Confused Personalities

Posted on 04/10/2023 @ 9:58pm by Commander Kodre Vedan & Captain Cornelius Harrington

2,972 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Mission 23:Pages...
Timeline: Backpost: Before the MU Mission

Kodre Vedan shifted his lab coat as he checked the padd in his hand for the next person's name on his list. He had only been here a few days, but he was eager to get working. Poking his head into the room, "Tess Harrington?" he asked, "And you must be Captain Harrington?" he said as he stepped in the room, shaking his head to move the curl that threatened to drop into his eyes.

He paused as he looked at the Captain and was struck by him for a moment. Good looking man. He shook his head, ~Damn it Onyx~ the Trill muttered in his own mind, and returned his gaze to the girl, "What brings you in, Tess?" he asked, knowing that children liked to feel like they were paid attention to here. Otherwise, they were nervous and withdrawn.

Tess smiled as she looked at her father, "Daddy says I am here for a general check-up." She folded her arms, "but I think I am fine; I already told him that."

Neil laughed, "she's been overly moody and grumpy not to mention rather tired lately. I'd just like her looked at to make sure everything is going ok."

Kodre raised his brows and looked at the tablet again, "Moody, grumpy, and tired hmm?" he asked. He leaned closer to her, "Daddies never understand, do they honey?" he said with a smirk. "Not like we do." he winked, before he paused, looked alarmed, cleared his throat and stood up. With his voice slightly deeper he shifted on his feet. "Uh... And uh... How old are you, she... Tess?" he asked

Neil knew that Tess wanted to be more grown-up, and treated like an older kid. The Captain stood up and moved to the far end of the room as he grabbed a padd. He was listening but allowing Tess to have her space.

"I'm eight," she stated, "but just turned eight a new eight," she smiled, "I won't be nine for a while."

Kodre pulled up a stool and opened up his tricorder, "Eight, My my. From your looks, I thought you might have been thirteen!" he said. "You feeling any aches in your body? Especially in your stomach?" he asked as he quickly scanned her. He grabbed a hypo, "You alright if I take a blood sample?" he asked, waving the hypo a bit.

Tess nodded as if she didn't care. "Nothing out of the ordinary," she leaned forward so she could whisper and ensure that her father wasn't listening, "I've been getting stomach cramps, and Daddy hasn't noticed not like he ever would notice, lately." She wasn't sure why her father insisted she be seen so here she was. She smiled sheepishly, "he doesn't notice a lot of things, he's going through some things, Ma'am says."

Kodre nodded thoughtfully, "Well that's why Doctors like me are around. We can help the clueless Daddies figure things out." he said. He pulled the hypo and pressed it to her neck taking a sample of her blood and then set it to the analyzer. "Has anyone talked to you about how little girls grow up?" he asked. "A mommy or friend?"

Tess' eyes got wide as she nodded her head in the direction of her father, "Doctor," she whispered in an overactive fashion, "not with my dad in the room." Her eyes were wide, and her cheeks began to turn red. "I have a new mom, but we haven't," she stammered her words desperately hoping her father wasn't listening. "I mean, we've talked but not really talk like that," she smiled, nervously.

Neil had heard enough, even if he was pretending not to. He knew that Tess was in good hands; the Doctor and the Nurse were both there. The last thing Tess needed was her father there. He actually found himself wishing that Adira was here instead of him. He stood up as he tucked the padd under his arm, and with a nod to the Doctor, he left the room, heading to the main lobby.

Kodre glanced up as the father left the room; when the door was shut, he smirked at her, "Alright kiddo. Are you comfortable talking about things with me, or would you prefer if I give your mom a call and give her an update and let her talk to you about what to expect? I want to make sure you're very comfortable talking to whoever you want to." he said. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, but I also remember what it's like to be a little girl; I've done it 8 times." he chuckled.

Tess blushed at the very thought, she wasn't a baby after all. She'd already had an idea, but she didn't really want to talk to her mother about this either. "I am fine by myself," she folded her arms, "I don't need a babysitter," she rolled her eyes. She noted the spots and assumed the Doctor was speaking of a previous host, but still, it was an odd comment coming from a man.

"As Daddy would say, give it to me straight how long do I have to live?"

Kodre pasted a serious look on his face, "Oh my, well... to be honest, you only got... 92 years left to live." he said, letting out a breath, "Not much time to explore the universe, if that is your desire." he commented.

Tess rolled her eyes, "who said I wanna explore the universe maybe I am just fine here."

"Sounds like an interesting life... Now... as for your tummy pains..." He got up, moved over to an in-room replicator, and pressed a few buttons. In a moment a box appeared; he brought it over to the biobed and set it next to her opening it up, it was full of a variety of everyday supplies. He began to go over the realities of the changes and what to expect. As he came to the end of his explanation, he leaned back in his chair. "Now, I know you said you didn't need to be babysat, but I want to ask you some questions, then give you some advice. One former young lady to another. This new mom you have. Are you generally comfortable with her? Like talking about boys with her, problems at school, or when you don't feel good?" he asked.

"I am," she wasn't lying, "Adira is safe, even if she lies often. But, I suppose I can talk to her," she shuddered, "I am not talking to my Daddy oh my god, no."

Kodre spread his hands in surrender, "Oh, I get it. Now listen, you can come to talk to me or my nurses any time you need to if you have questions. But I want you to be comfortable talking to Adira, is it?" he asked. "I'm not sure what you mean by her lying often... but I suspect this isn't something she'd lie about, as it's all very natural and can be confusing. I advise you to try and talk to her about it too, and if you need to verify anything she tells you, well, just send me a message. Deal?"

Tess sighed, "ok." She looked down at the ground, then to the Doctor, "I will try to talk to her, but it's hard. She and Daddy have lied so much how do you know when they are being honest and not lying again?"

Kodre wished he knew more about what was going on in their girl's world. He felt his heart go out to her. He leaned forward and clasped his hands together, wanting to be as least threatening as possible. "Tell me, kiddo. Do you think either of them would lie to you when it comes to your health? What's your gut say about that?" he asked her.

"No," Tess wrinkled her nose, "they are too busy lying to cover up their own lies and protect themselves." She looked at him, sensing the confusion in his mind, "do you not know anything about where you are stationed?" She almost couldn't believe he didn't know. "Your Captain got in trouble a while back," she looked at him, "you should look into it."

Kodre regarded the girl a moment before he leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other, clearly, this was something bothering the girl, and the idea of getting information from the Captain's daughter was a bit tantalizing. Of course, that was Onyx's influence, she was ever the gossip. "I think I will... but I'm pretty new here; I've not had time to really hear all the news. Why don't you fill me in?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh, I shouldn't tell you," Tess smiled, "let's just say a while back he left here an Admiral and came back a Captain, and it's been downhill ever since."

The trill raised his brows, "Well, that sounds like a fascinating story." he said with a grin and leaned closer, "Why did he get in trouble? What lies was he telling?" he asked. "I mean, he's my new boss; don't you think I should know things? Best to get the story from the inside source, aye?" he asked.

Tess sighed as she took a deep breath and then unloaded her family's entire pass. She rambled on and on at a relatively fast pace. She explained her mother's death and her father's various love lives leading up to Adira. She hadn't realized when she made it to Adira she rolled her eyes as she belted out the Mirror Universe and the events surrounding her parent's lies.

Kodre was fascinated by this story. It seemed like a tall tale, but maybe it wasn't. He needed to look into it more. He let out a long breath as he rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Sounds like a lot of classified information. Maybe they lied to you to protect you? To make sure you didn't have to lie to anyone else about the secretes until they felt you were old enough to understand it?" he suggested. "Just a thought... I've got a couple of boys myself, and I'll admit, sometimes I wasn't exactly honest with them so that I didn't put them in a position where they were forced to hide something they shouldn't until they were ready to understand."

Tess folded her arms, "now you sound like them. I am old enough to keep a secret." She huffed, "if I had to."

"Ah, but why should you have to?" he asked her. "I'm not trying to sound like them, but it's an honest question. If there is a secret that could literally tear your family apart, send your mum back to the other universe, put your daddy in jail, and put you in a position where you are separated from your brothers and sister... why should your mom and dad ask you to have to keep that? That seems pretty damn unfair to me."

Tess looked at him, her mouth wide open, almost in a state of shock. "Daddy can't go back to jail," she looked at him, "he's not in trouble anymore..." she paused, "wait a minute," what he said finally kicked. "I see what you did there," she looked at him, "are you a Doctor or a Counselor?"

"Just a doctor, kiddo, I haven't been a counselor in... oh... a few hundred years?" he commented. "But I'm also a friendly person, and I get where you're coming from," he admitted with a bit of a shrug. "I also get where they are coming from too. Your daddy told you the truth shortly after he got in trouble, right? So he made it right as soon as the secret wouldn't hurt you anymore?" he asked.

"It's still hard," she said, "I'm hoping he doesn't lie again."

Kodre shrugged one shoulder, "You still have to put your trust out there. People say that trust is earned, and while that is true, there is always some risk in it either way. Someone can earn your trust, but you always are risking when you give it. Yet no one can live a good life without trusting someone." he said. "I suspect your daddy isn't going to intentionally lie to you anymore, anything beyond what he's allowed to tell you because of his job and all." he clarified. "Classified stuff and all. He just doesn't seem the type, and believe me... I've been with enough lying men in my lifetimes... I can spot them."

Tess nodded, "so as my father would say, Doc, how long do I got?" She covered her mouth as she giggled.

Kodre gave her a sly smile, "About a thousand years, I suspect. You've got the tenacity to be the longest-living human ever, I'll bet." he said as he tapped a few buttons on the console to add a few more notes. "I think we're all set here," he said, standing up and shifting towards the door. "Seriously, try to talk to your stepmother, and if you cant, then let me know, and I'll make sure you have the resources you need. Nothing to do with the body is embarrassing for me and shouldn't be for you either."

Tess blushed, "I will try to talk to her when I can." She hopped up off the bed and followed the Doctor into the waiting room. "Thank you, Doctor," she smiled, as she saw her father.

Kodre smiled as he walked the girl out to her father, "Can I speak with you a moment Sir?" he asked, motioning back to the room.

Neil didn't like the sound of this, but something in his daughter's face told him he really wasn't going to like this afterward. "Certainly, Doctor," he replied.

Kodre stepped back inside with the Captain alone. "Nothing to worry about with her, sir; natural things are happening, maybe a bit early," he reported. "I've advised her to talk to your wife, and if she feels like she can't, she can talk to me or the nurses here, but she does need to have an open resource," he said.

Neil stood there for a minute, just looking at the Doctor as he turned to Tess. Dumbfounded he spoke, "Wait, you mean," he paused, pointing a finger at her, then just looked even more puzzled, "no, she's only eight," he probably sounded like a crazy man. "I mean, no, that can't be," he looked at the Commander, "really... I mean."

Neil took a deep breath, "she's going to need Adira for this one."

Kodre chuckled, "About 4 lifetimes ago, I had a daughter who began her changes at about 8 years old as well. it feels young, but it's always possible." he said. "I'm certain this is unknown territory for you, I recommend speaking with your wife and discussing how you would like to handle things. Tess is going to display different attitudes and she may not understand them. it's important to validate that she is feeling things and that it's alright to feel them. However, how she expresses those feelings is vital, and helping her to navigate those wild emotions and express them properly will serve her best." the Doctor paused.
"Tess expressed to me a lack of trust for you and... Adira is it?" he asked. "You need to allow for those feelings and work on that with her, but at the same time, ensure she has full access to resources and people she can trust to talk to about things. Her mind is young to be going through all of this, and it can be very confusing and frustrating for you as much as it for her."

Neil just nodded, as he took in what the Doctor was saying He wasn't ready for this stage of life and certainly wasn't ready for his daughter to be going through this. "Yes, Adira," he replied, skipping over the key points. It wasn't that he was ignoring them, he just wasn't sure how to respond. "When did my little girl grow up," Neil sighed, not really talking to anyone in particular.

"Now apparently," Kodre said with a dry tone. "You're never ready for it. Trust me, I know. I've had a dozen daughters, and it always snuck up on me." he said shaking his head. "Do yourself a favor, get yourself a stiff drink, and hope that she'll talk to your wife about it, and give you some peace." he chuckled.

Neil nodded, "I suppose no one is ever truly ready for their children to grow up," he looked at the Doctor, "thank you for your help today, I am sure Tess didn't want me in there." He looked a bit worried, "definitely not ready for this," he mildly muttered under his breath.

"No one ever is." he chuckled, "If you need any advice, I'll try to help. As I said, I've had a number of daughters before. Never as a father though, my children are boys, so I have other issues to deal with, with them." If he ever got to see them again. They were so far. "Otherwise, a good counselor may help... things may feel chaotic and confusing at times, remember if you feel that way, she feels that way 3 times over. She won't always understand why she reacts the way she does, her mind is younger than her body, essentially. Give her as much grace as you can, but also ensure to hold the line of discipline so she doesn't come to believe that she can be ruled by her emotions."

"Ruled by her emotions," Neil stood up as he chuckled, "you should have met her mother. Lucia was a fiery one. Thank you, Doctor.

---

Captain Cornelius "Neil" Harrington III
Station Commanding Officer

Teresita "Tess" Harrington
Crew Family

Dr. Kodre Vedan
Former mother

 

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