--Disclaimer-- Paramount owns all rights to characters, sets, yadda yadda yadda. I own nothing but the plots. All hail Paramount and TPTB…unless of course you're referring to Endgame. Then shoot them.
--Warning-- I am an avid J/Cer. If you are offended by this, do not keep reading. The following material may contain oodles of unbelievably cheesy J/C. Deal with it.
--R/R ing-- Please r/r. Flames welcome, as long as they're not along the lines of 'I hate this story. It sucks.' Flames gotta have a REASON. Then I'm fine.
--A/N-- This is an experiment – a kind of challenge to myself. I'm taking an old drabble that I wrote a while ago, modifying it (basically stretching it out and adding details, since drabbles are detail-starved) and trying to develop an entire story around it. I really don't know how it's going to turn out, but I guess we'll find out. If you want to find the original drabble, it's the second one under my 'Drabbles' fic page. I know this chapter is disgustingly short, but this was the only place I could find to break it up. Happy reading. :)
--Coffee Problems--
--Chapter 1 – Addiction--
"Join me for dinner?"
"Huh- what? Oh, yes, sure."
"1900 hours? My quarters? I'll replicate something nice. Wine, maybe."
"It sounds great, Chakotay. I'll see you then," she smiled gratefully. She sighed as the doors swished softly shut. She had been surviving on coffee all day – at the last count it had been about fourteen cups. She was running out of her own rations, and Leola Root, Brussels Sprout and Ktarian Chicken Liver Casserole (compliments of Neelix) didn't sound too appetizing. Hell, it didn't sound palatable, let alone appetizing. She sank down on the ergonomically cushioned seat of her ready room. Right about now, it didn't feel all that comfortable. She supposed after ten straight hours, nothing would feel comfortable.
Her door chimed. "Come in," she called. She desperately hoped it wasn't anything pressing; her head hurt too much to deal with it.
It was Tuvok. "Captain," he began, "I noticed that you have been in this room for ten hours. Even you require rest and nourishment once in awhile. You are no longer on duty, so I suggest you either replicate something adequate or eat in the mess hall. Even you, Captain, cannot survive on coffee alone."
She tried to fight a smile. This was the closest Tuvok would ever get to reprimanding her for her eating and resting habits. "Tuvok, I have piles and piles of PADDs to wade through. I plan to leave in a few hours. Commander Chakotay invited me to dinner, and so I guess I'll be forced to leave then." Kathryn rose to get another cup of coffee.
She could have sworn a ghost of a smile flitted across the impassable Vulcan's face. "If it suits you, Captain."
Kathryn could smell the deliciously hot coffee wafting to her nose. She took a slow, blissful sip. Then she promptly screamed in agony and dropped the cup.
Tuvok rushed to her side. "Captain? Are you injured?"
Her head felt like there were red-hot coals being tossed around inside. The pain was getting more intense, and Kathryn promptly collapsed.
He slapped his commbadge. "Tuvok to sickbay. Medical emergency. Two to beam directly to sickbay."
--Please r/r. Come on, it's not that hard. Just press the button down there, and fill out the form. I'll be eternally grateful…please? Thanks!--
