Chapter Two
Kathryn Janeway entered sickbay a couple of minutes later to find the Doctor waiting for her, with a very strange look on his face.
"Your call sounded urgent," she said walking up to the Doctor.
"Believe me it was," the Doctor replied leading her over to the surgical bay biobed on which lay the figure of a handsome young man in his late twenties or early thirties and dressed in a dark blue jumpsuit that shimmered slightly. A military looking sash and belt were worn over the jumpsuit and engraved with alien glyph symbols. The jumpsuit and sash looked familiar though Janeway couldn't remember off the top of her head where she'd seen it before.
"The survivor," Janeway exclaimed.
"Yes," the Doctor replied. "He's the reason that I called you captain. During my examination of him I discovered numerous things that should not be."
"Explain Doctor," Janeway demanded.
"This man looks Human," the Doctor began. "If fact he is Human for the most part. Organ function and placement all conforms to Human normal. However there are also numerous differences between him and a normal Human."
"What kind of differences Doctor?"
"Take a look at this." The Doctor carefully picked up the unconscious man's hands and turned them palm up for Janeway to see. Janeway's eyes widened as she saw the faint reddish diamond shaped mark in the centre of each of the mans palms - she'd seen that before. "You recognise it I see," the Doctor said.
"Of course I do," Janeway replied looking up at the Doctor. "So do you." The Doctor nodded.
"I think we should tell him," the Doctor said. Janeway didn't have to ask which one of her crew the Doctor was referring to. She had to reluctantly agree though she knew full well the kind of painful memories that this would stir up. Reluctantly she tapped her combadge.
"Janeway to Paris. Your presence is required in sickbay."
"I'll be right there captain," Paris responded immediately before signing off. Janeway looked up at the Doctor.
"Did you find anything else Doctor," she said after a moment hating what they were having to do for the pain it would bring to Tom. She could tell that the hologram hated it as well - they were the only two on board who knew why this would hurt Tom, Janeway more than the Doctor, because it would bring up memories of an experience with the Cardassians that Tom Paris would much rather forget.
"Yes," the Doctor replied. "In addition to these organs - what were they called again the information you gave me shortly after my initial activation was somewhat sketchy on that detail."
"To be honest Doctor I cannot remember," Janeway admitted even as she searched her memories of her time on the Al-Batani under then Captain Owen Paris for the information. "I think they were called shaqarava but I'm not sure it was so long ago. What did you find?"
"Of right. As I was saying in addition to these shaqarava things I found a network of energy conduits running throughout this mans body. However captain they are different to the ones that were featured in the file that you gave me."
"What do you mean," Janeway asked in confusion.
"For one thing they are a lot more developed and much more integrated with this mans body than those that existed - albeit temporarily in Mr Paris," the Doctor replied. "My guess is that this man was born with them."
"Have you treated his injuries?"
"Of course. He only had a concussion and some slight internal bleeding. Easy to deal with. He will sleep for another couple of hours yet then he'll be ready for discharge. That's why I wanted you and Mr Paris to see him first."
At that moment the sickbay doors opened and Lieutenant Paris came through a look of curiosity on his face.
"You sent for me cap…" he started to say as he walked up to the surgical bay before stopping and freezing as he saw the man lying on the biobed. A cascade of different emotions abruptly flashed across his face as the sight triggered memories that he would rather not face again. Not exactly relating to the man or the mysterious, ancient and powerful aliens that his uniform represented but to the nightmare that had led up to the one and only encounter with the Taelons that the Federation had ever had.
For a few moments he lost himself in the memories. Memories of being drugged when he'd gone to Risa after graduating from the Academy for a holiday before getting his first posting, of waking up in a Cardassian lab, being experimented on by a cruel Cardassian scientist, the pain as the alien DNA injected into him by the Cardassian started to alter him into something else. His escape and flight from a squadron of Cardassian cruisers. Being rescued and treated by a group of strange Humans and energy based aliens who he'd later learned were called Taelons. Being returned to his father who'd been getting increasingly frantic with worry when the Taelons intercepted the Al-Batani. The months of counselling that had followed, the nightmares.
A hand on his arm jolted him out of his memories. Tom pulled himself back to the hear and now with great difficulty to see that Captain Janeway had left her place by the biobed and was standing besides him with a hand on his arm and looking concerned.
"Why did you call me here," Tom demanded to know the question coming out angrier than he had intended. Janeway didn't take offence at Tom's tone of voice, she'd been expecting it.
"Because we wanted you to see him before he wakes up and is allowed to leave sickbay," Janeway replied. "We didn't want you to be completely surprised if you saw him in the mess hall or something." Tom looked back at the sleeping man - hybrid he should say lying on the biobed.
"I understand," he said softly even as he closed his eyes for a moment forcing the memories back down. Now was not the time for an emotional display. He opened his eyes again. "Thank you for that."
"It's alright," Janeway replied seeing in his eyes that Tom was quiet close to breaking down with the emotions that his memories were bringing to the surface again. "You can go now if you want. I'll have Chakotay excuse you from duty for the rest of the day. Go rest up Tom." Though it was disguised as a concerned request Tom knew an order when he heard one.
"Aye captain," he replied softly then gently pulled his arm out of Janeway's grip before turning and leaving the room. He would go to the quarters he had begun to share with B'Elanna after their marriage a few weeks ago to pull himself back together.
After watching him go Janeway turned to the Doctor.
"Keep me appraised of your patients condition Doctor," she ordered softly.
"Aye captain," the Doctor replied. Janeway then turned and left the room also. She waited until she was in the turbolift heading back to the bridge before calling Chakotay and asking him to meet her in her ready room - what they had to discuss was not for anyone else on the bridge to know. After signing off with Chakotay she called B'Elanna Torres.