Even with her eyes closed, Janeway could tell the blood was flowing again.

She didn't need to see to be able to identify the warm stickiness spreading outward from the wound in her lower leg. In her light-headed state, she could almost imagine the blood vessels pumping out her life force in rhythm with the throbbing in her calf. Chiding herself for her weakness, she opened her eyes and tried to force herself into a sitting position to better assess the damage.

"Captain," admonished a voice next to her. "You should not move."

Tuvok's features slowly came into focus, above the gold blur that was his uniform. Either she was delirious, or Tuvok definitely wore an expression of concern.

"My leg," she got out through gritted teeth. "How bad is it?"

"The injury would appear to be more severe than we had originally thought," he answered. "The rate of bleeding has increased. Your attempts to use the leg after being wounded---"

"They were firing on us, Tuvok!" she said in exasperation, but inwardly was grateful for the distraction his words presented. "One minute we're standing in the public square, being formally greeted by the Tzur Grand Council, the next we're in the middle of a battle, complete with explosions and weapons fire. What did you expect me to do?"

He didn't answer her directly. "Are you in a great deal of pain, Captain?"

"Hurts like hell," Janeway admitted, and closed her eyes once more. She heard the sound of ripping cloth, then felt him fumbling at her leg. "What are you doing?"

"I am applying a tourniquet to control the bleeding." Tuvok finished wrapping the cloth around her leg, then surveyed his handiwork. "Is it too tight?"

"It's fine." She slowly relaxed as the pain subsided a little and looked around the debris-filled hallway, past the opening of the dilapidated building where they'd taken refuge.

Without thinking, she reached for her comm badge and winced in remembrance when her fingers met only bare cloth. She'd lost the device in the initial confusion following the attack, but fortunately, Tuvok still had his. "Have you been able to contact the ship yet?"

He shook his head. "Either our signals are being jammed, or Voyager is out of communications range."

Janeway nodded. A communications blackout, imposed by whichever faction was controlling the capital city, made sense under the current chaotic conditions. Additionally, it was very likely that the attack on the planet surface had coincided with a battle in space; following Starfleet protocols, Voyager would have immediately moved out of weapons range and would not return for a minimum of six hours. Either way, she and Tuvok--all that were left of the away team now--were on their own.

Time for Plan B. She cocked her head toward the entrance, ignoring another wave of dizziness. "Any sign of soldiers out there? Either government troops or the rebels?"

"I have not seen or heard anything for the last 2.3 hours, Captain," Tuvok answered. At her confused look, he added, "You have been unconscious for some time."

"I guess so," she muttered. "The last thing I remember is you dragging me through the doorway." She shifted position and tried to look at her leg once more. The tourniquet had slowed the flow of blood to a trickle. With any luck, it would soon stop completely. She held out her hand. "Help me up."

"Captain?"

Janeway paused, preparatory to shifting her weight to her uninjured leg. "I said, help me up."

"I do not think that is wise," Tuvok said gravely. He made no move to take her hand.

"What do you expect me to do, Tuvok? We can't stay here. Ensign Taylor is already dead," Janeway said, referring to the other member of their landing party. Her lip trembled as she thought of the young woman, cut down in her prime, but the captain forced herself to continue. "We're damn lucky we're still alive and haven't been discovered by the rebels. Yet. But it's only a matter of time." She ran a weary hand through her matted hair and repeated, "We can't stay here."

Tuvok's lips tightened, but conceding to the logic of her argument, he grasped both of her arms beneath the elbow. Holding on to him for support, Janeway attempted to stand. She made it all the way upright, though not without difficulty. Her triumph was short-lived as she almost immediately swayed, then felt the leg crumple beneath her.

Tuvok caught her and gently eased her back into a sitting position. Janeway mumbled a few imprecations under her breath. The pain in her leg had increased exponentially, and her head swam. Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to regain control, and when the dizziness subsided, looked at Tuvok more closely. He hadn't emerged entirely unscathed from the events on the planet surface either. A prominent bruise covered his left temple and lines of weariness were visible in his face. Janeway wondered if he had the strength to cope with her in her current condition.

"All right," she said. She ran her tongue over her dry lips; what she wouldn't give right now for a drink of water. "I guess I'm not going anywhere for a while. You'll have to go without me." At his questioning look, she added. "To the outskirts of the city. Get past the jamming zone. Try to make contact with the ship."

This time his disapproval was evident. "It is not advisable to leave you, Captain. Night is falling, and the temperature is dropping rapidly--"

"Exactly," she said, ignoring his protest and her own accompanying stab of surprise. She had never known Tuvok to disobey a direct order before. "Under cover of darkness is your best bet. Just try to avoid running into any of the rebel forces. Because we're here at the government's invitation, the rebels probably view us as the enemy." That was a major understatement, she thought idly, then focused on the problem at hand, namely convincing her stubborn security chief to abandon her.

"Captain, in your condition--"

Janeway cut him off once more. "Do I have to remind you of your priorities, Commander?" As much as she valued his friendship, that damn loyalty of his was getting in the way. But perhaps she'd be able to make it work to her advantage. She leaned forward, her eyes intent on his. "Voyager needs you; you have to get back to the ship." She took another deep breath. "It doesn't make sense for both of us to die here."

Tuvok was silent for a long moment. "Very well, Captain. I will endeavor to bring back help."

So much for the much vaunted Vulcan inability to lie. They both knew it was a polite fiction; the chances were she'd be dead by morning, either from discovery by the rebel forces, or from losing too much blood. Or infection--she already felt the beginnings of a fever, and fought to keep herself from shaking.

Tuvok removed his jacket and tucked it firmly around her. "I will return as soon as I can."

The last echoes of Tuvok's footfalls died away, leaving an eerie silence in their wake. Janeway snuggled deeper into his jacket, grateful for its warmth. The empty, cavernous hall was as dark as the street outside, the only illumination some faint moonlight streaming in the partially blocked window. From her vantage point, she was unable to see outside. On the one hand, this increased her chances of remaining concealed; on the other hand, she would have no advance warning if any troops did approach and decide to search the building. She consoled herself with the thought that the warehouse, or whatever it was, looked as though it hadn't seen any occupants for a long time, even before the explosions had ripped through the main sections of the city.

She sighed. If there had been any indication this planet was on the brink of war, Voyager would never have attempted to open trade negotiations. True, they were low on certain food supplies and the Tzur had a surplus of high quality dilithium and gallicite, but it hadn't been absolutely necessary to stop here. Over the six years of their journey so far, there had been plenty of times they'd made do with much less than what they currently had.

Six years. Had it really only been six years since their encounter with the Caretaker's energy wave? In terms of the struggles they'd been through, the dangers they'd endured, it felt much, much longer. The hope of the first few months, of finding a wormhole or other shortcut to the Alpha Quadrant, had eventually faded, and they'd been faced with the realization that it was going to be a long, hard journey. However, the captain had never for a moment allowed herself to doubt that one day they would make it back, and she'd made sure the crew knew it as well. She'd promised them that they'd get home, and they trusted her to keep her word.

But now it looked as though she wouldn't be there to see the end of the story after all. Janeway tried to crush down the automatic wave of despair, but it was a losing battle. She never thought her part would end like this, on some godforsaken planet in the middle of the Delta Quadrant. She'd always said she'd get the ship home or die trying. Now it looked as though she was going to die, all right, but without accomplishing her goal.

Would the ship be able to make it home without her? She almost laughed then, at her own egotism. She wasn't indispensable. She hadn't single-handedly been responsible for their continued survival up till now, nor would her death automatically lengthen the odds on Voyager's eventual return to the Alpha Quadrant. Chakotay was more than up to the task of being captain, especially with the support of Tuvok and the rest of the officers. They'd manage just fine without her.

Yes, they'd manage, but still, she'd like to get back home, see her family and friends again…even if it meant being called on the carpet by Starfleet command, asked to explain some of her more questionable decisions out here in the Delta Quadrant.

Janeway sighed once more, and tried to shift to a more comfortable position. She found the silence outside increasingly disturbing. A sense of dread gripped her, and to dispel it, she forced her thoughts back to Voyager's eventual homecoming. She called up the images of the family she'd left behind, the loved ones she hadn't seen for so long, and tried to envision what it would be like to be reunited with them. Of course, things must have changed during the intervening years; she would be the first to admit that in some ways it would be like greeting strangers. Her family couldn't be expected to understand the experiences in the Delta Quadrant, the mark they'd left on everyone from Voyager.

With some surprise, she suddenly realized that there were those on the ship she also counted among her 'family.' Starting with Tuvok, who'd served with her the longest. And Chakotay, Seven, Tom, Harry, B'Elanna…all of the senior staff, in fact. It was impossible to go through even a fraction of what they'd gone through together without forming ties, ties that were just as binding as those between blood kin. But now it appeared she'd be leaving her Voyager family behind as well. Once again, it would be without the chance to say goodbye.

Tears threatened then, but Janeway gave herself a mental shake. No. She wasn't going to do this to herself, spend her remaining time wallowing in self-pity. She scolded herself for giving up, reminding herself that one of the hallmarks of being a starship captain is that you don't give up. She held onto that thought.

She must have eventually dozed off, because a sudden noise snapped her to full alertness. Her only indication of the passage of time was the patch of moonlight on the floor, shifted since the last time she'd looked.

She tensed as she heard the noise again. It sounded like approaching footsteps. Tuvok? Had he returned for her after all? Her hope was dashed as she realized there were too many footfalls for just a single person.

A harsh voice echoed in the darkness, very close by. "Molok! Azor! Take a few men and secure the area!"

Soldiers. She couldn't see them, couldn't tell which side they were on--friend or foe. One thing for certain, she dared not remain here much longer if she wanted to avoid detection. The sounds of marching feet came closer. Any moment now, the soldiers would enter her building.

She raised herself up on her elbows and peered at her leg. It no longer throbbed but felt completely numb below the knee. She was only aware of an overwhelming sense of pressure, and a quick glance downward told her why. The tourniquet had inexplicably gotten tighter. Under the makeshift bandage, the flesh was swollen, angry-looking. Blood poisoning. Her breath caught in her throat.

All right. As the Klingons would say, today was a good day to die. But she would choose the manner in which she would go; she wouldn't lie here helplessly waiting for death to come to her.

After checking to make sure her phaser was still secured to her side, Janeway slowly and painfully began crawling forward. One meter, then another, then another after that. Her idea was to get further into the building, find a niche that was less exposed.

It wasn't easy. Her wounded leg felt like an enormous deadweight holding her down. She couldn't use it at all, could only drag it behind her. Every now and then a sharp jolt of pain rushed through her. Her elbows and knees protested the rough treatment, but she pushed herself onward. Sweat ran into her eyes, her breath was coming in gasps. Despite the pain, she forced herself to keep going, knowing she couldn't curl up in a ball and wait for the inevitable to come to her. She'd keep moving if it killed her.

She had gotten nearly to the other side of the vast chamber, an area swathed in deep shadows, when she heard the harsh voice once more.

"Anything?"

"A corpse, just outside the entrance," answered a second voice, higher pitched than the first. Janeway tensed. They must have discovered Taylor's body.

"One of ours, Molok?" Harsh Voice demanded. "Or one of those cursed b'zona?"

"Neither," answered Molok. "An offworlder. From the looks of it, she didn't die too long ago."

Harsh Voice considered this. "Where there's one, there's probably more--"

"I found a blood trail, sir!" interrupted a third voice.

"Let me see," said Harsh Voice. More footsteps. Janeway pressed herself against the wall, trying to take up as little space as possible. "It leads off toward the interior of the building." A searchlight swept a broad arc across the floor, came agonizingly close to her hiding place.

"There's definitely someone else nearby," said Molok, a note of excitement in his voice. "Shall we search the rest of the building?"

There was silence for a moment.

"No," said Harsh Voice at last. "From the amount of blood, whoever it was is probably dead by now. At any rate, they don't pose a threat to us. Let's move on."

The sound of marching feet could be heard again, this time going away. Janeway let out her breath with a shudder.

The struggle to move had depleted her last reserves of energy. Janeway tightened her grip on her phaser, and tried to force herself to remain conscious, but it was no use. With a last regretful thought of having failed to see her mission through, she gave herself up to the darkness.

The first thing Janeway was aware of was a bright light, almost blinding in its intensity. She screwed up her eyes against the onslaught. Had she been captured and this was some form of torture? Or was she dead and experiencing the afterlife so many people had spoken of?

Both theories were dispelled almost immediately when she heard the voice of Voyager's Doctor. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Captain."

Slowly her vision cleared, and she took in the familiar surroundings. "Am I in Sickbay?"

"Yes. We beamed you and Commander Tuvok directly here a little over 12 hours ago."

Tuvok--had he been wounded, too? She tried to lift her head, but the Doctor was immediately at her side, forcing her to lie down once more. "Easy, Captain. The Commander is fine. Aside from exhaustion and a mild case of dehydration, Tuvok only incurred a few minor abrasions and lacerations. You, on the other hand, lost a great deal of blood. You were unconscious when Tuvok led us to you."

"Led you to me? I don't understand," she began, then stopped as she tried to recall the chain of events on the planet surface. Something about ordering Tuvok to leave her, all the while sure she'd never see him again, with pain interlaced throughout. She moved her leg gingerly, and suddenly, full memory flooded back. "You mean he came back for me, after contacting the ship."

"He certainly did," answered the Doctor, checking her readings again. He frowned slightly. "He was in a rather weakened state himself, but was very insistent that he be included in the rescue mission. The jamming device on the planet surface was interfering with our sensors. Tuvok claimed he knew exactly where to find you, and was concerned that if we attempted to locate you by your biosignature alone, it would be too late."

Janeway opened her mouth to ask another question, but stopped when she heard the hiss of a hypospray. "Enough talking for now, Captain," the Doctor said. "You need to rest."

Janeway looked around her quarters and smiled. It felt good to be home once more. She didn't think she could have taken another minute of being cooped up in Sickbay. Apparently the Doctor agreed, or so she inferred from his muttered comments about captains making the worst patients.

She had just picked up her coffee cup and was reaching for one of the PADDS on the table when the door signal sounded.

"Come in," she called.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you, Captain," said Tuvok, standing in the doorway.

"Not at all," she answered with a pleased smile. "Please come in and sit down."

The Vulcan security officer took a few steps further into the room, although he remained standing. "I stopped by Sickbay earlier, and the Doctor told me he had given you a 'clean bill of health' and released you to your quarters."

She made a face. "He told me the same thing, but I'm still off active duty until the beginning of next week."

Tuvok eyed the stack of PADDS at her side. "So I see," he commented dryly.

The captain gave him a look. "Don't you start. Chakotay gave me the same lecture about taking it easy when he was here earlier. He assured me he's most capable of taking care of my ship for a little while longer." Janeway's lips twitched briefly, as she remembered how close she had come to permanently consigning Voyager to his hands. Her voice softened. "I'm glad you stopped by."

"I was told you wished to speak with me."

"I do. I want to thank you for coming back for me, on Tzur."

Tuvok shifted uncomfortably, as ill at ease as she'd ever seen him. "There is no need to thank me, Captain."

"Yes, there is," she insisted quietly. "Once you got past the perimeter of the communications blockade and contacted the ship, you should have gone immediately to Sickbay. But you didn't. The Doctor told me how you insisted on being part of the rescue effort."

"It was more efficient; I knew where to find you and was able to lead the team directly to you. Time was of the essence, as the situation on the planet was still extremely unstable."

"Yes, I know. I read the reports." Janeway put down her coffee cup and studied him for a long moment.. "You're going to stand there and tell me it was just a question of efficiency?"

"No, there was an additional reason as well." He paused. "I gave you my word that I would return."

She was touched. "Yes, but those were just words. I didn't believe you would actually come back."

"How could you believe I would abandon you, Captain?" She was about to answer, but Tuvok's next words forestalled her response. "Your presence is crucial to the success of our mission. It was the logical thing to do."

"We both know that's not entirely true, Tuvok--"

"In my opinion, as well as those of the crew, it is."

She was about to argue, but changed her mind. In his own way, he was acknowledging the ties between them. "Thank you for your vote of confidence, my friend. I should have known you would come through for me."

Tuvok inclined his head, and she thought she caught a flash of emotion in his eyes. "I will see you on the bridge, Captain, when you are fully recovered. Good night."

"Good night, Tuvok." Janeway watched him go, and then turned back to her reports.

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