Summary: B'Elanna is injured in an engineering accident, with a very slim chance of survival. DON'T TAKE THE GIRL By: Lauren Taylor One day. Just one day ago, Tom's life seemed like it couldn't get any better. He was doing great at his job, having a great time, and he was back to normal with B'Elanna Torres. They had been uncomfortable around each other ever since that pon farr incident three months ago, and he was glad that all of that nonsense was over and done. Now, his world was falling apart, all because of the events that had occurred just that morning. ******************************************************* The warp drive was in desperate need of repairs. Engineering was working day and night just so Voyager could at least make it to warp three, which was the fastest the ship could go at this point. Hell, even warp three was risking it. Tom Paris was bored to death. He wasn't allowed to even go warp one while the work was being done, he had to fly at impulse. "Engineering to the bridge" Carey's frantic voice rang out. *Carey? Why isn't B'Elanna contacting us?* Tom asked himself. "Bridge here. Is there a problem, lieutenant?" the captain asked him, fearing the worst. "I'm not sure what happened. One minute things were going fine, and then consoles were exploding, and there were plasma leaks everywhere. "Is anyone hurt?" the captain demanded. *Please say she's alright. Please say she's alright.* Tom prayed. ********************************************** Tom's prayers were no use. B'Elanna was severely injured, and the doc's outlook wasn't good. She was stabilized for now, in a coma, but her chances of survival were slim. She had sustained third degree burns all over, and a massive head injury. The doctor and Kes had healed the burns on the outside, but there was nothing they could do for the damage done inside. Tom sat by her bedside, looking down at her. She looked so peaceful, as if she was just sleeping, and not...he couldn't even think those last words. He grabbed her hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "B'Elanna, you are not going to leave us. I won't let you leave us. You mean too much to me for me to let you go like this. I would take your place if I could, just so you could be the one to live. I love you, B'Elanna. I don't want you to go." he whispered to her, as the tears welled up in his eyes. ****************************************************** Take the very breath you gave me Take the heart from my chest I'll gladly take her place if you'll let me Make this my last request Take me out of this world God, please, don't take the girl "Don't Take The Girl" Tim McGraw ****************************************************** "B'Elanna, I brought you something." Tom told her, as if she could really answer. She layed there, the same lifeless face that he'd looked at for the past five days. Before he sat down, he placed a picture on the side of the biobed. It was of him and B'Elanna, at that fateful luau when he had tried his hardest to make her see how he felt about her. The picture was of B'Elanna, in that great looking dress, sitting down, and Tom, in his Big Daddy-O Surf Special shirt, standing behind her, with his arms around her shoulders. Tom hoped that, if *when, Tom, when* she woke up, that would be the first thing she would see. That, or him, sitting right there, looking into her beautiful brown eyes. The doctor wandered in to sickbay from his office, and wasn't the least bit surprised to see the pilot sitting there, watching over B'Elanna. "Hello, lieutenant." the doctor said, with annoyance in his voice, but also, a rare bit of compassion. "Doc, how's she doing?" Tom asked him, eagerly. "I'm afraid that she is becoming worse." the doc told him, and watched the expression on the young man's face fade to worry. "Is she going to...I mean, will she...?" Tom tried to ask. The doctor nodded his head, and said, "I'm afraid there isn't much more we can do for her. Her injuries were to severe and..." the doctor's voice trailed off as he watched the lieutenant bury his face in his hands, and cry. ***************************************************** Tom raced to sickbay, hoping that some miracle had occurred, and that she was going to live. He had just gotten off of duty, early, in fact, thanks to the captain. He ran out of the turbo lift, and walked into sickbay. He stopped suddenly as he saw the events that were unfolding right in front of his eyes. "Now!" the doctor ordered Kes. The young Ocampa pressed a button, while the doctor stood over B'Elanna, trying everything he could to bring her back. Neither of them noticed the man standing in the doorway. The doctor stood still for a moment, and told Kes, "Make a note in the logs. Time of death, 15:35 hours." he said solemnly. Tom stood for a moment, and watched as Kes tried to hold back her tears. She then ran into the doctor's office, and prepared to add B'Elanna's death into the logs. Somehow, Tom made it over to B'Elanna. The second he saw her, he began crying. He hadn't cried since the day his mother died, and now, he found himself crying every time he was with B'Elanna these past few days. He heard the doctor, on the other side of sickbay, reporting what had happened to the captain. He heard Kes' muffled sobs coming from the office, and the captain's tearful response to the doctor. ******************************************************** Everyone was gathered in the mess hall to say goodbye to B'Elanna Torres. Harry had already made a speech, and now it was Tom's turn. "There was something special about B'Elanna Torres. Something I can't quite describe. I don't know how I'll get through life without her there. Some people might wonder what the point of her being here was, if we only got to know her for three years. Those three years were the best three years of my life, with her. She was always there if I needed someone to talk to, or just a shoulder to cry on. This past week, when she was fighting for her life, has been horrible. To see her just laying there, motionless, was impossible. I just kept praying that she would wake up, and miraculously recover, but I knew that wouldn't happen. I feel fortunate enough to have known her for these three years, no matter how short that is. She will always be a big part of my life and I will never forget her." he said, managing to hold back his tears through the entire speech. Later that night, Tom sat on his couch, staring at a picture. A picture of a lost friend, and a lost love. THE END Sorry it's so depressing! Legal stuff. Paramount owns 'em, we just borrow 'em.