Nearly all of the crew had already beamed down to the planet but Chakotay, the penultimate crewmember was busy. He had just finished sabotaging transporter room 1, programming the plasma relays to blow upon Seven activating the transporter. The result would be a small explosion and a broken transporter. The small explosion should be enough to harm Seven in a minor way, just enough to earn her a trip to sickbay. She would remain on the ship at Kathy's insistence maybe Kathryn would admit her feelings and maybe he wouldn't be court marshalled. Satisfied with his work, he pressed his commbadge.
"Chakotay to Seven of Nine"
"Here Commander" came the instant reply.
"Transporter room 2 is offline, use transporter room 1 when departing"
"Sir, perhaps I should remain and repair transporter room 2. It would be better to leave the ship functioning at optimum efficiency."
"No. That's an order Seven. Use Transporter room 1"
"Acknowledged"
"See you on the surface. Chakotay Out"
Captain Janeway sat in her command chair, staring into space, allowing her mind to wander. Chakotay had just left for his hiking based break and Seven, she knew would be leaving shortly. A slight tremor ran through the ship. Janeway looked around, they weren't under fire, besides the tremor was indicative of a small internal blast not weapons fire.
"Computer, report!"
"Damage sustained in transporter room 1. Transporter room 1 is offline."
"Cause?"
"Unknown"
"Are there any crewmembers in there?"
"One crewmember detected. Seven of Nine"
Seven. Janeway hurried to TR1, informing the Doctor en route of a possible incoming casualty. Prising the door to the transporter room open, she was greeted with heavy black smoke and the acrid smell of burning consoles, now extinguished by the ships automatic systems. Seven was lying on the floor behind the blown out console. She was not moving. The Captain ran to her, ignoring the anxiety rising up inside her. There was a gaping gash at the top of Sevens forehead, blood covered most of her face and was seeping into her golden hair. Fear coarsed through the Captain.
"Seven can you hear me?" Janeway urgently checked for a pulse. There was one but it was slow and weak.
"Seven, please stay with me" She whispered, cradling the taller woman in her arms. She initialised a site to site transport. The surrounding dematerialised then sickbay appeared.
"Doctor!" Janeway yelled, on the edge of losing control over the flood of emotions rising up against the Dam erected by years of Starfleet training. The Doctor gently prised Seven out of the Captains grip and laid her out on the biobed. The Captain watched as Seven repeatedly went into cardiac arrest with the Doctor repeatedly bringing her back. A single tear crept down the side of Janeways' cheek. You've lost her, before you even really got her. Finally, after an agonising 25 minutes the Doctor told her Seven was stable.
"She lost a lot of blood, but don't worry she is out of the proverbial woods. She is unconscious now but should come round soon and be back to her usual charming self.
The Doctor left Captain Janeway with and unconscious Seven and bustled out of the room into his office. Janeway stepped close and took the former Borgs hand in her own. Running her fingers over the metallic implants she realised just how close she had been to losing Seven forever, the woman that she…..dare she say it? Loved? Was it love? Or was it just a strong friendship that had developed out of a loneliness they both experienced elsewhere on Voyager? People don't usually want to sleep with their friends Kathy, she reminded herself.
She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against Sevens
"I do love you" she said breathlessly as she pulled away. But I will never let you know that. I can't. I'm your Captain. Captain Janeway turned and walked out of sickbay. She needed to recover and there was a hot black coffee with her name on it waiting for her in her quarters.
After the sickbay doors had hissed shut. Sevens mouth twisted into a smile. I love you too Kathryn. Sevens' last thought of the day was a happy one as she faded again into sleeping blackness.