Tegan Chronicles STV Style 4:

Canis Major 8

The first thing B'Elanna did when she was released from her quarters was report to her duty shift which was already in progress. As soon as she caught herself up on everything that was pertinent and discovered that Voyager could continue to run for a few days without her at the heart of it, she slipped out of engineering. Had anything major happened Janeway would have pulled her to take care of it but currently things were running rather smoothly as far as the vessel and that sector of space went. Not that anyone would dare jinx things by saying it aloud. There were some repairs that needed her attention, but nothing that couldn't wait another hour or two.

Tal Celes turned as the doors to astrometrics seperated. "I, uh," she looked between B'Elanna and Seven. "I've got a physical I need to get to."

Seven gave her a brief nod barely noting what she had just mumbled as she faced B'Elanna.

"I missed you." B'Elanna announced before Celes ever made it out of the room.

"What exactly happened that Captain Janeway felt it necessary to confine you to quarters and not Tegan?"

"You didn't miss me?" B'Elanna sighed when Seven continued to wait for an answer. She quickly rehashed the events that took place after they had entered the holodeck. "So, did you miss me?"

"I am not speaking to you B'Elanna Torres."

"That's ok." She stepped into her space. "You don't have to speak for me to kiss you."

Seven stepped back. "I am not kissing you either."

"Come on Sev, it's been over three days."

"You owe her an apology." Seven held her ground.

"I got her out of being confined to quarters." B'Elanna huffed. "What else do you want?"

"For you to offer her a genuine apology."

"And you're going to hold out until I do?"

"Yes." Seven turned back to her console.

"Then Gre'thor may freeze over before either of us gets any action." B'Elanna mumbled while unbeknown to her Seven smirked ever so slightly.

B'Elanna had worked over a few hours to make up for time missed that morning and to catch up on some of the maintenance she preferred to do herself. As she walked up to her quarters she heard a dog barking. She rubbed her forehead wondering what had ever prompted her to encourage Tuvok to go back for the dog and then why she had to point out that minor changes could be made to take care of his waste. She growled. "Shut up."

He didn't stop and she walked over and banged on Tegan's door. "Shut your dog up!"

He continued to bark and it occurred to her that aside from when he had distracted the Hirogen she had never really heard him bark. He may have barked once or twice but not incessantly like he was now.

"Computer locate Tegan Kiser."

"Dr. Kiser is in her quarters."

"Great." B'Elanna hit the door chime and waited all of ten seconds before overriding the door lock.

Maverick who was sitting at the door howling abruptly stopped and ran over to a prone Tegan and stood looking between her and B'Elanna.

B'Elanna reached down to feel for a pulse.


"I didn't know you cared B'Elanna." She spoke before ever opening her eyes.

"I don't." She lied. "You're damn dog wouldn't shut up." She took a breath, "Janeway's on her way."

"I'm fine."

Janeway had been summoned by the doctor. His request had merely been for her to report to sickbay at her earliest convenience. She walked in and immediately spotted Tegan lying on a bed with Maverick sitting guard at her side. B'Elanna stood at the foot of the bed and the doctor was in his office looking for something. "B'Elanna?"

"I didn't do anything." B'Elanna threw her hands in the air. "I just found her when that mongrel wouldn't shut up."

Janeway watched her shutter as she used a word she hated to be called herself. "Sorry B'Elanna."

"Can I go?"

Janeway nodded and turned to look at Tegan who rolled into a sitting position. "What happened?"

Tegan shrugged and realized her prosthetic had been removed. "Where's my arm?"

"When's the last time you took it off?" The doctor stepped out of the office.

Tegan shook her head.

"You've been wearing it for days." Janeway pointed out.

"And without your protective sleeve," the EMH nagged. "When did you eat last?"

Tegan nudged Maverick with her toe and he looked up at her. She wasn't formulating an answer but rather enjoying the shifting mood from making Janeway wait. She glanced up and smiled. "Lunch, I replicated a turkey club sandwich and potato salad. You're welcome to check the replicator and the recycler."

"You have an infection where the skin on your arm broke down from continued wear, I believe it caused you to pass out in your quarters and hit your head." He didn't wait for Janeway to decide to check the replicator or not. "I don't know how you didn't know your skin was breaking down."

"It was only hurting a little and whenever I thought about it, it wasn't a good time to check on it."

"What happened to it hurting all the time?" Janeway's question received and inquisitive glare. "I talked to Tuvok about your arm hurting when you two were first connected to the neural link."

Tegan made a face. "You could have just asked me about."

"I am asking you about it now."

"I don't know. It just got better on its own."

"Anyway," the doctor started talking again. "I have an antibody against the bacteria for you and I've got your prosthetic locked away until I've determined you can safely wear it again. You're also not to wear it without the protective sleeve again."

Tegan just nodded, there was nothing she could say to change his mind and she wasn't really in the mood to argue. She glanced at Kathryn knowing her lack of rebuttal had intrigued her in the least, she let her eyes travel over to the EMH who studied her closely while he waited for her to spout off fifty reasons why she needed her prosthetic.

"I'm tempted to keep you overnight." He continued to watch her with great interest as she took a deep breath but said nothing. He looked at Captain Janeway. "However if you are willing to keep her for the night I'll release her."

Kathryn rubbed her chin. "I don't know."

"Are you really going to make me beg?"

A mischievous grin played at the corners of her mouth but she kept the sensual thought to herself not wanting to embarrass her EMH or worse yet give the man any fodder for his incessant gossiping.

Tegan grinned lightly before becoming serious. "I need to take him to the holodeck and eat, other than that I'll either read or go to bed."

"I did mention you hit your head and you were unconscious didn't I?" The doctor was certain he had.

"Concussion protocol?"

"Precisely."

She rolled her eyes and regretted it as her stomach lurched. She made a point to look at the hypospray the doctor was holding and lifted her chin.

He pressed it to her neck and injected her.

"So?"

Kathryn nodded she knew she couldn't say no to Tegan.

When Kathryn walked into her quarters after taking care of Maverick's needs she looked over at the couch where Tegan was lying with her eyes closed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt with a wet head of hair resting on a folded up towel. Maverick immediately went over and gave her kisses. "Yuck, what if I had been sleeping?"

"He knew you weren't." But Kathryn hadn't been so sure.

"I'm sorry." Tegan's green eyes floated up to her from the couch.

"For?" Kathryn sat on the edge of the chaise and slipped her boots off.

"I was going to replicate dinner and have it waiting for you after my shower but I was just too tired."

"Your body is fighting an infection. It'll take a day or two at least before you feel better. And here I thought you went to medical school." She became serious. "I do wish you would have waited to take a shower until I got back."

"I really wasn't in the mood for company. I just wanted to get clean."

"You pass out in a hydroshower and you can drown."

"I guess I wasn't thinking." Tegan sat up and pointed to Maverick's tennis ball that was lying in his bed. She thought he was being overly spoiled, so far he had a bed in her bedroom, Kathryn's bedroom, Kathryn's living room, the sickbay office and the captain's ready room with toys in each place.

He picked up the tennis ball and came to stand in front of her with his tail wagging. When she reached for it he turned his side to her and lowered his head with his tail still wagging.

"His new game, keep away and I don't like it." She snapped her fingers. "Give it."

He sighed and dropped it in her hand.

She tossed it in the direction of the bedroom. "Dinner?"

"I'll take care of it, what did you have in mind?"

Tegan stood up and stepped toward the replicator. "Something not burnt to a crisp."

"It does seem to like you better." Kathryn watched Maverick come trotting back with the ball in his mouth and drop to the floor while chewing on it.

"What are you in the mood for?" Tegan really didn't care what she ate or if she ate.

"Something that you will eat." Janeway unzipped her jacket and slipped it off. She was beginning to wear it more than she did the jumpsuit, a habit she blamed on Tegan who never wore the jumpsuit uniform. She said it was the most inefficient piece of clothing and she was surprised people still wore them.


"Hey," B'Elanna caught up Tegan in the hall the next evening. "Do you have a minute?"

"I'm on my way to meet Tuvok."

She made a face. "Meditation?"

"Penance." She grinned as B'Elanna fell in step beside her.

"Sorry."

"Whatever." Tegan blew it off.

"No." B'Elanna stopped walking and grabbed Tegan's arm halting her forward progression. "Really, I mean it. I don't know what got into me, I'm really sorry."

"It's fine B'Elanna. I understand, I'm a bit of a freak now." She looked down at her missing arm. "Well, more of a freak."

"No, you're not. You're just different and I shouldn't have taken advantage of your new abilities to get you to fight me just because I was having a bad day… um week."

Tegan nodded. "I accept your apology B'Elanna, now I'm going to be late."

"Friends?"

"I didn't know we weren't?" Tegan flashed B'Elanna her heartwarming smile before stepping into the turbolift.


Tegan met Tuvok in his quarters as requested. "How did he do?"

Tuvok watched her merely move the flat of her hand up to face Maverick while still keeping her arm at her side and he immediately sat.

"Never mind," she said before he could conjure up an answer. "I thought Vulcans didn't have emotions."

He watched her grin as he flipped from frustration with Maverick to annoyance with her observations before he was able to smooth them over with his normal Vulcan calm. He prided himself on being able to hide his emotions from some of the strongest and most versed Betazoids, and here Tegan was able to read him like an open book. Either she was extremely good or he was getting rusty from his time in the Delta Quadrant. "You are extremely observant."

"It's an important trait for any decent doctor to have, but I'm also beginning to think it's a curse."

He looked down at Maverick who sat perfectly at her side. "While he is very well behaved, I do believe you chose his name wisely."

"Because he isn't following your orders?"

"I cannot even get him to sit."

"Maverick?" Tegan watched him turn his pale blue-gray eyes up to her. "Why don't you do what Commander Tuvok tells you?"

He scooted closer to her and gave her a sad look.

"Maverick, come." Tuvok commanded.

Maverick turned his head back to him and thumped his tail twice but remained seated next to Tegan.

"Go on." She encouraged.

He let out a loud sigh as he got up and slowly walked over to Tuvok.

"Sit." Tuvok ordered.

Maverick laid down on the floor and Tegan tried not to laugh.

"I don't know what to tell you Tuvok." She turned and looked at the door a second before the door chimed.

"Come in." Tuvok instructed.

Tegan had known who it was before the doors ever split apart and Maverick sat up and began beating his tail against the floor. "Captain, what are you doing here?"

"I was summoned to retrieve Maverick." She watched him wag his tail at her while trying to keep his rump firmly on the floor. He kept Tegan in his peripheral vision just in case she made any gestures for him to follow. "How is his training going?"

"I am beginning to believe it is a lost cause. It appears he will only follow orders from Dr. Kiser."

"That could be a problem." Janeway shot him a look that sent most of her crew running for cover.

He continued to wag his tail.

Tegan lifted her hand and started to step toward Kathryn. "Captain?"

"No," she stopped her with one word. "It's lack of coffee, a cup or two and I'll be fine. Come on Maverick."

He looked up at Tegan who nodded once before he jumped up and ran over to Janeway who picked up his leash and walked out with him.

Tegan let out a burst of air and turned to Tuvok.

"I would like to try something different. However I am not sure if you are up for it."

"I'm up for anything. I spent all of yesterday lying around doing nothing, and today was extraordinarily slow in sick bay."

"If you are certain."

"I am." She watched him for a minute. "So what are we going to do?"

"I have the ability to control my emotions."

"Right, it's that Vulcan thing."

"I am going to pull up emotions from my past and I want you to block them."

"How?"

"I do not know." He had already tried all the techniques he knew to try. "You are going to have to figure that out."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm really not going to like this?" She looked around his quarters. "Maybe we need a safe word."

"It is probably a good idea."

"Popsicle."

"Very well." He held his arm out. "Make yourself comfortable."

"What no meditation?"

"If you would prefer it."

"No. I was being sarcastic Tuvok." She pulled out a straight back chair and took a seat.

"Would you not be more comfortable on the couch?"

"I'm not sure I can get comfortable with what we're about to do, so let's just do it."

He nodded and grabbed a chair for himself and placed it facing her before he sat down in it.

"So is this like a mind meld without the whole 'your mind to my mind' stuff?"

"Not exactly, I will be feeling the emotions and magnifying them around you. Are you ready?"

"Fire away." She took a deep breath as his mood shifted from his everyday calm to anger so extreme it seared her like a white hot poker. She started to sway on the chair and immediately she felt Tuvok's calm wash over her and one of his hands grip her right shoulder.

"Did I say popsicle?"

"You did not."

"Then why did you stop?"

"I remembered something." He thought for a second. "I must do some more research before we continue this any further."