In Dreams

Part 5

Tom Paris prepared sickbay for the stranger, and though he had told Seven to report to Captain Janeway, she stayed put.

Seven watched the door. "If the Captain is escorting the man to sickbay, I’ll simply meet her here."

"Seven, you know that's not what the Captain meant." Tom went over some of his basic medical training in his head. "And as much as I would like to have you here, I don't recommend you staying. But it's your hide."

The sickbay doors whooshed open and Seven felt her heart race as she stepped aside and out of view as the Captain entered with the new guest. She led him to the Iso unit, for privacy.

Tom managed to hold back his curiosity about the man, his ship, his travels. Somehow he managed to begun a preliminary exam while the Captain spoke with him.

"Tepes." Kathryn started. "I hope you'll understand my curiosity-"

"And that of your crew?" He asked it in an elegant manner, and answered in an equally elegant fashion.

"Of course. I imagine you have many questions?"

"Yes, not the least of which is how a human from Earth finds himself all the way out here in the Delta Quadrant." Kathryn smiled at the irony. "Of course, you'll ask the same of us."

Tepes smiled.

Seven stepped into the Iso unit then, and addressed the Captain. "Captain, I understand you wanted to see me." Her eyes avoided the man. Everything in her wanted to go to him. Everything in her wanted to run away. She stood still.

Kathryn found herself distracted momentarily; she had the urge to push Seven away, to pull her, to save her somehow. From what?

From who?

Seven knew her chest heaved in a heavy breath. She knew her face was flushed, and she could feel his eyes on her. He was telling her to go. He would find her.

Kathryn remembered the dream she'd had, and though she couldn't remember the face of the man who had taken Seven, she knew this reaction was most likely related to that horrible nightmare. She relaxed immediately, and her concern for Seven surfaced again.

"Seven, please report to your chamber. I’ll come to see you as soon as I am finished welcoming our guest."

"Yes, Captain." Seven nodded, and allowed a glance at Tepes, but didn't make eye contact. She turned away, left sickbay. She wondered if she could fight this. It was much like being in the collective. His thoughts were hers… or hers his. It was as if she belonged to him.

Kathryn turned her attention back to the man. "As you are aware, your shuttle pilot is dead. We have had
the body taken to the ship's morgue. We'll let you know what the results of the autopsy-"

"No." Tepes spoke, his voice stern and dripping of dominance.

Kathryn kept her cool for the sake of relations, but inside her a small fire exploded at being spoken to in such a manner.

Tepes regained his own composure. He smiled a little, and his manner became apologetic. "My pilot- his people do not believe in corruption of the body. He must be cremated at once."

Kathryn had indeed heard of this- the race the monk belonged to had specific rules about death. "Consider it done."

"Thank you."

Tom put down his tricorder and made a final PADD notation. "Everything checks out. Some anemia, which is to be expected- your stasis chamber wasn't working properly. You could use a good meal, and maybe some exercise after your time in that cocoon, but other than that you are in perfect health."

"Wonderful." Kathryn said, and stood back as Tepes moved from the biobed. "My First Officer is on his way, and he'll show you to your quarters. Once you are settled, perhaps you'd give us the honor of dining with the crew in the mess hall."

"It would be my honor." His eyes made contact with Kathryn's, and he took her hand for a moment.

"And there I will tell you all you want to know."

Behind Kathryn, the sickbay doors opened and Chakotay arrived.

Tepes had released Kathryn's hand and nodded a good-bye to her as he turned to Chakotay. "The First Officer?"

"Yes", Kathryn said, and introductions passed quickly. She watched as Chakotay left with Tepes.

"Tom." She said.

"Yes, Captain."

"I’ll be in Seven's quarters. If our guest needs anything, please see that he has it."

"Yes, ma'am."

Kathryn walked out of sickbay, her focus on Seven again. She would see that Seven didn't go to dinner with their new guest.

She wasn't sure why, but her gut told her to keep Seven and him apart…

Jealous, Kathryn?

She knew inside she probably was. Tepes was a good-looking man, elegant, refined. Seven was beautiful, and Kathryn had seen the way Tepes had looked at her. And with Seven's recent problems it would be best to keep her isolated anyway.

Wouldn't it?

In any case, she now had the task of talking with Seven about the state of her health and emotional life.
The dead shuttle pilot came to mind. Kathryn would need to notify the morgue to cremate the body… but first, to Seven's bay.

*

When Kathryn found Seven's cargo bay empty, she was disappointed, but not surprised.

She felt a Captain's disapproval, but she felt a friend's concern. She should have spoken with Seven
before now, but with Tepes and the Doctor's disappearance, as well as her usual duties, she simply hadn't had the time.

She should have made the time. She had been acting in capacity as Seven's counselor since the beginning,
and now when Seven needed her, she wasn't available.

Stepping back into the corridor from Sevens bay, Kathryn requested Seven's location from the computer.
"Seven is in guest quarters alpha one."

Tepes’ quarters.

Kathryn held her jealousy in check. Why Seven had gone there, she didn't know yet and would find out soon enough.

Chakotay must have just barely left Tepes there himself.

There was the urge to run, but Kathryn resisted in favor of a brisk walk to the turbolift, and once inside, commanded the lift to bypass all levels other her destination. Upon exiting the turbolift, she walked a bit more quickly to Tepes’ door. She pressed the security pad to announce her presence.

No answer.

She waited only a moment, and ordered it open, "Computer, override security protocols and open this door. Authorization Janeway."

The computer recognized her authority and the door opened, allowing Kathryn to step inside the dark room.

"Lights."

Stunned still, Kathryn saw not the vision from her nightmare, but something far worse- worse for its reality, and the next moments passed quickly.

Kathryn barely registered that Tepes was standing in the center of the room until he lifted his head with eyes acid with anger at this interruption.

His hands held Seven's head to his chest, her blond hair cascading loosely, and her mouth pressed against a large and bleeding gash. She was on her knees, her hands like claws on Tepes’ arms.
Kathryn could hear her swallowing voraciously.

By the time Kathryn pulled her weapon, Tepes was gone, suddenly no longer human, but vaporous and escaping into the Jeffries Tube venting, and Seven lying unconscious on the floor.

Kathryn quickly pressed her combadge and as she reached the floor, saw that Seven's throat had been neatly cut across one side, and her mouth and face were smeared with Tepes’ blood.

"Computer, seal off all ventilation and Jeffries Tubes, now." Her second and third commands came as she delicately lifted Seven's head onto her lap. "Security meet me in sickbay. Sickbay, emergency transport."

Revulsion at what she had seen hit her stomach just as the transporter beam found her and Seven.

*

Blood was fairly unusual in Voyager's sickbay.

Tom helped the Captain lift Seven onto the biobed in the iso unit, and immediately handed Kathryn a dermal regenerator. He let her close Seven's throat as he read the tricorder and the medical console.
There was little blood in Seven's wound. Just parted flesh as if there never was blood there, and pressing the separated skin together could seal it up.

"She's lost a lot of blood." He said it and felt foolish for it. As if anyone needed to be told. Seven's pallor was enough to know. "Computer, begin hemoregeneration."

The biobed’s surgical unit slid out and closed over Seven's chest. The computer beeped in protest.

"Unknown blood type."

"Synthesize it, computer." Kathryn commanded.

Tom wasn't prepared for the next announcement from the computer.

"Unable to comply." The surgical unit opened up like wings spreading, and slid back into place under the cushion.

Tom watched the medical console, "Captain-"

"I see it, Tom." Her eyes scanned the wall console.

Seven's organs were shutting down from lack of blood, and her Borg technology was doing nothing to stop it.

Another beep of protest from the computer and Tom read the results of the latest scan. "Her implants are being rejected." He worked as quickly as he could, administering the proper hyposprays.

One organ would begin to react to the hypospray and another would shut down. He'd rescue that organ, and the next would go. All the while, the skin around her implants began to pucker and pull away from the Borg materials. Necrosis in those areas was almost immediate.

"Without the blood she needs…" Tom let himself trail off. He watched the wall console.

Kathryn's eyes watched also as the computer scanned Seven again. Her heart froze as the computer reported each scan.

"Total respiratory failure is imminent. Total renal failure is imminent. Total hepatic-"

"Computer, silence." Kathryn's voice was thick. She looked down at Seven's near hand, and allowed herself to take it in both her own hands.

Tom stood back. His arms at his sides, he was lost and hopeless. He couldn't help Seven. She was dying and he couldn't stop it.

The wall console blinked and all readings settled.

"Computer, audio on."

Kathryn knew tears flooded her eyes. She knew, as she looked down at the face of her beautiful Astrometrics officer that her heart would never be the same. Seven's blood smeared face was peaceful.

The computer made its final statement on the patient.

"Seven of Nine has died."

*

End Part 5