Disclaimer: Paramount clearly owns all the characters. Copyright:Paramount

AN: Apologies for messing with many JC fans favourite episode. Hope you can forgive me. Messages/reviews welcome. Thank you to Photogirl1890 for her typo check. I'm very grateful. I've changed a few tiny things in a couple of places since she checked it, so if there are mistakes, it'll be those...

xxx Prologue xxx

"Sickbay to the Captain. This is the Doctor speaking."

"You've brought us out of stasis. I assume you have news?"

"Yes. Our sensors show your vital signs are normal. How are you feeling?"

The Captain looked over towards Chakotay and Tom, who were both still stretching out their stasis-stiffened limbs, and then she spoke.

"We're fine. How long were we in stasis?"

"A total of seventeen days."

Tom looked up immediately and caught her eye.

"That long?" she asked, clearly surprised, unpleasantly surprised.

"I wanted to exhaust every possibility of finding a cure."

"And?"

"I regret to inform you that I have been unsuccessful. I have not been able to develop a counteragent for the virus and I have no other options to explore."

"What about keeping us in stasis aboard Voyager?" Chakotay suggested.

"Something in the planet's environment is shielding you from the effects of the virus. If you leave, you risk a recurrence of the disease, which would undoubtedly prove fatal. The only option I can think of at the moment is contacting the Vidiians. They have sophisticated medical technology... It's possible they might be able to help."

"We'll take it under advisement, Doctor. Thank you for your efforts. Janeway out."

The Captain turned to Chakotay and Tom, the three of them now standing at arms length from each other to form an equilateral triangle. "What do you think?"

"It's risky." Chakotay replied. "The Vidiians have never shown any willingness to help us. It's more likely they'd attack Voyager and try to harvest body parts from the crew."

Then she looked to Tom, who began immediately.

"I guess that's possible, but have we really exhausted all the other options here?"

"I'm afraid it seems we have, Tom," she said. "Other than the Vidiians that is. We do need to be sure that asking them for help really isn't a possibility."

"Could we live with ourselves, knowing we sent Voyager into that kind of danger?" Chakotay asked, holding her gaze for a long moment.

Well, maybe we could at least debate it a while? thought Tom, I mean, if that really is the only option? But before he could speak, the Captain was already tapping her communicator.

"Janeway to Tuvok."

"I'm here, Captain."

"You must be aware of the Doctor's report."

Tom's mouth went dry and he felt his heartbeat speed up.

"Yes."

"I'm turning over command of the ship to you on a permanent basis. Your orders are to resume a course for the Alpha Quadrant. And regardless of the Doctor's suggestion, you are not to make contact with the Vidiians."

Now why would she go and say a thing like that?

"Captain?" Tom couldn't help himself. He looked towards Chakotay in desperation, hoping to find an ally there, but the first officer was studying his boots. Was Tom really the only one here who wasn't keen on the idea of martyring himself after only about three seconds reflection?! Couldn't they at least discuss it?

"I understand," came the very Vulcan response.

"I'll prepare a message for the crew."

Tom swore under his breath and pinched himself, hoping he'd wake up back in his quarters and this whole nightmare would turn out to be just that.