Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Star Trek Voyager. The rights to those characters and to the show belong to the creators of the show and Paramount.

Tummy Ache

"Oouf."

Kathryn could barely move. Each time she tried, her stomach rolled, sending a wave of nausea and pain that made it hard to breathe, let alone concentrate.

Her stomach had started bothering her during alpha shift and she had to excuse herself to her ready room before the pain became noticeable to those around her, especially to Chakotay. He had a knack for knowing when she didn't feel well, and she really didn't need him to mettle right now, or rather she did, but she couldn't allow it. She felt so horrible, however, that even those walls were crumbling. The pain in her stomach made it hard to sit, but lying down made her feel the need to throw up, and she was to the point that there was nothing left in her stomach to expel. She had run out of ideas, except for one: going to see the doctor, which wasn't an option. She hated sickbay.

Lying flat on her back, she attempted to massage and press on her abdomen, trying to relieve some of the pressure and pain. She had scanned herself and saw that none of her internal organs were malfunctioning, but that her stomach was producing larger amounts of acid than normal, in an effort to reject the meager meal and copious amounts of coffee she had consumed that day. Satisfied that this wasn't going to kill her, she almost replicated herself a hypo, when she thought about how much replicator energy each one of those took, and decided against it. She would wait it out just as her ancestors had done, for thousands of years, and besides that, she reminded herself, she was definitely not going to sickbay. Which is exactly what she would be forced to do if the doctor caught her replicating a hypo.

She groaned again as the pain intensified, and she cursed whatever gods of food were causing her so much agony. She felt like dying, or perhaps using Besty on some unsuspecting crewmen, that is if she could walk that far. Tears streaked silently down her cheeks, and she tried in vain to adjust her position on the couch. Finally with a whimper, she stilled her movement and stared at the bowl she had replicated to house the after effects of her sickness. She was sweating now, probably half from the pain and half from the exertion of vomiting. She wasn't sure when this would be over, but she hoped she would fall asleep before it could get any worse.

Thirty-five minutes later, she whimpered again, sleep had been elusive, and the pain and nausea had not abated. She was beginning to wonder whether this was a combination of food poisoning and something else, as she had heard that on ancient Earth, the flu was quite a common illness, with symptoms that sometimes mirrored her own. She wished now for her mother, seventy-thousand lightyears away. Gretchen Janeway had always known what to do when her girls were sick, and knew how to take care of Kathryn even if her oldest daughter had refused anyone's help. " Right now, thought Kathryn, she would be pressing a cool cloth to my head, while laying a warm water bottle across my stomach. What I wouldn't give for someone to do that for me now. "

Time passed slowly for Kathryn, as she lay there for yet another hour, again praying for temporary oblivion to give her respite. She was contemplating calling Tuvok and explaining the situation to her logical friend, knowing that he could provide her with advice. She was slowly reaching to tap her commbadge, when the door chime sounded. Trying her best to screw her features into her captain's mask, she bid them come.

As it happened, the fates she had been entreating to for release either liked her, or really ,really hated her, because as the occupant stepped from the doorframe and into the room, she caught the faint scent of Chakotay's aftershave.

"Damn," she sighed.

"Kathryn?" Chakotay called, forgetting protocol for the moment. He had seen her face as she had taken off from the bridge. He knew she had tried to hide it from him, but he could easily see the pain etched in her features, as she had shut herself away. He had heard her whimpers but immediately after, Tuvok had requested to speak to him, and he had spent the next hour going over security protocols for the next mission. Now he was here and wasn't going to leave until she stopped making the noise that made his chest feel like a cardassian soldier had stepped on it.

"I do not require your presence, Commander."

"I'll leave as son as you stop whimpering."

"I wasn't whimpering, captains don't whimper."

"Then what was that the entire bridge heard an hour ago?"

Kathryn flushed and turned her back to him, knowing that eventually he would grow frustrated and leave. Then she could pull herself together and return to the bridge. As she turned, however, her stomach lurched and she cried out uncontrollably. Chakotay was at her side, calling her name as she rode the wave of pain. As it subsided, she slowly turned to look at him, to tell him she was fine, but all that escaped from her lips was a choked, "Chakotay."

"What hurts, Sweetheart?"

Her eyes flew to his, communicating all he needed to know, as he stared at her, his feelings in his eyes. Gently, he then stroked her hair as he carefully removed her hands from where they lay across her abdomen and slid his palm underneath her shirts, laying it against her skin and letting the warmth permeate her body before caressing the tight muscles under his fingers.

His gentle rubbing of her stomach was making her feel cherished and safe…, but no less queasy. She could feel the bile rising again and turned toward him to warn him…too late

She threw up, all over his uniform, soaking it through and making damn sure he'd have to recycle it.

Without missing a beat, he gently rolled her onto her back again, removed his vomit-covered jacket and began stroking her hair once more. After a few moments, he asked with his eyes and touch whether she wanted him to continue with his massage and she nodded, both knowing she would probably throw up on him again either way.

As his fingers caressed her tummy once more, she turned her tired eyes to his and whispered, "I love you Chakotay.", for the first time.

"I love you too Kathryn,"

I would appreciate any and all feedback, so please feel free to review. :)

Corinna