A Caucus of Shrinks
Posted on Sun Nov 23rd, 2025 @ 1:55pm by Lieutenant Ezra Van Wijnbergen & Lt JG Adalyn O'Rourke Ph.D.
Edited on on Mon Nov 24th, 2025 @ 4:53pm
1,902 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 2 - The Sins of History
Location: Corridor - Deck 9 - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD015 0750 hrs
The morning appeared mostly quiet aboard the Artemis, but that didn't make him nervous. Ezra had spent the evening before unpacking, setting his quarters just right--the small stack of personal effects, blankets, the smell of leather and polish--and Milo and Trigger had settled quickly into their corners. No chaos. No fuss. Just the gentle rhythm of the ship cooling around him. Of course, he would receiving another parcel of personal items in the coming days. But that could wait.
He stepped into the corridor, his blue uniform pressed, his boots clicking softly against the deck. The light overhead was pale, almost overly gentle, and he inhaled it as he walked. Having not a single technical bone in his body, Ezra couldn't feel the hum of the engines underfoot. But he knew they existed and that was reassuring enough. He adjusted the strap of his pack--a slim one today, carrying nothing more than a data PADD and a small notebook--and walked.
The corridor curved. He passed a bank of turbolifts. Around the next corner, a figure emerged: a Bajoran woman. Her long blonde hair and bright blue eyes brought Ezra out of his reverie. And the early-morning bustle barely seemed to touch her. She moved with a quiet certitude, and something about the tilt of her head suggested she already knew where her destination was--as though she had traveled along this trajectory many times previously.
Ezra slowed slightly, noticing her glance and realizing they were heading in the same direction. He didn't speak at first. No need. The corridor was wide enough for two people to share space without touching shoulders. And sometimes, walking in silence was better than trying to fill it with talk.
Lieutenant JG Adalyn O'Rourke's office was just ahead. Ezra had read her file on the way to Bajor: disciplined, compassionate, detail-oriented. She had a reputation for knowing exactly what she needed. And then some. Ezra felt a small, contained thrill. Finally, someone who understood that listening was as much work as speaking.
Today Kaida felt that she had lived an entire lifetime inside her head. She was accustomed to having conversations with herself, as a former investigator she often worked things through in her mind but this level of distraction was quite a bit different. She hadn't even noticed anyone in the corridor and she might have died of embarrassment if someone had noticed that her lips were moving ever so slightly, a sure sign that she was talking to herself.
Ezra followed the Bajoran woman's quiet stride, his own boots echoing her rhythm. He wondered if she might also be on her way to see the chief counselor.
Hearing someone approach, Adalyn turned and smiled. Sorine and Ezra had arrived promptly for the scheduled department meeting, which was a good start to their professional relationship. She was still getting to know her assistant chief, and this was Ezra’s first day, but she looked forward to getting to know them both and figuring out how they could best work together as a team. O’Rourke truly loved her work with victims, as well as the investigative nature of forensic psychology, but she knew as a department head, she couldn’t handle the entire workload alone. On a personal level, she would also appreciate having other people around her who could appreciate both the specific nature of their work and what made it so emotionally challenging.
As they reached O'Rourke's office, he leaned in and pressed the door chime. It was at that moment he made eye contact with her and extended an arm--an indication that she should enter before him. She was pretty--strawberry blonde hair tied-back, and luminous blue eyes. He offered her a thin-lipped smile: professional and courteous.
The room smelled lightly of coffee gone lukewarm, and something else--a plant, perhaps. It was then that he spotted a red-haired woman with brilliant blue eyes.
The moment was interrupted by the comm opening.
[Lieutenant Jayasuriya to Lieutenant Sorine. We have a bit of an emergency--please meet me in in the Infirmary.]
Adalyn frowned. She wasn’t a micro manager, but she did wonder what sort of emergency would require her assistant chief rather than herself. “Let me know if you need anything,” was all she said as she watched Sorine depart.
Ezra watched as Sorine apologized and left the office quickly. He turned back to Adalyn and they shared a knowing look--sometimes counselors are in as much demand as medical doctors.
Adalyn gestured to a small conference table adjacent to her desk with three chairs and a sample of pastry and carafes of coffee and tea in the center. The table was unobtrusive, but was an indication that amongst the comfortable seating for counseling sessions, Adalyn‘s office was also a place of strategizing to meet diverse needs. “Please, feel free to make yourselves comfortable and help yourself to some refreshments. I provided various pastries and beverages, but please feel free to use the replicator if there’s something you like, but don’t see. I’d like us to talk business, of course, but I’d also like us to get to know each other.”
The pastry tray caught Ezra's eye, not because he was hungry but because it suggested thoughtfulness: a host who understood that sometimes people can talk easier with something in their hands. He liked that.
"Thank you," he said, his voice low but soft. He moved toward the table, resting a large hand against the back of the chair but not yet sitting. "It's... good of you to bring us together like this."
"Of course,” Adalyn answered. "I can’t expect us to work as a team if I never talk with you and get to know you. We have an important role to play here and it’s important. We know how to divide and conquer."
Ezra finally sat, the chair creaking a little under his weight. He folded his hands, the way he always did when unsure what to do with them, and let the conversation drift around him a moment. The light in O'Rourke's office had a nice warmth to it, and Bajor through the viewport only strengthened that feeling for Ezra.
"I've read several preliminary case summaries," he said finally. "There's more work than hours in a typical day. But we'll manage." His tone wasn't boastful, it was simply pragmatic, maybe even a little reverent. "The kind of stories people bring to this office deserve more than a form or a file."
Adalyn nodded. “I agree. Since you bring a fresh pair of eyes to the department, is there anything in those preliminary reports that stands out to you? Or perhaps you have suggestions for how we could better tackle the workload before us?“
Ezra took a slow breath, nodding while she spoke. He liked the way she said divide and conquer--it carried a muted authority that felt genuine.
"I appreciate that," he said. "It's good to have a sense of direction before the work starts running away from us."
He looked up at her, the faintest of smiles softening his tone. "I should mention though--my caseload won't really overlap with forensic pathology nor the day-to-day counseling of the crew. Victim advocacy sits a bit to side of that. I tend to work with those affected by crimes or traumatic incidents under investigation--civilian or Starfleet--helping them navigate hearing, prepare testimony, that sort of thing. I don't... treat--or investigate--exactly. I'm a... guide."
The large-framed man paused, gauging her expression. "That said, when there is overlap--should you need a different set of eyes in your profiling--I'm here for you. It's simply imperative that--officially--I stay firmly on the side of the victims. If my name were to appear as an investigative source, it could undermine any potential prosecution."
He sat back slightly, folding his hands again. "All that said being said, Adalyn, I'm not here to build walls. We are a team and I know we will see some crossover."
"I appreciate your commitment to collaboration and your dedication to maintaining clear boundaries where required to support the survivors you serve," O'Rourke replied with a nod. "You may not be aware of this, but victim advocate is one of the many hats I've worn in my career, so you have an ally when it comes to the ethical complexities of your work. I do not intend to micromanage the team, of course, but as you said, there will be crossover in all of our duties, so we're going to have to be comfortable talking through issues proactively and with an eye toward problem solving. There's no denying you will be in a trusted position for the traumatized people you support, people who are witnesses as much as they are survivors, which means they have an important role to play in the pursuit of justice, if they so choose. Regardless of whether they choose to fully participate, our support to them should never be conditional. As I mentioned, I’ve served in your role throughout my career and I hope you won’t mind if I partner with you and roll up my sleeves from time to time when duties allow. Serving trauma survivors has always been my passion.“
Ezra regarded her for a moment and nodded once. "That means a lot," he said quietly. "Having someone who understands--it changes everything."
He paused, his thumb massaging the ball of his knuckle. "I think you and I will make a good team, Adalyn. You strike me as someone who listens between the words."
Adalyn sensed there was perhaps more Ezra could say and she was tempted to inquire more about what he meant when he said her response changed everything, but she resisted the urge for the time being. She didn't want to turn what was meant to be a department meeting into a therapy session for him, or even give the appearance of one. Besides, he may have just been referring to past professional experiences, in which case, such commiseration could wait for later. She smiled when he shared his impression of her. "I suppose I wouldn't be much of a therapist if I couldn't see beyond the spoken word, but I thank you for the compliment," she added with a nod of her head. "Would you like some time to familiarize yourself with the current case and then we can reconvene, or do you have any plans or concerns you'd like to discuss now?"
Ezra nodded. "No, we can jump right in whenever you're ready."
He reached for the mug of tea that had gone lukewarm. Across from him, a data PADD sat before Adalyn, likely the current case. The tone between them shifted slightly--calm but collegial. Outside the viewport, Bajor glowed, a warm planet rising against the cold dark of space, while inside the small office two people began the work of sifting through human damage--its roots, how it spreads, and what little can be done to keep it small.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Junior Grade Adalyn O'Rourke
Ship's Counselor/Profiler, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Ezra Van Wijnbergen
Victim Advocate Counselor, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
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