Healing Spirits: When Medicine Meets Counsel

Posted on Wed Jun 18th, 2025 @ 1:26pm by Lieutenant Gabrielle Mailliard & Lieutenant Commander Isabella Reyes M.D

1,546 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 9: When the Stars Went Silent
Location: Crew quarters

Isabella stretched after the long...how many days had it been? Too many surgeries to count. They blurred together long ago. She had the entire staff get a 5 minute decontamination shower as it had water compression added to the sonic shower to increase runoff. But it felt amazing after the recent conflict.

A fresh set of scrubs, socks, and sneakers and she was off duty for sixteen hours. With the ship recovering, power was minimal on the deck she was on. Barely livable, she grabbed a bottle of rum, and her charango, a small ten stringed instrument. She hadn't met everyone just yet. Passing the Chief Counselor's office, she paused, tapping the chime. When she heard the voice from inside call, Isabella entered.

“Hola, Isabella Reyes, new CMO. You're Gabrielle,” Isabella said, naturally rolling the R's. I cannot sleep just yet. I can be on or off duty, your choice.” She said holding up an old bottle of rum and two shot glasses.

Gabrielle stopped swiping things off the floor for long enough to stand up straight Meerkating towards the door as the new arrival entered. The Counselling office was in some disarray, but there was evidence that someone, presumably Gabrielle, had been cleaning up. Items were piled up on the desk and the small bits of debris that were present were swept into piles. Other than that, a flickering light and a thin layer of dust, the office seemed in reasonable order.

"I am Gabrielle," The counsellor confirmed with a winning smile. "It is my pleaseure to meet you, Isabella! Come! Sit amongst the dust and debris (this word was pronounced in a perfect French manner) with me. This bottle, she is real? Or synthahol?"

Isabella laughed, "She is 25 years old Rum. I was saving this for a special occasion. This isn't it, but I got it anyway." She cracked the seal on the dark amber alchohol, pouring herself and Gabrielle several fingers each, then passed a glass to Gabrielle along with a dark piece of chocolate. "Real chocolate, too. The seal on the stasis container broke, I call it fate. At this point, I would almost rather light up a rum-soaked cigar, but this place, the ship, is a shambles. My quarters are no better."

"Mmm, 'ang on." Gabrielle crossed to the replicator and after checking it was online replicated a hand sanitising kit. She gave her hands a clean with a towelette, a spray with sanitiser that she scrubbed with for a moment and then finished off with a second towelette before drying them on a small cloth.

"This is betteur," she said, approaching Isabella. "I 'ave been touching 'oo knows what. Thank you! Please sit, if you do not mind your trousers becoming a little dusty." Gabrielle took the drink and chocolate, sniffing the latter with interest.

"The drink, I will 'ave a little, 'elp me relax. But she is not bourré on duty. Tipsy I mean. This is bad."

Picking a cleaner spot, Isabella sat unceremoniously. “After...” she had to calculate the time in her head, she was that mentally wiped out. Leaning forward, she used her hand to beckon Gabi closer, “Mirar, look,” Issy translated. "Three days is my limit.” She clinked her glass against the counselor's, then leaned back, taking a large sip.”

“How did Yerin put it?... I'm tagging out.” She let the liquid hit her throat. It was hot, but smooth. Notes of tobacco, chocolate, bourbon, and other subtle nuances came through in the aged spirit.

"Three days is enough," the Counsellor agreed as she took Isabella's cue and found a place to sit, dusting it off roughly with her hand first. "I 'ope you will get some sleep soon?" She asked and took a slug of from the glass. "Hoo, she hits hard!"

Issy agreed with the counselor's assessment but added, “Muy Suave, though.” She followed up with a nibble on the dark chocolate. The bite melted in her mouth, leaving a luscious feel. “Sleep. Unwind, and sleep sounds wonderful.” Issy takes another sip, the liquid mixing with the leftover chocolate, creating its own nuance.

Adopting a meeting tone, she said, with a funny tone, “Hola, I'm Issabella. My friends call me Issy.” She tosses her hair back overtly before continuing. “Born on Earth in the Jungles of Colombia, I like playing my Charango and cooking for my family. My biological clock is ticking, but I am too busy to do much about it, other than freeze my eggs for later.” She leaned back, taking another sip and bite of chocolate.

"Sad we spent so long in sickbay recently and were neveur formally introduced," Gabrielle commented, with a wry smile in return. "Gabrielle. My friends call me Gabrielle," she winked. "I joke, of course. some call me Gabi. Either is fine. I was born in France. Well, actually no this is not true. Northern Italy. But I lived most of my life in France. What do I like to do? Hmm. I like to 'elp people feel better. This is a good thing. I have tried many 'obbies, I grow tired of them. Maybe I will try a new one on Denver."

Gabrielle cocked her head to one side.

"You say the clock is ticking but... you look so good! You cannot be hmm... more than thirty five I think."

“Forty three. My career is my life. If someone wanted to be a part of that and all the baggage that comes with it, I would be amazed. The late nights, the three day triage session, thanks for the help by the way, I saw you running around with everyone else. Sudden emergency surgeries at three am.” She paused. What about you? I think I need your skin regimen. It's nearly flawless." She said getting closer to Gabi.

"Well, you look very good for forty-three," Gabrielle replied. "Skin? I do nothing. No beta-carotene, no omega oils, no collagen, just soap, and water. Easy! These last few days, they were not so easy. You are very welcome for the 'elp, but this is my job also. These poor people they need someone with them when they are dying, or when they feel very bad. Even if she is annoying and French! At least I take the focus away from 'ow they feel. But even I need a break now and then. So I come and check out my office. It is... dusty. But when power is more stable the cleaning systems will be back online I think." Gabrielle took another slug of Rum and put the glass down. True to her word she only had one finger.

You chuckle at the French comment, knowing how people interact differently. Her own culture acts the same way about Panama. “The ones that captured my heart and still do are the broken ones. In that respect, we are much alike, though in my job, I can more easily see the underlying; most of the time, we both have to deal with the aftermath of the broken.” Issy poured herself one more finger before setting the bottle aside for the night. She picked at the Charango as the rum helped smooth out the rough edges of her night.

"Well, am not sure about my 'eart but... I like to 'elp people," Gabrielle replied. "'Ow long do you play the Charango?" She asked, changing the subject from shop.

Isabella laughed. "Since I was eight. My mother forced me to practice. However, it did come in handy during the Academy as it was an easy grade for music theory and performance." She plays something current semi-consciously as they chat.
"As a teen, it bugged me since my mother was so proud to show me off. After melting my brain in the Academy, I found I missed it. So it then became a reminder of mom and better times." Isabella said. "Do you play anything?" She asked Gaby.

The secretive Lanthanite shook her head.

"No. My motheur, she played. She was celebrated for it, it brought such joy. Then... after she died... I cannot. She taught me a little. But that was many years ago. I 'ave never 'ad the 'eart for it."

Gabrielle took a deep breath, coughing slightly on the dust and waved a hand in front of her mouth irritably.

Thinking for a moment, she walks across the hallway back to her quarters. Opening a sealed container, Issy grabs two bottles. It was vodka. Walking back across the hallway, she holds up the bottles in triumph. She sees Gabby looking at her like she has completely lost her mind.

"A trick I learned cleaning houses as a teenager. Alcoholics usually have Vodka since rum smells too obviously. Vodka makes a fantastic cleaner. People think I keep it for parties or I drink too much, but it's mostly nostalgia, and I can count it as medical supplies." Issy explained, pouring some on a rag and wiping a dusty surface clean.

Gabrielle smiled.

"Well my office will smell of Alcohol, 'opefully I 'ave no alcoholics to treat any time soon!" She joined in and together the two women started cleaning up the counselling suite, getting it into some sort of order.

 

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