Calming the Inner Storm (Collab with Kezika as Doctor Tähine)(Part 2)
15 Feb 2022KazukoHimura
(Previous)Kazuko had only just woken up and partially unzipped her zero-g sleeping bag when she noticed Kezika sitting at a nearby table.
“Morning!” Kezika greeted. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Morning, and honestly, still a bit unnerved,” Kazuko replied. “And hungry. But that is to be expected.”
“Well, breakfast first and discuss next steps?” Kezika suggested.
“Absolutely,” Kazuko replied, her stomach grumbling slightly.
Both CEO and freelancer made their way to the galley, where there was already a buffet set out, and other passengers eating at tables. Kazuko was the first to reach the buffet table, piling her plate high with everything she could see, and Kezika following, selecting a few items for herself.
The two sat down at a nearby table before tucking into their meals, Kazuko glancing up from her food on occasion, as if to check her surroundings. The lithe woman tried to make it look like she was just taking in her surroundings out of curiosity, but her paranoia showed through, prompting Kezika to make a suggestion.
“We have some of the psychiatrists and nursing staff of C.E.A. riding aboard with us on this trip if you would like to have a meeting with any of them?” Said suggestion prompted a hesitant nod from Kazuko, who hoped nobody else saw.
“Well, eat up and then I’ll see which doctor we can have you chat with,” Kezika added, before eating a bit more of her meal. Once finished with her plate, the CEO got up to get seconds, stopping by another table en route.
Kazuko continued eating, but glanced upward slightly to see where Kezika had gone, only to see her chatting with another person. The ravenous woman then returned to her meal, close to finishing off her plate, only to be interrupted by Kezika’s return.
“Alright, Doctor Tähine will meet up with us at my office on the fleet carrier after breakfast,” the CEO stated.
“Sounds good.” Kazuko replied, finishing off her plate and heading up to get seconds.
* * * * *
Once the two, or more accurately, Kazuko, was finished eating, both Commanders made their way to Kezika’s office aboard the fleet carrier, where the psychiatrist was already waiting for them outside.
“Hello, I’m Doctor Tähine,” The psychiatrist introduced himself, extending his hand.
“I usually work one of the wings at the Wylair Verdure Center, but I'm along for the expedition. Patron Wylair here said you were looking to meet with me?” he continued.
“Oh, just Kezika is fine,” Kezika interjected.
“Kazuko,” Kazuko returned the introduction, shaking Doctor Tähine’s hand.
“Hoo, hopefully I don’t have to refer to both of you in the same sentence,” Doctor Tähine remarked, chuckling, “Well anyhow, Kazuko, Kezika has offered her office for this meeting if you’d like, or we may meet in a location of your preference?”
“This office is fine,” Kazuko stated, not seeing much of a point in finding a different location.
Once Kazuko and Doctor Tähine were seated in Kezika’s office, Doctor Tähine was the first to speak.
“Well, this is more informal, so I don’t need to lead with all the intake mumbo jumbo. Would you like to begin by describing what’s troubling you?” Kazuko was visibly unnerved upon hearing that, but began to speak despite it.
“Had a night terror last night, and it’s not the first one I’ve had recently…” The distraught woman took a deep, shaky breath to try and calm herself before she continued, “I’ve admittedly had them for a while, but they’ve just resurfaced. Had some panic attacks as well, which Jenelle can also attest to,” Kazuko wiped a few tears from her eyes before continuing.
“There’s been some…incidents about a month prior to the start of this expedition, which already had me on edge, but everything went downhill after I made the mistake of listening to Galnet and finding out about the Emporer being abducted for a year-I couldn’t stop thinking about how the same thing could have happened to me!”
Doctor Tähine gave Kazuko a moment to collect herself before continuing.
“Would you rate the most recent one as more severe than the earlier ones, or have they been mostly the same severity?” he asked.
“Overall, yes, the one last night was the most severe,” Kazuko explained. “The ones prior to listening to the newscast were the same as usual, but the ones after were worse.”
“I see, and do you have your digital medical records with you, or would I be able to pull them from our systems?” Doctor Tähine asked.
“I have a medical ID,” Kazuko said, handing over a small card, which Doctor Tähine scanned.
“And then if you can just enter the encryption key on that keypad for me,” He then handed the card back to Kazuko, who typed in the key.
Doctor Tähine took a couple moments to read over the medical records. “Alright, so I’m seeing a history of slavery here, and residential inpatient after rescue for many years?” In response, Kazuko silently nodded, a few tears forming in her eyes. She didn’t wish to go into detail on her past, namely the time she was enslaved.
“Since the new night terrors heightened in intensity due to news about ‘capture’, I would be leaning towards this being a new anxiety symptom from that trauma being exacerbated by the news,” Doctor Tähine explained, before pondering for a few seconds. “Would it be possible to see your sleeping space to see if there is anything to be done to ease or reduce the symptoms of your night terrors?”
“Of course,” Kazuko stated. “But which sleeping quarters? While I do normally sleep in my ship’s personal quarters, anytime I am at this particular fleet carrier, I have a room there assigned to me. I’ve had night terrors regardless of location, though.”
Both pilot and psychiatrist soon headed to Kazuko’s assigned carrier room, stopping in front of it before Kazuko entered it, revealing that it was sparse of personal belongings.
“Seems to be a fairly standard carrier room,” Doctor Tähine stated. “Do you use any of the intercom’s sleep audio functions while sleeping?”
“Those exist?” Kazuko asked, surprised that such a thing exists.
“Oh, yes, let me show you,” Doctor Tähine insisted. “Intercom, sleep sounds.” A voice, not unlike a COVAS, began to speak.
“Please state your soundtrack choice, or ‘list’ for the option list.”
“Distant Thunderstorm,” After Doctor Tähine made the request, the sound of rain and rolling thunder could be subtly heard through the intercom speaker.
“There are some that can have tied in lighting effects as well,” Doctor Tähine explained. “This one technically does, but you have to request it. There’s also; Intercom, change to Fireplace, with light effect.” The thunder and rain sounds faded out, replaced with the crackling of an open fire, while the ceiling borders flickered with fiery hues of yellow and orange. Kazuko quietly listened while looking around, her eyes wide with awe.
“These things can help keep your mind grounded to a comfortable scene through their effects on the subconscious,” Doctor Tähine’s explanation interrupted Kazuko’s thoughts. “Do you have any pets, or stuffed toys, even as decor?”
“I have stuffed toys at my apartment,” Kazuko responded. “Kezika also let me borrow one last night.”
“Yes, holding something while sleeping can be an excellent stress reducer, even something as simple as a pillow. We have some various astronomy related plushies aboard the carrier in the gift shop that you can select from, and put on the CEA tab. I believe one of the other doctors has brought some therapy animals along as well that you may be able to look into.”
“I might just look into both of those.”
“Kezika has been making an easter egg hunt for passengers by leaving some of the starship-shaped plushies hidden floating around the carrier sometimes as well, so she may have some of those to spare as well if you ask.” Kazuko chuckled upon hearing that.
“She offered me one of those last night-and that explains why she left it floating,” The now-relieved pilot considered looking around the carrier for some of these aforementioned plushies, would be a fun activity to keep her mind from veering onto dark subjects again.
“Everything else looks in order. I’ll transfer over the coupon for a plush from the gift shop to your tablet,” Doctor Tähine stated. “Then as mentioned earlier, it would appear to me to be additional symptomatic triggering due to recent events. I would advise getting a full work-up just in case once you have returned to the Keltim system upon the conclusion of the expedition, as long as symptoms don’t worsen between now and then. Keep us apprised if they do worsen, though.”
“I’ll certainly do so,” Kazuko stated.
“Well, I’ve added my contact details and the coupon into your tablet. If you need to reach back out, please feel more than welcome to, we can head back to where Kezika is.” Kazuko then opened the door, and stepped out into the hallway so she could look for Kezika, only for something to catch her eye. She turned around, and noticed a string tied to her door frame. At the other end was a plush ship that she immediately grabbed.
“Guess I have a point in the scavenger hunt now,” She thought aloud, remembering when she and the others at the facility she was at did such activities. Kazuko looked down at the plush, her eyes lighting up upon seeing that it was a Krait Phantom in a similar color to her own ship.