Unofficial Counseling

Posted on Thu Sep 3rd, 2026 @ 1:22am by Lieutenant Delix & Lieutenant Lanna Alexander

2,168 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Blade of Deceit
Location: Sickbay | Sabastian's Room | USS Arcadia

ON:

Delix sat by Walker's bedside. Walker's hand was clutched in his while he used his other one to smooth back Walker's hair. He'd stayed with the White only as long as he could before he excused himself to 'Engineering'. He'd stuffed his bag in the room and run down to Sickbay scaring the nurse into letting him in. Now he sat talking to Sabastian. He'd read that people in Coma's could hear you so he talked to him called him cursed him for being unconscious and threatened to scour the underworld if he died just to bring him back and kick his ass for dying.

"Please wake up Sab. I need you to open those beautiful eyes for me."

Lanna had made her way down to Sickbay to see how Sab was, but wasn’t surprised to see Delix sitting there with him. She offered a warm, friendly smile as she moved towards the bed. “I hope I’m not intruding? I came to see how Sab was.”

"Not at all. He's...the same." Delix placed a hand on Sabastian's head using his thumb to stroke Sabastian's forehead.

Lanna nodded. “I wish I could risk a telepathic link, but given his condition it would be a danger to us both. I take it you and Sabastian are close?”

"Once upon a time. Before the lavender eyed devil got involved." He looked up at her. "No, not in your state right now. Try some mint tea for the upset stomach, also works on soothing nerves."

He turned back to Sabastian. "He was and is the first man I loved and the only one I will ever love. He saved my life, my soul. When I came to Earth I was broken, got involved with the Orions. Sabastian pulled me out of darkness, took a damned beating that almost killed him to get my contract from the Orion Syndicate and then set me up in Starfleet, nurtured me, fed me when I couldn't eat, unconditionally loved me and then when the devil with purple eyes wove his magic spell broke my heart into a thousand shards that still yearned for him."

Lanna nodded. “That explains that whole tornado of emotions I sensed from you earlier, I think you could have blown me down with a feather earlier.” She grinned. “I would suggest that anything further to say about Zai is kept at a minimum, he’s something of a sore point to a lot of people, and he was also my friend. I wasn’t sure if our friendship was true once I learned the truth about him, but Sab told me that at least that was real.”

"So he did finally show his true colours." He sighed. "I'm sorry you lost your friend but I won't pretend I didn't hate him with every fiber of my being. I was actually looking forward to finding out how to expose him for who he was." He leaned down and placed a kiss on Sabastian's forehead. "Sabastian and I will find a way back to one another. He just needs to wake up." He looked to Lanna. "Again I'm sorry about the emotions. I am usually good at keeping those bottled."

“Don’t worry about it, the news came as a shock to you so it’s not surprising you had such an emotional response.” Lanna offered an understanding smile. “Actually I’d like to learn more about your people, you’re the first Denobulan I’ve ever met.”

He smiled. "Sure. Ask away. What would you like to know?"

“Ohh…just about everything!” Lanna grinned. “You seem to have an empathic presence about you, you also picked up on my pregnancy without me having to say anything. You seem to have that vibe of a medical professional around you, yet you work in engineering.”

"My planet is full of healers and scientists. My own family was full of them. I was the odd duck in more ways then one and seemed to have an aptitude of fixing things." He sighed. "Generally we're not empathic but have a great sense of smell. I can tell emotions, guilt, feelings, but smell. Each person is unique. As for healing I learned that from my third mother who was a natural healer and my third mother's second husband."

“Your third mother? Is it normal for Denobulans to have multiple mates? In Human or Betazoid culture it’s generally one mate at any one time, at least until one is lost and that person moves on in life.”

He laughed. "For us that's unusual. Each man has 3 wives and she in turn has 3 husbands. Makes for large families and lots of siblings and noise. We all refer to our biological makes as mother and father and same for their other mates. The one thing that is I would say odd for my people given our way of life is that we do not like to be touched. We do not touch people unless we are intimate with them or at least normally. Starfleet is full of touchy feely people."

“That’s very true, and I will make a note of that for future reference. As a counsellor I like to make my patients feel welcome, but I don’t hug unless I’m permitted to provide comfort. To some it’s an automatic thing, for others it’s something they steer away from.”

"I try to avoid it when I can but I don't mind it to the extent that my people do. I must say though since joining Starfleet I have reverted to a lot of my people's customs." He paused. "Well let's see what else. I guess my people are curious, love socializing. We have strong climbing abilities like Earth squirrels or reptiles. We are also very dexterous. We do not sleep. We do have a hibernation cycle of 5-6 days annually and are very disorientated when we wake up. We have long tongues like frogs." He tapped his facial and cheek ridges. "We have these ridges on our spine too. Elastic faces when we smile it is often very wide and we puff up like blow fishes when we are frightened. Well my people do. I don't I was born with a rare genetic condition that ensures I cannot smile to wide or puff up by face. A point of shame for my family. It is seen as curse amongst my people."

“A curse? Really?” Lanna was surprised. “I’d say it makes you unique amongst your people, to say it’s a curse is somewhat old fashioned.”

"My third mother's third husband thought so too. He was the one to see me off when I left Denobula. He said that his third mother's third husband's second wife had a brother with the same condition. It think it more a family thing then a planet wide thing. My family was a bit strange in their beliefs and customs. Quite antiquated. I was... a problem. The condition the fact that I was not affected by pheromones so much of what I was did not go with their view. It is why I was banished."

“Banished, that’s terrible” Lanna shook her head. “Well you have a home here with us now. I think of this ship as my home especially as my husband and son are here with me.”

He pointed to Sabastian. "My home is where he is. Even though we have not been connected for a long time. He is all I want."

Lanna nodded wondering about what would happen with Poe if Sab chose to be with Del instead. Not that they’d actually been in a romantic relationship leading up to now. “I guess we’ll both have to see what happens when Sab wakes up, I hope he comes back to us but only time will tell.”

"Yes." He said. "Well I shall head to Engineering." He sniffed the air. "Huh."

“What?” Lanna looked at Delix in surprise. “Are you smelling something?”

"Yes. There is a fruit and spice sent in this room. Around him. Someone who visited him. It's mixed with grief and pain for Sabastian." He turned to her. "We all leave a sent in the room when we enter it. Sabastian smells like orange blossoms and bergamot. You have the scent of fresh rain and watermelon. This one is...not that." He shrugged. "Fascinating." He sighed. Then as if he remembered. "Before I go I assume you are evaluating my ability to work. Would you like to walk with me to Engineering and poke away with the questions?"

“Why not” Lanna smiled warmly. “I also know who it is that your nose is picking up on. I only raise it because that someone is a very reserved person who needs to be treated with kindness. If it wasn’t for this person we would all still be believing that Sabastian died when his shuttle exploded.”

He gave a hum. "Then I owe this person a debt for saving Sabastian. Now then. I am an open book much to Starfleet's embarrassment so ask when you need. I am direct and have no time for diversions or falsehoods."

“Very well” Lanna nodded. “You’re someone who’s quite direct and to the point, that may cause friction with others in Engineering, so do you feel that you’ll be able to handle that without complaints?”

He raised an eyebrow. "Frankly their coping mechanisms are not my problem. I am blunt yes but not to wound to teach. My leadership style is I give orders and timelines and they will execute them. I am open to listening to better paths and methodologies but if I feel they are not valid I will veto them. If there is an issue with an order then they will have Sabastian to talk to. He's more of a cuddler then I am. I will explain myself but once only. If they cannot handle honest criticism with sound reasoning then they do not belong in my engine room."

Lanna nodded. “You have a good team down there, so please do try and give them a little leeway until they’re used to you. I don’t want any appreciate your honesty, it’s refreshing to talk to someone who is so open. Do you feel that you’ll be able to integrate into the crew with no problems?”

"That I cannot say. The crew is fairly new to me. In the past I have always integrated. Denobulans are a social bunch by nature. Some find me cold others do not like that I do not hide my thoughts but I will not apologize for being myself. In the past I have been too wounded by not fitting everyone's idea of what I should be and I promised myself that will never happen again. Those who do not wish to associate with me then that is their choice and I have no hard feelings towards them. The only issues I have is if some tries to take what is mine. It is a ... pet peeve."

Lanna nodded. “I understand. You shouldn’t have to apologise for being who you are, I’m a firm believer that people should take you for who you are. Should you require my services at any point, or just a friendly chat then please feel free to call or drop in, as the saying goes my door is always open.”

He smiled a little. "So I've passed my work test and your Commander White's request for an assessment of my sanity?"

“Well you haven’t bounced off the walls whilst I’ve been talking to you, and you certainly appear to be quite sane in my professional opinion” Lanna grinned. “So I’d say you pass.”

He smiled. "That's good news." He paused. "And thank you for the offer of an ear. This will be, perhaps, a difficult issue for me. I am used to keeping my own council. A childhood habit that I have always had trouble breaking. I don't do well to talk. I'm more of a give me a question and I will answer kind of person. It has driven many a counselor mad."

“I can understand that, not everyone finds it easy talking about what bothers them. There’s only so much you can do by yourself though, so all I ask is that you consider coming to see me. I can always drop by from time to time and ask questions if that makes it easier?”

"That might work. Like I said I don't tend to hide anything. If there is something I do not wish to talk about I say it right up front."

“That sounds good to me” Lanna smiled warmly. “At least I won’t have to try getting at the truth, you’ll be honest from the start.”

OFF:

Lieutenant Delix
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer

&

Lieutenant Lanna Alexander
Ship's Counselor

 

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