Counseling Drop By

Posted on 13 Aug 2026 @ 11:19pm by Lieutenant T’Mari Rael & Captain Harvey Geisler

1,449 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Acceleration
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: February 2, 2391 || 1400 hours

With Harvey busy doing his everyday duties T’Mari had decided to drop in to see him, it was more of a catch up than an actual Counselling session so the Ready Room was more than adequate. Arriving outside the door she pressed the chime.

Harvey had been sitting on the couch when the door chimed, a padd with the latest departmental reports in his hand. Beside him sat a pile of other padds, each containing a series of documents left for his review by Admiral O'Connell. The chime had prompted him to blindly call out, "Come!" while finishing the last paragraph or two.

Walking in T’Mari offered a warm smile. “Apologies for interrupting you Sir, I just wanted to check in and see how you’re getting on.”

Harvey looked up to see that the ship’s counselor had been the one to arrive. For a moment, Harvey was confused by her arrival, wondering how she’d gotten into the ready room. A neuron fired and he remembered that the door chime had sounded and he must have reflexively permitted entrance. “Ah, yes, hello Counselor. Apologies, I’ve been getting up to speed on a few things.”

“That’s alright Sir, you’re a busy man.” T’Mari smiled warmly. “I’ve already dropped in on Joey, mainly for personal reasons but I thought I’d check in and see how you’re getting on. I guess I feel like I’ve been a little lax in not coming to see you.”

“Personal reasons?” Harvey echoed. It wasn’t often that he’d heard that phrase used amongst the senior staff. Perhaps it was a good thing that the ship’s crew was finally settling in. “Never mind that. Are you saying that you’ve been avoiding me?”

“Not at all” T’Mari grinned as she took a seat. “I would be remiss in my duties as ships Counsellor if I was. I definitely didn’t want to be making you feel like I was permanently parked outside your door.”

The Captain smirked, unsure of how best to respond to that declaration. "Well, I certainly wouldn't want to feel that way either. How's the climate on board with the crew?"

“Getting better” T’Mari answered with a smile. “I’ve had quite a few visits from people, but they mostly needed reassurance. Now they have the real you back things are settling down.”

"That's good to hear." Harvey turned the screen of the padd he was holding to off and then placed it onto the table. "And having some real direction for the ship again likely helps as well, even if that means we'll likely be going back out into the unknown. We really can't seem to escape it, even though we're not trying to."

“That’s what we all signed on for isn’t it?” T’Mari grinned. “To seek out the unknown, new life, new civilisations and all that.” She took a seat in front of the desk. “It’s all a learning curve and more so for Tevik and I now that were expecting our first child.”

Harvey blinked in surprise. Children weren’t common on the Black Hawk, nor were they rare. At this rate, they’d have to find a better solution for caring for them. “Congratulations!” He offered. “How far along are you?”

“Thank you” T’Mari smiled. “Six weeks, and now Tevik is onboard we can be the family we were always meant to be. That’s the reason I went to see Joey, I was hoping she could give me some words of advice.”

“I’m sure she had much advice to give,” Harvey said confidently. But what he didn’t say was to avoid contact with alien species near the due date. Both of their twins had been slightly premature as a result of alien possession and intense electric shocks. To this day, Harvey was still thankful that there’d been no lasting damage. 

“She did indeed” T’Mari nodded. “I’d still like to be included in landing party duty though, if it’s safe of course.” She smiled. “I know there’ll come a point when I’m not permitted to go.”

“When it’s appropriate, I’m certain it won’t be an issue,” Harvey replied. “With humans, there are plenty of surprises in the first trimester such as aversion to smells. I’m sure your Vulcan heritage will make that an… well, quite an experience.”

T’Mari nodded. “Indeed. Fortunately my Vulcan half determined my blood type, which is copper based just like any other Vulcan, so we won’t have to worry about issues with the baby. As for anything else I’ve no idea what to expect.”

"You'd be surprised what recessive genes are capable of," Harvey observed. "If you recall, Counselor, being a Doctor was my former profession, and I've had my share of childbirths. Dominant genes, even Vulcan ones, have limitations. Your child will inherit Betazoid traits as well, and few of them will be known before childbirth. There's always a possibility for a mutation of sorts."

“A little like me” T’Mari smiled. “Vulcan ears, Copper based blood, and Betazoid empathic skills. I did forget you were a doctor, if I may ask what made you want to become a Starship Captain?”

Harvey sighed, glancing over to his desk where a portrait of Alison sat next to pictures of Joey and the twins. Even in his current state of happiness, he wouldn’t forget where he came from or the people who impacted his life along the way. “During the war, circumstances forced me into Command red and a couple of XO positions on ships that wound up destroyed,” he explained, walking down a path of memories he hadn’t visited in a while.

“When the war ended,” he continued, “I was able to return to medicine, but life felt so hollow without Alison. Starfleet eventually pushed me into command since leadership roles were lacking properly trained and mature candidates. I didn’t resist because I just had a hard time in my chosen profession.”

Harvey looked back to T’Mari and added, “I don’t regret making the choice. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have found Joey or a reason to thrive instead of survive.”

T’Mari nodded. “When one door closes another one opens, or so the saying says. It certainly sounds like it did for you. When Tevik and I were bonded we were young and it was at our parents behest. I spent my seven year cycle simply going through the motions, but it’s only since he got here that I realised my mistake. We are what we were always meant to be.”

What T’Mari described was one of the reasons why Harvey never understood the concept of arranged marriage. At the end of the day, Harvey was able to at least accept that it was a cultural concept, one that had survived generations into an enlightened age. “Indeed we are,” he agreed. 

T’Mari smiled. “Is there anything you need to talk to me about, or anything you need to ask me before I leave you in peace?”

Harvey shook his head. "I don't have anything pressing. Did you have anything you wished to discuss?"

“I was just… checking in making sure you’re okay” T’Mari added honestly. “I tend to get too involved with my patients sometimes, it’s not the done thing but if it gets results then so be it.”

"Involved or invested?" Harvey asked with a raised eyebrow. "It is true that as a physician, one tends to get better results when they can relate to the patient, or find ways to be personable. In which case, I would attest that you are doing well with that."

T’Mari smiled. “Thank you, and invested is definitely the word. The rules say don’t but how can I be a good counsellor if I don’t become invested. I like to see those under my care back to a state of happiness, it makes a good reward for me.”

The Captain chuckled. "There's certainly nothing wrong with getting invested with a patient, much like a Captain investing in the lives of their crew. I must agree, it is a rewarding experience."

T’Mari smiled and nodded. “Thank you for that. Anyway I have to go prepare for my next appointment. It’s been nice talking to you Captain.”

"Always a pleasure, Counselor," the Captain said, giving T'Mari a nod of his own. He then leaned forward to retrieve his padd to continue reviewing the departmental reports.

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