Chapter Twenty-Five
Kathryn struggled to keep up with Chakotay as he rushed down the corridor towards sickbay. Anxiety seemed to roll off him as he jogged, weaving around any member of the crew who happened to be in the way. She could see it in the way he tightened his fists and clenched his jaw. There was no way of knowing what type of situation they were walking into in sickbay; the Doctor's voice had been difficult to read over the comsystem. All they could do was hurry down there and hope for the best. Kathryn knew he didn't need her to go with him, but it was her duty as Captain of this vessel to ensure the safety of all members of her crew, not to mention as his friend and confidante. Besides, she had been worried sick about Seven for the past week as well, although she had done a much better job at hiding her emotions than Chakotay. This past week had been hell for her. Hopefully now things would go back to normal.
As soon as Chakotay entered sickbay, every ounce of anxiety dissipated when he saw Seven sitting on the edge of the biobed with her legs dangling above the ground. As far as he could tell, she was back to her usual self, as if nothing had even happened to her, just like he'd hoped and prayed while stuck on that awful planet. At first glance, it looked like she was just here for one of her regular checkups.
"Doctor, I feel fine," she snapped in an irritated voice. The sound of her voice was like music to Chakotay's ears. It was slightly softer and weaker than usual, but it was nothing like the weak, barely audible voice she had during their last conversation, which seemed like a lifetime ago.
"I don't care how you feel, lie down. You've been through a serious medical ordeal, and I am not going to let you out of here until I have thoroughly examined you," the Doctor argued as he attempted to scan Seven with his tricorder. The task was made significantly more difficult by the fact that she kept moving and trying to push him out of the way. As soon as she saw the Captain and Chakotay, her eyes lit up, hoping that they would offer her some sort of reprieve.
"Captain, please tell the Doctor that I am undamaged," she pleaded desperately. Kathryn put her hand up to stop the Doctor before he could continue the argument. She hadn't come all the way down here to mediate a disagreement.
"Seven, I'm inclined to agree with the Doctor. Let him examine you and determine if you really are fine." Seven scowled with frustration. Giving the Captain's penchant for forgoing medical assistance, she really did think she would be on her side.
"But I feel fine." To make her point, she pushed herself off the biobed, but as soon as her feet hit the ground, her knees buckled beneath her. In a flash, Chakotay was at her side. He grabbed her firmly by the arms and helped her sit back on the biobed. Her fingers lingered against his strong arms, and his gaze immediately softened. From up close she could see the distinct shimmer of tears in his eyes. It took her a moment to realize that they were tears of joy and relief. He trailed his fingers along her arm lightly as he pulled away to give the Doctor room to work. It was surprisingly painful for him to let her go. Now that she was awake, he never wanted to let her go again. As a sort of unspoken compromise, he hovered just a few feet away, barely out of arm's reach, so he could jump in at a moment's notice.
The Doctor kept his eyes locked firmly on his tricorder as he scanned Seven. As he predicted, the results all told him that she was fine. There was no lasting damage to any of her systems, and she appeared to be perfectly within her mental faculties. Despite the positive readings on his tricorder, he still had some reluctance about letting her waltz off to what could be considered her quarters without a second thought. It would be highly irresponsible to allow her to do that. Based on what he saw, her body was still weak, and it would still take several days or even a week for her to be back to her normal self. This was just the first step in her healing process.
"Do the scans tell you that I am undamaged?" Seven questioned, although she already knew what the answer was. Contrary to what the Doctor thought, she knew her body well enough to know that she was fine. Unamused, the Doctor returned the small scanner back to its slot in his tricorder and snapped the device closed.
"You appear to be fine, although I must advise against you leaving. You need to rest." She scowled. That wasn't exactly the answer she wanted to hear. She felt fine, so she should be able to return to duty.
"I can rest in my quarters." Now that the Doctor was done, Chakotay stepped forward and put a hand on Seven's back. As crazy and possessive as it may sound, he just needed to feel her beneath his touch as a way to reassure himself that she was fine.
"Seven, your quarters is a cargo bay without anywhere to actually rest and stay off your feet," the Captain pointed out.
"Exactly," the Doctor interjected. He was glad the Captain was starting to see things his way. "For that reason, I'd like to keep you here, at least overnight."
"I will not comply," Seven snapped haughtily. She turned to Chakotay with desperation with the hopes that he would back her up. He knew how much she hated being stuck in sickbay, especially when she felt perfectly fine; it was an inefficient use of medical resources and her time. Once she got up and moving, she would be back to her usual self and would be able to show them that she was fine.
"Seven, I agree with the Doctor," Chakotay admitted softly, trying to gently coax her into following the Doctor's directions. Her gaze immediately hardened. He was supposed to be the one to support her no matter what, and here he was supporting the Doctor and the Captain instead. She clenched her jaw in frustration. "There's nowhere for you to rest in the cargo bay."
"I've been resting for the past week. I do not require any more rest. My implants are fully regenerated."
"You're only partially Borg," the Doctor pointed out. "Your human systems need to recover as well. It'll probably be a few more days until you're back to your usual self. You may feel fine now, but I have my doubts." That was the last thing Seven wanted to hear. Sitting here on the edge of the biobed, she felt perfectly fine, like she could return to Astrometrics right away. "I cannot in good consciousness release you if you have nowhere to recuperate." Essentially, she needed to find somewhere else to stay or else be stuck here in sickbay.
"You claim that my cargobay is is inadequate for my recovery, therefore I have nowhere to go." As much as she hated to admit it, Seven realized that she would probably be stuck here in sickbay for a few more days until the Doctor determined that she was well enough to return to her cargobay
Chakotay's mind whirled at warp speed as he tried to think of a solution to Seven's problem. He could see in her eyes the absolute disdain towards the idea of being stuck here in sickbay, not that he blamed her. Nobody enjoyed being stuck here. Now that she was awake, he wanted to do what was best for her while simultaneously making her happy. As of right now, however, there didn't appear to be any solution to the problem. Suddenly, an idea struck him; it was so simple, he had no idea why he didn't think of it sooner.
"You can stay with me," he blurted out almost excitedly at the prospect of getting Seven out of sickbay but keeping her under his watchful eye. "There's plenty of space for you to rest." Seven glared at him. While she was flattered to welcome her into his quarters for an undetermined amount of time, she also knew that his intention was to keep a closer eye on her so she would stay off her feet.
"That hardly seems proper," she pointed out bluntly. "Everyone on Voyager will talk." It didn't matter that they'd had several "sleepovers" already; they'd always been extremely careful to ensure nobody ever saw her coming or going from his quarters. With this plan, however, everyone would know where she was, and they would undoubtedly gossip.
"I hate to break it to you, Seven, but everyone on Voyager is already talking," the Captain stated. Seven's face fell. She never understood the appeal of gossip and tried to avoid it at all costs, which helped remove her from most gossip. This time, however, it seemed unavoidable. "Look, Chakotay is offering you a place to stay that isn't sickbay, and I'm sure the Doctor would be more than happy to allow that." She looked at the Doctor sternly, silently ordering him to go along with it. It might not be ideal, but it was probably the best he was going to get. Seven had a habit of being a difficult patient, and keeping her here could prove to be more stressful.
"Oh, oh yes," he stammered. He wasn't entirely pleased with the proposed arrangement, but at least under Commander Chakotay's watchful eye she might actually rest a little bit. Seven weighed her options carefully. She could either stay confined to sickbay where the Doctor would make her lay around and stare at the wall, refusing to even let her move around on her own, or she could stay in Chakotay's quarters where the entire crew would undoubtedly start gossiping almost immediately, but she would have slightly more freedom. Neither option seemed particularly appealing to her, but they were the only two options she had.
"I'll stay in Commander Chakotay's quarters on the couch," she finally relented in a defeated voice. She added the last part to chase away any thoughts of impropriety that the others might think of. Chakotay opened his mouth to protest that there was no way he was going to let her sleep on the couch, but he quickly decided against it. He could see in her eyes that she wasn't entirely thrilled with this arrangement, and he didn't want to make matters worse by starting a new argument with her. He wanted to look at this as a victory for him. Not only was she awake, but now she was going to be under his care. There was a lot of pressure that went along with this. He would have to do everything in his power to ensure Seven stayed off his feet; he would have his work cut out for him.
"Now that that's been taken care of, I do want to run a few more tests before I let you waltz out of here." Seven looked unamused. She had been under the impression that she would be able to leave right away, not be forced to sit around and be subjected to more of the Doctor's pointless tests. He'd admitted that she was undamaged, so she saw this as a power play to keep her under his watchful eye for just a few more minutes. To argue with him would be pointless, however, as he could change his mind and refuse to release her to Chakotay's care. Her only option was to comply.
"Very well," she relented begrudgingly as she laid back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling with her arms folded across her stomach. As much as she hated to admit it, she actually felt better lying down, causing her to think that perhaps she wasn't as undamaged as she originally thought. That didn't stop her from wanting to get out of here though. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she would be able to get out of here.
Under the watchful and scrutinizing gaze of Kathryn, Chakotay and Aritlin, who had remained silent and carefully hidden in the background during the entire exchange, the Doctor ran a handful of tests on Seven. He wanted to be absolutely certain that she was fine before letting her out that door where he had to trust that Commander Chakotay would keep a careful eye on her. Just as he predicted, there appeared to be no lasting damage to Seven's body, both the human aspects and the Borg implants. She was just exhausted and would need several days to rest before she started feeling close to her normal self.
"I guess I can release you into Commander Chakotay's care," the Doctor finally announced begrudgingly. That was exactly what Seven wanted to hear. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Unfortunately, she sat up too quickly and immediately felt the room start to spin around her. She reached out to stabilize herself, grabbing on to Chakotay's shoulder to keep herself from falling off the bed. He looped his arm around her, essentially holding her upright.
"Maybe you should stay overnight," he suggested softly. As much as it pained him to say it, he thought that it might be best. Clearly she wasn't in the best shape to leave. He had to put his desire to keep her close to the side, putting her needs above his own.
"I am undamaged," she argued. "Just a little dizzy. I've been through worse." She had an excellent point. If anything, a little dizzy spell was nothing compared to the past few weeks. Chakotay looped an arm around her slender waist and helped her to her feet. She kept a tight grip on his arm to prevent her legs from giving out from under her. It had been quite a while since she'd actually stood on her own two feet. Having grown unaccustomed to the weight, her knees trembled under her, threatening to buckle beneath her, which would send her crumbling to the floor. She realized that, unfortunately, she would not be able to return to duty immediately like she intended. She couldn't do her job if she could barely stand up properly. With the help of Chakotay, however Seven was able to stand on her own two feet, at least for the time being. It was then that Seven noticed Aritlin. "Who are you?" she blurted out in confusion.
Caught off guard at being noticed, it took the stranger a few seconds to finally reply, "I'm Aritlin."
"Aritlin helped rescue you," Kathryn explained, jumping in to provide some sort of explanation, although it provided more questions than answers for Seven. She couldn't figure out how this strange alien had anything to do with her rescue. Clearly, there had been much more that she missed than she originally realized. "He's been very worried about you, as have the rest of the crew. Especially Naomi. She's been sending you cards every day." As she spoke, Kathryn motioned towards all the cards that adorned the wall. Seven had been so wrapped up in everything going on that she hadn't noticed the brightly colored cards all over the place. A smile came to her face as she felt flattered by the attention. She should have expected as much from Naomi. She would need to see her soon to assure her that she was fine.
"Well, thank you for your assistance," Seven as she nodded in Aritlin's general direction. Although she felt slightly more confident in her ability to stand on her own two feet, she continued to hold on to Chakotay's arm. There was a certain comfort that came with being this close to him, and she found that she didn't want to let go. He appeared to share the sentiment as he kept his arm looped around her waist. "Doctor, am I free to leave?"
"You are, but I want you on bedrest for the next three days."
"Excuse me?" Seven's implant encrusted eyebrow raised in unamusement and frustration. She had been under the impression that she would return to Chakotay's quarters where she would rest but have the freedom to move around as she desired.
"Bedrest, as in staying off your feet and in bed for the next two days."
"I am familiar with the concept of bedrest, but I hardly think it's necessary."
"Seven, listen to the Doctor's directions," Kathryn requested as gently as possible. The last thing she needed was for Seven to grow defiant, which could result in the Doctor changing his mind and keeping her here where he could keep a more watchful eye on her.
"I am needed in Astrometrics," Seven argued.
"Icheb has been doing great in Astrometrics on his own. You should be proud of him. You're going to take at least three more days off at the very least." She opened her mouth to protest, but the Captain cut her off by saying, "That's an order." She snapped her mouth closed and glared angrily at Kathryn. Three days off was a terribly inefficient use of time. There was no doubt in her mind that Icheb was doing a sufficient job, but she'd only just begun to teach him how to work in the lab. There were still many aspects that he didn't know, meaning many things were being overlooked. The longer she stayed out of Astrometrics, the more work there would be for her when she finally returned to duty.
"Come on, let's get you to my quarters," Chakotay prompted as he rubbed Seven's arm in an attempt to calm her down. The last thing he wanted was for her to work herself up. "Do you think you can walk there?" She nodded as she began to take a few tentative steps. After nearly a week and a half of not using her legs, however, she found they were incredibly weak.
"It may be better to use the transporter," the Doctor suggested. Seven was about to argue, but then she realized that there was no way she would be able to walk across Voyager and travel up three decks in a timely fashion. By the time they got to Chakotay's quarters, it would be the middle of the night. At first, using the transporter seemed absolutely ridiculous to Seven. Upon further thought, however, she realized that using the transporter was probably for the best. If she ventured out into the corridor, she had the feeling that many members of the crew would want to talk to her and inquire about her condition. Additionally, they would all immediately start to gossip about her and Chakotay. For the sake of her privacy, she had to use the transporter.
"I concur," she relented, although her voice gave away her initial displeasure. That was all the permission Kathryn needed to tap into the transporter system from sickbay.
"Ready?" she asked. Chakotay kept his arm around Seven's waist as Kathryn energized the transporter system, causing both of them to disappear in a wave of blue lights, instantly sending the couple to the privacy of Chakotay's quarters.
Perhaps using the transporter wasn't the best idea. Normally, Seven didn't have any problems using the transporter, but today was different. It felt like her insides had been spun all around, and she felt sick to her stomach. As soon as she and Chakotay materialized in his quarters, she grabbed the back of the nearby chair and squeezed her eyes shut while trying to force the sensation to pass. To make matters worse, her knees continued to tremble, threatening to buckle beneath her.
"Are you alright?" Chakotay asked as soon as he realized something was wrong. Already, he was starting to have some doubts. Perhaps he should have insisted she remain in sickbay for further observation.
"I am undamaged," she replied weakly as she forced herself to stand up. "Just a little dizzy." Even though she insisted that she was alright, her wrapped his arms around her and drew her close in a tight hug to assure himself that she was alright. Now that they were alone, he couldn't help himself anymore. He honestly thought he'd have the opportunity to do this again.
"I was so worried about you," he murmured as he buried his face in her hair. Both his hands splayed across her back, holding her flush against his strong chest. At first, the sudden affection caught Seven off guard. Once she was able to relax, she buried her face in his shoulder, inhaling the musky smell that she always associated with him.
"I did not mean to cause you any anxiety." She clutched the front of his shirt. Although she hadn't been the one worried about him, she found an extreme comfort in their close proximity to each other. "I apologize." He pulled away slightly, just enough to look at her properly. Now that she was awake, he doubted he would ever be able to let her go again.
"Don't apologize. None of this was your fault. I'm just relieved that you're fine." His hand rested on the side of her neck, and he ran his thumb across her jaw softly. While Seven was definitely thrilled to be in Chakotay's arms, there was something that was bothering her. He could see it on her face. She looked confused, making it difficult for her to properly enjoy the moment. "What's wrong?" She sighed. She should have figured that he would be able to tell that there was something on her mind. There were no secrets between them, so she might as well just come out and say it.
"What happened? How did we get back to Voyager? Who is Aritlin? How exactly did he help me?" The questions spilled out one after another, faster than Chakotay could even start to answer them.
"That's a very long story," he replied. "Maybe that should wait until morning."
"I do not require rest right now. Please, Chakotay, I need to know. I can't remember, and that's terrifying; I remember everything." Chakotay looked down at her. There was no way he could turn her down, not when she looked up at him with those large, beautiful blue eyes of hers. If he had been in her shoes, he would want answers as well. To not remember what had happened had to be absolutely terrifying to her.
"Fine," he sighed. He motioned for her to sit down on the nearby couch. With small, tentative steps, Seven made her way to the couch. She sensed Chakotay hovering behind her, ready to jump in at a moment's notice should she require any assistance. Determined to move on her own, she slowly walked to the couch and lowered herself down. Already, she was starting to feel better, she simply needed to keep walking and moving until her muscles built up their previous strength.
Chakotay settled down on the couch next to Seven and tried to think of where to start. There was so much to say, so much she had missed during her illness. There were parts of it that seemed like a blur to him, and there were aspects he didn't remember at all; Tom and Harry had been kind enough to fill him in. He still had trouble processing Henan and Notaxi's betrayal as well. It was a lot for anyone to process.
"What do you remember?" he asked as he draped his arm along the back of the couch behind her. It seemed like a logical place to start. Once he knew what she remembered, he would be able to figure out what she needed to know. Seven stopped to think.
"I remember a humanoid alien with dark red skin and a ridge along its forehead…" She trailed off. "Species number…" The species designation was right on the tip of her tongue, but no matter how hard she tried to hold on to it, it slipped through her mental fingers and fled her mind. She sighed. "I don't remember," she confessed. "And I remember being carried somewhere, and, and I think that's it. Everything else is fragmented, dreamlike, I can't be sure what it is."
"You probably remember Henan and Notaxi. They helped us, or so we thought. And you probably remember being carried out of the caves to safety." Now that he knew what Seven remembered, Chakotay was able to launch into the tale of what had happened down on that awful planet, how they got off it and how Aritlin fit into the equation.
When Kathryn entered her quarters, the First Officers were all waiting anxiously to hear if Seven was alright. The food and drinks were temporarily abandoned, as their main concern shifted from having a good time to the condition of their friend. In a way, it was perfect that they were all here, or else she would have had to have spent the next few hours going to each of their quarters to inform them in person that Seven was finally awake.
"How is she?" Harry blurted out the second Kathryn entered her quarters. The young ensign sat on the edge of his seat, eager to hear that everything was going to be alright. A thousand scenarios ran through his head, each worse than the next. The Captain's face was calm, nearly impossible for anyone to read.
"Ensign Kim, give the Captain a chance to sit down," Tuvok scolded. Kathryn nodded at him in thanks as she took her old seat on the couch with a sigh. At first, she was surprised that everyone waited for her to return, but when she thought about it, it really wasn't at all surprising; everyone was worried sick about Seven and wanted to know how she was doing. Had she been in their shoes, she would have done exactly the same thing.
"Seven's fine," she finally replied. "She's already arguing with the Doctor and Chakotay and wants to go back to Astrometrics." Kathryn cracked a small smile when she thought about all the arguing that had gone on in sickbay. If anything, it showed her that her young protege was perfectly fine, despite everything that had happened to her.
"So she's back to normal?" B'Elanna asked. Her concern for Seven caught everyone by surprise. The two of them might not get along, but B'Elanna wasn't completely cold hearted. She'd been concerned about her, although she didn't really show it. The Captain shook her head.
"I wouldn't go that far. She's incredibly weak and probably won't be able to return to duty for a while." Seven had done her best to hide her weak condition, but everyone in sickbay could easily see that she was still unwell.
"Oh I'm sure that's going over well with her," Tom commented sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.
"But there's nothing wrong with her, right?" Harry pressed. He'd been worried sick about Seven; seeing her slowly deteriorate during the away mission had been absolutely terrifying to him. He'd experienced countless close calls over the years, but nothing had been as terrifying as sitting by helplessly as a fellow crewman and close friend slowly slipped away.
"Nothing that the Doctor could tell," Kathryn assured. "She's been released to Chakotay's care."
"Well it didn't take long for that to happen," Tom joked.
"Yeah, they moved in faster than you and B'Elanna did," Harry teased, shooting his best friend a playful glance. Tom rolled his eyes, and B'Elanna glared angrily at him from her seat. In all actuality, they'd been living together informally for quite some time, bouncing between both of their quarters before making it official and moving in together.
"I hardly think that the arrangement will be permanent," Tuvok interjected. He knew Seven well enough to know that she would avoid all impropriety for as long as possible.
"You think that now, but just you wait," Tom argued. In all honesty, he was shocked that Seven agreed to stay in Chakotay's quarters. She was always so concerned with keep up appearance, and moving in with the First Officer, even temporarily, went against all of that. Despite that surprise, he knew that there was very little chance Seven would move back to her cargobay once again. Once she and Chakotay got a taste of what it was like to live together, it would be difficult for them to them to go back to how things used to be. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, he felt that this was a huge step in their relationship.
All the information Chakotay threw at Seven gave her a headache. She did her best to hide her discomfort, but he could see her eye twitch and instantly knew that something was wrong. As he finished filling her in, he brushed her hair behind her ear. Perhaps he should have insisted on waiting until morning to delve into what had happened, no matter how much she begged and pleaded for answers. It was his job to properly look after her.
"I don't remember any of that," she confessed softly, staring at her lap and shaking her head in disbelief. So much had happened to her, so much that she had missed. It was highly distressing to know that there was a huge chunk of time that she had no recollection of, and she'd probably never remember any of that.
"I'm not surprised, you were incredibly sick." He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. "You were delusional, having these horrible dreams." In an attempt to remember something, even those terrible dreams, Seven furrowed her brow in concentration, but nothing came back to her, and her headache only got worse. "It was awful seeing you suffer like that." Chakotay's voice cracked with emotion. "I wanted to take away all your suffering, but there was nothing I could do." She instinctively put her hand on his thigh and gave it a comforting squeeze, wishing there was something more she could do to comfort him and show him that he'd done everything that could be expected.
"You did your job as First Officer and got the entire away team back to Voyager safely," she pointed out bluntly. "You should not have let your emotions towards me cloud your judgement and influence your decision making." He sighed. She was right, of course, but it was nearly impossible for him to keep his emotions in check.
"You're right, but that's easier said than done when I care about you so much." Unable to resist, he leaned forward and stole a quick kiss. After nearly two weeks, he simply couldn't stop himself. The second their lips met, everything felt wonderful and perfect once again. She unconsciously slid her hand along the inside of his thigh. It was a brief but powerful kiss that reminded both of them how much they cared for each other. "I never thought I'd be able to do that again," he confessed softly as he pulled away. Confusion flashed across Seven's face.
"Explain."
"I thought I was going to lose you forever, and so did you. We had a whole conversation, and you thought it was the end. I wasn't about to give up on you though."
"I did not mean to cause you any anxiety."
"Part of caring about someone is worrying sick when something's wrong with them. If anything, it shows just how much I care about you." Her hand rested on his hollow cheek.
"But you haven't been caring about yourself," she pointed out bluntly. Since the first time she laid eyes on Chakotay in sickbay, she could tell that something was wrong. What distressed her the most was the fact that the Doctor seemed to ignore it, focusing all his attention instead on her when clearly Chakotay required medical assistance as well. "You have bags under your eyes, and it looks like you haven't eaten in several days." He should have expected this from her. She was never one to beat around the bush, and he knew from the quick glances he stole in the mirror and strange looks he got in the corridor, he looked like quite a sight.
"I'm fine, Seven," he insisted.
"You are not. I know you and can see that you are in poor health." He sighed. He should have known that he couldn't keep anything from her. "Are you eating?"
"I ate something at Captain's quarters before I was called to sickbay." It wasn't a lie, he had eaten something in Kathryn's quarters, but he left out the fact that that was probably the most food he'd eaten in one sitting since that first night on the away mission. As a result, he'd dropped several kilos between then and now. She pursed her lips in frustration. If he was going to look after her, then he was going to return the favor.
"And are you sleeping?"
"I've been too worried about you to sleep."
"You took care of me, and now it's my turn to take care of you," Seven announced as she started to stand up. In a flash, Chakotay was on his feet and grabbed a hold of her shoulders. He knew he was in for a long few days, trying to get her to rest properly.
"Whoa, you're not going anywhere," he scolded. "You heard the Doctor, you're on bedrest. I'll get myself something to eat while you sit here and rest." She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued, "I can make that an order if you want." She snapped her mouth shut and sat back down with a huff. She wasn't an invalid and was perfectly capable of getting something from the replicator. Her understanding of bed rest was that she could move around a little while; how else was she expected to build up all the strength she'd lost in recent weeks?
After a few minutes, Chakotay returned to Seven with a plate in one hand and a glass in the other. She recognized the glass as containing one of her nutritional supplements and therefore wasn't surprised when he handed it over to her. It was to be her first real meal in weeks, something more than that fruit she and Tom survived on while trapped in the cave.
"I do not require a nutritional supplement right now," she argued. When she initially woke up in sickbay, she'd been hooked up to an IV, which provided her with all the food and nutrients necessary to keep her healthy. In an ironic twist, she'd probably gotten more food since she got back to Voyager than Chakotay.
"Humor me," he requested as he sat on the couch and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. "If you're going to force me to eat a sandwich, then I'm going to force you to drink one of those." She took a tentative sip of the concoction. The thick liquid slid down her throat and settled heavily in her stomach. Despite the discomfort, she continued to take small sips. Sensing his gaze on her, she looked at Chakotay.
"You need to eat your sandwich," she scolded. He'd been busted. With a sheepish expression, he took a bite of his sandwich. Once he took a bite, he realized just how hungry he was and quickly took another bite. Within moments, his sandwich was gone. With a surprised expression, Seven drained the last of her nutritional supplement.
"I guess I was hungry," Chakotay commented as he put his dirty plate on the coffee table. She followed his lead and put her glass next to his plate. He sat back with his arm draped along the back of the couch. She settled against him and slid her arm around his waist. He rested his cheek against the top of her head and stroked her shoulder with his thumb. Their bodies melded together perfectly as they enjoyed each other's company as if nothing had gone wrong.
Kathryn hadn't intended for her Senior Officers to stay as late as they had, but she didn't mind. It had been a wonderful social gathering that was made even better by the fact that Seven appeared to be relatively fine in spite of what had happened to her. Finally, her crew was starting to get back to normal after a very stressful away mission, which meant she could relax as well. It was exactly what she needed, a little bit of relaxation. With any luck, she'd be able to go to bed relatively early tonight, without being plagued by unsettling dreams.
As she walked down the corridor between Tom and Harry, B'Elanna slipped her arm through her husband's. He looked down at her with an adoring smile on his face. Miral was fast asleep in her mother's arms. With any luck, she would stay asleep for a few more hours, giving her parents the break they so desperately needed.
"I can't believe Seven moved in with Chakotay," Harry commented. As he walked alongside his friends. Since the corridor was basically empty, none of them were particularly worried about the fact that they basically blocked the way for everyone else.
"It's just temporary," B'Elanna pointed out. "I doubt she'll stay there permanently, it's far too unprofessional for her to be staying in the First Officer's quarters." It was hard to predict what rules and regulations Seven followed. Just like the Captain, sometimes she threw all the rules out the airlock in the interest of what suited her, and other times she followed all the rules to the letter. It was impossible to predict what she would do.
"I don't know, they may find that they like the arrangement," Tom remarked. He never thought he'd like living with B'Elanna, he always liked his space, but once he got a taste of cohabitation, he couldn't imagine ever going back to living alone.
"I agree with B'Elanna," Harry argued. "Seven's way too professional and independent. As soon as she's able to, she'll be back in her cargobay."
"Are you willing to put your replicator rations where you mouth is?" Tom challenged. B'Elanna's gaze immediately hardened. If there was one thing that drove her crazy, it was Tom's petulence for gambling, especially with Harry. By now, you'd think that the young Ensign would have learned that it was tantamount to suicide to bet against Tom; he never made a bet unless he knew he was going to win.
"Tom," she scolded.
"Oh come on, babe, it's just a little wager. One week's worth of replicator rations says that Seven will move into Chakotay's quarters permanently." Harry carefully thought over the suggestion.
"Okay, and I say that by the time the Commander's birthday comes around in a week and a half, Seven will be back in her cargobay." The trio stopped walking in the middle of the corridor, and Tom thrust out his hand towards his best friend.
"You're on." They shook hands to seal the deal despite B'Elanna's disapproving gaze. As much as she hated Tom's gambling, she had to admit that it was a relatively harmless pastime. If he wanted to lose all his replicator rations and subject himself to a week's worth of Chell's cooking, then that was fine with her, he would have to suffer through the consequences of his stupidity, and she wouldn't give him any of her carefully saved rations.
Drawing in a deep breath, Chakotay shifted and went to stand up but immediately stopped when he felt a weight draped against him. With confusion written across his face, he looked around. He was propped up on the couch with his arm around snaked around Seven, who was fast asleep as well. He looked at the clock on the wall, which told him it was nearly midnight. Already, his back and neck were protesting from his current sleeping position; there was no way he could spend the rest of the night sleeping like this on the couch. He didn't want to wake her, she looked so peaceful, but she would have to move so he could get up.
"Seven," he whispered as he shook her shoulder gently. She didn't move. His heart skipped a beat as he began to worry that something was wrong. As much as he hated it, he instinctively pressed two fingers to the side of her neck, relaxing only when he felt the distinct thump of her pulse against his touch. "Seven," he repeated louder. A wave of relief washed over him as she began to stir. Her eyes opened, and she looked around with the same confused expression he just had a few moments ago.
"Is something wrong?" she asked sleepily.
"No, everything's fine. I want to move to the bed though."
"The couch is sufficient for me."
"Like hell it is. If you don't want to share a bed with me, then I'll be the one to sleep on the couch." Seven's grabbed a hold of the front of Chakotay's shirt. Just a few moments ago, she hadn't wanted to share a bed with him, as it would be highly improper even though they'd done it in the past, but the thought of sleeping alone in his large bed quickly chased away those thoughts. Like him, she wanted to be close to him.
"I don't want you to sleep on the couch." A small, victorious smile tugged at the corner of Chakotay's lips. Although he'd done it dozens of times of the years, the last place he wanted to sleep was the couch, but he would have if that was what Seven wanted. Right now, his life revolved around what she wanted until she was back on her
"Okay, it's settled then." He stood up and helped Seven to her feet as well.
"I am perfectly capable of walking on my own," she snapped. Despite her protests, he kept a supportive hand hovering right behind her, ready at a moment's notice to support her if necessary. The Doctor had charged him with her care, and he was going to do that to the best of his ability.
As Seven made her way to Chakotay's bedroom, she had a chance to really take in the condition of his quarters. Dirty dishes were scattered across the tables, telling her that he had at least attempted to eat something over the past week. Clothes littered the floor, left exactly where they were shed, usually in a trail to the bathroom. This was hardly the state she last saw his quarters, or ever saw his quarters for that matter. Usually, his quarters were pristine with everything in their designated spot, waiting for Chakotay to grab them without a second thought. It was one of the things she loved about him, he was always so organized and tidy. He argued that as First Officer, people were always stopping by his quarters, so he had to keep everything neat, ready for any unexpected visitors.
Chakotay could see Seven looking around as they walked to the bedroom, and he immediately felt self-conscious. If anything, the condition of his quarters was a sign of how distracted and out of sorts he'd been lately. He hadn't even realized how bad his quarters were until just now; in his mind, there had been far more important things to take care of, namely her. Suddenly, he understood the unusual look on Kathryn's face when she stopped by earlier, she was equally surprised by the state of his quarters. He should have cleaned up a little bit, not that he had expected company.
In the bedroom, Seven's attention was immediately drawn to a shirt carelessly tossed on the floor. With surprising speed for someone who was still so weak, she crossed the room and snatched up the article of clothing. A closer examination confirmed what she already thought: it was covered with blood.
"You were damaged," she stated as she turned around to confront Chakotay. He'd neglected to inform her that something had happened to him, and she found it as a betrayal on his part.
"It was just a broken nose," he admitted sheepishly as he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Usually he was the one doing the scolding when it came to members of the crew, not the other way around. She raised her eyebrow and looked unamused.
"Explain." He felt like a small child being reprimanded by his mother, not a man who was caught by his girlfriend with a small injury.
"I was boxing on the holodeck. It's a common injury." She never understood his interest in boxing. After her experience with Tsunkatse, she especially found the needless violence in the name of entertainment especially barbaric, no matter how much he insisted that boxing was always between two consenting adults.
"Not when you turn on the safeties."
"You sound like B'Elanna," Chakotay complained as he disappeared into his closet and returned with two sets of pajamas, one for him and one for her. "You probably want to get out of that," he commented as he nodded towards the thin hospital gown she still wore from her time in sickbay. His attempt to change the subject worked as she forgot about the bloody clothes.
"Thank you." She took one of the sets of pajamas and disappeared into the bathroom to change in privacy. Although she knew she had nothing to hide with Chakotay, he'd already seen her naked, she still wanted a little bit of privacy to clean herself up.
In the bathroom, Seven got a good look at herself in the mirror and was absolutely horrified by what she saw. Her cornsilk hair stuck up all over the place in matted knots. Her usually fair skin was even paler than usual, stretched across her hollow cheeks, giving her a haggard and almost scary appearance. When she pulled off the hospital gown, she was even more surprised by her reflection. In the mirror, she could easily see every single one of her ribs, poking out beneath her almost sallow skin. Her hips jutted out sharply as she ran her fingers along the length of her torso. She was glad she had decided to change in the bathroom, she didn't want Chakotay to see this, it would only cause him to worry even more, which was the last thing she wanted. In an attempt to tame her wild hair, she pulled the sink out of the wall and carefully scooped several handfuls of water onto her head and raked her fingers through the tangles in a crude attempt to get rid of the knots. The water helped a little bit, but her hair was still a mess. She would have to try and fix it tomorrow.
Alone for a few moments, Chakotay scrambled to snatch up some of the dirty clothes that littered his bedroom floor. With the clothes gathered up in his arms, he dumped them unceremoniously on his closet floor and slid the door closed behind him with the mental note to actually put them away in the morning. While his bedroom wasn't as neat and clean as he normally kept it, it was slightly better than before. At least now his bedroom looked slightly more inhabitable, not like a dumping ground for dirty clothes. Tomorrow he would take care of the rest of his quarters, returning them to their previous state.
When Seven emerged from the bathroom, the first thing Chakotay noticed was the fact that her hair was dripping wet, quickly followed by the fact that his clothes nearly fell off her delicate frame. She practically swam in the baggy pair of black sweatpants and oversized grey undershirt. When paired with her sickly pallor and dripping wet hair, she looked even worse than she previously did.
"Did you get in a fight with the sink?" he teased with a small laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood for both of them.
"I attempted to fix my hair to look more presentable. Unfortunately, I believe I made it worse as I don't have my hairbrush here."
"I have a brush. You sit down." He motioned towards the bed, indicating that she should make herself comfortable. Before she could protest, he disappeared in the bathroom. He was a man on a mission, determined to do whatever was necessary to ensure her comfort.
Following Chakotay's directions, Seven sat on the edge of the bed. Her wet hair dripped down her back, sending cool rivulets crawling across her skin. Brush in hand, Chakotay reappeared. She reached out to take the hairbrush, but he kept it out of her grip and instead sat down behind her.
"I am perfectly capable of brushing my own hair," she argued.
"And yet, I'm going to be the one who brushes your hair." It wasn't that he thought brushing her hair was too much for Seven, he simply wanted to do as much as possible to dote on her. As gently as possible, he sectioned her hair off into smaller chunks and ran his brush through the wet strands with expert fingers. Unfortunately, her usually silky smooth locks that he loved so much were a knotted mess. Her attempts to tame her hair in the bathroom had done very little to help the situation. At first, Seven sat stiffly in front of Chakotay, refusing to enjoy being tended to like this. After a few minutes, however, she felt herself starting to relax. Sudden memories washed over her of being a little girl back on The Raven as her mother gently brushed and braided her hair as she sat on her lap. It all felt so real, as if it were happening to her in that instant. Her breath hitched in her throat as she attempted to suppress her emotions, but since he was sitting right behind her, Chakotay instantly sensed that something was wrong. "What is it?" he asked as he put the brush to the side. Everything had been going fine, he had no idea why she was suddenly acting like this. When he gently turned her around, he could see a few tears in her eyes. "What's wrong muñeca?" He'd been trying not to pull her hair, but it was inevitable given the fact that it had been weeks since she'd brushed it.
"Nothing," she snapped. He attempted to wipe away her tears with the pad of his thumb, but she brushed off his touch. "You need to sleep, you have to report for duty early in the morning."
"Seven," he sighed. He could see that there was something bothering her, and he wanted to know what it was.
"Goodnight, Chakotay." Her tone was final as she crawled across the bed and slid under the covers with her back to him, leaving him seated on the edge of the bed with a confused look on his face. He had no idea what had just happened. One minute, they were sharing what he thought was an intimate moment, the next she was giving him the cold shoulder. He wanted to press the matter, but he ultimately decided against it. He had been waiting for nearly two weeks to be reunited with Seven, and he wasn't about to ruin it by arguing with her. Instead, he put the hairbrush back in its spot in the bathroom and crawled into bed next to her. Despite the fact that he sensed that she was displeased with him, he slid his arm around her waist and cuddled up against her. After everything they'd been through, he needed to feel her close. Thankfully, Seven didn't seem to mind. In fact, she noticeably relaxed against him and slid her hand into his, holding on tightly as sleep eventually claimed both of them.
Author's Note: Let me know what you think be leaving me a review.