"Doctor to Chakotay."
"Chakotay here."
"I do not mean to disturb you, but I wanted to know how the Captain was doing."
"She is doing okay" he paused and looked back at the sleeping form on the couch.
"She's sleeping, do you want me to wake her?"
"No. Most likely she needs her sleep, but when she wakes please bring her to sickbay, I don't know if there are any residual side-effects from the poison she used, and I want to make sure that Q's unorthodox medical practices didn't leave any marks either."
"I understand, I will bring her. Chakotay out."
Chakotay walked back to Kathryn and watched her chest rising and falling, he sat across from her and just watched, appreciating the rise and fall.
"Beautiful isn't she?"
Chakotay jumped and nearly knocked Q off the armrest he was sitting on.
"Q! Quiet, you'll wake her." Q snapped. "No I won't."
Chakotay rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"
"Well maybe… a simple… Thank you?"
"Yes… um… Thanks."
"Your gratitude is overwhelming." Q stood with his arms crossed.
"Wait, really Q. Thank you. I know that… in the past…"
"Yes yes you have been mean to me, apology accepted my dear Chuckles. Just take care of her, okay? She is meant for great things."
"I don't need you to tell me that."
Q took one last long look at Kathryn, the waved his arm and disappeared with a pop.
Kathryn began to wake and Chakotay went over to her. "Wha...What?"
"It's okay Kathryn, he's gone."
"Who's gone?" She blinked sleepily and yawned.
"N-No one. Never mind. How did you sleep?"
"Pretty well actually." She sat up and arched her back in a stretch, he tried to ignore how darn cute she looked waking up like that. She had a long way to go before she would be ready for anything.
"Would you like some coffee?" She pulled a glare, "Okay that was a dumb question." He walked to the replicator and got her some coffee. When he came back she was sitting cross legged with her blanket tucked around her.
"Thank you."
Chakotay sat and looked at her, trying not to stare, but not really sure what else he was supposed to do. "Chakotay?"
He looked her in the eyes then.
"I know that you… probably have a lot of questions… and well you deserve answers."
"No I don't want to push you I" She cut him off.
"I want to try to answer them, I think I need answers as much as you do."
"Okay, so, where do we start?"
They sat and talked for almost three hours, about everything. The ship the crew, Kathryn's feelings of guilt and lonliness. There were many tears and about 3 cups of comforting coffee, but when they were done talking both felt much better, and ready to move on. Together.
Kathryn and Chakotay walked to sickbay arm in arm, not really caring who saw them, they just needed to be near on another. When the doors to sickbay slid open the Doctor was on Kathryn in a second, pulling her away from Chakotay and sitting her on a biobed. Kathryn looked at Chakotay still standing by the door, without words, she conveyed that she would be okay for the time being, and that he should go and rest. Giving her a nod and a small smile, Chakotay left Kathryn in the Doctor's worried hands.
