Tegan Chronicles STV Style 3:

What's Left of the Flag 35

Tegan was lying on a biobed, her eyes closed with a scan running when the doors opened and Janeway walked in. She looked over at the bed and frowned before looking at the doctor who smiled at her letting her know everything was fine. She nodded briefly before she exited the way she came. The doctor looked back down at the real-time readout on the monitor a crease forming in the photons creating his forehead.

Tegan kept her eyes closed as she spoke. "That was Captain Janeway wasn't it?"

"Yes." The doctor continued to look at the scan not thinking too much of it.

Tegan opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. "She's worried, she feels guilty, and she has a slight headache forming at the back of her eyes."

Everyone suspected Captain Janeway was carrying around guilt over the whole incident with stranding them there, and it was reasonable to assume she was worried, but the doctor couldn't overlook the fact Tegan could pinpoint the exact location of her headache. When he took all of her observations and coupled them with what he had seen on the monitor he couldn't help think that it was something more than mere intuition. "Interesting."

"What?"

"I'd like to try something."

"Fine."

Tegan looked up as Janeway and Tuvok entered sickbay. She had requested they join her and the EMH after he had gone over his findings with her. She held her arm out indicating the office where they could be seated while listening to the doctor prattle on.

"I didn't want to tell you until I knew for sure." She started by way of explanation.

Janeway kept both feet flat on the ground and straightened her back. "Does this have something to do with the brain scan you were having done this morning?"

"Yes." She looked at the EMH for him to share his findings.

"Tegan asked me to run a basic brain scan on her. She didn't tell me what she was looking for and I had hoped she would share her findings if she found what she was looking for."

"Could we get to the point Doctor?" Janeway requested tersely.

He frowned lightly. "Anyway, when you came in this morning, I noticed a couple different areas of her brain became much more active. She never actually saw you here but when you left she was able to identify you."

"She does that anyway." Kathryn glanced at Tegan who smiled softly.

"Yes, my mild form of ESP."

"Yes but this was more than just sensing that you were in the room, she was able to state two emotional states you were feeling, mainly guilt and concern, and that you had the beginning of a headache forming behind your eyes."

"It's gotten a little worse since this morning." Tegan stood up and moved behind her running her fingers up the back of her neck before she could protest she closed her eyes and placed the tips of her fingers ever so lightly on Kathryn's scalp. She moved her fingers to another spot before opening her eyes and feeling slightly lightheaded. "Better?"

Janeway nodded. "You do that to the wrong person and they're liable to break your arm."

Tegan bowed her head briefly. "I'm sorry, I should have asked permission."

Janeway accepted her apology with a tilt of her head as Tegan sunk back into her chair while trying to keep her near perfect posture.

"Tired?" Tuvok observed her intently.

"No." She looked at the EMH. "Please go on."

"I was extremely interested in what the scan was indicating but I couldn't be sure it wasn't a fluke or something correlated with the relationship you two have. Which would be interesting on its own. I decided to run more testing and I put up a barrier between the biobed Tegan was in and the rest of sickbay. I then had several members of Voyager come in for a few minutes and stand quietly before leaving. They never saw her and she never saw them. Between each person Tegan would tell me all she could about them. Some of them she was able to name and some she was not."

"Could you be more specific?" Tuvok requested.

Tegan took a breath. "I probably don't need to point it out, but this is confidential. I'm sure some people may not appreciate what I'm about to share." She waited for Tuvok and Janeway to agree before she continued. "The first person to come in was anxious with an overabundance of merriment."

"Neelix." Both Janeway and Tuvok said in unison.

"See," Tegan looked at the doctor, "I'm not the only one who can name him based on emotion alone."

The doctor merely shook his head. "Go on."

"The next person was a little shy, very happy with a hint of fear and concern, I quickly deduced it was none other than Naomi Wildman. Then there was B'Elanna, I knew her almost immediately she was she was angry, horny, and there was a twinge of pain dancing in there, plus I could smell her. That natural mixture of lavender and lilacs." She watched Janeway shake her head slightly at the description and felt just the slimmest glimmer of jealousy bubble in her stomach. "I didn't know who the next person was, just that they were annoyed."

"Seven wasn't too happy to be pulled away from astrometrics without an explanation." The doctor interjected.

"Considering the annoyance I should have been able to guess that one." Tegan shook her head. "Next person I didn't have a clue. They were confused, probably wondering why they had been asked to come to the infirmary. There was also a hint of nervousness."

"Crewman Chell."

Janeway pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Then you came in." She looked at Tuvok. "You're always so calm, I think I would recognize your calmness anywhere."

He moved his head ever so slightly.

"Tuvok was followed by, a happy female. She was actually bubbly feeling." Tegan shivered slightly as she remembered the way it made her feel.

"Crewman Anderson." The doctor offered.

"And the last one, not sure why I didn't guess who he was, another calm one with a hint of curiosity and happiness."

"Commander Chakotay stopped in while making rounds." The doctor informed them. "I spoke to each individual and asked them if the feelings I had recorded were correct. All of them confirmed they were, except B'Elanna who merely blushed. I told her that a heightened state of arousal was perfectly normal."

"I'm surprised she didn't rewrite your program Doctor." Janeway chuckled.

"Oh she threatened to." He lifted a brow. "Each time the same areas of Tegan's brain would become more active, mainly the areas we associate with psionic activity."

"Telepathic?" Janeway wondered why Tegan hadn't mentioned it.

"Empathic, it would appear."

"Well I certainly can't read minds." Tegan grinned and shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Your gift?"

She looked at Tuvok for a second. "Or my curse."

"Is this why you've been avoiding the mess hall?" Janeway started to put the pieces together.

"It's a little chaotic when there are a lot of people in one space. Overwhelming," she clarified. "And Neelix is wonderful but sometimes his emotions are so—loud."

"I may be able to help you to not be so open to the emotions of others. To help you find balance and control."

"Thanks Tuvok, I'd really appreciate any help."

"We can begin this evening."

Tegan looked at Kathryn who nodded letting her know whatever plans she had for them that evening would wait. She really wanted to pick up where they had left off the night before since Kathryn had been called away almost as soon as they had finished eating. "I'm not sure I want everyone knowing."

"That's understandable," Janeway agreed. "But I do believe senior staff needs to be made aware."

"Of course."