Calling Cally

Posted on Wed Mar 28th, 2018 @ 10:16pm by Lieutenant JG Siobahn Fallon

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/4
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Current

It had been a while since Cally had been fitted with the psionic inhibitor, but so far she had not come back to sick bay for a follow up. While it most likely meant that things were going well, Siobahn wanted to be sure of everything herself, and with Hailey away she was most definitely looking for ways to keep herself busy, which was why she had requested that Cally come and see her in sickbay at her earliest convenience.

Calypso debated it over and over again in her head, to go or not to go and seeing the doctor about the implant had been weighing on her mind for the past couple weeks. She didn't particularly want to go back, the voices were gone and that's all she had wanted. And now this message. She sighed and sat up in her bed and groaned. What if she didn't go? Well, the doctor would probably come and find her. It's not like she had anywhere to run.

So the flight officer dragged herself out and looked in her closet, then decided on just a grey sweatshirt and sweatpants over her sneakers. She didn't have to go on duty for a while, plenty of time to return to get her uniform So she took her time as she went to sickbay and waved as she walked in, "Hey doc, I'm here."

Siobahn sighed an inward sigh of relief as she heard Cally. "Hey Cally, just give me a moment to tidy this up and I'll be with you," she said, motioning for the other woman to grab a bio bed. Once she had set the bio bed into clean mode and recycled the equipment she had used with her last patient, she returned to Cally and smiled.

"Relax," Siobahn said with a slight smirk. "I'm not gonna grill you, i just wanted to check in and see how everythin' was goin'."

"I hear nothing." Cally smiled slightly, seated on the biobed, "The voices are gone and it's a wonderful thing. I'm not distracted by the thoughts from random passersby either, but I've been spending a lot of time in the tavern.."

"Well, not hearing the voices is a good thing, but how are you coping with being in the tavern?" Siobahn hesitated for a moment before deciding that the best way to the situation was to just be blunt. "Have you started drinkin' again?"

Cally shook her head, "Nope, not drinking... I don't know if the 'tender likes the fact that I just sit there, staring at it... But I pay for my drink all the same, despite that it sits there until I get up and walk away."

"Cally, I'm not gonna tell you what to do, but do be careful that you aren't flirtin' with danger." Siobahn chose her words carefully and spoke them with quiet concern. "Some people can go back to havin' just a drink or two and walkin' away, but others, well, one drink and they're right back where they started again. You're in a better place that you don't have the voices echoin' in your head now, but you need to still be mindful and careful, okay?"

"Oh no, I haven't had anything to drink since I esca- Since you guys let me go from those quarters right before we left. I just look at it, see what I'm missing and remind myself WHY I can't drink anymore. I know it's tempting fate, but I don't have people telling me to do it anymore." Cally gave a half-smile, "I won't fall off the wagon."

Siobhan smiled. “Good,” she replied. “You went through a lot to get to this point, it would be a shame to throw it away now. How are you finding it without your telepathic abilities? I know it can be quite difficult to deal with for some people when they are suddenly alone.”

"But with me, I drank mostly to get the voices out of my head. Sure, it means I don't have the 'feel' of other people I'm around like I'm used to having, but it's a small price to pay right now." Cally shook her head, "Any sort of random invasive tests you're going to have to run on me?" She said jokingly.

With a soft laugh, Siobahn smiled and shook her head. "So long as you're feelin' good within yourself and you aren't worried about anythin' then you're mostly good, I really just wanted to make sure that you were okay and that there weren't any side effects from the inhibitor."

"On that regard, there's this insatiable need to be safe all of the sudden I don't feel like trying to take the ship into an asteroid belt at full impulse to see how many I can miss." Cally winked, "I don't think I'd even try to hit the entrance to a starbase at warp!"

"Well, I guess we should all be a little thankful that you aren't having those urges! Safe is good, it keeps people out of my sickbay!" Siobahn grinned easily. "You're doin' great Cally, you should be proud of how far you've come so quickly!"

"It's only been a short time, so don't go getting your panties hiked up too much, chickie!" Calypso laughed, "But if we can eventually get me back to where I was before? I'll be rather quite pleased with that."

"I imagine it shouldn't be too difficult, I would say maybe in another couple of months we can try dialling the inhibitor back a little and see how that goes. Getting you back to yourself is entirely possible, just don't want to rush it too quickly." Siobahn smiled as she sank down onto the stool next to the bio bed. "It must be different for you though, to suddenly be so very different."

Cally glanced away, "No proper Betazoid would ever voluntarily submit themselves to this, but no proper Betazoid would have lived through that anguish, whether from suicide or just lost to the crash. There are other methods that I'm certain they would have gone to first, rather than the inhibitors."

"Everyone reacts to things different ways, don't sell yourself short. You made a tough decision to deal with a real horrid situation. To be honest, if I were in your position I probably would have done the same. Sometimes I think it would be nice to be Betazoid, to be able to tell what other people are thinking or feeling, well, with some people anyway." Siobahn shrugged and glanced around sickbay. "It's pretty quiet, do you want to stay for a coffee or a hot chocolate or something?"

"I have no problem staying, have nothing planned for quite some time." Cally chuckled, "What can I get from the replicator for you?"

Siobahn paused, almost very tempted to suggest that they skip the replicator and head to the bar, it certainly suited her current mood, but as she was with Cally she forced a smile and said "I think I'll just have a chai latte, and maybe a shortbread cookie..."

"You got it, chickie." Cally slipped off the bed and padded her way to the replicator and punched in that order, then another order for herself, the smell of a rich coffee wafting through the sickbay from the second cup that came out. She took the plate of cookies in one hand and both mugs in the other and carried them over, "A blend from the western coast of your Africa, but grown on Betazed in a high altitude. Stronger than a bull

"It smells lovely, but I am not really a coffee drinker," Siobahn replied, accepting her mug gratefully. "I love the smell, and I do drink it occasionally, usually if I really need to stay awake for somethin'. The taste just really doesn't do it for me. During my final year at the academy, one of the guys in my dorm was bringing in these coffee beans that came from some strange place, but the beans were all eaten by an animal and then expelled through the digestive tract, which apparently made the taste richer, I could never bring myself to try it, the thought of consuming anything that came out of the bottom end of a wild animal just didn't do it for me!!"

"And I too would never do that! Exit only, I say, no matter who and what." Cally sipped at her hot mug of bean soup flavored with a mint, "This tastes different... I really should have brought some of the real stuff, but didn't expect to have any here in sickbay... But the company here is better than alone in my quarters."

Siobahn laughed softly. "I know that feeling all too well, which is exactly why I'm here when I don't have to be instead of being alone in my quarters feeling sorry for myself."

"And to think, Hailey only left earlier in the day..." Cally murmured, "She'll be back, soon you'll see. People around her die, they live at her hand, too, but she always comes back. It's really a blessing how good she is, but she sees it as a curse. You know, sometimes I think she wants to die, or at least I'd think that if I didn't know her a bit better than that. She's just too valiant for her own good."

"And that's what scares me," Siobahn said quietly, wrapping her hands tightly around her mug. Finally after a long moment, she drew in a sharp breath and forced a smile on her face. "Let's not go there," she said with forced lightness. "So, what do you suggest as meaningless ways to pass the time? Because honestly, right now my first urge is to head to the bar and not leave until I have a damn good reason!"

"As a meaningless time-waster? I would ordinarily say shooting some pool, which could definitely manifest at the bar and I can even make sure you get back to your quarters in one piece!" Cally laughed, "Your designated chaperone?"

“No, I wouldn’t drag you into the bar,” Siobahn replied with a smile. I might check out the holodeck later, there are a few programs I have had on my wish list to try out.”

"Oh, really? What sort of holodeck programs you thinking of?" Calypso took another sip of the strong coffee, "I've never really been into much except the flight sims, but that's really just to indulge in my old 'dreams' of being a fighter jock. They blackballed me from that area, though, after I crashed a couple training craft, once in Basic Flight, the other at the Academy."

Siobahn laughed. "So you crashed a couple of training craft and they still handed you a pilots license?" she asked somewhat incredulously. "Wow... okay... I think the holodeck program I might go with will just be some horse riding, I haven't been for a while, the last couple of years I was at the academy I was always too busy, and it was something I always found relaxing."

"That.. Horses and I never got along." Cally shuddered, "They don't like me, period. I swear they try to go out of their way to kill me!"

With another laugh, Siobahn shook her head. "My brother used to say the same thing, I was the only person in my family that ever liked them. It was relaxing to ride on the beach, and I haven't been riding for years..."

"Well, chickie, I do hope you have fun with that! I'm not going near those murderous beasts!" Calypso laughed herself, "I'd rather fly a fighter again!"

"Then why don't you?" Siobahn countered. "I'm sure there's a holodeck program for that!"

"Flight simulators aren't like the real thing, the feel of the wind under the wings, or just the g-forces of a maneuver... Gotta keep the intertial compensator from being at full power to 'feel' the ship and find what it can and can't do. That's the secret, you know.." Cally said softly, "To flying anything, really, shuttles, even starships, but I can't dial that one down, can I?"

"Then what's stopping you?" Siobahn asked quietly. "Instead of dialling it down, why don't you embrace it?"

"It's just a completely different feel, but I can't keep the compensator even at ninety-nine percent, or people would be flying all over the ship!" Cally chuckled, "Would be sorta fun to see on the bridge, though."

“So ‘borrow’ a shuttle or a fighter from downstairs and go have some fun?” Siobahn shrugged. “I am sure if you asked nicely it could be arranged. Wouldn’t be the first time someone has asked I am sure!”

"Well, technically all of the shuttles belong to me, so taking one of them out for a joyride isn't an issue, but there arean't really any planets around here to make it a really fun ride." Calypso eyed Siobahn, "If we do get somewhere like that, wanna take a ride?"

Siobahn grinned. “Sure! Near death activities have always been one of my favourite pastimes!” She replied cheekily.

"Challenge accepted!" Cally laughed, "Just don't call me a crazy reckless bitch when you've lost your lunch!"

“It’s ok, I know where to find the good antiemetics!” Siobahn laughed again. “I am pretty sure I can handle it.”

"You know... I think if I keep it away from a planet..." An evil grin crossed Cally's face, "I can probably swing a trainer... That would actually be rather fun and nowhere to run into."

"Just let me know when and where and I'll be there, it sounds like fun!" Cally's enthusiasm was somewhat contagious, even though Siobahn had little to no idea what she was talking about, it was nice to see her excited about the prospects of what ever it was she was planning.

"Let me get on that... I think there's a trainer on board, but I'll check with the CAG." She brightened up significantly, "So, we done here?"

"Yup, all done, as always just let me know if anythin' changes, but otherwise I expect you back in 4 weeks, don't make me chase you this time, alright?" Siobahn replied with a smile.

"I make no promises I'm not likely to keep!" Calypso chuckled, "But I'll try to keep the appointment, really I will."

"Good, now get out," Siobahn said with a grin. "I need to tidy up before my shift ends."

== END ==

Lieutenant Calypso Skyie
Chief Flight Officer
USS Wellington

Ensign Siobahn Fallon
Medical Officer
USS Wellington