TimeOut [Part 22]

by ALM_Voyager

The doctor was running his medical tricorder up and down over Kathryn's tired body. She was fighting to get up from the table, delirious, and groaning in pain. "Broken collarbone, internal bleeding, massive bruising . . . five broken ribs?!?" The doctor was practically shouting. "And the list goes on . . . . Kes! I need that hypospray fast."

"I'm . . I'm coming," Kes stammered and moved forward but, filled with fear, dropped the hypospray on the floor. "I'm sorry doctor . . ."

"Kes," The doctor moved towards her and put a gentle hand on the shaking woman's shoulder, "perhaps it'd be better if you didn't assist."

"No, I . ." she started to protest but the doctor went on.

"It's alright to walk away from this. You're too close to the Captain . . . I need someone who will have a clear mind during the surgery."

Kes' dropped her face, which was slowly being covered in freshly shed tears, "I'll get Tom."

"No!" Chakotay exclaimed.

"I beg your pardon?" The doctor was confused.

"Let me. The Captain would want to keep this as private as possible." He was stroking Kathryn's hair gently, moving stray strands away from her feverish forehead, "please."

"Very well, your role will be minor anyhow," the doctor frowned and moved forward. He picked up the hypospray from the floor and moved it towards the Captain's neck. "I'll need three C-Cs of . . ." he was saying as he moved towards his patient but was pushed backwards onto the ground as Kathryn leapt up and screamed.

"Damn you! There's no reason to this!!!! Chakotay, where are you?! Where?!?!" Her body riveted with every word she yelled and Chakotay moved forward to take her in his arms.

"Kathryn! Stop it!" She fought him with what little strength was left in her abused body, "You're safe! Shhh, you're safe," slowly the yelling stopped and the doctor looked on as the Commander held his Captain's small form, whispering words of comfort against her muffled sobs. He could heal the physical wounds . . . . but what about the emotional scars that would all to quickly form?

Twenty-two hours later, Chakotay was still sitting in sickbay, by the Captain's biobed, holding her limp hand. Word had spread fast about Kathryn's condition and the crew was edgy, filled with anxiety, and 'ready to explode' as Paris had stated it. Chakotay had put Tom in charge of keeping crew gossip at a low-level. He knew if anyone held a hand in the gossip arena it was Tom. Chakotay sighed with that thought . . . Kathryn was such a private person . . . she would not take well to her crew knowing what had happened or the condition she was in.

He knew she would feel responsible for the crew having to end their shoreleave early . . . as insane as that sounded . . . but that was Kathryn. His mind flew in circles . . . trying to cover every bit of ground he could in order to be ready for when she woke up . . . . when she woke up . . . . he missed those blue eyes . . . .those blue eyes . . . .why was his head so heavy . . . his mind was slowing down . . . 'is that me snoring?' he thought and was startled awake suddenly as his communicator chirped.

"Paris to Chakotay," the voice made Chakotay's body fling up in the doctor's desk chair that he had moved to be beside Kathryn. Unfortunately it was a very versatile chair and Chakotay found himself rolling backwards, from his startled movement, across the room.

At the same time the sickbay doors opened for B'Elanna and the Doc activated, "Please state the nature of the . ." But the doctor never got to finish as Chakotay and the chair slammed into him. "OOOF!"

"Ow," Chakotay mumbled as B'Elanna's face appeared above his position from the floor.

"Paris to Chakotay?" the communicator chirped again.

"Commander," the doctor's voice was groaning, "get off me! This is sickbay not a circus!"

"Chakotay?" B'Elanna questioned.

"Chakotay?" Tom's voice asked *again, irritated.

"Commander!!!" The Doctor yelled.

"WHHHHAAAAAAAT! What do you all want??!! Trying to drive me insane? Don't you realize I'm doing the best I can do!? She's over there dying for all I . . . ." he stopped and breathed and raised himself up off of the doctor . . . "for all I know . . ." he looked at B'Elanna and the EMH and sighed, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," B'Elanna said.

The doctor sniffed snootily, "speak for yourself." The sickbay doors swished open and an irritated, but confused, Paris entered. The doctor rolled his eyes, "Splendid, another addition to our WWF activities."

"I heard you Paris," Chakotay said before the Pilot could question. "What is it?" He erected a privacy screen around Kathryn's biobed and then rolled the chair quietly over to its rightful place to the desk.

"Uh, I just thought you might want to know that Harry has been in the brig for almost a day and a half now." Paris smirked.

"Let me guess," Chakotay sneered, "Tuvok."

"Yep," Paris said.

"Chakotay to the brig," he hit his combadge.

"Brig here, sir." the male voice said.

"Release Ensign Kim," he said, his voice noticeably holding a tired edge to it.

"Thank GOD!" Came a joyful, Ensign's cry from the background.

"So," Tom turned towards Chakotay, "how is the Captain?"

"She's healing . . . . the doctor is letting her sleep . . . she should wake up in another hour or so . . . but don't expect to see her on the bridge anytime soon. I'll change the duty rosters as soon as . ."

"Chakotay," Tom laid his hand on the man's shoulder, "don't worry about it."

Chakotay nodded, "Send my thanks to the crew." He settled in for another night by Kathryn's side.

Where In the JC Universe do you want to go next?

Part 23 of TIMEOUT
JC NOVELLAS by ALM_Voyager

Email: ALMcKenzie@aol.com