Disclaimer and A/N see chapter 1.
*****
Chakotay was just about ready to throw something at the man in frustration. Tom Paris must be the only person he knew who was capable of participating in a half-hour conversation purely with monosyllables.
"You said that they always wake you?" Chakotay asked as calmly as possible.
"Yes."
"What do you remember of them when you wake up?"
Tom merely shrugged his shoulders.
"Tom, if you don't start to cooperate, these sessions are going to go on for a very long time, and I'm sure after two years you'll be just as bored as I am."
"Please feel free to leave at any time." Tom said, still refusing to look at him. For the entire session, Tom had not once looked up at Chakotay.
"What do you remember from the dreams when you wake up?" Chakotay asked, the vision of strained patience, ignoring Tom's statement.
"It varies."
"Can you give me an example?"
"Not really."
"'Not really' because you can't remember them that well, or 'Not really' because you don't want to tell me?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No."
Chakotay studied the man in front of him. He was clearly anxious, despite his best efforts to hide it. And Chakotay couldn't blame him; Tom was being expected to relate some of his most private feelings and perhaps fears to a man he had never got on with. He could understand where he was coming from, but at the same time it frustrated him. He wanted to get to the bottom of this for both of their sakes, whether Tom was willing to believe that or not. Chakotay couldn't quite believe it himself.
"Paris, I'm going to make a suggestion, and you're probably not going to like it, however, if you refuse, then I shall take it up with the Captain, and I'm sure you'd prefer to just get on with all this without the Captain having to make everything an order."
"What?" Tom asked warily, still looking at the floor.
"That I move in here with you for a couple of days. I'll take your sofa, and that way, if a nightmare wakes you, you can immediately come and relate it to me, so no excuses of not being able to remember. It'll work a lot quicker."
Tom's head snapped up and caught Chakotay's gaze, Tom's own eyes widening with a mixture of shock and apprehension.
"No. Absolutely not. No way, no how." Tom stated as he jumped up and wandered over to his spot by the window, looking out at the endless view to avoid Chakotay's intense stare.
Well, at least he didn't start shouting, Chakotay thought as he got up and went over to Tom.
"Then I'll have to ask the Captain to make it an order for you tomorrow then."
"Damn you, Chakotay." Tom managed to get out, without turning round, still staring fixedly out of his view-port.
"It won't be that bad, Paris, I'll only be here to sleep, all of my other spare time I will be in my own quarters." Chakotay managed to refrain from adding that he hated the idea just as much as he did, but it was the only thing he could think of that might actually end in some results.
"But...I can't...you don't understand..." Tom said nervously.
Concern started to nudge at Chakotay; Tom sounded genuinely shaken up.
"It's okay, tell me what's bothering you. It'll remain totally confidential if that's what you're worried about." Chakotay said kindly.
"I...I don't think I can...I don't..." Tom began before giving up, shaking his head.
Chakotay looked at Tom, still turned away from him, running a nervous hand through his hair.
"Take your time." Chakotay suggested, laying a hand on the younger man's shoulder.
Tom suddenly span round, jerking the hand off his shoulder. Chakotay was shocked to see a moment of fear in Tom's eyes as he backed away until he was touching the view-port.
"Don't touch me. *Never* touch me."
The sheer intensity of Tom's words made Chakotay blink with disbelief for a moment before taking a step backwards, lifting both hands apologetically in the air.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt that way."
"Yeah, well...you do now." Tom said awkwardly, obviously feeling a little self-conscious now that whatever had overtaken him had passed.
"Look, I've been here a while, perhaps I should leave you in peace now. I'll see you tomorrow night - and I'll be bringing my overnight bag with me."
Tom merely turned back to his view-port as Chakotay left.
*****
Chakotay was just about ready to throw something at the man in frustration. Tom Paris must be the only person he knew who was capable of participating in a half-hour conversation purely with monosyllables.
"You said that they always wake you?" Chakotay asked as calmly as possible.
"Yes."
"What do you remember of them when you wake up?"
Tom merely shrugged his shoulders.
"Tom, if you don't start to cooperate, these sessions are going to go on for a very long time, and I'm sure after two years you'll be just as bored as I am."
"Please feel free to leave at any time." Tom said, still refusing to look at him. For the entire session, Tom had not once looked up at Chakotay.
"What do you remember from the dreams when you wake up?" Chakotay asked, the vision of strained patience, ignoring Tom's statement.
"It varies."
"Can you give me an example?"
"Not really."
"'Not really' because you can't remember them that well, or 'Not really' because you don't want to tell me?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No."
Chakotay studied the man in front of him. He was clearly anxious, despite his best efforts to hide it. And Chakotay couldn't blame him; Tom was being expected to relate some of his most private feelings and perhaps fears to a man he had never got on with. He could understand where he was coming from, but at the same time it frustrated him. He wanted to get to the bottom of this for both of their sakes, whether Tom was willing to believe that or not. Chakotay couldn't quite believe it himself.
"Paris, I'm going to make a suggestion, and you're probably not going to like it, however, if you refuse, then I shall take it up with the Captain, and I'm sure you'd prefer to just get on with all this without the Captain having to make everything an order."
"What?" Tom asked warily, still looking at the floor.
"That I move in here with you for a couple of days. I'll take your sofa, and that way, if a nightmare wakes you, you can immediately come and relate it to me, so no excuses of not being able to remember. It'll work a lot quicker."
Tom's head snapped up and caught Chakotay's gaze, Tom's own eyes widening with a mixture of shock and apprehension.
"No. Absolutely not. No way, no how." Tom stated as he jumped up and wandered over to his spot by the window, looking out at the endless view to avoid Chakotay's intense stare.
Well, at least he didn't start shouting, Chakotay thought as he got up and went over to Tom.
"Then I'll have to ask the Captain to make it an order for you tomorrow then."
"Damn you, Chakotay." Tom managed to get out, without turning round, still staring fixedly out of his view-port.
"It won't be that bad, Paris, I'll only be here to sleep, all of my other spare time I will be in my own quarters." Chakotay managed to refrain from adding that he hated the idea just as much as he did, but it was the only thing he could think of that might actually end in some results.
"But...I can't...you don't understand..." Tom said nervously.
Concern started to nudge at Chakotay; Tom sounded genuinely shaken up.
"It's okay, tell me what's bothering you. It'll remain totally confidential if that's what you're worried about." Chakotay said kindly.
"I...I don't think I can...I don't..." Tom began before giving up, shaking his head.
Chakotay looked at Tom, still turned away from him, running a nervous hand through his hair.
"Take your time." Chakotay suggested, laying a hand on the younger man's shoulder.
Tom suddenly span round, jerking the hand off his shoulder. Chakotay was shocked to see a moment of fear in Tom's eyes as he backed away until he was touching the view-port.
"Don't touch me. *Never* touch me."
The sheer intensity of Tom's words made Chakotay blink with disbelief for a moment before taking a step backwards, lifting both hands apologetically in the air.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt that way."
"Yeah, well...you do now." Tom said awkwardly, obviously feeling a little self-conscious now that whatever had overtaken him had passed.
"Look, I've been here a while, perhaps I should leave you in peace now. I'll see you tomorrow night - and I'll be bringing my overnight bag with me."
Tom merely turned back to his view-port as Chakotay left.