Family session

Posted on Thu Sep 9th, 2021 @ 1:51am by Lieutenant Commander Robert Hendon

Mission: The Thorion Conundrum Mission Brief
Location: Counsellor’s office

ON:-


Tom and Petra walked along scowling at each other. Petra held her mothers hand and Tom held Roberts hand. It had taken a while to get the children ready for this session. As both wanted to wear the same hat. Robert pointed out that they would not need a hat. This diverted any more time wasting.

Hendon had decided to tell the children small lie. They were going to see Lieutenant Herria because they were new to the USS Leto. Not because of the twins constant arguing. Once they all arrived at her officer. Tom and Petra started to argue over who pressed the door chime.

" I am doing it!" Tom said

" No cos boys don't press things first when there is a girl around" Petra said

" No it is not you are a liar. I am the boy here I will press it!" Tom said

" You is stupid I wanna press it!" Petra

Robert pressed the door chime.

Trammel looked from her desk, "Alright paperwork is cleared. The Doctor will see you now." The nurse escorted them into the office where there were some coloring books and paper on the floor and the couch looked comfortable there was some coffee and pastries for the parents.

The Lights on the Runabout by the Digledo Trio played, a popular childrens group. Alessa stood there with a smile on her face. "Come in everybody, parents have a sit, coffee, tea and muffins...Who are these two little precious youngsters?" Alessa asked.

It was incredible one moment Petra and Tom were shrieking at each other. Then suddenly as if by magic they both became shy and hid behind their parents legs. Alice Roberts wife spoke up.

" Well this one with a pony tail is Petra and this strapping little boy is Tom." She explained.

Tom pulled on Roberts trousers and when he leaned down whispered in his ear.

" Tom said he is six years old so he is a lad now." Robert said

Petra pulled on her mothers dress. She to leaned down and in a whisper the whole room could hear said.

" He can't even get our age correct. We is five not six, So he is not a man but a baby."

" We are six smelly!" Tom said back a little louder

" You smell cos you is a baby of five and you pooed your diaper!" Petra said a little higher

" Well you went pee pee in your knickers cos I am older then you....." Tom said a lot louder.

Hendon turned to Alessa.

"Help..." He whispered to her.

Alessa cleared he throat, "Children.. Children! I want you both to calm down for a moment. Petra! Tom! Lets get a muffin and sit down properly. I am a doctor, a special kind of doctor and I want to help you both. But if you are mean to each other and mean to your mother and father I cannot help." She spoke calmly but firmly.

Tom and Petra sat with their arms folded. Each giving the other a sour look.

Tom stuck his tongue out. Then Petra did the same. But they kept pulling their tongues in when the adults were looking.

She then handed to Hendon Consent to treat forms which included permission to use telepathy and empathic projection if required.

It took Robert a minute to show Alice who nodded. Then they both signed the Consent forms.

" Do what you have to do." They both said

"Now children the first thing we are going to do is set some rules, Rules are important even at your ages. You don't want to be bad children and you love your parents yes?" Alessa asked.

Both children took a few minutes to nod yes.

She then motioned at the crayons and drawing paper, "I want you both to draw out how you are feeling. Your parents are going to sit here with me and watch you okay?"

Tom was good at drawing he took after Roberts sister Nadia who was an artist. He drew a himself laughing while his twin sister burned to death. Petra was better at singing. He hummed a tune as she drew a picture of herself. Happily laughing sitting by a pound. Watching her twin brother Tom drown.

"Now let sshow these pictures to your parents. I have questions for the two of you, Tom do you love your sister? Nadia do you love Tom?" Les asked.

Tom and Petra both looked at each other. Then turned to face Les and say.

"NO"

The Counselor then looked at the parents, "Robert what does this make you feel when you see the kids fight? Alice how does it make you feel when you see them draw and behave like this?"

Robert wanted to say ' Like they were switched at birth ' But instead.

" It makes me sad. Um also counsellor its Petra not Nadia. She gets a bit antsy if you say her name wrong....Tom don't you dare.."

Alice had a think about her response.

" It also upsets me as well. Up until they were both two. They used to play together, share toys. Now we dare not leave them alone." Alice said

Alessa had dealt with enough family to get a good feeling about whats going on. She took a bosuns whistle from her desk and blew it getting the kids attention. In a firm voice she said, "Children, you are misbehaving. It is upsetting your parents and it upsets each other. Do you want to go away from them? Because as it is with your behavior my recommendation is that you go to new homes!"

Lessa was hoping that the approach of tough love was now the right one.

Robert and Alice expected both children to start cheering. They did not expect the twins to stop in mid motion. They then began to start hiccuping, their lower lips began to extend and tremble. The twins eyes began to tear up and they both ran to Robert and Alice screaming at the top of their little lungs.

" DON'T LET THE LADY TAKE US AWAY!" Then they started to cry hysterically.

Tom sat on Alice's lap crying and hugging his mother. Petra sat on Roberts lap hugging her father.

That was the reaction Les had wanted, She used empathic projection to project calm upon the children. Then sat down. "So we have found out you do love your parents. This is a good start, if your parents will allow it I would like to check for any chemical defects for your behaviors. I don't want to take you from them for the record, but we need to find out whats making you two act out in such manners," Alessa inside felt awful.

She turned to Robert and Petra and said, "Have they acted a mix of really, really misbehaved followed by acts of extreme exhaustion?"

Alice hugged a sobbing Tom as she spoke.

" Was that really necessary scaring them like that?"

Robert gave Petra's face a wipe.

" Alice its ok. Its all part of the treatment. The counsellor is only trying to help. They have never been completely out of control. They are always full of energy. Bed time can sometimes take a while. But they have never needed a nap before bed time." Robert said ignoring the look from Alice.

Les sat there for a moment and said, "Sometimes we all need a shock to bring folks to reality. I am a specialist in Family Counseling. While I am a fan of medication sometimes cognative behavioral therapy including an emotional trigger needs to occur."

She then looked at the kids and said in a somewhat motherly tone, "I need the two of you to try to be good. The way you have been acting is not alright. Children do you understand that there is being bad and being good?"

Both children wiped their noses and still hiccuping. They both nodded at Lessa. Robert noticed however that Petra's tiny hand was tightening around his own. The little girl was really scared of the counsellor.

" Yeth. We will." Tom and Petra both said sadly.

Alice had had enough of this she scoped Tom up and went outside. Robert lifted a shaking Petra off the ground. It was clear both children were terrified of the counsellor. He gave her a nod and left. Outside both children started to cry each holding on to their parents as if they were going to be snatched away from them.

“ Never again.” Alice said with a face that left no room for comment. But Robert was in full agreement. The counsellors scare tactics had gone to far.

OFF:-


Lt. Cmdr. Dr Robert Hendon
Chief Medical Officer
USS Leto NCC-80916

&

Lt. Alessa Herria
Chief Counsellor
USS Leto NCC-80916