Chapter 2

"Hello", said a pointy eared man. "Doctor?"

"Good morning, Miss.", said a bald man, who was presumably the medical doctor. He held himself with authority and held two small devices in his hands, waving one over herself and cradling the other in his hand, looking at it constantly. Both were wearing uniforms; black straight pants, a light weighted blue sweater underneath with golden stars in the high collar, and a badge above their hearts.
Or where their hearts should be.
She looked at them warily and tried, to no avail, to touch the doctor. Said persona lifted an eyebrow at her gesture, and said he was an EMH, an emergency medical hologram. A hologram... that explained why the Doctor didn't seem to have an aura. The other one was very much alive... but his aura was not human, and his heart was not placed the same way either.
What is this place?, she wondered aloud and turned inquisitively to the EMH.
However, it was as if she had never spoken, her lips moving for no sound to leave them. She touched her lips and grabbed her throat.
"I detect no damage made to your throat or vocal cords, Miss. I presume it must be psychosomatic, most likely due to the extensive trauma you have suffered.", he kept scanning her. She made a gesture as if writing on paper. "Yes, you will need a PADD to communicate." She lifted an eyebrow inquisitively.
"You don't know what a PADD is?" the other man raised a rectangular slim object and showed it to her, when she shook her head. "See, it can be used to process and analyze data, listen to audio files and read texts, as well as write.", he said, demonstrating how to do it, and giving her the device.
"With that eyebrow lift, one would think she was a Vulcan in the making.", mumbled the Doctor. She snorted, smirked and typed the words 'with that attitude I'd say you were a grumpy in the making, except you seem to already be one, Doc'.
The Doctor harrumphed and mumbled something about unappreciative people and still being treated like a hologram.
She dropped her smirk, and typed an apology, followed with an 'I like you, Doctor Grumpy.' and a wink. The Doctor smiled and said.
"Well... if that is how it is, we understand each other. Now..." he touched his badge and called "Captain, our guest is conscious. She cannot speak, but she can communicate with a PADD. Would you come to sickbay?"
A pleasant female voice answered affirmatively.
"Now, what is your name, Miss?", asked the Doctor. She remained silent. "Do you not remember?" She swallowed hard. "It's quite alright. It will come to you, with time, like your voice. Ah, Captain! Would you please?", he gestured towards a translucent room nearby and conferred with her for a few minutes. The other pointy eared man remained silent and cool. Then, the Captain and the Doctor came at her.
"I am Captain Kathryn Janeway." the young woman, sitting, rose and bowed slightly to the captain, who lifted both eyebrows at the gesture, unusual with humans. "Welcome aboard the USS Voyager. Now, you do not remember your name, but we will have to give you one. I also require you to write down what you remember. How did you come to be on my ship?"
The young woman typed, "I don't remember much. I know I didn't stop long anywhere, I remember the feeling of being hunted. I guess I'm just a traveller, a voyager like this ship. I'm sorry I can't tell you more.", she sighed shakily.
"In time, if you remember, know you can come to me or to the Doctor.", she nodded. "You must choose a name, for now." she typed the word 'Voyager'. Janeway smiled. "The name of the ship?"
'A name like any other. I suppose it suits me.' she paused. 'What is going to happen to me?'
"Due to your injuries, you will remain here for another day. If all goes well, you will be spending the remainder in your quarters. They will be ready tomorrow."
'Am I to be a prisoner, then?'
"No, we have the brig for that, and..." Janeway smiled ruefully. "Consider yourself a guest. Mr. Vorik, is something the matter? It seems everytime I come to sickbay you are here."
"Oh, Captain, Ensign Vorik as been so kind as to come and read to Miss Voyager here, ever since she arrived.", said the Doctor. The Captain nodded, pleased with Mr. Vorik, saying it was rather sweet of him. "Yes, well, I'm not sure if droning on basic and advanced warp core configuration and security protocols is sweet. Must be a new trend in interpersonal relationships I fail to understand.", he sighed, only to dryly state, "The Vulcan brain never ceases to amaze me." (AN - quote from Star Trek Voyager, Blood Fever episode).
The Captain gave a few more instructions and left sickbay. Voyager typed, 'But what am I to do? Stare at walls all day? Can you give me something to read or do? I think I would enjoy reading.' The Doctor and Vorik read her words and the latter replied,
"Doctor, I believe I could be charged with this. My shift begins in an hour but until then I can easily procure some reading materials for Miss Voyager. There is no need for you to waste your precious time."
"Thank you, Ensign. More materials on warp core?"
"If it pleases Miss Voyager." Voyager stared at Vorik and smiled. "I believe I will include some general culture, science, engineering, medical, historical texts", she smiled, "and some human literature. Mr. Tuvok told me the Captain enjoys some nineteenth century Earth literature, so I will compile those for you."
"And in the meantime, Miss Voyager, you should have a bath. Kes will help you, yes?"

-.-.-

A day passed by with no complications, and soon Voyager was being escorted to her new quarters. They weren't very big, but nevertheless, better than she had expected. There was a small bathroom, a bed and she carried a cortical monitor on the base of her skull and a PADD, full with books, courtesy of Vorik. She had expected to see him that morning, but he had not come. She swallowed her disappointment; he had work to do, no doubt.
She set to work. She glanced at the date and time on top of the PADD screen and tried not to think too much of it. First, she started with recent history and searched for terrorist groups in the last four hundred years. She found what she was looking for. In the 21st century, Muggles had realized there was indeed a magical world, and Voldemort, arrogant as he was, eventually fell. She was glad. She cleaned the PADD, now wet with tears, and kept on reading. A new witch hunt rose and magicals were hunted again, their numbers dwindling. The next generations realized, too late, how wrong it all was, but the magical blood kept being diluted and diluted until, apparently, it was no more.
Perhaps they hid again and later escaped towards the stars? If so, she would never find them.
Hermione Granger was alone, and it was not a pleasant feeling.
She kept reading the historical texts (more like summaries than anything else, compared to the dry tomes she was used to reading) like an automaton, and then started with holograms, by the end of the morning. She had noted that Vulcans were the first alien race to officially contact the Earth once they developed warp speed ability, so she thought of asking for more materials about said race and their world.
Then, lunch came. A good looking blue-eyed blond man came in, carrying a tray for her, and introduced himself as Tom Paris.
Dear Merlin! But he wouldn't shut up with the questions. At last, she snapped, sitting up too fast and vertigo insued, then diziness and she fell over her visitor.
"Wow, easy there. You alright, Voyager?", she weakly glared at him, and Tom laughed. "You know, I have the feeling I'm not welcome anymore. God, don't lift your eyebrow like that, you look like Tuvok."
Finally, he left, taking the empty tray with him. Hermione glared at the sliding doors, and blew air through her mouth. Feeling alone, once more, she kept on reading. Fascinating things, holograms; they weren't alive, but they sounded and looked like people. There were even holo-novels and holo-writers, but not all were good.

I wonder if I could write something like that? How hard can it be? I must ask Ensign Vorik. It would be… cathartic… to write about Hogwarts., she thought.

Hermione laid down on her bed, making herself comfortable, giving the PADD and her eyes a rest.

.-.-.-.

It had been a long shift in Engineering. Unlike other times, though, whenever someone missed a shift, Vorik would make do and replace said crewmember, but not today. This is was rare enough that when today, when he told Lt. Torres he would be otherwise occupied, she looked surprised.

"I hope it is not too much trouble, Lieutenant."

"No, it's not that. Are you feeling under the weather, Ensign?"

"No, no."

"Is it true what I've heard? That you've spent time with the young woman who just popped out of the Holo-Deck 2?"

"That is correct. She appears to have no recollection of how she came to be here, nor of her name, she can't speak, so communicates via PADD. I gave her several books to read…" B'Elanna laughed. "Is something wrong? She asked for it."

"She asked for it?"

"Yes, she is still recovering from her ordeal. She asked for reading material, specifically."

"Oh, well, a girl after your own heart, then. Very good, Ensign, go ahead and enjoy yourself."

Vorik went to his quarters to freshen up and then went to ask Neelix for a double tray.

"Well, Mr. Vorik, do you have anything particular in mind? I have Vulcan dishes and an Earth Indian curry. So boring, really, but…"

"I'll take a dish of each, please. I am not sure of Miss Voyager's tastes."

"Miss Vo-… Oh, you naughty Vulcan, you! You're going to have a romantic dinner, aren't you? In that case, since I'm finished here, I'm going with you!" He took a little trolley dinner, and set the cutlery, three covered food dishes and three bowls of dessert, napkins and the like. "There, all set. Lead the way, Mr. Vulcan."

"Hmpf."

Fifteen minutes later, with Neelix behind him, Vorik entered Voyager's quarters. Before he could greet her, the Talaxian started talking.

"Good evening, Miss Voyager. I hope you are feeling better. I brought you dinner and…", he trailed off, staring at the now bruised face of Voyager, sleeping on the bed. "Poor dear, she seems so…"

"Frail, and battered."

"Yes, who could have done this?"

"She doesn't remember."

Voyager stired, blinked her eyes for a couple of times, worked her jaw and smiled sleepily at Vorik, who was nearer. Then the Talaxian opened his mouth and started, once again, to speak.

"Good evening, Miss Voyager, I am Neelix, I am this ship's Talaxian guide, cook, morale officer and all-around handyman, and I've brought you dinner. Nice to meet you." Vorik cleaned his throat. Neelix looked at him, and then at Voyager, once more. "Actually, it was his idea. I decided to come along, I was curious about you. I hope you enjoy dinner, it's just a curry and a little something, so it's a little boring…" She shook her head and grabbed her PADD.

No, I love curry. Thank you. I appreciate it.

"Well, if you say so. But I can't take all the credit, Mr. Vulcan here wanted to bring some curry. Well, I'll leave you to your… dinner." The alien's eyes darted between the Vulcan and Voyager. As the Talaxian left, she rolled her eyes and lightly shook her head.

Neelix is a curious character. Is he always so exuberant?, she wrote.

"Indeed, he is. Most of the time." Voyager stared at him. "Always. Shall we?"

It was a very pleasant meal. Neelix had done a wonderful job, in Voyager's opinion, but Vorik advised her to be cautious as to what she ate at the mess. "Neelix tends to make strange and unadvisable combinations as far as food is concerned."

I will follow your advice. Still, this is a nice meal. Perhaps I shall ask Neelix to make it every now and then, for my enjoyment and I'm sure the crew will enjoy it as well., she wrote.

"Indeed." After piling things up in the trolley dinner, he found Voyager had sat crossed legged on the ground, on top of a pillow and he emulated her, placing himself beside her. "What have you read today?"

History mostly. And holograms. Fascinating. I wonder if writing a holo-novel is difficult?

"Not really. Most of them may be enjoyable if you simply wish a distraction, but they're not very good. The one's based on good books are better, of course. We have crew members who write them."

I imagine it's a way to live out their dreams or fantasies, so many must be straight to the point.

"Yes."

She sighed.

I believe I might write a holo-novel to pass the time. I will start reading medical texts soon enough, and after that, I will tackle engineering.

"Did you want to be a nurse or a doctor?"

I think a lot of children dream of that, yes. Now, I'm not so sure. I don't want to sound cocky, but I'm not sure if it's challenging enough. People change as they grow up. I'd like to keep my options open, for now.

"A wise decision."

Thank you. You are a Vulcan, aren't you?

"Yes."

I read about First Contact and Cochrane. I was wondering if you could bring me materials about Vulcans and your culture. I'm curious, you seem so interesting. I feel small and boring next to you. She smiled.

"You are not small, and you are not boring either. I am honored to introduce you to Vulcan culture." He paused. "How are you feeling today?"

Better physically. But that is all.

"Hmm. Oh, look at the time. I should go. I have a long shift tomorrow." They rose. "Goodnight, Miss Voyager." She bowed gracefully, and smiled.