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Switched
Chapter 4
When it seemed an eternity had passed and Chakotay had not returned, Kathryn downed what was left of a fourth cup of coffee and made her way to the bathroom. A long soapy soak always helped to ease her mind, aswell as her body, and her mind desperately needed easing. As the bath filled she began to take off her clothes, but before she had removed more than her shoes and jacket, a door chime sounded. Absently, Kathryn left the bathroom and returned to the living room.
"Come in!"
The doors opened and Harry Kim came in.
"I'm afraid I have bad news," he announced.
"Then hit me with it," Kathryn said, feeling no amount of bad news could make her feel any worse than she did right now.
"For the past few days there have been problems with our connection with the Federation. Every day we've been getting less and less time and today we only got four minutes. The problem is that we're losing our window of alignment due to fluctuations in the quantum singularity and there is no way of knowing when it will stabilize. Seven calculates that tomorrow we'll have less than sixty seconds contact time and the day after none at all. It may be weeks before we are able to communicate again."
"I see," Kathryn said quietly. This was totally unexpected and put an entirely different spin on everything whirling around her mind.
"Seven and B'Elanna are trying to compensate for the fluctuations, but it isn't looking good. Commander Chakotay has been called to the bridge so I've been made the messenger." He held up his hands. "Don't shoot."
A smile crept over Kathryn's face. "Don't worry, Ensign, no bloody execution this time. Just do what you all can. If we lose contact, we lose contact."
"Yes, Captain," Harry said, as much confused as relieved by her lack of displeasure.
"Dismissed."
Harry dutifully left and with a lighter heart Kathryn returned to her bath.
"I'm so sorry I got called away," Chakotay said when he finally met up with Kathryn in her quarters two hours later. "Seven and B'Elanna needed my help with this communication crisis and then I got called to the bridge to deal with a threat from the Fikari. If I hadn't of handled it they'd have called for you and I didn't want you to be bothered."
"You don't need to explain yourself," Kathryn said, replicating them both a cup of coffee. "That's how it goes on this ship. Our time is not our own."
Carefully, she picked up the two replicated cups of coffee and carried them over to the couch. Chakotay took his gratefully and Kathryn sat beside him.
"I'm sorry," he said, "that we're going to be cut off from the Federation again."
"It will be tough on the crew," Kathryn confessed, "but we've survived alone this long, we will again. I know Seven and B'Elanna did all they could."
Chakotay took a sip of his coffee. "You seem brighter. Feeling better?"
"Much. Call it providence. I no longer need to give you an earache."
"I want you to share your problems with me," he said sincerely. "That's what friends do."
"I know. And while my problem hasn't gone away, I've kind of dealt with it, and don't want to go through it all again. Like opening up a wound that's healing, or rather plastered, you know?"
"I understand," Chakotay said. "But if you are up to talking about it, then I'm here. I've told Tuvok that unless the warp-core is about to explode we're not to be disturbed. I care about you, Kathryn, and if you're going through something then I want you to share it with me." A pain suddenly bolted through his brain and he flinched.
"What is it?" Kathryn asked in concern.
"Just my head," he replied, grimacing and massaging his temples.
"This is one headache too many," Kathryn said, hitting her commbadge. "Janeway to the Doctor, report to my quarters. Chakotay needs medical attention. Janeway out."
"I suppose I must comply if I'm ever to get away with pulling the same stunt on you," Chakotay teased. "Just remember, you owe me."
"Deal," Kathryn smiled.
In seconds, the Doctor materialized in her quarters, medkit in hand.
"What's the emergency?"
"Chakotay's got a headache," Kathryn told him. "He's had a lot lately."
"I'm not surprised," the Doctor answered. "How many times over the past month have I told you to slow down, Commander? You're not a spring chicken anymore. If you continue to push yourself the way you have been, a headache will be the least of your problems." Impatiently, he began to scan Chakotay with his medical tricorder. "High blood pressure, dehydration, low sugar levels...all consistent with self-neglect and over-work. A condition I'm all to familiar with as I've seen it often enough in you, Captain." He then put away his tricoder, pulled out a hypospray and put it to Chakotay's neck. "This should ease your headache, but you really must start taking things easier, Commander."
"I'll try," he promised.
"Make sure you do." The Doctor then turned to Kathryn. "As I'm here, Captain, I'd like a word with you in private."
Kathryn tensed at his words, guessing all too easily what he wanted a word about, but yielded to his request. "My bedroom, Doctor."
The Doctor then followed her into the bedroom and Kathryn turned to him as the doors shut.
"No need to guess what this is about."
"Indeed," the Doctor replied. "As tomorrow is going to be the last day we have contact with the Federation for sometime, I believe we should disclose what we have discovered."
"No," Kathryn said firmly. "As tomorrow is our last contact day, we should definitely not disclose my..." she hesitated "...case."
"Your reason?"
"Think about it, Doctor. As you said yourself, this discovery will open a can of worms. How right would it be for us to open it and then not be around to deal with the worms? If and when we re-establish a permanent link with the Federation, we'll make a disclosure then. But for now, let sleeping worms lie."
"But this is not information that we have the right to deliberately withhold. Your mother, the Brentons, they deserve the truth!"
"I've made my decision, Doctor. We will not make a disclosure. What we know will stay between us. Remember patient/doctor confidentiality. You do not have the right to disclose anything about me to anyone without my permission."
"But I really think..."
Kathryn held up her hand. "No more, Doctor. The matter is settled."
The Doctor sighed. "Losing contact with the Federation won't make this problem go away, Captain. Contact or no contact, it won't change your parentage. Burying your head in the sand will do no good."
"I need to keep focussed, Doctor. I have a crew of over a hundred people depending on me to get them home. I need to be Captain Janeway. And if we have no communication with the Federation then this matter is as good as dead and buried. I need it buried."
"Denial does no good, Captain."
"On the contrary," Kathryn argued, "it can be as good as acceptance. What's good is what makes a person function. I need to function."
A voice sounded over the comm. "Carter to the Doctor. Medical Emergency in Engineering."
"On my way," the Doctor replied. He then addressed Kathryn. "Just think about what I've said, Captain. You don't have to make a decision until the morning."
"I've made it," she answered. "And I won't change my mind."
The Doctor looked at her regretfully then hit his commbadge. "Doctor to transporter room 2. Beam me to engineering."
Almost instantly the Doctor disappeared and Kathryn returned to the living room.
"The Doctor's been called to engineering," she said. "He's beamed out."
As she sat down, Chakotay looked at her in concern. "This problem..." he asked worriedly, "is it...are you ill?"
Kathryn reached for his hand and held it in hers. "No," she said firmly. "I'm in perfect health. Well, maybe not perfect health, but sufficient."
"Is that the truth?"
Kathryn squeezed his hand. "Yes. I promise."
Chakotay eased at that and let go of her hand to pick up his cooling coffee.
"But how about we both try to improve our health with a relaxing moonlight meal on Lake George?" Kathryn suggested. "I have a holo-slot booked."
Chakotay smiled warmly. "Sounds good."
END OF CHAPTER FOUR