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Kathryn Janeway sat in her readyroom struggling to keep her mind focused on the duty rosters stacked on her desk. She sighed and laid down the Engineering report in her hand and winced at the growing pains threatening an explosion in her skull. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed at her temples; the pain abated after a few minutes, and she picked up the paad again with a look of resignation.
The door chimed, and Chakotay came in bearing yet another paad in hand. She quickly donned her Captain's mask and greeted him.
"Sorry, Captain," he apologized, "I don't suppose you want another one at the moment?"
"You suppose correctly, Commander," she sighed, accepting his report. "But I might as well get them all done now."
He replied something, but she wasn't listening. Her fingertips pressed against her temple sharply and were as white as her face had become, eyes squeezed shut and lips suddenly thin and drawn tightly.
"Are you alright, Kathryn?" Chakotay asked in concern. "Are your headaches getting worse?"
She kept her head still as she answered quietly, "Yes. They only keep coming, and none of the traditional remedies seem to work."
"Have you seen the doctor about them?"
"He's been working on something that doesn't help, and he said to hail him if they become unbearable. So I'm rather on my own."
"Perhaps he's made progress, or can give you another booster. Perhaps you should go back down there," he prompted gently.
"After I'm done here. What is it you were saying?"
"I was noting that neither of us has eaten since 0700 hours, and was suggesting that you have dinner with me," he offered with a smile. "Maybe your mind needs a break and a chance to relax."
She looked up at him and ceased rubbing at the suggestion.
"I'd like that," she replied, returning his smile gratefully.
"Good," he was interrupted by her commbadge.
"Captain," Ensign Kim's voice came through calmly, with the hint of a child eager to please. Chakotay smiled at the thought. He supposed Harry wasn't the only one who thought upon Kathryn Janeway with the adoration of an eager to please child. Paris had been trying hard for the past year, after the incident with the thirty-day suspension and demotion. Seven would never admit it, but the way she behaved with Kathryn was suggestive of a child's interaction with its mother, arguing and reasoning and finding her boundries. Neelix- yes, he definitely tried very hard to please her… he'd fixed Welsh rabbit especially for her every few weeks after Q's visit. That thought made him smile more; Kathryn had invited him to join her for dinner one evening for some Welsh rabbit, and she had confessed that she didn't have the heart to tell Neelix that it required a real rabbit and good old Earth seasonings, and far fewer Talaxian stewed tomatoes. He focused on the present again.
"We will be within viewing distance of the supernova in four minutes, Captain," Harry was saying. "I thought you might want to see it…"
"Good. Thank you, Mr. Kim, for letting me know. I'll be there shortly," she responded.
"Aye, Captain. Bridge out."
Well, there goes seeing the doctor, Chakotay thought to himself. He knew she wouldn't miss this for the world.
Chakotay followed her out on to the bridge moments later, and Janeway immediately requested the data to be sent to her console and for the main viewer to be activated. Everyone soon concentrated on the main screen as the time for the spectacle drew nearer.
Captain Janeway found that she could not focus her eyes on the readings as the seconds ticked away, her skull exuding shock waves that could shake Voyager, she thought painfully. Her eyes widened then closed suddenly in a numb manner, then she slumped a little in her chair and blacked out.
Kathryn's eyes immediately snapped open, and in a moment she became very aware of having blacked out on her bridge; she nearly panicked as she looked around discreetly looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Thankfully, she saw everyone was still gawking over the remnants of the supernova. She had been out a few moments only. She breathed a sigh of relief, earning her a glance from Chakotay. He leaned in closer.
"Are you alright?" he asked with concern in a hushed tone, "you look a little pale- headaches bothering you again?"
"Yes, I'm fine…" she replied a bit detachedly, trying to dismiss his concerns quickly and quietly.
"Captain," Tuvok's voice came from the back of the bridge, "I believe you wished me to remind you of your appointment to speak with the Doctor about the upcoming crew reports."
She looked back at him and knew instinctively that he had noticed; her annoyance faded as quickly as it had come- she was grateful that he had commented discreetly. He was probably right, anyway.
"Yes, I was just on my way. Thank you for reminding me, Tuvok," she said after a vague moment. She turned toward the turbolift, ignoring the curious look Chakotay gave her.
"Captain, I-"
She didn't turn around as she stepped into the lift, but instead was trying very hard not to appear agitated and nervous. The doors had nearly closed before she said distantly, "You have the bridge, Commander."
Chakotay frowned to himself when she left, but had refrained from asking her what was wrong in front of her senior staff. She had acted rather strangely, as if unnerved by something, and he hadn't been the only one of the senior bridge officers to notice it. But he was the only one that knew that Tuvok had lied about the duty reports and wondered why Kathryn had gone along with it so eagerly when it was Chakotay's custom to compile the reports himself- they were his responsibility and weren't scheduled for another few days, anyway. It would have been a perfect excuse, because none of the others knew how the two of them had worked it out between them. He wondered whether she had really gone to Sickbay- and then it dawned upon him that perhaps she was having a worse time with her headaches than he had thought. Chakotay's brow furrowed as he realized that he had been so absorbed with the nova that he hadn't looked away from it during the whole display- probably all the others had been preoccupied as well, and missed something. But perhaps Tuvok had known, and seen her distress. Suddenly the commonplace headaches unsettled him; Kathryn was the only one to suffer from them… he waited for her to return as he turned the thing over moodily in his mind.
Kathryn Janeway sat on the edge of the biobed while the Doctor scanned her. She fidgeted nervously with her fingers, explaining in short bursts while she waited for the Doctor to finish examining her.
"I- I blacked out on the bridge just now," she explained curtly, apprehension thick in her voice. "You're familiar with my medical file. This isn't- right…"
He interrupted her uncharacteristically frayed voice.
"Captain, slow down a minute," he told her kindly, then paused for a moment, unsure how to proceed.
"Say it." Her voice was deceptively authoritative.
"The diagnostic shows positive results. I want to run a series of tests to be certain, and you'll need to stay here for a while longer." He watched as she squeezed her eyes shut, signaling another attack; he quickly set down his tricorder to press a hypospray to her neck, and held her limp body steady. He settled her on the biobed, face etched with sadness.
"Computer medical log, stardate 1466.37: I have diagnosed Captain Kathryn Janeway with inherited early symptoms of Grayle's Disorder. Testing will show progression stages; I am concerned that the Captain's condition has deteriorated so very rapidly. The fact that she did not comment to me about any symptoms is not so unusual, but when she awakens I will make a full inquiry to find out exactly what has sped up the process so significantly. End log."
He looked down at the troubled face of his unconscious patient- eyes shut tightly with the memory of a headache and one arm clasped limply across her chest.
The Doctor sighed and began to get ready for the first of the neural tests he wanted to run- if only he could find something.
He just had to find some good news fast.