AN: I editted this chapter, I just didn't like some parts to it.
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The next few days went uneventfully for the Voyager crew. This leased both the Captain and Commander, as it allowed her time to recover and afforded him every opportunity to keep an eye on Kathryn. When Chakotay told the Doc that he'd ensure Janeway listened he meant it. Somehow the commander managed to spend increasing amounts of time with Kathryn, diligently nursing her back to health.
After three days, when Kathryn's fever broke and she'd started to feel better, she had begun ribbing the commander in her usual manner.
"So, Nurse Chakotay, can I go back to work tomorrow?" she enquired between bites of her breakfast.
"I don't know, Kath, the Doc'll have to proclaim you fit for duty, fist," Chakotay answered. "And you will listen to him. You'd still be sick if you hadn't," he pointed out.
"You mean if you hadn't taken made me listen to him and taken such good care of me?" Kathryn responded, smirking.
The commander offered an impish grin. "That too, Kathryn. You know it was for the crews own well being that I took care of you. Imagine a sick captain running the ship," he noted with a grin. "Now what say you we go find out the doctor's prognosis, hmm?"
"I can go to sickbay on my own, Chak," she started to argue.
"I know you're capable of getting there, it's just a matter of you actually going, Kath. I know how you are, remember?" he noted, impish grin growing wider, causing his dimples to deepen.
Seeing as they where sitting at the dining table, directly across from each other, Kathryn had little choice but to look at him whenever she looked up. As it was, Kathryn looked up just to see Chakotay's dimples. This sight caused Kath to flush, slightly, before she hid her face behind her cup of tea, still banned from coffee.
"You're incorrigible, Chakotay," she stated, before finishing her tea. "And if we delay our visit with the doctor much longer he'll have me on bed rest, or some such…"
The commander laughed, more at Janeway's reddened expression than anything else. "Indeed, after you," he motioned to the door, following her out.
The two walked silently to sickbay. Having managed to take the quieter route, they didn't run into anyone, therefore they got to sickbay uninterrupted.
Once they entered the room the doctor looked up. "Ahh, Captain, Commander, a pleasant surprise to see both of you," the hologram greeted, stepping around the console to the command pair.
"Good afternoon, Doctor," the commander greeted. "I told the captain that, if you said she was healthy, she could go back to work tomorrow."
Kathryn glared at Chakotay. "You don't have a choice, Commander, if I return to duty tomorrow," she stated, stubbornly.
"But, Kathryn, you know I would have found a way," Chakotay responded. "Maybe even get the doctor to order you to bed rest."
Again, Kathryn glared at Chakotay before turning to the doctor. "Okay, Doc, tell him I can get back to work tomorrow," she stated with crossed arms.
The doctor swept his medical tricorder over the captain. That done he examined the readings. "I don't know, Captain. These are unusual readings, for you, at any rate," he responded in his deadpan manner.
"Unusual, Doctor?" Chakotay enquired, an eyebrow quirked upwards.
"Indeed. I would like to examine you as well, Commander," the doctor started scanning Chakotay before getting a response. "Hmm, just as I suspected. Your readings are also unusual, Commander. Yes indeed," he carried on, as though he where talking to himself.
"Pardon me, Doctor, I didn't hear you clearly," Kathryn stated, a puzzled expression on her face.
"Hmm? Oh, sorry, Captain, you may return to duty tomorrow," the doctor said in a dismissive tone, indicating he would say no more on the subject.
The two officers just shook their heads before heading for the door. The captain took the lead, though Chakotay's hand settled on the small of her back.
"I believe that Tom must have done something to the doctor's sub-routines," Chakotay noted, an expression of curiosity etched over his features.
Kathryn nodded her head in agreement. "I'll have B'Elanna take a look at him tomorrow," she responded.
Chakotay laughed, dropping his hand to his side. "Until then, Kathy, you relax. Besides, I'm sure we'll be within range of another planet in a few days."
"Good, I could use a planet, get out of my quarters for a bit."
"I'm sure it hasn't been that bad, Kathryn," he responded, chuckling slightly as they stepped into her quarters.
"It's been terrible, Chakotay," she responded. "I've been stuck in my quarters for the last three days, banned from coffee, and my first officer hasn't left me alone in the same amount of time," Janeway stated, trying to sound grouchy as she sat down on her couch.
Chakotay sat in the chair across from her. The man feigned injury at Kathryn's comment. "I'm not that bad, am I, Kath?" he questioned, grinning.
"Of course not, Chakotay, it's the commander who's awful," she noted, offering a chuckle before standing. "Tea?" she offered.
"Yes, thank you."
From there the two conversed until they decided it was too late to stay up any longer. Upon saying their goodnights Chakotay went to his all but abandoned cabin. Kathryn, meanwhile, got ready for bed in her own quarters.
TBC