Chapter Thirteen
Never before in his life had Tom been so relieved to see Chakotay and Harry. While he knew they weren't out of the woods yet, it was as if a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Now they would be able to work together to save Seven.
"I'm so glad to see you guys," he sighed as he threw his arms around Harry and clapped him on the back. The Ensign returned the affection. Both had smiles on their faces. For a moment, everything was fine, and they weren't stranded on some nearly abandoned planet with Seven severely ill just a few hundred meters away. "Commander," Tom greeted as he nodded towards Chakotay.
"Tom," Chakotay said. "How's Seven?"
"Her fever was down two degrees a few hours ago, but it's back to approximately a hundred and four degrees," Tom explained. "She was awake for a little while, but she's mostly been sleeping." He wished he had better news for Chakotay, but it wasn't like they were in the best situation here.
"Lead the way." Tom didn't need to be told twice. He could see the anxiety in Chakotay's eyes. He'd already suffered enough the past few days, and Tom didn't want to make him suffer any longer.
Chakotay struggled to stay behind Tom as he followed him to the camp. All he wanted to do was run ahead and see Seven with his own eyes to make sure she really was hanging in there. Tom hated that he couldn't give Chakotay any more details about Seven's condition, but he really didn't know how she was doing, his tricorder only gave him the most basic of information. At least now the First Officer was here and could see her with his own eyes, and they could focus on getting out of here. As he lead the way, Tom noticed the strange aliens that accompanied Harry and Chakotay. Since neither man seemed particular bothered by their presence, he figured they must be helping them. He wanted to ask who they were, but he could see from Chakotay's stern expression that now wasn't the time; there were far more important matters to address. The most pressing matter was getting to Seven and getting her out of here as quickly as possible.
When they got to the camp, Seven was still curled up in a fetal position hidden in the shadows. At first, Chakotay didn't see her, and his heart sank as he thought that Tom had gotten lost and taken them to the wrong place. Right as he opened his mouth to ask what was going on, he caught sight of a glimmer of familiar blonde hair in the far corner of the camp and heard a pathetic, weak whimper that signaled her discomfort.
"Seven," he breathed as he rushed to his side. Nobody dared to follow him. They knew he needed some space to ascertain Seven's condition on his own.
Chakotay fell to his knees next to Seven and brushed her hair back from her face. As soon as his fingers brushed against her skin, he could feel that she was burning up. Moaning, she rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. Her eyes had a glazed over appearance and took a few moments to focus on Chakotay as he hovered over her.
"Chakotay?" she whispered hoarsely. Her voice was barely audible. Her arm looped around him, and her hand rested on his back, clutching at his tunic in desperation. Her touch was reassuring to him. At least for right now, she seemed to have a small amount of energy.
"Hey." He kept his voice low and gentle. "I told you we'd find you."
"I didn't doubt your ability."
"Harry's trying to figure out a way to use the gel packs from the shuttle to help you regenerate." Seven scowled and shook her head.
"Tom wasn't supposed to tell you." Chakotay cracked a small smile.
"So it's 'Tom' now?" he teased in an attempt to lighten the serious mood. He thought seeing her with his own eyes would make him feel better, but it only made him feel worse. Now he could see that she really was in poor health; he'd never seen her like this before. She didn't look amused by his attempt. He continued to stroke her cheek affectionately, needing to feel her beneath him. "I'm glad he did. I just wish you had been the one to tell me. I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other."
"Then why didn't you answer my question about the Maquis?" Seven retorted. He sighed. She had a point there. He should have been honest with her, but the question had caught him off guard. Guilty ravaged him. He had inadvertently caused Seven to keep secrets from him without even realizing it.
"When we get back to Voyager, I'll answer any questions you have." He cupped her face in his hand and ran his thumb across her cheek. "No more secrets," he promised. Seven closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Within seconds, her breathing evened out, and she was asleep. Their short conversation seemed to have drained her of all energy.
While Chakotay talked to Seven, Tom turned to Harry and the two strange aliens. He eyed them warily, unsure who they were or what they were doing here. Usually he thought first contact was exciting, something he looked forward to as an opportunity for new adventures. After everything that had happened over the past week or so, however, he wasn't sure who to trust.
"Who are you?" he finally blurted out as he nodded towards the aliens. He figured he might as well just come out with it.
"My name is Notaxi, and this is my friend Henan. We helped your friends find you," one of them explained as he motioned towards himself and his peer.
"They've been stranded here for a few years," Harry added in an attempt to alleviate Tom's apprehensions. "Apparently there's a race of aliens here called the Kalrussians. They lure people here with fake distress calls and then raid their shuttles for supplies when plasma storms hit."
"That sounds like something the Ferengi would do." Harry had been so wrapped up in everything going on that he hadn't made the connection until now. It was exactly like something the Ferengi would do.
"Ferengi?" Henan asked with a confused look on his face. He thought he was familiar with most of the races in this sector, but he'd never heard of the Ferengi before.
"It's an alien race where we're from," Harry explained. "They're con artists and swindlers. They pretend to have disabled starships and attack when you get close. It's a common practice in the Alpha Quadrant." Henan nodded. He had no idea that the Kalrussians' antics were so common among other alien races as well.
Assured that Seven was alright and resting comfortably, Chakotay joined the small circle on the other side of the camp to figure out where to go from here. Harry had hoped that the reunion with Seven would lift his spirits, but he was wrong. The First Officer appeared even more stressed now that he saw the severity of the situation. He clenched his jaw tightly, and the small lines around his eyes that had appeared around his eyes after helping the Captain run the ship for the past seven years became more prominent. It was far worse than he imagined, and he wasn't sure how much longer Seven would be able to hold on like this.
"What's the plan?" Tom asked.
"It's too late to leave for the night," Henan replied, catching the Lieutenant off guard. He'd been looking to Chakotay for answers, although he didn't look like he was in any shape to be making decisions right now. "We'll camp here for the night and move your friend in the morning."
"Fine, let's make camp for the night," Chakotay relented before returning to Seven's side. Now that he was with her and saw her current condition, he couldn't bring himself to leave her side. He needed to make sure he was there in case she woke up again.
As Notaxi helped Harry and Tom set up camp, Henan crouched down next to Chakotay to see how Seven was fairing. He pressed the back of his hand against her cheek and recoiled in horror as his knuckles brushed up against the starburst implant next to her ear. He turned her head, and her optical implant caught the light. Seven's eyes momentarily cracked open and settled on Notaxi.
"You're Ighanian," she observed bluntly in a weak voice. "Species 9937. The Borg have assimilated you. You're known for being..." Her voice trailed off as her fever consumed her once again. As accustomed as he was to Seven's personality quirks, it still unsettled Chakotay slightly to hear her state a species' designation out of the blue. Henan's gaze hardened when he realized what was going on here.
"What's going on here?" he demanded. "Is this a Borg?" Henan's agitated voice caught the attention of everyone else. Notaxi appeared out of nowhere, towering over them. Henan got to his feet. "That's a Borg. They're trying to save a Borg!" The more he spoke, the more upset he sounded. Chakotay stood up as well, his six foot frame towering over the two smaller aliens with ease.
"She's been severed from the Collective for over four years." His booming voice bounced off the walls of the cave, making him sound far more powerful than he really was. "She's a member of our crew, and she needs our help. You agreed to help us-"
"That was before we knew she was a drone," Notaxi pointed out. "Do you know what the Borg have done? She just blurted out that we're species 9937 like it's no big deal. We're nobody to her, she doesn't care about us."
"We know what the Borg are capable of doing," Tom interjected. "And Seven has helped us fight against them many times. Without her, our crew would have been assimilated years ago. She's no longer Borg, she's human like us, and she's dying." As soon as the word left Tom's mouth, he instantly regretted it. He saw Chakotay openly flinch. He should have chosen his words more carefully. Everyone here knew Seven's condition was incredibly dangerous, but nobody was here was ready to admit it to each other. Tom had no way of knowing that Harry had used similar words in his distress call to Voyager, but Chakotay had been so caught up in searching the shuttle that he thankfully hadn't heard him. This was like a slap in the face to him and the rest of the away team though. "You said you'd help us-"
"But that was before we knew you were harboring a Borg," Henan spluttered. "This changes everything." He grabbed Notaxi by the arm and lead him off to the side so they could talk in private. Now that they knew the truth about this so called victim of the Kalrussians, they needed to decide for themselves if she was worth saving. The Borg were dangerous and should be left alone at all costs, even a former Borg.
Harry sidled up to Chakotay. None of them knew what to think about this. They hadn't thought of mentioning that Seven used to be a Borg because none of them thought of her as a drone anymore. To everyone on Voyager, Seven was simply another member of the crew.
"Commander, if they don't help us get out of here, we'll be stuck. Neither of us know the way out of here, even when Voyager comes back, we'll still be stuck down here," Harry pointed out. They'd both assumed that Henan and Notaxi would help them get back out of the caves, so they didn't pay attention to where they were going, thus leaving them at the mercy of their new companions. Harry hated to be the one to bring this up, but someone had to say what the rest of them were thinking.
"I know," Chakotay admitted tersely. "Which is why we have to convince them to help us, regardless of who Seven used to be." He had no idea how to do that. Henan and Notaxi were understandably anxious about helping a Borg, no matter what they said to convince them otherwise. Chakotay knew that he would have acted the same way a few years ago if he had been in their shoes. He would have to convince them that Seven was harmless, if only he knew how.
The murmuring from Notaxi and Henan stopped as they came to an agreement. Notaxi glowered angrily at his comrade as they rejoined Chakotay, Tom and Harry. Already, Chakotay was creating a myriad of arguments to convince the Ighanians to help them, starting with the fact that Seven hated the Borg more than anyone else that he'd ever met for what they did to her.
"We've decided to keep helping you," Henan stated. Notaxi snorted and rolled his eyes with frustration. Clearly this was Henan's decision, and Notaxi had his doubts. Relief rolled over all three crewmen. Chakotay let out a breath of relief he hadn't even been realizing he'd been holding in and slumped his shoulders. "Clearly you care about this drone, and she's in no condition to do any damage to us anyway. Just be warned, we will take matters into our own hands if we feel something is going to go wrong."
"Fine," Chakotay agreed. It was an ominous threat, but he wasn't worried. Seven was completely harmless when she was perfectly healthy. Right now, however, she could barely keep her eyes open for more than a few minutes. She wasn't a threat to anyone right now.
With the problem concerning Seven's past resolved, Harry, Tom and Notaxi went back to setting up camp for the night while Henan returned to Seven's side. After the incident they just had, Chakotay hovered over him, wary that he would try to do something to harm Seven. If she were healthy, she would reprimand him for being too overprotective.
"What's wrong with her?" Henan asked as he looked her over. Despite Chakotay's assurances, he was still apprehensive; he'd never been this close to a Borg before. He didn't know how Chakotay could be so calm around someone who used to be so dangerous.
"She needs to regenerate," Chakotay replied. "Which is why we need to find the Kalrussians. They took her mobile regenerator. Without it, her body will continue to shut down."
"How long will that take?" Chakotay shrugged.
"We don't know." Avoiding her optical implant like the plague, Henan brushed his hand over Seven's forehead. She was burning up. "We're trying to figure out if we can reroute the power from our shuttle to help her regenerate, even just a little bit, but we don't think it'll work." Henan's heart went out to him. It was obvious that this man cared deeply for the Borg, he could see it in his eyes and the way he hovered over her, ready to leap into action at any moment. There had to be something he could do to help.
"There's a root that grows on the surface. It helps bring down fevers."
"This isn't a normal fever."
"I know, but it's the only thing we've got. It may help lower her fever a little bit." Chakotay ran his knuckle across Seven's damp cheek. A fine layer of sweat covered her entire body. He knew Henan was right. The mysterious root couldn't possibly make matters any worse. They had nothing to lose but everything to gain. When they got back to the surface tomorrow, they would immediately find this root and hope it helped.
Later that evening, Tom brought Chakotay a crudely fashioned bowl where he sat vigil next to Seven's sleeping form and sat down across from him. Chakotay looked up for a second before turning his attention back to Seven. His expression caught Tom off guard. Never before had he seen him look so lost and confused. For a split second, he thought he saw a tear or two in the First Officer's eyes but he couldn't be certain. There had to be something they could do.
"Well, the good news is this isn't leola root, but the bad news is that it tastes almost just as bad," he announced in an attempt to lift the First Officer's mood as he handed over the bowl.
"I'm not hungry," Chakotay stated as he looked at the concoction prepared by Henan and Notaxi. The thought of eating food made him feel sick to his stomach as stress continued to consume him. He thought that being reunited with Seven would help him calm down, but it only made matters worse. Now that he saw the severity of his condition, a whole new set of worries and anxieties plagued him.
"Chakotay, you need to eat," Tom insisted.
"You can't give me orders, I out rank you."
"I'm not giving you orders, I'm looking out for a friend. At least pretend to eat. Harry and I can't look after both of you, you need to keep up your strength." Chakotay knew he was right. He took a small sip of the mirky liquid and instantly regretted it. Tom was right, it was almost as bad as leola root. He resisted the temptation to spit the food out and instead forced himself to take a larger sip.
"What is it?" he gasped.
"I've stopped asking that about food in the Delta Quadrant years ago." He had an excellent point there. Chakotay held his breath and quickly downed the thick liquid. As he got closer to the bottom, he discovered mysterious chunks that lingered in the bowl. He didn't bother trying to scoop them out and instead put the bowl to the side. Despite the fact that he'd barely eaten anything all day, he felt full.
While Chakotay ate, Tom pulled out his tricorder and scanned Seven. The good news was that her condition wasn't any worse. Unfortunately, it wasn't any better either. Right now, she was as stable as could be given her current situation. Tom closed the tricorder and returned it to its holster on his hip.
"Tom." He looked up at Chakotay. "Thank you for looking after Seven." Tom waved off the comment dismissively.
"You would have done the same for B'Elanna." It was true. B'Elanna was like a sister to Chakotay. He told her everything, and she did the same. He would watch her like a hawk if she was in Seven's current condition. "I'm just sorry that I couldn't do more."
"You've done everything you could do, and I couldn't ask for anything more. Tomorrow we'll get out of these caves and start looking for the Kalrussians." Tom felt confused. Based on what Henan and Notaxi told him, it was impossible to hunt down the Kalrussians, at least without their shuttle, which was permanently out of commission until they got back to Voyager. If anyone had a plan, however, he knew it would be Chakotay.
It was hardly a restful night for Chakotay as he curled up next to Seven. Every time she moved or twitched, he jolted awake and checked on her, meaning he only slept for about half an hour at a time. Her fever was still dangerously high and showed no sign of breaking. He hoped that whatever Henan had would help bring her fever down, at least a little bit. Unable to resist, Chakotay brushed his fingers through Seven's hair, gently pushing it back from her flushed face in the process.
"Chakotay?" she whispered hoarsely. He smiled slightly.
"How are you feeling?" She looked confused. "What's wrong?"
"When did you get here?" Chakotay felt his anxiety level rise. That wasn't a good sign.
"This afternoon," he replied. "Don't you remember? I told you that Harry's trying to find a way to use the gel packs to help you regenerate, and I teased you for calling Tom by his first name." Seven furrowed her brow as she tried to remember. She had absolutely no recollection of that conversation.
"I don't remember," she admitted weakly.
"That's okay," he assured. "You're tired, you need to rest. Do you need anything? You need to eat." Chakotay realized that he sounded exactly like Tom had earlier, hovering over Seven to take care of her.
"Water." That was all he needed to leap into action. He grabbed one of the bowls from Henan and Notaxi that they had eaten out of and filled it with water from one of the canteens before returning to Seven's side. Seven attempted to prop herself up on one elbow, but her arm gave out from under her once again. Chakotay braced her upper body against his torso. As soon as she started moving, she instantly regretted it. The pain in her head that had subsided to a dull throbbing was back with a vengeance. She did her best to hide her pain while Chakotay pressed the bowl to her lips. "I can do it," she insisted. The bowl shook violently in her hands. More water ended up being spilled across her lap than ended up in her mouth. Chakotay's hand hovered over hers, ready to take control at a moment's notice. The few sips of water settled heavily in Seven's stomach. Chakotay took the bowl and put it to the side.
"Do you need anything else?" She shook her head and instantly regretted it. The pain in her head was nearly unbearable. She winced.
"I need to lay back down," she insisted. "My head feels like it's going to explode." That was all Chakotay needed to hear to help Seven lay back down. He adjusted the makeshift pillow under her head.
"I'll be right here if you need anything," he informed her. She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Just the simple action of sitting up for a few minutes was enough to make her want to sleep for hours. Her eyes slowly closed as her fever consumed her once again.
The following morning, the four men broke down camp. In a way, Tom was almost sad to leave camp. This had been his impromptu home for the past few days. Logically, he knew it was little more than a cave, but he was starting to get comfortable here, to fall into a routine of sorts. On the other hand, being stuck in here was like hell. He couldn't wait to get outside and enjoy the fresh air, no matter how hot it may be outside, it was far better than being stuck down here in this awful cave. With any luck, Voyager would be here in a day or two, and they could put all of this behind them.
Chakotay stood over Seven and tried to think of a way to get her out of this cave. She couldn't walk, that was made abundantly clear after sitting up for a few minutes wiped her of all energy. She wouldn't be able to walk more than a few steps. She was too heavy for one person to carry out of here either, not for the distance they had to walk. Harry materialized at Chakotay's side.
Sensing something was wrong, he asked, "Are you alright?" Chakotay's head shot up in surprise. He hadn't even heard Harry join him.
"I'm trying to figure out how to get Seven out of here. She's too weak to walk." Harry's mind whirled as he tried to think of a solution to the problem. They'd come too far to just give up now. Suddenly, an idea struck.
"We could use the sleeping bag as a sling," he suggested. "Four of us could each carry a corner. It won't exactly be the smoothest journey, but it's the only option we've got right now." Chakotay carefully thought about it. It seemed like a good enough idea. With any luck, Seven would sleep through most of the trip and wouldn't have to experience any discomfort.
"Okay, let's do it." They went over to Tom, Henan and Notaxi and informed them of the plan. It was agreed upon that they would rotate out carrying Seven. Whoever wasn't carrying her would carry the bag with the gel packs. With camp broken down, the only task left was getting Seven onto the sleeping bag.
Chakotay gently shook Seven's shoulder. He doubted it would wake her, but he wanted her awake to hear the plan before moving her onto the sleeping bag. Tom carefully spread out the sleeping bag alongside her limp form so they wouldn't have to move her very far.
"Seven," he whispered urgently. "Seven." Her eyes opened slightly. "We're going to move you onto the sleeping bag and carry you out of here. Okay?"
"Okay," she mumbled.
"Can you move?"
"I am undamaged," she insisted as she tried to push herself upright. Her arm shook violently under the sudden addition of weight.
"This is a bad idea," Tom interjected. "You need to save your energy. We'll move you." He locked eyes with Chakotay as he took a hold of Seven's legs while he hooked his arms under her arms. They lifted her in perfect unison and shuffled a few steps until she was lying in the middle of the sleeping bag. Seven moaned loudly in protest. The noise was like a knife to Chakotay's heart. He should have let her sleep, at least then she wouldn't have to suffer through this discomfort. He knelt down next to her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "We're going to try to do this as painlessly as possible, but we need to get out out of here. Voyager won't be able to find us down here."
"I am undamaged," Seven insisted weakly as she squeezed his hand affectionately. He forced himself to give her a small, reassuring smile. He knew she was far from undamaged. He could see the pain written across her face. Try as she might to hide it, it was clear as day to him.
Harry, Tom, Chakotay and Notaxi each took one corner of the sleeping bag and carefully hoisted Seven up in the air. Her body swung back and forth, but she didn't make any noise. Chakotay prayed that she was asleep and would remain sleeping for as long as possible. Henan held a torch in the air, leading the way of the motley procession. From where he walked by her feet, Chakotay could keep a careful eye on Seven in case anything went wrong. Between her unnervingly pale skin and her arms folded over her chest, she looked dead. The realization made it feel like the ground had fallen out from under him. He quickly regained his balance and continued walking. She wasn't dead, the faint rise and fall of her chest told him that much. Given her current situation, however, he had no idea how much longer she could hold on. They were running out of time.
Tom felt like his arm was on fire. At first, carrying Seven wasn't a big deal, but after walking for nearly half an hour, his arm hurt worse than anything he'd ever experienced before, and he couldn't feel his fingers anymore. He wanted to flex his arm to see if that would help the pain, but he didn't want to jostle Seven. He knew her pain was far worse, and when he finally got a break, she would continue to suffer. She'd walked all over these caves while in pain and didn't say a word for several days. The least he could do was help carry her for a few hours.
The shrill alarm of a Red Alert made it nearly impossible for Seven to hear her own thoughts. She darted down the corridors of Voyager in the dim red light, carefully dodging people as she went. The ship rocked back and forth violently as it was hit. She prayed their shields would be able to withstand whoever was attacking them. She burst through the doors of astrometrics, tripping over her own feet in the process as Voyager was blasted once again. She stumbled to the nearest console as she held on for dear life and carefully analyzed the star charts and maps in front of her. Anxiety built up inside of her as she realized where they were. They were right in the middle of Borg territory. How had they gotten here? Kes had flung them well past Borg territory years ago, which meant they had wasted years doubling back for some unknown reason. It didn't make sense and went against everything the Captain believed in in her attempts to get her crew home safely. Yet, here they were. There had to be some way to get out of here. Her eyes flitted over the screen as she tried to find the quickest way out of here that would get them out of Borg territory. Even at high warp, it would take them a minimum of three days. What Seven couldn't figure out was why the Captain had allowed them to get so far into Borg territory in the first place.
The ship shuddered as it came under fire again. It felt far more powerful than any firepower the Borg usually had. Seven lost her balance and fell to the ground, slamming her head against the hard floor in the process. She groaned but quickly scrambled to her feet. Her head throbbed in protest as she went back to work. Clutching the control panel tightly, she pulled herself to her feet and immediately went back to work. If they were going to get out of here, she needed to find the quickest and most efficient path and fast.
The foursome carefully lowered Seven to the ground to switch places while Harry watched on. His break was over. He removed the bag holding the gel packs and handed it over to Chakotay, who shook him off.
"Commander, you need to rest," he pointed out.
"I'm fine," Chakotay insisted. His face was firm with determination as he flexed his arm and wiggled his fingers to get the blood flowing again. Harry sighed. He, Henan, Notaxi and Tom had all been rotating out, taking turns carrying Seven for the past few hours. Harry knew they were in the home stretch now, but that didn't change the fact that Chakotay needed to rest. He was going to wear himself out, and they didn't have enough of anything to take care of two injured crewmen.
"Nobody is going to think less of you if you take a break," Henan argued. "We can see that you care for your mate, but let us take care of her too." Chakotay's eyes shot up in surprise when he heard Henan's word choice. Tom, who had been taking a drink of water, started to cough and sputtered water down the front of his shirt. Chakotay brushed past Henan stiffly so he could check on Seven's condition. Henan looked confused. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked Harry.
"Nobody's supposed to know they're together," Harry replied. "It's a big secret." This only confused Henan even more. Why would they keep something like this a secret? Clearly this was a culture that was even more different than his own than he originally realized.
Seven was still unconscious. Chakotay didn't dare wake her, he didn't want to make her suffer any more than she had to, and she appeared to be at peace like this. He ran his thumb over her cheek lightly before standing up.
"We should keep moving," he announced. He turned to Notaxi. "How much further do we have?" Notaxi stopped to think.
"About another hour," he replied. Due to the fact that they were carrying Seven and the constant need for breaks to rotate positions, it was taking much longer than usual to travel out of the caves. Nobody dared complain though. This was the only way to get her out of the caves and to safety.
"Okay, let's go." While he refused to take a break, Chakotay did switch sides so he was using his other arm to carry Seven. Nobody bothered to argue with him. This was the closest they were going to get to getting him to take a break. Harry handed the bag of gel packs over to Henan, who swung them over his shoulder along with the bag that held his personal items. The second he picked up the corner of the sleeping bag, Harry's arm screamed in protest. Clearly his break hadn't been long enough. He ignored it. He had been meaning to work out more, and now was as good a time as any.
At first Tom thought it was his eyes playing tricks on him: a small pinprick of light appeared several hundred yards ahead. As he got closer, however, he realized that it was sunlight. It was gradual at first, slightly more light than they had just a few yards back. Then, it hit him like a bag of bricks. After a week underground, the light was blinding; he nearly dropped the corner of the sleeping bag clutched in his hand. He caught himself at the last minute and turned his head away. His head was already killing him as he adjusted to the light. Everyone else continued walking, forcing him to do so as well. He ignored the discomfort and pressed forward. He'd been looking forward to getting out of this cave for days now, and he wasn't going to let a little bit of light and a headache get in his way.
They slowed to a stop at the mouth of the cave. They had barely been outside for a few minutes, and the heat was already smothering. They carefully lowered Seven to the ground. She muttered and shook her head back and forth in protest. As soon as Harry got his bearings, he realized that they had come out of different cave than the one they had entered. He could see the shuttle in the distance, it was about a kilometer and a half away.
"We should make camp here," Notaxi announced. "It would be unwise to move your friend any more than necessary." As much as Chakotay wanted to be closer to the shuttle, he knew that stay here was the best bet for Seven. Everyone seemed to turn to him and wait to see what he had to say about it. Tom and Harry did it out of default, they were used to following the chain of command. By now, Henan and Notaxi had picked up that Chakotay was the one calling the shots around here, at least when it came to their new friends.
"Okay, let's make camp then," he agreed. That was all the prompting everyone needed to leap into action. With Seven carefully stowed away in the shade and protection of the cave, they started gathering wood and supplies to settle down. Now that they had gotten Seven out of the caves, all they could do was wait.
With the help of the sunlight, Chakotay could see the extent of Seven's condition. Horror flashed across his face as he knelt down next to her. All color was gone from her face. Angry black lines zigzagged out from her implants on her face, making her look like some sort of strange, humanoid alien, and a fine layer of sweat covered her exposed flesh. Tom knelt down across from Chakotay and scanned her with his tricorder.
"Her fever is still at a hundred and four." The First Officer barely blinked to acknowledge Tom's presence. "Commander." Chakotay's head shot up in surprise. "We're going to get her out of here. When we don't show up to the rendezvous point, the Captain will realize we're not there and come rushing back. We only have to hold out a few more days." Chakotay shook his head.
"We can hold out, but that's not my concern." He looked down at Seven. Her lips twitched as she silently mouthed something neither Chakotay nor Tom could figure out. Tom gave her hand a gently squeeze. He knew she probably couldn't feel the tender action, but it was meant to comfort him more than her. He was starting to feel just as anxious as Chakotay.
With the help of everyone working together, camp was set up within an hour. Chakotay built a small fire pit. While it was too hot to start a fire, he needed to keep busy to distract himself. As he worked, he looked over at Seven. At first blush, she appeared to be sleeping peacefully, but he knew otherwise. He could see her hand twitch, and every once in awhile, she muttered and shook her head back and forth. Never before had her in such a vulnerable condition. She was always so confident in her behavior and actions. Seeing her like this unnerved him. He felt that he should be able to take care of her. What kind of First Officer was he if he couldn't get his entire away team back to Voyager in one piece, especially on such a simple away mission? If Chakotay were Captain, it would be a long time before he let him lead an away mission again.
"Commander." Harry's voice caused Chakotay's head to shoot up. He hadn't realized he had been spacing out and staring at the empty firepit. He turned in the direction of Harry's voice. The Ensign knelt down next to Seven with a concerned look on his face. "You better get over here." That was all Chakotay needed to hear to scramble to his feet and rush to Seven's side. Seven's eyes were wide open, and she looked terrified. Tears spilled freely down her hollow cheeks as she clawed desperately at Harry's arm.
"Stop, please stop," she pleaded through her tears. Her eyes locked on Chakotay. For one brief, lucid moment, she recognized him. "Chakotay," she breathed. He cupped her face in his hand.
"I'm right here," he assured. "What's wrong? Talk to me."
"The voices," Seven sobbed. "So many voices." Chakotay glanced at Harry. Both of them looked utterly confused and horrified.
"Seven, there aren't any voices," Harry assured. She continued to shake her head and grab at Chakotay's arm. Despite the thick fabric of his uniform, her fingernails dug into his skin. The pain barely fazed him. Instead, he focused entirely on Seven.
"Is it the Collective?" he asked. "Do you hear the Collective?" She shook her head.
"No." Sobs wracked her fragile frame in her feverish state. "Please make them stop." Each desperate plea was like a knife to Chakotay's heart. She'd already suffered so much, and now things were getting worse. He wanted nothing more than to take away all her pain. He'd willingly endure all her suffering himself. He'd suffer through all of it a hundred times over if it meant that she didn't have to go through it herself.
"What voices?" Chakotay pressed.
"So many assimilated voices. They're there. So many voices, so many languages, so many species. I can't do it. Make it stop." The pieces slowly fell into place for Chakotay. It had been years since this had been a problem, which is why it took him so long to realize what was going on. He looked up at Harry, who still looked utterly confused.
"Seven, your cortical implant is malfunctioning. You're hearing the voices of the people you assimilated. It's all in your head, just like before. Just rest." He stroked her hair affectionately. "I'll be right here with you."
"But the voices…" Seven argued.
"They're not real," Chakotay assured. "Just focus on my voice, my voice is real, and I'm right here to help you. Voyager will be back any day now, and you'll regenerate, and this will all be behind us." He kept his voice low and as soothing as possible. "Just focus on my voice muñeca. My voice is real, and I'm not going to leave your side. I promise." He cupped her face in his hand. Her eyes closed as she leaned into his touch. "Listen to my voice, Seven, and relax. Don't listen to those voices. They can't harm you."
"So many voices," she gasped.
"I know. Do your best to ignore them and listen to me instead. The Captain and Voyager are on their way. They'll be here before you know it." It was a blatant lie, there was no way Kathryn could know they were in need of help yet, but he hoped it would help her to feel better.
"Voyager…" Seven's voice grew weaker. Her outburst had drained her of all energy. Her arm went limp and fell to the ground, releasing Chakotay from her powerful grip. Once she was asleep, Chakotay could relax, even just a little.
"Commander, do you think this is a sign the Borg is nearby?" Harry asked. He stopped to think. The last time this had happened, it had been caused by an errant vinculum, but that had been hundreds of lightyears away.
"No," he finally replied. "It's her fever." He grabbed the tricorder and scanned Seven. "It's up to a hundred and five." He snapped the device closed angrily. "If it keeps rising, she won't make it until her body runs out of energy." It was a sobering realization for both men. They knew they were on borrowed time, but they hadn't realized just how limited their timetable was until just now.
Fearful of her condition worsening, Chakotay refused to leave Seven's side. Part of him felt guilty for not helping set up camp, but he knew he would feel worse if Seven's condition were to worsen, and he wasn't by her side. He put a reassuring hand on her arm, but she didn't move or respond. As he gazed over at her, he noticed that it was getting progressively darker around them. He immediately got to his feet. There was still a few hours before nightfall, it shouldn't be getting dark, especially this quickly. The wind was picking up as well.
"Commander," Tom said over the noise of the wind. "There's a plasma storm coming. We need to get to safety." Chakotay glanced back at Seven, who was completely oblivious to the chaos around her. Harry and Henan were already picking her up and carrying her to the safety of the cave. There was a pang in Chakotay's heart as he realized that he should be the one taking care of her, but he had far more important matters to attend to.
"Get her inside the cave," he ordered forcefully as he rushed past Tom. Tom's hand immediately shot out and grabbed the First Officer's arm.
"Where the hell are you going?" he demanded.
"The Kalrussians only appear during plasma storms," Chakotay explained. "So I'm going to be waiting for them." His hand flew to his phaser to make sure he was adequately armed. Tom's gazed hardened.
"I'm coming with you," he announced. Chakotay opened his mouth to protest. "You can't do this alone." Harry stumbled over to the pair.
"We need to get inside," he stated over the noise of the wind. Lightning sliced through the sky, temporarily blinding all three men. It was followed a few moments later by a deafening roar of thunder that shook the ground beneath them.
"Watch Seven," Chakotay ordered. "Tom and I are going to the shuttle to wait for the Kalrussians. It's our only shot at getting back the mobile regenerator."
"Be careful," Harry told both men.
"We will." Tom patted his best friend on the shoulder before darting off across the desert with Chakotay. Harry watched them for as long as possible as they set out in an act of desperation, but the severity of the storm eventually forced him to the safety of the cave where Henan and Notaxi anxiously waited for him to join them. The storm raged on, eventually consuming Chakotay and Tom as they fought against the elements to get to the shuttle.
The powerful winds nearly knocked Chakotay and Tom over as they ran towards the shuttle. The bright lightning disoriented them every time it sliced through the sky. They blindly stumbled over the rocks and bushes, pushing on despite the difficulties surrounding them. The wind started kicking up sand, causing both men to cough. It stung their eyes and made it even more difficult to see where they were going. For all they knew, they were running away from the shuttle. The sand and wind stung both their eyes, making it even more difficult to navigate. Tom pulled his shirt over his mouth and nose in the hopes it would filter out some of the sand; it helped, but only a little.
"I can see the shuttle," Chakotay screamed over the wailing winds. The First Office could just barely make out the silhouette of the shuttle a few hundred yards away. "Let's go." He turned back to Tom to make sure he was following close behind. Using one last burst of energy, both men bolted for the shuttle and stumbled through the open hatch of the shuttle.
The shuttle hardly provided any protection from the raging storm outside. The flyer rocked back and forth unsteadily as it braced against the wind. Chakotay ushered Tom towards the front of the shuttle. It offered them little protection from the storm, but it was better than waiting right at the rear where they risked being hit by flying debris.
"Now what?" Tom asked. Chakotay unholstered his phaser and handed it to Tom as he hunkered down. With any luck, the Kalrussians wouldn't see him when they stormed the shuttle. Tom took the phaser and mimicked his stance.
"Now we wait," Chakotay replied with fire in his eyes.
Author's Note: There you go, chapter 13. Make sure to leave a review and check out my other fic: Adjustment Period. Thanks!