Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek: Voyager.
Author's note: Set in the timeline where it took 23 years for the USS Voyager to return home.
Drown my sorrows
Chakotay sit alone at a table in Voyager's messhall. Yesterday his wife Seven of Nine died in his arms after returning from an away-mission.
"Seven..." says Chakotay in a low sad voice.
"Chakotay." says Captain Janeway as she sit down across the table from her First Officer.
"Kathryn..." says Chakotay without looking at his captain. "Can I help you?"
"Wow, you read my mind, commander. I was gonna ask you that very same question." says Janeway with a small laugh.
She turn serious again when she see that Chakotay doesn't laugh along with her joke as he usually does.
"I'm not really in the mood for a joke right now." says Chakotay. "Sorry, but I'm not exactly the best company at the moment."
"Sorry, Chakotay. So fuckin' insensitive of me! Why do I not think before I open my big old mouth?" says Janeway.
"Hey...I know that you didn't want to make things worse, Kathryn. I'm kinda happy that you're there for me now when I need it, even if I don't seem to appreciate it." says Chakotay.
"Oh, good..." says Janeway.
"Neelix, another glass of brandy! What the heck? Bring me the entire bottle." says Chakotay out loud.
Neelix come running from the galley with a bottle of 2329 Jack Daniels.
"Here, commander." says Neelix as he place the bottle on the table in front of Chakotay.
Neelix return to the galley without another word.
Chakotay start to drink straight from the bottle.
"Commander, that's a replicated beverage, I hope..." says Janeway with a look of dislike on her face.
"Actually it's real alcohol. I kept a few bottles aboard my Maquis-ship and in secret I had them brought over to Voyager after the Caretaker released us, just in case..." says Chakotay.
"I'd prefer if you drank synthehol." says Janeway with a rather cold tone.
"At a different time I'd agree, but right now synthehol is not doin' the job. I drown my sorrows." says Chakotay. "My wife's dead and I can never love another woman again."
"Try to move on with your life, Chakotay. I'm pretty sure that's what Seven would want you to do." says Janeway with a friendly calm voice, trying to comfort her friend.
"Maybe you're right..." says Chakotay.
"It may seem like I don't care that Seven is dead, but I do. It's just that as captain of this ship I need to appear strong and confident." says Janeway.
"True..." says Chakotay.
"Would you like to do something? Get your mind off things. Maybe we could go to the holodeck and see an old-fashioned rock-concert...? Or maybe you'd prefer to go on a visit to Loch Ness? We can take a walk along the Great Wall of China if you like." says Janeway.
"No thanks! The only thing I'm up for is a game of Velocity." says Chaotay, trying to force a tiny smile onto his face.
"Not while you're drunk. You've had to much to drink for me agree to play Velocity with you right now, commander." says Janeway with a smirk.
"If so I'm stayin' right here." says Chakotay. "Neelix, more!"
Neelix brings another bottle and take the empty one with him.
"Haven't you had enough? You've drank one bottle already." says Janeway.
"One bottle is not nearly enough to satisfy me today." says Chakotay.
"Chakotay, please. Put down the alcohol." says Janeway.
Chakotay doesn't seem to listen.
"I'll leave you alone with your bottle then..." says Janeway as she stand up and walk out from the messhall.
"My life's fuckin' shit." says Chakotay. "She was my sunshine, my soul-mate and my one true love..."
Two hours and six more bottles of Jack Daniels later, Chakotay leave the messhall.
He's so drunk that he can barely walk.
"I've got nothing left to live for..." says Chakotay as he start to cry.
Once in his quarters Chakotay pull off his uniform and goes to bed.
"Why is life so damn unkind to me...?" says Chakotay in an angry tone.
The End.