Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the ship, or anything at all.

Chapter 28 – Invalid

Elizabeth lay quietly in her mother's bed listening to the doctor droning on about her lack of appetite, and how she wouldn't get well unless she ate. Elizabeth didn't agree, nor did she care overly much. All she cared about today was making the right choice, a choice she would have to live with for years, perhaps forever.

"Miss Janeway, are you listening to me?" the doctor asked, as he took some more tricorder readings.

The doctor's words snapped Elizabeth out of her thoughts – no one had ever called her a Janeway before, and if she was honest she didn't know whether it pleased her or made her unhappier.

"You're the first person to call me that," she whispered, looking up at the doctor.

"Well, if you stay here you're going to have to get used to it," he said, grinning.

Elizabeth was silent for a moment, "Tell me about her," she said quietly, almost as though she were unsure of whether she should be asking or not.

"Your mother?" the doctor asked slightly uncertain.

Elizabeth nodded, gazing at the doctor.

"Well, she eats to little, is far to absorbed in her work to take much notice of the detrimental effects to her body. She's always missing appointments for check ups. She suffers from headaches and exhaustion, most likely due to the stress of her job. She is prone to bouts of insomnia, she…." The doctor would undoubtedly have carried on with a full account of the captain's physical condition, had Elizabeth not interrupted.

"No, that's not what I meant," she said.

"Oh, I see, I'm sorry. The Captain's sensitive, kind, strong willed, resilient, and extremely determined. Has she told you about the time she was sent to the Borg?" the doctor asked.

Elizabeth looked curious, "No, tell me."

"Well, she thought it was a good idea to infiltrate a Borg cube. Quite insane if you ask me, but you know the Captain. Well they were of course assimilated, although that was part of the plan. In doing so they liberated many Borg drones by sending a virus into the system. However, it was me who was left to pick up the pieces, I had to repair the damage, and it wasn't pretty I can tell you."

Elizabeth smiled, "I don't doubt that, doctor."

Elizabeth was proud of her mother, there was no doubting that, and she knew she would love to stay here and be a part of this crew. Also, if she were here she would be involved in the excitement, which seemed to be less than a rarity on Voyager. Most of all she would get to be with her mom – that is what she wanted more than anything, she always had and if she went back to earth she always would, now she had a chance to change that.

"Well, I'll leave you to get some rest. I'm sure your mom will be back soon," he smiled to himself.

Elizabeth nodded, wondering just when her mother would be back. After all she had promised she wouldn't be long, but then she didn't seem to want to go at all. She knew it had been her father's decision for himself, Captain Janeway, Deanna and Tom to go to lunch together. She knew all to well that they were going to discuss her and what they deemed was best for her.

The foursome had already been gone two hours; surely they must have finished by now. She had seen the reluctance in her mothers face and Deanna's eyes, neither had wanted to leave her, both were seemingly afraid of what her decision might mean to them. She couldn't bear the thought of hurting either of them, but as things stood she knew she must.

Suddenly, Elizabeth heard the sound of the door swishing open and shut, surprisingly she only heard one set of footsteps, quiet as though trying not to be heard. She tried to sit up somewhat unsuccessfully – exhaustion and nausea preventing her from lifting her head very far.

"Hello, sweetheart. The doctor said you were trying to get some sleep," her mother said, appearing in the doorway, apparently alone.

"I was, but I'd like it if you'd sit with me," she hastily said as she saw the Captain move back in the doorway as thought going back into the living room.

Janeway smiled at her daughter, "Of course I'll sit with you," she said quietly, from what Elizabeth could tell she seemed to be upset over something.

The Captain sat next to Elizabeth on the bed, and Elizabeth pulled her into a hug, as much to comfort the Captain as to comfort herself. Neither said anything, they just held each other until Elizabeth fell asleep in Janeway's arms.

-Fin-

Please review. The next chapter is the end, well, at the moment anyway. Who do you think she should choose?