Tegan Chronicles STV Style 3:

What's Left of the Flag 25

For the past week Tegan had been actively avoiding Tuvok. She had walked into the mess hall that very evening and as she scanned the occupants he had lifted his hand to draw her attention. She paused for a tenth of a second and hoped he didn't notice before she turned and walked out heading for the holodeck. She had at least an hour free while Kathryn and Chakotay enjoyed dinner in the captain's quarters. She wasn't sure if she was jealous of the man, or thankful that for one night most weeks she could skip dinner if she wanted without Kathryn breathing down her neck. Despite everything else she had been doing wrong, she had been eating, sometimes as many as three squares a day. She had even eaten a decent lunch and figured skipping dinner was no big deal.

"Computer run program Tegan alpha one zero gamma two." She stripped down into her black bikini and walked over to where her surf board and blue and green rash guard waited for her. She pulled the shirt on and watched the waves roll in as the sun beat down on her from clear skies. After a few minutes she entered the water and paddled her board out past the breaking waves.

She sat on her board bobbing up and down on the water as she looked for the perfect wave. "Computer increase wave size and frequency by ten percent, and disengage safety protocols."

"Warning, disengaging safety protocols presents extreme risk of injury." The computer repeated the same warning Tegan heard every time she turned them off.

"Override."

"Acknowledged. Safety protocols have been disengaged."

She caught the first wave entering through the backdoor and rode the tube pulling out just before it was blown out. The second wave was a close out and crashed down on her rolling her under the surf and raking her across the coral bottom. When she came up her shoulder was stinging. Once she got back out to the lineup she glanced over see her rash guard was ripped and there was watered down blood oozing from it. "Computer increase wave size by five percent."

She was totally stoked as she climbed a 16 foot wall of water and took the drop. This was what it was all about, the rush, the sweet spot. She had found it. Once she made it to the line up again she asked the computer to save the program before she bumped the wave size and frequency up another five percent.

Soon she had the waves rolling in so fast she couldn't get out before she hit the impact zone and she found herself in the soup with more waves crashing down and pushing her under the water. The intensity was churning the water so much her board was pulled back rolling her under. Her entire body was drug along the rough ocean floor. She would come up for a quick breath before the next relentless wave would beat down on her. The coral scraped and punctured her flesh ripping small chunks of it off, and other times small pieces of coral would break off in the wounds. Finally she managed to release her leash sending her board flying upward it caught a wave and slammed down onto her head.

Janeway walked into the mess hall after Chakotay canceled on dinner when the ensign covering swing shift was kept from reporting due to a headache. She quickly spotted her old friend sitting at a table by himself, his half eaten dinner had grown cold. She walked over to him. "How are you this evening Tuvok?"

"I am well." His voice was deeper than usual and he paused between the last two words.

"You don't sound so sure."

"I believe Dr. Kiser is avoiding me."

"None sense." Kathryn rubbed the back of her neck. "What makes you say that?"

"Every time she sees me she disappears."

"Into thin air, just like that?" Kathryn shot him a cocky grin. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"Tonight she came in here and when I tried to get her attention she turned and left."

"Maybe she didn't see you?"

"She looked at me for point-one-three seconds."

"I assume there is a reason you want to speak with her."

"There is." He responded to her query.

"Alright." Kathryn wasn't sure who was better at avoiding answering her questions, the Vulcan or her girlfriend. She slapped her badge with an open palm. "Computer locate Dr. Kiser."

"Dr. Kiser is on holodeck two."

"Did she eat in here tonight?"

"She did not." Tuvok stood and retrieved his tray.

"Feel like taking a walk with me to Holodeck two?"

"If you insist."

She gave him a curious smile as her brow creased. "I do."

"I wasn't trying to off myself. I don't even..." She stopped, she knew that look, the one that dared her to go there.

"What? Go ahead say it." Janet propped her hands on her hips momentarily reminding her of a mad Captain Janeway. "You started it you might as well finish it."

When she initially regained awareness she had been sitting under that tree, the big one, in the middle of a field, in the middle of nowhere. Only she hadn't been alone like she usually was, they were waiting for her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again it was to find three expectant faces. She couldn't lie. She had known exactly what she was doing. She shook her head. "It's nothing." After a second she hopped to her feet. "Am I dead?"

"Do you have to ask that every time?" Cassie whined.

"Am I?"

"No." The girl moaned as Shadow barked from where he sat at her feet.

"So I'm not dead." She looked at Janet and shrugged. "I was surfing."

"You were being careless." Janet growled. "You're always taking superfluous risks."

"I was having fun."

"You were being careless."

"I say tomato, you say tomatto."

Irene put a placating hand on Janet's forearm as she looked at Tegan. "You should talk to him child." Her grandmother spoke softly.

"Who?"

"We cannot interfere in your life Tegan," was her only answer.

"I know." Tegan sighed.

"We have to go. You have to go."

"But I don't want you to go."

"We will always be here." Cassie pointed to her heart.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself." Janet's brown eyes bore into her.

"I didn't." Tegan insisted and looked down as Shadow nudged her hand with his cold wet nose. She knelt down and buried her face in his fur. "I miss you boy."

"We have to go." Irene got her attention.

Tegan stood up. "I love you Nana, I always will."

"I know, but it's not your time child."

"Janet, I…"

"Go," She stopped her from saying more. "She's waiting for you."

"Cass."

"Go." Cassie grinned. "Live your life."