Horror Days- Chapter 23

Day 16

"Are you going to wake him up, yet, Doctor?" B'Elanna asked. She had asked that question to the EMH several times over the past couple of days. B'Elanna Torres knew that her husband, Tom Paris, needed rest, but she didn't like seeing him laying almost motionless on a biobed.

"Actually, you came at the right time, B'Elanna." The Doctor replied. "I think Mr. Paris is healed enough so I can wake him up."

"About time…" B'Elanna murmured.

Together, they walked over to the main biobed where Tom was asleep. B'Elanna walked over to Tom's side and took his hand. The Doctor grabbed a hypospray and loaded it, then walked over to Tom. The Hologram then put the hypospray to Tom's neck. Soon after, Tom's eyes opened slowly and searched around the room then locked onto B'Elanna's eyes.

"Hey." Tom said weakly.

"Hey." B'Elanna replied squeezing his hand. She had a big smile on her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been stabbed." Tom answered trying to be funny, though it was strained. He tried to sit up, but realized the pain from the stabbings had only diminished a bit and laid back down. "I think I'll stay where I am."

B'Elanna was about to say something, but the Doctor interrupted. "Mr. Paris, I am amazed at what your body can go through and you can still be alive." The Doctor said to Tom passing his medical tricorder over Tom.

"I guess I'm a walking miracle." Tom replied.

"More like a walking disaster." The EMH remarked as he closed up the tricorder. "But thanks to me, you will survive."

"And the help of some others…" Janeway added. She had walked into Sickbay after Tom's remark of him being a 'walking miracle'.

"Yes…of course." The Doctor admitted.

"B'Elanna, Doctor, could I have a few moments alone with Tom?" The Captain asked.

B'Elanna looked at Tom. His eyes told her that he could handle anything, even in the state he was in. B'Elanna nodded and kissed Tom on his forehead. She, with the Doctor leading, walked into his office. Janeway walked over to Tom's side and it was silent for a few moments.

"The Doctor was able to get Lerik transformed back to his original self." Janeway said to Tom. "He was also able to find an emotion or memory chip integrated into his brain. It was apparently transmitting video, too, but on bands we couldn't detect." Again, there was silence. "Tom, Lerik said that from the cell they put you in, you were able to watch what he did."

"Yeah, I saw it all." Tom replied. "What do you want to know?"

"What exactly happened?" Janeway asked. "Starting from just before you were taken…or was that even you at all after Chakotay and Harry rescued you?"

"Oh no, that was me." Tom answered. Tom then began to tell of the ordeal since the day he was taken. At the end Janeway nodded and there was silence again. "So, what evidence did you have against Lerik?"

Janeway gave a little half smile. "None." She answered.

"So you were trying to make him confess even though you had no evidence?" Tom asked rhetorically. "Smart." He returned her smile. "I just realized that every time there's lots of water involved in a situation…I usually end up worse than when I started off." Tom remarked hinting at the time he spent in the Brig and his demotion two years ago. "I think next time a planet even has a chance of rain you should keep me on the ship."

Janeway's half smile became a full fledged one. Only Tom could make something serious lighthearted. "That's not a bad idea." Janeway responded.

The Doctor followed by B'Elanna, who didn't look to happy, came back towards Tom's biobed. "I would like everyone to leave since Mr. Paris needs some rest." The EMH said.

"Oh come on Doc, I've only been awake for less than an hour." Tom groaned.

"No matter how much sleep you got before, Mr. Paris, you're body is still not ready-" The Doctor started.

"Okay, okay, I'll sleep just don't give me any lectures." Tom interrupted. "Well, nice talking to you Captain." The Captain nodded, smiled, and said goodbye.

B'Elanna on the other hand decided to make a minor scene by kissing Tom on the mouth long enough that the Doctor had to physically remove her. The Doctor soon sedated Tom after the Captain and B'Elanna left Sickbay together. Life was back to normal…or at least as normal it could get on a lone ship in the Delta Quadrant far from home.

The End