Disclaimer: I only wish Voyager was mine, but Paramount owns them and it is our duty to speculate what they don't see fit to reveal in the series, and are too lazy to make a movie. If only they would see it our way...
Hey everyone, thanks for the kind reviews, I really appreciate them. I'm sorry if I take ages to update my stories, my winter holidays have just finished and I am starting my second semester of Year 11. My marks are not as good as I like them, so forgive me for studying instead of writing, though I will try my best to submit something once a week, minimum. Here comes the 16th chapter, so enjoy!
tayababy, aka Emma
Banned From Coffee Chapter 16 - Unexpected News
The Doctor shimmered into existence in Sickbay, his program being transferred to his domain, just as the whine of the transporter brought the Captain and Commander back to his Sickbay, way before he expected them to. He only became concerned when he saw the look on Chakotay's face as Kathryn lay in his arms, obviously unconcious.
Grabbing a hypospray, he ran to the aid of the First Officer, pressing hte instrument into his wife's neck to awaken her. Helping the strong man rest his pregnant wife on the nearest biobed, the Doctor silently wondered how the Captain could manage to injure herself so often.
"What happened?" was his first question. She had only just been released, and was under orders not to exhert herself for atleast a week.
Chakotay was about to answer when the Sickbay doors whooshed open, revealing a very worried Tom Paris, B'Elanna Torres and Harry Kim. "How is she?" Paris asked, panting a little from the run.
"I was just about to find out," the annoyed EMH answered through clenched holographic teeth. He looked back towards the Commander. "Well?" he asked again.
"We were in the briefing room and were having an, um..." Chakotay started, almost embarrassed at what had happened.
"They were having an arguement," B'Elanna put in. "And it was a very good one too."
The Doctor was disgusted. The Captain, defying direct orders to settle down, having arguements and overdoing herself within hours of leaving Sickbay! His anger, though simulated, was rising very fast. Even a hologram with simulated anger could scare the living daylights out of anyone in his firing line.
He walked up to face Lieutenant Torres squared on, the anger mapped out on his features all too present. "I don't care how good the fight was, Lieuntenant, but you of all people should know how fragile the Captain is in her pregnant state! Somebody should have stopped her before her stress levels rose this much!"
B'Elanna had a murderous look on her face, her eyes giving the doctor a look capable of program decompilation. She was ready to permanently dispose of the Doctor, forever.
Harry looked worried enough for the Captain, and the safety of his friends, to almost soil his pants. Though he was no longer the green ensign Voyager had seen during their first year, Harry could still act like a child when he needed to.
A movement on the person in question's biobed disturbed the congregation. As her still-unconscious form moved restlessly, groaning every now and again, the assembled crew raced to her bedside, the Doctor and Commander having first inspection.
Chakotay looked to his wife, then to the EMH and back again. "Can you wake her?" he asked the Doctor, anxiousness sitting heavily in his tone of voice.
"There's no need," the Doc whispered back. "Look, she's waking up on her own."
Kathryn sat up on the biobed, Chakotay offeing his arm to steady her. "Are you OK, Kath?"
She looked to her husband, then to the Doc, and finally at the rest of the woried faces surrounding them. "I've definantly been better. What happened?"
The Doctor gave an evil look to paris nd Torres before continuing. "You were having a rather large arguement in the Briefing Room when you fainted. I've run a few tests, but... I don't know how to break this to you..."
The EMH looked worried at what he was going to tell his CO, even confusion was written across his holographic face.
"Do you mind telling us?" Kathryn asked, struggling into a sitting position.
"Well," he started nervously. "I don't know how we missed it, but in the middle of your arguement, one of your babies moved, kicking you sharply in the ribcage, forcing you to lose your breath and fall unconscious."
Everyone stared at the CMO, wondering what he meant.
"What do you mean, one of the babies? I thought I was only having one!" Kathryn was starting to work herself up again.
"That's what I mean by not knowing how I missed it. The second child must have been hiding behind the one we found first, their heartbeats in perfect sync. When I scanned you a few minutes ago, it revealed the second baby has moved next to their sibling, therefore presenting itself to us."
Every person standing in front of the Doctor had to, almost physically, close their mouths after retriving their jaws fron the deckplate.
"You... you... you mean, I'm having twins?" Janeway was as gobsmacked as the rest of them.
"Yes, ma'am, that's why you have seemed so much bigger lately." Even though he technically had no emotions, the Doctor was feeling a cross between intense joy and fear for and from the Captain.
Just as the stubborn woman and her equally stubborn unborn twins were about to walk out of Sickbay, a chirp interrupted the emotional congregation.
"Engineering to Lieutenant Torres," came Vorik's disembodied Vulcan voice through the communication system.
B'Elanna sighed, then tapped her commbadge to initiate conversation with the deputy head. "Torres here. What's up, Ensign?"
"Lieutenant, we are having problems stabilising the warp plasma flow again, but this time the temperature is rising to an almost critical level. We could use your help down here."
Torres had already turned to leave her husband and extended family behind in Sickbay as Vorik concluded his statement. "I'm on my way. Torres out."
"Is everything OK, B'Elanna?" Kathryn asked her chief engineer from the biobed she was sitting on, still surrounded by her family.
"Yes, ma'am. We have just been having problems stabilising the warp plasma flow after our last confrontation with the Alomen-ar. I'm just going down now to see if I can fix it."
Kathryn saw the hesitiation in her friend's eyes, but let her go anyway.
"So," she said, turning around to face the doctor again. "About my twins, I don't want to know what sex they are, but how soon will they make their appearance, and what do I have to do until then?"
The Doctor truned to share a horrified look with Chakotay before looking Janeway directly in the eye. "Captain, I'm sorry, but you will be restricted to bed rest for the next two months atleast, just to make sure you bring the twins to seven months. The earliest I would like them to make their appearance is seven and a half months, at 34 weeks, but the longer they stay in, the better. So, during our conflict with the Alomen-ar, you will not be on the Bridge, but either in Sickbay, your bed, or a relaxing program on the holodeck, nowhere else."
Everyone in the room, including the Doctor, could see the rage building up on Kathyrn's face, but before she could say anything, her worst nightmare interrupted her.
"And, Captain, this matter is not up for discussion. My decision is final, and I will discharge you from Sickbay when you promise." The Doctor was still staring eye-to-eye with his commanding officer, who he had just relieved from duty.
A look of defeat came over the Captain's face. She obviously was going to listen to her CMO this one time."Fine then!" she said, defeat sounding in her voice. "Bed rest it is."
The Doctor smiled. It seemed the only way to efficiently relieve the captain of duty was to say it threatened the life of her children to stay active.
"On one condition, though," she said, making the doctor turn to face her again. "I am allowed to visit Miral or have her visit me. You can't expect me to go into complete solitude for the remainder of my pregnancy, can you."
Both Paris and the EMH shared a smile, then looked at the woman they had grown to love. "Of course, Captain. it would be my pleasure to tell Miral her Aunt Kathryn will be her new babysitter." Paris looked ecstatic at the thought.
Kathryn sighed as she spoke to the computer. "Computer, transfer all command codes to Acting Captain Chakotay and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, authorisation Janeway pi one one zero."
"Aknowledged, all command codes have been transfered to Acting Captain Chakotay and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok," the computer said in it's feminine, unemotional voice.
"You may return to your quarters now, ma'am. Have a good rest," the Doctor was already practicing his tongue-in-cheek comments now Janeway had been relieved of duty.
"Oh, and just one more thing," she said, just as the doors to exit Sickbay opened, revealing the corridor infront of them. "Call me Kathryn, it's not like I have a position of authority any more."
"That's one thing I will agree to," Harry said. "But just remember, Kathryn, Voyager always has been and always will be your ship."
Kathryn smiled at the young man she had turned into an officer. "Thanks, Harry," she whispered, before turning to walk out the door.
