After the Storm

Posted on Sun Aug 10th, 2025 @ 3:47pm by Captain Mitsu Sato & Lieutenant Commander T'Mara

756 words; about a 4 minute read

After releasing the away team members from sickbay, T'Mara had finished her report on their condition. It had been logical to report directly to the captain, which was the reason she now stood outside the door to the captain's ready room. What wasn't logical was why it had taken nearly three minutes before she finally reached out and pressed the door chime. The chime to the captain’s ready room emitted a soft, measured tone. T’Mara stood with her hands clasped neatly behind her back, PADD in hand.

Mitsu sat at her desk, a cup of tea held in her hands. The scan of the solar system was well underway as the Eclipse tried in vain to find any survivors from the science station, but it would be some time before the survey was complete. So in the meantime, she sat in her ready room, burying herself in her work, which she suspected was true for most of the crew. None of them had expected such a loss, not on their first mission. The ringing of the door chime echoed through the silent room, jarring Mitsu from her thoughts. “Come,” she said.

T’Mara entered, pausing precisely two steps inside before speaking. “Captain, I have completed the post mission medical evaluations of the away team survivors. The data is ready for review.” Her tone was characteristically even, betraying none of the unease she had noted in herself earlier that morning.

Mitsu set down the tea she’d been holding and gestured toward the chair opposite her desk. “Sit, Doctor. I’d like to hear it from you directly before I read anything on a PADD. What’s their condition?”

T’Mara inclined her head and took the offered seat. "For the most part, there were few if any physical injuries. The away team members are suffering from predominantly psychological trauma. They all have mild bruising, elevated cortisol levels, and I suspect there will be recurrent tachycardia episodes during sleep cycles. They are unsettled.”

Mitsu listened in silence, knowing that even with the advanced technology the Eclipse had on board, there was still much that simply couldn't be explained. She reached for her tea, let the warmth seep into her fingers before setting it down again without drinking. “How likely are these injuries, physical or otherwise, to affect their service readiness beyond your projected recovery periods?”

“Physiologically, all but Ensign Banner should be able to resume standard duties within one week,” T’Mara said. “Psychologically, however,” She allowed a fractional pause, the Vulcan equivalent of a sigh. “I have served long enough to recognize the limitations of measurable data. Lieutenant Santos exhibits signs of situational anxiety. Connor will require monitored reconditioning. Zalla has compartmentalized the incident effectively, but I would recommend continued periodic evaluations.”

Mitsu nodded slowly. “And Ensign Banner?”

T’Mara’s gaze was level. “He will require extended counseling.”

That landed like a stone in the quiet of the ready room. Mitsu had heard the stories of too many young ensigns broken by their first brush with real danger, but the helplessness never faded. There were quite a few officers on board the Eclipse who were fresh from the Academy, none who were yet prepared for the reality that exploration was still dangerous, even with all of the Federation's advancements.

“Keep me updated,” Mitsu said, her voice quieter now. “And if they need time, they get it. No matter what the duty roster says,” Mitsu paused and her eyes met the doctor’s. “We can’t afford to lose anyone else, not just in body, but in spirit.”

“Understood, Captain.” She placed the PADD on the desk. “I will transmit daily reports until all have resumed full status. However, I would like to point out that there is currently no trained psychologist on board and recommend that a trained counselor be assigned to the Eclipse as soon as possible.” T’Mara rose to her feet with precise Vulcan economy of motion, then inclined her head. “If there is nothing further, I will return to Sickbay.”

After the doctor left, Mitsu sat for a long moment, staring at the PADD without picking it up. The information in the device contained only numbers, readings, and diagnoses. All of them just shadows of the truth. Those officers had been wounded and scarred in ways that couldn't be easily repaired. She finally sighed and picked the PADD up. Holding it up and staring at the screen for a long moment, she finally activated the device and started reading.

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