Why do you think they call it Dope?

Posted on Sat Sep 5th, 2015 @ 1:28am by Lieutenant Arnon Barak MD, PsyD & Chief Petty Officer Markos Ileos & Sergeant Amarylis Beckinsale

1,852 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Of Gods and Men
Location: Counselor's Offices
Timeline: Current

ON

Markos puttered around the office putting things back in their proper place.

Sergeant Amarylis Beckinsale sauntered into the office very narrowly missing the sliding doors as they parted. Her eyes were surrounded in thick red circles and barely open making one wonder how she could even navigate, although the way she swayed as she walked could barely be called navigating.

Markos looked up as Beckinsale stumbled in.

"Easy there, Marine," he said rising to help her. He guided her over to a chair and sat her down. "Are you hurt?"

When she didn't immediately respond, Markos tried to snap her out of it.

"Report, Marine!" he barked. "What's your status?"

Amarylis began moaning scratching her arms incescently. Her uniform was dirty and torn in several places but she did not appear injured. She looked up at the Chief with tear filled eyes. "Do you think I could talk to the doc? I was really mean to him the last time do you think he'd still help me?" She then burst into tears hugging the man as she wept into his shoulders. "I need help. I don't want to hurt like this anymore. I'm an addict. Please help me." she said, her words slightly muffled by her face's position on the man's shoulder.

Markos tapped his commbadge.

"Ileos to Doctor Barak," he said.

Go ahead, Markos,

"There's someone here who needs to see you right away," Markos said. "How far out are you?"

"I'm here now," Arnon replied as he walked into the room. "Sergeant, why don't we go into my office?"

Markos helped Amarylis into Arnon's office and put her on the couch.

"Markos," Arnon said. "If you would be so kind as to get the Sergeant a glass of water and then brew some of jolena tea from my private stock I would greatly appreciate it."

Markos went to the replicator and got a glass of cold water.

"Here you are Sergeant," he said, handing Amarylis the glass. "Drink up, slowly. You'll feel better once you're hydrated."

"Thank you." She replied softly taking the glass from Markos with both hands gingerly bringing it to her mouth gulping it back. Once she had finished the water she held the glass out to the counselor. "Can I have another glass please?" she whimpered.

"Of course," Arnon replied. He took her glass to the recycler and ordered another glass of water for her. He brought it back over and handed it to her. "Here you are, my dear."

"Thank you." Amarylis said gingerly bringing the cup up to her lips trying carefully not to spill it. Her hands were shaking quite noticeably making the normally simple task increasingly difficult until she stabilized it with her lips. She set the glass down after downing half of it's contents growing frustrated with her shakes. She wanted this all to stop, the feeling of uselessness, the violence. She really wanted a good night's rest. She bowed her head and placed her hands folded in her lap before addressing the doctor. "I'm sorry I was a huge bitch the last time doctor. Thank you for seeing me." She said somberly sniffling a few times again as she rocked back and forth.

"Thank you for your apology, Sergeant," Arnon replied. "Would you like to talk about what has you so upset today?"

Markos brought in a mug of tea and set it before Amarylis.

"Drink up, Sergeant," he said. "It'll calm your nerves. Works like a charm. I've used it myself."

Amarylis took the cup and once again gingerly brought it up to her lips bowing her head to shorten the distance. She really did not want to spill the beverage. As she allowed the warm liquid to pass along her tongue and down her throat she could feel it's soothing effects. Once she had set the cup back down, she took a few deep breaths which combined seemed to calm her down slightly. She clutched her knees with her hands bringing her feet off the ground slightly. "I thought I could do it by myself you know? Kick the habit. But I can't. I feel like shit without it. I just had to have more." she whimpered wiping the occasional tear from her eyes between sniffles.

Arnon looked at with kindness in his eyes.

"Are you high now?" he asked.

"Hungover...sir." Amarylis replied disappointedly.

Arnon nodded.

"Well," he said. "Would agree that you hit rock bottom and that you've no where to go but up? Are you ready to tackle this seriously?"

Amarylis nodded but did not look at Arnon at first. After a moment of what could have been her reevaluating her life, Amarylis looked up at the counselor. "Yes sir, I am."

Arnon nodded again.

"Alright," he said. "The question we have to answer is whether or not you can succeed at treatment here or if it would be better to send you to a drug treatment facility where you can get full-time care."

"Please doctor." Amarylis said with pleading eyes. "I'll do anything you say I just don't want to leave here. This place is all I have."

Arnon thought long and hard.

"Against my better judgement," Arnon said. "I will attempt to have you treated here. I cannot release you for duty because in your current state you would be a danger to yourself and others."

Arnon thought a moment more.

"Markos?" he said.

"I can set it up, Doctor," Markos replied. "We can arrange to have one of our people bunk with her to keep an eye on her at night. We could arrange minders to see to it that she engaged in everything from physical exercise to art therapy. As you know, if she sits around with nothing to do she's just going to use again. A minder could make sure she goes to meetings. There's one on this ship everyday and every shift. We can make sure that she does at least one or two a day. Yeah, we can do it. If Sergeant Beckinsale is willing to give up her privacy."

"Sergeant?" Arnon said. "Are you still willing to do what is necessary?"

"Yes sir." Amarylis replied with a hint of glee for the first time in a long time. "Thank you so much sir. Thank you, from the bottom of my heat. Thank you." The emotion began to pour out as the marine began to cry, but not from sorrow, from utter joy. She smiled as she fought now to contain her excitement.

"Alright then," Arnon said. "Do you want to tell me what happened that you're in the state that brought you here? That will be all for now, thank you Markos."

"Of course, Doctor," the chief replied and returned to his desk to start making arrangements.

Amarylis looked down at the floor trying to recall what had happened. In all this time in her 'drunken' stupor she hadn't even taken a moment to determine what got her here. She felt so stupid for not realizing it before. Her mind had been clouded by the torrent of self-pity she had brought upon herself she never even thought of the answer to the simplest question. She looked up at Arnon shaking her head from side to side. "I...I honestly don't know. I can't remember."

"This is going to seem an odd question," Arnon said. "Can you remember if you've blacked out before?"

Amarylis smirked, covering her mouth as she giggled a little. "Honey, I've had some hell of a parties before and I've woken up in some strange places. Thing is, I may forget how I got there but I sure as hell know how it started. This...I don't even remember when I started again, or why."

"Hmm...." Arnon replied. "Curious. Why might be the loss of your friend or other pressures from work or both. However, not recalling when you started using again is a different matter altogether. It's possible you simply went through the motions out of habit, old habits, that is. As we've discussed a recovering addict is always recovering unless they are using and relapsing only takes one drink or one use. I am curious, though. Where would you have started using if you had to guess? Your quarters? Somewhere more private?"

"Definetely nowhere public." Amarylis commented. "I've done my best to keep my old habits out of my new career. Being recruited into the marines was a life changing moment, a second chance based on the faith someone put into me. I would not dare destroy that just for another fix." Amarylis covered her mouth as she began to cry. She was so disappointed in herself for allowing this to happen.

Arnon handed Amarylis a box of tissues. Handkerchiefs were gallant but ultimately unsanitary, especially when shared out.

"There, there, dear," he said. "With your help we'll get you through this."

Arnon hit his commbadge.

"Markos," he said. "Would you come in here please?"

"At once, sir," the Chief replied.

A moment later he entered the room.

"What can I do for you Doctor?" he asked.

"Call Sick Bay and see if you can get some kind of bed in a reasonably private place, an isolation room perhaps," Arnon replied. "Let them know why and that we'll need corpsmen and nurses to check in on her regularly. Somewhere the sergeant can relax in peace and come down off the medicine. Intravenous fluids are called for and plenty of fluid orally. We want to flush her system. We'll provide a detoxifying tea for her as well. They'll need to monitor her when the withdrawal starts. Make sure there is jolena tea for that with instructions on its administration. I'll speak with the CMO shortly."

"I already started on the arrangements," Markus replied. "They need a little while to recover from the attack, but they'll have her set up by the end of the day. In the meanwhile they are going to send up a few IV kits and saline and a vitamin and mineral solution, electrolytes and such. The schedule will be light this afternoon considering the attack, so until Sick Bay is ready, I'll set the sergeant up in a spare office. She can lay down on a couch, read, watch vids, listen to music or just sleep. I can even stop in myself for a little while and play chess or cards or backgammon or whatever with you, Sergeant, to help pass the time and keep your mind off your cravings. I know the danger of too much time for self-reflection at this point in the process."

"Thank you Markus," Arnon replied. "Why don't you take Sergeant Beckinsale to that spare office now at set her up there. You were a corpsman. You can set up the IV when it arrives, and I'll check up on you, Sergeant."

"Of course, Doctor," Markus replied. "If you'll come with me, Sergeant?"

Amarylis nodded oblingingly and followed the Chief into the vacant office.

OFF

Lieutenant Arnon Barak, MD, PsyD
Chief Counselor
USS Calypso

&

Sergeant Amarylis Beckinsale
Marine Sniper
USS Calypso

 

RSS Feed