Counseling for one

Posted on Fri Mar 6th, 2026 @ 6:17pm by Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari & Lieutenant Amber Laurell
Edited on on Sat Mar 7th, 2026 @ 9:33pm

1,335 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: 7a. Guile - Short Treks
Location: Counselor's office
Timeline: After the battle on DS9

"Counselor, do you have a moment?" Aidan peered around the office door, not quite sure if this counselor operated without appointments. Over the years he has visited a great many of them, all with different methods of operation. "I think..." He hesitated, still not feeling quite himself after the revelation on the bridge and the subsequent away mission. His normal tan tone still hadn't quite returned yet despite the rush of recent events, which made his spots all the more visible. "I think I need some help..."

Amber was always willing to help anyone, anytime so she smiled politely as she stood and welcomed Aiden inside. “Please come on in Commander, and feel free to call me Amber.”

The Trill nodded as he stepped inside. "Amber" he repeated, "then you should call me Aidan, fair's fair. When the captain said I was to be joined in the future, I almost panicked. I can't be joined again, ever. Neither by choice, not my necessity. I just can't..." The very idea returned the pallor to his complexion. "It's in my records too...how can I prevent this...I never dealt with this properly, even though I tried."

“Well for starters it’s your body” Amber motioned for Aiden to sit down. “No doctor would force you to undergo any kind of medical procedure against your will, that includes being given a symbiont.” She offered a comforting smile. “I have read your records, but tell me more about your previous joining.”

The Trill took a deep breath as he sank down in a nearby chair. "I was just fifteen," he recalled, "and I was out for a walk...I think. I'm not sure exactly why I was out anymore, but I was pulled into a vehicle. I remember fighting but it was useless as I was quickly subdued." His eyes unfocused as the memory surfaced. "I remember feeling confused when I regained consciousness. The room wasn't clean and it was cold. Another consciousness, a very scared consciousness flooded my own and that's when I knew I was joined."

His voice dropped to a hollow whisper as he continued. "I don't remember how, or even how much time had passed, but I escaped from the guard and the building. I couldn't think straight, probably from both being drugged and forcibly joined but I knew I had to get back home. I don't remember much of what happened afterwards, only that it was raining and my foster father found me somewhere and carried me home. I have no memory of the separation process, only that we had a true blend that was severed before it became permanent. I remember the symbiont being very young and female, I remember her name but nothing else. I've never tried to track her down because it's forbidden."

It was evident from his emotions that the experience had left a dark mark on the Trill officer. Even though the memory had been blocked for a few years, they had manifested themselves in a traumatising fashion through nightmares until the truth had come out. "I found out much later that there had been a gang of symbiont traffickers, and both me and the young symbiont had fallen victim to it. She was already traumatised because she had been forcibly joined a few times but the hosts had all succumbed and died. And then she was joined with me, a traumatised child in his own right. We would have died too, from the trauma, if my father hadn't found me in time."

Amber nodded as she listened. “I can only imagine how terrifying that must have been for you, I can feel your emotions and how terrified the thought of being joined it makes you. To be forcibly joined against your will has left a permanent scar so-to-speak. The good news is we can work on that fear together.”

Aidan nodded as he folded his hands over his abdomen. Despite the time passed, the sense of something missing never had fully gone away. "It's not the fear of joining," he answered slowly, "it's losing my sense of self. Losing who I am. I never had a desire to be joined and my childhood trauma would've eliminated me as a prospect anyway. I'm not suitable, and I was far too young."

“From what I know of Trill joinings in a true melding you wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, lose your sense of self. The bonding should be a blend of both host and symbiont.” Amber added. “However, as you were forced into being joined I can understand your desire not to repeat it.”

"If it's a blend, don't I get lost?" Aidan shook his head. "I want no part in it, not even temporarily. I felt like I was being torn apart, but I was far too young anyway. It's just that the very suggestion was so unsettling, I felt I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was going to faint, and that shouldn't have happened."

Amber nodded. “That’s understandable, your automatic reaction was to go into a state of fear and panic. No one here would force you into that position.” She paused. “As for getting lost, no you shouldn’t, a true blending would bring out the best in both hosts, you would retain your personality and sense of self, you’d just have a new personality that would need to blend into yours. In time that would make you a unique individual.”

"Except a symbiont's life is supposedly sacred and nothing else matters to save it and its memories." Again, the Trill shook his head. "The blend would be unique but a new personality and no longer me.." nothing the counselor said would convince him otherwise. "I just need to get to a point where I don't panic anytime this comes up and I don't know how. I have a daughter to consider now."

Amber nodded once again. “What you need to remember is that no matter what you control what happens to you. If you don’t want to be joined, then it doesn’t happen. No one can force that on you, no matter what the circumstances. You have no obligation to take on a symbiont, even if you’re the only Trill available.”

Aidan nodded slowly. "But the fear remains," he said, "what if I'm in no condition to refuse? What if they decide to sidestep my wishes? Who'll make sure that my body remains my own?"

“While you’re here that is the responsibility of the Chief Medical Officer and myself.” Amber offered a comforting smile. “What we can do is to put your express wishes into writing and onto your file. That way if you’re unconscious, or can’t speak for yourself it’s there for all to see.”

"They are in my file, or should be anyway." Aidan forced himself to breathe slowly. "I've heard of wishes being ignored for the well-being of a symbiont. I just want to make certain that it won't happen. I occasionally still have nightmares and I don't want to frighten my little girl. She's way too young to understand."

“I understand, for a child to see their parents afraid can be frightening.” Amber tapped her PaDD and called up Aidan’s medical file. “From what I can see your records are up-to-date with your wishes, what I can do is add an extra note in an official capacity from me, which I’ll do as soon as we’re done here.”

"That might be wise, to prove this decision wasn't made light-heartedly." He cast her a small but grateful smile. "Thank you ma'am. I should get back to my daughter. After all that's happened in the last few hours, I'm pretty anxious to see her again."

“Of course” Amber nodded. “Any worries, about yourself or your daughter come and see me.” She smiled warmly.

"Naturally," The Trill promised, returning the smile. "I have no doubt we'll meet again. Good day counselor."

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