Daemons

Posted on 24 Jul 2019 @ 2:44am by Lieutenant Commander True Keading & Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari

Mission: Mission 1 - In the pale moonlight ...
Location: Counselor's Office
Timeline: MD 05 06:00 Hours
1253 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

A restless night followed his nightmare, even more so since he was trying to sleep on the couch so to not to wake Emme. He figured she needed rest more than he did. He stretched as he woke up, briefly forgetting where he was and promptly rolling from the couch onto the floor with a thud.

Sherlock whistled at him as he crawled to his feet, yawned and sauntered into the bathroom to get a quick shower and get dressed. Still rubbing his eyes which were lined with dark circles of exhaustion, he walked into the counselor's office only minutes later. He had no idea what time it was, exactly, he hadn't really thought to check.

"Counselor Keading, are you in?" he asked, stifling a second yawn.

True had flopped down on the sofa for a much needed nap after the Captain had woken her early. She'd barely closed her eyes when she heard a voice. "Come in Aidan," True said with a small sigh. Sleep was obviously not meant for her this morning. "What can I do for you?"

"Did I wake you?" The Trill asked ruefully, "I'm sorry, I didn't know who else to turn to..." Unlike doctors -other than his own foster sister- Aidan was perfectly at ease with counselors. "I've not been sleeping well the last two days or so... I'm having nightmares." The lack of sleep was obvious, his normally vibrant appearance was now replaced by an exhausted look.

"Nope, that distinction falls to someone else, I was just putting my head down for a nap afterwards but sleep can wait. Wouldn't be the first time." She gestured for him to come the rest of the way in. "Here," she said going to the replicator to get him some tea. "Tell me about your nightmares."

Aidan hesitated. "It's not a subject I talk about often," he admitted, "I have nightmares about being joined. When I was fifteen I was abducted and forcibly joined by symbiont traffickers who thought to use me to transport a very young symbiont. I escaped, and my father found me just in time so the joining could be undone. I didn't remember it for years, then started to have nightmares about it. As it turned out they were memories but this time...there's something malign about it. The symbiont is appearing as a kind of demon."

"Well that's frightening." True pondered this for a moment. "You know I would never tell anyone anything about a session." True continued. "Can I ask you something about the dream? Was there a sense of doom in it as well? As if everything was ending?"

"I'm not entirely sure...I woke up when the symbiont seemed to leer at me, as if my life as I know it was going to end I suppose. I felt like she wanted to come back to claim me as her host." Aidan shivered visibly at the very idea.

"You're the second person who has come to me this morning about having nightmares. This crew seems to be very on edge lately. Nightmares usually occur because our brains are trying to rid us of anxieties that we experience during the day. If something bothers us we sometimes hold it in and take it with us to our sleep cycle then our subconscious tries to make sense of it." She hoped that made sense to him.

"I went to sleep on the couch because I was afraid I'd wake Emme." He gave the counselor a rueful smile. "Wouldn't be the first time I literally kicked her awake and well in her present condition, I'd rather not risk it."

True wasn't sure what he meant by present condition but she let it slide for the moment. "Well, generally sleeping with the people we love helps with things like nightmares, but sleep wherever you are most comfortable for the moment. I can have the doctor prescribe a sleeping medication if you feel you need it, but you might try something called lucid dreaming. It allows you to take control of your dreams by realizing you're dreaming. Before falling asleep at night trying thinking about an object or something you see often in your dreams that you don't see in the waking world. when you look at the object it's sometimes possible to realize you are asleep and aren't in any danger."

"At this point I'll try anything, I can't go on like this. I have work to do, and I'm not even close to deciphering those transcriptions we found. Well nothing tangible anyways, and what with that night time mission and super early briefing... I feel like I might keel over any second. Normally I go for a training in the morning but I don't even have any energy for that."

"So don't. Rest as much as you can. Work from your quarters if that helps. Don't run yourself into the ground, because that won't do anyone any good."

"Training is actually relaxing for me, part of my routine," the Trill explained, "should I take that prescription you offered? To sleep more restfully? I really don't wanna worry Em, not unless i really have to." He bit his lip, knowing he wasn't supposed to tell anyone but surely this was confidential? "She's pregnant.."

"If you think it will help you sleep restfully, yes. Congratulations," True smiled warmly. "I wouldn't worry too much about Emmony, she's never been one to worry too much. And I think you should be honest with her about what's happening. She'll feel better knowing, if she doesn't know already."

"I can't be dishonest... I've never told a lie in my life, I simply can't lie." He looked concerned. "I'll definitely tell her, but she needs rest too and I don't want to unnecessarily wake her. I'm sure I can work from home, I do have computer access in my quarters." He gave a single nod. "yes I think I should take the medication."

"Alright, I'll bring it by your quarters later this afternoon if that's alright?" True asked as she looked at him again. "Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"These dreams frighten me," he said softly, "you mentioned an ending and a sense of doom. I don't recognize either but I do feel they must mean something... and I'm not liking how it feels." He looked up. "have you had nightmares too?"

"I'd be lying if I said I slept well last night. But no, I didn't have nightmares. I just felt restless and anxious for some reason. But someone else came to me about a dream and mentioned a doomed feeling. I thought it was worth asking in case there's some kind of connection to all of this."

"Who knows," Aidan replied softly, "I should head back home." He wasn't concerned that Emme might be worried about his absence, as he was usually out the door before she got up. "Maybe try and get some more sleep."

"That sounds like a good idea." True nodded. "But feel free to stop by again if you need anything else Aidan." She stood up to show him to the door.

Aidan nodded. "I'm sure I will," he promised, "I got this feeling that this won't be the end of it." He smiled thinly. "Thank you counselor, for listening."

●● Lieutenant True Keading
Chief Counselor
USS Andromeda


●● Lieutenant Aidan Datari
Chief Science Officer
USS Andromeda