Tegan Chronicles STV Style 3:

What's Left of the Flag 33

Janeway looked at Chakotay as Voyager dropped out of warp two unexpectedly and the red lights started flashing. She jumped to her feet and barked. "Engineering report."

"A plasma conduit just blew." B'Elanna answered. "Fuck." She tried to mutter under her breath. "We've got several wounded."

Chakotay jumped from his seat as Janeway nodded to him. "A medical team is on the way. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." B'Elanna looked down at her hand hoping she could hold a hyperspanner long enough to replace the conduit. "Dr. Kiser and Chakotay just joined the party."

"Let me know if you need any help with the repairs. Janeway out."

Tegan looked at the crewmen who were helping the walking wounded get to sickbay. The chaos around her swirled in her brain and threatened to take over and pull her under its surface. She took a deep breath and focused on the crewman Chakotay was helping. "Wait."

Crewman McMann looked up at her with dark brown eyes and pain etched on his face.

"He needs a site to site transport." She reached out and touched his arm. She could feel it in her chest. She started to pull back when he grabbed her wrist and pressed it to his sternum.

"Crewman." Chakotay watched McMann let go of Tegan as she tumbled backwards.

She used the tree as she stood. The same damn tree. She loved that tree, she hated that tree. She looked around noting the sky wasn't its normal clear cerulean, above her dark clouds boiled furiously. They looked like someone had filmed them and now played them in fast forward. The wind blew the grass sideways as she looked around. Where were they? They promised they would be here for her. Her chest burned. I shouldn't feel pain, not here. "Where are you?"

"Delicious." The voice slithered around her.

Yes. "No."

"Feed me."

She looked around but nothing had changed. There was no one there. Just her. The grass. The tree. The wind. "Where the fuck are you?"

"Tegan."

She felt hands on her shoulders—firm, strong hands. She lifted her heavy head as she forced her eyelids to open. They merely fluttered but it was enough to catch a glimpse of reality. Her breath tore like silk being dragged across shards of glass as it carried a single word. "Kathryn."

In front of her a dark figure formed from the blackest cloud above her. It was so dark she thought it would absorb light if there had been much light around them.

"You wanted to see me, here I am." The voice was a deep growl, threatening, barely human.

"Who are you? Where's my nana?" She demanded.

"She's not coming back here, she broke the rules. You aren't coming back here."

"Am I dead?" She watched the looming form pulse in front of her.

It laughed.

"Because of that gift she gave me? You can have the damn gift back, whatever it is. I don't want it."

"I gave you that gift. You've had it since you were conceived." The voice rumbled and the ground shook. Tegan stumbled back into the tree's trunk. "She just accelerated it by a month or two. It was your destiny, this is your destiny."

"I don't believe in destiny."

"I don't care if you believe or you don't believe. It is yours to do with as you chose."

"I don't understand, why me?"

"I'm done answering your questions. It's time for you to leave."

"Delicious." The other voice from earlier slinked around her.

"Is he part of my destiny?" She waited but no answer came. "Is he part of the gift?"

"No." The voice was still abrupt, yet somehow gentler than it had been.

"Can you tell him to shut up?"

"I can but it won't stop it, you have to figure that out on your own." It was gone quicker than it had appeared and with it so were the angry storm clouds and the wind, but she didn't have time to enjoy the calm. She could already feel the weight of concern bearing down around her like a vise.

"Crewman McMann came in with a fractured sternum from were a piece of equipment turned into a projectile when the conduit blew." The doctor walked his fingers around the console at the foot of the biobed Tegan was currently lying on as he talked to Chakotay and Janeway. "He said he was in pain and then she," his eyes drifted to his redheaded patient, "touched his chest and the pain went away."

"She didn't exactly touch his chest." Chakotay's voice was low. "She touched his upper arm as she told me that he was in need of a site to site transport. Before I could do anything he grabbed her arm and moved her hand to his chest. When he let go she toppled over, I grabbed her shoulders and she regained consciousness for a second." He looked at Janeway. "Long enough to say your name."

"With Mr. Paris' help, I've treated Crewman McMann and the others which were mainly superficial burns, with the exception of B'Elanna. She has refused to leave until she repairs the damage and she wouldn't stop long enough to let Tom treat her."

"She told me she was fine." Janeway frowned.

"Yes," the doctor nodded. "Because she is always forth coming with injuries. She's right up there with you and Dr. Kiser in that regard."

Janeway shook her head and stepped up to the bedside. "What's wrong with her Doctor?"

"That's just it; I can't find anything physically wrong with her. It's like she's taking a nap."

"Can you wake her up?" Chakotay kept his distance from the bed.

"I'd rather not. I believe whatever is happening here needs to run its course."

Tegan lifted her hand and rubbed her eyes. "What course?"

"How are you feeling?" The doctor inquired rather than answer her question.

"Fine?" She rolled herself into a sitting position on the side of the biobed a little too fast and had to grip the edges of it to keep from falling off. "Head rush."

"What happened?" Chakotay shuffled his feet from behind the captain and stood a little taller.

Tegan looked up at him and shrugged. "I guess I just needed a nap?"

Janeway cleared her throat as Tegan slid off the biobed.

"Doctor, you really shouldn't be up." The EMH watched her hold onto the biobed with as much nonchalance as she could muster just to keep her balance.

"I'm fine." She looked to the sickbay doors. "I need to treat B'Elanna, she hasn't been in yet has she?"

"No." He turned his head as the doors slid open with a quiet whoosh as the air from the hallway and sickbay were sucked into each other. "How did you?"

Tegan maneuvered past Janeway, Chakotay and the Doctor who all stood there with their mouths agape as B'Elanna marched in. Tegan pointed to the nearest bed and picked up a dermal regenerator. She gently cradled B'Elanna's elbow in her right hand and the dermal regenerator in her biomechanical one. "This won't take long."

"I feel better already." She studied Tegan's face as she paled lightly. "You don't look so hot."

"I'm fine." She responded softly as the doctor took the regenerator out of her hand and Janeway put an arm around her to escort her back to the biobed she had vacated.

"Chakotay, go to the bridge and send Mr. Tuvok down please."

"Thanks." Tegan leaned heavily against her as they made their way over to the bed.

"Still feel fine?"

"I'm really—tired." She lifted her hand up to the base of Janeway's skull and touched her with just her fingertips.

It was so light it felt like a ghost kissing her. Janeway gasped lightly as Tegan's knees almost gave out under her. "What did you do?"

"You had a headache." Tegan hefted herself onto the side of the bed.

"Yes, but how?" She shook her head which didn't hurt in the least anymore.

"I dunno." Tegan mumbled as she got comfortable on her side and closed her eyes. "Stop worrying would you?" She grinned knowing the exact look Janeway was giving her despite not being able to see through her eye lids.

"You did it last night too, didn't you?"

Tegan shrugged. "I didn't do a very good job last night."

"You wished to see me Captain?" Tuvok walked in, his brow furrowed minimally when he spotted Tegan on a biobed.

"Yes." Janeway glanced around. "But we can't talk here."

"You can use the office." Tegan spoke as she opened her eyes. She really just wanted to go to sleep.

"I want you to join Tuvok and myself."

"She's weak." The doctor reminded.

Tegan shook her head. "I'm just tired. You ran the scans, physically I'm fine. Am I not?"

He sighed. "You are."

"Thank you." She smiled smugly at him as she sat up. She looked over to where B'Elanna had been and then her eyes traveled over to McMann who was resting comfortably on a biobed. Thanks to her he hadn't needed anything stronger than an analgesic after the doctor made the repairs to his sternum. "The office should provide the privacy we need."

"It should, but can you walk that far?" His response was snarky.

"If not we'll help her." Janeway gave him a warning look.

"Don't make mom mad." Tegan whispered to the doctor.

"Mom?" The doctor really should have stopped there but he couldn't help himself. "Is that what you call her behind closed doors?"

Tegan glanced over at McMann who appeared to be asleep. She hoped he was asleep. "That's just sick."

"I do not believe this conversation is appropriate at this time." Tuvok stated flatly.

"At this time?" Tegan looked at him like he had lost his last Vulcan marble. "I don't think there's ever a good time to talk about that."

"You're right, my apologies Captain." The doctor tried to sound genuine as he looked at Tegan and grinned.

She ignored the impish grin as she slipped off the edge of the bed. "Tuvok, may I borrow your arm?"

"Certainly." He held his arm out while Janeway looked curiously between the two of them.

"He's calm." She stated simply. "I'll explain in a minute."