Tell Him
Chapter Four
Deck 3
Turbolift
Stardate 54717.5
'Captain!'
'Damn!'
Just a few minutes more and she would have made it to the relative
sanctuary of her ready room. Instead, she frowned as the doors of the
turbolift changed direction, opening wide to admit the one person she
had been attempting to avoid for the better part of the day. Resigned to
her fate, Kathryn schooled her expression into one of polite enquiry and
moved aside to allow the Doctor to enter.
The seeds of a headache planted themselves in her brain as she watched
him advance upon her, data padd in hand and a particularly smug
expression plastered across his face.
'Just the person I wanted to see.'
'Is there a problem?'
Kathryn frowned as she cast her mind over the medical report the Doctor
had submitted earlier. A few minor ailments aside there was little to
give
real cause for concern. A comment Chakotay had made at the time about
the devil and idle hands came flooding back to her, reinforcing the
sense of impending doom that had descended on her the moment she heard
the Doctor's voice.
'Not at all, Captain. I simply wanted to remind you that I'll be
expecting
your company in sickbay at 0900 tomorrow for your annual medical.'
The words 'annual medical' and 'tomorrow' set off an impressive drum
beat inside her head, a fact that did not go un-noticed by her companion
who took advantage of her momentary distraction to press the data padd
containing her revised schedule into her hand.
'I see you've double booked both myself and the Commander for 0900
tomorrow.' Kathryn's frown deepened as she forced her eyes to focus on
the information displayed on the data padd's view screen. 'Isn't that a
little optimistic…even for a man of your many talents?'
The Doctor sighed dramatically, deliberately misinterpreting her
question.
'My thoughts exactly, Captain. At least this way I won't be left
twiddling
my thumbs should any unexpected situations arise to prevent you from
keeping your appointment.'
Kathryn's reply was interrupted, somewhat fortuitously, by a query from
the
computer as to their destination.
It was the Doctor who answered, his self-satisfied smile reminding
Kathryn,
not for the first time, of the Cheshire cat from Naomi's 'Alice in
Wonderland' holonovel. Unfortunately, it appeared unlikely that the
Doctor was about to disappear into thin air anytime soon.
Turning her attention back to the data padd, Kathryn scrolled quickly to
the end of the schedule, pressing her thumb against the appropriate part
of the screen when requested to acknowledge receipt of the amendments.
She was about to return the padd to the Doctor when she realised that
the revised schedule wasn't the only document contained within its
memory.
'Computer, halt turbolift.'
'Is there a problem, Captain?'
It was obvious from the deliberately neutral tone of his voice that the
list
she'd stumbled across had been the real reason behind their present
conversation. A quick glance at the first few suggestions was sufficient
to upgrade her headache to that of a full-blown migraine.
'What, exactly, is this?'
The Doctor looked across at her, an expression of mild surprise on his
face.
'I would have thought that was obvious.' He glanced down at the list in
question before continuing. 'As chief medical officer it is my duty to
monitor both the physical and mental health of every member of the crew.
It has become increasingly apparent that your pre-occupation with Q's
latest offering is beginning to adversely affect both your work and your
health, a state of affairs I cannot allow to continue.'
'Who the...'
He held up a hand to silence her objections, '…For that reason I took
it
upon myself to compile a list of suggestions with the aim of stimulating
your memory and bringing the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.'
'I must remember to attend my annual medical at 0900 tomorrow.'
Kathryn worked her way down the list, unsure whether to laugh, cry or
decompile his program on the spot.
'I must remember to sleep at least 5 hours a night.'
'I must remember to limit my coffee intake to 3 cups a day.'
'I must remember to attend my annual medical at 0900 tomorrow.'
The Doctor smiled benevolently at her, '…I thought that one merited
repeating.'
'I must remember to eat something other than coffee ice cream.'
'I must remember to adhere to the Doctor's advice regarding shore leave
and on-board recreational activities.'
'I must remember to attend my annual medical…'
Chapter Five
Captain's Quarters
Stardate 54714.9
'Computer...dim lights by 50%'
Exhaustion blurred her words, forcing Kathryn to repeat her request before the computer would comply. The reduced illumination, coupled with the hypospray she'd liberated from sickbay while the Doctor was temporarily offline finally combined to offer her a measure of relief from the stabbing pain that had taken up residence inside her skull.
What had started out as a mild irritant had blossomed over the past few hours until she would have sworn that someone was sticking needles into her head. The ghost of a smile tugged at her lips at the irony behind that particular analogy. If her memory served her correctly, the last time she'd felt this bad someone had, quite literally, been sticking needles into her head!
Amused despite herself Kathryn dragged her aching body in the direction of her bedroom, her thoughts already focused on the fragrant waters she intend to submerge herself in.
As she passed her desk she paused for a moment to discard the hoard of data padds she'd accumulated during the course of the day. Exhaustion dulled her reflexes leaving her to watch helplessly as the precariously balanced pile lost its battle with gravity and came crashing down, the noise echoing loudly in the darkness. Lacking the motivation to do more than simply stand there, Kathryn let her gaze drift aimlessly over the mess as she debating with herself as to whether she had sufficient energy to spare to pick up the errant padds.
Her searching fingers had barely locked onto the nearest data padd when a flicker of movement off to her left distracted her. Nerves already stretched to breaking point sent her heart rate skyrocketing. It wouldn't be the first time Q had ambushed her in her quarters, and given the way her luck had been going lately it probably wouldn't be the last.
But it wasn't Q's image that was reflected back at her from the mirror on her dressing table. The hair and face were instantly recognisable, as was the uniform branded with its 4 shiny pips. It was the eyes that tore at her, sad and tired and empty...like that of a stranger.
Reaching up she fingered a rebellious grey hair, tucking it absently back behind her ear. A frown dragged at the corner of her mouth, highlighting a fine network of lines that had not been there the last time she'd looked. Laughter lines, her mother would have called them. The phrase seemed to mock her, reminding her that it had been a long time since she'd allowed herself the luxury of laughing at anything.
As she stared at the woman she'd become she heard the voices of the crew echoing inside her head. The Doctor had been only the first of many to offer his assistance during the course of the day. It seemed everyone had a comprehensive list of her shortcomings, with the notable exception of herself. Seven's list had been so extensive it had spilled over into several padds, most of them detailing various sub-clauses of the Prime Directive that she had 'forgotten' at one point or another over the past few years. Naomi on the other hand had drawn her a series of pictures to illustrate her suggestions. The colourful creations, depicting what looked suspiciously like the senior staff engaged in various activities ranging from shore leave to group hugs now graced the wall of her ready room.
Had she really changed so much?
The daily struggle for survival in the Delta Quadrant demanded all of the Captain's concentration, leaving little room for Kathryn. It was a price she had willingly paid...but for the first time she found herself mourning the woman that had been sacrificed in her determination to get this crew home.
A growing sense of frustration bubbled up inside her crying out for a target on which to vent itself. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out the orb, her eyes tracking the clouds that churned within. With a muttered curse she hurled it in the general direction of her bedroom wall, watching transfixed as it was swallowed up by the shadows, a dull thud marking the successful completion of its journey. Her anger spent Kathryn stumbled over to the bed, all thoughts of her bath forgotten as she finally succumbed to her body's demand for rest...
What am I going to do with you, Kathryn'
Alerted by the sound of the orb bouncing off their adjoining wall, Chakotay had slipped un-noticed into her quarters, his eyes widening at the sight of his commanding officer sprawled fully clothed across her bed.
Moving silently he crossed to her side, his large hands gentle as they slipped her boots from first one foot, then the other. His fingers lingered over the jacket of her uniform, unwilling to awaken her but all too aware of how uncomfortable the rigid material could be.
'Why must you always run yourself into the ground. Don't you realise I'd be lost without you?'
His whispered words echoed in the darkness. Reluctant to disturb her slumber any further yet powerless to leave her side, Chakotay reached over to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. Little more that a brush of his lips against her skin it was sufficient to rouse her from her slumber. A sleepy smile was directed his way as she turned her head to nestle into the palm of his hand.
'Kathryn?'
Disjointed words slipped from between her lips, uncensored by conscious thought.
'Must remember...tell...love...you.'
Alerted by his gasp Kathryn awoke, disturbed both by the proximity of her first officer and the startling clarity of the orb that had come to rest next to her in the centre of her bed, none the worse for wear after its collision with the wall.
'What?...'
The words sounded strained as a bemused Kathryn split her attention between the innocent looking trinket and her first officer, who was staring at her with an intensity that set her heart racing.
'You were talking in your sleep.'
'...talking?'
'...in your sleep'
He finished the sentence for her; his gaze locked onto hers as he reached out to tuck an errant strand of hair back behind her ear.
'What...' She paused for a moment, her thoughts scattering at his touch. It was then that she became aware of a growing warmth spreading through her body, warming her limbs until her very fingers tingled in something she recognised with a start as nervous anticipation.
'What... did I say?'
Chakotay's heart pounded in his ears, forcing him to lean ever closer until his breath caressed her lips.
'Guess!'
The End
