Part 3
Chapter Nine
Del's eyes widened in surprise when she stepped into her quarters,
apparently Maintenance had not wasted any time. The Chief Maintenance
Engineer had contacted her shortly after she and Seven arrived in
Astrometrics that morning for the security code to her door and to ask how
she wanted the quarters reconfigured.
Janeway had kept her word that she would get the ball rolling immediately.
Del had tried to get Seven involved in the reconfiguration of what was to
be their quarters but she had deferred to Del.
Del walked around checking out all the changes. The large dining room
table and chairs were gone. In their place was a much smaller two person
table with two chairs tucked in a corner near the replicator. The size of
the living room had been reduced; where there had been a couch and a side
chair with ottoman now only the couch remained.
A second desk with a terminal inset in it's top had been added near the
first desk so they sat back to back. Stepping into her bedroom she noticed
the large walk-in closet was gone and had been replaced by a standard
model. Opening the door to the ensuite, she saw a second door on the other
side, leading to what would be Seven's bedroom. Walking through the
ensuite, she entered Seven's bedroom. It was smaller than hers but sported
the same queen size bed she had. The only other furnishing in the room was
a small nightstand next to the bed. There was a small closet in the far
wall but no replicator. Del wondered if Seven would like it. Yawning
hugely, she made her way back out to the living room.
Del flopped down on the couch with a groan. She was beat. After being up
all night in the cargo bay then working a full shift in Astrometrics she
was about asleep on her feet. Seven had chosen to remain in Astrometrics
working on the survey of the planet they were now orbiting. It was the
planet she had been scanning with long distance sensors that was hoped
would provide the ship with much needed supplies.
Janeway had ordered extended sensor scans before making the decision to
send down an away team. Her experience in the Delta quadrant had made her
very cautious about beaming down to an unknown planet. With the incidents
Del had read about in the mission logs, she couldn't say she blamed her.
Del closed her eyes hoping to catch a nap before Seven arrived. Though she
was nearing exhaustion she could not help worrying about the blond. Seven
had been especially subdued today and when Del had suggested they get some
lunch, Seven had refused despite repeated requests.
Finally unable to ignore her growling stomach Del had gone to lunch alone.
The mess hall was abuzz with speculation about the events in the cargo bay
and Daniels and Philips imprisonment in the brig. After fending off
repeated questions Del made her escape. She couldn't fault Seven for her
decision not to join her. Despite her worry she eventually dosed off.
The chiming of her door jerked Del upright. She grimaced. She'd fallen
asleep on the couch and now along with being exhausted, her neck was
killing her. Stumbling over to the door still groggy, she hit the com
panel.
"Yes, what is it?" she growled irritably.
She was met with momentary silence then a hesitant voice answered. "It's
Seven of Nine."
Del immediately hit the door release and beckoned Seven inside. "You don't
have to signal at the door Seven. That's why I gave you the security code."
"I did not wish to intrude if you were busy."
"You're not intruding. You live here now; these are your quarters too. You
can come and go as you please," Del explained patiently. "Come on, I'll
show you your bedroom."
Seven allowed Del to lead her across the cabin to the new door set in the
far wall. She looked around the room with interest but with none of the
excitement Del expected.
"What's wrong, don't you like it?" For the first time she was having a
hard time reading Seven's emotions. It happened sometimes when she was
overly tired; her abilities just did not seem to work as well.
Seven didn't answer Del's question nor would she meet her eyes. "It is
very nice, thank you," Seven said finally, obviously parroting one of the
doctor's stock polite phrases.
Del took hold of Seven's arm, "Come on," she said, leading her over to the
couch. She sat down and pulled Seven down right next to her. "What's going
on, Seven?"
"Going on?" Seven repeated as if she didn't understand the phrase.
Del knew different. "You know what I mean," Del said sternly, calling
Seven on her evasion. Seven still had not met her eyes. Del reached out
and gently lifted her chin. She was surprised by the uncertainty she saw
in Seven's eyes. "Whatever it is, Seven, you know you can trust me."
Seven took a deep breath and seemed to come to a decision. "Do you think I
made Daniels do what he did?"
"WHAT!" Of course not!" Del replied adamantly. "What would make you think
such a thing?" Seven looked down, refusing to reply. "Seven?"
"I heard several crewmen talking this afternoon. One of them said it was
my fault what Daniels did, because of the way I display myself. He said,
'of course people are going to react, who wouldn't, when someone flaunts
themselves like that?'" Seven looked down at the tight biosuit she
customarily wore. "The doctor designed my biosuit to support my implants
after he removed my exo-plating. I do not understand… do I do that…flaunt
myself? I do not mean to," Seven said worriedly.
Del ground her teeth together in anger at the ignorance displayed by some
of the crew. Forcing herself to be calm she again lifted Seven's chin and
waited until she made eye contact.
"You did absolutely nothing to encourage Daniels. What he did was a crime,
that's why he's in the brig. The crewman you overheard were probably
friends of Daniels or Philips. They were making up excuses trying to
justify and defend what their friend had done. There's no justification
for what he did. It was wrong and it had nothing to do with how you dress
or act."
Seven looked over at Del, her expression open and vulnerable. Del reached
out and wrapped her arms around Seven. She was surprised and concerned to
find her trembling.
"Everything is going to be fine, I promise," Del assured her.
"Do you still wish to date me?" Seven asked unsurely.
"Of course I do, Seven. Have you changed your mind?" Del asked, trying not
to show her own sudden concern.
"NO!" Seven declared adamantly making Del smile. "I did not know if you
would wish to continue after what happened in the cargo bay."
Del pulled back from Seven until she could meet her eyes. "What would make
you think that? I told you nothing that happened in the bay was your
fault."
Seven stared into Del's eyes then finally looked down before replying. "I
did not think you would wish to touch me after he…"
Del was truly shocked; she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Now she
realized what had been bothering Seven all day.
Del's lack of response just confirmed Seven's suspicions. She pulled away
from Del and attempted to stand.
Del's arms tightened around her drawing her back into her arms and
refusing to let go.
"Listen to me, Seven. I love you! I'm furious about what Daniels and
Philips did to you in the cargo bay but it in no way changes the way I
feel about you."
Del pulled back slightly and again met Seven's eyes. Deciding that
sometimes actions spoke louder than words she slowly leaned forward giving
Seven plenty of time to refuse. She gently brought their lips together and
kissed Seven with all the feelings she had for her. The kiss was gentle
and filled with love. When Seven started to respond Del let the kiss
escalate, softly licking Seven's lip asking for entrance. Seven's mouth
opened and she whimpered when Del's tongue slipped inside and entwined
with hers. The lack of air eventually forced them apart. Both women were
breathing heavily and Del could feel her heart pounding in her chest as
well as Seven's beating rapidly against her breast. Del couldn't help
smiling when Seven's eyes remained closed for several moments after the
kiss broke.
Seven's eyes slowly fluttered open and a contented smile graced her face.
She turned pressing herself against Del and pushing her back against the
couch cushions. Tightening her arms around her, she pressed their upper
bodies tightly together, burying her face in Del's neck. Del tightened her
arms around Seven returning the heartfelt hug.
"Okay now?"
Seven seemed overcome by her emotions; she simply nodded her head against
Del's shoulder but made no move to break the embrace.
Del was more than happy to hold Seven for as long as she needed. She
shifted slightly drawing Seven further onto the couch and into a more
comfortable position against her. Del stroked Seven's hair then unable to
resist, released it from its customary tight bun, allowing it to flow over
Seven's shoulders. Seven unconsciously groaned in pleasure, leaning harder
into Del as she ran her fingers through her hair. The sound sent a shot of
arousal straight between Del's legs. Knowing she couldn't let this turn
sexual she gently eased Seven away from her.
"Ready for some dinner?"
Seven's response was to bury her face back in Del's neck.
Del laughed good-naturedly and urged Seven off the couch.
* * * * *
Del yawned and stretched before glancing at the time. It was still early;
she didn't need to be up for another hour. She was pleased to note that
the lights were on in the main cabin. She had not been able to convince
Seven to sleep in her new room but was happy to know she remained in
their cabin.
Dinner last night had been a quiet affair as they shared their first
meal as roommates. Del had fought to stay awake, but lost the battle not
long after dinner. She had retired to bed leaving Seven to work. Seven
had insisted that since she regenerated the night before she didn't
require sleep. Del had been too tired to argue. Sensing Seven's presence
she rolled over and saw her standing in the doorway.
Seven had spent the night working, drawing comfort from Del's nearness.
After so many lonely nights spent in the cargo bay recently it surprised
her how soothing it was just to know Del was in the next room. When she
heard her stir she had been drawn almost unconsciously to the doorway of
Del's bedroom.
"Good morning," Del greeted with a sleepy smile. "Come on in," she
invited, sliding over and patting the side of the bed.
Seven sat down gingerly on the bed. "Good morning," she greeted softly.
"Did you work all night?"
"Yes, I completed the sensor scans of the planet. It is uninhabited with
lush tropical areas. We should be able to find plentiful foodstuffs."
"Humm…" Del murmured not really paying attention. She was mesmerized by
Seven's hair flowing over her shoulders and the starlight reflecting in
her eyes. Seven had left her hair down after Del had removed the pins
last night. She reached up and stroked Seven's cheek then ran her thumb
along the implant at her jaw line. Seven shivered and pressed into Del's
touch. "You're so beautiful," Del said in a low husky whisper. She
smiled into Seven's eyes when a faint blush of pleasure covered her
cheeks. Her hand slid into Seven's hair and she slowly drew her down.
Seven whimpered when their lips met in a series of soft, feather light
kisses. She instinctively grasped Del's shoulder to keep from falling on
her. Del brought her arms up around Seven's back and urged her the rest
of the way down until she was half laying on Del's chest, their breasts
pressed firmly together.
Seven's emotions were rapidly spiraling out of control. This time she
initiated the kiss. Del groaned and opened her mouth when Seven's tongue
tentatively brushed her lips seeking entrance.
Del was sure she was going to come when Seven pressed her tongue into
her mouth and started to explore. She pulled back from the kiss gasping
as she tried to regain control of herself. It was taking all her
self-control not to pull Seven into the bed with her and ease the
throbbing ache between her legs. Del knew she should stop this; it was
moving way too fast.
Seven laid her head on Del's shoulder. Her whole body felt strange and
tingly all over where it was pressed to Del's. The pounding pulse
between her legs she had felt the last time they kissed good morning was
back with a vengeance.
"Please…" Seven begged, not even knowing what she was asking for. She
grasped Del's wrist and pressed her hand between her legs.
Del lost control when she felt her hand pushed between Seven's legs then
held there. She cupped Seven's sex in her hand and squeezed. Capturing
Seven's lips in a steaming kiss, she thrust her tongue deep into Seven's
mouth. Seven's hips started to jerk as Del began to stroke her through
her thick biosuit. It wasn't but moments later that Seven's body
stiffened and she pulled away from the torrid kiss, crying out as her
body shuddered.
Del howled in pain as Seven climaxed. Seven was still trying to recover
from her first orgasm when she realized something was seriously wrong.
Del pushed hard against her chest and tried to pull away from her. Seven
released her hold on Del and sat up, still shaking. As soon as her
weight was gone, Del sat up against the headboard. She was breathing
heavily and cradling her arm to her chest.
"What's wrong?" Seven asked frantically.
Del gulped, the pain in her wrist was unbelievable. "I think my arm's
broken," she admitted, her voice harsh with pain.
Seven looked at Del's arm and saw the rapidly forming bruises and the
deformed look of her forearm. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her
and stared at Del unbelievingly for several seconds. Coming to her
senses she called out, "Computer, Medical emergency! Two to transport
directly to sickbay."
"Wait…" Del started to protest but not quickly enough as she felt the
transporter beam take her. Next thing she knew she was sitting on the
floor in the middle of sickbay.
"Activate the EMH," Seven called as soon as they materialized.
"State the nature of the medical emergency." The Doctor said as he
appeared. He picked up a tricorder and approached Seven where she knelt
on the floor next to Del. "What's the problem, Seven?" he asked,
starting to scan her. He had heard the rumors about Seven's new living
arrangements. Finding her here in sickbay with her hair down around her
shoulders and her new roommate in tow was a bit of a surprise.
"Not me! Del is hurt. Do something!" Seven demanded. The Doctor gaped,
astounded by her emotional tone. She didn't wait for the doctor to
respond. She wrapped one arm around Del's back and slipped the other
under her knees. Standing she easily picked Del up and carried her over
to one of the bio beds.
Del was in too much pain to protest Seven's manhandling.
The doctor ran his tricorder over Del's forearm. "What happened here?"
he demanded. "Two of the bones in your wrist are fractured and the bones
at the distal end of your forearm are shattered." Not waiting for an
answer, he reached for a hypospray and injected its contents into Del's
neck.
Del let out a big sigh of relief when the pain in her arm and wrist
subsided. She glanced over at Seven but she refused to meet her eyes.
Del had been in so much pain she had not realized how upset Seven was.
Now that her head was clearer she could sense Seven's roiling emotions.
She reached out with her uninjured hand to touch Seven. Del frowned when
she stepped away from her touch. "Seven…" she began. The doctor
interrupted.
"I'm waiting, Commander."
Del turned and glared at the doctor. She wished he would just use the
bone knitter and dermal regenerator and let her be on her way. She had
no intention of telling the EMH the real circumstances of her injury. "I
fell out of bed."
The Doctor snorted in disbelief. Seven's head jerked up and met her eyes
in surprise. Del smiled reassuringly before she could look away.
"Yep, must've been some dream, tumbled right out and landed on top of my
arm. It was a good thing Seven was there and acted so quickly."
He looked at her suspiciously. "This is a crush injury. You couldn't
have gotten it from falling out of bed," he stated categorically.
"Well I did," Del insisted.
Seven started to speak but a quick warning glance from Del silenced her.
"Is that what happened Seven?" The Doctor questioned having caught the
quick exchange.
Del jumped in before Seven could answer. "She wasn't in the room when it
happened. She came in when she heard me cry out." The Doctor opened his
mouth to question Seven further but Del cut him off. "I told you what
happened. Now fix my arm so I can return to my quarters," she demanded.
"This is highly irregular Commander," complained The Doctor.
Del glared at the EMH.
"Very well," he huffed and repaired Del's arm.
Del flexed her arm. There was some residual soreness but otherwise it
felt normal. "Thank you." She told the doctor as graciously as she could.
"No strenuous use of that arm and no heavy lifting for at least a week,"
The Doctor ordered.
Del nodded her acceptance and turned to Seven. "Let's go home." She
stopped at the door when she realized she was still in her pajamas. She
stepped over to the replicator and ordered up a robe. After donning it,
she turned to Seven, who still stood hesitantly near the door. Del knew
she was still very upset and was feeling incredibly guilty.
"Everything's okay…I promise." Del tried to assure Seven. She reached
and put her hand in the small of Seven's back. Del felt a stab of pain
when Seven pulled away breaking the contact. Deciding not to push her,
Del dropped her hand down to her side and didn't attempt to touch Seven
again.
They made their way back to their quarters in silence.
* * * * *
Del keyed the door and they stepped inside. Seven went directly
to her workstation and picked up several data pads. She turned around
and headed directly for the door. She had not said a word since they
left sickbay.
Del stared in astonishment, then found her voice just as the cabin doors
slid open. "Where are you going?"
Seven stopped in the doorway but didn't turn around. "I must report to
duty." Her voice sounded as cold and aloof as Del had ever heard it. But
she wasn't fooled, she could feel the waves of pain and guilt flowing
off Seven.
"Please come back inside, we need to talk."
Seven shook her head adamantly and quickly stepped through the doors and
was gone.
Del stood frozen in place for several seconds. She couldn't believe
Seven had just walked away. Cursing she headed toward the door to track
her down. She stopped short when she realized she was still in her
pajamas. Snarling she rushed into her bedroom and quickly changed into
her uniform then headed out after Seven of Nine.
* * * * *
Del had anxiously paced Astrometrics for fifteen minutes. When Seven had
run out of their cabin she assumed she would head there. Growling in
frustration, she had eventually queried the computer as to Seven's
location only to find out she was in Cargo Bay Two. She headed there
immediately determined to talk to Seven about what had happened earlier.
Del came to an abrupt halt to keep from smacking into the cargo bay
doors. They hadn't opened at her approach as she expected. What the
hell! She hit the door override to no affect. Slamming her hand
into the panel in irritation she called to the computer.
"Computer, open the doors to Cargo Bay Two."
"Unable to comply."
Del growled. "Why not?"
"The cargo bay doors have been sealed from inside."
"Override!"
"Unable to comply. Security lockout in place."
"Damn it!" Del snarled. Reaching up she slapped her combadge. "Del to
Seven." No response. "Seven, please respond." Nothing. "Computer, is the
com system working?"
"Communications system is operating within normal parameters."
"Fine, so she can hear me, she's just ignoring me…" Del muttered.
"Computer, override the security lockout on the cargo bay doors, my
authorization: MacMillan, Delta, Zero Five Eight One, Omega."
"Unable to comply."
Del was frustrated beyond belief and quickly becoming angry. She slapped
her combadge again. "Seven! Open the doors! I know you can hear me!" She
waited a few moments for a response then approached the computer
terminal next to the door determinately. Alright then, I'll just
override the damn door manually!
Del worked for several minutes growing more aggravated and irate by the
second. "What the hell! -- Borg encryption codes!" She slumped against
the wall in defeat; she would never be able to override them. Damn
it Seven! Why are you doing this? It was an accident! She brushed
irritably at the tears that had begun to trail down her face. She jumped
when her combadge tone sounded.
"Seven," she called eagerly.
"Um…no, it's Chakotay. You were due on the bridge twenty minutes ago.
The captain is in her ready room but I don't know how much longer she'll
stay in there…"
"Thanks, Chakotay, I'll be right there."
"No problem…just hurry," Chakotay urged before breaking the connection.
Del gave one last longing look at the cargo bay doors before heading to
duty on the bridge.
* * * * *
Seven sat in the cargo bay at the base of her alcove. She had heard Del
over the com line and it had taken every bit of her will power to keep
from answering her. She watched her attempts to override the lock on the
bay doors but knew she did not stand a chance against the Borg
encryption codes she had set in place.
Seven could not face Del after what she had done. She did not understand
why Del was even speaking to her. She couldn't get the image of Del
cradling her bruised and broken arm out of her mind. Seven felt
physically ill knowing that she had injured the one person who truly
loved her. Not to mention the fact that she had been the only person to
ever accept her just as she was. She was certain Del would stop loving
her now that she had seen what she was really capable of. Seven had
tried to warn her that she was not human and now she knew first hand
that it was true.
Seven hugged her knees to her chest and looked around the cargo bay.
After just two nights spent in Del's cabin, the cargo bay seemed like a
bleak lonely prison. But it was more than she deserved after what she
had done to Del.
* * * * *
Chapter Ten
Del headed down the corridor toward the transporter room cursing under
her breath.
She had smiled her thanks at Chakotay when she stepped onto the bridge
only seconds before the captain summoned her to her ready room to brief
her on the away mission. Del had only had time to get a tricorder issued
and pick up a phaser from the armory before reporting to the transporter
room. She hadn't had time to try and talk to Seven again before going
down to the planet. Del hoped she could get Seven alone for a few
minutes once they were dirt side.
She stepped into the transporter room and checked out her away team.
Although Janeway had assigned her as Commander of the away team, the
Captain had chosen the other members of her team.
The away team was to consist of Seven of Nine, B'Elanna Torres, Harry
Kim, Janice Lewis from Security, as well as someone from planetary
sciences. She acknowledged B'Elanna and Harry then nodded to the dark
haired woman she assumed was Lewis as she was dressed in security colors.
Glancing around the room she looked for Seven. Del couldn't help the
quick grimace when she spotted Commander Grimes. The selection of the
crewmember from Planetary Sciences had been left up to the head of that
department. Grimes had been avoiding her since her dressing him down in
the mess hall. Del had hoped he would send someone else from his
department. She wondered where Seven was.
"Great, now we can go," B'Elanna stated impatiently. She was looking
forward to some time off the ship.
"Not yet. Seven's not here."
"Captain Janeway just called down, Seven's not coming. She said we were
good to go as soon as you arrived."
As much as Del wanted to contact the Captain and question Seven's
absence she knew she could not. Forcing away the distracting thoughts
about Seven, Del readied her team. No matter how much she was hurting
over the situation with Seven she knew being less than 100% on a strange
planet could get you or your people killed. She resolved to confront
Seven as soon as she came back onboard.
* * * * *
Del looked around as her people surveyed the area. So far they had found
plenty of edible fruits quite near the beam down site. The area was very
lush with a riot of tropical plants. The fruits they had found so far
had been unbelievably similar to those found in the tropical regions of
earth. There were the local equivalent of bananas, mangos and a large
melon that while it's deep purple color and thick skin was reminiscent
of an eggplant, tasted like a cantaloupe.
Del looked up when Harry Kim called to her. "Over here, Commander."
"What have you got Harry?" Her brow furrowed and she frowned as she
examined the burned and blasted looking bush he had found. The plant
must have originally been almost six feet tall and four feet wide. The
whole center area of the plant appeared to have suffered some kind of a
blast; it was a burned, twisted mess.
"What the hell caused that?"
"According to the tricorder readings, it's from a lightening strike, a
big one," Harry explained. "This isn't the only one either. At first I
wasn't concerned but I've been finding plants like this scattered all
over the area."
"How recent are they?"
"I estimate three, four weeks at the most. I think the only reason we
don't see any evidence of fires spreading because of this can be
attributed to the large amount of precipitation the area receives. The
storm that caused this must've been big, Commander…very big," Harry
added, cautiously looking up at the sky.
The repeated scans of the planet had shown that the area was prone to
frequent large rainstorms. But nothing in the reports mentioned any
potentially devastating storms that could do this kind of damage. Still
Del couldn't afford to ignore this.
She gazed into the clear purple sky; there wasn't a cloud in sight.
"Good call, Harry. Check in with Voyager and request constant
atmospheric scans of the surrounding area. Tell them I want to know the
second there is even a hint of a storm front approaching."
"Aye… Commander."
* * * * *
The storm struck without warning an hour later. The sky was clear
without a cloud in sight, and then in less than a minute it turned a
sickly green color. The wind whipped up, lightening started to flash,
and then the deluge hit.
The away team had been in the process of regrouping at the beam down
site. The team had completed their preliminary survey and was ready to
return to Voyager. They were waiting for Commander Grimes. He had found
an interesting cave formation approximately 400 meters away. He had just
stepped back into the clearing when the storm struck.
"Get under the canopy of the trees," Del shouted to her team. It wasn't
the safest place to be in a thunderstorm but the rain was coming down so
hard it stung.
As they were making their way under the trees lightening struck nearby
knocking them down. Del shook her head, her skin still tingling…that had
been close.
"Everyone okay?" she shouted, making sure everyone got back to their
feet. At the answering nods from her team they continued forward to the
shelter of the trees.
Del didn't waste any time, even under the trees the rain was drenching
them and the temperature had dropped significantly. "MacMillan to
Voyager…five to beam up." Del growled when she didn't get a response.
"MacMillan to Voyager!" she shouted over the storm. Del watched in
growing frustration as the members of the team tried their combadges in
an attempt to contact Voyager.
Harry moved over next to Del. "There's something in the atmosphere
that's blocking our com signals," he shouted.
"Great…just great," she snarled sarcastically. "We need to find shelter."
She motioned to Grimes. "How big is the cave you found? Will it hold all
of us?" She questioned close to his ear. The rain and wind were making
it difficult to communicate.
"It's not very big but it's got to be better than this."
With Grimes leading the way they quickly made their way to the cave.
Lightening continued to strike the surrounding area but so far nothing
as close as that first strike in the clearing. Grimes stopped abruptly
and Del almost ran into him.
"What's wrong?"
He had stopped at the edge of another clearing. Grimes pointed across
the clearing where Del could just make out what must be the cave he had
found. Still wondering why he had stopped she quickly got her answer. A
bolt of lightening hit the ground two meters in front of them. Del felt
her hair stand up and her skin tingle from the discharge. As she watched
the clearing took two more strikes.
Everyone looked at her nervously. Del huddled her people around her. "I
don't think we have a lot of choice here…we have to get out of this
storm." As if to punctuate her words lightening struck and a large plant
exploded several meters away in the jungle behind them. "Everyone spread
out and make a run for it," she ordered.
Del took the lead and started to run for the cave. It was only six
meters but it seemed much further as soon as she left the cover of the
trees and felt the rain full force.
They had almost made it to the cave when tragedy struck.
* * * * *
Seven watched the whirling storm on the bridge viewscreen, her
anxiety rising. She had been in Astrometrics monitoring atmospheric
conditions after being contacted by
Ensign Kim. She had immediately tried to contact the away team when the
storm suddenly appeared. There had been no warning. One minute the
conditions had been stable and the next the huge storm that now covered
most of the continent where the away team was surveying had just
appeared. Janeway had ordered her to the bridge to help monitor the
situation.
Janeway knew her away team was in trouble as soon as Seven informed her
she was unable to make contact. The team had no shelter and no supplies;
it had been a routine survey mission. She had never seen a storm like
this just appear out of nowhere and in the time they had been trying to
contact the away team the storm had continued to intensify. She glanced
at the viewscreen, watching the storm swirling and the lightening flash
across the sky below.
The Captain turned to Tuvok. "Lock onto the away team and beam them out
of there, Tuvok."
Janeway watched as Tuvok spent several moments attempting to carry out
her orders. He finally looked up and met her eyes. "What ever is
interfering with communications appears to be affecting the transporters
as well. I am unable to obtain a lock on any of the away team members."
Seven was struck by a sudden sense of panic. Her chest felt like a band
was tightening around it. She should have gone down to the planet like
she was supposed to. What if something happened to Del?
"What about sending down a shuttle pod?" Paris suggested.
Janeway shook her head. "It's too dangerous, with the intensity of the
storm and all the lightening. I'm not going to put more people at risk."
"I'll go by myself," Seven volunteered. She had to get to Del.
"No, Seven, I'm not going to risk you too," she stated flatly, letting
Seven know the subject was not open for discussion. "We'll just have to
wait it out."
Seven started to protest, then stopped her fingers sliding rapidly over
the board in front of her. Janeway looked at her expectantly. "I'm
picking up a garbled communication."
"Put it on speaker!"
"…orres….to…Voy…Tor…ayger…Comm…dly…hurt…need…istance…Voy…do…read…immed….dical…"
"That was all I got…the signals gone."
"That was B'Elanna. I'm sure of it," piped up Paris.
Seven thought she recognized the engineer's voice as well. That just
increased her unease. Why hadn't Del been the one contacting Voyager?
The one clear word in the message had been hurt. Seven felt her stomach
roil at the thought that it might be Del.
Janeway glanced over at Chakotay hoping he might have something to offer
though she knew there wasn't anything they could do.
"Seven, continue to monitor communications and the storm. Tuvok, if that
storm let's up in the slightest and you can get a transporter lock,
don't wait for the team to contact you, just get them out of there.
Chakotay, you have the bridge. I'll be in my ready room."
Janeway quickly made her way off the bridge. She hated situations like
this where her people where in danger and possibly hurt and all she
could do was watch helplessly. At least in her ready room the crew
wouldn't see her pace and realize just how worried she was.
* * * * *
B'Elanna tried to contact Voyager again. The situation was becoming more
desperate by the minute, at least for one member of the away team. The
storm outside continued unabated. She glanced over at the figure lying
on the floor of the cave wrapped in several uniform tunics. She was
amazed that she was still alive. But B'Elanna knew she would not survive
if they didn't get her back to Voyager and soon.
They had almost made it to the cave when the bolt of lightening struck.
She had been knocked down and had the wind knocked out of her. B'Elanna
knew she would never forget the sight that greeted her eyes when she
picked herself up out of the mud. Lying not two meters in front of her
was a body on the ground, still smoking from a direct hit.
She scrambled over and cursed, feeling her stomach lurch when she saw
how bad it was. Del's body was badly burned. She had a large scorch mark
starting at her right shoulder and traversing diagonally across her body
ending just below her left knee. The skin had a melted look and even in
the pouring rain the stench of burned flesh was strong. She had yelled
for Grimes to come help her move Del. He had taken one look at her body
and stumbled away to empty the contents of his stomach.
Harry and Janice had helped her get Del into the cave and they had all
striped out of their tunics and used them to try to keep Del warm. Even
though the tunics were wet, they hoped it would at least provide some
insulation against the cold cave floor. Janice had used her phaser to
heat some rocks in an attempt to further warm the cave. She had the
basic medical training all security officers were required to have but
without supplies besides trying to keep Del warm, there wasn't much else
they could do. Her injuries were well beyond anything they could treat.
B'Elanna wondered if even the doctor could save Del at this point.
* * * * *
Seven waited until the doors to Janeway's ready room slid shut then
stepped down to where Chakotay sat. "I am going to return to
Astrometrics. I can better monitor the situation from there."
Chakotay looked up at Seven in surprise at her calm tone. He expected
her to be more upset with Del down on the planet. "Okay, Seven, let me
know if there's any change." He watched as she entered the turbolift and
turned to face the bridge. As the doors closed he saw a flash of what
could only be described as anguish cross her face. Maybe he had
misjudged her after all.
* * * * *
Seven leaned back against the turbolift wall unable to hold in her
emotions any longer. Several tears tracked down her cheek. She didn't
know how she knew but she knew something had happened to Del. She had a
deep, aching, empty feeling inside. Knowing she could not help Del in
her current state she forced herself to be calm and think like a Borg…
emotionless and efficient.
When the turbolift doors opened she knew exactly what she had to do. She
strode purposely toward the shuttle bay.
* * * * *
"Lieutenant Torres! Commander MacMillan is asking for you," Janice
called.
B'Elanna made her way over to Janice; she had been looking after Del.
She squatted down next to Del, astonished she was conscious.
"Hey Del, how you holding up," B'Elanna asked, trying to keep her voice
even.
Del knew she didn't have much time left, not only was she in
excruciating pain but she could feel herself growing weaker by the
second. Her thoughts were of Seven and how all this was going to affect
her. Del only wished she had gotten a chance to say goodbye to Seven and
tell her how much she loved her.
She looked up at B'Elanna with pain filled eyes. Reaching out with her
uninjured hand she grasped B'Elanna's hand. Her voice was hoarse and
raspy. B'Elanna had to lean close to hear her.
"Look after Seven for me…please…" Del whispered hoarsely. "Promise me,"
she pleaded, her grip tightening on B'Elanna's hand.
B'Elanna's eyes locked with Del's for several seconds. "I promise," she
pledged.
"And tell her…tell her…" Del's voice trailed off as she started to cough
but she didn't let go of B'Elanna's hand. Tears poured from her eyes as
she struggled for breath.
"It's okay, Del… just rest," B'Elanna said, trying to sooth her. "You
can tell Seven yourself what ever you want to when we get back to the
ship."
"No!" she gasped struggling to speak. Using the last of her strength she
pulled B'Elanna close and looked her straight in the eyes. "Tell her… I
love her…and I always will." Her message delivered, Del welcomed the
darkness that was rapidly dimming her vision. I love you, Seven,
was her last conscious thought. She took a single rattling breath
before her eyes rolled back in her head and her body went still.
"Oh Kahless! Is she…?" B'Elanna gulped, unable to even say the word. She
glanced over at Janice and they shared a panicked look.
Grimes and Harry rushed over when they heard B'Elanna. They stood
silently staring down at Del helplessly.
Janice felt for a pulse in Del's neck for several long moments then
sighed in relief. "She's got a pulse but it's very weak and thready and
her breaths are very shallow. I don't know how much longer she can hold
on."
B'Elanna stared out at the storm. It only seemed to have gotten stronger
and time was rapidly running out for Del. She cursed long and colorfully
but there was little else she could do except wait for Voyager to rescue
them. Even that she realized was unlikely. The only way to get them
would be by shuttle and it would be suicide to try and bring a shuttle
down in this storm.
* * * * *
"Commander, we have an unauthorized shuttle launch," Tuvok announced.
Chakotay looked up just in time to see a shuttle accelerate away from
Voyager and head for the planet. "Can you stop it?" he asked.
"Shuttle is out of range of our tractor beam."
"Who's onboard?" Chakotay asked, though he already had a pretty good
idea who it was. Captain Janeway was not going to be happy.
Tuvok managed to scan the shuttle before it disappeared into the
atmosphere. He too already knew who was onboard. The scan merely
confirmed it. "Seven of Nine is piloting the shuttle."
Chakotay took a deep breath before activating his combadge. "Chakotay to
Janeway…you're needed on the bridge Captain. There's been a development."
* * * * *
Seven struggled to keep the shuttle in the air while she scanned for the
away team. The winds whipped the shuttle sideways almost tossing Seven
to the floor. She plunged deeper into the atmosphere trying to break
through the thick cloud cover. The rain was coming down so hard
visibility was markedly impaired. Just as she got a glimpse of the
ground the shuttle was hit by a massive bolt of lightening jerking it
off course and knocking Seven to the floor. Sparks erupted from the
control panel and alarms blared.
"Warning…Shields off-line, power down 57%," intoned the computer.
Seven's hands worked frantically over the control panel trying to get
the shuttle back under control. A beep on a side panel drew her
attention. The computer had located human life signs off to the west
approximately two kilometers away. Seven fought the controls and managed
to turn the shuttle and headed in that direction.
She over flew the area twice before she spotted the small clearing in
front of what appeared to be a cave. The rain and wind continued to
buffet the shuttle. She managed to set it down directly in front of the
cave with a resounding thump.
* * * * *
B'Elanna's head snapped up when a shuttle craft seemed to appear out of
nowhere and slam down in front of the cave clearing the entrance by
centimeters. Everyone cheered at the sight of the shuttle. The rear door
to the shuttle open. B'Elanna was not the least bit surprised when Seven
of Nine came striding out.
Seven ducked into the cave and was met with enthusiastic greetings from
the away team. She barely acknowledged them looking around frantically
for Del. She cried out when she spotted the tunic draped figure on the
floor. Rushing over she knelt down already knowing it was Del. She
pulled back the uniforms covering her and gasped at the horrible injury
across her body.
"Del…Del… can you hear me," she cried, her voice taking on a slightly
hysterical note.
B'Elanna stepped over and laid her hand cautiously on Seven's shoulder.
"We need to get her out of here, Seven, she's hurt very badly." She
gasped when Seven looked up, anguish clearly written on her face. "Come
on… I'll give you a hand."
Seven shook her head adamantly. She carefully slipped her arms under
Del's body and picked her up. They quickly headed for the shuttle. Seven
gently strapped Del on one of the benches then squatted down next to her
and began to gently stroke her face. She seemed oblivious to everything
around her.
The shuttle was rocked by a nearby lightening strike. Again B'Elanna
approached Seven. She called her name several times before Seven looked
up. "We need you to pilot the shuttle. None of us have the skill to get
us through the storm." Seven shook her head. "You're the only one who
can get her safely back to Voyager, every second counts," B'Elanna
insisted firmly. She couldn't imagine how hard this must be for Seven.
Seven took one last longing look at Del then stood up. Her face hardened
and the cool facade B'Elanna was used to seeing appeared. But now she
knew that was just what it was, a facade. B'Elanna reached out and
gently squeezed Seven's arm. "I'll keep an eye on her, I promise."
Seven nodded, then headed for the pilot's seat without a word. The
return trip was even rougher than coming down. Several times Seven
thought for sure they were going to crash as she fought the shuttle
controls. Just as she thought they had finally made it and were about to
break through the atmosphere and into space they were struck by another
lightening bolt. Without the shields it cut through the port nacelle
causing a major explosion. The main console exploded throwing Seven
backward out of her seat. Her head struck the floor and everything went
dark.
* * * * *
"Any sign of the shuttle?" Janeway demanded of Tuvok again. She had been
asking that question every few minutes or so it seemed since Chakotay
called her back onto the bridge.
Tuvok had been running continuous scans for the shuttle. "I'm
registering an explosion in the atmosphere." The bridge went still and
every eye was locked on the viewscreen. "Shuttle breaking the atmosphere
now." There was a collective sigh of relief on the bridge when the
shuttle was spotted. "It appears to have suffered major damage to the
port nacelle," he continued, relaying the information as it came onto
his board. "Engines are offline, life support is minimal. I am reading
six life signs, though one of them is very faint."
"Tom, take us into range of the tractor beam," Janeway ordered.
Voyager swooped toward the planet, her tractor beam locking on the
shuttle and pulling it into the bay.
"Janeway to the Doctor. We have a medical emergency in the shuttle bay."
"Acknowledged, on my way."
"Captain, permission to leave the bridge to help the doctor?" Tom
requested. He regularly assisted the doctor when there were multiple
wounded. Besides he knew B'Elanna was on that shuttle.
"Granted. Chakotay, you have the bridge. I'll be in the shuttle bay."
She wanted to check on her people first hand. Then she was going to have
a serious discussion with Seven of Nine about disobeying her orders…
again!
* * * * *
Janeway stood next to Seven's biobed. She had been among the injured.
The doctor had assured her that although Seven had suffered a minor
concussion in addition to a bevy of bruised and strained muscles there
was no serious damage.
The other members of the away team had suffered minor cuts and bruises
from being tossed around in the shuttle. They had been treated and
released. B'Elanna had filled her in on the events on the planet before
retiring to her quarters.
Janeway's thoughts turned to Commander MacMillan. The woman's injuries
were horrific and the doctor had not been optimistic about her survival.
He had sedated Seven when she became hysterical upon learning of the
Commander's condition. She became belligerent and refused to listen to
anyone including the captain. The doctor had tried unsuccessfully to
reassure her he was doing everything possible for the Commander.
That had been four hours ago and the doctor was still working on her.
The Captain's attention was drawn back to Seven when she started to stir.
Janeway stepped over and placed a restraining hand on Seven's shoulder
trying to get her to lie back down. "You need to rest, you have a
concussion." She told the obviously disoriented blond.
Seven tried to remember what happened. Everything seemed a jumble and
her thoughts were very sluggish. "DEL!" she cried out as it all came
rushing back. She looked frantically around sickbay for her. When she
didn't see her she sat up, this time ignoring Janeway's pleas to lie
back down. "Where is she?" Seven demanded.
She knew there was no sense pretending she didn't know who Seven meant.
From the look on her face she would start tearing sickbay apart looking
for her if she did not get an answer quickly.
"The doctor is still working on her."
"I want to see her!" Seven commanded, sliding off the biobed and onto
her feet. She clutched the side of the bed for a second before
straightening up. Janeway tried to assist her but was met with such a
cold look she quickly removed her hands.
"You can't see her yet, the doctor is…"
"Finished," the doctor interrupted. Janeway looked over in relief as the
doctor strode into the room. "What are you doing out of bed?" he
questioned angrily, stopping to pick up a hypospray on the way over to
her.
Seven grabbed his arm before he could inject her. "I will not be sedated
again. I want to see Commander MacMillan," she demanded in a tight voice.
The doctor started to increase the strength of his holomatrix intent on
sedating Seven.
"Do as she asks, Doctor," Janeway ordered. "You're not to sedate her…IF
she remains calm," Janeway added, looking directly at Seven.
Seven nodded her acquiescence.
The doctor led them both reluctantly into the back section of the
sickbay where Del was located. She looked white as a ghost against the
dark pillow. A large arch shaped console covered her chest providing
life support.
Seven walked directly to Del's side and took her pale limp hand in hers.
Tears from Seven's human eye trailed down her cheek. She leaned down and
whispered something to Del then kissed her gently on the forehead.
Janeway turned away from the tender scene. She felt as if she was
intruding on a very private moment.
"How is she?" she asked the doctor, guiding him subtly away from Seven
and Del.
"Honestly, I'm surprised she has survived this long. She took a direct
hit from a bolt of lightening. I was able to regenerate her liver and
stomach; they were basically cooked. Her lungs were burned and full of
fluid. Luckily it missed her heart though when she arrived she was
having arrhythmias caused by the electricity that flowed through her
body. I stabilized that as well as repaired the rest of the damage. Her
brain is still functioning but we won't know if there's any permanent
brain damage until she regains consciousness… if she ever regains
consciousness."
Janeway felt heartsick. "So there's still a chance she won't survive?"
"Yes," the doctor admitted, "a very big one actually." He glanced over
at Seven. "What do you want me to tell Seven?"
Janeway looked back over at Seven. She had not moved. She stood with
Del's hand clasped in both of hers as she stared intently into her face
as if willing her to awaken.
She did not reply to the doctor's question immediately. Finally taking a
deep breath she met his eyes. "The truth… you need to tell her the truth,
so she can prepare herself should the worst happen."
The doctor nodded and stepped over to the other side of the biobed and
faced Seven. Janeway came up and stood next to her. The doctor opened
his mouth to speak but Seven cut him off.
"I heard you," she informed him, "and she's not going to die. I won't
let her!" she declared emotionally.
"Seven…sometimes we don't have any choice in these matters," the doctor
tried to explain in a sympathetic tone.
"She is not going to die! Leave us, I wish to be alone with her," she
demanded, glaring at the doctor.
Janeway held up her hand stopping the doctor's response. She motioned
for him to follow her.
"Do what you can for her doctor. If her condition changes contact me."
"What about Seven?"
"Let her stay." Janeway could see Seven whispering to Del again. "Who
knows maybe she can reach her, give her a reason to keep fighting."
Janeway's heart went out to Seven. If she had doubted it before, she
didn't any longer. Seven was obviously in love with the Commander. She
just hoped her first love did not end in tragedy. With a heavy heart she
took one last look at Seven then made her way out of sickbay.
* * * * *
Chapter Eleven
B'Elanna stepped through the door and into sickbay carrying a tray from
the mess hall. It had been three days since Del was injured on an away
mission. She had come by sickbay every day to check on her condition and
see how Seven was holding up. Watching Seven at Del's bedside further
convinced B'Elanna how much she had misjudged her. It was obvious that
she was in love with Del and hurting deeply. B'Elanna knew Seven hadn't
left Del's side since she rescued them on the planet. So far she had
held off giving Seven what she was worried would turn out to be Del's
last words. Squaring her shoulders and knowing she had a promise to keep,
she made her way across sickbay. Though she admitted to herself, promise
or not she wanted to help Seven through this any way she could. She
started in surprise when the Captain stepped out of the doctor's office.
Janeway looked at the tray in B'Elanna's hands. "B'Elanna, what brings
you to sickbay?" she greeted curiously.
"I came by to see Del." Janeway looked pointedly at the tray in her
hands. "I thought maybe Seven would like something to eat," she added.
The surprise was evident on the captain's face. The last she heard
B'Elanna couldn't stand to be in the same room with Seven and now she
was bringing her food. She couldn't help wondering what had brought
about this seemingly abrupt change.
"Carry on," she said, motioning B'Elanna on her way.
The captain watched B'Elanna stop for a moment then step into the room
where Seven stood vigil over Del. The doctor had called her to sickbay
insisting she do something about Seven. She had spoken to Seven and
tried to convince her to regenerate for a few hours. Seven had adamantly
refused to leave Del's side. Janeway had considered ordering her to go
knew the uselessness of the gesture. Seven wouldn't think twice about
defying her.
At this point, she figured the only way Seven was going to leave sickbay
was either by force, or when she collapsed. Neither was a particularly
appealing option but she knew Seven well enough to know they were the
only ones. She ordered the doctor to allow Seven to stay and for him to
stop harassing her, though she held little hope of that order actually
being followed.
The doctor had admitted he had not expected the Commander to survive
this long and was actually beginning to be hopeful that she might
survive. Janeway hoped for Seven's sake that he was right. She only
wished it was soon; she didn't know how much more Seven could take.
Although she found the very thought amazing, if B'Elanna had gone to the
trouble of getting a tray for Seven, she must think she had some chance
of convincing her to eat. She wished her luck.
* * * * *
B'Elanna stopped in the doorway. Seven looked as if she had not moved an
inch in the last twenty four hours. She was sitting as close to the
biobed as she could get with Del's hand clasped between both of hers.
The captain had finally managed to convince her to sit on a stool after
finding out she had been standing for over twenty four hours. B'Elanna
made her way quietly over to the bed and set the tray down on the table
next to it.
"Hi, Seven," she greeted quietly as she stepped over next to her. When
Seven looked up she could see the strain was taking its toll on her. The
best B'Elanna was able to estimate, Seven had been awake for over eighty
hours. She had dark circles under her eyes and some of her hair had come
loose from its customary tight bun and hung in limp strands around her
face.
Seven nodded but did not speak, her attention going back to Del. She
started when she felt B'Elanna's hand come to rest on her forearm.
B'Elanna felt Seven tense but didn't remove her hand. "You need to eat.
I brought something from the mess hall."
Seven shook her head, but B'Elanna ignored her and reached for the tray
opening the stasis lid. "It's your favorite, a grilled cheese sandwich
and chips…" Seven glanced at the tray then shook her head .
B'Elanna took a deep breath, not knowing how Seven was going to react.
She reached out and turned Seven's chair around so they were facing each
other, forcing her to let go of Del with one hand. Seven glared at
B'Elanna and began to turn back.
"Wait! … please," B'Elanna requested. Seven scowled but stopped trying
to pull away and stared at B'Elanna.
"I umm… need to tell you…umm…" B'Elanna stuttered. She cursed under her
breath, and then straightened, knowing she had to do this. "Del regained
consciousness for a few minutes on the planet after she got hurt."
B'Elanna now had Seven's undivided attention.
"Did she say anything?" Seven asked eagerly.
"Yes, she asked me to look after you," B'Elanna informed Seven. "She
made me promise."
Seven stared at her disbelievingly. She glanced over at Del wondering
what had made her do such a thing. "You do not have to keep that promise,
I am quite capable of looking after myself," she said in a surprisingly
gentle voice.
"I'm not sure Del would agree with you, Seven. Don't you think she'd be
upset if she saw you weren't taking care of yourself? I know you haven't
left this room in three days."
Seven looked down guiltily. She had no answer for that.
"Come on…I promised Del I would look out for you. You don't want her to
be mad at me do you… at least eat, if you won't go and rest."
"Did she say anything else?" Seven asked, giving in. She stood and
reached over to pick up the sandwich B'Elanna had provided.
B'Elanna hesitated, this was something Del should be telling Seven. She
had no idea how far their relationship had progressed before Del got
hurt. B'Elanna glanced over at Del, pale and still as death and knew she
had no choice.
"Del told me to tell you that…she loves you and always will," she said
quietly. B'Elanna watched helplessly as Seven's face crumpled and tears
began to run down one side of her face. Seven dropped the untouched
sandwich back onto the plate.
Surprising even herself, B'Elanna stepped forward and lightly wrapped an
arm around Seven's shoulders. She felt her stiffen for just a second
then Seven just seemed to collapse. B'Elanna drew an unresisting Seven
into her arms and held her tight allowing her to cry herself out.
It was several minutes before Seven regained control of herself. She
straightened slowly and pulled back out of B'Elanna's embrace. Her face
was flushed from crying and she was embarrassed by her loss of control.
"I am sorry… I," she tried to apologize.
B'Elanna shocked them both when she brought her fingers up to Seven's
lips stopping her from saying anything further. It wasn't very often she
let her human side show but B'Elanna found the longer she was around
Seven, the easier it was to do.
"It's okay…I know…you must love her very much."
B'Elanna was dismayed when Seven broke into tears again. She reached out
and rubbed her hand up and down Seven's back comfortingly.
"I never told her," Seven admitted sadly.
"Told her what?" B'Elanna asked in confusion.
"I never told her… that I love her," Seven whispered around a throat
tight with tears. "I've never loved anyone before… I wasn't sure…but now…"
Seven's voice broke with emotion.
B'Elanna's heart clenched at the anguish in Seven's voice. "She knew
Seven, I'm sure of it," she tried to reassure her.
Seven looked up with hope shining brightly in her eyes. "Do you really
think so?"
"Yes, I do…now come on…Let's get you cleaned up and then you have to eat.
You don't want Del to wake up and find you like this…do you?"
B'Elanna took Seven over to a nearby sink and got her to wash her
tear-streaked face and put her hair back up. Once she was reseated next
to Del, B'Elanna offered her the food she brought. She watched as Seven
took a tentative bite of the grilled cheese sandwich. Her face lit up
and she quickly looked down at Del; just as suddenly her expression
crumpled in disappointment.
"Is there something wrong with it?" B'Elanna was sure she had ordered it
just the way Seven liked it.
When Seven took a bite of the sandwich and the taste filled her mouth,
she felt a thrill knowing Del must be awake and providing the taste for
her like she always did. She looked down expecting to see her eyes open
and that loving smile she had come to know gracing her face. She felt
crushing disappointment when that hadn't been the case. She knew she
should be excited that her taste buds were working on their own but it
was a hollow feeling without Del to share it with. She noticed B'Elanna
watching her worriedly.
"No. it's fine…thank you."
B'Elanna stayed until Seven had finished everything on the plate. Unable
to convince her to leave and get some rest or regenerate, she left
vowing to return later.
Seven watched as B'Elanna made her way to the door, amazed at the
woman's actions. She had come by every day since Del was injured. Never
in her wildest imagination would she have thought that she and the
feisty engineer could ever be friends. When Del had talked to her about
developing relationships with other crewmembers Seven had listened but
never really believed it was possible.
She realized now that B'Elanna was her friend. Only a friend would have
done what she did today, holding her and consoling her when she was
hurting. Seven was surprised at the comfort she had found in B'Elanna's
arms. Now she understood what Del had tried to explain about the
differences between the feelings for a friend and the feelings of loving
someone. In her mind, it was just one more gift Del had given her, in
helping her regain her humanity.
She leaned down close to Del's ear and whispered to her as she had been
doing for the last three days. "I love you, please come back to me. You
promised I would not ever be alone again."
* * * * *
Del did not know how long she had been locked in the darkness.
It felt as if she was trapped in a thick, black tar that was trying to
pull her under. She continued to struggle, refusing to give up, no
matter how bad the pain or how hopeless it seemed. One thing kept her
going, a soft voice called to her, urging her toward a tiny pinprick of
light in her dark prison. She knew she had to reach that light and the
voice calling to her. Del recognized somehow deep inside that that voice
was her salvation.
She gasped as the light suddenly brightened and her body was shrouded in
pain. She struggled to open her eyes as alarms blared.
Seven jumped when Del's hand suddenly tightened on hers. She called for
the doctor when Del began to gasp. Her heart pounded in fear.
The doctor immediately appeared and began to scan the readouts. He
reached out and touched a control causing the life support arch to
slowly disappear back into the table.
"Stop! What are you doing?" Seven cried in alarm.
The doctor ignored her and continued to attend to Del. Seven watched in
amazement when Del's eyes fluttered open.
Del looked up at the man standing next to her in confusion, then turned
her gaze to the other side of the bed, where a woman held her hand.
Seven reached out and stroked Del's face as tears ran freely down her
cheek. She was too overcome with emotion to speak.
Del was confused, she knew she should know this woman, but at the moment
she could not recall her name. She wondered what had happened to her and
where she was.
"Commander…Commander…" the doctor called, trying to get her attention.
Del reluctantly turned to face the man. "Do you know where you are?"
Del shook her head, then turned when she heard a gasp from the blond
woman. She frowned when she sensed how upset the woman was.
"Do you know who you are?" the man, Del assumed to be a doctor,
persisted.
It took several tries for Del to speak, her voice was hoarse and raspy.
"Commander Del MacMillan."
"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked.
Del tried to remember but her thoughts were jumbled and the pain made it
hard to think. What was the last thing she remembered? She glanced at
the blond before turning back to the doctor. "I was onboard… a
ship…the…the…Franklin," Del finally managed.
Though the doctor's expression never changed, Del felt a flash of pure
anguish coming from the blond. She did remember that she was an empath
but for the life of her could not remember who the blond woman with the
strange facial jewelry was. Even though she couldn't remember her,
somehow she knew she was very important to her for some reason.
Seven stared at Del in stunned disbelief…she didn't know her. How was
that possible? Seven listened as the doctor continued to question Del.
It seemed her memories stopped shortly before she arrived on Voyager.
"Alright, Commander you need to rest now. I'll give you something for
the pain and I want you to sleep," the doctor instructed. Before Del
could protest he pressed a hypospray to her neck and injected its
contents.
Del felt herself slipping away. She fought against the drug. The blond
still had hold of her hand and Del tightened her grip on the hand in
hers. She turned to the woman and met her sorrow filled blue eyes.
"Please don't leave me," Del pleaded, as she lost her grip on
consciousness.
Seven stared down at Del as the drug took hold. Her heart clenched at
Del's whispered plea. Why would she beg her to stay if she did not
remember her? Seven glared at the doctor. "What's wrong with her? Why
doesn't she remember me?" she demanded stridently.
"It's not uncommon with the type of injury the Commander sustained to
have short term memory loss." The doctor quickly explained, realizing
how upsetting it must be for Seven. As much as he had not wanted to
accept it, he had come to understand over the last three days just how
much Seven cared for the Commander. He was happy for her that she had
finally found someone who not only cared about her but who she cared for
in return. "Her memory could come back at any time…" his voice trailed
off, "or it might never come back," he finally admitted.
Seven looked down at Del then up at the doctor. "That is not
acceptable," she stated flatly. She would not accept the fact that Del
might never remember her.
"Hopefully, it will just be short term. Once she regains her strength,
her memory may return." The doctor tried to encourage Seven.
Seven returned to her seat and leaned down and began to whisper to Del
as she had been doing, totally shutting out the doctor and anything else
he had to say.
The doctor sighed dramatically before turning to his office. He needed
to contact the captain and apprise her of Commander Macmillan's
condition.
* * * * *
B'Elanna made her way to sickbay for the second time that day. Tom had
been on the bridge when the doctor contacted the captain and informed
her of the change in Del's condition. Tom contacted B'Elanna as soon as
he came off shift with the news.
She could not imagine how devastating it must have been for Seven when
Del regained consciousness and didn't remember her. Tom had been shocked
when she told him she was going to sickbay to check on Seven. She was
not quite sure when or how it had happened, but somewhere recently, she
began to consider Seven a friend. She knew it was Del's influence that
had allowed her to see Seven as she really was and not the persona she
projected to the world.
B'Elanna enjoyed being around Del and hoped she would get the chance to
become good friends with the woman. In the mean time, Seven needed her
support, and she was determined to provide it. With that thought
foremost in her mind, she stepped into sickbay and made her way across
the room to where Seven sat next to Del's bed.
Seven looked up when she heard B'Elanna approach and was embarrassed
when she felt herself tear up.
B'Elanna stepped close and gently wrapped an arm around Seven's
shoulders. Neither woman spoke for several minutes as they silently
watched Del. She never stirred but to B'Elanna she looked better, not
quite so still and she was please to see the life support arch gone.
B'Elanna finally broke the silence. "Has she woken up again?"
Seven shook her head, glancing down at B'Elanna. She could tell from the
sympathetic look on her face that she heard what happened earlier.
B'Elanna didn't know if she was giving Seven false hope but she couldn't
stand the anguished look on her face. "She'll remember, just give her
time." She met Seven's eyes. "Who could forget someone like you," she
said teasingly, trying to lighten the somber mood.
Seven stiffened for a second, then a brief smile crossed her face, when
she realized what B'Elanna was trying to do.
"I guess you should have been here when she woke up then…no one could
forget a face like yours," Seven shot back. She couldn't help but smile
at B'Elanna's shocked expression.
B'Elanna couldn't believe it, not only had she successfully teased
Seven, Seven had actually teased back. She looked at the blond with
renewed respect. She had made amazing strides since Del arrived.
B'Elanna gave her a lot of credit. She didn't know if she would have
handled the current situation as well as Seven had, if it had been
someone she loved who had been injured so badly.
B'Elanna stayed with Seven in silent vigil for over an hour before
making her way back to her quarters.
* * * * *
Seven remained alone at Del's bedside late into the night. The doctor
had made repeated attempts to convince her to regenerate, before finally
giving up and turning himself off in frustration. She knew that
eventually she would have no choice but to regenerate. Her implants
would soon start shutting down. But she couldn't bring herself to leave
especially after Del's brief return to consciousness earlier in the day.
Even though she had not known her, Del had begged her not to leave, and
Seven was determined to remain at her side as long as she could,
regardless of the consequences to herself.
She started when she felt Del's hand tighten around hers. "Del…Del," she
called softly.
Del's eyes fluttered open and she looked around the dimly lit room in
confusion, then her eyes met Seven's.
"Seven," she whispered huskily, her voice rough. Tears began to pour
down her face at the sight of Seven. She thought she would never see her
again.
Seven gasped when Del said her name. Tears flooded her eye and
forgetting all about Del's injures she threw herself onto her chest and
started to sob.
Del gritted her teeth against the pain of Seven lying on her chest and
forced her arms up and around the distraught blond. She didn't care how
much it hurt, all the mattered was that Seven was in her arms. Del
stroked her back soothingly, whispering nonsense words in her ear trying
to calm her.
It was several long minutes before Seven regained control of herself.
She realized she was lying on Del and probably hurting her. She tried to
pull away only to have Del's arms tighten around her.
"No! Don't go…stay here…please," Del whispered hoarsely.
Seven remained in place for a long time, bent over the biobed with her
face pressed against Del's neck. Eventually she straightened, needing to
see Del's face. As she lifted up, she leaned forward and brushed a soft
gentle kiss against Del's lips. "I love you," she whispered.
Del's eyes filled with tears. "I love you too."
Seven stroked Del's face softly, leaning close to her. "I thought I had
lost you," she sniffed tearfully.
"I promised you would never be alone again, remember?" Del reminded her,
her eyes tearing up.
"That's what I've been telling you for the last three days."
"Three days." Del gasped, amazed at how long she had been unconscious.
Then it sank in just what Seven had said. She looked up at her in
amazement. "I heard you! I heard you calling me; I kept fighting trying
to get back to you."
Seven bent over and gently laid her head on Del's chest, needing to be
close and taking comfort in the strong beating of her heart. "How much
do you remember?"
Del thought for a moment. "Most of it, I think…except the last thing I
remember, I was in a cave with the away team on the planet and
communications were out. How did we get back to Voyager?"
Seven stood up, looking suddenly hesitant. "I brought a shuttle down to
the planet and picked you up."
Del frowned, she could not believe Janeway would have allowed anyone to
bring a shuttle down in a storm that severe. It was a miracle Seven had
survived. "Captain Janeway let you bring a shuttle down in that storm?"
Del asked incredulously.
Seven looked at the floor. "Not exactly."
Del felt her anger rise, when she realized what a risk Seven had taken.
But then she stopped knowing full well if Seven hadn't disobeyed orders
and taken the shuttle she would not be here having this conversation
with her. She was also honest enough to admit, she would have done the
same thing had the positions been reversed.
"Thank you for coming after me," she said sincerely.
Seven looked up in surprise, she expected Del to be angry but there was
no hint of censure on her face. "I love you," Seven stated, as if that
explained everything, and it did. "What are you doing?" Seven asked in
concern as Del tried to move over on the bed and grimaced in pain.
Del didn't say anything until she managed to scoot over on the bed. She
looked up and met Seven's eyes and then patted the empty space next to
her. "Come up here… I need to hold you."
"I'll hurt you," Seven said worriedly.
"No, you won't…please…I need to feel you next to me," Del pleaded
softly.
Seven couldn't resist, she needed to be close to Del. She carefully
moved onto the bed and lay on her side careful not to touch Del.
Del shifted over until their body's met down the length of her side. She
reached over and lifted Seven's arm and laid it carefully across her
body. "Hold me…please," she whispered to Seven.
Seven moved carefully and snuggled against Del's body. It felt so good
to be near her and the horrible fear she had experienced while Del
remained unconscious began to wane. Del was here and in her arms,
nothing would ever separate them again.
Neither woman was aware of drifting off to sleep.
* * * * *
"Chakotay," Janeway greeted her first officer just outside the doors to
sickbay. "What brings you to sickbay so early? Is everything alright?"
She asked, looking him over.
She was surprised when he seemed to hesitate and cocked her head to the
side, a quizzical expression on her face.
"I just thought I'd stop by and check on how the Commander was doing,
and see if Seven needed anything," he said, chagrined at having run into
her.
Well… seems my crew was full of surprises these days , Janeway
thought. First B'Elanna and now Chakotay were concerned about Seven.
They had been two of the most vocal opponents to the pact with the Borg
and keeping Seven onboard after she had been severed from the
Collective.
It appeared that Commander MacMillan had been busy during her short time
onboard. Her intervention was the only thing that made any sense in not
only Seven's transformation but also the abrupt attitude change of her
first officer and chief engineer. She now realized how she had allowed
her feelings for Seven to cause her to misjudge the woman severely.
Hopefully with some good news from the doctor she would get a chance to
correct that mistake.
The doctor contacted her first thing this morning and asked that she
come to sickbay. He refused to say why, but his voice was too upbeat for
there to be something seriously wrong.
Janeway's attention was brought back to Chakotay when he shifted
uncomfortably.
"Well then, by all means Commander, let's go see how they're doing," she
told him with a smile, stepping through the door into sickbay.
The doctor met them as soon as they stepped into the room. He put his
finger to his lips motioning them to silence. Janeway glared at his
dramatics but followed him when he motioned to them.
He stopped and pointed to the bed where the Commander lay. Janeway and
Chakotay's mouths dropped open in shock. The Commander wasn't alone in
the bed. Curled up around her was Seven of Nine and both women were fast
asleep.
Janeway felt a wrenching sense of loss as she gazed at the two entwined
women. Although she knew in her mind that she would never allow a
relationship to develop between her and any member of the crew her heart
cried out at the sight before her.
She slammed her command mask down in place and tried to ignore the
silent tearing of her heart. She glanced over at Chakotay to see how he
was reacting to this. She was aware of his attraction to Commander
MacMillan.
Chakotay stared, not wanting to believe his eyes. He had accepted
mentally that he didn't have a chance with the beautiful Commander but
it was still disconcerting to see it with his own eyes. He realized that
Captain Janeway had been right all along in insisting that Seven would,
with help, fully regain her humanity.
They stepped away from the door and followed the doctor to his office.
"I found them like that this morning when I reactivated myself. I'm
assuming from Seven's position that the Commander has fully regained her
memory. I can now safely predict a full recovery for Commander MacMillan
but Seven will still have to regenerate as sleeping will only restore
her biological systems but not her Borg implants," he explained to the
still slightly stunned Janeway and Chakotay.
"That's good news, Doctor. Let me know if there are any further
developments." Janeway instructed before making a hasty retreat. She
needed time to process all she had seen.
Chakotay quickly excused himself as well.
The doctor walked over and gazed at the two women. He couldn't help the
twinge of disappointment that ran through his matrix but he reminded
himself what was important was that Seven was happy.
Seven and Del slept peacefully totally unaware of the scrutiny, both
happy and content in the other's loving embrace.