Numb, that was how Chakotay would have described himself as he alternated between Seven's bedside and Xenia's incubator. After a couple of hours he passed out from sheer exhaustion in the chair at Seven's bedside.
The Doctor came to check his comatose pupil again, the results were pretty bleak. He cast a sad eye over at the frowning sleeping face of Chakotay; it was time to be upfront with him. He shook his shoulder until he was awake enough to register his presence; the hope in Chakotay face as he saw him broke the Doctor's heart. "She's awake?"
"No…I'm not sure if she will ever…"
"How can you be sure? You don't even know what's wrong with her!"
"I'm not sure…but I know the results, every implant in her body is destabilising, she went into preterm labour because her body couldn't support itself anymore, the drug protected the baby but weakened her horribly…I'm trying to think of possible treatments but we all may have to face the fact that…"
"No! We can't give up on her not yet!"
"Chakotay…"
Before the Doctor could say anything more Chakotay's comm. badge interrupted. "Captain, I know you're on personal leave but the Falcon has arrived and Commodore Kettering wants to see you."
Chakotay hated leaving his girls but also wanted to avoid talking of Seven's future so responded straight away. "Take him to my ready room and tell him I'll be right there."
"I'll contact you if anything changes with either of them." The Doctor told him in a quiet sympathetic tone.
"Thanks." Chakotay replied, giving his fiancée and daughter long lingering glances before leaving.
Kettering gave him an anxious sympathetic smile as soon as he entered. "Chakotay, how are they?"
He had to swallow hard before replying, "They're not sure."
"I can't believe they would stoop so low as to use a child against her mother like that, it must have been a shock for you."
"It doesn't mean I love her any less!"
"No, no, of course not. A parent's love is boundless, as Seven has already demonstrated to her credit. I'm sure the Federation will take that into account when the things she did are discussed."
"She hasn't done anything wrong! It's all Section 31's fault!"
"We know that but the Romulan Empire is baying for blood and the Federation has to deal with this in the least destructive manner…"
"Are you telling me that they want to use Seven as some sort of sacrifice to the Romulans?"
"I'll do everything in my power to prevent that and I'm sure anyone with any sort of moral compass will follow my lead."
Chakotay tried to seem reassured and failed. "I need something more concrete than that! I want assurances that she won't be persecuted over this…"
The urgent beep of his comm. badge and the agitated yet resigned tone of the Doctor's voice forced the excruciating pain of more immediate concerns back to the forefront of his heart and mind. "Chakotay, you need to come to Sick Bay."
"Go." Said Kettering with understanding.
Chakotay was out of the door before he even understood what Kettering had said. The scene which met his eyes horrified him. "What happened? Why is she on a ventilator?" referring to Seven, now plugged up to even more machines than her daughter.
"Her organs are shutting down. For her sake you have to put your emotions aside and think about the options, I could try a new treatment which could very well backfire and make her last moments painful and distressing or we could let her go peacefully as she is now."
"What's the treatment?" whispered Chakotay, feeling his body begin to shake again and his teeth start to chatter.
"As you know her implants are dependent on nanoprobes to function and since she lost so much blood during her labour and the ones left are weakened from the drug, she won't live unless she's given more."
"Like a blood transfusion?"
"It's the same concept, I'd replicate the strong nanoprobes I have left over from Voyager and give them to her slowly to try prevent them overwhelming her and causing assimilation.
"Do it!"
"Chakotay, don't be rash…"
"Doctor, we have to give her every chance!"
The Doctor saw the passion on his face and felt his own determined nature seep back in, a little hope returning to him.
They had to wait more than an hour before the Doctor managed to replicate enough nanoprobes to begin slowly introducing them into Seven's bloodstream. Chakotay kept his vigil up with resolute determination until an observant Lyudmila saw the strain it was so obviously putting on him and tried to convince to rest in his quarters. A blunt refusal followed and the furthest she succeeded in getting him was Xenia's incubator where he attempted to comfort himself. He watched her when he could no longer bear to keep his eyes on an unchanging Seven. When her tiny hand tried to grasp a finger it wasn't big enough to clasp fully, he allowed himself a fleeting smile at his daughter, admiring Seven's greatest achievement once more. "My miracle angel, grant another miracle for your mother won't you? "He murmured softly as he freed his finger.
"Chakotay!" called the Doctor, "I think its working! She's starting to respond, I can take her off the ventilator."
Chakotay turned back to Xenia for a moment. "Thank you, baby." He whispered, before running to Seven. "She's going to wake up?"
"I think so, but we're going to have to wait."
It took the whole night, around 0300 hours Alexander and Lyudmila joined him also unable to sleep.
"I can't believe it's only been twenty four hours since she had Xenia." Said Alexander in disbelief. "A day really can change everything."
"What was she like with her?" asked Chakotay, curiosity distracting him from anxiety.
"Oh, completely devoted and more natural than I had thought possible. The labour was hell for her I know, she was delirious for most of it, seeing Borg everywhere and crying for you…" Chakotay winced, guilt surging through him. "…but she worshipped Xenia from the moment she was born. You should be proud of her."
Chakotay bit his lip, fighting back tears as he looked down at Seven. "I am." What he saw next made him think his eyes were deceiving him, he was sure he'd seen her blink. "Doctor, I think she's waking up!"
The Doctor rapidly ran a scan over her. "She's regaining consciousness."
Seven whimpered in fear and tried to bolt upwards. When the Doctor tried to restrain her, her glazed fear filled eyes didn't seem to recognise him. "Don't hurt her! Let…let me…go!"
"You're safe now Seven, try to relax." Soothed the Doctor.
"They'll kill her…danger…release…" Seven continued to ramble feverishly.
"What's wrong with her?" gasped Chakotay in shock at seeing her like this.
"She's delirious…Seven please…" He tried to inject her with a sedative but she flinched away.
"Xenia! Give me my baby…don't hurt…Chakotay…." She shrieked hysterically.
Chakotay grasped her shoulders. "It's okay Seven, I'm here, Xenia's fine." He soothed as calmly as he could.
"They'll hurt us…"
"No! I'll never let them near you or Xenia ever again! Shhh…"
She looked up at him in confusion, a glimmer of recognition in her eyes. "No…dead…killed you…"
"I'm alive…" He took her hand and pressed against his heart. "See, sweetheart? Don't worry."
Tears began to flow down her cheeks. "Sorry…I'm sorry…forgive…me…"
Chakotay struggled to swallow the lump in his throat and didn't entirely succeed. "There's nothing to forgive my love, let the Doctor help you feel better…" He had to stroke her face and murmur to her wordlessly before she relaxed enough to allow the Doctor to sedate her. As soon as she went limp in his arms he sank back, tears streaming down his own face. "Is she going to recover?"
"Physically? Probably, now that her body's started to recover, but mentally…"
"What do you mean?"
"She been through an ordeal and she'll suffer greatly, you're going to have to put your own feelings aside."
Quiet resolution filled Chakotay's heart as he gave his answer. "I'd do anything for her."
A/n: Sorry this is a rush job but please review! I'm going on holiday tomorrow until Thursday so don't expect an update until the weekend.