Feeding the Soul
Disclaimer: Voyager doesn't belong to me.
Written for the VAMB 2015 Secret Drabble Exchange for TB, who provided the first line.
Thanks to pieoneonezero for the beta and for encouraging me to enter!
Kathryn's hands immediately come up to rest on her hips as she takes in the scene before her. Chell is frantically waving a kitchen towel in a futile attempt to fan away the tendrils of smoke curling out from the open oven door. Naomi Wildman is kneeling on the floor trying to clean up dozens of cracked eggs. The yolks and whites drip from her towel as she sees Kathryn and recoils. Chell notices her at the same time and gasps in horror.
"Captain!" they both shriek.
Kathryn doesn't know whether to laugh or be offended at their reactions to her presence. She settles for stern amusement, hands still firmly on her hips.
"I was up early and thought I'd help out by starting the coffee pot, but I see you two beat me to it."
She steps carefully around the puddle of eggs and reaches for the coffee pot and a mug. Chell and Naomi both watch her and then eye each other.
"Oh, this is just terrible!" Chell bursts out while she takes her first sip of coffee.
"Actually, it's wonderful." Kathryn closes her eyes and almost moans in contentment. "I managed to teach Neelix how to brew coffee, but you, Mr. Chell, are a master."
She opens her eyes and takes another sip. Chell gives her a small smile, but it disappears as he looks at the kitchen.
"Naomi's been trying to help me, but I'm such a failure. What was I thinking? I could never fill Neelix's shoes. He performed gastronomical miracles in here, but I can't even make a simple breakfast for the crew. I always do this. I make these big promises, but then I never follow through."
"Nonsense, Mr. Chell. You've been in charge of the kitchen for over a week and you've been doing a fine job."
"But I haven't! Not really. Neelix left a week's worth of menu plans and prep instructions. This was my first morning completely on my own and I've botched it all. Look, the biscuits are burned, the gravy won't thicken, and the eggs are all ruined. Well, Naomi dropped the eggs. That's her fault, but the rest is all my doing."
Naomi glares at Chell and places her hands on her hips.
"I said it was an accident!"
"I've ruined breakfast and wasted all those replicator rations and now the crew will have to eat emergency rations or oatmeal. That's the only thing I have in storage, but they'll complain. You know how they always complained when Neelix served oatmeal or rations. You may as well send me back to maintenance. I'm just not cut out to be a chef."
Kathryn has never had much to do with Chell. In fact, she's sometimes wondered why in the world Chakotay chose him for his Maquis crew, but Chell is one of her own now. She's not about to let him wallow in self-pity like this.
"Mr. Chell, we all miss Neelix. You're right, he was wonderful at what he did, but you can't compare yourself to him. You can only be yourself. I wouldn't have accepted your request to take over for Neelix if I hadn't believed you could do it. I believe in you."
"You do?"
Chell gazes at her in wonder and she nods. She's not going to tell him he's the only person who asked to take Neelix's place.
"I do. You still have—what? An hour before Alpha shift comes in for breakfast? That's plenty of time to get the oatmeal ready. Maybe you could add your own special touches to make it your own. Neelix liked to add powdered leola root along with the brown sugar, but you could leave it out and only use the sugar. I think the crew would be pleasantly surprised."
"Well, that's not a bad idea, Captain." Chell thinks for a moment. "Brown sugar. Fruit."
"Chocolate chips!" Naomi demands.
"I could set out all sorts of options to mix into the oatmeal."
Kathryn smiles and pours more coffee into her mug. "There you go. That's an excellent idea. Well, good-"
Chell steps in front of her before she can escape.
"Captain, you're in charge of cutting the fruit. Naomi, finish getting those eggs cleaned up while I start boiling water."
She wants to protest, thinking of the PADDs waiting for her on her desk. It's time to get to work now that she's had her caffeine fix, but Chell's face silences her. The shamed terror is becoming purpose and confidence. Well, PADDs and reports are only one part of a captain's duties.
Kathryn allows herself to be drafted along with Naomi and the hour passes quickly. She shows Naomi how to attractively arrange the food in the mess hall.
"I'll let you in on a little secret, Naomi. Presentation matters, sometimes more than the food itself. Even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches can look absolutely delicious if you serve them on your best china and light some candles. That's what we need. Flowers, too."
She gives Naomi the access code to her quarters. The girl is quick and is back in no time with candles, Kathryn's nice serving platters, and the fresh flowers that had been sitting on her table. Together, they decorate the mess hall while Chell brings out the oatmeal.
"Just one more thing for the proper ambiance. Computer, play Janeway musical selection four."
Vivaldi's Four Seasons fills the room as the mess hall doors slide open and the Alpha shift crew members begin drifting in. Chell waves them over to the oatmeal.
"Come in! You're just in time for the oatmeal buffet. We have a variety of options sure to delight the most discerning of palates."
The breakfast is a resounding success and Chell is in his element, basking in the relaxed atmosphere and cheerful chatter, but he notices when Kathryn tries to slip out and intercepts her.
"Captain, thank you for your help this morning. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to do my best to live up to your faith in me. I've suddenly got so many ideas. I think creative names for the dishes I serve would bring more people into the mess hall. I could make shipwide announcements every morning about the day's meals. There could be printed menus, door prizes at dinnertime..."
Kathryn listens to all of Chell's ideas with a smile on her face. She leaves, glancing once more at her crew happily eating and preparing for a new day. She spent the night tossing and turning yet again. Sometimes the thought of thirty thousand more light years almost suffocates her. How can she possibly get them all home? But the simple act of working with Chell and Naomi to feed her crew has fed her own soul. Sometimes she becomes overwhelmed by her burden and she forgets that she's not alone in her quest to get Voyager home. But she's not. From Chakotay down to Naomi and Chell, her people are all with her, each contributing in his or her own way to Voyager's primary mission. She heads for the bridge, once more confident that she will get them home.
~The End~