Disclaimer # 1: Star Trek Voyager and all of its characters
are the property of Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended.
Disclaimer # 2: No actual shuttles were damaged in the making of this story.
Author's Note: Seema's fault. Again. Was there any ever doubt? Written for
her latest challenge, details of which are given at the close of this story.*
Time frame: early seventh season
Life Support
by Rocky
Someone was stroking her hair, gently, rhythmically. Janeway thought she
detected a low crooning noise as well. Opening her eyes to the familiar confines
of Sickbay, she saw Chakotay sitting next to her.
"I see I'm not the only one who crashes shuttles," he said with a grin.
"You can't pin this one on me," she retorted, thinking back to the accident.
"I wasn't at the navigation controls; Ensign Bristow was." She struggled
to sit up, glancing around as she did so. "How is he?"
"A couple of bruised ribs, but otherwise he's fine," Chakotay said, easing
her back on the biobed. "The Doctor has already treated and released him.
You're the one who took the full brunt of the console explosion."
Fighting a wave of dizziness, she lay back down. "How soon can I get out
of here?"
Chakotay took her hand in his. Its warmth was comforting. "The Doctor wants
to keep you under observation for another 12 hours before releasing you to
your quarters."
"My quarters?" she asked. She gave a quick shake of her head. "When can I
go back on duty?"
"You'll have to ask him that," Chakotay said carefully, "but he did say something
about taking a few days off."
"That's ridiculous," she said. "I can't afford to spend time just lazing
around--"
"It's called recovering, not lazing--"
"--when there's so much work to be done!" she finished in exasperation.
"Take it easy, Kathryn," he said soothingly. "It's all right. Everything's
being taken care of."
"Oh, really," she said. The Captain pushed herself up on one elbow. "Did
we recover the remains of the shuttle?'
"Yes, we tractored it in and a study is underway now to determine what caused
the system overload."
She thought for a moment. "What about the report on the EPS relays?"
"B'Elanna submitted it to me and I approved her recommendations for the upgrades."
"Seven said Astrometrics detected a region of unusual subspace turbulence
directly ahead, 5.6 light years across--"
"Caused by the rapid decay of a gas giant. A course correction has been computed
and laid in, and as it turns out, the new route actually shaves a few hundred
light years off our journey and brings us within range of a class-M planet
where we can replenish our supplies."
Her mouth tightened. "The personnel reports for the last quarter--"
"Already completed."
"The Doctor's request for additional computer resources--"
"Did that."
"A level four diagnostic of the sensors--"
"Completed as well."
"The latest datastream from the Alpha Quadrant?"
"On your desk, with official communiqués arranged in decreasing level
of importance and your personal messages in a separate folder."
"Tuvok's next security drill--"
"Planned for tomorrow morning."
Janeway made one last attempt. "Carpet cleaning?"
He flashed her a smile. "Underway as we speak."
"You think of everything, don't you?" she grumbled.
"I try." He looked at her for a long moment. "Your ship's in good hands,
Kathryn," he said softly.
"Yes, I suppose it is," she said. He released her hand and rose. As he turned
to leave, she added quietly, "And so am I."
FINIS
*Challenge: Have one character express his or her love without actually using
the words "I love you"--in any language.
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