A/N: Fun fact: I don't speak Klingon, all Klingon ever spoken here is thanks to a translator, if it's wrong then I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy anyway!
Chakotay looked up as he saw the city in the distance. He heard Tom gasping for air and struggling to move. Chakotay looked at Tom who looked calm but terrified.
"You can make it Tom, just a little more," Chakotay tapped his ComBadge again, "Chakotay to Captain Janeway."
"Yes, Chakotay?" Janeway answered.
"Is B'Elanna with you?" Chakotay asked.
"Yes, she is," Janeway answered again, "Why?"
"Meet us at the Northern edge of the city, quickly," Chakotay demanded.
"Of course," Janeway responded, "What happened?"
"We were on the edge of the city limits, the Po'takas were completing a ritual, a rite of passage we think," Chakotay looked as color began to drain from Tom's face, "Tom and I ran...he got hit...badly we can't get to Voyager, we think it's the trees interfering, but he needs to talk to B'Elanna."
"Why can't he just say it?!" B'Elanna asked through Janeway's ComBadge.
"Because B'Elanna, he can't," Chakotay looked back at Tom, "Tom you have to hang on, they're on the way...we're almost there…"
"I'm...so...tired…" Tom said through gasps, "I'm...feeling...so weak."
"I know," Chakotay nodded, "I know, but you can do it Tom...just a little more," Chakotay looked ahead of him, he could already see B'Elanna and Kathryn in the distance, "I see them, Tom, just hang on."
"I...I'm so...tired Chakotay," Tom gasped stumbling a bit, "Please…"
"Just a little more Tom," Chakotay looked up realizing the trees were going away now.
"Oh God," Janeway said seeing now that Tom was bleeding badly.
"No," B'Elanna shook her head, "No."
"Tom, look," Chakotay nodded ahead of him, "They're here."
"B'Elanna," Tom looked up his eyes barely open, "I…" he gasped, "I…"
"Tom," B'Elanna approached them and Tom finally collapsed into her arms, "Tom you need to go to sick bay."
"Not...before...I...tell you…" Tom gasped, "I…"
"Tom it can wait," B'Elanna said chuckling, fighting back the tears.
Chakotay noticed he seemed...less scared now. Calm. Tom's bright blue eyes looked up at B'Elanna and he seemed to smile at her.
"B'Elanna…" Tom took a deep breath, "Tera'vo' poH...Hu'DI' loD…" Tom gasped closing his eyes for a moment before looking back at B'Elanna, "pemHov, wej jul...HIjmeH." Tom's hand reached up to touch B'Elanna's cheek, "QamuSHa'..."
"Tom," B'Elanna felt the tears welling up in her eyes almost blurring her vision, "Tom…"
"I...I…" Tom gasped, "I...hope...you...can...forgive me," Tom said between his gasps, "I'm so tired…."
"You're not allowed to die right now Paris, that's an order," B'Elanna said sternly.
"You...can't...give...me...orders…" Tom smirked shaking his head weakly, "I...out rank...you."
"Well I can," Kathryn said kneeling down next to B'Elanna, "You need to hang in there Tom."
"I'm...tired…" Tom's eyes closed as his hand fell from B'Elanna's face, "I'm...so...tired."
"Tuvok?" Kathryn looked up at him.
"They are attempting to lock on Captain," Tuvok explained, "They are having some trouble."
"We have to move him, the trees might be interfering," B'Elanna looked around.
"No, you can't," Kathryn shook her head.
"B'Elanna," Tom gasped, "I…"
"I know," B'Elanna looked at Tom, tears finally fell over her eyes as she held him, "I know…"
"Don't...cry...that's...an order," Tom gasped but seemed to smile at her.
"Tom," B'Elanna looked at him as she felt his muscles finally relax and he began to gasp more and more, she saw his eyes and he finally looked at her, he seemed so calm. Why? He was dying.
Tom looked at her and he was happy he got to see her one more time. He felt his eyelids getting heavy and he closed his eyes...and took his last breath.
B'Elanna looked...horrified. She shook her head and grabbed his face.
"Tom...Tom...you need to wake up, please! Please! Tom!" B'Elanna's eyes were uncontrollable waterfalls at this point, "Don't you dare do this to me, Tom! Wake up! Wake up!"
"B'Elanna," Kathryn tried to pull her away, "You have to let him go we're being transported to sick bay, he'll be okay."
"Tom!" B'Elanna yelled at him.
Suddenly they were transported to the sick bay, the Doctor was there looking to try and at least get Tom back. He took note of the injuries and began doing more scans. He looked over at B'Elanna who was standing there hugging herself not saying a word.
"What happened?" The Doctor asked.
"He was attacked by a primitive species, I think the spear was coated with a slow-acting poison," Chakotay noted.
"I concur," The Doctor nodded, "I believe I can bring him back but I will have to put him into an induced coma for now," He looked up at Kathryn, "You'll be without him as a pilot for a while...my scans show internal bleeding and massive tissue damage, while repairable...it will take time."
"That's fine, as long as you can get him back," Kathryn nodded.
"You may want to leave this might not be pretty to see," The Doctor explained.
Kathryn nodded her and Tuvok left right away. Chakotay looked at B'Elanna who was staring at Tom hugging herself tightly.
"B'Elanna," Chakotay approached her.
"I'm not...leaving him," B'Elanna said firmly, "So go…"
"I'll talk to the Captain...I think you should take some time...for yourself," Chakotay nodded, "You've been through a lot in the last few days...you and Tom."
B'Elanna didn't seem to argue she didn't want to, she didn't...care. For once something meant more to her than her position on the ship. The Doctor looked at her, and she looked back at him. The Doctor could read her eyes knowing she wasn't leaving any time soon. She looked at Tom and as The Doctor put a cortical stimulator on Tom's forehead. It shocked him waking him back up as he gasped for air. It made B'Elanna jump for a moment before returning to his side. Tom reached up and grabbed B'Elanna, he looked like he was drowning, it hurt her to see that for a moment. The Doctor placed something on Tom's neck inducing a coma, causing him to calm down once more. The Doctor looked at B'Elanna who looked incredibly sad. He did a scan finding the poison and he was grateful it would be one he could get rid of. He was glad that there was no necrotic tissue either. The Doctor injected Tom with a cure for the poison and another shot to help him regenerate tissue. B'Elanna looked up at The Doctor who did his best to give her a reassuring smile.
"Lieutenant, Mister Paris will be out for a while...you don't have to stay," The Doctor said swiftly.
"Well, I'm going to," B'Elanna said sternly.
"If you insist, but I will ask that you take a seat on one of the beds, and stay out of my way," The Doctor said sternly.
B'Elanna didn't protest she sat on the bed closest to Tom and just watched the Doctor for a while. He asked for her help to undress him. His skin...felt smooth but rough at the same time. He was fairly fit. She ran her hand over his. He felt slightly cooler than her but it felt nice. The Doctor began to perform the surgery to help fix the tissue and organs that were damaged. The Doctor admitted that Tom was a very lucky man that his organs were not badly damaged. He explained that B'Elanna being here may be helpful for him as she could do injections on the hour for him. These injections were low doses of steroids and anti-bacterial medicines to keep Tom from getting an infection. It also would help keep the poison from evolving or coming back from microscopic cells that might've been missed. B'Elanna agreed to help where she could.
For once in her life...B'Elanna was scared for Tom. Death was knocking his door. Waiting for him, reaching to grab him and Tom just barely makes it by. It scared B'Elanna that she could live in a world without him. Sure, he was...insufferable at times, arrogant, snarky, smug. He was also, kind, caring, understanding, patient for the most part. When she was with Tom...she was different. She just wanted to hold him just for a minute more.
When he woke up the first thing she swore she'd do is kiss him.
TBC...
