When Irina sat in her quarters alone she wasn't so sure anymore if she even wanted to attend the reception. Although she wished the Doctor to be happy with Seven of Nine this was not something she had to witness with her own eyes. It would still hurt her, even though she had assured herself that her feelings for him would be unrequited to begin with. Probably it was her effort, her help that made Seven fall for him and thereby destroyed her own hopes.

She leaned back on her couch and took a deep breath. Although she was of course curious how the Doctor's date was going she decided she wanted to spare herself the pain of seeing him together with Seven. She would rather spend the evening alone at her quarters. Plus, she still had another report to write.

When she entered sickbay the next morning she found the Doctor sitting at his computer, seeming even more nervous than the day before.

"Good morning, Doc" she greeted him.

"Morning" he murmured absently, staring at his computer screen.

"Is something wrong? Didn't Seven join you to the reception? How did it go?"

He looked up to her and shook his head.

"Oh, don't ask. Yes, we went there together but later she found out about my bet with Mister Paris. Of course she was furious."

Irina slapped her forehead.

"I told you it was a stupid idea"

"Yes I know!" he snapped at her but immediately afterwards he regretted his emotional outbreak. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I know you've been under a lot of pressure lately."

"I told her I was sorry and she accepted my apology."

"So then everything is fine, isn't it?" she asked and leaned on the table next to him.

"No, not exactly. I wanted to find out how she felt about me but when I addressed the topic I just couldn't bring myself to tell her how I feel. I think I made it sound like we were just friends."

"Oh. Well, I am afraid if you want to know for sure you will have to ask her directly."

The Doctor sighed.

"That's what Tom told me, too. But I don't know if I dare to."

Irina looked at him, his chin resting in his left hand while his right was fiddling around with his mobile emitter. Never before she had seen him so insecure and tense. Then Irina got an idea.

"You still have this holoprogram with a simulation of Seven, right?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Didn't I ask you not to speak of it ever again?"

"You're missing my point. I am not talking about any indecent holodeck activities. I was suggesting you could use this holoprogram to practice."

"Practice?"

"Yes. Just like you had me practice surgical procedures with some poor holographic dude you could as well practice telling Seven about your feelings with... well... Seven."

The Doctor looked at her sceptically.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Why would you give me lessons on the holodeck?"

"Well, so that you're less nervous when you're experiencing a real- Oh, I see."

"It's never easy, Doc, I know. But you've only got those two options: Either you risk it and tell her how you feel or you sit here all day in self-loathing and wonder what could have been."

"But what if she doesn't reciprocate?"

"Then that's how it is. But at least you will know what you're dealing with. This permanent insecurity is taking a toll on you. I've noticed it, Tom has noticed it. Even B'Elanna has noticed it."

He sighed.

"I guess you're right."

"I will have sick bay for the rest of the day if you want. Then you can do whatever you need to do on the holodeck."

The Doctor nodded. "Thank you. Computer, is holodeck two occupied?"

"Negative"

"Computer, please transfer the EMH to holodeck two."

"Good luck" Irina whispered but he had already vanished.

The rest of her shift in sick bay was straining. Not because she had much to do, in fact, she mostly sat around doing nothing, but because in her mind she was evaluating all the possible scenarios that could occur. Either Seven and the Doctor got together, which meant that he would be happy but she had to live with the painful longing for him while he was with another woman. Or Seven would reject him and leave him in sadness but give Irina the chance to maybe confess her feelings to him one day.

Both outcomes didn't seem very favourable. But whatever happened, she had no influence on it anymore. She had done her best to help her friend. And although she sometimes got a bad conscience because one part of her secretly wished Seven would reject him, she was still positive that she had done all she could. Whatever happened, she would get through it. They would get through it.