I wake up in Sickbay. The Doctor is standing beside the bio-bed. I must have screamed in my sleep. I've had bad dreams since I was rescued, but not the wake-up-screaming kind. T'Pau, part-Vulcan that she is, would have told me.
"Ensign! Are you all right?!"
"I- I'm fine... Just a bad dream..." I say, my voice a bit shaky. I sit up and swing my legs onto the floor.
He grabs a tricorder and scans me with it. "What was the dream about?" he asks, reading the scans.
"You know when we met the Nal'Partha, and that captain arranged shore leave for everyone?" Stupid question. Of course he does. He's a hologram. "I was on the planet, by that lake... And it was just like when I was assimilated. It seemed almost too real to be a dream..."Tears well in my eyes, and I angrily wipe them away.
Strange. My neck hurts, right where Seven's assimilation tubes were thrust into my neck when I was assimilated. I press a hand to my neck, but the pain doesn't leave.
The Doctor sees this. "Something wrong, Ensign?" he asks, redirecting his tricorder scans to my neck.
I'm saved from having to answer by Seven entering Sickbay.
"You wanted to see me, Doctor?" She meets my eyes from across the room. I can tell that she's been dreaming of her assimilation too. We are linked through the Collective, as all drones are, the link between the assimilated and the one who assimilated him or her.
"Yes, I did. Please have a seat."
She sits on the bio-bed next to mine, one hand absently brushing a strand of hair out of her face. That's not normal for Seven. I'm worried.
The Doctor starts scanning her. "Seven, have you been hearing the Collective or the Borg Queen lately?"
"No, I have not."
"Have you had any bad dreams?"
She pauses, then admits, "Yes."
"What about?"
"I would rather keep that to myself, Doctor."
"Very well. Other then the dreams, you are in perfect health. You can go."
She stands and leaves the sickbay. As she leaves, my neck hurts again. I yelp.
"What's wrong, Ensign?"
"Nothing, Doctor..." I say. The pain is gone: no need to get him all worked up.
He doesn't look convinced, but I'm saved again, this time by my commbadge. "Janeway to Cardinal."
I tap it. "Cardinal here. What is it, Captain?"
"Please report to my ready room as soon as possible, Ensign."
"On my way, Captain."
"Good. Janeway out."
I stand up, fishing my pony-holder from my pocket. I'll have to braid my hair really quickly in the turbolift.
"Hold still a moment, Ensign." the Doctor says, walking over. I do so, and he attaches a monitoring devise behind my ear.
"Doctor, is this really needed?" I complain, wincing.
"Ether you wear it, or you stay in Sickbay, and as the Captain wants to see you, you have to wear it."
I sigh, and hurry to the turbolift. "Bridge." The lift starts to move: I feel ill again. Great.
I quickly braid my hair, wrapping the pony-holder around it as the turbolift stops. I step out onto the bridge, and walk to the ready room door, pressing the panel for the door chime.
"Come."
The door opens, and I enter the room, hoping that she won't notice that I think I'm going to be ill.
"Please have a seat, Ensign."
I sit in front of her desk, wondering why she called me here. And, for some odd reason, wondering if my hair is a complete and total mess.
"Ensign, are you all right? You look ill."
So much for that hope. "Just a bit... turbolift-sick, that's all."
She nods. "You must be wondering why I called you here."
I nod, shifting slightly in my chair. My neck is hurting again.
"Voyager's sensors have picked up a Borg cube about two days away at average speed."
I nod again. I already know this.
"Ensign, has the closeness of the cube been affecting you in any way?"
"Yes." I admit. "I've been hearing the Queen... And I've been having dreams about when I was assimilated..." Great. I'm going to cry. I wipe my eyes angrily with the back of my hand.
She stays silent for a moment, letting me calm down. "There was one more thing, Ensign.."
I look up. She's holding something... something small, round and gold...
"Hard work deserves a reward. As ship's captain, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant, with the responsibilities and privileges therein." She reaches over and attaches the pip to my undertunic.
I'm shocked. "I- I don't deserve this..."
"In the six years we've been here, years away from home, family, friends, you have never given up. Not even when you were assimilated. Starfleet thought that your age would make you an unsatisfactory officer. You have proved them wrong." She smiles. "I'd say you deserve it, Lieutenant."
Lieutenant. I'm going to have to get used to that.
"Thank you, Captain." I say, unable to keep from grinning.
"Don't thank me. You've earned it." The door chimes, and I stand.
"Come in!" It's Tuvok. I start to leave.
"Lieutenant?" I almost look around to see who he's talking to, then realize he means me. This is going to take some getting used to.
I turn. "What is it, Commander?"
"Congratulations."
"Thank you, Commander."
As I leave the ready room and enter the turbolift, I reach up, making sure that the pip really is there. It is. I grin as I order the turbolift to sickbay. The Doctor's going to be surprised.