[Author's note: All rights to Voyager belong to Paramount.]
This story is a missing scene from the episode Unimatrix Zero Part 2. It's a snippet of Chakotay's log from the few hours while he was waiting to hear back from the away team (who had let themselves be assimilated so they could infiltrate the Borg cube!)
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(*First officer's personal log, supplemental*)
It's been over two hours since we sent the away team to that horrible Borg cube. I should be trying to re-establish contact with them right now. I'm sure the crew's getting restless. But I can't do it just yet – I have to trust Kathryn's timing.
Kathryn… I can't believe I agreed to her going on this death wish of a mission. Sure, I got her to take Tuvok and B'Elanna, but it should really be me there at her side, with all those nanoprobes coursing through my system… At least then I could remind her that it's going to be okay. She thinks I don't know it, but she's afraid all the time. For the crew, for herself. She covers it up so well. She keeps on cracking jokes, all the while volunteering to possibly damn herself to a fate worse than death just to get the rest of us home–
(*pause*)
Sorry, Tom just came in. He had some excuse about "taking initiative as acting first officer" but I don't buy it. He's just worried about B'Elanna. I don't blame him. I wanted to tell him I know exactly how he feels. But just think of the rumors that would start. Gossip travels fast on a small ship. We can't have rumors about a captain and first officer who are in…
(*Computer, delete last paragraph.*)
Sorry, Tom just came in. My point was, I couldn't have gone on the away mission. I'm needed here. The captain did say that there's no one she trusts more than me, right? (*chuckles softly*) This crew needs the strength of a first officer who's confident and decisive. I just have to trust that Kathryn has things all under control.
…
(*Computer, delete entire log.*)