A Little Help

Posted on Sun Mar 23rd, 2025 @ 1:53am by Civilian Jairic ch'Shaorhs & Lieutenant Aristede Steele PsyD.

1,174 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: To Boldly Go
Location: Counselor's office
Timeline: MD 9(after Ren's visit)

ON

Some people had told him he should call Ren, dad. The Andorian fortunately wasn't one of them, thank the Universe for small favors. Not that he was totally opposed to the idea. Ren was more of a father to him than his real dad was. But still, it was kind of freaky. They weren't even the same race.

He might bring himself to do so in the future, just to freak people the hell out. But that was for the future. For now, he just called him Ren. Sometimes Uncle Ren if he were in the mood.

Right now, he wasn't in the mood. He and the Andorian had just had another fight. It was becoming kind of a tradition. They had fought about two things. One his going to counseling, and two whether or not his brother was dead. He knew he was. There was not a doubt in his mind. The facts were there in black and white. Body or no body it didn't matter. Ren was still clinging to the hope he was alive.

The first argument he'd lost so he found himself in the waiting room of the counselor's office. The second argument had been a draw

He pressed the chime..

The door to the room Aristede used for sessions stood open when he was the only one inside, but there were those who, rather than just enter, preferred to make their presence known in other ways. He had been reading when the chime sounded so maybe it was for the best. He closed the book and set it on the small table to one side of the wing-back chair he preferred and rose to his feet. "Please, come in," he said. "I"m Aristede Steele."

The Orion teen stepped in albeit rather reluctantly. His eyes wandered from the man who greeted him, to the furnishings, to the art displayed, then shifted back to what he perceived to be human face.

"I'm Jairic Ja... ch'Shaorhs. Yeah, I know, I don't look anything like him."

"Wasn't what I was going to say," Aristede said. "Though people do like their labels. They look at your face and think they know everything about you." He gestured toward the tattoos that covered one side of his face as an example. "Have a seat. Maybe we can talk for a few minutes?"

"Cool tattoos," the teen commented, as he plopped down on the sofa's edge. "And yeah, I get what you mean. People take a look at me and see Orion then assume I'm either a member of the Syndicate, a slaver, or almost as bad like I'm some fleeter brat. I don't even want to be here."

"Thank you," Aristede said and moved on because the tattoos weren't something he spoke of often or easily. "And where do you want to be, if not here?"

"I don't know," Jarric muttered kicking the toe of his boot against the carpet "I don't want to go home, my parents are, well they're never going to be parents of the year. I don't even want to be with Ren, he means well, but he just doesn't get me. I want to be on my own. Maybe on Earth. I've heard that Paris is really cool."

"Paris is cool but they aren't always the most welcoming to anyone that doesn't speak French," Aristede said. "What doesn't Ren get about you?"

For the first time, Jairic gave his full attention to the counselor, "It's weird. Some days he treats me like I'm five and can't do anything for myself and the next day he treats me like I'm older and know everything."

"Have you tried talking to him about it," Aristede asked. "On his good days, I mean."

"No, I haven't. He does a good job of holding it together, but he's going through a lot of shit right now. He still thinks my brother is alive. He isn't."

"I don't want to make things worse for him. He doesn't have many good days now I don't want to spoil those days and I don't want to make his bad days worse. I don't know what to do."

"Maybe, before you decide to go it alone," Aristede said, cocking his head slightly to one side, "you might try being honest with him. Good days or bad, the relationship between the two of you requires honest communication if it's ever going to improve." His gaze dropped for a moment as memories flooded through his mind and then looked up as things settled into place. "And really, being on your own, it's not as good as you might think."

"I guess you're right about being on my own, " the teen admitted sullenly. "But how do I talk to him without pissing him off, or without me getting pissed off at him?"

"Well, that's not so easy," Aristede said with a slight shake of his head. "We all struggle at times with keeping our temper under control, especially when we feel deeply about something, but the trick is to remember what the end goal is. To set boundaries for the conversation. I want to talk. I want to keep things civil if possible. There are some things I think need to be said. And if it helps, make a list. The points that are important to you. That you want to come out."

"Okay," the Orion teen replied, "making a list sounds like a good idea There are some things I need to get out. " Would you, would play referee? Help us discuss things together?"

"Of course," Aristede said. "You set up a time and I'll be there."

"Thanks," the green-skinned teen replied, "I think that would be a big help. There are some other things that I want to talk about too. But, I'm just not ready for that yet."

"How about," Aristede said, "we just set up a regular time. Say, once a week? You can come and talk about whatever's on your mind. Would that work for you?"

"Yeah, yeah that would definitely work." He half stood as if he were getting ready to leave. "And you won't tell Ren, or anyone what we talk about right?"

"Course not," Aristede said as he rose to his feet. "What you say to me is confidential. So long as you're not preparing to harm someone, I will tell no one anything without your permission."

Jairic rolled his eyes in universal teenage fashion. "I'm not planning on hurting anyone. Especially myself, Except maybe the asshole that got my brother killed. But he's far away sitting in some fancy office, so I'm sure I'll never get the opportunity."

"Didn't expect that you were," Aristede responded. "It's more that you need to know the limits of the confidentiality you enjoy while speaking with me. That's me being honest. I won't lie to you. Not about anything."

"I can live with that," the teen replied."

Lieutenant Aristede Steele PsyD
Counselor
USS Fenrir


Civilian Jairic ch' Shaorhs
USS Fenrir

 

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