Luthien sat at her desk in her office aboard the USS Guardian. She had a couple of PADDs in front of her, and she held one in her hands.
She was trying to catch up on the reports from the medical department and the other counselors – with the type of missions the Guardian was undertaking, there was an entire section dedicated to counseling of which she was the head. It wasn't as big as that of a starbase though, it had a total of three counselors including herself.
The Betazoid passed a hand behind her neck and rocked her head a little from side to side, to loosen up the muscles.
She turned towards the replicator where the dreamcatcher hung. She looked at it for a while, lost in thought.
Her contemplation was interrupted by the sudden but expected chime of the door.
"Come in." She placed her PADD on the table and entwined her fingers on top of the devices, her elbows on the desk.
Two people stepped in as the doors hissed open, a man and a woman.
Luthien smiled and stood up, "Janie, Mark. I am glad you could make it." She pointed at the two chairs in front of her desk. "Please, take a seat."
The couple returned the smile and complied with the Betazoid's invitation somewhat shyly. After a slightly awkward silence Mark spoke up, "Thank you Counselor."
The Commander smiled again, "Luthien. Please." She proceeded to walk towards the replicator. "Would you like a drink?"
The two seated people glanced at each other, perhaps to see if the other would take the offer and if it was appropriate to take advantage of it.
The Counselor turned slightly away from the replicator, in order to see them better, "Please, I insist."
The two Rikelians smiled. Janie was the first one to speak up, "We would love a coffee thank you. Haven't had one in ages."
Luthien didn't show any external reaction but it hadn't quite hit her up to that moment that something as simple as a coffee could be out of their reach. She looked at Mark, awaiting for his request.
"Oh yes! A coffee!" He said.
"Two coffees coming right up." Luthien turned towards the replicator as she said that and proceeded to order three coffees on a tray, one for herself as well.
She paused for a moment in front of the replicator and then turned around to the couple.
"Milk? Sugar?"
Janie blinked. More choices!
"Oh… eerr… we are easy really." She reprised somewhat awkwardly.
Luthien nodded and proceeded to order some sugar and milk in separate containers. She then took the tray and walked to her desk. Mark helped her by moving the PADDs to one side and allowing some space. When the tray was set on the table, the Counselor sat.
While she genuinely wanted them to have a coffee, the subsequent question regarding milk and sugar was a bit of a test. She obviously wanted to make them feel at ease as much as possible, out of pure care for the two beings in front of her. But she was also testing their ability to make choices.
It was a right that was stripped from every drone and she knew that too well. People reacted differently from disconnection and one of the possible reactions was the inability to tend to themselves or make choices. Others became very individualistic – she wasn't a stranger to that either, as her sister Nareen was one of those people.
She silently observed as Janie just had her coffee black and Mark had it with milk. She had also noticed that it was him who helped her clear the desk out of his own initiative. Once Mark was finished with his milk, she also proceeded to pour some in her cup. She could have just ordered it with milk, knowing her own tastes, but she didn't want the couple to feel they were treated differently and wanted to put them at the same level as she. Because, after all, they were living beings, just like her. She took a sip out of her cup.
"Thanks for coming –" She began, "I really just wanted to see how things are going with you and your daughter. I haven't really seen you mingle in with the rest much."
Mark leaned forward to pick up his cup and took a sip, he quickly licked his lips tasting the delicious brew. He then placed the cup on the tray and sat back again. "We are adapting."
Janie remained silent.
Luthien contemplated the couple for a moment or two. She could already tell this was going to be an expansive and open conversation. Not. "And there are a couple of things you are still not 'adapted' to?"
Janie and Mark looked at each other again as if to see how the other was going to react.
The penny dropped for Luthien. They had done that earlier as well. And they were "adapting." They still needed the validation of the Collective. They found it difficult to even know how to react sometimes and they still tried to know what each other was thinking.
That one glimpse unfolded a whole new story in front of her eyes. Alas she couldn't confirm that with a telepathic scan so the only way was to ask more questions. She could have asked their permission to read their mind, but if her hunch was right, she'd have appeased their addiction – they would have been aware that she was hearing their thoughts and they would have stopped making an effort to act as individuals.
And if she was wrong, asking them would have possibly alienated an already taxed couple.
Going on her hunch however, she realised that kid's parents weren't capable of giving themselves direction without total sharing, let alone give it to a child. Samantha had no guidance.
Luthien rephrased the question to something more specific, something that required less choice. Asking what they had a problem with involved them picking from a number of problems, evaluate which ones were important enough and then which ones they should bring forward first. Her previous question alone would mean making three choices right from the get go. "How do you find your new house? Is it comfortable enough?"
Janie spoke up this time, "Ohh… yes it's cozy. And it's warm. Still difficult to fall asleep on a bed though." She chuckled. Her expression became serious though, as if she were embarrassed.
"I was assimilated too." Luthien reassured. "I know exactly how that feels like."
The couple looked surprised, "But you don't look…" Janie started to say.
"No, I don't have any visible implants. Although it took some time for my body to adapt, even my ocular implant was replaced. There are some bits still buried here and there though." Luthien paused. "Like your daughter, it happened at a young age for me. My body was more resilient when the implants were removed."
The Counselor drank the remainder of her coffee, satisfied that the amount of milk she had put in by hand was just right. "And what about your daughter? Does she like the house?"
The couple looked at each other again.
Luthien placed her left elbow on the armchair, and rested her chin on the semi-open fist. She was waiting to see who would make the choice to respond. Seeing the pattern, she was pretty sure she knew.
"We… don't know." Mark said with a strained tone of voice. "She is always out playing with the other kids."
That was the person Luthien expected to hear the answer from.
"You never asked?"
Janie blinked once again. "Ask? Oh. No. We never asked."
They were alternating the answers. The first one was more difficult because they had to chose, but after that it was simple. Just follow a pattern. Luthien had also noticed that not once they had talked in the first singular person. They kept saying, "We."
"Unfortunately, there seem to be some problems with your daughter. She seems to get into many fights with the other kids."
Mark replied, "We tell her to stop. She doesn't listen."
"How do you tell her?" The Counselor inquired.
The two remained silent, looking confused.
"We tell her to stop?" Janie's posed it as a question, unsure of whether that was the answer the Counselor was after.
"Did you ever spend some time to have a heart to heart talk with her? Tell her what she should and shouldn't do, find out if something troubles her?"
Mark furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes. We told her to stop. We told her it was useless to do otherwise."
Luthien took a good look at the two quietly. She got the picture.
Janie decided to offer some information on her own this time, "We find it difficult to… talk. This… we are doing. It is difficult."
The Betazoid placed both hands on the desk behind the tray, entwining her fingers. "I know." She contemplated what to say next. "I have an idea. Come with me and your daughter tomorrow and let's have a walk around the village. I want you to ask her what her favourite places are, I want you to ask her what she loves and what she doesn't. I'll be there. I'll help you with the conversation."
Mark and Janie exchanged another look, then they both turned to Luthien and nodded. "It is a good idea." Mark finally replied.