Ugh...I've been trying to resist adding new chapters immediately to build up some suspense, ya know? But I can't wait for you guys to see what our favorite command team and the rest of the crew have gotten up to... hmm, I guess I'll just have to update! ;)
The doctor marched down the hallway determinedly, Tuvok and B'Elanna just behind him. Each carried a black messenger style bag embossed with the symbol of Starfleet medical. The bags normally contained emergency aid kits but these had been taken out in favor of dozens of hyposprays procured a few hours ago once the drunken chief engineer had finally reactivated the EMH.
B'Elanna had stumbled into sickbay carrying an unconscious Seven just as the artificial gravity had switched off. "Doctor!" she shouted as she was suddenly hurtled to the ceiling. Nothing happened.
"Computer! Activate emergency medical hologram!" B'Elanna yelled. The sickbay patients were now spinning through the air desperately grabbing for the walls. B'Elanna did not like the green tinge on some of their faces and hurriedly tried to wiggle out of their way. "Authorization code required," the computer replied coolly.
"A code-what idiot embedded an authorization code?" She asked, angry in a woozy sort of way.
The computer responded in calm, pleasant voice. "Ensign Thomas Paris embedded the authorization code."
B'Elanna tried to swat away a stray tricorder that was hovering near her head but lost her balance and ended up flipping upside down. "Remind me to kill him," she slurred crankily, ridges growing red as her blood rushed downwards. "Unable to comply," the computer said.
B'Elanna rolled her eyes and entered her own override code. Abruptly, the artificial gravity came back online and B'Elanna landed in a heap on top of Seven of Nine, who had stayed blissfully unconscious as she floated through sickbay, occasionally bumping into a random medical instrument. "Get back here, Paris!" The doctor shouted as he materialized. He realized that the drunken pilot was long gone and took in the disastrous sight of sickbay. It looked as though a Romulan tornado had swept through; medical equipment, pillows, blankets and crewmembers were scattered everywhere.
The doctor sighed. It seemed like this happened every time he deactivated. He reached for the prototype of the cure and headed for the replicator.
That had been hours ago; now, he and a now-cured but very grumpy B'Elanna and Tuvok marched through the corridors of Voyager stopping every now and then to give a passed out crewmember a puff of a hypospray and ordering them to report to their duty stations. Eventually, they found themselves at the door of holodeck 2. Leading the way, the doctor went in.
It was pitch black inside the holodeck. "Computer, lights on," Tuvok ordered. A great collective moan rose from the dozens of crewmembers who lay contorted in various positions as the glare of the harsh lights hit them. The reason why they hadn't found many officers in the hallways or their own quarters was clear now; evidently from the trash, empty bottles and articles of clothing flung about the holodeck grid, it was here where the wildest party had occurred. After taking in the sight of their best officers drooling into the floor, the team got to work. "What-what is this," Joe Carey asked pitifully as Tuvok pressed a hypospray to his neck. "It's a hangover, Mister Carey," the doctor answered cheerfully. "Shhhh!" several voices urged him. "While Voyager observed the planetary breakup, you were all subjected to a phenomena that caused complex polywater molecules to carbonize in your brains, causing an intoxication effect," he continued just as loudly. "The after effects appear to be like a standard adverse reaction to an alcoholic overdose. The hyposprays should help with the head and stomach aches, but you may still be a little… "hung-over" for a while," the doctor explained as he tried to roll a reluctant Jenny Delaney onto her side. He stopped when he realized she was topless and instead pressed the instrument to the back of her neck.
In the meantime, B'Elanna had reached the corner of the room, where Voyager's pilot and optics officer were propped up against the wall side by side. Harry sported two black eyes and Tom had a fat lip, along with a suspiciously crooked nose. "I'm so sorry about those things I said, man. And your nose." Harry slurred to his friend. "It's just…it's Libby. I miz her soo much, I…" tears welled in Harry's eyes. "I think you and B'Elanna could have something really great…I'm so happy for you!" he began sobbing in earnest.
"Hey, hey, itzokay," Tom said woozily, pulling his weeping friend in for a hug. "Just cry it out…itzokay, I'm sorry too…"
Harry, apparently finished, straightened up and placed a hand on Tom's shoulder. "You're my best friend, Tom. I love you man."
Tom reciprocated, grasping Harry's shoulder. "I love you too," he slurred, tears of emotion brightening his eyes as well.
"Am I interrupting something?" B'Elanna cut in dryly, standing before them. She noted that apparently not everyone had moved past the drunken stage of the condition yet.
"Ah, not so loud," Tom winced. The two looked up to see their unimpressed friend, arms crossed and hypospray in hand. "Hey," Tom elbowed Harry. "Look, it's banana!" There was a brief pause before both started laughing hysterically as though it was the most hilarious thing they'd ever heard. "I can't…believe… I meant to say "B'Elanna" but…instead…" Tom choked between raking laughs.
Harry somehow staggered to his feet and pulled B'Elanna in for a bear hug. "I love you banana!" he smiled into her shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah, I love you too," B'Elanna muttered as she pressed a hypospray into Harry's exposed neck. He stumbled out of their embrace and leaned into the wall as some of the color came back into his beaten face.
"What happened?" he murmured at last, eyes wide as he surveyed the trashed holodeck.
"Ya got wasted, Harry. I'm proud of you," B'Elanna said, patting his shoulder. She then crouched down in front of Tom, who seemed to have trouble keeping his eyes in focus. "I love you, banana," he cooed at her with a dopey grin. "Do I get some of that cure stuff too?" With her head cocked, B'Elanna regarded Tom for a moment, taking in the swollen lip and drool on his chin. She felt a pang of pity, but it was fleeting; because of him, she woke up under a pile of snoring, vomit-covered sickbay patients. "Nope," B'Elanna said, standing back up. "You're just fine, Flyboy. Now, we have to report to the bridge. No one's heard from the captain or Chakotay."
