Alone
Nearly a month had passed since the incident with Omega and the crew had finally stopped talking about it. Things had returned to normal and Kathryn was glad for it. She'd grown tired of chastising crewmen for gossiping. Presently, she sat on the bridge, a cup of coffee in her hand.
"Late night?" Chakotay asked, sitting beside her.
She looked up at and nodded. "Quinten has a cold and he's been up all night with a fever."
"Did the Doctor give him anything?"
"Yes, but I couldn't leave him in Sickbay overnight."
"I understand. Are you sure you don't want to go see him?"
"He's with Q. He'll be fine. Besides, I miss being on the bridge."
She turned her attention to Tom at the helm. He'd slow to impulse without her command. "Something wrong, Lieutenant?"
"Yes, Ma'am. It appears to be a nebula."
"On screen."
The image of a massive nebula appeared before them. The bluish-purple gases filled the entire view screen.
"Harry, how big is the nebula?"
"Big, Captain. I don't think we can go around it. It's too large."
"How large are we talking, Harry?" Tom interjected.
"Several light years long in all directions."
"What about going through it?"
"It's possible but it would take us nearly a month to do it."
"Well then, Mr. Paris, set a course through the nebula."
"Kathryn, are you sure that's a good idea?"
"What other choice do we have, Chakotay?"
"We could turn around; find an alternate route through this region of space."
"I don't see any reason to backtrack at this point. We can make it through the nebula."
"Captain...not to be insensitive, but couldn't Q just snap us across the nebula?"
"Just because we have an omniscient being aboard, doesn't mean we can take advantage of him at the drop of a hat, Tom."
"But...I thought he liked that sort of thing."
"All things in moderation, Mr. Paris." She tipped the mug of coffee to her lips and grimaced.
"Everything alright, Captain?" Chakotay asked.
"It's cold. I'll be in my Ready Room."
The bridge crew watched as Kathryn left the bridge. Chakotay let out a slow breath and leaned back in his chair.
"Does she seem...off to you?" Tom asked.
"No more than usual. She's got a sick child. It can cause stress."
"Since when did stress cause a Starfleet Captain to ignore the easy way through a situation?"
"Because, Tom. The easy solution isn't always the correct one."
Kathryn returned to her Ready Room, setting the coffee mug on her desk and replicating a new cup. She tried to push Tom's suggestion out of her head. She knew Q would do it in a heartbeat but that was the problem. He was too eager to take the easy way out. Just as she took a sip of the new cup of coffee, the comm. system beeped.
"Doctor to the Captain."
"Go ahead, Doctor."
"I think you'd better get down here."
"On my way."
The mug slammed down on the desk, sending a ring of coffee sloshing over the edge. She strode down the corridor like she was a ship taking off.
"Deck Five," she ordered as she stepped onto a turbolift.
It descended slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. A hundred different scenarios thundered through her thoughts as she disembarked. By the time she reached Sickbay she was a wreck.
"What is it, Doctor? What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing's wrong, Captain. Q just thought you'd like to know."
"Know what?" She looked at Q and saw the devious smile on his lips.
"Junior said his first words this morning."
"He did?"
"Smart little guy."
"What did he say?" She walked further into the room to see Quinten sitting on a bio bed, several fingers in his mouth.
"Go ahead, Junior. Tell Mommy what you said," Q prompted.
"Mama. Wan Mama."
Kathryn's eyes filled with tears as she picked him up. He gave a soft giggle as she swung him around in a wide arc. Both Q and the Doctor watched in amusement as she set him down.
"What a big boy you are. Mommy's so very proud of you."
After showering the boy with kisses and praise, she turned to the Doctor.
"Is there anything else?"
"Yes. As a matter of fact there is. It appears that his fever and illness have passed. He's perfectly healthy."
"Thank you, Doctor."
"Of course. As your family physician, I would like to run some blood work just to be sure."
"He doesn't like needles," Q interrupted.
"It's a simple hypospray. I wouldn't dream of using a needle on a child. It's...unethical."
"Do what you have to, Doctor."
Just as the Doctor reached for a hypospray, Chakotay's voice came over the comm.
"Bridge to the Captain."
"Go ahead, Commander."
"We may have a problem."
"Explain."
"The nebula. It looks like it consists of gases that could prove fatal to the crew."
"Senior Staff, meet me in the Briefing Room immediately. Tom, all stop. I want you to hold position where we are."
"Aye, Captain."
The Captain turned to the Doctor. "Do you think you could watch him for a few minutes?"
"Me? Well I...I suppose."
"Thank you, Doctor."
With that, Kathryn led Q out of Sickbay and back to Deck One.
"What nebula?" he asked as they reached the Briefing Room.
"For an omniscient being, you're a little out of the loop today, aren't you, Q?"
"I had a rough night."
"We've encountered a nebula that's too large to circumscribe. So we're hoping to go through it."
They entered the room and Kathryn took her seat at the front of the table.
"What do you have for me, Chakotay?"
"We've analyzed the gases in the nebula and we don't think it's possible to make it through the nebula without risking the lives of the crew in the process."
"Do you have any alternatives for me, Commander?"
"Well…there was one idea but it's…sort of a last resort."
"I'm listening."
Chakotay looked to Harry and B'Elanna. He nodded and B'Elanna cleared her throat.
"We could put the crew in stasis for however long it takes to get through the nebula."
"We'd need someone to monitor the ship's systems. It can't run itself for a moth," Kathryn replied.
"I believe my Borg implants render me impervious to the nebula's effects, Captain," Seven answered.
"Are you certain of that, Seven?"
"Yes, Captain."
"And you'd be willing to take on the task of keeping the crew stable and the ship functional for that length of time by yourself?"
"Yes, Captain."
Kathryn contemplated Seven's offer for a while. It made sense that the former drone would be able to resist certain phenomena more readily than normal humans.
"Alright. B'Elanna, Harry I want you two to start setting up the stasis pods. Consult with the Doctor."
"On it, Captain."
"Chakotay. I want you and Tuvok to begin informing the crew."
"Aye."
She turned to Tom. "I want you to set a course through the nebula. Seven's going to need it as soon as possible."
"I'm on it."
Kathryn, Q and Seven watched the others leave. "You sure I can't do anything, Kathy?"
"No. You're going into stasis with the rest of the crew."
"If you say so. I'm going to pick up Junior."
Soon, Kathryn and Seven were left standing in the Briefing Room. The Captain looked at Seven and couldn't help but give the young woman a concerned look.
"You're certain you're up for this. It's not like anything you've had to deal with before."
"When I was a member of the Collective, I was never alone. I always had the thoughts of the other drones to keep me company. Even here on Voyager I have had companionship from the crew. I believe it is important that I have this experience. I will not fail, Captain."
"I have no doubt you'll perform efficiently, Seven. I just want to be sure you're not getting into something that is too much to handle."
"Your concerns are unwarranted. I will adapt to the situation."
Kathryn simply patted her on the shoulder and walked out. In four hours time, the stasis pods had been assembled in Cargo Bay One. The entire crew had been herded in like sheep. Tom stared at the pod and swallowed.
"And why couldn't we do this in our own quarters?"
"Scared, Tom?" Harry teased.
"I hate small spaces."
"You will be asleep, Lieutenant."
"Doesn't make it any easier," he grumbled as he climbed in.
Seven followed the Captain to the remaining stasis pod and let out a breath.
"We'll see you in a month. Good luck, Seven," Kathryn said as she climbed into the pod.
"Thank you, Captain."
Seven watched as the entire crew succumbed to the lull of stasis. With a small exhale she returned to her duties. They were numerous and she needed to devise a schedule before the ship proceeded into the nebula. She was determined to prove she could handle being along on the ship for a month.