Controlling Anger

Posted on Mon Feb 13th, 2012 @ 8:40pm by Master Chief Petty Officer Barbara Tarango & Lieutenant Sophia

1,188 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: The Race for the Lost Treasure
Location: Quarters to Counselor's Office
Timeline: Current

::ON::

Barbara Tarango has always been the kindness person in sickbay and had no problems getting along with almost everybody, until one person turned her personality upside down. Not that someone changed her, but her emotion of anger built up quickly. One of her top priority in sickbay was to treat all patients the same whether they were allies or enemies. She has been in charge of sickbay many times when Doctor Bowen or Doctor Hart were absent, and she was given a protocol to follow in their absence. That was the chain of command. Then, one thing didn't seem to go smoothly in a situation when there are security personnel inside of sickbay. It wasn't the lower ranks, but it was the chief of security giving authority over her because of the rank (and who is the boss).

Doctor Bowen returned from the away team to the planet to find her very disturbed. She ordered Barbara to take off duty to rest and to visit the counselor once or twice, and use whatever needs that the counselor gives her.

The day after she rested from duty, Barbara left her quarters and head to the counseling department and asked to see the Chief Counselor Officer.

Sophia had received a notice that she should expect a visit from Chief Tarango. She didn't have any appointments scheduled yet and was taking time to sort through paper work.

A lady guided Barbara to the back room. "Sophia, we have Barbara Tarango here for a visit which was ordered by Doctor Bowen."

"Bring her in please, Thank you Lidia." Sophia replied.

"Yes, ma'am."

Barbara took a deep breath, went right past Lidia into the counselor's office and heard the door shut behind her. She walked up to the counselor's desk and put her hand out. "I'm Nurse Tarango...first name is Barbara."

"Welcome Barbara. My name is Sophia. Please make yourself comfortable." she said, gesturing toward the seating area.

"Thanks," she said, pulling the seat a little further back to give room from the counselor's desk to her knees. Barbara took a seat and crossed her arms.

Sophia noticed the posture and recognize the hostile body language. "I know you don't want to be here, but I'm not your enemy." Sophia said, trying to keep her voice as pleasant as possible.

"Sorry," Barbara said as she realized that crossing her arms was giving off a body language that appears to be offensive. She uncrossed her arms. "I've been stressed, lately...I'm normally not like this."

"It's alright, I get that reaction from most people. I stopped being offended by it a long time ago."

"Oh...good. Well, the stress was brought on by the Chief Security Officer who pulled a phaser on me, thinking that I was interrogating the patient that she sees as a prisoner or enemy. I'm totally innocent, following the protocols or guidelines set forth by Doctor Bowen, and she had to come through and turn things upside down...to throw me in the brig if I said anymore questions or comments to the patient," she took a distressful sigh and continued, "my anger towards her went to the climax and I kept it in, because I didn't want to her to remove me, which she can't as I was in charge at the moment. I can't sleep properly...", she stopped mid-sentence as she stared at the counselor's desk for a moment before she looked at her.

"Sounds like you got quite a lot on your plate right now. I can understand the level of frustration you must be feeling. I can only imagine that having someone interfere with your treatment of a patient would be very upsetting, especially when a weapon and a threat of violence and incarceration becomes involved." Sophia said gently. "Is that what is, in your opinion, leading to the sleep issues?"

"I believe so. I'm not an angry person...never was. This time, it went overboard. I'm a nurse, not an interrogator. I've done at least 24 years of nursing and this is the first time that someone pulled a weapon on me!" She vented her frustrations now, hoping that talking about it will help. "I will never forget that security officer's face."

"Trauma does tend to leave an indelible mark on our memory, unless our minds block it out completely." Sophia answered, nodding her head slightly. "What do you think would help you get past this anger?"

Barbara nodded her head. "I assume talking about it...get it out of my head. I thought that is why we have counselors."

"Well, yes, obviously. But what I was meaning was something more long term. For example, if the situation were to arise, do you believe you could forgive the offender?"

"Maybe," she said softly. "It will be a hard one to do because I was threatened. Do you give your clients something to help them sleep?"

"Not as a matter of routine, but that is an available option if you think it will help." Sophia answered.

She took a deep breath, "I rather take something just for tonight and an extra for tomorrow night if I happen to not be able to sleep. I think I have said enough about the incident..."

"I can certainly do that. And as far as talking about the incident, I agree. I would be more interested in talking about your feelings now and how you plan to adapt and overcome."

"Oh," Barbara said as she gently bite her lower lip. Her eyes drifted to a picture on the wall in the counselor's office, thinking. She kept her eyes on the picture that looks like Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. The picture looked calm with a moonlight shining over the houses at night. Could it really be his picture? She lost track of time as she stared at the picture... thoughts of how sickbay should not be that stressful to work in... until that security woman... the gun. She felt her heart raced and she moved her eyes back to Sophia. "My mind is like a recorder as it goes over and over...", she blurted out.

Sophia leaned forward and gently place one hand on her knee. "It's ok. That's completely normal. Let's try getting you some good sleep, then we'll set up some sessions to over come the anxiety."

Nurse Tarango couldn't say anymore, feeling as if her brain was numb from the stress. As the saying goes, the cat got her tongue. She nodded at her.

Sophia picked up a PADD and made a few notes, then she 'signed' it with a thumb print. "Here's a prescription to help you get some sleep over the next few nights. Be careful to take it exactly as ordered and I'll see you in three days."

Barbara accepted the PADD as she stood up, nodded again. "Thanks," was all she could say. Without another word, she turned and left the counselor's office. Her next heading is to sickbay to get the prescription filled.

::OFF::


Lieutenant Sophia
Counselor

MCPO Barbara Tarango
Head nurse
USS Calypso

 

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