Lieutenant Commander Drewe Reed
Name Drewe Taylor Reed
Position Counselor
Rank Lieutenant Commander
Character Information
| Gender | Female | |
| Species | Human | |
| Age | 36 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5'9" | |
| Weight | 140 lbs. | |
| Hair Color | Brown | |
| Eye Color | Brown | |
| Physical Description | Drewe is tall, somewhat curvy, and does the minimum she can to stay in shape. While she likes to look her best, she isn’t particularly interested in dressing to attract the attention of the opposite sex. She dresses off-duty more for comfort than style, and keeps her brown hair short, so it is easier to manage. |
Family
| Spouse | None | |
| Children | None | |
| Father | Alexander Graham Reed | |
| Mother | Johannah Taylor-Reed | |
| Brother(s) | None | |
| Sister(s) | None | |
| Other Family | None |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Growing up, Drewe kept a lot of her personal emotional turmoil to herself. She was often so busy studying or working, she didn’t have time to get too upset with her parents or to acknowledge just how lonely she was. She kept her eye on the prize, and outwardly, appeared outgoing and forgiving of her parents’ “cerebral quirks.” As she grew older, she became more rebellious -- smoking, drinking, and doing almost anything for a good time. Now away from home and with more time to build an independent life for herself, she has begun to appreciate how difficult it must have been for her parents to raise a child and accept that their daughter was rejecting their way of life. Drewe is more forgiving and patient than she once was, but also more reserved and withdrawn at times when she thinks about her family. She still grieves the loss of her parents, but hasn’t lost her warmth or sense of empathy that has made a successful doctor and counselor. |
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| Strengths & Weaknesses | If her mother and father had taken the time to notice, both of them would appreciate their daughter had become a skilled diagnostician and clinician for solving medical and “people” problems, just as they had learned to address mechanical or scientific ones. Drewe’s true strength lies in reading people and empathizing with others. Over time, she eventually learned how to balance being a boss with being a doctor, though she'd be the first to say she doesn't like the role of taskmaster. As long as others put their patients first and show common decency and respect, she has a "live and let live" leadership style. Her sense of empathy can also be a weakness at times because it can cloud her sense of objectivity. She struggles with being herself occasionally because she can still hear her parents’ voices in her head telling her not to be so emotional. Drewe's other vices, cigarettes and bourbon, are for celebrations or particularly trying days, but on any given day, she'll tell you she is going to quit. |
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| Ambitions | In the past, all Drewe’s ambitions were purely professional. Achieving rank and position, while not her sole focus, became the markers by which she measured success. She had also hoped that in achieving rank and position, she would eventually earn the acceptance and admiration of her parents. Now, she takes more time to appreciate the work itself, and what it means to have helped each person she works with. She also would like to find someone to share her life with and to be a mother, something she was inherently taught to devalue as a child. |
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| Hobbies & Interests | Drew will read anything she can get her hands on, especially anything related to her profession. She also takes any opportunity she can to surround herself with people, as she hates brooding by herself. | |
| Languages | Federation Standard (English), Klingon, some Bajoran and Cardassian |
| Personal History | Growing up, Drewe Taylor Reed always knew she had been born into the wrong family in San Francisco, CA, on earth. For as long as she can remember, her parents, Alexander and Johannah, an engineering and science consultant for Starfleet, respectively, loved to tell anyone who inquired about their “miscalculated” pregnancy. Even more amusing than that, they believed, was the story of how after nine months of pregnancy, their future son – their future Andrew Taylor—was born a daughter, whom they stubbornly named Drewe, partially named after her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Andrew and Johannah were the first to admit they never planned to be parents, and they weren’t exactly warm, nurturing people. Her mother, ever the scientist, treated her pregnancy and her daughter more like a project, someone to discover, and her father, disappointed that his dream for a son had not been realized, treated her like a son, when he regarded her at all. Drewe always knew they loved her in their own ways, but the older she became, the more she realized how smart, and yet socially inept, her parents were. Drewe was what her parents always called soft—sensitive, concerned about other people’s feelings, and more curious about people than things. Drewe’s parents believed in gaining knowledge for knowledge’s sake, and only begrudgingly worked for Starfleet to support themselves. They resented Starfleet’s militaristic structure, and made no secret of the fact their daughter was not to be associated with Starfleet under any circumstances. Although they never expressly told her they expected her to follow in their footsteps, as a young girl, Drewe received the most praise and attention whenever she showed an interest in her parents’ work. Naturally, Drewe made every effort to please them and hang on to the attention she was starved for, and though it took many painful hours of study, the bright girl was on her way to proving she could be a brilliant engineer like her father. By the time she was a teenager, however, Drewe was tired of trying to be a person she knew she could never be. As she gained more independence and discovered more about herself, she realized her true calling was to be a healer. Drewe kept this specific realization to herself for many years, but began to pull away from engineering, and from her father’s perspective, she began to pull away from him as well. Her mother, who began to believe her daughter’s change of heart might lead her to a career in the “hard” sciences like herself, came to Drewe’s defense at first. Her daughter’s intelligence and seemingly insatiable curiosity about the world around her, she reasoned, would serve her well as a scientist. All the time spent socializing and being concerned about the welfare of the people around her was considered immaturity and a lack of focus as far as her parents were concerned. Given their lack of understanding and willingness to see her for who she really was all her life, it came as no shock to Drewe to discover her parents “didn’t understand” her decision to pursue a career in medicine. She also expected her parents to disapprove of her decision to join Starfleet, but to this day, she never realized she could feel any more emotionally distant from her parents than she already was. For the four years she attended Starfleet Academy and the four years she attended Starfleet Medical, Drewe exchanged curt letters and the occasional communiqué with her parents. Drewe knew she wanted to be a healer, but it took her some time to figure out what area of medicine interested her most. Looking for an opportunity that allowed her to work closely with people, it was perhaps no surprise Drewe found herself drawn to nursing, and eventually midwifery. Midwives exemplified what it meant to attend to a person’s whole being – emotionally as well as physically - during an important and most celebrated time in a family’s life. Drewe loved the challenges associated with her work, and as she became more knowledgeable about the psychological factors which influenced healthy pregnancies and births, Drewe wanted to learn more. Professors encouraged her to further her medical education as a means to explore her interests and to also make her more employable within Starfleet. Desiring to offer more than just general expertise in psychopharmacology and therapy, Drewe chose to specialize in forensic psychiatry and trauma therapy, becoming adept at profiling, assisting with interviews and interrogations, providing psychological and competency assessments, and offering therapeutic and emotional support to survivors of traumatic experiences. Her decision to pursue psychiatry further disappointed her parents, who didn’t respect or attempt to understand such touchy-feely and inexact work. Over the years, the three made some strides toward growing closer, as Drewe worked hard to prove herself, but her parents, particularly her father, wasn’t shy about his disappointment and his desire for her to come home and make a more simple life for herself. It became a very old argument and contact between she and her parents became more sporadic, eventually ceasing altogether. Drewe served aboard the medical ship the USS Caduceus for two years after completing her residency in psychiatry. She enjoyed working with other medical professionals like herself, and she learned a great deal about staying cool under pressure. Her ability to critically evaluate complex situations under pressure without losing her care and concern for people was attractive to the JAG office on Starbase Chapman. Often tasked to investigate incidents concerning higher ranking officers, the senior JAG personnel came to rely on Drewe to not only render medical and psychiatric opinions, but to offer counsel and medical assistance to individuals and entire crews in need. Drewe refused to "diagnose and run" and she became particularly skilled at helping crews deal with the traumas that proceeded JAG intervention in the first place. Despite the satisfaction she received working with different crews and moving from new challenge to new challenge, eventually Drewe longed to settle into a posting for longer than a couple of years. When the posting aboard the Ark Royale was announced, Starfleet felt it a perfect fit given Reed's desires and the high turnover of medical personnel aboard the Ark Royale. For the year she was there, Drewe enjoyed putting down roots and getting a feel for serving aboard a starship charged with a variety of missions designed to support Starfleet's commitment to protect and discover. Having previously served in highly specialized settings with a variety of personnel, serving on the Ark was an opportunity to practice frontier medicine and to learn how to think on her feet outside of an ER. Her CO, however, made no secret of the fact he couldn't guarantee an opportunity for her to advance aboard the Ark, given the CMO's commitment to stay until "they're ready to shoot me out an airlock." While Drewe admired and respected her boss' commitment and Drewe hated to leave, they both agreed they didn't want to see Drewe's career stall. When Drewe learned of the Chief Psychiatrist posting aboard the USS Nightingale, she knew it was the perfect opportunity to use her crisis management skills as a doctor and mental health professional. Drewe loved her time aboard the Nightingale and would have been content to stay there. The CMO, however, said she saw great potential in Drewe and encouraged her to apply for the USS Elysium. With its extensive medical facilities and teaching opportunities, Drewe saw the Elysium as the opportunity to take what she loved to the next level. A year into its mission, the Elysium was recalled back to Earth and Drewe was once again looking for a new and challenging opportunity. The brass at Starfleet Medical was happy to oblige by choosing Drewe as one of their representatives. Tasked with traveling to ships and bases to offer short or long-term assistance to crews in need, whether because of a recent traumatic event or chronic turn-over, her superiors believed Reed had just the right skills to objectively assess and respond to specific concerns. Her first assignment will be Starbase 332. |
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| Service Record | 2371- 2375: Starfleet Academy, Pre-Medicine Student 2375 - 2377: Starfleet Medical Academy, Certified Nurse Midwife 2377 - 2379: Starfleet Medical Academy, Psychiatry 2379 - 2381: Starfleet Medical Academy/Psychiatric Residency 2381 - 2383: Staff Psychiatrist/Medical Officer, USS Caduceus 2383 - 2285: Forensic Psychiatrist/Medical Officer, Starfleet JAG, Starbase Chapman 2385 - 2386: Chief Psychiatrist/Medical Officer, USS Ark Royale 2386 - 2388: Chief Psychiatrist/Medical Officer, USS Nightingale 2388 – 2389: Chief Psychiatrist, USS Elysium Present: Acting Chief Counselor, Starbase 332 |