Nobis ✴︎ Pavel Chekov

Chapter Forty One - Therapy

       
Irina goes back to work, Pavel is supposed to be seeing someone like McCoy suggested but he has no idea who. He figures McCoy will know but Irina informs him that McCoy's performing surgery at the moment. Pavel doesn't know whether he should feel relieved or not and thanks her.

"Is there anything I can help you with in the meantime, are you just in for a physical or?"

"No, I just needed to ask him something, I'll message him later, it's fine."

She doesn't say anything else letting him go on his way. She hates doctor/patient confidentiality sometimes.

McCoy ends up calling Pavel back into medbay an hour or so later and thankfully by then Irina is elsewhere. McCoy introduces him to a young lady who he assumes will be his therapist. Her hair is pinned into a neat bun and she gives a very professional vibe, one Pavel feels himself inadvertently shying away from. They walk into a small office and she invites him to sit down, offering him a drink and he politely declines, wondering how long he'll have to spend in there with her.

"I've read your file," she says simply, sitting down opposite him. "You're really quite brilliant. I think your intelligence is a very unique gift."

"Thank you."

"Where did your motivation come from? Surely not all of your achievements come straight from your natural ability, there must have been some hard work in there somewhere."

"I've been studying since as young as I can remember. It was never 'hard work' though. It was just me doing what I enjoyed."

"Interesting," she mutters. "Did your parents get you into study? Did they help nurture this gift or yours or did they find it unusual."

"Half/half I suppose. My dad was very supportive of me, helped me find things to study, made sure I always had books and resources to use. My mother was the one who was a little unnerved by it. I'm not surprised though, she was seeing it from more of a social standpoint, that I was an 'outcast' of sorts. I always disagreed but she wouldn't really believe me."

"Were you an outcast though? A hermit maybe?"

"Definitely but I was content. I had my goals to work towards, I had my dream of Starfleet."

"How did you manage to adjust to Starfleet then? Going from the lack of social environment to being in a room with three others. Surely that must have been difficult for you."

"The thought was daunting but Starfleet only roomed me with one other person because I was underage. And in terms of friends, I had recently gotten myself a girlfriend. She was my best friend, kept my mind off everything. Ironically, she's now also the reason Doctor McCoy sent me to you."

She raises an eyebrow, siting forward a little in her chair. "What exactly happened with her? Did you two have a fallout?"

"Well, she cheated on me, I walked in on her with another guy and I thought I'd never have to see her again once I got on the ship. She got transferred here, we had a chat and it went fine. The next time I snapped and we ended up yelling at each other in the mess hall. Um, after that she got super drunk and I helped her back to the room. She admitted she misses me, wanted me back. Then she tried to kiss me, more than once. I freaked out and left. A while a later we got drunk beyond belief and I woke up in her bed."

"Yikes."

"Mhmm."

"That's really quite unfortunate. Let's take a few steps back, how long were you two dating?" 

"Ages... We were dating when I was sixteen, so two and a half years, maybe more."

"For someone so mathematically gifted that wasn't a very specific answer."

"The point in which we actually started dating was a little unclear. She was in Russia while I was in America for a while. Hard to really tell when because there was no specific date, it more or less just happened."

Before the therapist can reply, a red alert comes on and they both stand up. Pavel has to get to his post and thanks her quickly, telling her that they can continue another time. They haven't had any red alerts since he's been on the ship and he doesn't know whether to be nervous or excited. He sprints down the corridors, making his way right onto to the bridge to relieve the officer there. He feels strange making people older than him get out of his seat but feels better knowing that he has at least some control in the situation. Sulu arrives a few seconds after him, logging into the console and awaiting orders or a briefing.