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Unprepared
Chakotay stared at Tom, not fully understanding what he was saying. "Wh- what?" He finally managed to gasp.
"Seven's been arrested. She just called here. They're detaining her at Starfleet Command."
"What has she done?" B'Elanna asked in disbelief.
"They won't tell her," Tom said, grimly. Chakotay swore under his breath.
"The last time I checked," he said, "that was still illegal." He made a move as if he would head toward the hospital exit, but he stopped abruptly and looked back toward ward A-17, torn.
"We'll stay here." B'Elanna said firmly. "We'll contact you immediately, if anything happens. Just be back tomorrow morning."
Chakotay smiled wanly, and opened his mouth as if to say something, but stopped, then said, "Thank you."
"The hospital transporter is down on the 2nd floor," Tom added. "Let us know what's going on."
"Will do," said Chakotay, and with one last look at the closed doors of the critical care ward, was gone.
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Seven walked back and forth across a small windowless room, in which she had been placed. It wasn't exactly a cell, it had carpet, a sofa, and a coffee table with PADDs of recent periodicals, but it was close. She had been there for 2 hours before they allowed her to call Starfleet Medical and try to notify Chakotay. It had been nearly 1 hour since then. Her clothes had dried on her body, and now felt stiff and uncomfortable.
The doors swished open, and Commander Montgomery entered.
"I demand to know why you have detained me," she said in her most imperious voice.
"Relax, Ms. Hansen, you aren't in trouble."
"I do not believe that that is what I asked. I wish to know why I am being held here."
"Starfleet is just being careful," Montgomery evaded, with a placating meaningless smile on his face.
"I thought that upon Voyager's return, it had been determined that I was not a threat to the Federation. I no longer have communication of any kind with the collective!" Seven's voice went higher; she had already had a terrible day, and this was not helping matters.
"It is not the collective that concerns us."
"Then of what possible interest could I be to you?"
"Have you had any contact with the collective?"
"I believe I have already answered that question."
"Have you had any contact with any species from the Delta Quadrant?"
"No – well, except for Neelix." She stopped. "I assure you he is harmless."
"We are not concerned with the Talaxian either." He paused and eyed her briefly, apparently summing her up. "Have you had any contact with the Borg?"
"I just told you - !"
"I didn't say the collective, I said the Borg," Montgomery's oily manner began to be replaced with irritation.
"The Borg are a collective species. They op –" she stopped suddenly, mulling over his distinction. The comlink chirped and opened before she could say anything.
"Commander Montgomery, there is a Mr. Chakotay here to see you." Seven suddenly went rigid in her chair, and Montgomery noticed, looking at her curiously.
"I'm on my way," He stood, and turned to go.
"I assume he is here on your behalf?" Seven nodded. "Good. Then I'll be back shortly."
"You still have not told me why I am being detained." Seven had to struggle to keep her voice steady. Her porcelain skin was flushed with anger.
"A Borg sphere just entered Federation space." He answered her evenly, meeting her gaze for a long moment. "Excuse me." He ducked out the door.
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Kathryn exited Ward A-17 wearily, scrubbing one palm over her face. Her back ached, her eyes felt sandy, and she was sure she looked like hell. It had been nearly 4 days since she had slept in anything besides a Starfleet Medical-issue cot next to Kaya's bed. As if the whole situation with her daughter's health wasn't stress enough, the emotional toil of seeing Chakotay was also taking its toll on her. She had finally wandered from Kaya's bedside to stretch her legs...and find coffee.
B'Elanna and Tom stood up as she walked around the corner into the waiting area.
"Are you still here?" She cracked with a half-hearted smile.
"How is she doing?" Tom asked gently.
"She is 'resting comfortably'," Kathryn quoted. "The doctor says that if she stays stable overnight and accepts the cloned kidneys tomorrow, then the worst danger will be past. I think she's going to be okay." Her eyes slid closed, and her chin wobbled, as she repeated, "I think she's going to be okay." She took a deep breath to collect herself, and then said, in a nearly normal voice, "Where's Chakotay?"
Tom and B'Elanna exchanged glances.
"Seven came with him," B'Elanna said. Kathryn's eyes widened. "So when he came back out here to tell us about the kidney surgery, he had to..." she trailed off.
"He had to tell Seven why he was a tissue match for Kaya," Kathryn finished grimly. B'Elanna nodded.
"Evidently she ran off, upset, and he came back up here. He wasn't sure if he should go after her, or give her time to think, and he really didn't want to leave you and Kaya." Guilt washed across Kathryn Janeway's features.
"But then, Seven called here at the hospital. She's been arrested by Starfleet Deep Space Intelligence, and is being held down at 'Fleet HQ," Tom finished.
"Arrested? But why?" Kathryn was mystified.
"Chakotay went down there to find out." B'Elanna finished.
"Tom, have you tried to contact your father and find out what's going on?"
"He's in a briefing. I left a message with his office. He should be calling me soon." Tom ran one hand through his sandy hair. "Something must be going on."
"I don't understand this at all," Kathryn said, unconsciously starting to pace, as she thought aloud. "Starfleet interrogated Seven, ran tests on her, assessed her threat risk, did all kinds of damned things to her, before deciding to let her go. I thought they would abide by their original decision."
"Unless some new threat has emerged to make them change their mind," B'Elanna added ominously.
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"Ah, Commander Chakotay," Commander Montgomery greeted him with a obsequious smile.
"I'm no longer in Starfleet," Chakotay was not even attempting to be polite. "I suppose you know why I'm here."
"Er...yes, of course." Montgomery seemed to be nonplussed by Chakotay's rudeness. "I assure you, the detention of your wife was not meant to inconvenience anyone. We will, of course, be releasing her, as soon as it is safe to do so."
"You will damn well release her now. She is a civilian, and has broken no laws." His hostile words belied the calm tone of his voice.
"Starfleet is well within its legal rights to hold any civilian that may be a clear and present danger to the Federation."
"She wasn't a danger last year, or last month, or last week," Chakotay countered harshly. "So you had better start explaining to me what the hell is going on!"
"Have it your way, Commander," Montgomery said, in a long-suffering tone. Chakotay didn't bother to correct the misuse of the title. "Two days ago, Deep Space Six detected a Borg transwarp conduit opening at the edge of its sensor range. A Borg sphere came through it. It is nearly in communications range. We don't want any unauthorized communication occurring with the Sphere. We must assume its intent to be hostile."
"You think she is going to tried to contact it??" Chakotay said in disbelief. "I have got a 5-year-old little girl critically injured in the hospital, and you have arrested my wife on the grounds that the fact that she was kidnapped and violated by the Borg makes her more likely to call them back?" Sarcasm dripped from Chakotay's tone.
"We are only trying to keep abreast of all potential dangers," Montgomery said, and actually looked contrite. "I'm sorry. I was not aware that you and Ms. Hansen had a daughter, nor that she was ill."
Chakotay looked annoyed with himself for bringing it up. "She's not Ani's daughter, she's mine. Look, I can vouch for her. I know she has no desire whatsoever to contact the Borg."
Commander Montgomery eyed Chakotay, uncertain whether or not to respond to the first part of what he had said. Before he could say anything, the commlink chirped open.
"Priority One Message incoming from Deep Space Six," came a smooth female voice. "Admiral Paris requests your immediate presence in Briefing Room 4, Commander Montgomery. He asks that you escort Annika Hansen there as well."
"If you escort her anywhere, I'm going with you," Chakotay said, his eyes narrowed, daring Montgomery to object.
Montgomery suddenly looked weary. "The briefing is classified. I'll have to okay it with Admiral Paris."
"I'll wait. I don't mind," Chakotay replied. Montgomery walked a short distance away, and had an inaudible conversation with someone. He did not appear to be very happy with the outcome.
"You've been cleared. Come on," Montgomery did not even look back at him. Chakotay smothered a grin.
They stopped by a small room, and picked up Seven. Chakotay's eyes flashed angrily at her bedraggled and woebegone appearance. She met his gaze evenly, and then subtly eluded him when he tried to clasp her hand. I appreciate your support right now, but do not think for even a moment that this means things are well between us, she seemed to be saying.
He moved away from her slightly and dropped a little behind her and Montgomery. Message received loud and clear, he thought with chagrin. It's not as if I don't deserve it.
They arrived at a room labeled simply "4", and Montgomery leaned toward a panel to have his retina scanned. The panel flashed green when he had completed and cleared the scan, and they entered a large room dominated by a highly polished conference table and a large viewscreen on the far wall. Admiral Paris barely acknowledged them with a glance, as the viewscreen crackled to life.
A lean dark-skinned man, with urgency in every feature, sat before them in a red command uniform.
"Commander Hakkan," Paris said briefly. "What have you got for us?"
"The Borg sphere has been in contact with us here at Deep Space Six, sir," Hakkan said. "They insist on speaking with Annika Hansen."