Tegan Chronicles STV Style 3:

What's Left of the Flag 19

She was less surprised when Cassie came bounding through the field toward her looking just as she had the day she had disappeared. It seemed right that they all looked the way she remembered them. Cassie bulldozed into her wrapping her arms around her tightly as her lips erupted into an over-joyed smiled.

"Are you going to disappear like your mom did?" Tegan's arms reflexively encased her and she squeezed her tighter.

"I hope not. And she may be back. It's just there are rules and she was about to break one."

Tegan shook her head. "Rules?"

Cassie nodded. "I can't elaborate, not if you want me to stay for a while."

"And I do want that." She squeezed a final time.

"So do you miss me?" Cassie asked when Tegan finally let her out of the death hug she had her in.

"What do you think?"

"I think you're too busy learning your way around that big starship to miss me."

"I wish." She sat down under the tree and patted the ground beside her. "I miss you the most." She watched her blush softly before she changed the subject. "Have you seen her? Voyager? She's a beauty."

Cassie watched her as her face lit up. "You and Sam are so much alike when it comes to bikes, and ships, and planes."

"I do miss you Cass." It was the first time in a long time she remembered not feeling a certain pang in her chest. "Every day."

"I know you do and I wish you wouldn't. I want you to be happy." She paused for a minute. "After mom left I kept holding on to that thin thread of hope that one day you'd come walking back into my life."

"I'm so sorry Cass."

"Don't be. It's not like you ran away." She grinned.

"No," she sighed and looked at the sky. "I wasn't running."

"But you are now."

Tegan scrambled to her feet when she heard the old woman's voice. "Nana! You came."

"I'll always be here for you when you need me. You know that." The older woman smiled softly at her.

Janeway stood up sitting her book aside and stepped up beside Tegan. She wanted to take her hand but the doctor had immobilized her arm against her chest to help with the healing process. She let her eyes run over the IV tubing that was delivering nutrients to her. After much internal debate she reached up and brushed red bangs off Tegan's forehead. "I wish you would wake up."

Tegan's hand jerked and an alarm started sounding from the monitor console. "Doctor?"

"Her heart rate and blood pressure are rising. She's feeling pain." He pursed his lips together. "It's a good thing."

The alarm beeping in her ears was faint at first but she heard it getting louder. She groaned softly.

"Tegan?"

"Kath…" She closed her mouth a small grin pulling at her lips. "Captain."

"I'm here."

"Me too." She opened her eyes for a second but closed them quickly.

"Doctor, can you lower the lights?"

"Certainly Captain." He adjusted them from the console he was standing over.

Tegan opened her eyes again and blinked several times. "Tuvok?"

"He's fine. He's back on duty."

"And you?"

"I'm fine." She looked at the doctor as he stepped up.

"How long was I out?"

"Four days, give or take several hours." The doctor ran the tricorder over her as Tegan tried unsuccessfully to sit up. He waited until she caught her breath before speaking again. "You might want to take it easy. I repaired as much as I could considering your unique physiology."

"Yeah," She moaned. "Thanks for the warning."

"I can give you something for pain." He lifted a hypospray into her line of vision.

"No."

"Why did I know you were going to say that?" He looked at Janeway. "She really needs to rest."

"I've been sleeping for four days."

"You were in a coma." He corrected her.

"Exactly, that's even better than sleep." She grinned at Kathryn.

"He's right you need to rest." She backed up a few steps. "But I'll be right here."

"How are you feeling?" Janeway walked into sickbay to see Tegan was awake and semi reclining in a biobed.

"Fine." She shot daggers at the EMH. "Doc won't let me go to my quarters though."

"You've been unconscious for four days and you've still got a lot of healing to do." He responded calmly.

"You look tired." Tegan ignored him. "You should sleep in your quarters tonight, the accommodations for visitors here suck."

She did her best not to show her amusement at the cutting remark knowing Tegan had only added 'for visitors' for her benefit. "Did you eat lunch?"

"No she didn't." The doctor grumbled.

"Because someone," she looked at the man being held together by force fields, "wouldn't let me put on my prosthetic or take off this stupid sling and swath."

"I offered to feed you." He watched her glower deepen.

"What do you want to eat?" Kathryn asked before she could come up with a cutting remark to throw at the doctor.

"Nothing, I'm not hungry."

"Nothing isn't an option." She debated pulling rank but it wasn't something she wanted to do. Going soft Katie?

Tegan closed her eyes for several seconds before opening them to see Kathryn standing there ardently waiting for her response. "Belgium waffles with pecans, maple syrup, bacon and milk."

"You aren't going to get sick on me, are you?" She asked remembering the chocolate cake incident.

"I certainly hope not." She looked at the holo-doctor. "Do you mind putting my arm back on? Please."

"My you've grown politer since lunchtime." He observed as Janeway gave him a curious look before heading to the replicator. "I already told you that you need to refrain from wearing it for another week."

"How am I supposed to eat?"

"I will feed you." He rolled his photonic eyes at her. "Do you not remember we had this same conversation earlier today?"

"I remember that I disliked it as much then as I do now." She growled using the pain in her chest to fuel the sound.

"I will feed you." Kathryn put the tray on a table and wheeled it over to the biobed.

"Great, so my captain gets to see me as weak."

"One, your captain has never seen anyone as strong as you or as hardheaded." She added the last for good measure. "Two, how about I just be your girlfriend during dinner?"

"My girlfriend?" She studied her face while she cut up her waffles.

"You two are dating." The doctor reminded.

"I didn't lose my memory, Doctor." Tegan didn't move her eyes from Kathryn. "So if I don't want to eat?"

"You really don't want to go there, do you?" She held up a bite of waffle and when Tegan shook her head no she smiled and fed it to her.