Authors Note: I don't own the characters, the ship, or anything at all.
Chapter 19 – The Strength of Love
Tom walked into sickbay the morning after the accident to find the captain already awake and keeping silent vigil over Elizabeth. He smiled taking a step in their direction before changing route and entering the doctor's office.
"Doc, how is she?" he asked anxious for news.
"No change I'm afraid. She appears to be as stubborn as her mother," the doctor said smiling.
Tom nodded, "I'll see if the captain wants a break."
The doctor shook his head and said, "She wont leave I've already tried. She needs to rest, she barely had an hours sleep last night after you left."
Tom grinned and headed out the office, so the captain was still being herself. He didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. He walked over to them, the captain was sat as close as humanly possible to Elizabeth on her biobed. She was holding her hand and stroking her hair. Tom cleared his throat to make his presence aware.
"Tom", the captain smiled.
"How is she doing?" he asked.
The captains faced grew sad, "She's still in a coma", she stated bluntly.
Tom nodded, "Captain, why don't you go and get some rest. I'll sit with Elizabeth, she'll be okay."
The captain looked at him sharply, "I'm not leaving her, Tom."
"Captain if there's any change, I'll contact you, I promise", he said persuasively.
"Tom", her voice was even, but her face was hard. No one would make her leave Elizabeth.
The captain was about to say something else when Neelix's voice came over the conn system.
"Neelix to the captain."
Janeway sighed, "Go ahead, Neelix."
"Could I see you for a moment please?" he asked.
"Neelix, I'm busy right now. Can you take the matter up with commander Chakotay?" she asked, hopefully.
"Well, its something I need to speak to you about", Neelix said insistently.
Tom looked at the captain, who looked from him to Elizabeth.
"Alright, Mr Neelix. Meet me in sickbay."
The doctor was stood at the door to his office, as the captain broke the link he said, "Captain, I've never seen you so insistent to stay in sickbay before."
The captain glared at him, but she knew they were right she should go and get some rest, after all she was exhausted and she had one hell of a headache, but she was scared to leave Elizabeth in case something happened.
Tom sighed, "I have to go to the bridge, if there's any change call me."
The captain nodded and smiled gratefully at him. Tom turned and left just as Neelix entered sickbay.
"Ah captain", he said, walking over.
"What can I do for you Mr Neelix?" she asked politely.
"Well, I was wondering if there's any truth to the rumour that is going around the ship?" he asked.
"What rumour?" the captain said, irritably, rubbing at her temples hoping to rid herself of the headache which was getting worse.
"Well as ships moral officer I thought it my duty to find out the truth and inform people", Neelix said. He appeared to be very excited about this rumour, and couldn't keep his impish grin of his furry face.
"What rumour, Mr Neelix?" the captain asked again, considerably more irritated than before.
"Is Elizabeth your daughter?" he asked plainly.
The captain was silent for a minute; she didn't want the whole ship to know before Elizabeth. Yet she wasn't going to lie to the crew.
"Yes, she is. I would prefer if you keep this information to yourself until I have told Elizabeth" she said quietly.
"Yes ma'am."
Neelix turned to leave, but the captain called to him, "May I ask who gave you this information?"
Neelix blushed, and looked towards the doctor who stood in the doorway of his office.
"I see. Thank you Mr Neelix", the captain replied.
Neelix nodded and left hurriedly. The captain turned to the doctor, and gave him one of her death glares. He looked increasingly uncomfortable, taking a tentative step towards the captain he began, "Captain, I'm sorry. I had to tell someone, I didn't think you would mind", he said trying to sound convincing.
"What you mean doctor is you didn't think I would find out. Well I have." The captain walked up to him until their faces were inches apart and hissed, "Normally you would be in the brig for this, but you saved her life so you're exempt. If you so much as breathe a word to Elizabeth, I will have you thrown out of the nearest airlock. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes ma'am", the doctor replied, a little alarmed.
The captain went back to Elizabeth's side, and the doctor made a hasty retreat into his office.
Two days later, Elizabeth's condition had not changed, and the captain had refused point blank to leave sickbay, prompting concern from many of the senior staff. She was exhausted; although she tried to hide it the façade was beginning to crumble. The emotional and physical demands of the last week were taken their toll, and the doctor was concerned for her health as was Chakotay.
"Kathryn", Chakotay said pleadingly.
"Chakotay, I can't leave her. I wont let her down, not this time," the captain sighed.
"Your not letting her down, you need your rest to, your only human", Chakotay implored.
She looked at him, was she being overly unreasonable and over protective. He was right she was exhausted the last few days had taken its toll on her.
"She wouldn't want you to make yourself ill for her, would she?" he asked.
The captain was silent for a minute, looking down at her daughter. If she was completely honest she was terrified of leaving her, scared she may never see her again. After debating the issue with herself, she gave in.
"Alright, but if there's any change you promise you'll call me", she said, clinging tightly to Elizabeth's hand, seemingly unwilling to let go.
"Any change" Chakotay said reassuringly. He gently removed the captain's hand from Elizabeth's and squeezed it reassuringly.
The captain nodded and with one last look at Elizabeth she turned and left. Chakotay pulled up a stool and sat down next to Elizabeth. He talked to her a bit, before Neelix came in and insisted on sitting with her. Chakotay sat and watched Neelix ramble on, finding it somewhat amusing.
Suddenly he saw her hand twitch, then she opened her eyes, closing them again eliciting a groan.
"Doctor", Chakotay shouted.
The doctor hurried out of his office and over to the biobed, grabbing a tricorder off a nearby tray. He began to scan her, and she opened her eyes again.
"Doctor", she whispered, tears forming in her eyes as she remembered what happened.
"Tom", she said, before groaning in pain.
The doctor injected her with a hypospray.
"There that should ease the pain," he said.
Elizabeth opened her eyes again everything was so blurred, the analgesic had soothed her headache considerably, not to mention her other aches and pains. Her main concern was for Tom was he okay?
"Where's Tom?" she whispered, a tear flowing freely down her cheek.
Chakotay gave her hand a squeeze, "Shhh, Toms fine. He'll be here in a minute", he said soothingly. Elizabeth felt alone, and scared, she continued to sob. Chakotay carried on saying soothing words to her and holding her hand, but it had little effect on Elizabeth.
Tom ran through the door, beaming. The doctor withdrew, with Neelix and Chakotay, who suddenly realised he needed to call the captain. They went to his office, while Tom sat with Elizabeth, hugging her, reassuring her that everything was okay.
It wasn't long before the captain arrived; she stopped just inside the door and watched Elizabeth with Tom, tears shone in her eyes. She walked over calmly, not wanting to startle Elizabeth.
"Welcome back", she said gently.
Elizabeth looked up still crying, and Tom moved back to let the captain in. Janeway gently hugged Elizabeth, covering Elizabeth's body with her own protectively, and smothering her with tentative kisses. Elizabeth put one arm around the captain, whilst reaching out for Tom with the other. She was understandably scared and in need of comfort.
Tom grinned at her, "I'm okay, I promise."
Elizabeth nodded, "Don't go, will you?"
Tom looked at the captain knowing how she must be feeling, but he also knew that as Elizabeth didn't know, he should stay with her.
"I'm not going anywhere", he whispered.
The captain was a little disappointed but she hid it well. Drawing back to look down at Elizabeth, she smiled reassuringly.
"How are you feeling?"
"Tired, achy but I'm okay" Elizabeth replied croakily.
The captain smiled again, noticing that Elizabeth was trying to be brave.
"That's good to hear. I missed you so much", she said tears welling in her eyes.
Elizabeth saw the tears in the captain's eyes, and couldn't stop her own tears from falling. The captain was about to embrace her, when she flung her arms around Tom. The captain stood up and turned away, letting her own tears fall but rapidly wiping them away with her hand. She felt so miserable, Elizabeth was awake but she couldn't comfort her as her mother. Elizabeth didn't even want her she wanted Tom.
"Icheb to Paris", Toms conn badge squeaked.
"Paris here", he sighed, suddenly remembering he had a lesson arranged with Icheb.
"Are you too busy to attend my flying lesson?" he asked.
Elizabeth looked up at him but didn't release her hold on him. Elizabeth shook her head at him, Tom looked helplessly at the captain, who had turned round and was awaiting his reply.
"Lieutenant", came the voice on the other end of the connlink.
The captain nodded at Tom, "I'll stay with her."
He nodded, doubting that she would have left whether he was there or not. Elizabeth tightened her grip on him.
"I'll be down in a minute Icheb", he replied and closed the link.
"No, you can't go. What if something happens?" she said despairingly, close to tears again.
"Nothings going to happen", he said calmly.
He removed her arms from around his waist.
"I'll be back", he said grinning and ruffling her hair before leaving.
Elizabeth glared at the captain, angry that she had told him to go. She laid back down and turned on her side away from the captain, who stared at her sadly.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart", she whispered, sitting down next to Elizabeth on the biobed.
"You know its fate, I'm going to die the same way my mother died", Elizabeth stated matter of factly.
The captain gently stroked her hair and Elizabeth turned to look at her. The captain pulled her into her arms, and whispered in her ear, "Don't say that. Look at me." She put a hand under Elizabeth's chin, bringing it up so that she was looking at her, "If its fate that you will die in a shuttle crash, why have you come out alive both times?" she asked, quietly.
"I don't know", Elizabeth said thoughtfully.
The captain smiled and hugged her tightly. Neither of them said anymore, the captain rested her head on Elizabeth's, who was leant against her, their arms around one another. Elizabeth appeared to draw comfort from the captain; she made her feel safe and loved.
The doctor came over after several minutes, clearing his throat, "My patient needs her rest", he said. When he got no reply he looked at the two of them, only to find that they were both asleep. He sighed and went back to his office.
-Fin-
Please review. Only a couple more chapters till the end of the story. I would love to hear how you think I'm going to end it, does the captain ever tell Elizabeth or does someone else, etc.
