Judgement – About Kaelin
by Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
ON:
Lt. Kensington had been finding the last couple of days pretty exhausting. He'd been only lightly injured on the away mission, but he had spent every spare waking hour with Jana ever since they got back. And of course with Chelsea busy with her wedding, he had taken on more shifts and more work, which all added to the pressure he was under.
Bridget pressed a finger to the control pad next to the door, requesting to be admitted to the CMO's office. The CMO was her first stop on the subject of Kaelin's suspected Anorexia. But she knew her friend would be on her honeymoon, so Ben Kensington was the next best thing. She was sure Ai'lani wouldn't mind if she confided in Ben as opposed to Chelsea; it really was a matter of semantics in this situation.
"Come in," Ben called as the door slid open. "Bridget! How nice to see you. How's life in Sickbay town treating you?" he smiled broadly sweeping his arm to indicate the chairs as he moved towards the replicator. "What can I get you?"
"Tea would be lovely, thanks," she replied, taking a spot in one of the chairs he'd indicated. Watching Ben work the replicator, she went back to his first question. "Sickbay town is the reason I'm here. Or, well, one of it's residents actually. Do you know Kaelin, our pathologist?"
"I do. He seems like an okay sort of guy.... is he giving you grief?" Ben answered, wondering how the mild-mannered, pleasant Pathology Specialist could have upset the equally affable Dr. Stapleton.
He put the drinks on the coffee table and sat down, giving her his full attention.
"He hasn't upset me, no. In fact, he's become a friend and it's on his behalf that I'm here. Although," she paused, "once he finds out I've taken some steps on his behalf, he will be pretty mad at me. You see, his lover thinks that he has Anorexia Nervosa. And given what the medical community knows about that disorder, it's usually treated under the monitoring attention of a team of professionals. I'm here to begin setting up that team."
"Ah, right." Ben nodded sagely. He could deal with treatment teams and confidential diagnosis any day. He was very happy it wasn't a complaint. He wasn't as good at those.
"So what can *i* do to help, specifically?" He asked, sipping his drink.
"Well, I'd like you to take point on it and be the team leader." She was somewhat sticking her neck out on that invitation, basing it on Chelsea's high regard for her second whenever he came up in conversation, rather than her own personal experience with him. But if Chelsea thought he was excellent at his job, then Bridget had a fair bet that he'd be able to handle the task.
"I can do that." Ben grinned. "I'd be glad to help. Who else do you want in the *team*?" he asked, picking up a padd and entitling it for the project.
"Well," she looked up toward the ceiling as she counted off on her fingers. "We need a psychiatrist, a superior officer, and friends. Ai'lani Elley and I are the friends, you are the superior officer, and so we just need a recommendation for a good counselor."
"Pia Rimmec" Ben recommended. "She's a young Counsellor, but showing much promise. Shall I get her in on this?"
"Yes, please do," Bridget encouraged.
=^= Kensington to Ensign Rimmec =^= he put in the call.
=^= Pia Rimmec, how can i help you doctor? =^= she replied.
=^= Pia, are you on duty at the moment? I need to talk to you about a new case if you are. If not, then if you could get back to me,I'd be grateful? =^= he asked.
=^= I'm on duty right now, Sir. I have a patient in half an hour but I can spare you 25 minutes if that would help? =^=
=^= Perfect! Why don't you join myself and Dr Stapleton in the Chief's office please. =^=
=^= On my way. =^=
She was there in 5 of those minutes.
"How can I help?" she asked as she came in.
"Sit down please, do you want a drink ?" Ben played host.
"No, I just had one, thank you Sir." she replied politely as she sat near Bridget, nodding acknowledgment to her as she did so. "Good morning Doctor." she said.
"Hi Pia, thank you for joining us so quickly. We'll try to make this brief so you can be on time for your patient," Bridget replied.
"Thanks" Pia smiled. She turned her attention to Ben as he described what they wanted to do and when he'd outlined the plan she nodded. "Sure. I'm in. When should I make the first appointment? Will I send for him or do you want me to just turn up *by coincidence* on his doorstep as it were?"
"That's where it gets sticky," Bridget said, crossing her legs. "Kaelin doesn't know yet that we know, and when he's told, I predict he's gonna hit the roof."
"What exactly do you want to have him *counselled* for? You *do* know it's a voluntary process and if he declines he can't be forced unless he has committed some misdemeanour..." Pia ventured carefully now, her smile fading and a puzzled look replacing it.
Bridget cocked her head, explaining. "His lover brought it to my attention that Kaelin doesn't eat. It's Ai'lani's suspicion that Kaelin is Anorexic. It might also be possible he's Bolemic, since the two tend to go together. I haven't seen Kaelin eat either, though of course I don't know him anywhere near as well as Ai'lani does. He is, however, my friend. So I would like to have in place a support system ready for him, so that when Ai'lani and I do approach Kaelin about his lack of eating, there are already professionals on board with it that he can talk with to get the healing started."
She took a breath, and then added, "The unfortunate part about this is that I think he'll respond in a very negative way when we do speak with him. So that support system is for us too, as his friends who want to walk this road with him. For example, it might be helpful for Ai'lani and I to meet with you before we talk to Kaelin, so that we know what is good to say and what isn't."
"Ah!" Pia began to nod with more positive vibes now. "That's a very prudent approach. I can help with that, most certainly. What is the problem that you see yourself dealing with? You haven't told me what exactly you feel is the root of whatever symptoms he is displaying?"
"Great question," Bridget said, adding a shrug. "If I were to guess, I would say it has to do with one or both of two things. One," she ticked off a finger, "it has to do with the trauma of losing an entire pediatrics ward that he was in charge of. There was some sort of illness I think," she said, searching her memory but coming up with fog. "Whatever it was," she continued, "it was traumatic enough that he switched gears from paeds to pathology. A rather dramatic change, if you ask me, and I think a knee-jerk reaction to the tragedy.
The other idea I had," she said, ticking off a second finger, "is the pheromone inhibitor he takes, as Starfleet regulation requires. I would suspect that while it's effective in making a Deltan easier to be around by other species, it also affects the way his brain processes social interaction, and that he's psychologically and socially inhibited as well as sexually. It's just a hunch mind you, and I haven't actually investigated the suppressant and it's effects at all. Ben?" She turned to the ACMO. "You know much about this drug?"
"I know it's controversial! Everyone knows *that*. But as to the exact effects, there must be data, papers, specialists... I'll get onto researching that right away." Ben offered.
"Thanks," Bridget said.
Pia nodded. "That sort of a traumatic history of events could trigger all sorts of reactions on their own. Add in a suppressant and tip the balance of pheromones, who knows what sort of a time-bomb you're brewing."
Bridget's forehead furrowed, "Are you saying that things could be worse than I thought? Could we be talking more serious psychoses than self-abusive behavior?"
"I don't know, I'd have to look into it. There are a lot of minefields within the realms of *suppression* whether it's emotions, memories, natural urges, hormones, pheromones, or any other natural, chemical, neurological or psychological balances." Pia shook her head. "PDI-5 inhibitors have been used to stave off cancer for centuries, LHRH Analogues and the like to counteract male hormones and their effects.... they're powerful medicine and we don't have all the answers as to what they ALSO do in humans, let alone alien physiology and psychology."
"Mmm. Right," Bridget nodded thoughtfully. "So that I'm clear, we're in consensus that we plan to work together to support Ai'lani and Kaelin through this, and me too as far as that goes. And that Pia, you'll do some research and wrap your arms around the Deltan inhibitor situation and be ready whenever Kaelin is ready to talk about it. Yes?" She looked from one face to the other. "Ben, you'll bring Chelsea up to speed on this whole thing when she gets back from her honeymoon?"
"Apparently they didn't go. They're still on the station. Something about Romulan unrest in the sector they should have visited. They'll be back in a couple of days and I'll update her then." Ben agreed.
"Yes, agreed." Pia answered, nodding and making the last of her notes. "Catch up with you all shortly? I have to get back to my next appointment, if you'll excuse me." she stood up and nodded to them both. "Nice to meet you at last Dr Stapleton. Glad to be working with you." she then looked at Ben as she began to leave. "You too, Sir... good to be working with you again too."
"Likewise" Ben smiled warmly.
"Bridget, can I get you another coffee before you go back into the fray?" he grinned.
She was waving at Pia as he spoke. "Sure, one for the road would be good." Then she let out a sigh. "Well, the easy part's done. Now comes the hard part: talking to Kaelin."
"Do you want me to come with you? Or should we get him in here? Is there anything I can do?" Ben asked as he fetched the refills and put them down on the coffee table, sliding into the deep chair opposite Bridget and watching her face carefully as she considered her reply.
Bridget sipped her coffee thoughtfully, weighing Ben's questions. Finally she looked up and said, "Ideally yes, I'd like you to be there for the moral support. But I'd already promised Ai'lani that we two would approach him together. Ai'lani still isn't convinced that this is a serious situation. So proceeding cautiously -with both he and Kaelin - is probably the right choice."
"That's fine. Let me know if you need any help or input and good luck with it." Ben smiled, happy to let Bridget find the best path for this.
"I'll do a report for Chelsea. Keep me updated though, if you wouldn't mind. I'd like to follow this through with you." He made some annotations on a Padd and set it aside. "More tea?" he offered.
She looked up at the chrono on the wall to check the time. Oops. Sitting here too long, she thought. "Nope, I've got a patient in fifteen." She stood, handing him her cup. "Thanks, Ben. I really appreciate all the help. And especially for the report to Chelsea - saves me a little time doing it myself."
"Anytime hun," Ben said with another broad smile. "When she gets back just tell her I was a real star... deal?" he joked with a wink.
"Absolutely," she grinned up at him, and turned to go.
OFF:
A JP between:
Ensign Bridget Stapleton
Doctor (General Practitioner)
Main Sickbay - DS5
and
Lt. Ben Kensington
ACMO - DS5
and
Pia Rimmec
Counselor
(NPC by Jools)
by Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
| Title | About Kaelin | |
| Mission | Judgement | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton & Commander Chelsea Dunham | |
| Posted | Sun Sep 25, 2011 @ 4:27pm | |
| Location | CMO's Office, Sick Bay | |
| Timeline | SD 39, 07:30 |
Lt. Kensington had been finding the last couple of days pretty exhausting. He'd been only lightly injured on the away mission, but he had spent every spare waking hour with Jana ever since they got back. And of course with Chelsea busy with her wedding, he had taken on more shifts and more work, which all added to the pressure he was under.
Bridget pressed a finger to the control pad next to the door, requesting to be admitted to the CMO's office. The CMO was her first stop on the subject of Kaelin's suspected Anorexia. But she knew her friend would be on her honeymoon, so Ben Kensington was the next best thing. She was sure Ai'lani wouldn't mind if she confided in Ben as opposed to Chelsea; it really was a matter of semantics in this situation.
"Come in," Ben called as the door slid open. "Bridget! How nice to see you. How's life in Sickbay town treating you?" he smiled broadly sweeping his arm to indicate the chairs as he moved towards the replicator. "What can I get you?"
"Tea would be lovely, thanks," she replied, taking a spot in one of the chairs he'd indicated. Watching Ben work the replicator, she went back to his first question. "Sickbay town is the reason I'm here. Or, well, one of it's residents actually. Do you know Kaelin, our pathologist?"
"I do. He seems like an okay sort of guy.... is he giving you grief?" Ben answered, wondering how the mild-mannered, pleasant Pathology Specialist could have upset the equally affable Dr. Stapleton.
He put the drinks on the coffee table and sat down, giving her his full attention.
"He hasn't upset me, no. In fact, he's become a friend and it's on his behalf that I'm here. Although," she paused, "once he finds out I've taken some steps on his behalf, he will be pretty mad at me. You see, his lover thinks that he has Anorexia Nervosa. And given what the medical community knows about that disorder, it's usually treated under the monitoring attention of a team of professionals. I'm here to begin setting up that team."
"Ah, right." Ben nodded sagely. He could deal with treatment teams and confidential diagnosis any day. He was very happy it wasn't a complaint. He wasn't as good at those.
"So what can *i* do to help, specifically?" He asked, sipping his drink.
"Well, I'd like you to take point on it and be the team leader." She was somewhat sticking her neck out on that invitation, basing it on Chelsea's high regard for her second whenever he came up in conversation, rather than her own personal experience with him. But if Chelsea thought he was excellent at his job, then Bridget had a fair bet that he'd be able to handle the task.
"I can do that." Ben grinned. "I'd be glad to help. Who else do you want in the *team*?" he asked, picking up a padd and entitling it for the project.
"Well," she looked up toward the ceiling as she counted off on her fingers. "We need a psychiatrist, a superior officer, and friends. Ai'lani Elley and I are the friends, you are the superior officer, and so we just need a recommendation for a good counselor."
"Pia Rimmec" Ben recommended. "She's a young Counsellor, but showing much promise. Shall I get her in on this?"
"Yes, please do," Bridget encouraged.
=^= Kensington to Ensign Rimmec =^= he put in the call.
=^= Pia Rimmec, how can i help you doctor? =^= she replied.
=^= Pia, are you on duty at the moment? I need to talk to you about a new case if you are. If not, then if you could get back to me,I'd be grateful? =^= he asked.
=^= I'm on duty right now, Sir. I have a patient in half an hour but I can spare you 25 minutes if that would help? =^=
=^= Perfect! Why don't you join myself and Dr Stapleton in the Chief's office please. =^=
=^= On my way. =^=
She was there in 5 of those minutes.
"How can I help?" she asked as she came in.
"Sit down please, do you want a drink ?" Ben played host.
"No, I just had one, thank you Sir." she replied politely as she sat near Bridget, nodding acknowledgment to her as she did so. "Good morning Doctor." she said.
"Hi Pia, thank you for joining us so quickly. We'll try to make this brief so you can be on time for your patient," Bridget replied.
"Thanks" Pia smiled. She turned her attention to Ben as he described what they wanted to do and when he'd outlined the plan she nodded. "Sure. I'm in. When should I make the first appointment? Will I send for him or do you want me to just turn up *by coincidence* on his doorstep as it were?"
"That's where it gets sticky," Bridget said, crossing her legs. "Kaelin doesn't know yet that we know, and when he's told, I predict he's gonna hit the roof."
"What exactly do you want to have him *counselled* for? You *do* know it's a voluntary process and if he declines he can't be forced unless he has committed some misdemeanour..." Pia ventured carefully now, her smile fading and a puzzled look replacing it.
Bridget cocked her head, explaining. "His lover brought it to my attention that Kaelin doesn't eat. It's Ai'lani's suspicion that Kaelin is Anorexic. It might also be possible he's Bolemic, since the two tend to go together. I haven't seen Kaelin eat either, though of course I don't know him anywhere near as well as Ai'lani does. He is, however, my friend. So I would like to have in place a support system ready for him, so that when Ai'lani and I do approach Kaelin about his lack of eating, there are already professionals on board with it that he can talk with to get the healing started."
She took a breath, and then added, "The unfortunate part about this is that I think he'll respond in a very negative way when we do speak with him. So that support system is for us too, as his friends who want to walk this road with him. For example, it might be helpful for Ai'lani and I to meet with you before we talk to Kaelin, so that we know what is good to say and what isn't."
"Ah!" Pia began to nod with more positive vibes now. "That's a very prudent approach. I can help with that, most certainly. What is the problem that you see yourself dealing with? You haven't told me what exactly you feel is the root of whatever symptoms he is displaying?"
"Great question," Bridget said, adding a shrug. "If I were to guess, I would say it has to do with one or both of two things. One," she ticked off a finger, "it has to do with the trauma of losing an entire pediatrics ward that he was in charge of. There was some sort of illness I think," she said, searching her memory but coming up with fog. "Whatever it was," she continued, "it was traumatic enough that he switched gears from paeds to pathology. A rather dramatic change, if you ask me, and I think a knee-jerk reaction to the tragedy.
The other idea I had," she said, ticking off a second finger, "is the pheromone inhibitor he takes, as Starfleet regulation requires. I would suspect that while it's effective in making a Deltan easier to be around by other species, it also affects the way his brain processes social interaction, and that he's psychologically and socially inhibited as well as sexually. It's just a hunch mind you, and I haven't actually investigated the suppressant and it's effects at all. Ben?" She turned to the ACMO. "You know much about this drug?"
"I know it's controversial! Everyone knows *that*. But as to the exact effects, there must be data, papers, specialists... I'll get onto researching that right away." Ben offered.
"Thanks," Bridget said.
Pia nodded. "That sort of a traumatic history of events could trigger all sorts of reactions on their own. Add in a suppressant and tip the balance of pheromones, who knows what sort of a time-bomb you're brewing."
Bridget's forehead furrowed, "Are you saying that things could be worse than I thought? Could we be talking more serious psychoses than self-abusive behavior?"
"I don't know, I'd have to look into it. There are a lot of minefields within the realms of *suppression* whether it's emotions, memories, natural urges, hormones, pheromones, or any other natural, chemical, neurological or psychological balances." Pia shook her head. "PDI-5 inhibitors have been used to stave off cancer for centuries, LHRH Analogues and the like to counteract male hormones and their effects.... they're powerful medicine and we don't have all the answers as to what they ALSO do in humans, let alone alien physiology and psychology."
"Mmm. Right," Bridget nodded thoughtfully. "So that I'm clear, we're in consensus that we plan to work together to support Ai'lani and Kaelin through this, and me too as far as that goes. And that Pia, you'll do some research and wrap your arms around the Deltan inhibitor situation and be ready whenever Kaelin is ready to talk about it. Yes?" She looked from one face to the other. "Ben, you'll bring Chelsea up to speed on this whole thing when she gets back from her honeymoon?"
"Apparently they didn't go. They're still on the station. Something about Romulan unrest in the sector they should have visited. They'll be back in a couple of days and I'll update her then." Ben agreed.
"Yes, agreed." Pia answered, nodding and making the last of her notes. "Catch up with you all shortly? I have to get back to my next appointment, if you'll excuse me." she stood up and nodded to them both. "Nice to meet you at last Dr Stapleton. Glad to be working with you." she then looked at Ben as she began to leave. "You too, Sir... good to be working with you again too."
"Likewise" Ben smiled warmly.
"Bridget, can I get you another coffee before you go back into the fray?" he grinned.
She was waving at Pia as he spoke. "Sure, one for the road would be good." Then she let out a sigh. "Well, the easy part's done. Now comes the hard part: talking to Kaelin."
"Do you want me to come with you? Or should we get him in here? Is there anything I can do?" Ben asked as he fetched the refills and put them down on the coffee table, sliding into the deep chair opposite Bridget and watching her face carefully as she considered her reply.
Bridget sipped her coffee thoughtfully, weighing Ben's questions. Finally she looked up and said, "Ideally yes, I'd like you to be there for the moral support. But I'd already promised Ai'lani that we two would approach him together. Ai'lani still isn't convinced that this is a serious situation. So proceeding cautiously -with both he and Kaelin - is probably the right choice."
"That's fine. Let me know if you need any help or input and good luck with it." Ben smiled, happy to let Bridget find the best path for this.
"I'll do a report for Chelsea. Keep me updated though, if you wouldn't mind. I'd like to follow this through with you." He made some annotations on a Padd and set it aside. "More tea?" he offered.
She looked up at the chrono on the wall to check the time. Oops. Sitting here too long, she thought. "Nope, I've got a patient in fifteen." She stood, handing him her cup. "Thanks, Ben. I really appreciate all the help. And especially for the report to Chelsea - saves me a little time doing it myself."
"Anytime hun," Ben said with another broad smile. "When she gets back just tell her I was a real star... deal?" he joked with a wink.
"Absolutely," she grinned up at him, and turned to go.
OFF:
A JP between:
Ensign Bridget Stapleton
Doctor (General Practitioner)
Main Sickbay - DS5
and
Lt. Ben Kensington
ACMO - DS5
and
Pia Rimmec
Counselor
(NPC by Jools)