Trust
Star Trek Voyager Fan Fiction
Season 5/6
Captain Kathryn Janeway had one goal – get her crew and ship back home. The Captain puts her mission above everything else, but would that also stop her from falling in love?
No copyright infringement intended. Purely for fun.
Written by LaughingLee (First fan fiction :)
CHAPTER 5
Voyager rocked again and Captain Janeway grabbed the edge of her seat. An electrical storm of sort had slowly formed in their area of space and was growing into a large energy cloud. Ensign Kim couldn't get clear readings on what exactly was causing the phenomenon. This made Janeway very uneasy. At first, the electrical discharges had been harmless, but they were increasing in strength and number. For the past few hours, several of Voyager's systems had been damaged and there were fears about what effect a sustained burst would have on the warp core.
"Lieutenant Paris, alter our course a few degrees to starboard and increase our speed," Captain Janeway said, getting up to stand next to Tom Paris.
"Captain?"
"I want to make sure this nebula isn't more than what it seems."
"Yes, ma'am," the pilot answered grimly and made the adjustments.
"Captain, you do not believe this electrical storm is a natural occurrence?" Tuvok asked from behind his tactical console. The crew on the bridge all turned to Captain Janeway.
"I would rather prove myself wrong, Tuvok," Janeway said with a slight smile. "But, if it is something more, I want to be prepared."
Tuvok simply nodded, returning to his console. The turbolift doors behind him opened and Lieutenant Torres stormed in. She marched down the steps and went to the engineering console.
"Report, Lieutenant," Janeway said. She settled back into her chair in time for another massive lightning bolt rocking Voyager.
"These electrical discharges into our hull are playing havoc with almost every system on this ship. It was annoying at first, but I'm starting to worry. I would feel better once we're clear of this."
"Major damage?"
"More like lots of minor systems all over. I have repair crews working in small groups on all the decks, keeping in contact through the consoles now that the communication systems and sensors are offline. The power conduits are the most affected and I'm worried about a surge. But, if the storm's strength doesn't increase, we should be fine." Another discharge almost threw Captain Janeway from her chair.
"Tom?"
"I've adjusted course again, Captain. The storm is definitely following us."
"Damn," Janeway muttered. "Chakotay, Tuvok, give me options on how we can retaliate without creating a feedback loop and blowing up my ship?"
Commander Chakotay nodded and went to work with Tuvok. I hate being right, Captain Janeway thought with a small shake of her head.
LLLLL
"Damn it!" Ensign Lee shouted in frustration as she was thrown off her feet for what felt like the hundredth time. "Stop shaking so we can fix you!"
"Do you really think Voyager's going to listen, Lee?" Ensign Andrea Nicoletti asked, pulling herself off the floor as well.
Together with Ensign Vorik and a few other crewmen, the women were at the deflector array controls on the lower deck. They had been diligently working their way through the area, trying to fix the overloaded power conduits. Two problems persisted: the constant rocking of the ship and the fact that as a conduit was fixed, another discharge from the storm would immediately overload it again.
"Probably not, but it does make me feel better," Lee laughed, grabbing hold of the console and Nicoletti as the ship pitched again. "That one felt bigger." Lee quickly accessed the ship's power grid and frowned, her fingers flying over the console.
"Why are you frowning? You never frown," Nicoletti said with a smile which quickly disappeared when she saw Lee shaking her head.
"Ensign Vorik, you have to get everyone out of here immediately!" Lee shouted over her console to the Vulcan. Vorik came running from where he had been working on one of the conduits.
"Ensign Lee, explain yourself," the Vulcan replied, excruciatingly calm.
"The discharges from the storm are becoming too strong. A major power surge will happen at any moment! The bridge will probably try to siphon the power through the deflector array." Lee took a quick breath. "This deck will be destroyed, but the ship might be saved. Get into the jeffrey's tubes now!"
"You are correct, Ensign," Vorik replied after glancing at Lee's console. "Everyone, follow me." The engineering team quickly dropped what they were doing and went with Ensign Vorik to the nearest hatch. Nicoletti stopped when she saw Lee wasn't behind her. She sprinted back.
"What are you doing? We have to get out of here!" Andrea shouted as the ship pitched violently. Various klaxons started sounding and emergency lighting flashed red.
"Some of the systems are malfunctioning. B'Elanna won't be able to access the right conduits from the bridge to funnel the power. It has to be done from here." Lee looked up from the console with a smile. "This will make a great story!"
"That's not funny!"
"It will be later, now go!" Lee shoved Andrea towards the hatch. "Don't worry, the pretty girl always survives. You'll be fine!"
Nicoletti knew she wouldn't be able to argue with the blonde woman and ran towards the jeffrey's tube. She glanced back one last time, but Lee's estimate had been too perfect. A massive explosion ripped through the deck. Both women were tossed around the room like snowflakes in a storm.
LLLLL
"Captain, I could try and reroute the power to the –," B'Elanna started to say, but Janeway interrupted.
"There's no time, activate what you can to prevent the surge from building around the warp core. We lose the lower decks or lose the ship."
"Our people at the deflector array will –." Chakotay was cut short by another electrical burst.
"I know!" Captain Janeway barked over the noise of klaxons and consoles short-circuiting. "I would love another option, but we don't have time. Do it, B'Elanna!"
B'Elanna Torres turned back to her console, nodding grimly. Janeway grabbed her armrests and closed her eyes as an enormous explosion rocked the ship. It was pitch black when she opened them again and found herself lying on the deck. Slowly, emergency power came on.
"Report!" Janeway said, getting up. The bridge was a mess with various panels and bulkheads littering the floor. But, not the worst I've seen it, Janeway thought with some hope.
"The energy storm has dissipated," Tuvok replied first. "I believe our attackers were not expecting us to resist. They have retreated."
"Tom?"
"No signs of pursuit, warp drive intact," the pilot answered, gingerly climbing back into his seat.
"The lower decks?" Janeway asked, dreading the answer.
"I'm not getting any internal readings, Captain," Ensign Harry Kim replied. "The sensors have suffered too much damage."
"B'Elanna, get a team down there, medical and engineering," Janeway ordered. "I want a full damage report from all departments in one hour."
"Aye, Captain," the bridge echoed with everyone's reply.
Captain Janeway sat back down and started accessing her console. She desperately wanted to run after B'Elanna, but she knew she had work to do here. Kathryn fervently hoped Lee was okay and focused on her console again.
LLLLL
"Damn it!" Lee shouted in frustration. "I think that's my new favourite word." The woman laughed and crouched down next to her companion. "What's your favourite curse?"
"You're just trying to distract me from this massive hole in my side," Nicoletti replied and smiled. "It's working so don't stop."
Lee smiled in return, but her brow furrowed. The blast had collapsed major sections of the deck and she didn't even know if there was still hull plating around them. They were trapped against a wall, near the deflector controls. Lee's head throbbed and her whole body ached. She thought her left arm might be fractured and her ribs didn't feel right either. But, Lee was more worried about Nicoletti. A piece of plating had ripped a huge slice into her side and she was losing a lot of blood.
The smart Starfleet thing to do would be to wait until rescue. That's standard procedure. But, Andrea was getting very pale and Lee didn't want to see how white her friend could get. Lee also doubted whether anyone would be able to find them in all the wreckage. They had been cooped up for at least two hours with no communication from anyone and hearing nothing besides their own shallow breathing.
What frustrated her most was not knowing what was happening with the rest of the ship. Had she helped? Had the power surge been restricted only to this deck? Was Voyager safe? Was Kathryn okay?
"I'm hungry," Lee said and got up. "I feel like a piece of hot apple crumble pie with some ice cream." Ensign Lee walked to the pile of wreckage she figured would be the nearest to the hatch leading into the jeffrey's tubes. It's like a big puzzle. Except, pulling a piece from a normal puzzle wouldn't get you crushed by massive metal beams. New game then, Lee thought and smiled back at Nicoletti.
"How about you, Andrea? What would your perfect meal be? And it has to have five courses."
"Five?" Nicoletti replied, coughing slightly. "All right. Let's see. First, I'd start with the wine ..."
Lee only half-heard her as she started pulling debris away. She very carefully pulled each piece of pipe or plate from the pile before stacking it against the wall. A wrong pick could make their little nook even smaller. Or kill us, a stray thought crept in and Lee dismissed it immediately. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, she muttered adding a comment to Nicoletti's choice of wine.
LLLLL
"Are you telling me we can't find them?" Janeway said, pacing behind the conference table. "Ensign Vorik was with them minutes before the explosion. What did he say?"
"Ensign Vorik reported that Ensign Lee got everyone into the jeffrey's tubes ahead of the power surge," Tuvok replied. "His team suffered minor injuries when the explosion occurred, but they were far enough away and came out on the deck above relatively unharmed. When Ensign Vorik checked his group, he found that Ensigns Lee and Nicoletti were missing."
"She stayed behind," Lieutenant Torres chipped in. "If she had noticed the power surge in time for Vorik and his group to get out, she must have seen that I had limited control from the bridge. She stayed behind to get the necessary conduits online to push the surge through the deflector array."
"I'll give her a medal when we find then," Captain Janeway replied grimly, keeping the intense angst from her voice. "How's Seven and her team doing?"
"They have successfully gotten into the lower decks, but the damage in the area is severe," Tuvok replied. "It is making their progress slow. Seven and Ensign Kim are investigating alternatives for determining what is behind the debris."
"Good, keep me informed," Captain Janeway said, dismissing the officers. Chakotay stayed behind and Janeway sighed. "Anything else, Commander?"
"I understand your concern for Ensigns Lee and Nicoletti, Captain. We will find them," Chakotay said. "Maybe you should go to your quarters. This has been a long shift and I can keep you up to date from here."
Captain Janeway bit off an angry retort. If she was going to worry, she might as well do it where she felt more comfortable. She nodded at the Commander and walked out.
LLLLL
"Lee! Lee! Please get up!"
Lee heard the shouting, but it sounded like it was coming from far away. I was doing something important, the Ensign thought, struggling to get her thoughts together. Kathryn! I need to get us out of here. I have to see if Kathryn's alive! Lee got up quickly, but fell back down as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her.
"Thank goodness," Nicoletti said, her voice quavering. "I thought you were dead! When the roof came down, I wanted to help, but there was so much metal. I'm so sorry! Please be all right."
"Andrea," Lee interrupted Nicoletti before she started panicking further. "I'm fine. I got a bit of a bump on the head. I'm fine."
"You're bleeding!"
"What? O, that's nothing, we're going to be all right," Lee said, gingerly getting up and crouching next to Nicoletti. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm going to check if my idiot move helped."
Lee turned back and inspected the newly arranged wreckage. Something jumped at the edge of her vision, but was gone when she looked. Her head felt very light and she was seeing dark spots. Maybe it's only a small concussion, she thought, walking closer to the debris.
"Woohoo!" Lee exclaimed, climbing over the top of the pile of wreckage. "I can see the hatch! We are getting out of here."
Lee walked back to Nicoletti, putting her arm underneath the other woman's shoulder. Something jumped to the left of her again and she shook her head. It is not a bunny, the concussion is playing with my head, Lee thought. I need to get Andrea to sickbay and get to Kathryn. I can do this.
"You all right?" Lee asked as they made their way to the hatch. Nicoletti was walking, but Lee needed to support her. "Once we're in the jeffrey's tube, I'll push you up and in a few short ladders we'll be in sickbay."
"Ouch," Nicoletti breathed and grabbed her bleeding side. "Good plan. Thank you."
"For what?" Lee asked as they climbed over pieces of console. "You came back for me. I'm returning the favour."
"Fine, I'll thank you properly later for everything else then," Nicoletti said with a small laugh which immediately turned into a wet cough.
"Okay, no more talking," Lee said, trying to keep smiling. "I'll tell a story and you just listen."
Lee started mumbling something about rabbits and bunnies as they started down the jeffrey's tubes. Lee knew they would probably have to rest often, but if their luck held out, and nothing blocked the way, they should be in sickbay within a few short hours. The blonde Ensign fervently hoped she had made the right decision in moving the very pale Nicoletti.
LLLLL
Kathryn was pacing. She had tried to read damage reports and do some work, but she couldn't focus. Idly she wondered if the carpet in her quarters could be walked through. Her door chimed and she hoped it was good news. Nicoletti and Lee have been missing for six hours. The rescue team hadn't been able to get close to where the original deflector array controls were. They weren't even sure what state the entire deck was in.
"Report –," Kathryn automatically asked as she opened her door. The words died in her throat as Lee collapsed in front of her. The Ensign was bruised, battered and bleeding. Kathryn immediately knelt down and pulled the injured woman into her lap. "Lee! What happened? How did you get here?"
"Kathryn, I'm so glad you're alive," Lee said softly and smiled. "They didn't want me to come, but I said to them, I brought Nicoletti to sickbay and now I have to go to you. Even the bunnies agreed with me!"
"What? You were in sickbay? How did you escape the explosion?" Kathryn could see Lee's eyes were dilated and unfocused. How had she made it here in such a state?
"Yes, Nicoletti and I worked, and then we exploded. We waited and then I worried. She was hurt. I dug us out. Then there were bunnies everywhere. I can still see them." Lee whispered this last part before carrying on. "We climbed out. We went to sickbay. Then they wanted to keep me there. I told them – the bunnies will tell you as well – I said I had to see you. They said you were fine, but I had to find out for myself. And then I came here. Then you asked me what happened and then I told you we were working –."
"I get it," Kathryn said before the confused woman could start all over again. "You need the Doctor. If only the transporters were online! You're seriously injured. I can't carry you to sickbay alone."
"That's all right, Kathryn," Lee replied with a slow grin. "Seven will be here very soon and she's Borg strong."
"How could you possible know that?" Kathryn asked, trying to wipe away some of the blood from Lee's face.
"Many skills," Lee whispered, her eyes fluttering.
"Stay awake, Lee!" Kathryn shouted. "You came this far, don't give up now. I need you to stay with me!"
"Okay," Lee said, opening her eyes wide. "I'm super happy you're alive too." Kathryn bit back tears and kissed Lee's cheek.
"Captain, let me help you," Seven said, coming round the corner. "I can carry her back to sickbay."
"Seven? How did you - ? Never mind," Kathryn said and helped Seven lift Lee between them. "Let's get her to the Doctor."
"Kathryn, I want to tell you something before the bunnies multiply," Lee said, floundering slightly between them. "This is not your fault. You made the right decision. All right?" Kathryn paused and Lee bumped her head against the Captain's. "Even the bunnies are shouting that you must not feel guilty. You have to promise me! I might die."
"What? You can't say that!"
"I can! Now, promise!"
"Fine, I promise. Now will you stop struggling and keep quiet? We're trying to get you to sickbay." Lee didn't answer and Kathryn doubled her pace. "Hurry, Seven." The ex-Borg nodded and they practically ran through the corridors.
LLLLL
Lee felt as if she was trying to think through honey. Everything felt fuzzy and it was very dark. Oh, wait, she had her eyes still closed. Kathryn! No, she remembered finding her. She wasn't trapped with Nicoletti anymore. Then what was lying against her side? Lee slowly opened her eyes and saw the dimly lit interior of Sickbay. She was in the main biobed and someone was resting their head on their arms against her side. When Lee saw the auburn hair, she smiled. She shifted slightly and lifted her arm to gently touch Kathryn's hair. Big mistake as a sharp pain shot through her ribs.
"Damn," Lee hissed, dropping her arm and waking Kathryn up.
"What's wrong?" the Starfleet Captain asked, concern clouding her eyes. "I'll get the Doctor." She started to get up, but Lee grabbed her hand.
"It's fine, please stay," Lee asked through slightly gritted teeth. "I'll just not move anything besides my mouth."
"That should be relatively easy for you," the Doctor replied, walking up to the bed. "How do you feel?"
"With my hands," Lee replied, starting to laugh, but stopped quickly and clutched her side.
"This isn't funny," the Doctor replied, picking up a tricorder and running it over the prone Ensign. "You had major internal injuries. Climbing through jeffrey's tubes and up ladders also didn't help. And if your head wound had gone without treatment for much longer, you could have suffered permanent damage."
"Would anyone have noticed?" Lee quipped, but stopped smiling when she saw Captain Janeway glaring at her. "What? Too soon? Wait, what happened to Nicoletti? Are Vorik and the others all right?"
"They weren't hurt," Kathryn said, still holding Lee's hand. "Vorik and his team only had cuts and bruises. Nicoletti will be fine, right, Doctor?"
"Yes," the Doctor replied, scanning the tricorder results. "She lost a lot of blood, but a transfusion easily solved that problem. Her laceration is also mending nicely. She'll get out of here before you do."
"Good and no one else got hurt?" Lee asked and smiled in relief when Kathryn shook her head. "That's great. When can I go? That lower deck is going to need a lot of work."
"What?" the Doctor stared in disbelief at his patient. "Haven't you been listening? You were seriously injured. You need at least a week's bed rest."
"Didn't you fix what was broken?"
"Yes, but your body needs time to recover. You've suffered major trauma."
"Perhaps you should sleep on it," Janeway added before Lee could argue again. "Decide how you feel tomorrow, but you will listen to the Doctor's advice."
"Thank you, Captain," the Doctor said and lifted his chin. "I do sometimes feel as if no one takes me seriously around here. I am the Chief Medical Officer."
"I am sorry, Doctor," Lee replied. "I don't like being stuck here. But, thank you for your hard work. I'm sure I would have been much worse off if anyone but you had been in Sickbay." The Doctor preened with such high praise and left to carry on with his rounds and reports.
"That was very nice," Kathryn commented, sitting down next to Lee's bed again.
"It did get rid of him, didn't it?" Lee laughed, but it quickly turned into a grimace. "I really did a number on myself this time, didn't I?"
"The Doctor was being serious. If we hadn't gotten you here in time, you could have died." Kathryn squeezed Lee's hand. "He was also furious that you left the first time."
"But, I'm alive, right? So no harm done. And I was slightly concussed so my actions were bound to be crazy."
"The Doctor told me you walked in with Nicoletti and then refused to be treated. Apparently, you got past Seven and two other crewmen," Kathryn said, shaking her head. "Why did you do that? You were hurt. Why didn't you stay here?"
"I only had one thought running through my mind," Lee said, slightly embarrassed. "I was worried about you. Some part of me knew that my concussion was muddling my mind, but other parts were screaming to find you. I had to make sure you were okay."
"I don't know what to say," Kathryn replied, staring at this battered woman in front of her. "I was scared myself when we couldn't find you and Nicoletti."
"Have you been here long?" Lee asked, trying to change the subject. She could feel the blush creeping over her face.
"I came here after my shift. You've been here for almost 24 hours now."
"Geez! I do feel as if a starship flew into me." Lee smiled and closed her eyes. "Kathryn?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think the next time we could ask for a nice Borg attack?" Kathryn stared at the younger woman who opened one eye and peeked at the Captain. "I mean with Borg assimilation, you and Seven could whip up some amazing plan with nanoprobes and radiation or something and get us all back to normal. It should avoid all the damage to the ship and to me. What do you think?"
"Are you trying to check if I'm keeping my promise?" Kathryn asked, standing up and glaring down at the Ensign. "If I'm feeling guilty about what happened?"
"Actually, I was trying to lighten the mood," Lee replied, grinning widely. "My brain's too fuzzy to do anything more. But, while we're on the subject, are you okay?"
Kathryn dropped her hands from her hips, smiling. "You almost died and you're laughing about a Borg attack and asking me how I'm doing? I think you hit your head harder than the Doctor thought."
"Probably, but hearing you laughing and talking is definitely helping," Lee said, closing her eyes again. "I'm sorry, but I think I'm falling asleep again. We really should check the Doctor's sedative doses. He might be giving me too much on purpose."
"No, you should be sleeping. The Doctor wasn't expecting you to wake up until tomorrow."
"Really?" Lee said, mumbling slightly. "And you were here? Does this count as a second date then?"
"Probably not," Kathryn replied, gently stroking Lee's cheek.
"Good, I had much better plans," Lee muttered, leaning into Kathryn touch. "Thank you for being here, Kathryn."
"My pleasure. Thank you for staying with me," Kathryn replied softly as Lee started to breathe more deeply. The younger woman smiled slightly, squeezed Kathryn's hand and fell asleep.
LLLLL
"How's Ensign Lee doing?" Lieutenant Torres asked. They were gathered in Engineering discussing the repairs. "The Doctor isn't letting us in. Nicoletti's been released, but he says we'll only slow down Lee's recovery."
"She's fine," Janeway replied, interrupting B'Elanna's further frustrations about the Doctor. She, Seven and Harry were in the Chief Engineer's office. "The Doctor is struggling to keep Ensign Lee in sickbay to get the rest she needs. He's trying to prevent any more distractions."
"But, she'll be okay?" Ensign Kim repeated. "I mean there isn't any lasting damage or anything?"
"I saw her briefly the night before last. She's a bit sore, but she'll be back on her feet in about a week."
"Harry, you're very concerned," B'Elanna teased.
"Ensign Lee saved this ship," Seven said when Harry didn't reply. "And she is our friend. We are all concerned."
"Ensign Lee will be fine. Please spread the word," Captain Janeway said. "Now, can we get back to the matter at hand? How are we doing on the new sensor device?"
The group nodded and Harry started explaining the principles behind their new technique. The team listened intently and tried to concentrate on getting Voyager back to her old self.
LLLLL
"Doctor, am I to understand that you lost a patient?" Captain Janeway was not impressed and stood glaring at her Chief Medical Officer. "How is that possible?"
"I don't understand it myself." The Doctor ran a hand through his thinning hair. "I think Ensign Lee deactivated me somehow and discharged herself. I've checked internal sensors and she seems to be heading back to her quarters. She's not answering any of my hails."
"She only woke up the day before yesterday. What is she doing walking around?" Captain Janeway said in exasperation.
"I did tell her she had to stay in bed for the rest of the week, but apparently I wasn't being clear enough. Should I go after her, Captain?"
"No," the Captain sighed. "I don't think you'll be able to keep her here if she doesn't want to stay. I'll go talk to her."
Lee was halfway to her quarters and leaned against the corridor wall for the fourth time. Wow, I didn't think I would be this tired, she thought and started walking again. I hope the Doctor doesn't get into too much trouble about this. Lee heard someone walking behind her, glanced back and grimaced. Forget the Doctor, I'm screwed now.
"What do think you're doing, Ensign?" Captain Janeway blocked the Ensign's way. "You still need to be in bed."
"I'm sorry, Captain," Ensign Lee said, shuffling slowly past Janeway. "I'm on my way to my own quarters. The Doctor's singing is driving me crazy!"
"Stop, Ensign," Janeway ordered and stood in front of Lee again. "I won't force you back to sickbay, but you better have one hell of a good reason."
Lee tried to get past Janeway, but she didn't have the strength. The Ensign glanced at Janeway and the Captain saw the fear in her eyes.
"Please, Captain," Lee asked, quickly shoving her fright to the back of her mind. "I need to be in my quarters."
"All right," Janeway conceded, concern for the Ensign worrying her brow. "Here, lean on me. Why do you make things so difficult for yourself?"
"It'd be boring otherwise?" Lee suggested with a smile. Janeway simply shook her head as they walked to the turbolift. A few crewmen passed them and greeted. After the fifth person, Lee paused. "Is it just me or is everyone grinning weirdly at us?"
"No, I noticed it too. Oh, you wouldn't have heard yet."
"Heard what?"
"Seven told me about it this morning," Janeway said and smiled. "You are more than the local hero. Everyone is talking about how you bravely stayed behind at the deflector controls to prevent Voyager from being destroyed. But, that's not the best part."
"What? Kathryn, don't leave me in suspense. What is everyone saying about me?"
"About us," Kathryn replied and grinned at the dumbfounded expression on Lee's face. "As Seven tells it, the entire crew is talking about how you got Nicoletti to sickbay, but refused treatment until you saw me. Apparently, everyone is very impressed by your utter devotion to me and debates are raging whether we're officially a couple, dating or only good friends. Tom already has a betting pool going." They had reached the turbolift and Kathryn asked for their deck. Lee was staring at her and Kathryn could only laugh.
"I'm so sorry, Kathryn! I didn't think this would happen. I mean you wanted to take things slow and I practically made an announcement over the comms system. Why are you laughing? Aren't you mad?"
"A part of me tells me I should be angry," Kathryn admitted as they walked out of the turbolift. "But, I'm just glad you're okay. We can work the rest out later. And there will always be rumours running around the ship, no matter what happened."
"Good," Lee replied, relieved. She tapped in her security code at her door and Kathryn followed her into the small living room. "Thank you for helping me get here."
"My pleasure, but I'm staying until I'm convinced you'll be listening to the Doctor and getting back to bed."
"Yes, ma'am," Lee joked and headed for her bedroom. "I'll get into my pyjamas right now."
Kathryn stood staring out the window, contemplating the last few days. She almost couldn't believe she wasn't angry about the rumours, but with everything that had happened, one thing was very clear. Life was too precious to waste time worrying about nonsense.
"Kathryn?" Lee's voice carried from the bedroom. "This might be a strange request, but would you please come help me?" Kathryn frowned and went to Lee. She found the Ensign with her uniform jacket halfway off.
"What's wrong?" Kathryn asked.
"It hurts," Lee replied sheepishly. "I can't get out of this uniform. I'm sorry to ask this, but a little help?"
"It's fine." Kathryn gingerly helped the younger woman get her jacket off. When she got the long-sleeved shirt underneath, she paused slightly.
"This isn't how I pictured you taking my clothes off for the first time," Lee murmured softly.
"Really? What were you planning?" Kathryn asked and laughed as she saw Lee blush furiously.
"I keep forgetting to use my inside voice," Lee said as Kathryn slowly pulled off the shirt. Kathryn grabbed Lee's pyjama top and helped her get into it, trying very hard to keep her eyes on Lee's face.
"There," Kathryn said. "You okay?"
"Fine, just beyond embarrassed. But after that explosion, I'm sure I'll be able to survive anything now."
Kathryn laughed with the younger woman and stepped back. A little physical distance might be necessary, the Captain thought, hoping the dimmer lights in the bedroom would hide her own blush.
"I'm going to work a bit at your desk until you fall asleep, all right?" Kathryn said, walking back to the living room.
"You don't have to do that, but thanks, that would be nice," Lee replied, carefully moving her bruised body under the covers.
"Sweet dreams."
"I hope so," Lee replied, closing her eyes. Kathryn frowned at the comment as she walked to Lee's small desk. She opened her files on the console and started going through the day's reports.
When Captain Janeway glanced at the time on the console, she realised she had been working for the last two hours straight. The latest news from Engineering had been very encouraging. Harry and Seven's new sensor device had given them as best a picture of what the lower deck looked like. It was almost as good as having Voyager's own internal sensors working again. The damage was not as bad they had initially thought. They would need to stop somewhere and get some supplies, but the repairs should only take a few weeks. What would it have looked like if we hadn't been able to contain the power surge, Kathryn wondered, glad she would never have to find out.
A sound from Lee's bedroom caught her attention. Kathryn listened and heard it again. It sounded like crying. She quickly got up. As she walked into the room, she saw Lee was struggling with her sheets.
"Lee, what's wrong?" When Kathryn didn't get a response, she sat down next to the distraught woman. The Captain immediately saw Lee was still asleep and slowly shook her shoulder. "Lee, wake up, you're dreaming."
Lee sat bolt upright and stared wildly around the room. When she saw Kathryn, she grabbed her in a fierce hug and carried on crying. Kathryn held her close, and whispered, "It's all right. You're safe. Everything's fine."
Lee stopped crying after a few minutes and her breathing slowed down. "I'm sorry, Kathryn. It was so real."
"What were you dreaming about?" Kathryn asked and carefully pulled away to look at Lee's face. Her cheeks were still wet and her eyes a bit unfocused. "Is this why you wanted to get out of sickbay?"
"Yes," Lee replied with a weak smile. "I thought the nightmares would go away once I got back in my own bed. They kept waking me up every few hours in sickbay." Lee wiped at her face and shook herself. "My brain is still stuck at the deflector controls."
"Is that what you dream about?"
"I'm still trapped there. I can't get out. Or we do get out and Voyager's destroyed. Or I get out, but Nicoletti's dead. The latest one is me running to find someone alive and I can't. Voyager's a ghost ship." Lee was crying silently again and angrily wiped away the tears. "I feel so stupid. It's only a dream, but it feels so real. Damn my excellent imagination!"
Kathryn smiled at the attempt at a joke and pulled Lee into her arms again. "You went through a rough time. It'll be a while before you let go of all the fears you had while you were trapped there. But, it will get better."
"Make that an order from the Captain and I'll get back to sleep," Lee replied, hugging Kathryn tightly.
"Done," Kathryn replied, letting go of Lee. "Now, sleep. I'll come by again tomorrow."
"That would be nice," Lee said, shifting back under the covers. "I would ask you to stay, but wouldn't want you to think I was trying to take advantage of you. Lieutenant Tuvok's already warned me more than enough times."
"Tuvok told me he was being subtle!" Kathryn said, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm not sure whether to thank the Vulcan or be angry that he interfered."
"He's looking out for you," Lee said and laughed with Kathryn. "But, it did feel a bit like your father was interrogating me. Very strange, but hilarious."
"Yes, hopefully he won't do it again," Kathryn said as she walked to the door. "Sleep well, Lee. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Will do. And, Kathryn?"
"Yes?"
"Even though one of us took their clothes off, this still doesn't count as our second date."
"Go to sleep, will you?" Kathryn said, trying not to think of how she was undressing Lee earlier. Lee's chuckle followed her out the door and Kathryn couldn't help but smile.
LLLLL
Captain Janeway was briskly making her way through Voyager's corridors. She had been kept busy later than she had wanted and hoped she would still catch Lee awake. The Ensign had sent her a thank you message earlier for helping her the day before. Lee had also giving Kathryn her security code for her quarters in case she was asleep when the Captain came by. Kathryn smiled at the thought of Lee's message, but sobered up quickly. Things were moving too quickly between them, weren't they? Should she keep a bit more distance? Kathryn shook her head. That would be impossible – simply walking to Lee's quarters had her excited and smiling widely. She got to Lee's door and entered the code. Kathryn stopped dead at the sight that greeted her.
Lee's small living room was overflowing. Seven and B'Elanna were squeezed in next to Lee on the couch. Naomi was sitting on Sam's lap on the floor and Nicoletti was lounging on the last chair. Harry was leaning against the far wall and Tom stood next to him. Everyone was staring at Kathryn and the Captain was at a loss for words.
"See, now that's real power. The Captain hasn't even said anything and we're already hanging on her every word!" Lee said, breaking the ice as the whole room burst into laughter. Kathryn nodded to Lee in a silent thank you as she slowly made her way into the room.
B'Elanna quickly moved to sit on the floor, motioning for Janeway to take her place. Seven also shifted to the other side of Lee and sat on the armrest. Kathryn raised an eyebrow, but didn't want to make a further fuss and sat down next to the injured Ensign.
"You good?" Lee asked under her breath as everyone got settled.
"Yes. How're you feeling?" Kathryn replied, trying not to show how much the whole situation unnerved her.
"Better, thanks."
"Captain, you can help us," B'Elanna said from the floor. "We've been trying to get Lee to tell us her amazing adventure of saving Voyager, but she's been avoiding our questions."
"I'm not dodging anything," Lee said and rolled her eyes. "There's nothing to tell. Andrea also helped. She came back for me. And then the power surge happened. We got out. End of story."
"You're leaving out some important bits, there, Ensign," Tom chipped in with a mischievous smile. "How did you get out and to Sickbay? Andrea, what do you remember?"
"Nothing very clearly," Nicoletti replied. "I think I was too out of it from the blood loss by then."
"Captain, you saw Lee first after the explosion," Tom kept prodding. "What did she say?"
"Please, you promised you wouldn't say anything about the bunnies!" Lee blurted, smiling quickly at Kathryn before looking shocked again.
"What bunnies?" Naomi piped up, her eyes gleaming.
"I am sure they were not actual animals. Captain?" Seven asked and all heads turned to the auburn-haired woman.
"Lee, I didn't promise, you imagined that as well," Janeway said, starting to enjoy the game. "You're right, Tom. I did see Lee first and she was hallucinating. It was quite distressing."
"I was concussed, not in my right mind," Lee explained.
"When are you ever in your right mind?" B'Elanna interjected to everyone's amused agreement.
"Tell us more about the bunnies!" Naomi pleaded.
"All right," Kathryn said and explained in detail how Lee was muttering about bunnies and how the Ensign would talk as if they were right there next to them. "She said she was seeing them everywhere and they were telling her what to do."
"That does explain why I remember bunnies as well," Andrea said. "You were telling me a story about rabbits the entire time we were crawling through the jeffrey's tubes!" By this point, everyone was cracking up and Lee was wiping a few tears from her eyes.
"I didn't know you could tell such a great story," Lee quipped, touching Kathryn's shoulder slightly.
"I have many skills, Ensign," the Captain replied and Lee started laughing again, grabbing her side. Janeway felt much more relaxed, knowing that was probably Lee's plan in bringing up her concussed ramblings. "And, Tom?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"In future, find information for your bet somewhere else."
"Yes, ma'am," the pilot answered, chastised, causing the group to chuckle again.
The conversation turned to Seven asking why an intelligent engineer would hallucinate about bunnies and everyone started adding their opinion. Lee was tiring and slowly leaned back into Kathryn's shoulder. She jumped slightly when she felt Kathryn's arm, not wanting to make her uncomfortable in front of everyone.
"It's fine," Kathryn whispered.
"You sure?" Lee asked and smiled at Kathryn's nod. The Ensign settled against Kathryn and found her eyes closing. She heard B'Elanna trying to explain the concept of an inner child to Seven and felt Kathryn's voice reverberate through her shoulder when the Captain added a comment. Lee could feel Kathryn's warmth and slowly her body relaxed. She hadn't felt this at home in a very long time.
"Lee? Lee, you need to get to bed."
"What? I thought I was in bed." Kathryn chuckled at Lee's confused answer and helped her up. "Where is everyone? I'm sure I only closed my eyes for a second."
"You fell asleep. They left a few minutes ago." Kathryn walked with the half-awake woman and helped her get into bed.
"You're way too comfortable as a cushion," Lee replied sleepily. "I think I'll keep you."
"Have you been having any more nightmares?" Kathryn asked, tucking the sheets around Lee. "The Doctor tells me your injuries are recovering nicely."
"Less and less nightmares," Lee replied, looking up at Kathryn. "They're not gone entirely, but getting better."
"Good."
"Kathryn, I'm sorry about this evening. I didn't know everyone would be coming over. I didn't want you to feel ambushed."
"It was unsettling," Kathryn admitted, sitting down. "It's difficult. On the one hand I need to remain the Captain. But, I've become friends with everyone on this ship. And if I want to see you, be around you, I should be able too."
"Good, I'm glad." Lee stifled a yawn. "The last thing I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable."
"It was strange seeing everyone so calmly accept me," Kathryn said. "I don't mean that I haven't been able to socialise with the crew. But, you saw how Seven and B'Elanna immediately assumed I would sit next to you. And here I thought I was going to be worried about the crew's reaction to me maybe getting involved with someone on Voyager. Favouritism and so on."
"Of course they accepted it. I'm not surprised at all," Lee said, closing her eyes.
"Oh, really? Why not?"
"I'm too awesome," Lee replied with an exaggerated sigh. "It's hard being this amazing."
Kathryn smiled and started to get up. "Go to sleep."
"And it's also because everyone on this ship cares for you, Kathryn. And have the utmost respect for you. They would do anything for you."
"Go to sleep, you're starting to ramble again."
"Yes, Captain." Lee felt Kathryn kiss her cheek and smiled.