The next morning Janeway sat at the kitchen table yawning over her scrambled eggs. The night had been long and uneventful as she read the classic Sherlock Holmes story to Seven of Nine. Phoebe had relieved her in the morning and sent her downstairs to eat the large breakfast Gretchen was putting on the table for her.
“Mom, there’s enough here for three of me!”
“Kathryn, you’re running yourself ragged. You need to keep your strength up. Now hush and eat your breakfast. Do you want some strawberry preserves for your toast?”
Janeway took a large sip of coffee. “Yeah, that would be great.” She dug into her heaping plate as her mother reached into the refrigeration unit.
“Katie! You better get up here!” Phoebe’s shout from the top of the stairs caused both Janeway heads in the kitchen to snap up. Kathryn leaped to her feet and raced upstairs followed closely by Gretchen. When she burst into her room she saw Seven, still apparently unconscious, but her head had moved slightly and there was a faint frown on her features.
“What happened?” she demanded of Phoebe.
“I was sitting here talking to her and she made this sound and moved her head. Now it looks like she’s back out again.”
Janeway leaned close to the unconscious woman and murmured, “Seven, it’s Captain Janeway. It’s Kathryn. You’re safe now. If you can hear me, you need to wake up, Seven.” There was no response. She turned back to her sister.
“You were talking to her? Not reading? What were you talking about?”
“I was telling her all about you as a child. I told her about the time you decided to run away from home when you were eight, but got hungry and came home in an hour. And about how you tried to walk home from that tennis tournament you lost in that awful storm. And about how horrible you were to me when we were kids.”
“I was horrible to you? I don’t suppose you bothered to tell her how you tormented me my entire childhood and have been a royal pain in the ass ever since? Dammit, Phoebe, how could you?”
Gretchen’s eyes twinkled in delight watching her daughters in the familiar argument. “Phoebe, Kathryn has a point. It wasn’t a good idea to tell her girlfriend all about her faults and failings as a child.”
Janeway swung to face her mother. “Dammit, Mom, she’s not my…”
“C-Cap-tain..?” the soft croak from the bed startled all three Janeways. Kathryn swung back to the bedside, dropped to her knees and grabbed Seven’s hand.
“Seven? Seven?”
Kathryn gazed transfixed as Seven's eyes slowly opened and began to focus on her.
The usual brilliance of those blue eyes seemed slightly dulled, but she felt a small squeeze from the hand she grasped. Seven turned her head to focus on Janeway, her voice a whisper.
“I knew you’d come for me…”
“Always. I will always come for you. Know that.” Janeway looked down at their clasped hands and felt tears begin to well up. When she looked back at Seven, they were glistening in her eyes. “Oh God, I thought I’d lost you...”
Gretchen and Phoebe leaned against the wall and beamed at them.
“Captain…I…is it safe? Where…?”
Janeway kept a firm hold on Seven’s hand and reached out with her other to gently stroke her hair.
“Shhh, you’re at my family home in Indiana. Remember I told you I’d bring you here? Well, I kept my promise. You’re perfectly safe here. You’re going to be just fine.”
The blue eyes cleared a bit. “Your home…in…Indiana?...hoped you’d…ask me…here,” she whispered.
Janeway grinned her lop-sided grin. “Well, I was a little late in getting the invitation to you. But you’re here now and that’s all that matters. I want you to meet my mother and sister. Mom, Phoebe, get over here.”
Gretchen sat on the edge of the bed and gently hugged her houseguest. “I’m so glad to finally get to meet you, Seven. Kathryn’s told us so much about you.”
Phoebe leaned over and squeezed Seven’s shoulder. “I’m Phoebe, the bratty little sister. Don’t believe what she says about me. I’m really okay. Welcome to the family.”
Seven seemed overwhelmed. “Mrs. Janeway…Phoebe…is…very nice…to meet you...”
“Oh sweetheart, it’s Gretchen. How are you feeling? Are you hungry? Could you eat a little something?”
“Eat? Not…really...hungry. Tired…very tired.”
Janeway stroked her hair again. “Then just relax and go to sleep. Mom will try to feed you every hour; it’s what she does. But for right now, just rest. One of us will be here when you wake up. I promise.”
“Promise?”
“Promise. Now close your eyes and sleep. Shhhhh….”
Seven’s eyelids fluttered shut and her breathing evened out as she drifted back into sleep. Kathryn pressed her lips to the hand she still held and gently laid it on the comforter. Gretchen stood up and went into command mode.
“Phoebe, stay with Seven. Kathryn, get back downstairs and finish your breakfast. You’re going to need to tell me what Seven was used to eating on Voyager. As soon as you’ve finished eating, I’ll send Phoebe to the market for what we’ll need. You’ll also need to notify Kate and your EMH that Seven’s awake. Do you know if she likes soup, Kathryn? I’ll need to get a couple of loaves of bread started.” She headed for her command center in the kitchen at full steam. Both her daughters grinned at each other and then hustled to obey her orders.
Later that afternoon Kathryn was reading at Seven’s bedside when she awoke again. Unable to suppress the grin that had been on her face since that morning, she sat on the side of the bed and held Seven’s hand.
“How are you feeling?”
“I am…fatigued. My cortical node is fully functional, as are my implants, but I can’t account for the weariness I feel.”
“Seven, you’re going to feel that way for a while. The EMH and Admiral Pulaski – you don’t know her, but she’s Director of Starfleet Medical – they had you in surgery for almost twelve hours regenerating your implants. They kept you unconscious so your body would have a chance to reintegrate the new implants. When we brought you here you regenerated for a week, and when they were satisfied with the surgical repair you were allowed to wake up. You’re going to have to concentrate on eating and sleeping for the next little while and give your body a chance to heal. You’re not supposed to force your nanoprobes to do it for you. Your cortical node needs to have minimal tasking for a time. The Doctor and Admiral Pulaski will be along later this evening to talk to you and explain everything.”
“I must eat and sleep? That seems an inefficient means of recovery.”
“It may be inefficient, but it’s what us humans do when we’ve been seriously ill or injured. I know you think your Borg parts should be better than that, and they will be soon, but for right now, can I get you to go along with what the doctors want? Believe me, my mother loves to cook and you’ll get the best food in the galaxy.”
Seven regarded her former commanding officer with twinkling eyes. “You have said many times that your mother is an accomplished cook. Has she never tried to teach you to use a replicator properly? If memory serves, some of your culinary efforts on Voyager were…less than acceptable.”
Kathryn feigned shock, her grin belying the tone of her voice. “Gretchen Janeway? The last of the great Traditionalist chefs? Use a replicator? NEVER!” Her grin was so broad it threatened to split her face. “Seriously, Seven, my mother cooks from scratch. She doesn’t use a replicator. In fact, since you woke up this morning she’s been cooking like a madwoman. She sent Phoebe to the market this morning with a shopping list as long as your arm. You’re going to be fed like you never thought possible. Just close your eyes and inhale. Tell me what you smell.”
Seven obediently closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Something meat based I think, and another scent I can’t identify, but it is almost…intoxicating.”
“That, my dear Astrometrics wizard, is homemade bread. All I have to do is stick my head out the door and let Mom know you’re awake and she will be right upstairs with a bowl of beef barley soup and a couple of slabs of still warm from the oven bread slathered in butter. Are you hungry? Shall I call her?”
“I AM hungry, Captain. And I would very much like to try this homemade bread and soup.”
“Seven, I’m not your captain any longer. Would you call me Kathryn?”
“You will always be my Captain. But yes, I will call you Kathryn while we are in your home.”
Janeway nodded, still grinning from ear to ear. “Acceptable. Now, let me help you sit up. You can’t eat lying down in bed.” She piled pillows behind Seven and helped her ease herself back against them. When the former drone was settled comfortably she tucked the covers neatly around her.
“Okay, are you ready for the invasion? I’m sure Phoebe and Mom will want to talk to you.”
“I would very much like to get to know your mother and sister, Kathryn. I owe you all a great deal.”
“You don’t owe us a thing, Seven. When I think about what they tried to do to you…but you and I will need to talk about that later. There are some things we can’t discuss in front of Mom and Phoebe. Do you understand that?”
“Yes, I do, Kathryn. I wish to know everything that happened, but I can wait. Please notify your mother that I am awake and…hungry,” she said with her characteristic small smile.
Janeway went out into the hall and called downstairs to her mother. Gretchen appeared in moments and quickly climbed the stairs bearing a large tray.
“Good afternoon, Seven. Feeling more rested now?”
“Yes, Mrs. Janeway, Gretchen. I am feeling more rested. And also hungry.”
“Well, I’ve got just the thing. Some hot soup and homemade bread. Kathryn, sit in the chair. I’ll take care of Seven while you eat.”
Gretchen set the tray on Seven’s lap and handed Janeway a steaming bowl of soup. She sat on the edge of the bed and handed another to Seven. To the young woman’s dismay, her hands trembled with the weight of it. Gretchen took it from her smoothly and picked up a spoon.
“Forgive me, dear. I forgot that after a long sleep no one has their coordination for a while. Let me help you.” She began to feed Seven spoonfuls of the rich soup.
Janeway leaned forward and snagged a piece of bread from the tray. “Mom, this was probably the thing I missed most out in the Delta Quadrant, your homemade bread. God, it’s wonderful!”
“Thank you, Kathryn. It’s nice to know that even if you can’t cook yourself that you at least appreciate it when someone else does,” Gretchen teased. “Here Seven, try some and tell me what you think.” She handed the young woman a thick slice of warm bread with melted butter. Seven took a big bite and sighed blissfully as she chewed.
“Gretchen, this is…it is…beyond delicious! I do not have words to describe how wonderful your bread tastes.”
Janeway laughed. “Careful, Seven. She’ll feed you so much of it you’ll have to watch out for your figure.”
“Hush, Kathryn. The girl needs to gain some weight. Why, she’s just skin and bones!”
The corners of Seven’s mouth quirked upwards, which for her was a huge smile. “Technically, Gretchen, I am skin and bones and several newly-regenerated Borg implants.” The laughter brightened the room as they ate. Phoebe joined them a few minutes later with fresh paint smears on her tee-shirt. Seven regarded them quizzically and asked about their origin.
“Hasn’t Kathryn told you anything about me except that I was the bane of her existence as a child? I’m an artist, Seven. I moved back here several years ago and built my house about a quarter of a mile away near the pond. I converted what used to be a chicken coop into my studio. I was working there when I got hungry and came up to the house to see what Mom had on the stove.”
“Phoebe’s last show in Paris was a huge success,” Gretchen told her proudly. “Not only did she receive great critical acclaim, she was asked to give a series of lectures at the Gallerie Nationale.”
Phoebe grinned at her mother’s obvious bias. “Yeah, it never ceases to amaze me what a few good critical reviews do for your reputation and your bank account. But seriously, Seven, when you’re back on your feet I’ll take you to my studio. I’d love for you to pose for me sometime if you wouldn’t mind.”
Seven frowned at the request. “I do not believe I would enjoy…posing for you, Phoebe. I would not be…comfortable…on a couch for any length of time.”
The Janeways looked confused at her response until the lightbulb went off in Kathryn’s head and she began to laugh. “Oh, Seven, I’d almost forgotten that!” And she told them the story of the EMH deciding that he should be able to daydream and how his daydreams had taken over his primary programming. Her descriptions of his daydreamed exploits as the Emergency Command Hologram and as a Renaissance painter with Seven as his nude model in the holodeck made Phoebe laugh so hard she collapsed across the foot of the bed in mirth.
“Don’t worry, Seven,” she gasped between hoots of laughter, “I don’t do nudes. I’d just want to sketch you. You could stand or sit in a chair, and you’d keep your clothes on!”
“In that case, Phoebe, I would be glad to pose for you when I am ‘back on my feet’.”
The conversation and good food made time pass quickly and Seven was amazed to discover that she had managed to eat an entire bowl of soup and two pieces of bread. Gretchen noticed the wisps of fatigue in her eyes, however, and promptly ordered everyone out so Seven could nap until dinner. Kathryn lingered after Gretchen and Phoebe had taken their leave with the much lightened tray and helped get Seven settled for sleep.
“I know this is hard for you, Seven. But I promise to keep my sister and mother from bothering you too much until you feel strong enough to deal with them.”
“Your mother and sister are wonderful, Kathryn, and they are anything but a bother. If I am upset it is with the weakness in myself.”
“Just rest. You’ll feel stronger every day.”
Seven glanced around the room as Janeway moved to close the curtains and dim the afternoon light that poured in.
“Is this the guest quarters of your home?”
Janeway chuckled. “No. In fact, this is my bedroom. I grew up in this room.”
Seven looked alarmed and made as if to get out of bed. “Then I should move to an appropriate place. I don’t wish to keep you from your room!”
“Settle down, just settle down. You’re not keeping me from my room. I’m sleeping in the guest room across the hall. It’s no bother. When we brought you here my room was made up, but the guest room wasn’t. It’s no big deal. Just lay back and sleep. If you feel strong enough after you eat some dinner we can talk about what happened to you.”
Seven eased back down into the comfortable bed. “I would like that very much. My internal chronometer is functional, but I am not sure of what day this is or how much time has passed since…”
“It’s the eleventh day since they abducted you. B’Elanna discovered your disappearance the following Monday morning. By the time we got you back to Stafleet Medical you were in surgery until early Tuesday morning. We brought you here and you were regenerating for seven days. That ended yesterday afternoon. This morning you woke up. For the time being you don’t need to worry about anything more than that, okay? You just sleep when you’re tired, and eat as much as you can, and you’ll be fully functional again in no time.”
Seven smiled at the compact woman. “Is that an order, Captain?”
“Do I need to make it one?”
“No, but I am…unaccustomed to sleeping very much. I do not know if I will be able to comply with the medical orders to do so.”
“Just relax. If you’re tired, you’ll fall asleep. Trust me. Would you like for me to stay here with you until you do?”
“I…that would be…acceptable, Kathryn. Thank you.”
Janeway settled back in the bedside chair and took hold of Seven’s hand. Her smile was the last thing Seven saw as she drifted off to sleep.