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Switched

Chapter 48

"I'm sorry I'm late," the Doctor said to Kathryn and Chakotay as he entered his surgery at HQ Sanatorium. "I got called upon to fill in for the great tenor Donaldo Donabono in a matinee performance of Amour, Amour."

"Are you sure that isn't Armor, Armor?" Kathryn smiled.

The Doctor looked at her in confusion and Chakotay helped him out. "Your outfit, Doctor."

The Doctor looked down at himself and saw that he was still wearing a shimmering suit of armor. "Darno, darno," he said. "I forgot I was in costume. Well, that explains all the funny looks I've been getting since I left the theater!"

Kathryn and Chakotay laughed and the Doctor reset his appearance.

"There," he said. "All done." He then picked up a medical tricorder from a silver rack and went over to Kathryn. "How are you feeling today? Any side-effects from the transport yesterday?"

"None," Kathryn replied. "I feel great."

The Doctor scanned her and looked pleased at the results. "And so you should. You're in perfect health. Which means we can go ahead with the re-implantation."

At those words, Chakotay took Kathryn's hand in his and squeezed it.

"So, please lie down, Captain," the Doctor went on, "and we'll begin."

Kathryn climbed onto the only biobed in the room and Chakotay sat beside her.

"Will the procedure hurt, Doctor?" Chakotay asked.

"I can promise you, Commander," the Doctor replied, "you won't feel a thing. As to the Captain, she won't feel anything more than a tingle." The Doctor picked up a hypospray and put it to Kathryn's neck. "Over the next couple of days, however, as your body adjusts to be being pregnant again, you may suffer from some nausea and fatigue, Captain."

"Understood," she replied.

Chakotay could see on her face that she was more worried about the procedure than she was making out and he took her hand in his. "Our Minnie will make it," he reassured her.

"One thing is certain," the Doctor said, walking over to a console. "She wouldn't have made it had she been left in there. Not only were you battered by PTT when I retrieved you from Taron's ship, Captain, but you were singed around the edges. There's no way little Miss Minnie would have survived such a trauma to your body." He activated the console and pulled out Minessa's chamber. "I'm ready when you are, Captain."

"Then let's do it," Kathryn said.

"Very well. Take a deep breath and lie very still."

Kathryn closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and gripped Chakotay's hand hard.

"Transport initiating," the Doctor said.

Chakotay also held his breath, hoping and praying that nothing would go wrong...

Then came the words that both longed to hear. "Re-implantation successful," the Doctor smiled. "Congratulations, Captain, Commander, you're pregnant."

With tears of relief and joy, Kathryn turned to Chakotay and they embraced happily.

"Any queasiness?" the Doctor asked as he examined Kathryn an hour later.

"None," she replied. "In fact, quite the opposite of sick I'm feeling hungry. Chakotay's gone to the canteen to get me something. The replicator in this recovery-room leaves much to be desired."

"So I've been told...many times. But they have been designed to provide highly nutritious foods, not carb fests like pizza and fries. Or in your case I should say caffeine fests." He finished scanning her and stepped away. "Mother and baby doing fine."

Suddenly, the door chime sang and Kathryn called out. "Come in!"

The doors opened and Cayla came in. Her hair was swept back from her face in a plaited bun and she was wearing a pretty white lace top over a long, flowing, blue floral skirt. There was a bulky white bag over her right shoulder and with her left hand she was pulling a silver suitcase.

"Good evening, Ms Brenton," the Doctor said. "If you're here to see Detective Elliot, I regret to inform you he's currently undergoing a physiotherapy session at St Matilda's Hospital." The head injury he'd suffered had left him with some immobility in his left leg that required both physio and medicinal therapy. "He won't be back for at least another forty-five minutes."

"I know," Cayla replied. "I'm here early to see Kathryn."

"Then I'll leave you ladies alone," the Doctor smiled. "See you in an hour, Captain."

With that he left, closing the doors behind him.

"I just wanted to see how you are," Cayla said nervously. "To find out if...if it's worked."

"It certainly has," Kathryn smiled. "Minnie me is back inside me."

Cayla's relief at those words was visible and happy tears filled her eyes. "I'm so glad. I was so afraid that it wouldn't and...I'm so glad."

"Me too. And I'm glad you're here. I was hoping you would be as I wanted to invite you in person. My mother's throwing a bar-b-q for our birthday tomorrow and we'd like you to be there."

"Me?" Cayla asked in surprise. "Really?"

"Absolutely. I'd like us to celebrate our birthday together and I'd like to introduce you to my family. They're a friendly bunch and Erin will be there, Lacey's daughter, so you'll know someone. And, of course, you can bring Vic if he's allowed a reprieve from this place."

"I'd like to come," Cayla said, "and I thank you for asking me, but I'm not sure if I'm ready. What if your family don't like me? Chakotay already doesn't like me. Not even your dog likes me."

"You and Chakotay just got off on the wrong foot. And so what? So did he and I. And as for Goldy, he likes everyone. He's just suspicious of strangers. Say you'll come. It really would mean a lot to me."

Cayla smiled. "Then I'll come."

Kathryn smiled in return. "Excellent. Come to my place at around 13:00 hours and we'll go to Mom's together." She then gestured to a chair beside the bed. "Now, sit down. Tell me your latest...like how it's going with Vic."

"Great," Cayla replied, making her way over to the chair. "This might sound strange but it's as though we've never been apart, as though all that's happened hasn't happened. And yet it has, and we're both different, but yet in so many ways we're still the same. I don't know how to describe it except like putting on an old dress you loved when you were young and finding it still fits."

"I understand," Kathryn replied. "Some people are just made for each other and you and Vic are."

"I hope so. I really want us to make it this time. But it's still early days and we'll just have to see how things go." She paused. "I was going to get myself an apartment close to his house, but as the Doctor says he can't be discharged unless there's someone at home to take care of him, I'm moving in with him. Today, in fact...hence the luggage."

"And here was me thinking you were bringing Vic a stash of pyjamas," Kathryn smiled. "I'm very happy for you. Congratulations."

"Well, like I say, it's still early days and I'm not moving in with him as in moving in, but so far so good." She drew her case into view. "Not much to show, is it, for a lifetime? But I've never been one for hoarding. What's in here is all I wanted to save from my shuttle. It's going to be strange living in a house again. For the past four years I've lived mostly in my shuttle. But I guess you know all about that after living on Voyager for so long." She reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a silver padd. "This has got my new address on it. It's also got something else I'd like you to have...a picture of my kids."

She pressed a couple of buttons and an adorable picture of a little boy and little girl sitting on golden sand building a castle filled the screen. The little boy had white blonde hair and a chubby face full of freckles, whereas the little girl had frizzy black hair and coffee color skin.

"This was taken on Cocoa Beach, Florida, during our last summer together. We'd gone there on vacation, just me and the kids, and they loved every second of it. I always wanted them to have summer vacations because I never did. Summer was the busiest time for our parents so they never took me and Lacey anywhere. The only vacations I got were school ones and they just weren't the same as family ones." She smiled sadly as she looked at the happy faces of her children. "Cute, aren't they?"

"Very," Kathryn agreed.

"Tylo is nine now and Rimi turned seven in January. I don't suppose they look much like this anymore, kids grow so fast, but this is how I always remember them." She paused. "Lacey told me...when I was on the ship...that it was her who got social services onto me. I always wondered who had. Because I was really trying, Kathryn, I really was. I hadn't touched a drink since Tylo was born and did everything I could to make sure they wanted for nothing. Then one day a social worker turned up saying there were concerns for the safety of my kids. I couldn't believe it. Sure I was on their register because of my past drug and drink problems, but I'd been clean since I found out I was having Tylo and they had no reason to investigate me. But they did and I got so scared that I'd lose my kids that I started drinking again." Tears filled her eyes. "They were everything to me, Kathryn. Sometimes late at night I'd just stand in the doorway of their bedroom and watch them sleep. I couldn't believe they were mine, that two such wonderful little angels were mine. I never felt as though I deserved them and didn't know what I had done to deserve them. It didn't seem fair that I had them but better women than me couldn't have children." She paused. "I never drank around them, just at night to help me sleep, but one time I over did it and didn't get Tylo to school on time. His teacher reported it, told social services I smelled like a brewery, and it went on file. Then a guy at a club got heavy with me one night when I refused to sleep with him and he put me in a coma. The first visitor I got after Lacey was a social worker. She said they were taking my kids into care because of domestic violence. I told them that wasn't the case, that I didn't even know the guy, but they didn't believe me, made out like this guy was my live-in lover and was beating my kids. A few weeks before Tylo had broken his arm while playing in the yard and they used that as evidence." A tear ran down her cheek. "I guess Lacey told them the guy was my boyfriend."

"I'm sorry," Kathryn said. It seemed obvious to her that Lacey had set Cayla up to lose her kids just like she'd set her up for jail. "I'm sure you were a great mom."

"Well," Cayla said, wiping away her tear. "It doesn't matter now. They've gone and that's it. All that matters is that they went to a good home. That's all I ever wanted for them, the best. Vic says we could appeal, get a review of the evidence against me, but I couldn't do that to my kids. They have a new family now and probably don't even remember me, at least not Rimi. It wouldn't be right to take them away from their home again." She paused. "He knows, by the way, Vic. I mean about Lacey being...you know. I don't want us to start out with secrets...want everything level. But you don't have to worry. He won't tell anyone."

"I'm not worried," Kathryn replied sincerely. "Chakotay knows too. He guessed."

"He did?"

"Yes. But I think only because he remembered subconsciously. No doubt Lacey took great pleasure in introducing herself to him."

"Vic could hardly believe it. While he'd never liked Lacey much, it had never crossed his mind that she was anything but what she seemed." She paused. "He said that now he knows it might be worth him staying in the force to try and track down Lacey's contacts, but I really don't think he'd have any luck, and I want us to close that chapter of our lives completely. If we're going to make it, a new start has to be a new start."

Suddenly the doors opened and Chakotay entered. In his hands was a silver tray and upon the tray was a covered plate and bowl. At the sight of him, Cayla uncomfortably got to her feet.

"I don't have to ask who you are," Chakotay smiled. "Hi, Cayla."

"Hi," she replied awkwardly.

"Chakotay's been to the canteen to get me some decent food," Kathryn said as he put the tray down on the bed-table before her. "As I'm sure Vic's told you, the replicators here are a nightmare."

"Only about a hundred times," Cayla answered. She then picked up her bag from the bed and took up the handle of her suitcase. "Well, I'd better be on my way."

"Oh there's no need to go," Kathryn said. "Stay until Vic arrives."

"Which will be any moment now." She turned to Chakotay. "But before I go, I'd like to apologize for...you know...pretending to be Kathryn and putting you both in my shuttle. I thought getting hold of the time-ship was the only way of fixing things. I'm sorry."

"All water under the bridge," Chakotay said. He then held his hand out to her. "Let's start over."

Cayla took his hand and shook it with a smile. "Let's do that."

END OF CHAPTER 48