"You've got three fractured ribs Mr. Paris, a broken nose, some internal bleeding and several lacerations to your face. I wasn't aware that copulation was this forceful." The doctor continued running a scanner over Paris unaware of the effects his words were having. "It's more like you two were fighting. B'Elanna has similar injuries."

Paris forced himself to sit still as the doctor continued to scan him. His skin felt like it was crawling. His words sounded like a pitiful attempt at levity. "Now, Doc you know I'm a lover not a fighter."

The doctor gave a grunt as he set the scanner down and grabbed another tool. "Apparently Pon Farr when experienced by two non Vulcans is considerably more —"

B'Elanna leaned forward nipping his ear. His breath was coming so fast it caught in his chest. He was so exhausted he didn't try to stop her as her hands roamed over his body...it wouldn't have worked anyway. Her half Klingon strength was too much for him...

"Hey, Doc how is uh...Vorik?" Paris said the first thing that came to his mind, anything to halt the sudden pervasive memory of just a few hours ago. Unfortunately that had the opposite effect as he thought about how the Vulcan had been partly responsible for what had happened anyway.

The EMH continued working as he talked. "Vorik stole a shuttle and went down to the planet. Commander Tuvok and Security retrieved him and he's currently undergoing further therapy in the holodeck simulation I designed. His hormonal levels are beginning to stabilize."

"Everybody's all well ,huh."

"Except for you Mr. Paris. I'll need to perform a operation so if you would undress from this filthy—" The doctor reached out attempting to pluck disdainfully at the stained uniform Paris was still wearing and the man unconsciously shied away from the touch.

"I'm fine Doc. " Paris slipped off the Biobed, taking a step back so he was farther away from the hologram. He was aware somewhere in his mind that the doctor wasn't going to hurt him but at the same time it was like some fight or flight response had kicked in at the doctor's touch. "Patch me up and I'll go back to my quarters and change there. I'll be fine."

The doctor frowned and crossed his arms. "As much as I appreciate you setting a stoic example for the crew you have life threatening injuries and I must insist—"

"I'm fine!" He hadn't meant to yell but now that it was started it was hard to stop. He tried to lower his voice but it was rising with every passing second " I have the right to refuse medical treatment—"

"Not for life-threatening injuries—"

"I don't care—"

"You're behaving irrationally Mr. Par—"

"I'm behaving rationally, but I'm not taking off my clothes and you're not—"

"He's not what?"

Paris and the Doctor both turned around at the sound of Chakotay's voice.

"Ah, there you are Commander. Mr. Paris is refusing medical treatment for potentially fatal injuries and I'd like to request a security officer to restrain him so I can treat him before he bleeds to death and –"

"Nobody is fucking restraining me!"

Both the Doctor and Chakotay turned at his last outburst. The doctor looked outraged but Chakotay's eyes were searching. He didn't take his eyes away from Paris and said quietly. "Leave us for a moment Doc."

"Commander Chakotay, may I remind you Mr. Paris is bleeding out as we speak and—"

"I'll well aware of that Doctor and I'll just be a minute."

The doctor looked ready to argue but even he could detect the nonsense tone in Chakotay's voice. "Fine, one minute. I'll be in my office."

Chakotay waited until the doctor had allowed the door to shut behind himself. "What's going on Tom?"

"Nothing Commander" Paris started pacing, anything to avoid meeting Chakotay's eyes. "I just don't like taking orders from a Hologram. I'm fine—"

"Are you really?"

"Yeah, I am. The doctor's exaggerating—"

"I don't think he is. I think there's something you're not saying" Paris fell quiet as Chakotay continued. "Whatever happened on that planet , it's obvious you're not fine."

"I'm more than fine commander, a beautiful woman ripping your clothes off—" This time Paris broke off on his own accord. It had been intended as a carefree comment, to get the commander off his back with one of his typical joking comments but he found his voice faltering at the end.

The fabric of his uniform was tearing easily under her hands. He felt exposed and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Tom, Tom?" Paris came back to himself , startled to find that he had sagged backwards against the biobed. Chakotay was staring at him and no doubt by the expression on the commander's face he must have looked as bad as he felt.

"I—uh—got a little dizzy"

Before Chakotay could respond, the doctor marched back out. "It's been two minutes 13 seconds commander. Now I really must insist that whatever heart to heart" The doctor made air quotes." You two are having be done at a later time. Mr. Paris needs treatment."

The remains of his jumpsuit clung to him, his hands were shaking and he folded them behind his back as he forced his voice to be steady. "I'll be fine commander."

"Do I take this as acquiescence to my course of treatment Mr. Paris?"

"You lead I'll follow Doc. " Paris turned and added to Chakotay who still hadn't moved. "Seriously commander I'm fine. Probably shock from those internal injuries the doctor was talking about."

The only person that laughed was him. Chakotay merely nodded in response to Paris' pitiful attempt at a joke. "Very well lieutenant."

Even though the jumpsuit was dirty and a reminder a part of him preferred to keep it on for the meagre protection it offered. The brief time he was unclothed to change into patient gown was a minute too long. He felt exposed. Lying on the biobed as the doctor leaned over him setting up equipment was like being helpless on the floor of that cave again. He forced himself to appear calm but his body betrayed him. The steady beep as the biobed monitors picked up his racing heart and the faint tremors in his hands had the hologram moving with renewed speed as he readied Paris for surgery. But Paris knew it wasn't injuries only that his body was reacting too. Some things the doctor couldn't fix.

Paris was grateful when the doctor leaned over and pressed a hypo to his neck. The medication hissed in and the hologram muttered in his usual dry tones. "Sweat dreams Mr. Paris."

XXXX

B'Elanna first impression when she woke up was pain. Her entire body ached from head to toe. She levered herself up wincing with each movement. The lights were dim and by the chronometer on the wall she could see it was relatively early in the artificial circadian rhythm of Voyager's sleep rotations.

Sickbay was empty except for a biobed to her right, holding another blanket covered body. If it wasn't for the soreness suffusing her body she felt mostly fine...in any case Sickbay gave her the creeps and she had no intention of staying there a moment longer. As her feet slipped off the biobed and touched the floor , the person in the bed next to her stirred and turned over. She found herself staring at the sleeping face of Tom Paris.

That froze her in her tracks. It was like a really, really bad movie. Pieces of the past few hours flashed through her mind, it was jumbled and disorganized but what she did remember made her feel sick. Now the soreness made sense as she remembered pieces of what had happened.

She felt guilt, maybe a bit of shame...but above all she was angry. She drew in a deep breath trying to calm herself but the noise was louder than she intended.

Paris' eyes snapped opened as he flinched at the sudden sound and jerked awake. They simply stared at each other for a moment before Paris scrambled upward, pain streaking across his face but not halting his attempt to scoot away from her.

He had good reason to be cautious. After all what had happened between them was unforgivable. Even though on some deep level they had both liked each other there was still no way to make it all better. She had been under the influence of some Vulcan mind bond thing and not in control of her actions and what had happened was a result of that.

Paris still looked terrified , his face was drawn with pain though and one hand was holding his abdomen no doubt splinting some injury. She remembered them fighting. She wanted to slap the look of his face as he attempted to smile and the grin faded out before it had been more than a pained grimace. "Good morning Lieutenant."

The words were too precise, practiced, almost mocking, as if yesterday hadn't happened. "Don't Good morning me!"

"Fine what do you want me to say."

"Nothing." B'Elanna spat the words and turned around going to one of the drawers nearby looking for some a spare uniform to wear until she could change to her own clothing in her quarters.

She heard Paris swallow roughly behind her. As she turned back finally having found a slightly too small science blue uniform Paris said. "So what do you want to do? Pretend this didn't happen?" His face seemed too pale already and he went a shade paler as he dropped his voice lower so the words were almost muffled and added a little too quickly. "We can do that. I—uh—I know you didn't mean to—"

B'Elanna dropped the uniform she was holding. Paris words were the last straw. "You are a Ha'DlbaH. " she didn't bother to translate, her anger was so much she almost couldn't think clearly. "Of course you want to forget this. You're worried I'll tell the captain." Paris looked confused, but B'Elanna wasn't fooled by the ruse. He knew just as well as she did She stalked closer and he seemed to shrink as she neared, his breathing quickened and the last of the colour in his face seemed to drain away. "You finally got what you wanted. Tom Paris the smooth talker, the lady's man. You saw I was compromised and you were only too happy to get your chance." She moved closer until her faces were just inches from her's. He appeared terrified at her wrath.

He made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, and began. "This isn't—"

"I don't care about what excuses you want to make. You used the situation to your advantage."

"B'Elanna, wait you don't think I—"

"Shut up Tom, just shut up." She was even angrier as she felt tears gathering in her eyes. B'Elanna turned around wiping her eyes furiously, she felt betrayed. This was what she got for trusting people, this was what she got for trusting him. She heard Tom shifting off his Biobed and before she knew it, he was by her shoulder touching her elbow.

"Please just –"

"I trusted you Tom and you—"

"You are both supposed to be in your Biobeds." The doctors tones rang out scolding. "Computer lights' 75%."

They both blinked in the sudden change. "What is going on here. It's the middle of the night and you are both recovering from injuries, in your case Mr. Paris...major surgery. This is not the time for a chat, debate or argument."

The hologram came closer gesturing towards the beds "It's time for both of you to get some rest—"

"I'm not staying here a moment longer than I have to doctor."

"B'Elanna please be reasonable."

"I am being reasonable. I'm not staying here in this room with Paris a moment longer than I have to." The doctor looked puzzled and glanced back between them both like he wanted an explanation for her behaviour. When he didn't receive one he started his usual admonishments. But B'Elanna knew how to get her way. She was the one who repaired his program , a few choice threats to some of his subroutines and he had grudgingly released her . B'Elanna stalked out the door ignoring the Doctor and Tom.

It was hard to walk through the ship acting like nothing was wrong when inside she wanted to scream. She felt violated, first from the forced mental bond or whatever it was that Vorik had forced on her and next from what Tom had done.

Briefly, she considered telling Janeway or even Tuvok, but at the same time she knew she never would. What had happened was an unfortunate occurrence nothing more, she wouldn't be thought of as a weakling. She had no long lasting injuries and thankfully Paris had gotten the worst of the fight.

For now that would have to be as much justice as she would get.