Getting Acquainted

Posted on Fri Feb 14th, 2020 @ 7:01pm by Lieutenant Commander Savin & Commander Taeler Santu M.D.

Mission: In the Family
Location: XO's Quarters
Timeline: after battle
3109 words - 6.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Though he was used to making house calls, this rather felt different as Savin approached the XO's quarters. He was grateful to the computer's directions as a Prometheus was not a class he was familiar with. Still, this wasn't a housecall and as he figured the XO might be off duty, he might as well go and meet the woman in her own home. That was, if she'd let him in of course as not everyone appreciated meeting new people in the privacy of their home.

At this moment, he wished Jerant was with him, but it could well be a few days before his best friend and aide would arrive. Especially with current situation, a transport might hold off docking procedures for now and stay back where it was safe instead. Giving himself a once-over, Savin reached and pressed the chime.

The chime at the door had come at an unexpected time. Santu hadn't made any appointments, let alone for someone to visit her in her quarters. She reckoned it must've been one of the many people she had told that her door was always open and that they could always come to her. Perhaps it was something to do with the battle earlier that day. She wrapped the vest she was wearing around herself more tightly, the dark green fabric reaching to her knees, covering a comfortable shirt and sweatpants.

Her quarters were bare and apart from the standard-issue coffee table, couch and potted plant there was nothing in there. She wondered who it could be as she stepped up to the door, "Come in?" With their trademark hiss the doors parted in front of her.

As Savin stepped in, he noticed the XO wasn't in uniform. "I apologize Commander, am I intruding?" He asked as the door closed behind him. "Should I come back at a different time?"

"Oh, no, not at all." Santu smiled brightly and extended a hand to welcome the man in, "I don't believe we've met. Taeler Santu, X.O."

"Savin," he replied, walking in further. "I am your new chief counselor. I arrived before the.. scuffle and as such was delayed in introducing myself. My aide will arrive in a few days."

Santu motioned for him to come in and take a seat, "Still haven't had time to settle in myself," she spoke as she walked in the direction of the replicator, back towards Savin, "Would you like a drink?"

It went without answer as Savin had been unaware a question had been asked, or even simply said. Therefore, as Savin sat down he didn't acknowledge her words. He watched her as she walked towards the replicator. Of course he could deduce her action and therefore assume something was asked but what if he was wrong and as a result acting rather rude?

Turning to face her guest when she didn't get a response Santu took a moment to process what had just happened. Was it just a Vulcan quirk? Something else entirely? "Nothing for you then? I replicate a mean spring wine." She added with a smile.

"I apologize Commander, I was not aware you asked a question." He cast her an almost rueful and apologetic smile. "When you turned from me, I could no longer see what you were saying. I would like a cup of tea please. I am not particular on the blend."

"Please, no need to apologise, nor to call me commander, have you seen my getup?" Santu shook her head and turned again to order the tea, "Taeler will do just fine, do you mind if I call you Savin?" She continued her chattering. When a response failed to come to her question she could almost kick herself, she turned again, with the order from the replicator in her hands. Two cups and a large kettle in the middle of a tray, "I'm sorry, I forgot to face you as I said that. You may call me Taeler, do you mind if I call you Savin?"

"I do not mind when we are off duty. In duty I prefer doctor or counselor," he replied as she approached. "When I have bridge duty, I will be accompanied by my aide so that I will not miss much in terms of conversation. He will sign to me and remain in my line of sight. Though bound to the same oaths as me, he is a civilian and a linguist. As such unless needed, he will not be present during counseling sessions. I value privacy and the comfort of my patients above my own comfort. I am capable of understanding if people face my way, and I rely on body language to understand as well. I have never known any other way." He gestured towards the tray. "Do you require assistance?"

"No need, thank you." Santu put the tray on the table and place the two cups in front of the opposite ends of the couch, pouring some of the boiling hot tea into them, "If you don't mind me asking, were you born with a hearing impediment or was it the result of something else?"

"I was born deaf. As it is a handicap not acceptable in Romulan society, my.parents fled Romulus when I was a few days old. I was raised Vulcan. Being deaf defines who I am, and though I have attempted corrective surgery, it did not have the desired results. Instead of allowing me to hear, it resulted in an annoying two tone and I had the procedure reversed as it was driving me crazy." He paused. "Perhaps in the Future, I will attempt it again."

"When it comes to brains and their workings I feel like all we do sometimes is throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks." It had certainly seemed that way when they covered that part of the humanoid body in Starfleet Medical. Back in the Resistance and the Camp any brain injury meant almost certain death, "So what made you decide to take up counselling?"

"A desire to help. From a young age, despite my handicap, I seemed to have an aptitude for ah... Listening.. for lack of a better word. My view is that people are best helped in an environment that is comfortable to them, so I am not bound to seeing patients in my office unless they choose to. It can be challenging for me at times but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make." He sipped his tea. "What made you go into command?"

"Oh. That's a recent development." Santu gave a smile and drank a bit of her tea to allow herself some time to arrange her thoughts. Counsellors always made her a bit nervous. She knew how much they liked to peer into her soul and find all sorts of unresolved issues from the occupation and the camp, "When I left Bajor I thought I wanted to be a doctor," A short shrug, "got myself through med-school. Wasn't without its challenges mind you." Another sip of the tea, "worked my way up to Chief Medical on a small Nova class." There was really no way around it, she hung her head a bit, "I think I reached my limits as a medical officer. Wanted to use my strengths in another field. A field where I didn't feel like everyone else in the department was more capable than me." She looked up again and smiled. The smile not quite reaching her eyes.

"It is not considered weakness, when you can acknowledge your own limits," Savin explained, "no doctor is the same, all have different strengths it is only a matter of finding a balance." He gave her a somewhat amused smile. "My prior first officer was a medical doctor too," he added, to explain his amusement. "It is better to find and acknowledge your limits, before burning yourself out. I trust you are settling into a new balance?"

"I'll let you know as soon as I find out," There hadn't been a lot of time to settle in or find a balance. With everything going on since the moment she stepped on the ship it had been difficult to take some time for herself. One corner of her mouth curled up a bit, "I'm hoping my background will make me a better first officer."

"I do not know what makes a good first officer but I have no doubt your training to assess people will certainly be an asset to assess whether something is a potentially hostile situation or not." He gave her an encouraging smile. "I have no reason to doubt your ability."

"Well, not much time has passed between our initial meeting and right now, so... give it time" Santu laughed a bit at her own self-deprecating joke. She knew what counsellors thought about those but she didn't really care at this moment, "So, aside from the aide, any other special people in your life?"

"If you are referring to a spouse no," Savin answered after a moment of consideration, "I am not married and there is no significant other in my life. I have not yet been that fortunate." He paused. "I do have my parents and my younger brother on Vulcan. Do you have a significant other to support you?"

Santu shook her head, "Wouldn't want to do that to anyone," Another wry smile, "I'm sorry. It's been a bit of a day." She took the final sip from her tea and placed the empty cup back on the tray. In truth she had never really taken the time to get close to someone. She'd had casual encounters with people but nothing seemed to stick. Also came with the territory in the medical field. Everyone was always on call, "It's just that I don't think I could be an equal partner in a relationship at this moment."

"You are only as equal as you devote yourself to be. Perhaps you just have not encountered the right person for you," Savin advised, "though this is starting to feel like a counselling session and that is not what I came here for, I must apologize. As I said before, it seems to be second nature to me."

"It's okay, comes with the territory," A genuine smile now washed over Santu's face, "honestly, I've been desperately holding back about a dozen questions about your hearing." The only deafness she had encountered was a result of standing too close to an explosion. Burst eardrums were easy enough to repair with Federation tech. She could only imagine how difficult it would be to build up that connection with the brain from the ground up after years of not being present, "But let's not dwell on that, do you have any hobbies?"

"I you can ask me any questions you feel is appropriate," Savin offered, "and when not on duty I play baseball, or practice either in the gym or on the holodeck with my sword. How about you?"

"I tend to my plants and take care of my cat and dog," Santu sighed a bit, "All of that is still in quarantine though. They were on Earth for quite some time, can't be too careful. Should get released before we set off." She smiled a bit at that. She couldn't wait to get Gunny and Falor in her quarters with her.

"I have a feline too," Savin prompted, "she was a gift from Jerant, who felt I needed company besides himself. Ironically, like myself, she has a hearing defect. From what I learned this seems a common occurrence in her breed. She is all white with blue eyes."

"What's her name?" Santu asked as she leaned towards the table and poured herself another cup of tea. It seemed like they had an interest in common.

Holding out his cup, Savin leaned forward as well. "Her name is Sheba, as it is a name that fits her. She behaves as though she is a queen. What are the names of your pets?"

"Master Gunnery Sergeant Whiskers, that's the cat's name. I call him Gunny for short. He's a bit of a grouch, a mutt." Santu smiled thinking of Gunny, "And the dog's called Falor," she saw that the joke there didn't quite land, probably due to the fact that it was in Bajoran, "small Bajoran canine, also a mutt. Can't quite remember the breeds." She shrugged a bit and smiled again. She loved her pets and hoped they could join her soon on the ship.

"Such a contrast in names," Savin observed, "it seems to me you hold the cat in higher regard, that he needs such an elaborate name. Why is that?"

Santu quirked an eyebrow in a fashion normally reserved for Vulcans, "Cats need an elaborate name for their fragile egos."

"Do they?" The counselor arched a single eyebrow in return. "Sheba seems content with her short name, though she does have the ego of a queen. She does as she pleases, most of the time. I must admit, however, I know nearly nothing about how to treat her. She comes to sit with me, when she pleases but just as easily swipes her claws at me. How do you deal with this?"

"I've found that cats have a very strong personality, moods, preferences," Santu sat back and bit and shrugged, "It really depends on the cat on how you can deal with that. You have to go with the flow. Get a sense of their likes and dislikes," She looked over the back of the couch and out the window in her quarters, "Dogs are much more eager to please. They live to serve. There's probably an evolutionary explanation for it, in the tasks that they were originally bred for."

Once she turned her face away from him, Savin was lost. gently, he tapped her hand to draw her attention. "I do not have my aide, or my PADD, please remain facing my way," he requested, "what was the last you said?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Santu smiled apologetically, she faced Savin again, this would take some getting used to, "I said that dogs are much more eager, they live to serve. Perhaps due to the breeding us sentients did."

"Could be. I have no experience with canines, and admittingly, precious little with felines too. I never had a pet growing up, at least not that I recall and I pride myself on having a relatively good memory." He offered a small smile. "I am, however, relieved that the Athena offers space for small domesticated animals."

"You know, I hadn't really checked ship policy on this yet," Santu shrugged, "I guess I could just make it an executive decision." She laughed a bit at her own joke.

"I suppose you could," Savin agreed, "though I would think as long as pets do not roam the ship unattended, it should be alright?"

Santu nodded, there was a point in that. Although she did wonder how far the allergens would travel and how there was probably no way to make sure all the different members of the crew, with all their different species and backgrounds, weren't allergic to them. She'd definitely have to keep her uniform pristine, "I just hope it won't be long until I see them again." Her gaze shifted again, staring out at the stars.

"I have no doubt you will," Savin replied, "how come they had to be quarantined in the first place, have they been ill or exposed to something?"

Santu shook her head, then looked at Savin, remembering to face him in order to reply, "They didn't, but that's the thing with a Federation, the different states have different rules. I transferred through a sector where they required a three-week quarantine of all domestic animals."

"Three weeks!" He stared at her in visible amazement. "How long have they been in there now?" He started to reach out to her, though he stopped himself. Touching wasn't something he was a fan of, and somehow, it didn't seem proper anyway. Even so, his expression changed to one of sympathy. "How long?" he repeated.

"Just eight days to go, and we'll have to be in a position to retreive them at that point as well," With how things were shaping up to be around here it might take quite a bit longer than that, "We'll manage. All three of us. Although Gunny Whiskers might hold a grudge."

"Yes... felines are very capable of that..." Savin smiled ruefully. "Sheba was none too pleased when I was injured and I did not come home for a few days. She ignored me for a few days more and took a swipe at me. Jerant had to take care of her, and he dislikes her even though he gave her to me."

"Jerant more of a dog person then?" Santu never really got the discussion over cat and dog people. She loved both of them for their own reasons, "Maybe he would like to walk Falor sometime."

"Possibly." Savin chuckled at that suggestion. "He would take Falor running," he continued, "have him jump over obstacles, or crawl underneath them. Jerant loves freerunning, whenever he has the chance. He is very... athletic."

"I'm pretty sure Falor would love to join him," Santu looked over at the stars again, "and I wouldn't mind meeting Jerant myself." She sighed a bit as she caught herself imagining what the man would look like before turning back to face Savin, realising he couldn't have heard what she said, actually quite glad that was the case, "Never mind" She said with a small blush forming on her cheeks.

Savin nodded as he watched her, noticing the small blush but not connecting the dots. "I should go," he offered, "I still need to meet with the security chief as I have a personal weapon that needs to be registered."

"Oh, alright," Taeler got up from the couch and walked with Savin over towards the doors. She had probably kept him a lot longer than he had intended, perhaps she was more lonely than she was ready to admit. Looking back over the room behind her it was clear that it didn't really feel like home yet anyway, "I guess I'll see you around." She offered as the doors opened back up into the corridor.

Nodding he gave her a knowing smile. "I am only a call away
Do not worry I have means to not miss a comm call." With that, he walked off.

[OFF]

Lieutenant Commander Taeler Santu
Executive Officer
USS Athena

&

Lieutenant Savin
Chief Counsellor
USS Athena