Usual Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek Voyager or anything associated with it, Paramount does!
It's Better than Coffee!
"Coffee, black, hot."
"Insufficient replicator credit," the computer replied.
The Captain sighed. After a night of sleepless tossing and turning, she'd stopped trying. Instead, she had come here in the early morning hours to catch up on her overwhelming pile of work. She yawned and thought, I really need coffee.
"Good morning, Captain!" A cheerful voice burst forth from the galley, and she jumped involuntarily.
"Good morning, Neelix. You startled me," she greeted him with a smile. "I didn't think even you would be awake at this ungodly hour."
"Ah. The kitchen always needs my care," he replied good-naturedly. "Can I get you anything?"
"Yes, actually. Is there any coffee in the kitchen?"
"Well, no, but if you can't get replicated coffee, I have just the thing for you!"
Janeway froze. Her mind went quickly through the various "better than coffee substitutes" she had seen, smelled, and tasted during the past year and a half in the Delta Quadrant. Neelix hurried back to the galley, and she watched him go, not having the heart to tell him she didn't really want whatever he was about to make.
The first time, it had been a sloppy brown sludge the consistency of pudding, plunking into the mug lump by lump. She still vividly remembered how undignified she'd felt as her jaw dropped and she'd all but fled from the kitchen for a minor call. Luckily, Chakotay had had his impeccable timing and saved her from trying that substitute.
The second one had looked passable, but it tasted like leola root. She had quickly excused herself to her quarters, only to double over in gut pain. She had retched multiple times into the sink and then made a break for Sickbay. The Doctor had been much less than pleased when she arrived and threw up again onto the floor. For once, she didn't even want to protest against the day of sick leave he ordered.
The mere smell of the third substitute had been enough to turn her stomach. There was definitely leola root in it, along with a number of strange spices she wasn't familiar with. She had excused herself tactfully before she was forced to try it out of sheer politeness. As she worked through caffeine withdrawal migraines that afternoon, she vowed to cut back on her coffee intake to avoid situations like this in the future. As usual, she never had the personal restraint to accomplish that goal.
The fourth one had appeared when she had offered to introduce a visiting alien dignitary to her favorite beverage. The liquid that had been poured into their mugs had not been coffee, but it was palatable enough that she could maintain a diplomatic expression while Neelix whispered to her that they were out of real coffee. Their visitor, however, had been truly and thoroughly delighted; he was willing to trade all of the necessary supplies for some more samples of Voyager's "coffee."
Now, she braced herself as Neelix came bustling back out. "I hope this does just the trick. I've been saving it for a time just like now." He poured a dark liquid into her mug, and to her surprise, it smelled just like freshly brewed coffee from her family farmhouse in Indiana.
She took a tentative sip and sighed happily. "Neelix," she smiled, "how did you make this?"
"Well," he explained. "It's very simple, actually. I've observed that coffee is pretty popular among the crew, and I'm always running out! I replicated a lot of coffee beans and stored them somewhere safe for such occasions. After all, people say that things taste better when you make them yourself from scratch."
"It certainly is true," the Captain said. "This is the best coffee I've had since we started our journey. Thank you, Neelix. I really appreciate the gesture."
"Wonderful! I'm glad you like it. You know, I was thinking to ask you for tips on how to grow them in the aeroponics bay," he proposed hopefully.
"I'd be happy to give you a hand. You always have the perfect ideas," she said.
"I try my best, Captain," Neelix beamed. "Well, enjoy. I've got to get breakfast started!"
The Captain fondly watched him go back into the kitchen and listened to the song he began to hum as he worked. I am so blessed to have such dedicated and thoughtful crewmembers like Neelix.
I wanted to go for a bit of humor in this one, but I also wanted to think about treasuring the people closest to us because they are the ones we often take for granted and overlook. I hope you've enjoyed it!