Tegan Chronicles STV Style 4:

Canis Major2

Tegan looked up as the doors to her quarters opened. She had recently given Kathryn unlimited access to her cabin and wasn't surprised to see her step through the open hatch. "Hey."

"Hello." Kathryn looked around the darkened interior. "I heard you spent three hours in the mess hall tonight?"

"Neelix?"

"Yeah. How'd it go?"

"It was horrible." Tegan pushed her hair back with her fingers.

"Then why did you stay?"

"Because I have to work my way through this and I figured I'd try the sink or swim theory." She dropped her eyes to the rough compact carpet that lined the floor of her quarters. Suddenly it was the most interesting thing in the galaxy. "I think I sank."

She sat beside Tegan on the three person sofa that was a recent addition to Tegan's quarters and straightened her back. "As your captain, I appreciate that you are trying so diligently to work through this, but I'm ordering you to stay out of the mess hall for the next three days."

"Can you do that?" Tegan mumbled.

"I'm the captain. I can do whatever the hell I please."

"Why?" Tegan asked still staring at the carpet. "What do you hope this will achieve?"

"I think you need a break. You are pushing yourself too hard and I don't like what it's doing to you."

Tegan looked up at her with her head tilted slightly and her brows dipped toward each other.

"This," she waved her hand over Tegan. "In the past week you've come to my quarters once. If you aren't hiding away in sickbay then you're in here brooding over your attempts to be around a large group of people."

"I'm not brooding and I work in sickbay."

"No you're right, you're not brooding you're wallowing in self-depreciation and that's worse. You aren't the Tegan I know."

"You've got a headache." Tegan switched topics with all the subtly of an elephant in a tea room.

"I can deal with it, and you are changing the subject." She pointed out huskily.

"I'm fine." Tegan started to lift her hand. "It'll only take a second."

"No it won't." Her tone stopped her. "I didn't come here because I had a headache; I came here because I'm worried about you. Have you been experimenting with that gift too?"

"No." Tegan answered. "But I should."

"No you shouldn't."

"I don't know of a better place to experiment with it. We don't know if my reaction after the incident with McMann was because of it or something entirely unrelated. It could have been from all the emotional chaos that day, it wasn't the first time I have passed out from sensory overload."

Kathryn took a deep breath. "No we don't know, but you didn't just pass out. The doctor said you were in a near coma state."

"All the more reason for me to test it in a controlled environment; just like this empathic crap, I need to learn to control it. If it does zap my energy, I can't take a nap every time someone in pain grabs me or I touch them. We get attacked and I've got twenty crewmen who need assistance and the first one uses all my energy how am I going to help the other nineteen?"

Even though she knew she had a valid argument she still reminded her she wasn't the only medically trained person aboard voyager.

"The doctor's mobile emitter is malfunctioning and Tom is one of the injured crew, and even if Tom isn't injured he can't perform emergency surgery." Concerned eyes slid over Kathryn's face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make your head hurt worse."

She nodded accepting the apology. "You've made your point, but I don't know how you can test your theory."

"I can start by taking your pain away."

"And if as I suspect it is what caused you to," she paused looking for the right description.

"Take a two hour nap?" Tegan grinned.

"You took another longer nap later if I remember." Kathryn turned toward her. "How do you plan to 'learn to control it'?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead. I'm kind of hoping I don't have to."

Kathryn nodded her consent and Tegan lifted her fingers to the back of her neck. A few light touches later and she dropped her hand back into her lap. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. You?"

"My headache is gone, but it was just a mild to moderate headache. It wasn't anything close to a cracked sternum."

"You just had to burst my bubble didn't you?" Tegan had been thinking the same thing.

"Just don't go wishing for a ship wide medical emergency."

"No ma'am, not in this lifetime." Tegan stood up and swayed slightly.

"Maybe you jumped the gun on your conclusion?"

"No I'm just tired. Three hours in the mess hall." She smiled and moved to the replicator. "Are you staying?"

"For a little while, unless you're too tired."

"I'm never too tired for you." She turned back to the replicator. "Coffee, black, hot." She pulled the coffee out and spoke to the replicator again. "Mango strawberry smoothie with nutritional supplement one-five-beta."

"Nutritional supplement?" She accepted the coffee with a quiet, "thank you."

"You're welcome." Tegan sat down beside her and tucked her feet up under her. "Dinner."

Janeway frowned lightly. "Lunch?"

"Ok, lunch and dinner."

"And I'm willing to bet breakfast as well." She lifted an inquisitive eyebrow as she blew across the top of her coffee.

"No I had a glass of orange juice this morning." She grinned trying to dispel Kathryn's disproval.

"What happened to your run of almost three squares a day?"

Tegan shrugged as she took a long draw through the straw sticking out of her drink.

"Am I going to have to threaten you with the brig again?" It was said half-heartedly.

"You said one square a day minimum." She held her drink up. "This has all the essential nutrients I need."

"I'm not sure the one meal minimum is still appropriate in light of your gifts."

"I'm fine." Tegan yawned.

"Sickbay to Dr. Kiser."

Tegan tapped her badge and watched Kathryn sip her coffee. "Kiser here. What can I do for you doctor?"

"I need your assistance please."

"I'm on my way." She closed the com line and sat the other half of her smoothie down. "Will you still be here when I get back?"

Kathryn shook her head and stood. "I've got some reports I need to go over, but you can come to my quarters when you're done."

Tegan nodded.

When she walked into sickbay she could hear baby William screaming and Hayley's concern and frustration over not being able to help him was so thick Tegan felt like she had just walked into a room filled with pea soup. Her very first instinct was to remind the doctor that she didn't do kids, but this was Freddie's kid and it wasn't a very professional to say that in front of the patient or his mother despite the patient not being old enough to understand anything except baby talk. "Doctor?"

He was holding the baby and bouncing him up and down in his arms while rocking him. "I thought it might be a blocked intestine, but it turns out its just gas."

"You burped him?" Tegan turned to Hayley as the doctor handed him off to her. She looked down at his grey-blue eyes. "Hey there little guy."

"I did and he burped fine."

"Did you eat Neelix's casserole tonight?" She really didn't remember who had come or gone during dinner service that evening.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Naltarian root, it's kind of like onions but a lot stronger. You need to ask him if it's in the food before you eat it, at least while you're still breastfeeding. It can make your milk bitter, but it will also make little William very uncomfortable." She flipped him up on her shoulder like she was going to burp him and his wailing continued directly into her left ear. She gently slid her hand up under the thin, dark blue cotton t-shirt he was wearing and within seconds he stopped crying. She rubbed his back for a few more minutes and he drifted off to sleep.

"How did you do that?" Hayley was wide eyed.

"Magic." Tegan shrugged. "Besides you didn't make me godmother for my looks, did you?" She grinned. "The pain may come back several times before he passes the air that's causing it. If you can't get him comfortable let me know, it doesn't matter what time it is."

"Thank you." Hayley gently accepted her son from Tegan and cradled him in her arms.

"Try and get some rest while he's sleeping." Tegan turned as the doors to sickbay swished open. She frowned at the smaller of the two people entering. "Did you eat the casserole too?"

"Uh huh." Naomi nodded as Hayley slipped out the door.

"She's been complaining of stomach pain for the last hour." Samantha Wildman hefted her up on to a biobed.

"She's your patient." Tegan looked at the EMH who was waiting to see what she would do.

"Yes, but you have the magic touch tonight." He grinned.

She gave him a look that made his photons wither and pulled the tricorder out of his hand. "When's the last time you went to the bathroom Miss Wildman?"

"Before I went to bed." She groaned and held onto her stomach as Samantha smoothed her hair back.

"Impaction?" The EMH lifted his chin to try and read the tricorder readings.

Tegan flipped the tricorder shut and waited a few seconds before she addressed Naomi. "I'll be back in a jiffy, I'm going to get something that will help you feel better for a little while anyway."

The doctor watched her walk over and pick up a hypospray and disappear through the office to the replicator bay where she replicated a medication that they didn't already have. He excused himself and met her in the office as she was coming back through. "Do you think it's wise to make up your own concoction to give to a child and just hope it works?"

"Oh ye of little faith." Tegan rolled her eyes. "I went to medical school."

"In the dark ages."

She shook her head and walked back over to Naomi and Samantha. "I'm going to give you this." She held up the hypospray. "Ok?"

Naomi nodded.

Tegan put her right hand softly against the left side of Naomi's face and pressed the injector to her neck administering a dose of the liquid she had replicated. "Better?"

"Yeah, I feel fine now." Naomi smiled.

Tegan nodded. "It might come back. You have gas, evidently Neelix's Naltarian root didn't agree with you, so until you pass that you could have more pain but hopefully what I did will help."

"You mean until I fart?" The little girl giggled.

Another reason she didn't do kids, or Colonels, or certain Helmsmen, they couldn't say fart, gas, or even flatulence without giggling, and talking about bowel movements was equally hysterical to them. "Yes." She turned to Samantha. "She might have diarrhea later as a result. Just like onions don't always agree with people. She should be fine by morning, but if it gets worse just give me a shout and I'll make a house call."

Samantha nodded. "Thank you."

"Yes, thank you." Naomi slipped off the bed and held her hand out.

"After all that and I only get a handshake?" Tegan leaned down and opened her arms and the young girl enveloped her in a huge hug. "Get some sleep kid."

"Yes, ma'am." She smiled up at her.

The doctor watched Tegan lean her hip against the biobed as she watched the mother and daughter duo exit sickbay. It concerned him. He couldn't remember her doing that in the past not even when casually chatting with Seven or Tom. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." She straightened up and glanced at him and his lack of emotion on her radar.

"What did you whip up to cure Naomi's gas pains?" He observed her closely.

She watched his scrutiny, waiting for him to lunge. "Normal saline."

"A placebo?"

She held her right hand up and wiggled her fingers.

"Why didn't you do the same for William?"

"I didn't think of it until later, but it's pretty ingenious don't you think?"

"Yes," he surprised her, "especially for someone who studied medicine in the dark ages."

"Ha ha. I'll be in my quarters if you need my magic touch again." She knew that was exactly why he had called her down to help with William and dared him to say anything to her about using it.

She leaned heavily against the wall as she rode the turbolift down to her quarters. I shouldn't be this tired, they were little kids and it was gas pains.

Yeah but you also took away Kathryn's headache and it all adds up.

I should stop talking to myself, even just in my head, it makes me sound crazy. She grinned lightly and pushed off the wall as the lift doors opened. She made it into her quarters and laid down on the bed thinking she would get up in just a few minutes and change into a t-shirt and shorts to sleep in when she rolled over it was four hours later and she was wide awake.

She got up, showered and dressed before she headed out into the virtually empty corridors. Gamma shift was always the best time to take a stroll on Voyager. At some point she ended up in the mess hall staring out the large view ports. It was quiet and dark. She missed being able to walk into the bustling room and interact with her friends. It seemed they were so distant since she received her gifts and she didn't know if it was her, them or a figment of her imagination. After all B'Elanna had mentioned they should get together for another climb but she hadn't seen her since.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." Neelix ambled into the mess hall and immediately spotted her. His mood was different than his normal vibrant self.

"You didn't." She turned and smiled softly at him.

"You were deep in thought."

"It wasn't anything important." She shrugged it off.

"I was just going to get started on breakfast." He tossed his thumb over his shoulder.

"Don't let me stop you."

"Perhaps you'd like to help?" Some of his cheeriness was coming back.

She knew he was trying to be helpful and appreciated his concern. "I have to be out before people start filing in."

"I understand."

"Morning Neelix, Tegan." Harry walked in a greeted when he saw them.

"You'd better get out of here." Neelix lowered his voice to a mock conspiring tone after they had said hello to Harry.

"Thanks Neelix." She slipped out the closest door and walked right into Kathryn. "Sorry Captain."

"Doctor?" Her eyebrows knitted together as Tegan quickly continued down the hall. She shook her head as she turned and walked into the mess hall. "Was that Tegan who just bumped into me on her way out of here?"

"I don't know Captain." Neelix shrugged with his big fuzzy eyebrows. "I can't say I've seen her this morning, can you Harry?"

"Umm, no?"

"No one else aboard Voyager has that color hair or eyes." She looked at Harry who was a very bad liar and he just shrugged.

It was late that afternoon when her combadge came to life. "Captain to Dr. Kiser."

"Kiser here."

"Report to my ready room."

"Aye Captain, Kiser out."

"Is somebody in trouble?" The EMH lifted a brow. His main interest was in the gossip he could generate around it.

"Probably." Tegan shrugged. "It's not like the captain and I have little trysts in her ready room, or any public space for that matter. She has her reputation to maintain, as do I."

"Of course, I wasn't implying." He quickly apologized as she walked out the sickbay doors.

After the short ride she stepped out of the turbolift onto the bridge and froze.

"Lieutenant?" Tuvok spoke from her right.

You're fine. You can do this. "Captain Janeway wanted to see me."

"She's in her ready room." He gave her a knowing look and a very brief nod.

"Thank you." She crossed in front of his console and moved down the steps and continued to the next few steps leading to the ready room. She took a deep breath and pressed the button that would announce her arrival.

"Come."

The doors opened to reveal Captain Janeway sitting behind her desk with a mug of coffee off to the side and a PADD in front of her.

"If this is about me being in the mess hall this morning, I can explain."

"It's not." She tried not to grin. "There's a mission I'd like to send you on, if you think you're up to it."

"Seriously?" Tegan knew she was issuing her a challenge because she knew Tegan would never turn it down if she made it about whether she could do it or not. She didn't like to be manipulated but she knew this was how Captain Janeway sometimes worked. Oddly enough she had never seen her use her art of manipulation outside of work. She hoped it would stay that way.

She ignored the question. "B'Elanna, Seven and Tuvok are going down to survey a class M planet that Seven has found some considerable amounts of dilithium ore on."

"I thought we were good on dilithium for a while?"

"We have some spare room in Cargo bay two, and we can never have too many reserves of dilithium." She paused. "If you don't want to go I can always send Harry."

"Of course I want to go."

"Good you leave from the shuttle bay tomorrow at 0600 hours."

"That means I'm sleeping in my own quarters tonight." She said offhandedly.

"You didn't come up last night when you were done."

Tegan shook her head. "I told the two patients I saw that they could contact me anytime if they needed me, I didn't want to bother you."

"It wouldn't have bothered me." Kathryn slept better when Tegan was sleeping next to her and she had a feeling Tegan did the same. She suspected maybe Tegan needed time to herself to get in the right head space before the mission. It was something she could appreciate and respect.

"Yes ma'am." She watched Kathryn roll her eyes and she smiled.

"You're dismissed."