Curzon Bennett & Lieutenant Steven Edgeware

Mission: EPISODE 1: SHAKEDOWN
Location: USS Oberon - Lounge
Timeline: MD04 0712

::ON::

Steven took another breath.

“ It was my first posting. The USS Hermes. We received a distress call from the Harmony Bay mining colony. But when we arrived and beamed down. It was a trick by a group of renegade Gorn. Their leader had been injured and they demanded we heal him. The CMO refused and they beheaded him. To stop them killing anyone else, I stepped in. Unfortunately the Gorn leader was too badly hurt, but to give us time while the ship could muster up a rescue plan. I played for time. The Gorn kept threatening me with the severed head if I did not hurry up. Just as they lost patience we were rescued,” Steven replied.

The Commanding Officer looked at his Chief Medical Officer with respect emanating from him. 'That is something unimagineable to anyone who wasn't there. Even in our line of work, it's not often we work under that kind of pressure. I can see why they appointed you to Deep Space Three. I can't imagine there's much that can ruffle your feathers.'

Steven gave a sad sigh.

“Just this. I just can’t get over my mothers racist views. You know she sent an old friend of the family to Risa to convince me not to come here, but go home. She even told him to make out she was ill. Luckily I scanned her with a medical tricorder before I left Earth. I knew she would try and pull the health act. Lucky for me he had never been to Risa before,” Steven said

Frowning again, Bennett looked at Edgeware, and let out a breath as he took off his glasses and cleaned them, thinking about his answer. 'That is a concerning trait, that she would seek to manipulate you in such a way.' He looked the Medical Officer straight in the eye, 'you'll know better than I, but that is an emotionally manipulative and underhanded way of dealing with you.' Bennett looked away for a moment. 'Obviously I can't tell you how to conduct your personal affairs, but you should look to your own health and wellbeing and consider how this person makes you feel about yourself.'

Edgeware gave Bennett a nod.

“I agree. The problem is when your only parent acts in this way. It has a bad effect on you. I mean her views are in no way how I feel. In truth I have always made a point of making new friends no matter what people look like or come from. I used to have an Andorian boy as a childhood friend. Strange how my mother never tried to stop that though. I still keep in touch with him. He works for the Andorian ambassador for Earth funnily enough,” Steven said with a smile.

'Perhaps it's an irrational reaction to your joining Starfleet - you're an only child?' Bennett inquired politely.

Steven shook his head.

“No I have an older sister she’s three years older then me. Tina is a school teacher. She’s married and lives over in London, England. My mother and her are not that close. She left home against my mothers orders to get married. Her husband is human though,” Steven replied.

Bennett shifted in his seat as he considered the Doctor's words. Eventually he said, 'so effectively you are an only child from your mother's perspective. She has a strained relationship with her daughter, your sister, and now you spend most of your time off-world travelling the Federation while giving care and attention to people who are not herself.' Bennett shrugged, 'I may be a little unkind here, but it doesn't seem like your mother is looking out for what's best for you, but really, what's best for her.'

Steven considered this.

“That could be possible. From what I learnt about my mothers family. There was a great great aunt who faked a mortal illness. To stop her son from getting married. That also failed spectacularly and he left her. He’s still happily married. I believe the great aunt died many years later. A very lonely women indeed. But my mother saw how that panned out. Surely she would of learnt from a terrible thing like that?” Steven asked.

'Perhaps not.' Bennett sighed, 'I'm not sure I'm the person to be speculating about her reasoning skills. What you have told me sounds like a deeply emotional reaction.' He hesitated again, then asked, 'have you considered asking her to be referred to a Counselor or civilian equivalent?'

Steven gave a small chuckle.

“Believe me the idea has come to mind. But her reaction to being told to see one…Well even if the Oberon was sucked into a giant wormhole and spat out far far into the delta quadrant, I would not be safe from the shockwave caused by her anger at me making her see a counsellor.”

Bennett arched an eyebrow in return. 'I see. She doesn't want you to carry on your career in Starfleet, yet she insists there is nothing wrong, and that everything is fine with herself, despite attempting to lure you back by feigning illness. I know a fair few colleagues who would enjoy the pleasure of her company for an hour - they would be beside themselves with the opportunity to ask questions.' Not least my darling Counselor wife, he thought. 'Have you thought about what you might do, to resolve the situation?'

[To be continued ...]

::OFF::

Lieutenant Commander Curzon Bennett
Commanding Officer
USS Oberon

Lieutenant Steven Edgeware
Chief Medical Officer
USS Oberon