Disclaimer: Star Trek: Voyager and all things contained therein are the property of Paramount. No infringement intended. They own the characters, but they sold their souls a long, long time ago.
Chapter ThreeThe air on Vulcan was dry, bone dry actually. Had he been made of real flesh and blood instead of photons and force fields, he was sure that his every step would've kicked up enough dehydrated sand particles to create a small dust storm. And if he'd had sweat glands, he'd be sweating like a cadet before an inquiry board. He smirked inwardly and silently congratulated himself on his apparent superiority. There were definitely times when being a hologram had it's privileges.
The Doctor hummed softly to himself as he approached Commander Tuvok's home. He'd been rehearsing a lively Romulan operetta in the shuttle, and the tune had not yet left him. He rapped softly on the door, and wondered if the Vulcan would consider his unannounced visit to be rude. Perhaps he should've called ahead…
The door opened to reveal the beautifully sculpted face of Tuvok's mate, T'Pel. Despite the fact that he had seen her several times before, the Doctor found that he was always taken aback for a moment in her presence. The diminutive, attractive Vulcan woman exuded an air of soft-spoken logic, and in her captivating dark eyes burned the fire of vast knowledge and wisdom. Yet, she reeked of softness and femininity. It was easy to understand how she had captured Tuvok's attention. But then, the Doctor had come to realize that he had an affinity for logic minded, rational women.
"T'Pel," he said with a smile. "It's wonderful to see you again."
She acknowledged his greeting with a slight inclination of her head, and a simple, "Doctor."
"I apologize for dropping by unannounced. I hope it isn't too much of an imposition."
"Of course not. Please, come inside."
He stepped carefully into the house, noting instantly the unique Vulcan tapestries adorning the walls. The décor was befitting of the security chief he knew so well. Logical and efficient, but not without its own style of artistry – just like Tuvok. "Is Commander Tuvok in? I would very much like to speak to him."
"He is," she nodded slightly. "If you would be kind enough take a seat, I will summon him."
The Doctor sat on the edge of a large wooden chair. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to lean back and relax against the high chair back. There was just something unholy or disrespectful about kicking back and taking a load off in a Vulcan's sitting room. He heard T'Pel's even voice from somewhere upstairs. "You have a visitor, Husband."
Ever the picture of efficiency, Tuvok appeared only seconds later. "Doctor, welcome to Vulcan. I did not anticipate seeing you today."
The EMH rose to his feet. "I apologize for showing up on your doorstep, Tuvok."
"No apology is required. I am … gratified to see you again."
The Doctor suppressed a grin. He figured that was Vulcan for I've missed you. "I'm delighted to see you as well, Commander. This is my first time on Vulcan. It's – " It's what? Dry? Unnervingly quiet? A little spooky? "It's very … distinctive."
Tuvok raised a dark eyebrow. "Indeed." He gestured for the Doctor to sit as T'Pel entered the room with a tray containing a tea service and a steaming beverage. Tuvok lifted the teapot off the tray. "I understand you are now able to ingest food and beverage. Would you care for a cup of Vulcan spice tea?"
The Doctor nodded. "I'd love some."
Tuvok poured them each a serving, and then held his cup below his nose and inhaled the spicy aroma. A rather Human gesture, the Doctor thought. After taking a sip of the hot tea, Tuvok regarded the EMH with his customary steady gaze. "Am I correct in assuming that this is not simply a casual visit, Doctor?"
Typical Tuvok. Not much gets by that guy. "Actually, you are. I'm afraid my visit is not without ulterior motivation. I'm uh … I'm looking for Seven of Nine. Captain Janeway seemed to think you would know where I could find her."
"The captain is wise."
"Then you know where she is?" He hoped he didn't sound as desperate as he felt.
"I do,'" he nodded. "She has been our guest for the past two weeks. However, she is not here at the moment."
"I see," the Doctor said. "Where is she?"
"Seven has been engaged in studies at the Vulcan Science Academy."
"I … wasn't aware of that. I didn't even know she'd left Earth until the captain told me." The Doctor was slowly realizing just how far removed from her life he'd become, and it didn't sit well with him at all. There was a time when she came to him for studies and guidance. Now she'd relocated to another planet, and she didn't even bother to tell him. Perhaps it was too late…
As if he could read the Doctor's thoughts, Tuvok said, "Her decision to leave Earth was sudden. I do not believe she communicated her intentions to anyone. In fact, it appears her reason for being here is not limited to academic aspirations."
"What do you mean?"
"It has been my opinion that Seven of Nine is searching for inner peace. Loneliness and isolation have been her constant companions. I believe that she is trying to purge her Human emotions and rid herself of the need for companionship."
"But she was making so much progress! I really thought she was embracing her Humanity. Is this a result of her relationship with Chakotay?" he asked, suddenly feeling slightly angry.
"I do not know what transpired between Seven and the commander," answered Tuvok. "I only know that if she continues in her current manner, she will only end up bringing harm to herself. Seven is, for the most part, Human. Despite her remaining Borg technology, she lacks the mental discipline and basic physiology to suppress her emotions indefinitely. Now that you have performed the procedure that allows Seven to experience intense emotions, she must express them. To do otherwise would be … illogical."
"Well then we must help her."
Again, Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "That goes without saying, Doctor. I have tried to assist her. I have offered counsel, advised her to face her emotions, but she is stubborn."
The Doctor snorted. "That's an understatement."
"Perhaps," he replied. "But what she needs now is someone who can help her express her feelings. In that role, I am woefully unqualified."
"And I'm not? I'm a hologram, remember?"
"Hologram or no, you and the captain have been her guides in the ways of Humanity, her teachers if you will. She is accustomed to your counsel." Tuvok rose to his feet. "I did not contact either one of you out of respect for Seven's privacy. That is the reason that we cannot contact Captain Janeway in this matter. However, Doctor, since you're already here – "
The EMH also rose to his feet. "I understand, Commander."
"Perhaps Seven of Nine would benefit from a visit with an old friend. Her last class ends within the hour," said Tuvok.
"Then I suppose I'd better be on my way." He stopped at the door and turned to look at Tuvok. "Thank you. It was good to see you again, Tuvok."
The Vulcan nodded regally. "And you."
*~*~*~*
Chakotay leaned back in the chair and sipped on his iced tea. He enjoyed the feeling of the frosty glass against his hot skin. He wondered why he'd chosen this sidewalk café in the first place as the sun beat down on him. He had a sudden urge to dump the cold liquid over his head, but decided the gruff waitress who'd begrudgingly served him his salad wouldn't appreciate it. He was already tired of the Arizona heat. He found that fact ironically humorous, considering that he'd grown up in the near-desert climate of Trebus. He figured that spending seven years on a climate-controlled ship had made him soft. That, or he was just getting old.
He stabbed at the leafy green lettuce with his fork. The salad was well prepared, but during his time on Voyager he'd gotten used to the exotic tastes of Neelix's food. Earth recipes were almost bland in comparison, and his palate was still adapting. It just didn't appeal to him at the moment.
Chakotay heard the shuffle of feet and sensed movement behind him. Assuming it was the waitress, he gestured to his plate. "You can take this now. I'm finished," he said without turning around.
The voice that answered him didn't belong to the waitress, but it was unmistakable. "No thanks. I've already eaten."
Janeway? After seven years of obeying that voice, his reaction was more reflexive than voluntary. She'd caught him off guard. Before he even realized it, he was on his feet and turning to face her. He damned near snapped to attention. "Captain?"
Janeway chuckled softly and offered him a crooked smile. "At ease, Chakotay. This isn't a surprise inspection. We're both on leave right now. And the name's Kathryn, remember?"
Chakotay felt his cheeks flush slightly at the sight of her. And his own reaction was perplexing. He was never one to behave like a nervous crewman at her authority, or anyone's authority for that matter. But then, his relationship with Kathryn had been strained at best before they returned to Earth. And he hadn't seen much of her since the debriefings. Any conversations they'd had had been brief and perfunctory. Strictly professional in fact. It'd been a while since he'd addressed her by her given name, and he found that even after seven years of very close friendship, her name no longer rolled so freely off his tongue. That was something he'd have to change.
He took in the sight of her in civilian clothing. The cream colored sundress she wore clung to her slight form in all the right places and her chin tilted slightly upwards in an aristocratic – or was it defiant? – manner. She had a stately air about her. Leave it to Kathryn Janeway to make a simple dress appear elegant. Her auburn hair was loose and curled slightly around her chin, drawing attention to her slender neck and delicate collarbones. She was beautiful, he'd always known that. But standing there at that moment, a lopsided grin on her face, she was the most breathtaking sight he'd ever laid eyes on. A gentle smile spread across his handsome face as he extended his arms and pulled her into a friendly embrace. "Kathryn," was all he managed to say.
She returned the hug, and then pulled back to look at him, her hands clasping his muscular forearms. "Hello, Chakotay," she said softly. "It's so good to see you again."
He stared at her for a moment, reluctant to let go. Finally, he pulled out a chair and gestured for her to join him at the table. "It's good to see you, too." He watched her take her seat, his dark eyes never leaving her face. "I had no idea you were in Arizona. What brings you to this part of the globe?"
She averted her eyes briefly and folded her hands in her lap. "I was looking for you actually."
Chakotay's brows rose in surprise. "Really?" He liked that idea more than he cared to admit. "Well, now you've found me."
She laughed softly. "Yes, and it was no small task, I assure you. Fortunately, I have a friend or two in the paleontology arena myself, so I just called in a few favors. But I'll admit, I found myself wishing for the days when you wore a combadge and all I had to do was ask the computer for your location."
He smiled sadly. "Yes. I miss Voyager too." He took another sip of his iced tea. "Any idea what they plan to do with the ship now?"
She ran a hand through her cinnamon hair. "Not yet. Apparently, there's a raging debate at HQ. Some of them want to give Voyager a refit and send her back up. Others want to see her decommissioned and preserved as she is. It seems that Starfleet brass can't decide what to do with the famous ship." She dropped her head slightly. "Or with her captain."
His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"They finished my debriefing, and then strongly recommended that I take my thirty days leave. I could end up being promoted, or court-martialed, I just don't know yet." She rubbed absently at her temple, her hangover headache threatening to rear its ugly head.
"You don't really think they'll court-martial you, do you? You're in the public eye right now, Kathryn. Everyone knows about the heroic Captain Janeway who never gave up and brought her crew home. They've got to realize that it'd be a bad move for them to tarnish their own heroine."
She'd been called a hero in the news programs, and had heard it several times before. But somehow, it sounded different coming from Chakotay, and she found herself blushing a little. "Well, that depends on your definition of a hero I suppose. I haven't paid much attention to that nonsense, and I certainly don't see myself that way."
"But you are," he said without a moment's hesitation. "You are a hero. You kept us all going, and you never gave up, no matter the odds. If it hadn't been for your determination, we probably would've just settled down on some little planet somewhere."
Images of New Earth came unbidden to her mind, and she smiled gently. "I'm not so sure that would've been a bad thing." She looked up at him, searching his eyes briefly before she continued. His gaze was fixed on her as he gave her his full attention. "I know it probably sounds crazy, Chakotay, but sometimes I find myself wishing we'd have done just that."
His dark eyebrows rose in surprise. Before he could respond, the waitress approached. She took Chakotay's salad plate and glanced at Janeway. "Did you wanna order somethin'?"
"Coffee, please," she said shakily. She folded her hands in her lap and tried to ignore the fact that they were trembling slightly. She didn't feel very well. She wasn't sure if it was the nagging remains of her night with Tom Paris, or the hot Arizona air. But she pushed the discomfort to the back of her mind.
Chakotay waited patiently while the waitress poured Kathryn's beloved coffee, wondering briefly how she could drink it in this heat. When the waitress left, he turned his gaze on Janeway and said, "You wish that we'd stayed in the Delta Quadrant?"
"Sometimes," she shrugged, wiping the sweat from her brow. "At least then, we'd all be together. We'd still be a family."
"We're still a family, Kathryn."
She took a few sips of her coffee, eyeing him over the rim of her cup. "I know. It's just different now. We're spread out all over the place. You're here in Arizona, I'm back and forth between San Francisco and Indiana…"
He grinned mischievously, his deep dimples coming to the surface. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you're saying that you miss me."
Her blue eyes focused on his face, and when she spoke, it was barely above a whisper. "I do miss you, Chakotay."
His dark eyes were warm with affection. "I miss you, too, Kathryn. Very much."
Before Janeway could really absorb what he said, she felt her stomach rolling as the few sips of coffee she'd had hit it. The sudden attack of nausea was her digestive system's none to subtle way of telling her that it hadn't forgiven her for a single drop of the Liquid Cocaine she had the night before, and the coffee simply would not be tolerated. It was going to come back up, whether she liked it or not.
Chakotay noticed the tinge of green spread across her face and beads of sweat break out across her forehead. She didn't look well all of a sudden. Concern on his handsome face, he rose to his feet and stepped toward her. "Kathryn, are you okay?"
Her only answer was a deep groan, and then she slapped her hands tightly over her mouth. She ran for the bathroom faster than an ensign at Red Alert, Chakotay on her heels. She pushed her way into the stall, dropped weakly to her knees, and proceeded to pay for her little binge, and pay dearly. And as her intestines lurched into her throat, she briefly entertained the idea of turning the Doctor into a holographic earthworm.
Chakotay waited outside the door to the ladies room. He could hear the awful retching coming from inside, and knew that Janeway had become violently ill. He was about to throw propriety to the wind and run in there himself when the gruff waitress appeared at his side. "What's her problem? I know my coffee isn't that bad."
Chakotay took her arm firmly. "I need you to go in there and see if she's okay. She might need help or medical attention."
The waitress rolled her hazel eyes and wiped a lock of dry, frizzy brown hair off her forehead. "Okay, but you better remember this in my tip." Chakotay thought she had the temperament of a Kazon, not to mention the figure of a big blob of protoplasm, but if she'd check on Kathryn for him, he'd tip her as well as he would Miss Congeniality herself.
The heavy set woman pushed her way into the bathroom, now empty besides the one woman who was vomiting her guts up. She opened the door to Janeway's stall and eyed the slumped figure at her feet. "You alright?"
"No," Janeway wheezed. "Go away and let me die in peace."
"Tempting offer," she said. "But your boyfriend's a little worried out there. Thinks you might need a doctor." Janeway said nothing. "Well … do ya?"
The intense nausea began to recede, and Kathryn mopped her sweaty brow and leaned against the wall. "Actually, I could really use a cool washcloth."
The waitress rolled her eyes. "Now I'm a nurse," she grumbled as she slogged over to the cabinet and retrieved a fuzzy white hand towel. She ran it under the cold water and, without wringing it out, tossed it to Janeway.
The cold rag hit her square in the face, splattering the cold water into her hair and all over her clothes. "Thank you," she said dryly, icy droplets dripping off her lips and chin. "Your compassion is heartwarming."
Chakotay couldn't stand it. He had to know what was going on. He stepped gingerly into the bathroom. "Kathryn? Are you all right?" He stood beside the waitress and looked down at the slouching figure of his fearless starship captain. She was breathing hard and mopping her soaking wet face with an even wetter towel. He assumed she was trying to dry herself off, but all she was managing to do was smear the water around. He noted her pale complexion and mussed hair, and his heart broke in two. She really looked small and pathetic. He got a dry towel from the cabinet and knelt down beside her. He cupped her chin in his hand as he gently wiped the water from her face. "I think we better get you to a hospital, Kathryn. You look like you're suffering from heat stroke."
Well, he was partially correct, she supposed. The heat hadn't helped her situation whatsoever. "It's not heat stroke, and I don't need a hospital. But I do need to get out of here."
He shook his head. "I think you should see a doctor."
Janeway rolled her eyes. "I already saw a doctor, or rather he saw me."
The waitress looked expectantly at Chakotay. "I have other customers, so if it's all the same to you…"
"Of course," he said, never taking his eyes off Kathryn. "Don't let us hold you up."
"Too late for that," she grumbled as she walked out of the bathroom.
"Nice friends you've made here, Chakotay," she teased. She grunted as she tried to pull herself to her feet, suddenly very dizzy. Chakotay watched her sway dangerously as she staggered to her feet. Without another thought, he scooped her up in his arms and headed for the door. "What do you think you're doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" he answered. "I'm taking you to the hospital."
She laughed sardonically. "You plan to carry me all the way there?"
He looked down at her, concern etching his features. "I've carried you before, Kathryn. And if you need me to, I'll carry you again."
"Now who's the hero?"
Ignoring her attempts at humor, he said, "You need a doctor."
"No, I don't. I told you, I've already seen the Doctor. I saw OUR Doctor this morning." She tapped his shoulder. "Put me down, Chakotay, before some reporter sees us."
Now he really looked worried. It wasn't like Janeway to see the doctor willingly. He stood still for a moment, still holding her in his arms. "Is something wrong, Kathryn? Are you ill?"
Realization finally penetrated her foggy mind, and she realized that he thought something was seriously wrong with her health. "Oh, no, Chakotay. I'm fine, really. I just – "
Janeway paused as a woman walked into the bathroom. The young Bajoran stopped in her tracks when she saw Janeway and Chakotay. "Oh, uh … I'm … I'm sorry," she said, backing toward the door nervously. "Excuse … excuse me. I'll just come back later. Didn't mean to interrupt."
Chakotay chuckled softly at the horrified expression on Kathryn's face. She wriggled against him and shot him a scolding glance. "Look, I'll explain everything, I promise. Just put me down." He set her gently on her feet, but kept a firm hold on her arms. "Thank you," she said, trying not to think about the spectacle they must've been. "I have a room at a hotel on the other end of the city. The transporter site is just a few blocks from here. Come back to my room with me before someone else sees me looking like this, and I promise to fill you in, okay?"
He eyed her cautiously. "If you're sure you're all right."
"I'm fine." She clutched her stomach warily. "Nauseated, but fine. Let's go."
"Okay," he grinned, taking her arm gently. "But I still think it'd be more fun if I carried you. Give them all something to talk about."
She grimaced to herself. "I've given them plenty to talk about already, trust me."
