Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures.

PROVIDENCE

CHAPTER 6

"I'm sorry I'm late," The Doctor said to Kathryn after keeping her waiting for over half an hour. "I got held up. One of our dancers fell off stage...a long story I don't have time to tell...and needed urgent medical assistance."

"It's alright, Doctor," Kathryn lied, every minute of waiting seeming like an hour. "I hope he...or she... will be ok."

"She...and affirmative. In fact, I'm going bird watching with her on Saturday."

Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "You? Bird watching?"

"Something wrong with that?"

"No, not at all. I just didn't know it was your kind of thing."

"On Voyager, how could it be? The only birds we ever saw were those of Mr Paris's kind! But, as a physician, I'm fascinated by all lifeforms and birds I find particularly interesting."

"I'm sure you do, Doctor," Kathryn smiled, "especially when they're interested back."

Then, without waiting for a reply, she stepped into his surgery, which was on the top floor of Starfleet Headquarters. From it there was a good view of the park, at least in daylight, and while it was smaller than Voyager's sickbay, it was fully equipped with all the latest medical technology. There was even a small lab next to a very stylish office.

"So," Kathryn said as the Doctor followed her in, "are you still of the opinion that Mark isn't the father of my baby?"

"I am," he declared, closing the door behind them. "And it's a fact, not an opinion."

"Well, I guess a simple paternity test will clear it up. But I'm surprised you didn't do one at the time, Doctor. With Chakotay being a Native American, and us having just been subjected to biometric examination on the array, I'd have thought you'd have done one as standard incase I was impregnated there."

"You're right, I should have. But at the time the thought didn't enter my head...or yours. We both made the same assumption...that Mark was the father."

"But I didn't know that the baby is...as you're telling me...half Native American. Didn't that raise any alarm bells?"

"Why should it have? How was I supposed to know that Mark is a Caucasian? Earth has many races and mixed relationships are common. I just assumed your fiance was Native American. If the baby was half Asian, would you have expected me to assume Harry Kim is the father?"

"No," Kathryn replied, conceding the point.

"Then why was I to automatically assume that Chakotay is the father because the baby's half Indian?"

"But you must have seen photos of Mark," Kathryn reasoned. "I had one in my ready room and several in my quarters."

"How could I have? Until I got my mobile emitor I was virtually a prisoner of sickbay, remember?"

Kathryn remembered and, with that remembrance, came defeat. "You're right, Doctor. It isn't your fault. At least, it's no more your fault than mine. We both made assumptions."

"As did Samantha Wildman when she learned she was pregnant...only in her case they were correct."

"Yes. At least concerning paternity. If what you say is true, that my baby is half Native American, then either I was impregnated on the array or something happened outside the normal space-time continuum that led to mine, and maybe Samantha's, pregnancy. That's the only way Chakotay can be the father."

A gleam of amusement shone in The Doctor's eyes. "What makes you so sure it's Chakotay, Admiral? I've never said that it is."

At this, Kathryn blushed a little. "Well...I mean...it has to be...I mean...it stands to reason."

"Because he's the only Native American you know?"

"Yes...and we'll leave it at that." She teasingly poked his holographic stomach. "Unless you want us to return to the subject of birds and dancers."

"Hint taken," The Doctor smiled. "Instead of chatting, we'll get down to business. It shouldn't take long to do a paternity test. Less than five minutes, in fact."

"I want to watch...just to double check."

"Fine with me. But the test is done remotely. We don't need to access the fetus freezer."

For that, Kathryn was glad. To see her baby frozen and still, just waiting for life and love, would break her heart.

Swiftly, and efficiently, The Doctor established remote access and then, with Kathryn observing, performed the test. It took only seconds and the answer was conclusive.

The father was Native American.

The father was Chakotay.

"I don't believe it," Kathryn said, staring at the result. "It can't be true." She then looked up at The Doctor. "Can it?"

"Evidently it is," he replied.

"Then what I said earlier must explain it. Either I was impregnated on the array or something happened outside the normal space-time continuum."

"I'd say the latter," The Doctor said, moving away from his console. "Why would The Caretaker impregnate you with Chakotay's child? His goal was to be a father himself."

"I don't know. Maybe he felt our child would be a compatible mate."

"So why send you back to Voyager, with the child inside you, but send Harry and B'Elanna to the Ocampa? It doesn't make sense, Admiral."

Kathryn considered. "When you put it that way, I don't suppose it does."

"The truth, as I see it, is that we may never know how Chakotay came to father this child. We can speculate forever. The real question is what happens now?"

But then, before Kathryn could answer, there was a flash of white light and Q appeared.

"Ho, ho, ho! What do you mean, medicine man, that you might never know? Have you no faith in a Q?" He then flashed a smile at Kathryn. "Welcome home, Kathy. I knew you would do it!"

"Thank you," Kathryn replied. "But what do you know of all this? Or, more importantly, what have you to do with it?"

"Me? You think I have something to do with it?"

"Why else would you be here?"

Q sat on a biobed. "Kathy, I'm offended. I thought we were friends!"

"Then tell me what you know."

"Nothing...or maybe something."

Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "Nothing? Or something? That has to mean everything!"

Q leapt to his feet and did a strange dance. "Hip, hip, hooray! Kathy finally admits I'm omnipotent!"

"I've never doubted it," she answered. "Just your integrity. So prove it to me now. Tell me what you know and what you've done."

Q shook his head. "There you go again, accusing me unjustly. I'm innocent. Totally innocent. I just thought, as I was flying past Earth on a solar flare, I would pay a visit to my dear old friend Kathy and, with the benefit of my all seeing eyes, help her fill in a few blanks."

The Doctor spoke. "I sincerely hope that's true! Because if all this is some kind of joke it's in very poor taste!"

"Taste?" Q teased. "What's that?"

"You know what I mean," The Doctor argued. "In fact, it's not only insensitive it's downright cruel!"

"Oh, relax, medicine man. This isn't a joke. I'm serious." He lay flat on the floor. "Deadly."

Kathryn stood over him, hands on her hips. "And I'm losing my patience. Whatever you know, tell me!"

Q sighed and got to his feet. "Very well, Madam Admiral. I'll tell you."

And so, without further ado, he did.

END OF CHAPTER 6