=/-\= Begin Log =/-\=
Location: USS Quantum Fury
Timeline: One week after leaving SB Versailles (3 weeks out from Charon)
"Holodecks can't replace a counselor." She told him raising an eyebrow. "Most of the time when people resort to a holodeck they end up causing themselves more trouble.
"They might not be able to replace a counselor, but they can at least provide some entertainment for the crew," he replied with a shrug.
"Entertainment and counsel are two different things, love." She said as she ate, at a faster pace than normal.
David sighed and shook his head, "And I'm not saying that they are. But to be stuck on a ship this small for eight weeks on what's basically a cargo run without any sort of real, interactive entertainment would drive me insane." He rolled his eyes after realizing what he had just said, "It would be -then-, when I got back, that I would need a counselor."
"You think you would need a counselor because of 8 weeks with lack of entertainment?" she asked, looking at him fully after he had rolled his eyes.
"Beautiful, Starfleet officers served for nearly two hundred years without the luxury of ship-board counselors," David replied, leaning forward a bit. "The idea of having therapists on board a starship is a relatively new concept considering how long humans have been in space."
"But the concept of counselors being around has been around since humans went into space." She said, watching him closely. She didn't know why she was getting so snippy with this. Being a counselor wasn't her first job of course, but it was still something she did.
"Therapists have been around since long before that," he remarked, shaking his head. "But they didn't have them -on- starships until the early Twenty-Three Seventies. Before that the crews had to rely on other methods of coping with their problems. And entertainment would be one of those options."
"That doesn't mean that it's a good form of getting away from problems that crews encounter while in space." Aubrey said, now her full attention was on him instead of her food.
"Maybe not, but crews survived a lot worse than a lot of o." David sighed and leaned back against the sofa again. "And to be perfectly honest, I've never much cared for being psycho-analyzed myself. I've found other ways to vent my frustrations, and have never had any problems."
"Nonsense, David. Everyone has problems sometimes." She said, "And not every counselor psycho-analyses those who they speak too."
"Everyone has problems, yes," he said, doing his best not to become irritated. "I admitted that I've had them. I've just never had to carry myself to a counselor for them." Not to mention that most of his problems couldn't be shared with a counselor anyways.
"So you just resorted to 'entertainment' instead?" She asked as she rolled her eyes. "Surely as a doctor you know that we actually have use." She was obviously irritated. During her childhood she had never been taught to keep her emotions in check with those whom she was close.
"No, I resorted to the few friends I had left," David answered, standing up from the couch and taking a few steps. "And I'm a doctor, not a psychiatrist! I don't care to sit and listen to people babbling on about their problems!"
He shook his head as he continued, "You, of course, and those few friends. But people I don't know? Strangers? No. I don't have the time nor the patience for it."
Seeing him move about, she too stood up. "But sometimes you need a stranger to give an unbiased judgment and advice." She said watching him closely.
Again he was forced to shake his head, "I disagree completely. I would never ask to know the details of a stranger's life, and never will I volunteer it of my own."
When she didn't have another purpose behind her duty as a counselor, she sometimes did use her talent of having people talk to her to let her know details. But she didn't do that anymore, at least not at the moment because she was only bound as to one duty for now. "I don't ask for details in people's lives, I try to help people with their troubles by getting an understanding the routes of their troubles."
"And some people can inherently understand their problems, and can look out on them objectively on their own without needing a stranger's help." The last thing he wanted was to demean Aubrey or her work (even if he knew it was never meant to be her true work), but he had no use for counselors. And probably never would. Other people did, and that's what really mattered, but he himself was not counted among them.
She was obviously on edge with this conversation, her hands at her hips. "They don't have to be strangers.... and we do more than just listen to people's problems." Her was tone getting an edge to it.
Turning to look at her David let out a long, deep sigh, "Why don't we just agree to disagree, beautiful? It's obvious neither of us is going to change their mind about this."
She was silent for a few moments before she sighed. Being cooped up for so long had made her a little over sensitive, but she couldn't figure out why she had the urge to keep the fight going. "Fine.... Fine..."
David took a couple steps in her direction and reached out to take her hand, "Look, it's been a long trip so far, and we're only halfway done with it. It's bound to get frustrating. Why don't we just relax for a bit, we can have a nice quiet dinner, and spend the evening inside?"
"We don't exactly have an outside to go to David." She said, grumbling some still but letting him have her hand. She was going to mention something about a holodeck for entertainment, but kept her voice silent. Something had caused her to take her annoyance of being cooped up out on him; of course she didn't mean it.
Biting back his frustrations he merely sighed and led her back to the couch, "I meant staying in quarters and not visiting the ship's mess hall."
"Yes, that's fine." She said as he led her to the couch, sitting down with a plop. "I rather stay in, even if I have been feeling sort of cooped up. I don't really feel like mixing in the crowds in the mess hall." She told him honestly, especially after their heated conversation.
Leaning in to give her a soft kiss on the cheek he nodded, "That's fine with me, beautiful. I rather enjoy having you to myself anyways."
=/-\= End Log =/-\=
Commander David King, M.D.
Replacement Officer
USS Charon
Lieutenant Aubrey Roberts
Replacement Officer
USS Charon
