Nine Months – Into Captivity 3
By Kudara
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.
Rating: Adult
Feedback: Always welcome, feedback is what encourages me to keep writing. Please let me know what you like and what you dislike about the story.
Revision History: 11/09/05
Summary: Nine months ago they were captured.
Chapter 5 - Stardate 52196.55 (March 13, 2375 5:47 pm)
Trying to ignore the stinging pain in her hands, what felt like a pulled muscle in her shoulder, and several other aches and pains, B'Elanna reluctantly followed the robot down the hallway toward the room where Seven waited. It was not the original robot, that one had stayed with Seven, but a second one which was apparently in charge of her training. The light panel on it had gone to red not just once, but twice during the day.
'I tried my hardest, if only I hadn't slipped,' B'Elanna thought dejectedly as she remembered the hours of physical exercise the robot had put her through. It had been on the obstacle course where both corrective actions had been incurred, once when she slipped when trying to crawl over a wooden wall, once when she fell from a rope swing.
"Lt. Torres!" Seven's surprised exclamation caused B'Elanna's eyes to shoot up from the carpet where she had them firmly glued upon entering.
B'Elanna looked toward the sound, and was surprised to see Seven standing in the food preparation area, and apparently cooking. "What?" she started to ask, puzzled, then realized what had surprised the blonde. She was currently wearing quite a bit of the obstacle course in the form of the mud that coated her from head to toe.
"Cooking time has completed, utilize the protective hand covers to remove the cooking dish from the heating unit and place it upon the unit's surface. Once this is completed power off the heating unit. In approximately 20 minutes the meal will be cool enough to consume." The robot standing in the room intoned.
As Seven followed its instructions B'Elanna watched surprised, then as the aroma reached her, she sniffed appreciatively. Whatever Seven had been cooking, it certainly smelled better than many of Neelix's creations and B'Elanna was rapidly becoming aware of how hungry she was after her exertions. There had been a pause at midday for some type of ration bar, but that small meal certainly hadn't been enough for the entire day.
"You will now tend to your injuries and bathe before consuming the food item. You have until 2200 hours, at which time you will rest upon your sleeping surface."
The robot quieted after this pronouncement and B'Elanna looked at it in surprise; the night before they had been directed where, and what to do, during the entire evening. Apparently tonight they were being given a relative amount of freedom.
"You are injured Lt. Torres?" Seven inquired as she came toward B'Elanna.
B'Elanna did and didn't want to show the blonde her injuries. Part of her felt they were insignificant compared to what the Borg had experienced because of her, part of her wanted to show Seven them as proof that she had tried, tried the best she could. Finally she opened her hands and held them up for Seven's inspection.
Seven's touch surprised her, she had expected the Borg to take firm hold of her hands and twist them the way she wanted, but the touch was light and gentle. With a slight shiver B'Elanna realized that Seven was primarily using her optical implant to examine her hands. B'Elanna wasn't certain what Seven was seeing, but was certain that the Borg was able to see a lot more than she could.
"There are thin wooden objects imbedded in your palm, and various organic substances are present in the wounds." Seven announced. Meeting B'Elanna's gaze she continued, "They will need to be removed and the wounds cleaned or they will become infected."
"Splinters, their called splinters, and yes I know. I'll go see if I can't find something in the bathing room to get them out." B'Elanna mumbled.
Seven nodded, let go of her hands, and stepped back. Shaking her head slightly in bemusement over Seven's actions B'Elanna stepped into the bathing room and started rummaging around for something with which to dig out the splinters. Finally finding a forceps looking instrument and a pin she washed her hands and started attempting to pull out the bits of wood.
"Lieutenant," Sevens voice from the doorway startled her and B'Elanna jumped slightly before looking over. Seven looked hesitant but resolute and B'Elanna wondered what the Borg could want. "I believe I would be able to remove the 'splinters' with less continuing damage to yourself than you would be able to by attempting to do the task yourself."
B'Elanna stared at her uncertainly, frowning slightly she asked, "How's that?"
"I would be able to use both hands, and you are damaging the hand holding the forceps by pushing the splinters in it deeper as you are gripping the instrument to remove them from your other hand." The Borg stated in a steady voice, but B'Elanna could see by the stiff way she stood and her clenched hands that Seven was not quite as calm as she appeared.
Silently B'Elanna handed the instruments over and held out her hands, acknowledging that the blonde had made some good points. She smirked at the Borg's surprised look, apparently Seven had not expected her to capitulate so easily.
"I will attempt to remove them with as little discomfort to you as possible," Seven assured her seriously and lowered her head to study the smaller woman's hands.
"I know," B'Elanna replied immediately, and without thinking.
Seven's head jerked up and her blue eyes searched the half-Klingon's brown ones. B'Elanna was surprised at herself, but acknowledged silently that she did know Seven would try not to hurt her, it just wasn't in the blonde's nature. Arrogant, superior, cold, aloof… Seven might step over all of her ego, but the blonde had never ever tried to physically harm her. Well, never if B'Elanna didn't count the one day that the Borg while still a drone had complemented her on her engineering knowledge then offered to assimilate her so she would be less emotional and more efficient.
B'Elanna was amazed to see a slight flush of color in the Borg's cheeks before Seven bent her attention back to the task in front of her. The blonde woman was as good as her word and in fifteen minutes or so she had pulled all the slivers of wood out of B'Elanna's hands with much less pain than the half-Klingon had thought possible.
"Thanks," B'Elanna said softly when the Borg was done. Feeling unsettled by the blonde's deft, gentle touch, B'Elanna turned and started stripping off her muddy clothing, reminding herself as she did so, of all the times the Borg had shown herself to be cold and unemotional, and not the quiet, gentle caring woman she had just seen.
Turning back around to start the water flowing into the tub, she stopped in shock as Seven stripped off the blue colored loose tunic and drawstring pants she had been wearing since going to bed the night before. Seven's skin was intensely reddened in a large welted area across the top of the shoulder and down the back.
"What happened to you?" she asked.
Seven stopped with her back toward B'Elanna, still facing away from the half-Klingon she answered, "I was heating water for the pasta noodles in the meal I was preparing and tipped the water onto myself when the first correctional action was taken. My nanoprobes have healed most of the damage done Lieutenant. It should be fully healed in another few hours."
'Mostly healed…' B'Elanna thought staring at what she knew was probably still a very painful burn. "I did the best I could, I slipped, it was wet." She defended herself weakly.
Seven turned her head enough to meet B'Elanna's eyes. "I did not doubt that you where attempting to complete the tasks assigned you to the best of your ability, Lt. Torres."
Seeing nothing but sincerity in the blue-grey eyes, B'Elanna could only silently nod, but it did not make her feel any less guilty as her eyes drifted back to the painful looking burn that marred the blonde's pale skin.