In a Single Heartbeat
Disclaimer - Paramount and Viacom own the characters from Voyager, although they didn't often treat them right. The story line belongs to me.
A special thanks to: My friend and editor of all my stories, Mill3rs.
Chapter One – Bad Dreams
The shouts grew louder and B'Elanna looked back in fear. They weren't going to make it. Her legs felt leaden and it was difficult to breathe even with her redundant third lung. She swatted away the branches, mindful of the many scratches on her face already. She stumbled and Tom's strong hand grabbed her arm, keeping her from falling. "I can't go on. They're closing in on us," she panted.
"You can do this. Just keep moving. We have to reach the flyer." Tom's blue eyes reflected the worry he felt for his wife.
Suddenly, the brush ahead of them parted and five soldiers appeared with huge projectile rifles pointed at the pair. The one in the lead, took aim and fired at them. The night sky burst into bright reds and orange and B'Elanna felt Tom's hand fall away from her arm as he pitched forward onto the hard packed dirt of the path. She screamed and dropped to his side. Slowly turning him over, her hands reached out to his jacket, now covered in blood. His eyes were wide open and unseeing and blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. Placing her palm on his still warm chest she couldn't feel a heartbeat. "Noo!!" She keened in agony. "Why? What did we do?"
There was no answer as the men turned and moved back into the brush. B'Elanna rocked back and forth on her knees holding Tom's hand to her face. She felt the warmth leaving his skin and saw her tears falling on their hands…
Gasping for breath, B'Elanna sat up in bed. She was safe. In her quarters. On Voyager. Reaching out her hand, she felt Tom's warm body next to her. She could feel his chest rising and falling gently as he slept. Looking at the chronometer, she noted that it was only 0300. She still had three hours until they needed to get up for the Alpha Shift. She pulled the blanket around her shoulders and curled against her husband's body. B'Elanna put her head over his heart and smiled as she felt the steady beating beneath her right ear. He was alive; it was only a bad dream. Soothed by the stable rhythm and the soft sounds of his breath moving in and out of his lungs, she fell into a deep sleep.
* * * *
"I'm just saying, that two months ago it wouldn't have mattered if B'Elanna and I were on the same mission." Tom argued while the Captain stood at the viewport of her ready room. "It's a simple scanning mission and Voyager's engines are in good condition right now, so B'Elanna isn't needed onboard for six or seven days."
"Look, Paris, I've chosen the away team and Lt. Carey is more than capable of scanning the planets for dilithium." Chakotay turned in his seat at Tom's outburst. "After all, it is a simple mission as you pointed out."
B'Elanna reached for Tom's arm to try and stop him from speaking. She looked up and saw Captain Janeway smiling at them and shaking her head slightly.
"Gentlemen, enough," Janeway said. "If Tom feels so strongly about bringing Lt. Torres along, I don't see why she shouldn't go. I'm also sure that Lt. Carey would enjoy being in complete charge of Engineering for the week." She turned back to the wall screen and indicated the small array of planets illuminated. "There are five larger planets with approximately twelve moons among them. Long-range scanning reveal moderate amounts of Dilithium crystals, but we weren't able to determine exactly where they are located. Since we didn't pick up any life signs in the area, it appears to be a rather quiet, and I would say boring mission. I'd advise bringing along some good reading material and a fully charged replicator for some decent meals." She glanced at Chakotay who smiled back at her while B'Elanna quietly covered Tom's hand with hers.
"Thank you, Captain." Tom said and turned towards Chakotay. "I can have the shuttle ready in one hour, Commander."
Chakotay nodded at the two Lieutenants and pushed his chair back. "Agreed, we meet in the shuttle bay in one hour."
"Tom, B'Elanna, you two are dismissed." Janeway said as she indicated to Chakotay that he should remain behind.
"And, Tom, remember the reading material for the down times." Chakotay grinned as the couple left the room. Turning to the Captain, he asked. "Why were you agreeing so strongly initially, that Carey go instead of B'Elanna?"
"It's against Starfleet recommendations to send a married couple on the same away team, Chakotay." Janeway stood and moved to the small replicator. "Coffee, black. Would you like something to drink?"
Chakotay stood and moved to the viewport. "I'd like some tea, thanks." He gazed at the slowly moving stars and then turned back to the captain. "You worry about them like they're your children. I'm sure that Tom and B'Elanna are only the first of the crew to join together. We still have thousands of light years before we reach the Alpha Quadrant and the crew is reaching out to one another."
Janeway moved to stand beside him, handing him his tea. "I know, it's lonely out here, Chakotay, and people need companionship. Tom was right, if it was two months ago, I wouldn't have had any objections to their going on the same mission." She hesitated and took a few sips of her coffee before she continued. "I guess I'm old fashioned enough to not want to put them both in jeopardy. They've only been married for five weeks now, and I know it's hard for them to be apart for an entire week." She grinned up at him and saw the matching smile on his face, right down to the dimples in his cheeks. She reached out for his shoulder. "Take care of them, Chakotay. Bring the three of you back safely." She pulled her hand back and looked out again at the dark expanse of space.
Chakotay had seen her eyes glistening and he took several sips of tea before placing the cup on the table and moving to the exit. "I'll watch out for them, make sure they eat well, but I'll be damned if I'm going to tuck them into bed." The doors slid open and he walked out into the corridor.
Janeway smiled slightly as she sipped her coffee. "Thank you, Commander," she whispered.
* * * * *
"B'Elanna, let's go. We're going to be late and I really don't want Chakotay pissed off at me any more than he already is." Tom stood in the doorway of their sleeping area.
B'Elanna was standing by the bed looking through her duffle bag. She moved to the closet and began to pull several small boxes off the shelf. "I'm almost done…I… have to get one more thing." She shook her head than moved slowly back to the bed and began to close the bag.
"What else do you need?" Tom asked with a smirk while he leaned against the doorframe.
"It's not important." B'Elanna turned around, squared her shoulders and looked up into Tom's sparkling blue eyes and mischievous grin.
"What?" she asked. Then looking down his arm she noticed the stuffed Targ clutched in his hand. Tom had given her the animal as a gag gift three years ago when they were just beginning to get to know each other.
"I already grabbed him," Tom smiled. "I know how you always bring Toby along on away missions." He handed her the stuffed Targ and put his arm around her shoulders. "Now, let's get moving or we'll catch hell from Chakotay."
B'Elanna grabbed Tom's collar, pulling his head down to hers and kissed him on the cheek before shouldering her bag and moving with him to the door of their quarters.
tbc…….