Beth6787

14 February y

Voyeur

Based on a short scene during the season 2 episode 'Parturition'. Just a bit of naughty J/C Valentine's fun!

Kathryn Janeway signed off the mission report. Hardly a resounding success bearing in mind the objective had been to replenish their rapidly dwindling food reserves but, on the plus side, Neelix and Tom Paris had pulled together when it had counted. The hatchling had survived and the two men seemed to have called a truce and made the first tentative steps towards a new understanding and maybe even the dawning of a friendship : especially if Kes had her way.

Now for the other matter. She had skimmed over the issue on the Bridge, and there were more pressing matters at the time, but she had not forgotten. The Doctor had been caught out eavesdropping on Bridge communications without authority and had accessed the internal security net to instigate a full vid-link with B'Elanna Torres quarters whilst she was taking a sonic shower.

There were instances when this would be allowed. All the latest generation starships had full CCTV coverage of all areas of the ship. These were monitored by security with strict protocol and access restrictions to personnel quarters which could only be overridden by either the Captain or CMO. The Captain, if there was reason to believe that a member of the crew or visitor to the ship was a potential security threat and the Chief Medical Officer in order to monitor patients that had been discharged from sickbay but were still under medical supervision. If the Captain required access the Head of Security would have to counter authorise it. The only person on the entire crew who could single handedly access this highly sensitive data was the CMO.

This would never normally have been an issue because the CMO was a flesh and blood Starfleet Officer with the minimum rank of Lieutenant. Their situation was the first time in Starfleet history that an EMH had held that rank. So the protocols needed changing. It was an oversight on her part that had not even occurred to her before today. And they had been stranded out here for eighteen months already! Just how much 'eavesdropping' had the Doctor been doing? And how much was in no way justified by his role as a physician?

She remembered their conversation over her command chair monitor. If it were not for the fact that he was a holographic computer program she would swear that he had a guilty conscience. How had he phrased his parting shot?... ah yes! "Captain. I'm a Doctor ...not a voyeur."

Well she was about to find out. It would be a busy night going through all the sickbay access logs for the last eighteen months and erasing any inappropriate content but she had no intention of asking anyone else for help. Besides, she had been a guest of the Doctor's on more than one occasion and discharged herself back to her quarters before being signed off as fit to return to duty. So goodness knows how much footage there was of herself!

Once she had purged all the 'inappropriate' files she would instruct Lieutenant Torres to add several layers of command code restrictions so that the Doctor would require the authorisation of two of the three most senior officers to monitor crew quarters. That way, if either she or Commander Chakotay were in need of remote medical supervision, Lieutenant Tuvok would also have to co-sign the orders. She doubted the Doctor would suggest such a measure in all but the most extreme and genuine circumstances!

—

Seven hours later...

It was just after 0300 hours and all that was left were the files relating to herself and Commander Chakotay. Both had led numerous away missions and also been in the thick of the action every time the ship had come under attack. Which was far too frequently bearing in mind that their arrival point in the Delta Quadrant was right in the heart of both Kazon and Vidian space.

So far she had been relieved to see that the Doctor appeared to have, for the most part, only observed crew members for a short interval after they were discharged home to their quarters. Although - as far as she was concerned - the footage should have been deleted unless there were further medical issues requiring the individual to be re-admitted to sickbay. So she had spent most of the night doing just that.

Heading to the replicator she made herself a strong coffee with a shot of whiskey and sat down to watch the footage of herself. Sure enough, sixty five minutes later she was deleting the last of the footage of her struggling in and out of the bath after various crises and emergency patch ups. Was she glad that she had added a shot of 'Dutch courage' to her coffee! Now...to the one she had deliberately left until last...Commander Chakotay's files.

Of course, she could just delete the whole lot, without looking at all. Although, some may be legitimate medical records...and if she deleted the only copy that could compromise his recovery should he receive any complicating injuries in the future. No, that would be irresponsible. In the absence of any other official medical staff on board, then as Captain, it was her duty to review and edit the footage as appropriate according to medical protocols. She had just done so for the rest of the crew so this was no different. The sooner she started the sooner she could finish and hopefully grab a couple of hours sleep before her 0700 Bridge shift began.

—-

Thirty minutes later...

She had had no idea...well perhaps she had, but her imagination did not do him justice!

Suffice to say, the Doctor had deemed it necessary to monitor the Commander changing for bed and using the shower...the shower...wow! It may well be some years since he was required to undergo the intense Starfleet Tactical training programs on an annual basis but all that time spent on his boxing hobby and surviving as a Maquis had left their mark. She doubted there was anyone on the crew with better contoured musculature.

She could feel her temperature rising as she viewed it all. Better have a glass of cold water Kathryn, she mentally slapped herself on the wrist. You are observing this purely in a professional capacity. To determine whether there is any clinical justification for any of the files to be kept. Strictly in the medical database : of course. Though there was no protocol that forbade her from enjoying the experience. And...oh...how she was!

By the time she had come to the end of it, all seventy four minutes worth, she had to admit that Captain Janeway had no valid reason to keep any of it - nor, by extrapolation, did the EMH. Damn...but she had tried. She had watched 'certain clips' a second and third time. Relating them back to the mission logs according to the time indices : looking for any potential ongoing weaknesses caused by any of the injuries that may warrant this footage. But there were none. Nothing that the video would usefully add to the written records. No valid reason, whatsoever, not to delete it all with immediate effect. She would do just that before Chakotay replayed yesterday's conversation on the Bridge in his mind and brought the subject up.

The Captain typed in the command to delete all the video footage and encrypt all the written records and the computer sat : waiting for her to enter her command codes to erase it all for ever. As her hand reached for the keypad she could sense Kathryn holding her back. Kathryn's voice entreating in her mind's eye... "we could be trapped out here for years, decades even. It's not as if you can ever touch...or he would ever know. Just a little harmless fun. The only kind open to you for...maybe the rest of your life... you'll never have another chance like this...once you press that button it's lost for all time...". It was so tempting. Just keep a few minutes worth to warm her soul on those interminably long cold and lonely nights ahead.

But it would be wrong : on so many levels. She HAD to be able to keep the Captain in control every time she donned this uniform and walked through the doors to her quarters to her life beyond. Sat on that Bridge in a chair only a couple of feet away. Within easy touching and glancing distance. All too easy and all too close! This uniform was her protection. Her barrier and link to real life. At least for her. As long as they were trapped out here.

So, she took a deep breath and pushed Kathryn to the back of her mind. Silencing her once again. Captain Janeway hit the command codes and the files were deleted. She then sent the requisite orders to Lieutenant Torres office in Engineering to modify the EMH's authority.

After all she was a Captain, not a voyeur...wasn't she?

THE END

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