A/N: This story is based on the television series, Star Trek: Voyager, which as far as I know, is the property of Paramount Pictures. No infringement is intended. This is the eighth story in my J/D series after Command Decisions, Doctor's Orders, Surrender, Finding Rest, Making Promises, True Colors, and Blue. In order for this story to make sense, you must read the first seven stories in the series in that order.
Blue was the last fanfiction story I've completed to this date, and it was posted back in December of 2022. Since then, I've had to take a sabbatical from writing because I suffer from very severe insomnia, and I simply had to take a long break to get some badly needed rest. I want to do my best to complete my J/D series for you guys, but given my struggle with insomnia, I'm going to need a lot of patience and understanding. My posting of new stories to the series could continue to be very sporadic because of my insomnia and other issues. Please don't ever think that I'm ignoring or neglecting you on purpose; I assure you that I'm not. I am truly sorry that I have not been able to post more updates to the J/D series until now, but as I said, I really need your patience and understanding.
I would also like to add that I've only just now realized that I accidentally overlooked an important detail in the story, True Colors. In True Colors, Neelix, Dexa, and Brax come to faith in Christ and are baptized by Captain Janeway on Holodeck Two, as are Tom, B'Elanna, and Tuvok, but I neglected to mention Seven of Nine. I did not mean to forget her, but unfortunately, I did. Just for the record, Captain Janeway DEFINITELY baptized Seven of Nine on Holodeck Two that day as well, and I have gone back and corrected it. Now, Seven of Nine is mentioned along with all the others. (And NO, I am NOT EVER saying that you have to be water baptized in order to be saved. I just didn't want anyone to think that Captain Janeway forgot about Seven, lol.)
(((BIG HUGS))) from Jesus and me to anybody out there who needs one in these insane times. Much love to you all, thank you so much for stopping by, and God bless.
Chapter 1: Back at Death's Door
During the next four weeks, Captain Janeway's recovery was slow but steady under the very watchful guidance of Dr. Luke. Unfortunately, though, after an away mission to a deserted planet in late July of that year, Tom and Harry brought an alien pathogen onboard that the transporters weren't able to filter out. It was a virus that caused severe pneumonia, and it spread throughout the ship very quickly. All other crewmen were able to recover in about a week to ten days with the help of a medication Dr. Luke and Dr. Dexa developed to treat it. But when Captain Janeway inevitably caught it, given her weakened state, the potent alien virus put her right back at death's door. To make matters even worse, the alien pneumonia virus in Captain Janeway's body taxed her already weakened immune system to the point where it was no longer able to keep the traces of the Sauran telepathic virus that were still in her body suppressed. Mercifully, she did not suffer nearly as much as she did previously, but the Sauran telepathic virus still caused her to feel like all of her skin was severely sunburned from head to toe. And the alien pneumonia was definitely putting her heart and lungs under a severe strain. Sadly, Captain Janeway's prognosis was not very good.
While much of the crew held a prayer vigil for Captain Janeway in the Mess Hall, Dr. Luke worked his rear end off in Sick Bay, trying desperately hard to come up with a way to eradicate the remaining traces of the Sauran virus and cure the pneumonia as quickly as possible. As Dr. Luke worked tirelessly, Dr. Dexa assisted him as much as possible while also helping Tom and Kes tend to all the medical needs of the rest of the crew. Unfortunately, just as Kes was unable to completely remove all of the Sauran telepathic virus from Captain Janeway, Captain Janeway had also not been able to completely remove all of the virus from Dr. Luke, and Dr. Dexa, Tom, and Kes were greatly concerned that with Dr. Luke now pushing himself so hard and getting very little rest, he might suffer a relapse.
Meanwhile, Commander Chakotay spent most of his off-duty time with the crew, praying earnestly for Captain Janeway in the Mess Hall. Ever since he'd been possessed by that demon that had been masquerading as the spirit of his deceased father, that could only be exorcised by the name of Jesus, his stubborn, prideful soul had learned the hard way that Jesus really is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one can come to the Father but by Him. And no matter how much his prideful, unbelieving, stubborn hard heart didn't want to believe it, he could no longer deny the Truth that had been demonstrated in his own life when he saw for himself that demons only responded to the name of Jesus, and he couldn't help but put his faith in Jesus for salvation after that and chose to spend the rest of his earthly life serving Him in discipleship. And naturally, he destroyed all the technology he'd used for his so-called "vision quests," and he promised himself he would never do another one as long as he lived.
As Commander Chakotay was praying with his fellow crewmen in the Mess Hall on the second night after Captain Janeway first got sick with the alien pneumonia, he started getting the feeling that he really needed to go and visit her in Sick Bay. He soon realized it in his gut that the feeling was coming from the Holy Spirit, and he promptly obeyed Him.
When the Commander entered Sick Bay a couple of minutes later, he found Kes sitting at her surrogate mother's bedside, holding her hand and lovingly stroking her fingers, as a very frazzled Dr. Luke kept his eyes glued to his computer screen inside his office. There were two other patients in Sick Bay besides the Captain, sound asleep in their biobeds; although their condition was serious enough to require them staying in Sick Bay for a little while, their condition was not nearly as critical as the Captain's. Captain Janeway, meanwhile, was lying unconscious in her biobed, with the top half of the bed raised to make it easier for her to breathe. She had an I.V. in her left arm, giving her fluids continuously so she wouldn't get dehydrated, and she had an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, helping her breathe. Although Captain Kathryn Janeway was undoubtedly the toughest, strongest, bravest lady Commander Chakotay had ever seen, now, she appeared so pale and frail, and it really broke his heart. She'd been through so much out here in the treacherous Delta Quadrant. Too much.
"Any change?" he asked Kes, and she sadly shook her head.
"I'm afraid not," she sighed.
"You still can't get Dr. Luke to stop working and get some rest?"
"He won't budge from Sick Bay. He absolutely refuses to leave. He's worried sick about the Captain. And Dr. Dexa and Tom have been working just as much as Dr. Luke here in Sick Bay all day, and it wasn't until half an hour ago that I was finally able to convince them to go their quarters and get some sleep," Kes explained.
Commander Chakotay nodded and said, "We're all exhausted."
In the next moment, alarms started going off at Captain Janeway's biobed, and Dr. Luke immediately jumped out of his seat and rushed out of his office to her bedside.
"She's gone into ventricular fibrillation," said a very worried Kes.
"The pneumonia and the Sauran virus have strained her heart to the point where it's only quivering. It's not pumping any blood," said Dr. Luke in the same worried tone. He then grabbed a hypospray filled with a resuscitation drug and pressed it against Kathryn's neck, but there was no change.
"We're going to have to shock her heart," Dr. Luke said gravely. "Kes, bring me the leads."
"Won't cortical stimulation work better, Doctor?" asked Chakotay, who abhorred the thought of Kathryn's body having to be shocked and jumping from all the electricity, like he'd seen in centuries-old medical dramas. Even though she would still be receiving a shock from cortical stimulation, the shock would be delivered to her brain and not her chest, and it seemed at least a little bit gentler to him somehow.
Dr. Luke shook his head. "The problem is not in her brain right now, Commander. Her brain is functioning normally. Cortical stimulation won't help now because the problem is in her heart, not her brain. We need to shock her quivering heart back into beating normally," he explained as he pulled the neck of Kathryn's hospital gown down, exposing her chest and bra, and attached two small round silver leads onto Kathryn's chest.
He then walked over to the medical computer module near Kathryn's biobed. "Administering the first shock at three hundred millijoules," he informed them. In the next instant, he looked at Kes and said aloud, "Clear!" as he delivered the first shock.
Kathryn's body jumped from the surge of electricity, but the alarms continued.
"No change," said Dr. Luke. "Administering the second shock at three hundred millijoules. Clear!" he cried out, and then he delivered the second shock. Again, Kathryn's lifeless body jumped from the electricity, but the alarms continued sounding. At this moment, Luke's face turned ghostly pale, and his own heart pounded fiercely in his chest.
"Charging to three-forty millijoules," Dr. Luke announced, unable to hide the panic in his voice. "Clear!" he said aloud, and then delivered the third shock.
Mercifully, in that moment, Kathryn's heart began beating normally again.
"Sinus rhythm!" cried out an elated Kes.
Luke then immediately walked up to Kathryn's bedside, elevated the top half of her biobed, and put the oxygen mask back over her nose and mouth to make it easier for her to breathe. Then, he stumbled back into his office silently, completely in a daze, and closed the door behind him as he turned his attention once again to his computer screen.
After a long silence, Kes told Chakotay, "I'm almost as worried about Dr. Luke as I am about Captain Janeway."
"Well speaking as First Officer, I'm definitely worried about the Captain and the Doctor, but I'm also concerned about you. I know you haven't left Sick Bay once since this alien pneumonia started going around a few days ago. I know you have strong powers now, and I know your physiology has been greatly enhanced as a result of your telepathic link with Species 8472 all those years ago, but still, even you need to take a break sometimes. Why don't you go to your quarters and get some rest? I'll stay here tonight and keep an eye on the Captain and Dr. Luke."
"Are you sure, Commander?" asked Kes.
Commander Chakotay nodded and replied, "Definitely."
After a brief pause, Kes nodded and said, "Thank you."
"Of course," said Commander Chakotay, and then Kes walked out of Sick Bay as he sat down at Captain Janeway's bedside.