Happy #WorldShortStoryDay!
"Captain? lf there's something about my analysis you disagree with ?", the Doctor asks.
"lt's a perfectly sound explanation, Doctor. Very… "She made a long pause. "... scientific." With those words, the Captain of the starship Voyager got out of the chair and left Sickbay. She knew that there was more to it than what the Doctor had just described.
Kathryn went to her quarters, lost in thought. Even though she had been in trance for 39 hours, her body was craving for rest. Kathryn literally fell into her bed. But she couldn't calm down, her thoughts circled about what had happened today. What had that been? Usually, the scientist in her wouldn't settle for less than a scientific explanation. But this time was somehow different. She hadn't even really understood what the EMH had said. And she knew that that just couldn't be. No, Kathryn Janeway had never been religious. But now… She didn't know what to believe. Since she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, Kathryn decided to go to the Mess Hall und drink a tea. She quickly put on her bathrobe and left her quarters. It was late at night anyway, apart from Gamma-shift, no one would be up. So no one would wonder why the Captain was wandering through Voyager's halls in the middle of the night dressed like that.
It was dark in the Mess Hall – of course. But Kathryn managed to find the kitchen anyway. On their last away mission, Neelix had picked up a new herb they had never seen before. But you could make a phenomenal tea with it. It almost tasted like the fruit tea Kathryn's mother always used to make. Both her hands wrapped around the steaming mug, Kathryn went to the corner booth beneath the panorama window. There she sat down and looked out of the window. Kathryn had always been able to find her answers in the stars. She loved to stare out into the stars; she had already been fascinated by the cosmos when she had been a little child. She had always wanted to be able to explain everything, always needed an answer for everything. But this time, even science didn't help her.
Kathryn was so immersed in her thoughts, that she didn't notice someone approaching her. "Captain." She turned, startled. „Chakotay, you scared me!" The Commander had noticed that. „Sorry, but I couldn't sleep. When I came to the Mess Hall, I saw you sitting here. I take it, you can't sleep, either?", he guessed. And he was right. „Yep. On one hand, I'm so tired, I could sleep for days. But on the other hand, I can't stop wondering." „Do you want to talk about it?", Chakotay asked. 'Why not?', Kathryn thought. Chakotay knew a lot about spiritual stuff after all.
"You know, I am still not convinced by the Doctor's explanation of Kes' cure. That still occupies my mind and I am sure that there is more to it. Down there, my whole scientific philosophy was questioned and overthrown. And now, I am so confused." Chakotay had expected something like that. Of course, what had happened on Nechani didn't really agree with science. "Do you know, when people couldn't explain something, they explained it with supernatural entities. But now, where we have explanations, people still believe in the old stuff. Spirituality and science are not mutually exclusive. The answer lies in your heart, only you can find it." Kathryn looked up to him. "Thank you."
"Wait. Why could't you sleep, Chakotay?", Kathryn remembered. She looked at him quizzically. "I was worried today", he admitted. "Worried about you. When you were down there and we didn't hear anything, we were worried sick. And when you insidted on carrying Kes into the Shrine, I thought you had been possessed by an alien entity. I was so scared for you, I feared losing you, too. And then I realized that I can't do this, living without you I mean. I can't imagine a life without you anymore. I need you. I love you." There lips came closer and closer and finally locked.
When Neelix came into the Mess Hall to prepare breakfast for the crew, he wondered who sat there in the corner booth. He approached them and then he saw Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay sleeping on the couch. The Captain was in her pink bathrobe, cuddled against Chakotay's chest, while he had wrapped his arm around her. Neelix chuckled at that sight. But he didn't want to disturb the two any further, so he went to the kitchen. Their secret would be safe with him.