Out of the Darkness into the Light
Chapter 12
The Long Slumber
By: Butterfly Kathryn
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Paramount owns them, I just playing (Wink)
Summary: Chakotay finally convinces Kathryn to give up her all mighty principles, and they began to explore their relationship, but Kathryn comes down with a rare but deadly disease, will her admission of her love have come too late?
It'd been hours, and Chakotay hadn't realized that he'd fallen asleep. He slowly came too, opening his eyes, for a very brief second he wondered why he was in sickbay. The thought was fleeting though as the full reality of everything that had been going on hit him. He quickly sat up and was a bit humored to find that a blanket had been placed upon him. He looked toward the surgical bay, the screen was down.
He stood and went to her side. She'd made it through the surgery. He sighed in relief. Then placed a kiss on her forehead and made his way to the doctor. "Why didn't you wake me?" he asked turning the corner.
The doctor looked up at Chakotay, "You'd been up for hours, and I decided that it was best to let you sleep, she wasn't going anywhere" he stated in the 'it's for your own good' tone.
Chakotay nodded, he did feel much better, but he still would have preferred to have been awakened, he let it slide for now, because his primary concern was on her. "How's she doing?"
"The surgery went according to plan." He nodded, "Have her sedated heavily, her brain needs time to heal before we wake her up"
Nodding once more Chakotay left the room; he went to her side and grasped her hand. He stood over here for a while, before he kissed her, then turned and left. He was already late for his normal shift rotation, but he was sure the crew would understand. As he stepped off the bridge he was met with questioning gazes. He nodded as he made his way to his chair, once on the main part of the bridge he made an announcement. "She's made it through the surgery; now all that's left is to let her heal."
Looking around he saw all of their faces, they had the same expression; they were happy and relieved, but still worried. The same emotions were mixed up in himself. He took his seat, and asked for a status report. Everything was the same as it had been the night before. Thankfully they were traveling through a pretty desolate region of space.
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It'd been nearly a week since the surgery, and she still had not awoken. The crew's morale was starting to take a major hit, as well as Chakotay's. Days had gone by since the doctor had decided to stop the sedative and let her awake on her own. He was reluctant to bring her out of it using medication. Chakotay was on the bridge pacing. In fact he'd done this action so many times, that he was sure he was going to need to replace the carpet. Tom seemed just as anxious, though he was sitting; he was constantly tapping his hand on the console. Harry too was anxious, the waiting to see if she'd wake up was almost more than any of them could handle. Thankfully the bridge shift would be over soon, and they could go and pay their respects and check up on her.
A couple more hours passed and the Alpha shift was finally over, Chakotay after stopping by the mess hall to get a bite to eat made his way to sickbay, this had become a routine, and nothing short of an all out attack on voyager was going to break it. The doors parted, and he walked in, the doctor had gotten smart with the number of visitors that she had he'd finally decided to replicate a chair next to her bed. Neelix was sitting next to her, telling her all about what was going on in the mess hall and with the crew. Chakotay smiled for a second, "Neelix, my turn."
Neelix turned and looked at him, "Yes of course, just keeping her up to date" he stood and nodded as he left the captain's side, his seat didn't have a chance to cool, the body that was on it was replaced by him. He too found himself giving her an update. How long they'd been on their course, right down to minor repair issues. After giving her an update he settled back into the chair, he took her hand, and then grabbed out a data padd from his pocket, he began reading to pass the time.
After some time, Chakotay became aware of pressure on his hand; lowering the padd he noticed that she'd started to squeeze it slightly. His heart skipped a beat, and then another one when he heard a slight moan. "Doctor" he called out, hopeful.
Stepping in from his office, the doctor looked toward Chakotay, "yes?"
She moved her head slightly before he could speak, "I think she's waking up"
The doctor was by her side his tricorder out within seconds. He nodded, "I think you're right" she moved again slightly. He called to her to move her toes or respond in some way. But she only moved her head. Her eyes had begun to move from underneath her eyelids. "Captain can you hear me? If you can squeeze my hand" he'd picked up her right hand, both of them were occupied. She didn't do anything. A look of worry crossed his face, catching note the doctor tried to ease it, "she may still be to asleep to respond just yet, I'm going to try to help her come out of it, being she's trying on her own." He injected a hypo spray into her neck.
Both men stood there and the seconds seemed like an eternity waiting to see if it'd help. Letting out a breath Chakotay smiled as her eyes finally reviled themselves for the first time in ages. She blinked several times, before she swallowed, her head was pounding. "Hi" she attempted to say but she only mouthed it.
The doctor wanted a moment, to let her catch her bearings. When she looked as if she were fully conscious he asked the all too important question, "How are you feeling?"
The sound of breathing stopped, Chakotay held his breath waiting; he sent out a silent prayer that all of this hadn't been in vain. She swallowed again, and moved her head from side to side; she looked at Chakotay, then back to the doctor. She pulled her hand out of the doctor's loose grip and placed it on her forehead before she spoke. "Like a traiā¦" she stopped midsentence as the reality of what had just happened hit her.
Chakotay let out his breath, and took in a few very fast ones, not sure if what had just happened, happened. "Like a what?" he asked daring to see if she'd respond, she was looking at the doctor, but turned her head and looked at Chakotay.
"Like a train hit me" she too was trying to keep her breath, as she also attempted to sit up, "Like a train" she was excited, though still feeling pretty groggy. She turned to look at the doctor, after being pressed gently back down on the bed, "It worked"
The doctor too was smiling, and of course running a tricorder all around her, making sure that she was alright, being this was the first time any more then minor brain activities were going through the damaged areas. "Yes it seems to have, and you're brain patterns are normal."
"welcome back" Chakotay smiled, "it's been a while" he was holding her hand stroking it, not wanting to let go for fear that he'd wake up and find this all to be a dream.
She nodded; she was still very tired, even after a weeklong nap. The doctor took note, "I think that we should let her sleep, and I'm sure the crew would like to know that she's awake" the doctor was slightly annoyed when the commander didn't move, "Commander" he raised his eye brows.
"It's alright Chakotay, you can go, I'll still be here when you get back" she was tired and understood why he didn't want to leave, but the doctor had a point. He nodded, and smiled more; he bent down and kissed her cheek.
"Alright, you win, I'll let them know, but I'll be back later" he started moving but waited until the last second before he released her hand. Then he disappeared behind the doors to sickbay.
Once he was gone, she moved her gaze from the door back to the doctor. "Doctor?" she said.
"Yes, captain"
"Thank you" she'd reached both her hands over to his one, and grasped it, "for everything."
He nodded, and placed his other hand on top of hers; "just doing my job, now you get some sleep" he smiled. And pulled his hands from her, before calling for the computer to dim the lights, and disappearing into to his office, this time for some long awaited updates to her medical profile.
Relaxing back onto the bed, she closed her eyes, who knew a short conversation could be that tiring, but within moments of shutting her eyes, she was fast asleep.
