Seven and Chakotay walked together into Starfleet Medical. Since the Admiral had been diagnosed the month before they had come to see her once a week. Many other crewmembers did the same but she couldn't remember any of them, gradually she memorised her life by rote but everyone was aware that it would never be the same again. As the door of the Admiral's room came into view Seven saw a man leave the room and felt Chakotay stiffen beside her. She cast him a questioning glance but he ignored her, approaching the man with a hard look on his face. "What are you doing here?" he asked sharply. Seven frowned, deeply unsettled by her husband's uncharacteristic rudeness.
The man quickly recollected himself, extending his hand. "You must be Chakotay and Seven, Kathryn's expecting you." Reading Seven's blank expression he introduced himself, "Mark, Mark Kerr."
Seven managed somehow to keep herself from flinching, now in full understanding of Chakotay's animosity. "Admiral Janeway's ex-fiancé?" she asked coldly, never one to beat around the bush.
His eyes glimmered sadly. "Yes, that's right."
"You do realise that she's ill and certainly doesn't need upheaval?" Chakotay asked, making a quick mental assessment of the man's demeanour. If Kathryn was upset by memories of him all their work would be undone.
A wan smile flickered across Mark's face. "I understand your concern but it's proven unnecessary. She has no memories of me, good or bad."
"That is fortunate for you; she has forgotten how you wronged her." Seven remarked tersely.
"I haven't. That will stay with me forever, but she will always have a friend in me and she needs them right now."
"Yes, she does." Said Chakotay quietly, finding that he was reluctantly warming to the man.
"I can't believe what happened, I met her just before she went on the DaVinci and she was like her old self, if scarred by her experiences…but two months ago she was so distant, I suppose I know the reason now if that's any comfort." From his face both Seven and Chakotay could tell that it wasn't and he sighed heavily. "I'll leave her with you for now. Nice to meet you."
"And you." The couple murmured in stifled, polite unison.
As Chakotay grabbed the door handle Seven touched his arm as she glanced at Mark's retreating back. "It was brave of him to come, don't you think?"
Chakotay gave a commiserating nod. "Honourable too, I'm not sure if I would've done it."
Seven smiled confidently at him. "I know you would have." He gave her hand an affectionate, grateful squeeze and together they stepped inside.
The Admiral was gently reclined in an easy chair by her bed and gave them a warm if distant smile as they entered, distracted by the new arrival at her feet.
"What is that Admiral?" asked Seven stepping back slightly, away from the creature.
"It's a dog Seven, a puppy. The Borg don't have them, do they?" She asked in a joking tone but Seven saw an uncertainty in her eyes, a veiled real question.
"No." Seven answered, joining Chakotay on the lumpy couch across from where the Admiral sat, drawing her feet underneath away from the dog's, a young Irish Setter if she wasn't mistaken, nipping teeth. After three years on Earth the habit of keeping pets was still a mystery to her, why would you want something you couldn't communicate with and therefore couldn't fully trust in your presence?
"Who gave you the dog Admiral?" asked Chakotay in order to start conversation.
"Mark, an old friend of mine according to him. He was in just before you…Apparently this puppy is the granddaughter of the dog I had before I left on Voyager, her name is Flame."
"Appropriate." Seven commented, as the dog's lustrous red fur blazed like fire under the light from the window.
Chakotay cleared his throat awkwardly. "He didn't upset you did he Admiral?"
"No, quite the opposite. He was very friendly." More natural than any of you, she thought restlessly before wondering about the reason for the question. "Why would he?" she asked.
"You just hadn't seen him for a while…In your old life I mean." Chakotay answered quickly as he rose to go to the replicator. "Coffee Admiral?"
"Oh no, just water! I can't seem to develop a taste for coffee now, I must have been in dire need of caffeine on Voyager to drink the vile stuff black!"
For several seconds Seven was speechless as the reality of the situation hit her again. Chakotay was equally shocked, standing frozen halfway to the replicator. To cover their discomfiture Seven turned to him, speaking softly, "Camomile tea please my love." He nodded quickly and pressed a steaming cup into her hands as he shakily sat back down.
The Admiral was aware of undercurrents in the room and despite not knowing the reason for them changed the subject. "Where are your little ones today?"
"Our children are with my Aunt Irene while we're here Admiral." Seven replied, after a few reassuring gulps of tea.
"I don't mind you bringing them you know." The Admiral rebuked quietly.
Seven's head dipped in embarrassment. "No, of course not Admiral."
"Even a sick woman as a right to a little activity now and then…" The Admiral continued.
"We'll bring them next week if you'd like." Chakotay suggested just as voices wafted in from the hall through the room's open door. He recognised them as the Doctor and the Deputy Head of Starfleet Security, Admiral Grant.
"Admiral Janeway isn't well enough yet Admiral…" The Doctor said.
"I'm not here to interrogate her Doctor, only to give her a heads up. It's almost guaranteed there'll be a Federation fleet going into the Gamma Quadrant now, though after all the bureaucracy it most likely won't materialise until next summer, much later than we'd all like of course… I though Kathryn would want to know after what the Notsinians did to her…" Grant said loudly.
"You know it was the Notsinians?" the Doctor asked.
"Every piece of intel points to them…" Chakotay saw all the colour drain from Seven's face and hurriedly closed the door to shut out the conversation but the Admiral had noticed Seven's apprehension.
"Are you against fighting them even after what they did to me showed how dangerous they were?" she asked Seven hotly.
"It is precisely because I am more fully aware of their capabilities that I am against any rash decisions!" The Admiral sat back with shining eyes and Seven couldn't help continuing in a remorseful tone, "Revenge recovers nothing Admiral."
The Admiral turned her head to the window with a bitter sniff. "No…it certainly doesn't."
A/n: Really short I know but my computer time is limited and I've decided the next bit needs its own chapter. Please review and thanks to Sweetdeath04 for giving me chapter 2 of "Prelude" to read.