Kathryn pounded at the door for an hour until her bruised and battered hands would not allow her to do it any longer. Normally, she would have stopped after several minutes, realizing Seven had left. But her frustration and anger at being betrayed yet again forced her to punish something and this time it was her hands against a steel door set into the rock.
She dropped down to the floor and looked around. The space had obviously once been used as a caretaker quarters probably for the adjacent lighthouse on top of the cliff where the restaurant now stood. With all maintenance of such historic sites now run through the central agencies, local on site personnel had been dispersed long ago. She was alone and isolated and would probably remain so for as long as Seven choose to keep her here. At least, Admiral Paris would have an inkling when he realized Kathryn was missing and who she had last been with.
She saw a small cot butted against the wall that looked like it had been there for decades. The sheets were clean or as clean as they could be in such a dusty space which let Kathryn know that Seven had prepped for her kidnapping. That gave her hope to know that Seven wasn't leaving her here to rot. At least, not yet.
Chakotay's words of warning last night began to ring in her ears. She shook her head as tears of frustration welled. He had been right not to trust Seven. He knew Seven better than she did but Kathryn was stubborn and didn't listen. He had guided her straight for so many years. He loved her more than she loved herself and she had ignored it. And now she had been pulled away from him again. Maybe this time for good and not on loving terms but on harsh ones.
Kathryn's breath caught as she remembered Admiral Paris mentioning her lack of outgoing messages. If he hadn't gotten his, chances are Chakotay hadn't received his either. That would worry him. He would know she would respond to him, wouldn't he? Kathryn's mind raced with possibilities of who might first realize that she was in desperate trouble and needed help. She wanted something to focus on right now and analyzing different scenarios helped.
She stood up and dusted herself off and ran her hands over the smooth surface of the rock. There were no openings or crevices that she could explore or exploit to free herself. She looked around to see if she could reach the window but it was too high above her and, even with the bed, she wouldn't reach.
She then noticed an old replicator concealed in the wall and her heart jumped. The electronics could probably be used or rewired to open the steel door. She ran to it and tried to get into the circuitry. A sharp jolt of electricity flung her back and Kathryn realized immediately that Seven had rigged the unit to resist any tampering attempts. She tested her theory again and, sure enough, another, larger jolt sent her reeling even further resulting in a longer recovery time.
Kathryn soon acquiesced and ordered a cup of coffee and a small sandwich which was delivered without incident. She sat on the bed and munched trying to figure out her next move. Seven had to have a reason for keeping her here. Kathryn needed to find out what it was so she could return to her family and Chakotay.
Seven returned to her Academy office and began preparations for the afternoon's teaching regiment. Admiral Paris popped his head in the door and said, "How was lunch?"
"Excellent."
"Good. I'd go ask Kathryn but I'm sure I'd get another look and lecture and I don't really like them."
Seven smiled. "I understand. I encountered quite a few of them on Voyager."
"I'll bet you did," the Admiral said. He stepped further into the office and said, "You know, Seven, I have to say I'm impressed with the two of you. At the risk of sounding like the overprotective father I've recently been accused of being, I'm proud of you. Both of you. It's amazing that you've both maintained your professionalism and friendship. Kathryn must see something very special in you."
Seven's smile faded and she busied herself at her desk. "If you'll excuse me, Admiral, I have a class to prepare for."
"Of course. Have a good day." He turned to leave but was stopped by Seven's voice.
"Admiral Paris?" He turned back to face her and Seven said, "I didn't want to hurt your feelings and I know Admiral Janeway would be very upset knowing I'm about to break a confidence but I think you should know."
He stepped towards her. "Know what?"
"Admiral Janeway mentioned today that she's worried about her next few weeks. Her life was…interrupted…because of what I did and she needs to catch up and prove that she can handle the responsibilities she now has."
"You think she needs help?" Admiral Paris rubbed his chin. "I should have thought of that. She could probably use some assistants to help her clear her backlog. I'll go find her and see what she needs."
"No!" The Admiral looked questioningly at Seven and she visibly tried to relax her posture. "I think you've misunderstood. Admiral Janeway would never accept help. She prefers her independence. Force of habit from the Delta Quadrant. I think if she's left alone, completely alone to attend to her responsibilities, it would be a great gift to her."
Admiral Paris frowned but finally nodded, "Yes, I suppose after seven years of isolation she's been trained to whip through most things on her own. Are you asking me to put a do not disturb sign on her office for a while, aren't you?"
"I think she would appreciate that more than you know, sir."
"Well, someone will have to check in on her from time to time to make sure…."
"I'll do it and keep you out of trouble. You know what she'd think if you stopped by and checked every day. I'll report back and let you know how she is progressing on a daily basis. Would that be acceptable?"
"I don't see why not. Let me know if she needs any further help though, please."
Seven nodded. "Yes, sir."