Willow Meeting Lydia Whitlock ACMO

Posted on Mon Mar 6th, 2023 @ 5:47am by Lieutenant JG Willow Wales (Kosugi) & Lieutenant Lydia Whitlock M.D.
Edited on on Fri Mar 31st, 2023 @ 3:53pm

Mission: The Goddess
Location: Medical
Timeline: Before the Away mission
1011 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Willow had noticed there was other medical personnel, she decided to go meet up with one she'd not done before. Walking to where the computer said, Lieutenant Whitlock could be, she went to that location. A quiet hello from her would let Lydia know someone was there.

"Hello Lieutenant Whitlock, I'm Ensign Willow Callingbull." Willow introducing herself.

Busy returning hyposprays to medical kits open on a shelf, Lydia turned and offered Willow a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ensign. You caught me just in the middle of resupply. May I help you with something?"

"Well not exactly, I just wanted to meet with another member of medical. I've been a bit busy getting familiarized with this ship. And cataloging those who have lost their lives on this ship, after the Gladiator was over taken by the Zealots. Need any help with making sure everything is in order?" Willow asked.

Not really needing any help, but appreciating Willow might need someone to talk to after such difficult work, Lydia answered, "Sure. I'd appreciate the company." Pausing, she then offered, "cataloging those lost can't have been an easy job."

"It was a task that I wouldn't even want to do again, not on that level with our ship. However the person who had the most awful task would be the Captain. Can you imagine that daunting task of sending all those condolence letters to the families of those we lost?" Willow shook her head. "Being a Captain having to deal with that. I for one though, decided to send up prayers for those who had been lost. Something that my people tend to do." Willow giving a quiet smile.

Lydia offered a gentle smile of her own. She could appreciate Willow's obvious empathic nature and her potential tendency to focus on others over herself. "I support whatever healthy practices bring comfort in times like these. In fact, focusing on other people and how to help them can be a way to avoid getting stuck in one's own feelings. My challenge is always making sure it doesn't become a way for people to avoid their feelings altogether." Lydia paused, then asked, "Does praying for others bring you comfort?"

"it is the way of my people." The Algonquian woman responded. "We feel that in order to help those who have been killed, we pray for them and burn representations in order to guide them to the other side. It does also give comfort to do that as well. I have faced my feelings and it isn't something I dwell upon. I acknowledge it then it is released." giving a nod in acknowledgement of Lydia's statement. "What do you do when faced with strong emotions, such as sadness, anger" arching up one of her eyebrows.

"It depends on the emotion," Lydia replied. "If I'm sad, sometimes a good cry helps to release intense sadness. If I'm angry, I might take some deep breaths or journal if I'm struggling to express my thoughts or make a decision."

Willow gave a nod, "That works as well." a quiet moment then she spoke, "What do you think of what is about to happen, being a part of the team to go rescue our people? It will be a daunting task from what i am thinking."

Whitlock nodded. "Daunting is a good way to describe it. I honestly don't know what to expect, and I don't mind admitting that this time that scares me more than usual. We are rescuing our people from true fanatics who seem to act without conscience. I anticipate encountering a level of physical and psychological trauma I thankfully have rarely ever encountered. This is the kind of righteous mission, however, that reminds me why I became a doctor and a mental health professional in the first place. If I can't be a source of help in these circumstances, I don't know what circumstances I could be. I'm grateful for the opportunity."

Willow nodded, "It will be rough from what I am figuring, after seeing the results of what happened to the Gladiator. I still see some signs of awfulness that had happened. I can see the haunted looks that are present, due to those who had come across the slaughters that happened."

Willow went over to a supply area and started working on the list she had made to start packing for the away mission. "We definitely are going to be needing a few supplies." she said half to herself and also to Lydia. "Have no clue as to the condition our people will be in. And who knows who else we will find."

Willow sent the requistions for the supplies to get delivered to the shuttle bay, feeling her stomach tighten. She double checked her lists and then gave a nod it looked like she had gotten all that she had on the list. Now she needed to get a little bit of sleep and maybe some meditation before she went to sleep.

Turning towards Lydia she said. "I am going to be heading off to my quarters. I need a little bit of sleep before we head off to the mission. It was lovely to talk with you." with that she turned and left medical. The next phase was going to be a tough one, who knows what they will be finding out when they get to where they were going.

Lydia lingered for a few moments as she watched Willow leave. Initially, her thoughts focused on the supply list, running over in her own mind what they might need. It would be impossible to prepare for all possibilities, but she knew it wasn't a stretch to anticipate severe offensive injuries like burns, stab wounds, broken bones, among other things. Of course, offensive injuries didn't entirely cover the potential starvation and deprivation they might also encounter.

The doctor shook her head as she turned to return to her own quarters, not only trying to shake off the possibilities, but also shake off the memories of what she already knew.


END