Sick Day by Yael

J/C, PG

Disclaimer - belongs to Paramount.

Author's note - I know, I know. I'm sure the doc would have a nice little cure for the flu, but I decided that if I have to suffer the flu, so does Kathryn. And I even kept it J/C. Right Sylvia? Bwhahaha.

**************************

I woke up to feel the immediate pain of a headache. It was going to be one of those days. Just as I slipped out of the bed, brushing my gown down, the nausea wave hit me. It was going to be one of *those* days. I took the first step towards the bathroom. Every single muscle in my body hurt. Muscle spasms were the least of my problems. I could hardly stand. Somehow I managed to dress myself in my uniform. Somehow I managed to step out of my quarters and head towards the turbolift. I didn’t even think of going to the bridge. It was straight to sickbay.

I bumped head on into Chakotay. I guess by the way I looked, or just because he knows me, he saw that something was wrong.

“Kathryn?” He asked, grabbing me when I almost fell. I think I muttered something like, ‘sickbay,’ and collapsed.

The next thing I remember was the blue light of the sickbay ceiling. Since I know he didn’t carry me all through the ship to sickbay, I assume he called for an emergency transport. Tom Paris, the Doctor and Chakotay were standing near me. The Doctor must have woken me with a hypospray….

“Kathryn?” It must have been Chakotay, since no one else calls me by my first name, but it certainly didn’t sound like him.

“What happened, Captain?” The Doctor. I somehow managed to tell them what happened, because Tom Paris then applied a hypospray to my neck, saying that it’ll help me sleep.

When I woke up again, I was still in sickbay. And it wasn’t very long after Tom applied the hypospray either. I called out to one of the three of them, or I just made a sound that was supposed to be Chakotay’s name. All three were looking down at me again.

“That didn’t work well, Doc,” Tom said.

“It’s just a simple flu, but like I told Ensign Parsons two days ago, it’s better to let it pass through rather then treat it with a hypospray.” The Doctor said with a nod of his head, or what seemed like a nod of his head to me.

“How long would it take?” It must have been Chakotay.

“No more than a day or so, and it’s nothing to worry about.” I remember the Doctor explaining that there was no reason to hold me in sickbay, I’d be more comfortable in my own quarters but someone has to stay with me.

Chakotay probably said he’d do it because I remember Tom objecting to it and saying that a certain commander had to be on the bridge. They decided on shifts, each one of the senior officers would stay with me, switching between themselves in intervals of three hours until I recovered.

“Kathryn?” Chakotay again. “We’re going to transport you to your quarters now, okay? We’re going to sedate you now.”

I must have let them know it was okay, a nod of my head, or some other gesture, maybe something only Chakotay could understand, I don’t know, because then I felt the cold touch of a hypospray to my neck, I heard the hiss, and my eyes were closed.

When I woke again, I was in my quarters, in my bed, wearing my uniform tanktop and the trousers.

“Captain? How are you feeling?” It was hard to recognize the voice, but I recognized the face. Harry.

~*~

When she woke up, I was relieved. I was in the main room while she was in the bedroom. I’ve been there for a while, almost two and a half hours. Tom would be there to take my place in less then thirty minutes. Chakotay beamed with her into her quarters. Tom followed, collecting me on the way.

“Special mission for you, Ensign.” He said. So we went into the Captain’s quarters, I was briefed by Chakotay on the situation. He gave me a medkit, told me to use it only if absolutely necessary. He undressed her, kept her in her uniform tanktop and trousers.

“If she wakes up, make sure she drinks something, and ask her if she wants to change into something more comfortable.” Chakotay instructed. He showed me her nightgown, said he’ll leave it on the bed next to her so it’s easier for her to reach it. The concern on his face was evident. When he left, I could see that he didn’t want to leave and wished he could stay there the whole day.

I heard her move in her bed, I heard her moan. Every time I heard something I was up on my feet and by her in seconds, but she never woke. I wet her forehead with a cloth that I replicated. My mother always did that for me. She would also chant something in Chinese but I never learned what it was.

I knew it was nothing to be worried about, just an old twentieth century flu that you could get from just about anything. Although they had treated that and knew what caused it now, there were still cases around the world. Not as many as there were in the past, but there were a few.

I worked on my Ops report while I was watching over her. The Doctor called in to see how she was doing, and Chakotay called in as well. In fact, he called in every thirty minutes, on the clock.

When he got to the bridge earlier, they called me from the briefing room, explained what would go on. Every three hours we were to cover a shift in her quarters. We each had work to do and we each wanted to do it, but we also wanted to be with the Captain. Even Seven showed interest in watching over the Captain.

The Doctor explained to the rest of them the same things Chakotay explained to me. Make her as comfortable as possible, offer her something to drink every time she wakes up. Let her sleep as much as possible, don’t force her to eat, answer her basic questions about ship’s business, tell her over and over again that her crew can manage itself with her for a day or two.

“Because you all know she’s going to get worried about the ship when she wakes up,” The Doctor said. I guess we all know her pretty well to know that’s how she would react. Chakotay said that if she doesn’t ask about the ship, we should start worrying.

So when I heard her moan again, I was by her side in seconds. This time she was awake.

“Captain? How are you feeling?” I asked, wetting her forehead again. She groaned in response.

“Have something to drink, Captain,” I offered her a cup of tea, it’s good for the throat. “It’s important that you drink a lot. Do you want hot soup or something?”

“No, Harry, how’s the ship?” She sat up and looked at me, I could see a bit of the healthy captain in her eyes, hidden under the heavy lashes of the sick Captain.

“Everything is fine. We’re floating along at warp six.” I told her. “Do you want to get into something more comfortable than your uniform?” I asked her, hoping that I wouldn’t have to help her do it.

She nodded.

“Can you manage yourself or do you need help?” She gestured to the nightgown and I passed it to her. Then she pointed to the door and smiled weakly.

“I’ll manage.” She said. I smiled and left the room.

She called me again after a few moments. She looked so tired, like putting on that gown drained her of all her energy. I made her sip some of the tea then she slipped back into the bed and I covered her.

“Next time you wake up someone else’s going to be here.” I told her as I covered her. I think she was already asleep.

I returned to the living area just when the door bell rang and Tuvok stepped in.

“Ensign.”

“I thought Tom was next,” I said as I gathered up my things.

“Mr. Paris is quite busy at the helm.” I wondered what that means, how hard is it to drive a ship anyway, and I know Tom wanted to be here… But I didn’t question him.

~*~

“Ensign, how is the Captain?” I asked Mr. Kim. An updated report about the Captain’s condition would make watching her easier.

“She just woke up a few minutes ago, sipped some tea, asked about the ship, changed into her nightgown. She should be more comfortable now.” Ensign Kim gathered his belongings, a few PADDs which I assume are his reports, due with Commander Chakotay in a few hours.

“Thank you.” He nodded and left.

I checked the Captain in her bedroom before retiring to the living area to do my own reports. She was asleep, her breathing labored and I assumed that it was because her esophagus is blocked. Continuing with Mr. Kim’s earlier ministrations, I applied the wet cloth to her forehead and left it there.

I left the Captain’s bedroom and sat in the main room with the Security reports. I, like Mr. Kim, have to report this to Commander Chakotay by 1500 hours today. I suspect that he plans on reading them while he is here, watching over the Captain, but I do not believe he will. As logical as that would be, Chakotay would not be able to concentrate on his work for reasons that are not understood to me. He is worried about the captain, as the rest of us are, but I believe he is worried about her as his friend more than as his Captain.

I was contacted by Chakotay three times. The first he asked about the security rounds, the second he asked about the fight between two crewmembers at the Sandrine program several nights ago. I assumed, since we have taken care of the incident several days ago, that the commander only wanted to know the Captain’s condition. The third time he contacted me, he asked me specifically how she was doing. It was much more logical to approach the subject like that than hide it behind the false pretenses of a fight that had been taken care of several days earlier.

The Doctor visited the Captain once, scanning her and assuring me that she was well. It was 1445 when the Doctor arrived, closely followed by Mr. Neelix who was to watch the Captain next. I left the Captain’s quarters and returned to my duties.

~*~

She was so pale! The Doctor assured me it was normal for a human to be pale while they’re sick but I was not quite used to seeing Captain Janeway pale and sick in bed. In fact, I never have seen her like that.

The crew has heard about the Captain’s illness quite earlier, when Harry was here to watch her. When he visited the mess hall after his time with the Captain he was surrounded by crewmembers who were curious about the Captain’s conditions. Naomi even drew a picture for the Captain. She gave it to Commander Chakotay so he can give it to the Captain when he sees her later this evening.

Commander Chakotay. We cannot say that he hasn’t been performing his job as first officer and acting captain, because he has. But only half his heart, and half his attention are put into his work. I guess that’s driven from the fact that we are in a quiet region of space. Had we been in danger, I’m sure his full attention would be on the problem at hand. But right now, the problem at hand is the captain, his friend, who is sick.

He promised to take several crewmembers’ messages to the Captain, and he made himself available to the crew even more than he usually is so they can talk to him if they feel the need to. Many approached him too, asking about her, about him.

But she was so pale! Mr. Tuvok told me that she hadn’t awakened when he was there and therefore I should expect that she will awake while I am here. Offer her something to drink, make sure she feels comfortable, and call the Doctor if needed. He may not show it, and he might be hiding his concern for the captain behind that Vulcan face of his, but it is quite evident that he is concerned and worried for her health as much as the rest of us are.

After the Doctor left, assuring me that she was doing well and that her system was battling the flu quite well and is well on her way into recovery, I programmed her replicator to provide me with a special bland of Talaxian medicine. It tastes like tea and is quite good in fact. It has just a twist of leola root, and that’s what gives it its special taste.

Just as Mr. Tuvok said, she woke up about an hour and a half into my stay. During that time I read a PADD with a book, working on my Klingon history so I can be of assistance to the newborn of the Paris family.

She showed up at the doorframe between her bedroom and her quarters. “Neelix,” she said, “Drink. Liquid….” She almost fell, her knees buckled. Good thing I was close enough to catch her. I led her back to the bed.

“Don’t move, you’re not strong enough. I’ll get you something to drink,” and so I replicated her the Talaxian Mystery Medicine Drink and gave it to her.

She couldn’t drink it. She said it tasted horrible. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it. I replicated a cup of regular tea for her, hot liquid with some honey that would be good for her throat. She thanked me, said she appreciates all the help from all of us. Then she asked me when Chakotay was watching her.

“He’ll be here around 2000 hours, Captain. I believe he’ll be here for four hours. After him, B’Elanna will watch you for several hours, then Seven, and by then you should feel much better.”

“Thank you Neelix…” She was already sleeping.

I have never seen the strong Captain Janeway so weak in my life. Nor do I ever want to see it again. She was so frail, for the first time in a long time it occurred to me that she is more than a captain. She’s also a human.

When my shift ended, Tom came by to replace me.

“How bad is it?” He asked.

~*~

“How bad is it?” I asked Neelix as he opened the door.

“She looks like a ghost, and she isn’t much stronger, but she drank, and she complained about my special Talaxian medicine drink, so I assume she is getting stronger. The Doctor assured me that she is.” Our expert Talaxian friend. Always knows what to say and how to make us understand.

“Thanks Neelix.” I said as he collected his Special Talaxian Medicine recipe and disappeared.

Being the Doctor’s nurse, I scanned her over with the medical tricorder that I brought with me. Her fever was lower, but still high enough. She was sweating, which is good, gets the flu out of you. When I scanned her she woke for a second, said she was too thirsty to drink. I gave her some coffee. I don’t know why they say coffee isn’t just as good as tea. Well, it was good enough for her, seemed to give her the strength she lacked before.

She sent me to the main room to wait, said she needed a few moments alone. When she came out, she was wearing a robe over her nightgown. She fumbled her way towards me.

“Am I allowed to eat anything?” She asked, rubbing her face, sitting down slowly. I could tell that every single muscle in her body still hurt her like she told us earlier.

“Yes, of course you are. What would you like?” I asked her with a slight smile.

“Anything recommended by the Doctor?” Oh god, I’ve never seen her so weak in my life.

“Well soup is good. My mother always gave me chicken soup with noodles when I was sick. It helps you relax and puts you right back to sleep.” She nodded and I replicated one bowl for her. I helped her sit at the table and sat with her as she ate. She wanted to know about the ship and how the crew was doing, and she wanted me to let them know she was fine and getting over this and never to expect to see her like that again.

When she finished eating, I helped her back into her bed. It was exactly like Harry told me before – she does one little thing and it’s like all the energy is drained out of her. So I had to support her all the way to her bed, and then I covered her, and wished her the best of dreams.

I never ever in my life want to see her like that again. It’s not the Captain Janeway we all know. She was so different. So pale. I know, I’ve always noticed how her skin’s paler than everyone else’s, but that’s the Irish heritage she has in her, but being the pale skinned person she is usually, one can imagine just how pale she is when she’s sick, and it’s not a pretty sight.

To my surprise, Chakotay hadn’t called in to check on her every thirty minutes like the others said he did with them. I wonder if it’s because he trusts me, or because he realized that he’d be the first to know if anything happened. Maybe it’s both. God knows we both got over that little thing we had back in the Maquis. We may not be best buddies, but we’re better friends than we were seven years ago.

B’Elanna called in to see how I was doing, if the Captain wasn’t draining me. Actually she called to see how the Captain was doing, but it was a nice opportunity to talk to my wife, since I wouldn’t be seeing her later that evening. She was going to spend three hours here, with the Captain, during the night. Right after Chakotay’s four hour shift. Why he got an hour more with the Captain, I don’t know, but it’s probably because of the special relationship those two have. He hasn’t exactly been himself today.

Anyway, B’Elanna told me he’s going crazy and dying to be there with her already so if I could cut my shift short half an hour…

Next thing I know, Chakotay is at the door.

“Is everything okay?” He asked.

~*~

“Is everything okay?”

Tom nodded, whispered a shhh at me to keep it quiet.

“Chakotay?” She even sounded weak.

“I come here to see her and she doesn’t even say hello, she sleeps right through it. You come here and she wakes up with the first word you say,” Tom smirks at me.

“Have fun,” he said. “And don’t worry, she’s doing better already.”

I shook my head at him and went straight into the bedroom. She was laying there in the center of the bed and her eyes are closer, her hair sprawled around her, but I knew she was awake.

“Kathryn?” I asked, and slowly she lifted her hand. I took it mine. “How are you feeling?” I asked her.

“Like Voyager landed on my body.” She groaned.

“Are you thirsty?” I asked her and I sat down next to her on the bed, putting the cup of water that sat there to her lips. I held her head up, and she drank.

“How long are you staying, Chakotay?” she asked when I put the glass away. I could see the color starting to appear on her pale cheeks again. Her lips were red as blood.

“Four and a half hours. I can stay more if you want.” I wanted to stay, I really did. I wanted to stay the whole night and day to make sure she was all right and getting better.

But she decided to ignore me. “You look tired.” She said instead. “Finally understanding the burden of command?” The chuckle that followed cheered me up. She was getting better if she was laughing, even if only a little.

I smiled back at her, not sure what she wanted to hear as an answer. I could have told her I had promised her I’d do it, but I didn’t think it was the right time.

“How’s my crew doing?” She asked quietly. I could see her eyes closing slowly, but I knew she wasn’t asleep. She was awake, and as lame as it sounds, she was resting her eyes.

“They’re worried about their sick Captain,” I smiled. “They miss you. Naomi drew this for you,” I passed the piece of paper Naomi had given me earlier to Kathryn. She took it and as she did her fingers brushed mine. They were cold.

“I can hardly see it,” she said. “My eyes are watery.” She complained as I pulled the blanket higher on her body and threw another one on top.

“Derived from having a flu,” I assured her, “nothing to worry about.” She snuggled into the covers.

“What’s on it?” She asked, gesturing to the picture that now lay on her stomach, atop the covers.

“Us, the senior officers together at her birthday party, standing on the bridge around Tom as he let her helm the ship. She’s got quite the artistic hand.” I was still looking at the picture but I could feel her eyes on me. “She got the tattoo so perfect…”

I don’t know why she was looking at me. She wasn’t staring… She was just looking, like she was trying to learn every curve on my face.

“Thank her for me tomorrow,” she said.

“You can thank her in person tomorrow.” I answered. She smiled, but it hardly reached her eyes, closed again. The color was draining out of her face and her lips were so red…

“You need to rest, Kathryn, I’m just bothering you now.” I said as I stood up.

She grabbed my hand, held it for a moment. “Thank you, Chakotay.” She said and let go. I don’t know how I resisted the urge to bend down and kiss her, kiss her so that stupid flu will go away and she’ll be well again.

She snuggled into the covers and I moved out of the room. I pulled a chair back in, sat it by her side so I can watch over her. I knew I’d fall asleep after I’d read the reports, I didn’t want to be in the other room is she woke up.

I sat close to the bed, my knee touching the bed. Her hand snuck out from under the covers. She was awake enough to know what she was doing, she let her hand sneak onto my leg, and that’s how she fell asleep. Her breathing became regular and even. She was asleep.

None of the others said that she clung to them as she slept. None of the others felt comfortable enough to sit with her in her bedroom either. I could been a source of assurance to her, that she will be okay and back on duty in a few hours time. Twenty-four, forty-eight, who cares, as long as she was back.

I read the reports, ops and security, and it occurred to me that those reports were probably written in the time the authors spent here, watching over the Captain. Watching over Kathryn. How those PADDs make their way around the ship… One day I’ll mark a PADD secretly, and pass it along in ship’s business, just to see where it goes, and where it will end up. One day, I’ll do that.

I must have been really tired because as soon as those reports were done and signed, I fell asleep. My head hanging low, arms crossed in front of me. Asleep. It didn’t matter that this is the most uncomfortable position one could sleep in. It was near her, and she could wake me if she needed me. That was all that was important. I’ll get a hypospray for the neck pain later.

It was around 2245 when she woke up and I woke up with her moan.

“Dry throat?” I asked and she nodded. I put the water glass to her lips like before, supporting her head with one hand as she sipped at the water. When she indicated she had enough, I put it away.

“Sleep better?” I asked. She shook her head. It wasn’t, it couldn’t have been, since she woke up two hours after she’d fallen asleep.

“You shouldn’t sleep like that.” She whispered. “You’ll hurt your neck.”

“Our Doctor is very capable of taking care of that later, I’m not leaving you now.” How could she even think that?

“I wasn’t suggesting that you leave. I don’t want you to leave. I’m suggesting that you sleep next to me.” Her head was laid back on the pillow, her eyes closed.

I hesitated. Hasn’t that been my dream all these years, to be invited into her bed, in more ways than one? But now that she’s sick…

“I don’t want to be at blame when you need a neck surgery,” she said suddenly, as if she felt my hesitation.

That did it. I pushed the chair back and walked around the bed, kicking my boots off on the way. I managed to get myself out of the uniform jacket, I know from previous experiences that sleeping in it wasn’t too smart of an idea. I crawled in next to her without touching her and fell asleep almost the second my head hit the pillow.

But she woke me up. She snuggled closer to me, buried her face in the crook of my neck. Buried her hands between her chest and mine. I was too tired to think about what would happen tomorrow morning, or rather, when B’Elanna shows up to replace me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her closely to me.

“I waited all day for you to be with me. Every time that door opened I wanted it to be you.” Her words vibrated against the skin on my neck, warmed it.

“What happens tomorrow?” I asked softly. I just had to know….

“That’s for you to know and for me to find out,” she said. It took me a minute to figure it out. She had enough strength in her to say something as twisted as that, she was getting better. And then it occurred to me. It’s for me to know and her find out, meaning I dictate the next step.

I chuckled softly, only to be answered by her even breathing. She was asleep. I let the sleep that consumed her consume me as well.

~*~

I rang the chime sever times. I realized I was late, about ten minutes late, but he’ll forgive me. Tom and I were just hanging out at the bar with Harry and some others, I didn’t realize what time it was until Harry brought up the captain’s condition. We weren’t very happy at the bar, we were there to keep each other’s morale up. I almost ran through the ship, and got there ten minutes late. Chakotay will forgive me.

I rang the chime three, four times, but he didn’t answer. He must be asleep I realized. So I put in the override code and let myself in. He wasn’t on the couch in the living area, he wasn’t anywhere in the living area. So like him. While the others kept their distance, staying on the couch in the living room, he completely forgets about personal space and goes straight through to the Captain’s sleeping area. So like him.

So I tiptoed towards the bedroom and found a chair next to it, where he must have been. It was dark, but I could make out the shape of the furniture in the room. A bed, the chair, a dresser, some pictures, nothing special. There were a few PADDs on the floor next to the chair. I assumed she was in the bed, and I could make out a body in the center of it, covered with three layers of blankets.

He wasn’t there, either. I went back to the living area and looked around. He couldn’t have left her quarters, he wouldn’t do it. Back to her bedroom. I felt kind of strange wandering around in her quarters, and specially in her bedroom. But I had to do it, I had to check if she was all right. I’ll smack her first officer senseless for leaving her like that tomorrow.

I approached her bed, the side where the chair stood, careful not to make too much noise. I could see her hair, she was laying on the side.

“Computer, ten percent illumination,” I whispered. I know ten percent isn’t much but it’s enough to see much, but it’s perfect for what I needed. Make out where she was, see how she was doing, and check out what Chakotay was working on.

I looked at Naomi’s picture for a moment. She has such a good artistic hand, she got the ridges so perfect, and the pregnancy even better. I put the drawing on the table next to the bed and sat on the bed so I can check the captain’s pulse and breathing. Well, she was fine. And she had a nice tattoo laying next to her too. So he didn’t leave after all. He moved in instead.

I scanned her with the tricorder that lay there, found that she was fine, and the fever was getting better. So I just looked at them for a moment. The labored breathing Tom reported she had earlier was gone, she was asleep and breathing quite normally. Chakotay, on the other hand, had this silly smile on his face. It was as if he would open his eyes now and you knew they would be shining. I chucked softly.

There was no point in staying. If she woke up and needed anything, I’m sure she’d rather find him there and not me. And he would know what to do with her better than I ever would.

So smiling fully and happily for the first time, I walked out of the room and called for lights out, and walked out of the Captain’s quarters.

“Torres to Seven of Nine.” I tapped my badge and called.

“Seven here, Lieutenant.”

“Seven, you don’t need to come watch the Captain later.”

“Would you not like me to replace you?” She asked.

“I’m not watching her either, Chakotay said he’s okay with her and will be fine till the morning, so we can both get the proper sleep and regeneration time we would need.” Well, I wasn’t going to tell her I found them in bed together as I was walking down the corridor of Voyager.

“Understood, Lieutenant. Seven out.”

Okay then. I walked back to the holodeck, smiled cheerfully at the others, told them what I just told Seven, and continued cheerfully on to play a few rounds of pool with that husband of mine.

~*~

When I woke up, I was feeling so much better than I had the morning before. I was still a bit weak, I could feel that, but I wasn’t nauseous, and I could stand on my own. Not that I tried to.

I remembered everything from the day before. I remembered every single thing that happened, and I remembered waiting all day for it to be Chakotay’s turn to watch over me, and I certainly remember making him join me on the bed before he hurt himself sleeping on that chair.

He woke up when I moved.

“Thirsty?” he asked and I could see the concern etch onto his forehead.

“I can drink myself, thank you very much,” I chuckled.

“Welcome back to the world of the living,” he said as he reached for the tricorder. I passed it to him, knowing he’d want to scan me and make sure I was really okay.

“Everything as it should be?” I asked.

“Yes.” He smiled. Then his demeanor changed. “B’Elanna?” He called out. “Seven?”

When no voices answered him, he looked worried and sat up in bed, pulling the covers down from both of us.

“B’Elanna must have seen us together and didn’t want to interrupt your beauty sleep, Commander. She probably told Seven not to come either.” I told him. “Actually, I remember her being here, she scanned me, she laughed a little, and she left.”

He dropped back on the bed with a sigh. “Good. Can we go back to sleep? It’s 0400 hours, I’m not on duty for another four hours.”

“What about me?” I asked. Damnit if I’m staying here for another 24 hours like I’m sure the Doctor instructed.

“You have 48 hours off, my dear. Go back to sleep.”

Twenty four hours, forty eight hours, what’s the difference…. I’ll fight him about that later.

I kissed the tip of his nose and snuggled closer to him as he pulled the covers over us and held me tight. The last thing he whispered before he fell asleep was, “I love you.”

~*~

When she came walked into sickbay with Commander Chakotay she looked well. It was about 0800 hours, right before he was supposed to be on duty. What bothered me was that she was in uniform as well.

“I thought I’d given you explicit orders that you are off duty for the next forty eight hours.” I said harshly, but from the look of her, and him, I knew this is one argument I am going to lose.

“I know, I’m hoping you’d cut it down to twenty-four.” She smiled sweetly.

“She really is fine, Doctor. I scanned her this morning.” Chakotay said. It took me a minute to remember that he wasn’t supposed to be with her this morning. Seven was.

“This morning?” I asked. “Well Commander, with all due respect, I am the Doctor.” I said, lifting a medical tricorder up and opening it with one swift movement.

“Of course,” Chakotay grinned. She grinned back at him, and then at me.

“Anything happen that I should know about?” I asked, reading everything from the tricorder, noting that she had no fever, and was perfectly healthy.

“Well, she woke me up at four in the morning and started yelling at me.” Chakotay said.

Captain Janeway looked at him quizzically. “I did not! I only told you I can manage to drink the water myself before you crawled your way all over to get to that tricorder and scan me.”

Crawled? Woke him up at four in the morning? Maybe B’Elanna and Seven didn’t watch her. “Stop. Captain, biobed.” I pointed to the biobed. “Commander, bridge. Now.”

Giving me a weird look, Chakotay approached the Captain as she hopped on the biobed.

To my great surprise, he kissed the tip of her nose, and said, “I’ll see you later.”

She smiled, waved after him, and called out, “I love you too.”

The End

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