Author's Note: Just a head's up, this chapter is pretty long. I tried to find a place to break it up, but I simply couldn't find a good place to do that. Enjoy and leave a review!
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chakotay's eyes fluttered open. He looked at the clock perched next to his bed. He had to get up in two minutes. Rather than let his alarm go off and risk waking Seven, he turned the device off. It felt strange having to think about the welfare of the person sharing his bed, but it was something he felt he could grow accustomed to. Once the alarm was turned off, he rolled over to face Seven and propped himself up on one elbow. She looked so peaceful. Most signs of her ordeal seemed gone; it was as if it never happened in the first place. Her left arm was draped across her stomach while her right hand was curled up in a fist next to her head as she laid on her back. Her golden hair fanned out around her head, forming a makeshift pillow. Despite the fact that her hair was still a knotted mess, she looked absolutely angelic. Unable to resist, Chakotay stole a quick kiss from the corner of her slightly parted lips. Drawing in a deep breath, her eyes slowly opened, revealing that light blue that was quickly becoming his favorite color. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips when she saw his face right next to hers. Like him, she felt that she could eventually grow accustomed to being greeted by his smiling face every morning, all thoughts of impropriety temporarily banished from her mind.
"Good morning," he murmured. His dark eyes sparkled with admiration, making her feel slightly uncomfortable, as if she'd done something special, which she hadn't.
"Good morning," she echoed as her hand came to rest on his cheek, stroking it softly with her thumb.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"Do not apologize. I rather enjoy waking up like that." He leaned in for another kiss, which she gladly returned. "How did you sleep?" Chakotay stopped to think. How did he sleep? While he did wake up several times throughout the night to check on Seven, it was probably the best night sleep he'd gotten since leaving on the away mission two weeks ago.
"Wonderful," he replied. "Especially now that I know you're alright." Her hand drifted down to rest on his chest where she could feel his heart beating against her touch. Even through his shirt, she could feel the warmth radiating from him. She smiled.
"I am relieved to hear that." Her stomach growled, instantly shattering the tender moment the couple shared. "I apologize." An embarrassed blush crept across her alabaster cheeks, which only made her more appealing to him, if that was even possible.
"Don't apologize," Chakotay insisted with a small laugh. "I'll make you something to eat."
"Allow me to assist you." Seven attempted to climb out of bed behind him, but he instantly spun around and gently pushed her back to a laying position. All the playfulness was gone from his eyes. There was no way he'd let her do much of anything while she was under his care.
"You wait here. I'll be right back."
"Chakotay-" He leaned across the bed and kissed her softly, preventing her from arguing with him further.
"Just relax, Seven," he murmured before standing up and disappearing out of sight through the bedroom door. His tone might have been soft, but it was also incredibly forceful; an order veiled as an act of kindness.
Scowling, Seven fell back against the pillows. While she knew the Doctor had insisted she stay on bedrest, she was perfectly capable of getting out of bed to eat breakfast. Sitting at the kitchen table and eating breakfast was hardly a difficult task, and she would technically still be resting, just not in bed. There was no need for her to sit here like an invalid. In her research, she had heard of breakfast in bed, but she never understood the purpose. Beds were made for sleeping, not eating, not that she had a bed in the first place. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she didn't have a bed that she didn't understand the whole purpose. If that's what Chakotay wanted to do to make himself feel better, then she would begrudgingly comply and make it up to him later.
With a victorious smile plastered on his face, Chakotay returned to the bedroom with a tray in his hands. Very carefully, he laid it across Seven's lap as she sat up with the pillows behind her to support her against the small headboard. He had gone above and beyond with his breakfast in bed, which only made her feel more uncomfortable about this whole thing.
"This is unnecessary," she tried to insist as she looked at the spread in front of her. There was a small stack of pancakes, a bowl of fresh fruit and a glass of orange juice. A beautiful rose rested along the top of the tray, giving it a small, romantic touch. Her fingers brushed across the silky petals softly. It might have been something small, but it meant a lot to her.
"And yet, I've done it, so you might as well enjoy it." Chakotay sat on the bed next to her to make sure she ate every last bite. Already incredibly skinny, she'd lost a significant amount of weight the past few weeks, and he was determined to help her gain back that weight as quickly as possible.
"What about you? What will you eat?" She noticed that there was no sign of any sort of breakfast for him, which didn't sit well with her; she didn't want him to put her needs above his own.
"I usually have coffee in the Captain's ready room before starting my shift." Seven knew that, everyone knew that in fact. Chakotay was a creature of habit, which included having his morning coffee with the Captain every morning, a quick lunch in the mess hall where he socialized with whoever happened to be there, and dinner whenever it fit in with his schedule; every member of the crew knew that, which meant they could easily find him at designated times if necessary.
"That is an insufficient breakfast. I do not require all this food, you can have some." To her point, she nudged the bowl of fruit in his direction. This was way more food than she could ever eat in one sitting, even if she had her normal appetite back.
"Seven, I replicated this food for you."
"And I desire to share it with you. I promise I will eat the majority of the food, but I want to share some of it with you." Chakotay sighed, mentally debating if it was worth getting into an argument over something as trivial as food. He was a little hungry, and she was only trying to take care of him, just like he was doing to her.
"Fine," he relented as he plucked up a piece of watermelon and popped it in his mouth. Feeling victorious, Seven cut into the stack of pancakes and took a bite. Almost immediately, her eyes lit up with excitement as she tasted something she wasn't expecting mixed in with the food.
"These pancakes contain strawberries!" she exclaimed in delight, causing him to chuckle as she went for another bite. All her arguments about this being too elaborate or too much food were quickly forgotten as she devoured the pancakes hungrily. Adding the strawberries was the perfect way to ensure she actually ate; in a way, it was a cruel trick, but he wanted to make sure she ate everything.
"You know, I can stay here with you today," he suggested as he settled back against the headboard, draping his arm along it in the process. The suggestion caused Seven's expression to immediately harden.
"Absolutely not," she snapped. There was absolutely no reason for him to stay in his quarters for the day, although there was no doubt in her mind that the Captain would give him the time off if he asked. The crew needed him, and she was more than capable of taking care of herself. "Do you not trust me?" Chakotay's heart momentarily sank when he realized the implication of his offer, which hadn't been his intention at all.
"Of course not," he quickly insisted in an attempt to redeem himself. "I trust you completely, I just want to be close in case something happens. You're still weak, and if something were to happen to you…" He trailed off. He'd already suffered through so much with everything that had happened, and he wasn't sure how much more he could take. She took his face in her hands and rested her forehead against his. All thoughts of food were quickly forgotten.
"I will be fine for the day," she assured. "If I need anything, I will summon you or the Doctor immediately. I promise that I'll stay in bed and rest, no matter how pointless I think it is." He put his hand over hers and turned his head, brushing his lips against the smooth skin of her palm punctuated by the metal band of her implant.
"Thank you," he whispered. "I'll come by during the day to check on you" She released her grip on him. She really wished he would trust her.
"That is unnecessary."
As he climbed out of bed, Chakotay said, "Doesn't matter, it's what's happening." He turned to face her. "It'll give me some peace of mind." If she wasn't going to let him stay home all day, the least she could do was accept the fact that he would stop by once or twice to check on her. It wouldn't be anything terrible, nothing to make her feel smothered. She could see in his eyes that this was something he needed to do for himself, not for her. She wouldn't argue with him, she wanted to do whatever she could to make his life easier.
With the issue of reporting for duty settled, Chakotay disappeared into the closet to get dressed. On his way, he kicked the dirty clothes he'd thrown in there out of the way. When he got back today, he would take care of cleaning up the rest of his quarters; at least for now the bedroom looked somewhat decent. With the plan forming in his head to straighten up when he returned, Chakotay pulled on his uniform and emerged from the closet. He glanced at Seven as he headed to the bathroom where he brushed his teeth, ran the hairbrush from last night through his hair and looked himself over in the mirror. He probably looked the most presentable he'd looked in two weeks.
Seven's breakfast was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Out of instinct, she made a move to put her tray to the side, but Chakotay was already out of the bathroom and on his way to answer the door. Pursing her lips in frustrating, she sat back and took another bite of pancakes, although now they didn't taste quite as good. As improper as it may have been, she was fully capable of answering the door on her own. What was she supposed to do if someone came by while he was gone for the day? She figured she could just tell whoever stopped by to come in, but that felt rude and impersonal. No, while Chakotay was gone, she would have to get up sometimes, it was impossible for her to stay in bed all day, whether he wanted her to or not.
Since she was in Chakotay's quarters, she figured it was a crewman searching for him, so she was surprised to hear him exclaim, "Icheb!" Her ears immediately perked up, and she abandoned the tray of food as she scrambled out of bed. Being on bedrest was suddenly irrelevant to her, she had far more important things to take care of. "Icheb, Seven's resting," Chakotay insisted in a firm voice, although his argument was rendered pointless when he saw Seven emerge from the bedroom. He stood in front of Icheb, doing his best to block him from getting past the entryway to the quarters, but the determined look on the teenager's face spoke volumes; there was no way he was going to take no for an answer.
"I am right here and perfectly capable of visiting with Icheb," she stated. A combination of relief and frustration flashed across Icheb's face. Although he was thrilled to see that Seven was fine, he still looked less than pleased. The tension in the room was smothering, and nearly all of it came from Icheb as he glared angrily at Chakotay, silently blaming him for something he couldn't quite figure out.
"Seven, I have to go." The First Officer was actually glad he had to leave, as he sensed that he wasn't welcome here even though he was in his own quarters. It was probably for the best that he leave them alone to talk things out. "I'll stop by around 1100 hours."
"Very well." She gave him a curt nod before he left, leaving her alone with Icheb. She saw the firm look he gave her, silently telling her to make sure she rested. She would, after she talked to Icheb.
With a scrutinizing gaze, Icheb took in his surroundings. He looked past the dirty clothes and dishes all over the place and instead focused on the fact that there was no denying the fact that Seven was wearing a pair of Commander Chakotay's pajamas. To add insult to injury, he noticed the breakfast tray on the bed and the fact that it looked like both sides of the bed had been occupied overnight, which only caused his frustration to grow.
"When were you planning on telling me you were awake?" Icheb demanded the second they were alone. Seven crossed her arms over her chest and raised her implant encrusted eyebrow with displeasure. If there was one thing she always emphasized with him, it was respect for his superiors, which included herself. There was no reason for him to talk to her like that.
"Excuse me?"
"I went by sickbay on my way to Astrometrics this morning, and you weren't there. The Doctor had to tell me that you regained consciousness and were released last night. I have been worried sick about you for the past week, and this is how you repay me?" He sounded like a small child, immature and frustrated that he didn't get things the way he wanted them.
"It was not my intention to cause you any aggravation. I was released from sickbay late last night and came right to Commander Chakotay's quarters."
"Why didn't you come back to the cargobay?" The teenager sounded incredulous at the betrayal, but Seven couldn't figure out why. If anything, he should be relieved that she was up and on her feet, everyone else seemed to be.
"The Doctor would not release me back to cargobay. My choices were either remain in sickbay or be released to Commander Chakotay's quarters." While it was a perfectly logical explanation, she could tell that he still wasn't satisfied with her answer. His gaze was still ice cold.
"Why Commander Chakotay's quarters? You're in a relationship with you, aren't you?" She opened and closed her mouth several times as she attempted to think of an explanation; she was under the impression that everyone knew about their relationship at this point, but apparently Icheb was still in the dark. This wasn't how she wanted him to find out, or anyone to find out for that matter. He didn't need a verbal answer, he had all the information he needed right in front of him. Anyone with eyes could see what was going on between Seven and Chakotay; it was in the unmade bed, the fact that she wore his clothes and the subtle looks they'd exchanged that went far beyond the usual looks between two members of the crew. He may be young and sheltered, but he wasn't that naive.
"That is hardly your business," Seven snapped haughtily as she attempted to walk away, but Icheb cut her off, materializing in front of her without warning. "Stand aside," she ordered as she glared at him. While Seven could be stubborn, so could Icheb, and he refused to back off now; he'd come here for answers, and that's exactly what he wanted. "Comply."
"No," he said defiantly, squaring his shoulders and matching her fiery gaze. "You've always encouraged me to be open with you, that there are no secrets, as it is important to our relationship and to adjusting to being a human. I always took you seriously and told you everything, no matter what it was. I was foolish to think that you returned the favor."
"What would you like to know?" If she had to answer a few questions from Icheb in order to regain his trust, then she would. Seven knew she had made a mistake in not telling him that she was awake; she had been so wrapped up in everything going on yesterday that he didn't even cross her mind. Everything had happened so fast last night, she barely had time to process everything as it happened, and her main focus was getting out of sickbay no matter what. Had she been in his shoes, she would be reacting the exact same way.
"Are you have a sexual relationship with Commander Chakotay?" Seven's eyes nearly doubled in size. Of all the questions Icheb could ask, that was the last one she expected. Normally talk about intimate relationships made him uncomfortable, but not this time apparently.
"I refuse to answer that question," she snapped as she pushed past him, heading him in the direction of the bedroom in the hopes that he would leave. She'd only been out of bed for a little while, and she was already starting to feel tired. She refused to let Icheb see that though.
"You said that you would answer my questions," Icheb argued as he trailed after her, completely ignoring the fact that he was entering the personal bedroom of one of his commanding officers. He wasn't about to let her off the hook that easily. "Seven, are you going to answer my question?" She spun around and glared at him. This was too much for her to handle; she needed to rest.
"You are a child, I do not have to tell you anything. My life is my personal business, especially information like that." By not answering Icheb's question, she essentially gave him all the information he needed. He knew she was having an intimate relationship with the Commander, all the evidence was in front of him. Now, everything made sense. For the past few weeks, she'd been sneaking away for hours at a time or even overnight. Whenever she returned, she gave some sort of pathetic explanation as to where she had been. He never really believed her, but he didn't know where she could be, so he didn't really press the issue. Had he done so, perhaps this wouldn't be such a shock to him. All the pieces to the puzzle had been there, he just hadn't put them together until now.
"Fine, then I have nothing else to say to you." Still seething, Icheb turned on his heels and stalked out of Chakotay's quarters. He had come here to check on Seven, not get in a screaming match with her. While they'd had their spats in the past, there had never been something like this, and both of them felt drained, both physically and emotionally.
Without bothering to ring the doorbell, Chakotay entered Kathryn's ready room. His sudden appearance clearly caught her off guard, as she only had one cup of coffee out and was seated behind her desk, not on her couch waiting for him like she usually was in the morning. Clearly she wasn't expecting him. When he entered her ready room, she froze, her cup hovering halfway to her lips.
"Chakotay," she exclaimed in surprise as she got to her feet and temporarily abandoned her coffee. "I half-expected you to take the day, or at least come in late."
"I tried, believe me," Chakotay commented bitterly as he retrieved his coffee mug from its designated spot and filled it, making himself comfortable like he usually did. "Seven refused to let me stay."
"Seven refused?" Kathryn parroted as she raised her eyebrow in amusement and smirked. She could only imagine that conversation.
"I told her that I could stay in my quarters with her today, and she insisted that she would be fine and would call me or the Doctor if something was wrong. I told her that I would stop by around lunchtime to check on her."
"So you compromised?" Chakotay shrugged as he sat down across from Kathryn and took a sip of his coffee. "If you want, you can go back to your quarters and say that I refused to let you report for duty today." He had to admit that the offer certainly was tempting, but he doubted Seven would fall for it. She was incredibly perceptive, and he didn't want to get in a fight with her, not when she'd only been awake for a few hours. She needed her rest, and she might be more inclined to do so without him hovering over her like he knew he would if he was sent back to his quarters.
"Icheb stopped by as I was leaving, and I got the feeling that he isn't exactly happy with either of us right now," he confessed as he shifted the conversation away from himself. In a way, reporting to duty was a blessing in disguise.
"Seven's condition has been particularly hard on Icheb. He idealizes Seven, and seeing her in sickbay like that was difficult on him. You were so wrapped up in how she was doing that you didn't even notice." All of a sudden, guilt washed over Chakotay. As much as he hated to admit it, Kathryn was right. He'd been incredibly selfish and only focused on his emotions towards Seven that not once he thought about how it might be affecting others, especially Icheb.
"I should have done my job and checked on him."
"That's not your job, it's mine," Kathryn assured. "And I made sure to check on him several times. He was as fine as can be expected. Hopefully now that she's up and about, things will go back to normal for everyone."
"He didn't look fine to me." Chakotay took a sip of his coffee. "He looked angry. I was so focused on taking care of Seven last night that neither of us took the time to tell him that she was alright and in my quarters." She reached across her desk and squeezed his arm.
"You made a mistake, and I'm sure Seven's taking care of it right now." Chakotay hoped that she was right, although it was hard to tell with Icheb. Sometimes, he was incredibly mature, far past his young years. Other times, he was immature, rash and quick to anger, just like any other teenager. It was hard to tell how he would react to Seven being back on her feet. Hopefully, he'd be so relieved that she's alright that all his frustration would go flying out of the airlock.
Shortly after 1100 hours, Chakotay returned to his quarters, just like he promised. He fully expected everything to be exactly where he left it, which was why he was surprised to see all the dirty clothes and dishes put away. Seven lounged on one of the chaise chairs he rarely used with a book in her hand as she tried to look as innocent as possible, although there was only one person who could have cleaned up.
"I thought you were supposed to be on bedrest," he commented bluntly as he pulled up a chair and sat next to her.
"My research on bedrest tells me that it does not mean a person is confined to just the bed, as long as I am off my feet and resting, I am complying with the Doctor's orders," Seven reasoned as she put down her book.
"You're right, but someone cleaned up around here, and I'm guessing it was you." Seven looked undeniably guilty, like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"Bedrest is inefficient. All I did was put your dirty clothes in your closet and stack the dirty dishes in the sink." She paused. "It was surprisingly tiring." It had been her intention to do a little bit more around here, but something as simple as that completely wiped her out. She planned on reading for a little while before laying down for a little while.
"Which is why the Doctor wants you on bedrest." He took her hand in both of his, instantly engulfing it almost completely as he pressed it against his lips. "You need to rest, muñeca, or else the Doctor will take you back to sickbay." The notion of going back to sickbay caused Seven's heart to flutter. As much as she enjoyed the Doctor's company, that was the last place she wanted to be. She wanted to be here with Chakotay; he was far better company at night.
"I would be much more comfortable here," she commented.
"Then rest. I know it's hard for you, but you need to rest. Watch some movies, take a nap, paint, write some poetry."
"I have never expressed any interest in writing poetry or painting."
"So try it. You need to relax, Seven, that's an order." It felt strange to Chakotay to order a crewman to take some time off and relax, but he knew if he phrased it that way, perhaps Seven would be more likely to listen, although she was particularly adept at finding loopholes in orders to meet her own needs.
"I will do my best to comply," she grumbled, although she looked less than pleased with her current situation. Just sitting around and doing nothing went against everything she believed in. She'd spent enough time sitting around on the away mission, and even though doing just about anything wore her out, she needed to be productive. He kissed her cheek softly.
"That's all I ask," he whispered tenderly in her ear. His warm breath sent shivers down her spine. She could hear a hint of desperation in his voice, which made her want to comply, no matter how much she detested just sitting around. "Now, what can I get you for lunch?" Seven opened her mouth to argue that she was perfectly capable of preparing her own meal but then remembered her promise to stay off her feet. Perhaps it would be nice to have Chakotay take care of her for the next few days.
"All I require is a nutritional supplement. The breakfast you provided did its job, and I am still full."
"As you wish." He stole another quick kiss before crossing the room to the replicator. Normally he ate lunch in the mess hall, but given Seven's current condition, he much preferred to eat with her in the privacy of his quarters. They had a lot of catching up to do, and he needed to see that she was alright to give him the peace of mind he needed to complete his duty shift for the day.
Chakotay returned to Seven with her nutritional supplement in one hand and a salad for him in the other hand. It wasn't the most glamorous meal in the world, but it was better than nothing. He wasn't particularly hungry, but if he didn't eat, then he was afraid that she would refuse to eat. He handed over her drink before taking a seat next to her.
"How is Icheb doing?" he asked before taking a bite of salad. He hoped that the conversation had turned more cordial after he left, but the expression on her face told him that that wasn't the case. She looked visibly distraught when he brought up her mentee's name. "What's wrong?"
"I fear that Icheb is displeased with me." Chakotay was about to take a bite of his salad, but when he heard that, he put down his fork and leaned forward with a concerned look on his face.
"Why?"
"He is upset that nobody told him I was released from sickbay," Seven replied. He sighed. He figured as much. He selfishly had kept the news to himself, without bothering to think of the consequences. He just hoped that Icheb wasn't one to hold a grudge.
"I should have told him last night. The Captain told me this morning that he has been struggling ever since you got back to Voyager, and it made me realize that I should have been more aware of his feelings towards you."
"Icheb is not your responsibility. As his mentor and close friend, I should have thought of him, although, I must confess that I do not know how to proceed." Usually when he was upset with her, he tended to calm down after a day or two, but she had a feeling that this was different. The secrets she'd been keeping from him for several weeks now were finally out in the open, and they were like a slap in the face to him. It would take more than a few days of cooling off to mend their relationship.
"What if I talk to him?" Chakotay suggested as he finally took a bite of his salad. Seven shook her head. If there was one person Icheb was angrier with right now, it was Chakotay. Having him talk to him would be like rubbing salt in the wound.
"No, that will only make matters worse. He is also upset that I did not tell him about our relationship sooner." While Chakotay felt bad for Icheb about what had happened last night, he was hardly sympathetic about the other problem plaguing the young man. Contrary to what he might believe, she was under no obligation to tell him anything about her personal life.
"You aren't required to tell him about all aspects of your personal life," he pointed out as he continued to eat his salad. "It's called a personal life for a reason. I didn't even tell the Captain until we got back."
"Was she upset as well?" He shook his head.
"Just a little disappointed that I didn't tell her sooner, but she understood why. This is our life, Seven, and we don't have to tell anyone anything about it if we don't want to. I honestly think that B'Elanna was a little more upset than the Captain was." As much as she and B'Elanna didn't get along, she knew that she had a close relationship with Chakotay, which she respected. She could see B'Elanna being upset that she didn't know about their relationship.
"I am still unsure what to do about Icheb," she confessed, switching the conversation back to their original topic. There were so few moments when she had no idea what to do, and she hated it. Normally, she knew exactly how to handle most situations, but when she didn't, it usually involved something with Icheb. He definitely pushed the boundaries with her, whether he meant to or not. She and Icheb tended to get along so well, so this was a strange phenomenon for her.
"He's a teenager, he's prone to moodiness. Just give him a day or two to cool off before talking to him. I'm sure he'll forget all about it by then."
"Were you this way when you were a teenager?" Seeing as she was never a teenager, she was fascinated by the notion of going through a rebellious teenage phase, although she didn't appreciate Icheb's behavior at the moment.
"Everyone does, muñeca, it's a part of growing up." Curiosity and slightly confusion flashed across Seven's face, causing him to grow concerned. He hoped he hadn't said anything wrong. "What is it?"
"That word, muñeca, when did you start referring to me as it?" He stopped to think, giving her a chance to take a drink of her nutritional supplement.
"When you were sick on the away mission," he finally replied. "It means doll in Spanish. Does it bother you?" A smile spread across her face as she shook her head. She often heard Tom and B'Elanna refer to each other with loving terms of endearment, although the harsh Klingon words she referred to her husband as didn't sound quite as sweet as Chakotay's word of choice for her. She loved the thought that he had carefully chosen a word to call her that was all her own.
"No, I am quite fond of it." Her smile was contagious as he smiled in return. He was glad she approved of the nickname. He had no idea why he picked it, it just came out and seemed natural to him. He would have hated to think of a new nickname for her, as this one felt like the perfect fit. With her blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes, she really did look like a doll to him. Satisfied, Chakotay turned his attention to eating his salad. He didn't have very long to eat, and he wanted to make the most of it before returning to the bridge.
"Seven." The voice was distant, penetrating her dreamlike state that swirled around her, gently probing her towards wakefulness "Seven." The voice sounded more urgent this time, almost fearful. Groaning, she opened her eyes and looked around with a confused look on her face. The Doctor's eager face hovered a foot in front of hers, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin.
"Doctor! What are you doing here?" she demanded as she sat up and looked around. She was stretched out across the chaise with her book still in her lap. She had no recollection of falling asleep. After Chakotay returned to duty for the afternoon, she went back to reading, and the next thing she knew, the Doctor was waking her up.
"It's called a house call," the Doctor chirped excitedly. "I came to make sure you are resting."
"Of course I am resting," Seven snapped as she adjusted herself to sit up properly. Her heart pounded anxiously in her chest. If anything, the Doctor's unannounced visit had done more harm than good to her, scaring the hell out of her. "Do you not trust me?"
"Honestly? No. I half expected to find you in Astrometrics." Seven had to admit that she thought about sneaking off to the Astrometrics lab for a little bit of work but ultimately decided against it, as she would see Icheb, and she knew that he didn't want to see her right now.
"Well, I am here, and I am resting. There is no need to check on me." Undeterred, the Doctor pulled his medical tricorder out of his medkit and began to scan Seven. The results that flowed across the tiny screen looked promising.
"Your nanoprobe levels are exactly where I want them to be. How are you feeling?"
"I fatigue easily. I tried to straighten up a little bit, and I was immediately exhausted." As soon as Seven said those words, she instantly regretted them. She could see on the Doctor's face that he was displeased with her. She should have just kept her mouth shut and let him scan her.
"I thought you were resting," he stated in an unamused tone.
"I was. It was just putting some dirty clothes in the closet and some dishes in the sink, hardly anything difficult."
"Even so, there's a reason I said I want you on bedrest." He snapped the tricorder closed and returned it to his medkit. "I'm fine with you walking from the bedroom to the couch and back again, but I don't want you doing anything more than that, at least for another day or two." She opened her mouth to protest. "I know that that's difficult for you, but it's for your own good. If you do not think you can handle that, I can bring you back to sickbay. I'm sure Commander Chakotay will understand. Understood?"
"I will comply," Seven grumbled while glaring at him. She hated being treated like an invalid. She could take care of herself and didn't need to be checked on every few hours. The Doctor looked victorious as he sat on the chair next to her.
"Good. Now, what have you eaten today?"
"Chakotay made me strawberry pancakes and a bowl of fruit for breakfast, and I had a nutritional supplement for lunch." The Doctor nodded. While pancakes weren't exactly nutritious, he was pleased that she was eating solid food. She desperately needed to put on weight.
"Very good. Have you had any other difficulties besides fatigue?" She shook her head.
"No, I am otherwise undamaged." When she was sitting around like this, Seven found that she felt fine, but when she got up and moved around, that was when she felt unwell. She was certain that after a few days, she would be back to her usual self and wouldn't require these "house calls" from the Doctor, which meant that she would also be able to return to duty like she wanted.
Naomi's red hair bounced against her backpack as she skipped down the corridor, her gifts clenched tightly in her hands as she skidded to a stop. She had to rearrange everything in her arms to free up a hand to ring the doorbell. After a few seconds, nobody answered, which caused her to get worried. What if the Doctor was wrong and she wasn't here? This was a big ship, she could be anywhere. Naomi rang the doorbell again for good measure. A few seconds later, the doors slid open, revealing Seven.
"Naomi Wildman," she stated in her typical formal greeting as if they had just seen each other yesterday.
"Seven, you're alright!" Naomi gleefully announced. Momentarily forgetting what she was holding, she threw her arm around Seven's waist, catching the woman off guard. Seven took several steps backwards into Chakotay's quarters, unintentionally bringing Naomi with her, as the little girl tightly held onto her. "I was so worried about you. My mom and the Doctor told me that you were really sick, but nobody would tell me what was wrong or even let me see you." Seven's hands rested on top of Naomi's head in an attempt to calm the girl down.
"That was very wise of your mother, I was very ill." The door to Chakotay's quarters slid closed, giving the friends a little bit of privacy. It hadn't been Seven's intention to bring the child inside with her, but she didn't have the heart to send her away.
"I brought you flowers," Naomi announced proudly as she released Seven from her vice-like grip and thrust a bouquet of wildflowers into her unexpecting hands. "I also brought you some soup." She handed over a thermos of warm soup. "I don't know why, but that's what my mom gives me whenever I'm sick, so I brought you some also. Chell helped me make it. I hope you like it."
"If you made it, I am sure that it is sufficient." A smile broke out across Naomi's face. While it may not sound like it, Seven had just complimented her. Chell had insisted that the soup tasted fine and that Seven would like it, although there was no way to be sure with her, she wasn't entirely sure of all the types of food her friend liked.
"Did you get my cards?" Naomi continued before she could be properly thanked for the flowers. Her eyes sparkled at the prospect that Seven had seen all the cards she carefully made for her.
"I did, they made sickbay look very...festive. Thank you, and thank you for the flowers and soup, this is all very kind of you."
"You're my friend, and I'm happy you're okay. What was wrong with you in the first place?" Naomi didn't mean to be so intrusive, but this was the longest she'd gone without talking to Seven since their friendship blossomed, and it had been incredibly difficult for her. Her mom and the Doctor refused to tell her anything about Seven, only that she was incredibly sick, leaving her to draw her own conclusions about what that meant.
"My mobile regenerator was stolen and subsequently damaged on the away mission, and I could not regenerate," Seven replied. Naomi's eyes grew wide. She knew how important it was for former Borgs to regenerate. Never before had she thought about what would happen if Seven didn't regenerate, but it had to be pretty serious if she was in sickbay for as long as she had been.
"What happens if you don't regenerate?" she pressed out of genuine curiosity, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet in the process.
"That is irrelevant, as it won't happen again." Seven brought the flowers to her face and inhaled. They smelled absolutely heavenly. "I need to get these in some water." From her past experiences, she knew Chakotay kept a vase around here somewhere, although she wasn't entirely sure where, as she had been a little distracted when he retrieved it. She hoped that the change of subject would be enough to distract Naomi and put an end to the questions.
While Seven searched for a vase, Naomi had a chance to look around. Even after all her years on Voyager, she'd never been in Commander Chakotay's quarters; it was all very exciting to her. The walls were decorated with beautiful Native American artwork, which didn't surprise her, as she knew how important his heritage was to him. There were also exciting archaeological artifacts that he collected from their adventures across the Delta Quadrant. She had no idea what they were or where they came from, but that didn't stop her from carefully examining them. The thought of picking them up for closer examination crossed her mind, but she thought about how disappointed the First Officer would be in her if she accidentally broke one of them. She wouldn't like it if someone touched her belongings, so she wasn't about to do that to him.
As Naomi explored Chakotay's quarters, she couldn't help but peek in his bedroom. She hadn't meant to, but she was just so curious. It was hard to imagine Commander Chakotay having a personal life, although he was always in a good mood and a jokester, he was still the First Officer onboard and therefore professional as well. As she peeked into the bedroom, Naomi couldn't help but notice the state of the unmade bed. It looked like it did when she slept in bed with her mom when she had a bad dream, both pillows were smashed up, and she would still see the faint outline of two sleeping forms.
"Are you sleeping in the same bed as Commander Chakotay?" The question just came out. As soon as she asked it, she knew she shouldn't have. Her mother always told her that she had to watch her mouth and be careful of the questions she asked.
"Naomi Wildman, that is a highly improper question," Seven scolded as she filled the vase she finally found with water and put the flowers in it before setting the vase in the center of the kitchen table.
"I'm sorry." Naomi sounded genuinely repentant for her transgression. "But everyone on Voyager is talking about you and the Commander, and then I saw the bed, and I got curious." Seven's brow furrowed at the news that the crew was already gossiping about her and Chakotay. It appeared that the Captain was right, they were going to talk about their relationship regardless, so she might as well stay here. "I didn't do it to mean. Please don't be mad at me." Seven's gaze softened. There was no way she could stay mad at Naomi for long, she didn't ask to be malicious like Icheb, she was innocent and genuinely curious.
"I am not mad at you, but you must learn to be mindful of what you say."
"Okay. Then I hope you don't take it the wrong way when I say that you look a mess." It was hard for Seven to reprimand Naomi about that, as she knew she was telling the truth.
"I am aware. I attempted to fix my hair last night, but I was unsuccessful."
"Did you try washing it in the sink? That's what my mom does when her hair is really bad."
"I splashed some water on my hair and tried to brush it out." Naomi shook her head.
"Oh no, that's not how you do it. Come on, I'll do your hair for you, and then we can eat." Before Seven could protest, the young girl grabbed her hair and pulled her in the direction of the bathroom. She wanted an excuse to take a break from bedrest, and this looked like the perfect opportunity.
In the bathroom, Naomi began to dig around the medicine cabinet, although it had little more than a razor, toothbrush and a few other toiletry items that belonged to Chakotay. Unfortunately, none of them were what she needed. She should have expected as much, men didn't have to put as much effort into their appearance as women.
"Hmmm." Her brow furrowed in annoyance. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." Before Seven could assure her that she was staying put, Naomi darted out of the room with her hair flying behind her like a vivid red cape. Seven wasn't sure if this was the best idea; she was more than capable of washing her hair on her own. When she thought about telling Naomi that, however, she could picture her little face falling with disappointment. It was clear that the girl was desperate to spend time with her, even if that time was spent washing her hair. She couldn't send her away, not when she was so desperate to spend a few moments together.
There was a grunt and the sound of scraping as Naomi reentered the bathroom pushing one of the chairs from the kitchen table in front of her. Balanced precariously on the chair was a small jar containing some sort of thick liquid that she'd just replicated. Seven couldn't figure out what she was doing or why she needed to drag a chair all the way across Chakotay's quarters.
"Naomi Wildman, what are you doing?" Seven asked in an unamused tone.
"I had to get something to wash your hair with. It's what my mom uses to wash her hair when she does this," Naomi explained as she wedged the chair between the sink and the toilet and climbed up to stand on the piece of furniture. She was now at eye level with Seven.
"Why do you have a chair?"
"So I can reach," she chirped excitedly. She pulled the sink out of the wall, instantly turning it on. "Now, put your head under the water." Seven was about to comply when Naomi exclaimed, "Oh! Wait a minute." She scrambled off the chair and grabbed a handful of towels from off the rack, inadvertently sending a few of them scattering to the floor in the process. "This can sometimes get a little messy," she explained as she spread out one of the towels on the floor and motioned for Seven to stand on it.
"Naomi, I am unsure if this is a good idea," Seven said with trepidation as she followed Naomi's instructions and stood on the towel. The material was soft against her bare feet. She was more than capable of taking care of her personal grooming without Naomi, and the last thing she wanted to do was make a mess, especially given the fact that these weren't her quarters.
"It'll be fine," Naomi assured with confidence. "Now lean over and put her head under the running water." While Seven still thought that it wasn't the best idea, she complied with the girl's directions to keep her happy. After going nearly two weeks without seeing her, she would probably do anything she requested to make her happy.
Naomi hummed a nameless tune under her breath as she gently poured the concoction from the replicator over Seven's damp hair and carefully worked it through the knots. Just like with her mom, it worked miracles at causing the knots to simply melt away. She also made sure to massage Seven's scalp with her fingertips. As she did, she could feel scars that were usually hidden by her hair. The sensation caught her off guard, and for a moment she almost recoiled in surprise. When she realized that the scars were from her Borg implants, however, she was able to focus her attention back on the task at hand. Even though she always saw the implants on her friend's hand and above her eyebrow, she got so used to them that she often forgot that they were a constant reminder of her past as a drone. She only saw her once or twice before the Doctor removed all her implants, and, quite honestly, she terrified her then. It had taken a lot of time for them to get to this stage of their relationship. Now, they were practically attached at the hip. As cool and hardened she might appear on the outside, there was always a soft spot in Seven's heart for the little girl, which Naomi knew and sometimes used to her advantage.
Naomi's touch was oddly soothing against Seven's scalp. Although her back was starting to hurt from being hunched over the sink, she instead focused her attention on enjoying the relaxing sensation. Cold water splashed across the back of her neck, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin in surprise.
"Oh, sorry," Naomi apologized. From her position, Seven was able to see the floor. The towel she stood on was starting to get wet. It was a good thing they had put it down, as she would have felt terrible if they made a mess in Chakotay's bathroom; she wanted to stay here, but she wasn't sure he'd let that happen if she made a mess. "Okay, I think I'm done," Naomi announced. Seven went to stand up, but Naomi exclaimed, "No, don't stand up!"
"Explain."
"Your hair is dripping wet. Let me get you another towel. Don't move." Seven complied as Naomi hopped down off the chair and grabbed two more towels off the nearby rack. She draped one along Seven's shoulders and announced, "Okay, now you can stand up, but be careful." Seven stood up, causing her dripping wet hair to tumble past her shoulders and onto the towel that she clasped around her shoulders to keep it from slipping off. Before she could catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror, Naomi threw the other towel over her head and began to ruffle her hair back and forth like her mother did to absorb as much of the water as possible.
"Naomi, I am perfectly capable of drying off my own hair," Seven attempted to argue in a muffled voice from underneath the towel.
"I've got it," Naomi chirped. Her assurance did stop the woman from trying to break free from her surprisingly strong grip. "Now stand still. I'm almost done." Underneath the obscured view of the towle, Seven scowled. It was one thing to be treated by an invalid by Chakotay, but it was another thing to be treated accordingly by a little girl.
All the rustling and movement from the towel caused Seven to start to lose her equilibrium. Her hand blindly shot out to to grab the edge of the sink, but the towel prevented her from seeing anything around her. Essentially, she had to find a way to keep her balance with nothing to grab. She couldn't fall over now, not here in front of Naomi.
"Naomi."
"I'm almost done." The sensation was getting worse. She was sure if Naomi didn't stop right away, she would undoubtedly collapse.
"Naomi!" The desperation in her voice finally got her to stop.
"What's wrong?" she asked as she pulled the towel off her head. All the color had drained from Seven's cheeks, and she looked like she was about to pass out. "Seven? What's wrong?"
"I feel damaged," Seven admitted as she shed the towel around her shoulders and dropped it to the floor carelessly. "Can you help me to the bed?" Naomi immediately jumped off the chair. She looped one arm around her friend's waist and carefully guided her to the bed, although she felt like there was almost nothing she could do if Seven did pass out, as her friend was significantly taller and heavier than her.
"Do you want me to get the Doctor or Commander Chakotay?" she asked as Seven lowered herself into the bed, her arms outstretched to balance herself out. For a second, she considered the offer, but she knew that both men would use this as an excuse to admit her back into sickbay for an undetermined amount of time. Her best bet to keep her freedom was to keep them in the dark.
"No," she insisted. "Do not tell either of them, promise me." Naomi didn't like keeping secrets, especially from someone as important as Commander Chakotay. Seven could see the apprehension in her eyes. "I'm fine, I just feel a little weak. There is no need to tell either of them, they would grow concerned unnecessarily."
"Okay…" Naomi reluctantly relented as she smoothed the blankets down around Seven and did her best to tuck her in. "Can I get you anything?"
"You can get me the soup you brought. I have been looking forward to it since you got here." Naomi's face lit up. Without waiting for further directions, she darted out of the bedroom, eager to do anything to help her friend get back on her feet.
From her position on the bed, Seven could hear the clatter of dishes as Naomi hurried to complete the task assigned to her. She really hoped she wasn't making a mess, although she had a feeling that the child had a habit of making a mess wherever she went, it was simply inevitable.
"Do you require assistance?" she called. Even though she still felt incredibly weak, she had to offer, just to play it safe.
"No, I'm fine," Naomi assured. "I'm just getting a bowl." There was another loud clatter, followed by her shouting, "Don't worry, Seven, I didn't break anything." Seven sighed. Perhaps she should have gone to help her, but the thought of getting out of bed completely exhausted her. She hoped Naomi didn't break anything, as these weren't her quarters, and she would hate for Chakotay to get upset with her.
After a few minutes, Naomi slowly entered the bedroom with the bowl of soup balanced on the tray from breakfast. The young girl looked exceptionally proud of herself as she set up the tray across Seven's lap and crawled onto the bed next to her. Seven looked down at the soup. It appeared to be some sort of vegetable soup in a thick, brown broth. She had seen it served in the mess hall in the past, although she never consumed it herself. It certainly smelled appealing. It had been over six hours since she'd eaten lunch with Chakotay. Normally, she was fine going so long without eating, but after what had happened to her, she needed to regain her energy.
"Thank you, Naomi. This is very kind of you."
"It's what friends do for eachother. I hope you like it." Seven took a bite of the soup. It tasted as appealing as it smelled. The broth tasted like a hybrid of the vegetables floating in the soup: carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms and even the faintest hint of leola root. Even with the native Delta Quadrant vegetable, the soup was pretty good.
"This soup is very appealing. You would be wise to pursue a career in the culinary arts." A smile broke out across Naomi's face. It was probably the best compliment Seven had given her in a very long time.
"I was so worried you wouldn't like it," she gushed. "I'm so glad you like it." Seven took another bite. This soup tasted far better than her nutritional supplements. Perhaps she should consider switching over to meals like this more often, as long as she made sure they met all her dietary requirements as well. She would talk to the Doctor about it next time he stopped by for one of his house calls.
Normally when his duty shift was over, Chakotay stayed in his office a bit longer to wrap up whatever task he was working on and several other tasks as well to prepare for duty tomorrow. Today, however, he left the second the bell rang to indicate the end of the shift and the start of the next one. He would finish up tomorrow, right now he wanted to get back to his quarters and make sure Seven was alright.
As Chakotay exited his office, Tom called out, "Commander!" He turned around for a second to see the Lieutenant jogging to catch up with him. "How's Seven?" Tom fell into step next to him as he continued to head back to his quarters.
"She's fine." The First Officer sounded relieved and the most relaxed he'd sounded in weeks. "The Doctor released her temporarily to my quarters, and she's on bedrest for the next few days." Tom scoffed at the notion of Seven being on bedrest.
"You actually think she's lying around in bed? She's probably up and hacking into the Astrometrics lab from your quarters as we speak." Chakotay hated to admit it, but Tom was probably right. Sitting around wasn't something Seven did. On the other hand, he saw how exhausted she was from doing something as simple as picking up dirty clothes and dishes. There was no way she would be able to be back to her old self. With any luck, she'd listen to her body and relax as much as possible so she could back to her normal self as quickly as possible.
"I'd like to think she's resting. She's still very weak. The Doctor stopped by and sent me a report a few hours ago. He said that she'll be fine, there's no lasting damage to any of her systems as far as he could tell." Tom looked relieved as well. He had been worried sick about Seven, and it sounded like she was starting to feel better, even if she wasn't back to her old self yet. They slowed to a stop. This was where Tom had to turn to get to his quarters, which meant they had to part ways.
"Well, let me and B'Elanna know if need anything." He clapped the Chakotay on the back.
"I will, thanks." He wasn't sure if there was anything Tom could do, or anything B'Elanna was willing to do for that matter, but the offer was incredibly gracious. It only proved to him how concerned people had been for Seven's welfare. He'd been so wrapped up in his own personal suffering that he didn't even notice the struggles of those around him, including those who had been unfortunate enough to suffer through that away mission with him.
When Chakotay entered his quarters, he was immediately greeted by giggling and chatter coming from the bedroom. At first, he thought it was Seven, even though he knew that she wasn't the type of person to giggle, but when he rounded the corner to investigate the noise, he saw Naomi sitting in the middle of his bed next to Seven. She clutched a PADD in her hand and excitedly read off the information to Seven, who looked at her with the scrutinizing gaze she used when she taught the little girl.
"What's going on here?" Chakotay asked with an amused expression on his face. Having been so wrapped up in her lesson, Naomi hadn't even realized that they weren't alone. Wide eyed, she scrambled off the bed and stood at attention.
"Commander Chakotay," she greeted formally.
"At ease, Naomi," Chakotay said with a chuckle as he crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed next to Seven. He rubbed her legs through the thick blankets. Momentarily forgetting that they were alone, he kissed the corner of her lips. Naomi's face wrinkled in disgust as she climbed back on the bed. It was one thing for her to hear that the two of them were in a relationship, it was another thing to see it with her own eyes like that. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired but otherwise undamaged," Seven replied. "Naomi brought me some food-"
"I helped Chell make it myself." Chakotay's face lit up as he turned to face her.
"You did?" He sounded genuinely interested and pleased with the announcement. "Did you save any for me?" Her little face fell.
"I'm sorry, Commander, I didn't know you wanted any."
"It's fine, Naomi, I'm sure it was delicious. Thank you for looking after Seven. I'm sure she appreciated the company." Naomi nodded her head.
"We're catching up on my lessons. We're very far behind."
"Oh, I'm sure you are. What did you learn today?" She grabbed her PADD and slid across the bed so she could show the Commander what she had been learning with the help of Seven. They had a lot of catching up to do. Thankfully, both of them were extremely devoted to her studies, which meant she would be able to catch up rather quickly.
With extreme attentiveness, Chakotay listened as Naomi gave him a play by play of every aspect of her lesson with Seven. Apparently the little girl had done her best to keep up with the lessons while Seven was gone and in sickbay, but the material was a little too much for her to handle on her own, and she had fallen behind. As a result, she and Seven had covered a surprising amount of material during their impromptu lesson to make sure she got back on track.
"Wow, you girls certainly did a lot today," Chakotay observed once she was done going over everything. A large smile spread across Naomi's face. More than anything, she loved being recognized for her efforts, especially when that recognition came from Commander Chakotay or Captain Janeway. It was all part of her plan to become Captain herself one day.
All of a sudden, Sam's voice came over the comsystem, saying, "Ensign Wildman to Naomi." Naomi scowled in protest. Her mother had terrible timing.
"Yes, Mom?"
"It's time for you to come home. It's dinner time."
"Yes, Mom," she grumbled as she began to gather up her belongings and toss them in her backpack. Before she climbed off the bed, she threw her arms around Seven's neck. The action caught her off guard, but once she regained her composure, she awkwardly returned the affection. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Seven."
"I am glad you have been trying to keep up with your studies. And thank you for your visit." Naomi was all smiles as she hopped off the bed and rushed out the door. If her mom wanted her back, then she better hurry. Besides, now that Commander Chakotay was back, she got the sense that he would want to spend some time with Seven, doing whatever it was adults did when they were alone.
Chakotay couldn't help but smile as well as he watched Naomi leave his quarters. He was glad she came by, she always seemed to cheer Seven up. Their relationship was definitely an interesting one, they were frequently together, and he could see a certain sparkle in Seven's eyes when she was around the little girl. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Naomi brought out the maternal side of her that was very rarely seen ever since Mezoti and the twins had left.
"How is Voyager doing?" Seven asked. Being stuck in Chakotay's quarters, especially after a week long away mission and a week in sickbay, she felt like she was so out of the loop with the going ons onboard. She wanted to know where they were in the quadrant, how things were going. Ever since she started working in Astrometrics, she was always acutely aware of most things going on aboard the starship, but that wasn't the case anymore.
"Voyager is fine," Chakotay replied. "It was a pretty slow day. You're not missing anything exciting, muñeca, I promise." He leaned in for another kiss, this time directly on the lips. Seven returned the affection, her metal laced fingertips brushing along his jaw in the process. "Now, I'm going to shower, and then we can figure out dinner, okay?"
"Okay." Before standing up, he gave her leg and affectionate squeeze. She smiled at him as she watched him disappear into the bathroom.
Only a few moments later, he poked his head out of the bathroom and asked, "Hey, Seven, why are all my towels wet and on the floor?"
Author's Note: What did you think? Be sure to leave a review and let me know.