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. I also would like to note that part of the inspiration for the plot of this story came from the TNG episode "Future Imperfect," written by J. Larry Carroll and David Bennett Carren. Enjoy, happy reading, and God bless.
Chapter 1: The Two Million-Dollar Questions
The realization that his wife no longer remembered their relationship was an invisible arrow that plunged deep into Dr. Luke's heart, and as his respected colleague and friend of many years, Dr. Dexa truly felt his pain. Knowing how devastated she would feel if something similar were to happen to her husband, Mr. Neelix, she was truly heartbroken for him. But despite the heartache Dr. Luke was obviously feeling in those painful moments, he immediately brushed it aside for Captain Janeway's sake, put on a kind smile, and approached the conversation not as a husband with a wife, but as a doctor with a patient, and as a Starfleet officer with his captain.
"Hello, Captain. How are you feeling?" he asked with the perfect balance of professionalism and compassion.
"I…I'm not sure. A bit confused. Disoriented."
"That's perfectly understandable. You've been in a medically induced coma for the past five months now," Dr. Luke explained.
Captain Janeway shook her head then, and she told the Doctor, "No, it's definitely been a lot longer than five months. I don't know how, but somehow, I can sense it that I've lost entire years."
Dr. Luke knowingly nodded, and he told the Captain, "You contracted an Erythian brain virus several years ago, and you were a carrier of it for a long time before it activated and began to manifest itself five months earlier. In order to slow down the progression of the virus and buy Mr. Paris, Kes, myself, and Dr. Dexa, here, enough time to develop a cure, I had to put you in a medically induced coma. We've since cured the virus, and both your body and your brain are perfectly healthy today. However, a most unfortunate side effect of this brain virus is that it can and most often does cause significant memory loss. We all tried our best to prevent that from happening, but it looks like our efforts weren't successful. Tell me, Captain. What is your last memory? What is the very last thing you recall before opening your eyes just now?"
"Oh, goodness. Let me think," said the Captain, and then she closed her eyes and began massaging her temples with her fingertips, waiting for the cobwebs to clear from her mind. Then, a couple of moments later, she looked at the Doctor and told him, "Oh, I know. My last memory before waking up today is of you, Doctor."
"Me?" he said while trying his best to hide the small trace of hope he had in his voice that she remembered some part of their life together. "Would you care to elaborate?" he asked cautiously.
"The Hierarchy aliens. You and I had just gotten rescued from the Hierarchy aliens, and we were back here on Voyager. Because of all the extra unnecessary data they'd downloaded into your holo-matrix, it was beginning to break down, and I was in the Holodeck with you and B'Elanna and Seven and Tom and Tuvok, and B'Elanna and Seven were working to stabilize you. And…well…let's just say that you had some very interesting things to say in your 'deathbed confession' to us when you thought you were going to decompile," the Captain explained, and the Doctor responded with a knowing laugh and grin.
"That was definitely not one of my better days," the Doctor said with a chuckle.
"How many years ago was that?"
"Over thirteen years ago, Captain."
"Thirteen years?"
"That's correct."
"Thirteen years," Captain Janeway gasped. Then, after taking a deep breath, she put on her Brave Captain Face that Dr. Luke knew all too well, and she told him, "Alright, Doctor. I know you can't tell me everything that's happened over the past thirteen years, but give me an overall summary. What all has happened with you and with the rest of the crew over the past thirteen years?"
"Well, as I know you've noticed with Dr. Dexa, here," said Dr. Luke while putting his hand on his colleague's shoulder, "there have been many additions to the Voyager family. You may recall Dexa. She was one of the Talaxians aboard that asteroid that Mr. Neelix temporarily left Voyager to help protect. The Talaxians have long since left the asteroid because of an encounter with the Borg. While Mr. Neelix was away, he and Dexa got married, and while all the other Talaxians were rescued by a Nali ship and joined their crew, Mr. Neelix rejoined our crew here on Voyager, and his wife Dexa and her son Brax, whom he legally adopted later on, also joined our family. Back when she was living with the other Talaxians on the asteroid, she took care of their medical needs as a nurse practitioner. And when she joined our crew, she continued her schooling with Starfleet and became a certified Starfleet physician in her own right. And she's been an invaluable colleague of mine ever since. A tremendous asset to our crew."
"Coming from the Doctor, that's very high praise," Captain Janeway told Dr. Dexa with a smile.
"I won't say that Dr. Luke has been very easy to please over the years," Dr. Dexa kidded, and Dr. Luke knowingly laughed at himself. "But he most definitely is the best doctor I've ever known in my life. I could never have asked for a better teacher. I've learned so much from him through the years. Probably more from him than I ever could've learned from any other doctor."
"You're probably right," the Captain agreed. She then turned her gaze back to the Doctor and asked, "So how many other additions have there been to our crew, Doctor?"
"Oh, quite a few. Mr. Neelix and Dr. Dexa have a little girl together named Alixia after his favorite sister. After Commander Wildman's husband left her for another woman and they got divorced, she and Commander Kim fell in love and got married and had a son named James."
"Commander Wildman and Commander Kim?"
"Yes. You finally got Starfleet Command to bend the rules for Voyager and allow you to promote your crew accordingly. Today, Harry Kim and Samantha Wildman both hold he rank of Lieutenant-Commander. And Mr. Tuvok, Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres are all Commanders while Dr. Dexa, here, holds the rank of full Lieutenant. And speaking of Commanders Paris and Torres, they went on to have another daughter named Julia."
"And what about your rank, Doctor?" the Captain asked with sincere concern. "And why aren't you in uniform?" Dr. Luke was wearing a burgundy turtleneck sweater with black pants today, and he looked quite nice to say the least. Although he no longer wore the teal Starfleet uniform, he always managed to look very handsome and classy in whatever civilian clothes he chose to wear.
In that instant, Captain Janeway suddenly began sensing and feeling the thoughts and emotions of everyone around her. And those of the baby she was carrying. The Captain had been so caught up in finding out how her crew was that until that very moment, it had completely slipped her mind that abdomen was much bigger than usual.
"Hold on a minute, here," she told Dr. Luke and Dr. Dexa. "Hold on a minute. Something's not right, here. This is not normal. I'm not a telepath or an empath, but yet, I'm sensing thoughts and feelings…from both of you. How can I be sensing the thoughts and emotions of a hologram? And how can I be pregnant?" she anxiously inquired as she put her hand on her now visibly pregnant abdomen.
The Doctor then immediately put a comforting hand on the Captain's shoulder and told her, "It's alright, Captain. It's alright. Don't be alarmed. Don't be afraid."
"I'm not afraid. I just want to know what in the world happened these past thirteen years. How is everything so different? How are you and I so different, Doctor?"
"I think I'd better step out and give you two some privacy," said Dr. Dexa.
"I would appreciate that. Thank you," Captain Janeway told her.
"Of course," Dr. Dexa responded kindly, and then she left Sick Bay.
"Wait a minute," the Captain gasped as even more realizations began to hit her. "Everything, all the things I'd previously believed about spirituality and religion, were completely and utterly wrong. Christianity is the truth. I'm a Christian. A born-again Christian. How did that happen? And how do I even know these facts even though I have no memory whatsoever of converting to Christianity? This makes no sense."
"Your memories may have left you, Captain, but the Holy Spirit never leaves one of God's born-again children through Christ. That's how you know that Christianity is the truth and that you're a Christian," the Doctor explained.
"You make it sound as if…as if you're a Christian, yourself," the Captain gasped in utter disbelief. "But that is completely impossible. You are the very last person on this crew who would ever become a willing participant in any religion. You've always said that religion is archaic."
"Yes, I did believe that once, about all religions and especially Christianity. I once believed that Christians were the most narrow-minded bigots. I used to believe it was so arrogant of them to believe that Jesus is the one and only way to God, for those who did believe there's a God who created the universe, that is. But that all changed one day when you activated the Emergency Command Hologram and sent me to be the acting captain of a medical ship on an errand of mercy. A ship called the Idora."
The Doctor then went on to explain the heartbreaking events that followed concerning the brutal command decision he'd had to make regarding Dr. Giala and Dr. Tress, and how that led him to pray to Jesus for the forgiveness his soul desperately craved, and how God, Himself, instantly responded to his plea by turning him into a human being and sending His Holy Spirit to indwell in him and forgiving him of all his past, present, and future sins through his faith in the shed blood of Jesus at the cross. He then explained how Kes returned and how Kathryn had become both a telepath and an empath, and how the Holy Spirit eventually gave Commander Chakotay those abilities as well.
And in those moments, as the Captain continued sensing the baby inside her, she said, "Speaking of telepathic and empathic powers, I'm sensing the baby's contentment so strongly." She then placed her hand back on her growing round abdomen again. "I don't know if I've ever encountered anyone more at peace than this baby I'm carrying. How did this happen, Doctor? I know that I would never get involved with a member of my crew, so there's no way I can be having a baby with anyone. Am I a surrogate for someone on our crew?"
Dr. Luke knowingly shook his head, and he told her, "You're not a surrogate, Captain. A great deal has changed over the past thirteen years. Not just for your crew, but for you. In all this time, you've long since changed your mind about becoming romantically involved with a crew-member. You started dating a man on the crew many years ago. You fell in love. Got married. And you and he have a total of four children together. Two of your sons and your only daughter are orphans you two adopted from alien worlds, and you and your husband also have a biological son together. The baby you're carrying now, a little girl, is the fifth and final child you and your husband will be having together, as you both decided after you found out you were pregnant again that you were ready for this to be your last child. And he has since gotten a vasectomy. And no, your husband is not Commander Chakotay."
"And I'd always thought I'd kept my feelings about him so well-hidden. Was I that obvious?"
"It's not that you were obvious, per se. You hid your feelings as well as you possibly could. But we all knew what close friends you two have been all these years and what great chemistry you've always had, and we all knew that if you hadn't been the Captain…"
"Right. Well now, I have a lot more questions."
"Ask away, Captain. I'm at your service."
"I noticed earlier that Dr. Dexa called you, 'Dr. Luke.' Is 'Luke' the name you finally decided on for yourself, Doctor?"
"Actually, the kindhearted, patient, generous, loving, wise, genius lady who stole my heart and married me ten years ago…she named me 'Luke' after the beloved physician, Luke, in the New Testament."
After a pause, the Captain said, "That's beautiful, Doctor. Congratulations. I'm very happy for you."
"Thank you."
"So who else on this ship has had children? Did you and your wife have kids, Doctor?"
"Yes. My wife and I have beautiful, brilliant, wonderful children. We're very proud of them. Commander Tuvok's first wife, T'Pel, wasn't able to resolve her pon farr many years ago, and she was left with no choice but to divorce Tuvok and take another husband and mate with him so she could survive. Since then, Commander Tuvok and Seven of Nine have gotten married, and despite all of Seven's Borg technology, I was able to help them have a baby. They have a son named Selik."
"I'm very happy for Seven and Tuvok, but at the same time, I really do hate to hear it that things didn't work out between Seven and Chakotay. I was saddened by the fact that Chakotay and I couldn't be together, but I truly was happy for Chakotay that he'd managed to move on with Seven."
"Commander Chakotay and Seven of Nine broke up about a year after they first started seeing each other. And unfortunately, the Commander hasn't been able to find love with anybody else since. But even so, I think he enjoys pouring himself into his position as First Officer. From what all I can see, anyway, I think he's quite happy."
"Well, that's the important thing. And I can tell that you're quite happy as well. Your eyes lit up like a Christmas tree just now when you started talking about your wife and children. And I know you must be on duty today, because otherwise, you wouldn't be here in Sick Bay with me playing this little game of Catch-Up-The-Captain; you'd be with your wife and children now. So since you obviously are on duty, why aren't you in uniform, Mister?" she asked, but not in a scolding tone of voice. Dr. Luke could tell she was just teasing him a bit.
Dr. Luke knowingly smiled, and he answered, "Several years ago, when my wife got pregnant with our second child, I decided that I wanted to be at home with our children, and I officially stepped down as your C.M.O. Today, I am a full-time husband and father, and I also serve as a part-time schoolteacher whenever school's in session for all Voyager's youngest crew-members in the Mess Hall. The rest of the crew help out with teaching the ship's children as much as possible, but I contribute the most. I don't mean that in an arrogant or condescending manner, like I probably would have back when I was an egotistical and obnoxious hologram. I just mean that as a statement of fact. Everyone else helps out whenever and wherever they can, but I work and teach the most hours in our classes. Dr. Dexa is your C.M.O. now, and I must say, she has filled my shoes quite nicely over the years. As a matter of fact, I do believe she's been a much easier C.M.O. for you to get along with than I was back in the day," he said with a self-depreciating chuckle.
"I don't believe I've ever seen you acting this humble before, Doctor. Have Christianity and marriage and fatherhood humbled you that much?"
"Becoming a born-again Christian, a husband, and a father are probably the three most humbling experiences a man could ever go through," Dr. Luke admitted.
"Okay, now for the two million-dollar questions I've been saving for last."
"Fire away."
"Who is my husband? And who is your wife?"
"You'd better brace yourself for this one, Captain. The answer is not going to be what you expect."
"Don't tell me we married each other," the Captain chuckled. But then, as the Doctor remained silent over the next few moments, the realization began to hit her. "You're not serious," she gasped. "Doctor, are you saying that…that you and I…that you and I are a couple? That you and I are married?"
"Married for ten incredible years, with four incredible children we adore, and our fifth and last child on the way in about three months, give or take a couple of weeks."
"Oh, God," the Captain gasped as she buried her face in her hands.
Seeing his wife's great discomfort, Dr. Luke quickly put his hand on her shoulder and told her, "I know, Captain. Believe me, I understand why this is…difficult news to hear. I know how conceited and obnoxious I used to be all those years ago. I understand why you would think that I'm not husband material. I wouldn't want to wake up thirteen years later and find out I'm married to that irritating, arrogant, egotistical nuisance I used to be, either. I know I used to have an ego the size of the entire Delta Quadrant. I know how hard I used to be to get along with. I completely understand your trepidation, and I don't blame you for it a bit. And I know that it might be difficult for you to believe, but I'm not like that anymore, Captain. I'm not that obnoxious, entitled jerk I used to be who expected applause and accolades from the entire crew twenty-four-seven just for existing."
The Captain quickly pulled herself together in that moment, and she told him, "It's not you, Doctor. It doesn't have anything to do with you. I just…I'm just not ready for this. I'm not ready to be somebody's wife. I'm not ready to be somebody's mother. Not right now. I need to take some time to adjust to this. I need you to give me some space."
"I understand. Don't worry. I can step back for a little while. I'll give you all the time and space you need. I'll do anything and everything I possibly can to help you through this."
The Captain nodded and said, "Thank you, Doctor."
"Of course."
"If you don't mind, I…I really need to be alone for a little while."
"I understand," Dr. Luke said kindly, and then, fighting off the overwhelming desire to touch his wife and hold her and kiss her, he quietly walked out of Sick Bay, leaving her alone with her thoughts.