White, like being wrapped in a dense fog, it was all that surrounded her. The incessant buzzing and bright light she could feel even behind closed eyelids intensified an already ferocious headache, the pressure of mangled voices building up inside…
"Seven, can you hear me?" This voice subdued the others to a dim murmur, why? Yes, but who are you? Her own thoughts replied. It's all irrelevant anyway, the headache won't leave and that's all I want. "Seven, wake up!" I can't, I'm not asleep. I don't know what I'm doing at all. "Wake up! Do this one last thing for me please!" Chakotay, I can't wake up, don't you understand? This angry thought had passed through her brain before she had really processed it, who was she referring to? Chakotay. The name and the voice echoed through her, so anguished and desperate and lonely. It sounded as if, and she could now feel his emotions too, he cared for her, more than these others that were holding her here anyway. Her dreamy mind began its struggle to focus, perhaps if she tried she could go back to him, whoever he was, if she called out his name he would help her…
Suddenly the white mist faded away and for a few precious seconds she was fully aware of his mental and physical presence near her and the once resistant lids began to flicker, aching for sight. His violent pulling back, as if he was dropping her into a void, made panic rise in her soul. "Chakotay…" Her ears registered her own half forgotten voice but she knew it was futile; he'd already fled from her and the trauma that she now remembered they shared. Her eyes obeyed her earlier command and opened but a blurry film of tears blocked her vision as the Doctor's familiar voice and touch made a mostly futile attempt to soothe her.
"What do you intend to do?" Icheb asked Zina quietly from his place at the Astrometrics console.
She immediately turned to look at him, breaking her own rule of avoiding eye contact, what did that mean? Why was it relevant? Of course her would increase presence would improve the efficiency of this vessel considerably but… Efficiency is not what he wants! Not from you anyway! No, that would surely be a false hope. His eyebrow is raised, he expects an answer. "I…"
The sound of Icheb's comm. badge spared her from answering more completely. It was the Doctor. "Icheb, Seven is awake!" Zina ran to him questioningly wanting confirmation and he beamed down at her before a sudden irrational and unexplainable impulse came over him. He pulled Zina into a kiss and conducted it in what could certainly not be described a chaste manner, not that Zina was particularly experienced in assessing this of course. "Icheb?" The Doctor asked, confused at not getting a response.
That snapped Icheb out of it and he pulled back but noticed Zina kept her arms in place around his neck as he replied, "That is gratifying news. We will come to see her."
"Good, Doctor out."
Icheb began to blush furiously and refused to look into Zina's eyes as he muttered, "I'm sorry…I…"
Zina met his panicked gaze as she leaned forward and returned the kiss. "I'm not…and I intend to remain exactly where I am."
Icheb looked at her as if to say "Really?" but it went unsaid as he kissed her again, only the sudden opening of the door driving them apart, their blushes extremely noticeable to the person who entered. "Captain!" They exclaimed in mortified unison.
Janeway smiled at the two former Borg, though at the moment they were only a pair of flushed, slightly dishevelled teenagers. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked teasingly, watching them blush in embarrassed silence before moving swiftly on to the subject that had brought her into Astrometrics. "As you know, Seven has woken up. Commander Chakotay roused her, mentally."
Icheb couldn't help but feel impressed, the Commander had either completely mastered the Borg mental link, was deeply attached to Seven or, hopefully in his mind, both. "Very good Captain, have you visited her?"
"Not yet. I was hoping to gather more facts before I questioned her over this whole fiasco and Chakotay, well…" She saw their sceptical faces and came to the point. "What happened? I just need to understand so I can help them…"
Icheb uncharacteristically cut her off. "I apologise Captain but what happened on that cube it is not our place to divulge. They will tell you I'm certain, but in their own time."
The Captain sighed, he was growing up. In more ways than one, she thought wryly as she glanced at Zina who nodded decisively in agreement. "I know Icheb, I know." She said after a short pause and a deep sigh, turning to leave as she did so.
Zina watched Icheb's eyes follow the Captain until the doors closed behind her, his face tight with anxiety. Taking his hand she murmured, "Come, let's go and see Seven."
Reviving me was a debt repaid, nothing more. He was right to leave, being linked like that saps individuality, destroys emotive feeling, why wouldn't he avoid me? It is a sensible precaution, after all I embody the Borg, their mindset and beliefs and he has just escaped from that, can forget it all. If only she could. Yes, the residual effects of their link had gone, abandoned her after about two hours, at least she didn't have to sort through his mixed emotions any further, could now safely decipher which had been his and her own, not that that made it any easier, the emotional centre of her brain had overwhelmed her for long enough and now the rational side was trying valiantly to pick up the pieces. A sudden thud made her jump violently and the Doctor picked up the fallen tray of medicine while shooting her an apologetic glance. "Sorry Seven, your ears will probably be sensitive for a couple of hours yet…"
"I understand Doctor." She replied distractedly, restlessly turning over on the biobed once again to face Sickbay's door. After a few minutes of contemplation staring at said door it opened to reveal Icheb and Zina, tellingly holding hands. A strange mix of happiness for her friends and grief for herself both warmed and chilled her heart. At least they had escaped the desolate guilt and grief she now suffered; she passionately hoped they never have to face it. "Icheb, Zina." She said by way of welcome but a rare warm and affectionate smile belied the curt spoken words and they returned it with relief and pleasure.
"How are you Seven?" asked Icheb, letting go of Zina and approaching her biobed.
"The Doctor has healed my injuries." She answered briefly.
"Good." He replied in a dissatisfied tone, before carefully probing further. "And the Commander?"
Seven visibly stiffened. "The Doctor has also reversed his assimilation."
Zina didn't like this humanoid habit they seemed to have developed of avoiding the point of the conversation. "He will need to adjust to his new situation. He will need your help Seven."
Seven turned to her sharply. You don't understand! The last person he'll want around him is me! Her thoughts expressed themselves through her eyes for a second but she quickly hid them. "The Commander or any member of this crew can seek my assistance at any time." She said in a quiet, strained tone.
The visitors realised they had overstepped their boundaries and not being ones for awkward small talk they said quick but affectionate goodbyes and took their leave, Seven introverting back in on herself as the doors closed behind them.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Why did Starfleet put such irritating doorbells on their ships? With another stressed turn around the room he growled "Enter!" before sitting tensely on the edge of a chair to watch as she entered. "Hello Kathryn, I think I'm on medical leave."
Her lips jerked into a dry smile. "You certainly are however tempted you might be to ignore it. The Doctor didn't give you permission to attempt a mind link with Seven, it's a good thing it turned out as well as it did or I could be angry but Seven's awake because of you…"
"She woke herself up Captain." He turned his eyes away from her, "I probably just interrupted her dreams."
Somehow the Captain doubted it and the unsettled look on his face confirmed her doubts. "Look Chakotay, I know this is hard for you, harder than I can imagine, but I'm sure that eventually you'll come to terms…"
Chakotay's newly metallic fist tightened as his nerves, already stretched to breaking point, snapped. "Look Kathryn, Seven may partially tolerate your patronising crap but I'm not going to, not tonight!" He saw her flinch and knew he'd been unreasonable, the spout of anger drying up as quickly as it came. Running a stressed hand through his hair he said without looking at her, "I'm sorry, that was totally uncalled for…"
She waved it off silently, but one issue lingered on. "What happened Chakotay? What made them deceive us? Borg don't function like that…"
"Why is it rel…" He stopped himself in time from asking why it was relevant, a bitter laugh forming in his chest as he rephrased, "Why does it matter now?"
"Anything that involves any member of my crew almost dying matters Chakotay!"
He closed his eyes for a moment in strain, his head low before he looked at her again with an expression which brooked no argument. "All you need to understand is that we're never going to fall for that again, we'll avoid the Borg, I don't care if it takes us a hundred years to get home!"
"You're right of course, but I have to take chances, if I hadn't Seven or Icheb wouldn't be here. Goodnight Chakotay."
He ground out a civil reply through gritted teeth . "Goodnight Captain." As she left the inner frustration within him boiled over, he had to get out of here! An idea hit him and he picked up a data node from his dresser before leaving his quarters behind.
A/n: Sorry I was slower than intended, I had a busy weekend. Anyway how did I do with this chapter? Please review!