An hour later, Chakotay strolled through the sickbay doors, smiling appreciatively to see her sitting up in the bio bed and reading.
"Good to see you up and about," he said, drawing her attention as he walked cautiously up to her bedside.
B'Elanna dropped the padd to her side and fixed him with a look that wasn't accusatory, but bore no pleasantries.
"What's going on, Chakotay. Why is no one allowed to talk to me?" Her voice was soft, but she couldn't keep the urgency - or the fear - out of it entirely.
Chakotay wasn't surprised by the pointed inquiry - he had come here to address it. But he couldn't help feeling just the littlest bit apprehensive about telling B'Elanna that she wasn't allowed in her engine room.
"The Captain has asked that you not participate in anything related to engineering until she's had a chance to speak with you. That includes any information about engineering or ship's systems".
B'Elanna's up-to-this-point composure shattered in a loud and indignant way.
"Why?! What possible purpose could that serve? I know those systems better than anyone - she knows that! I…"
B'Elanna's voice trailed off as she realized where her statements were leading her. She honestly hadn't considered that she might be in actual trouble, but now, as she sat looking quietly at Chakotay, she knew she likely was. The Captain hadn't taken lightly in recent months to insubordinate behavior, and she, more than anyone else, (except for maybe Tom himself) knew that she certainly hadn't taken lightly to Tom's refusal to follow her orders with the Monaens. The pit in her stomach that had been growing ever since she had woken in sickbay now widened to a chasm. Chakotay noted the increasing realization in her body language and took pity on her by jumping in again.
"The Captain's asked me to inform you that she'd like to see you as soon as the Doctor clears you for duty". He glanced over at the Doctor who was conveniently within ear shot.
"Doctor, do you know when that might be?"
The Doctor shifted, obviously considering when she might be ready to be sent into the Lion's Den. "If all goes well, Lt. Torres should be ready to return to duty the day after tomorrow, after she's rested in her quarters tomorrow evening".
Chakotay nodded briefly. "I'll inform the Captain". Turning to B'Elanna, he placed a hand on her shoulder and tipped his head to the side in his endearing, yet infuriating, way. "Try not to give everyone too hard of a time while you wait, okay?"
B'Elanna felt numb and enraged and terrified all at the same time, so she simply nodded and said, "yeah, I'll do my best". Chakotay smiled and left as quickly as he had come in.
….
A few hours later Tom appeared in sickbay, having just been released from a duty shift. By the grease on his hands and the state of his uniform, B'Elanna knew he had been in engineering, likely drafted to help put the engine back together from whatever state it had gotten into in her absence. B'Elanna wanted desperately to grill him about the state of her engines and what he'd been working on, but she knew that wasn't fair. Irritated as she was, it wasn't Tom's fault, and she wasn't going to alienate yet another person in her life over his.
"Long day?" she asked, glancing up from her padd and pushing the blanket off of her lap.
"Not bad, all things considered" he said, grinning his confident grin, yet obviously approaching her like the caged-animal she currently felt she was. B'Elanna tried to make herself look as unlikely to pounce as she could manage.
"What do you think the chances are of you springing me from here early tonight, if I promise to rest like the Doctor asks?"
Tom smiled again, turning his head to find the Doctor, and then turning back. "I think we could probably be persuasive if we team up".
B'Elanna smiled half-heartedly and leaned back, closing her eyes just too long to be blinking. Tom let the silence continue, not wanting to disrupt any conversation she might be gearing up to have. It wasn't like B'Elanna to talk about her feelings willingly, so if she was inclined to in this moment, he certainly wasn't going to disrupt it.
Sighing, B'Elanna opened her eyes and considered him. Finally, she said softly, "On a scale of one to the brig, how mad was she when she was talking about it?".
The tone of her voice was casual, but Tom heard the underlying fear and uncertainly in the breath that caught in her throat and her eyes that wouldn't focus. He honestly wasn't sure what to tell her - was the Captain angry? Yes. Absolutely. Was anyone sure what she was going to do? Absolutely not. Tom hated being in this position. There was no way he could disobey the Captain's order - he valued the pip on his collar more than ever, now that he was down to one. And while he wanted desperately to alay B'Elanna's anxiety, he was reasonably sure the full reality of the situation would only make her more upset. He decided that brief was probably his safest bet from all sides.
"I'm not sure. She was pretty upset. But she hasn't really said much about it in the last day or so." B'Elanna nodded and gave the slightest of smirks.
"Well, if I end up in the brig, you better sneak me in as many desserts as I snuck you".