Back to Therapy

[Cathul Thuku]

"Admiral, I have received a bizarre request: someone seemed to wish to make an appointment with you to undergo... therapy" a staff officer reported to Cathul on Alderaan, which was the staging area for the force that left to Myrkr.

"I left therapy because I was a bad, very bad therapist, but to be frank, I had my heart in the right place. What kind of patient would be willing to take a risk on me? Has there been enough distance between that malpractice case and now for anyone, Mando or not, to even take that risk? And I don't even want to get into the nitty-gritty of legal liability"

It has been four years now that she ceased practicing therapy, after a high-profile malpractice case. In four short years she was able to take up the command of one of the major naval commands of the Alliance, the one responsible for medvac. The main reason why she didn't deploy on Myrkr was that she was so busy dealing with the troubles in the Core, which began on Alderaan and where most of her medvac units were stationed, and Corellia, where the heaviest fighting took place. Not to mention Coruscant First causing security headaches, with possibly a major corruption scandal erupting. High Command has been hit-and-miss when it comes to using me as a fleet-in-being. After the stuff happening on Myrkr, it's entirely possible there could be political fallout for the use the Supreme Commander made of the Vindicator more than for the ship itself, that is, a rather questionable strike at Myrkr despite the attack being provoked, thanks to Mando actions dating as far back as GE-Dagobah. Maybe performing therapy could prove a break from that sort of item, even though I know it won't last very long, she thought, while pondering [member="Sebastian Thel"]'s request before responding to it.

------------------------------------

ATTN: Sebastian Thel

While you understand that no single therapist will fit every patient, you have to see something special in me to consider going to see me for your therapeutical needs, especially since I ceased practicing therapy for four years. Nevertheless, if you're still willing to retain my services, free of charge, I might be available at the field headquarters on Alderaan in four days' time.

Attachment: Coordinates of the field headquarters

Adm. Cathul Thuku
Commanding officer, Therapy Command

------------------------------------

 

[Sebastian Thel]

Sitting on a public shuttle en route to Alderaan, Sebastian tapped away on a datapad, all the while holding his breath for as long as he could before exhaling. He had never considered seeking help before, until one of his university professors suggested therapy. Due to his common habit of running away, no therapist he had found agreed to take him in, until Vereshin mentioned the name of an Alliance doctor who had treated him

"Admiral Thuku.

Thank you for accepting my request. I have had difficulty finding a therapist who would schedule an appointment with me, as I become anxious if I stay in the same place for too long.
One of my colleagues, who is a former patient of yours, recommended you for treating my social anxiety.

I am making the trip from Coruscant to Alderaan and will see you in four day's time.

- Sebastian Thel"

Sebastian tapped into the datapad as the shuttle took off. He took a breath before hitting the "send" button and looked over his shoulder to see if any of the other passengers were reading the screen. "That's stupid." He thought as he sent the message, his habitual mistrust playing up again. Having always looked out for others who were more vulnerable than himself, he always thought of himself as self-sufficient and independent, unless a situation involved talking to people he did not know.

Leaning against the window, he watched the stars soar beyond the thick pane as the shuttle entered hyperspace. He wondered about this Cathul and what could possibly have happened to cause her to quit practicing therapy altogether. Up until his professor had intervened, Sebastian had been too insecure to willingly ask for help and had not accepted that therapy might actually be beneficial.

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

Was that patient... a Mando that has now gone back to school? Or someone else in whom I cured some physical affliction? Now, if anxiety about staying in one place for too long is part of the symptoms for which that patient is consulting me, it could be a number of things, depending on whether it's dependent on a characteristic of a location, or situation, that could make the patient afraid of being in one place for too long, it may affect the diagnosis and, from there, treatments, she thought, while reading the response and also realizing that there could have been more than one patient that could possibly been in touch with [member="Sebastian Thel"]. To be fair, there was still much medical work to do for Therapy Command, especially around New Aldera, New Crevasse and Juranno, although other regions were now receiving assistance. Hence why she gave him four days of lead time. Once he arrived at the field headquarters in New Aldera, he would realize that the place around the triage camp was slowly being cleaned up and survivors were still being found underneath the rubble, with medical attention being given to each of them. As a result, many patients were in beds all around him as he checked in at the lobby.

"Sebastian Thel has arrived" the triage nurse commed to Cathul.

"Send him in"

 

[Sebastian Thel]

Four Days Later

Sebastian arrived at the entrance of the field headquarters on Alderaan. Soldiers of the Galactic Alliance stood on either side of the gate and passed him by as he made his way to the door. To say that he was nervous was an understatement. He did not know he could possibly open up to somebody about how he felt when he struggled to even speak at all. This was for the best, he told himself, knowing that therapy might assist him in finding more work.

"Yes, I have an appointment with Doctor Thuku." After walking through the main entrance, Sebastian leaned on the desk of the reception. A nurse looked up his name on the computer and directed him to a waiting seat. Stretchers lined the hallways with patients and victims of war while Sebastian held his breath for as long as he could, then released as the seconds ticked over.

"Doctor Thuku will see you now." A nurse looked around the corner and spoke to him. Raising his head in attention, he rose to his feet and followed as she lead him through a corridor. The nurse opened a door and motioned for Sebastian to walk inside.

A plump Twi'lek with creamy, white skin greeted him in the small office. The nurse left and closed the door behind him, leaving Sebastian alone with Cathul. His heart rose into his chest and accelerated at a rapid pace. Sweat gathered on the back of his neck as he tried to control his breathing. He repeated the process of holding his breath for as long as he could, then exhaled and sat down on the lounge against the wall.

"Hello Doctor Thuku." With his back perfectly straight, Sebastian fidgeted with his fingers as he spoke. "I'm not quite sure where I should start." The anxiety of speaking was written all over his posture. "I'm very anxious in social situations, or any situation which involves talking to other people." Taking a breath, Sebastian expressed his thoughts as clearly as he could, combing through his mind for any points he should add. "I'm fine if I'm by myself, but it's very bad whenever I have to work with others." He concluded.

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"You had the courage to actually face the problem in the mirror: getting help is a crucial step towards getting better. Also I had to say it to many a patient I had when I was treating Mandos, and I have to tell that to you: getting help is a sign of strength"

She could definitely feel that something was off in [member="Sebastian Thel"], such as fidgeting and also a heightened heart rate, but by themselves they weren't the end of the story. She would need to be asking more questions to get to the bottom of the matter. Coping mechanisms, fears, and their origins: all of those ingredients come into play when trying to come up with a diagnosis and a treatment plan thereafter. Yes, I am aware that, in the first 90 seconds, people tended to make an impression that they generally keep to themselves, she thought. In her mind, maybe some traumatic event came into play much earlier in the patient's life, long before he even started getting help in the first place. To be fair, perhaps part of the patient's social upbringing could have exacerbated the problem, too. From her past experience, it was not uncommon for Mandos to feel as if they would be perceived as weak if they actually underwent therapy, so perhaps she could be led to ask about whether there is anything in the patient's home culture that might contribute to their fears, more than simply traumatic events in the patient's history. There were just so many possibilities, and she couldn't help but feel how different the treatment plan would be depending on the answers.

"I'm here to help you out. Perhaps you are afraid of being judged negatively, or humiliated, or perhaps you are afraid of others noticing your anxiety. In short, what makes you anxious about social situations?"