LKNB 13 'Title Contest Time Again!'

          lauren35@juno.com (Lauren E Taylor)



        He stood frozen for a moment. Kes had heard him. Someone had
actually heard him and believed that he was still there. He turned to
Kes. She was looking around the room, obviously looking for him.
*OK, so at least she can hear me* he thought to himself, a bit
dissapointed, but also relieved.
"Kes!" he called out as he ran towards her.
"Tom, is that you? Where are you?" she asked, fear coating her voice.
"I'm standing right in front of you, and yes, it's me!" he told her,
sounding happy for the first time since leaving on the shuttle.
        Kes looked over at B'Elanna, who was soundly sleeping. She
debated on waking her or not. There wasn't much of a chance that B'Elanna
would be able to hear Tom, and Kes didn't want to get her hopes up. 
"Tom, how is this possible? You're dead." she asked him, looking around
blindly.
"I'm not sure, but I don't think I'm dead. Yesterday, I woke up here in
sickbay and saw you talking to Neelix. I've been here the entire time, at
the service, when Katie was born, the whole time. No one has seen me or
heard me until now, though." he explained to her. Kes didn't answer. She
stood still, trying to figure all of this out. How come she hadn't heard
him earlier? How come it was her that could hear him? Why was all this
happening? Was this really Tom, or her mind playing tricks on her, the
part of her mind that still believed Tom was out there, somewhere?
        Suddenly, for no reason at all, she saw Tom for a second. The
image of him was there, faint, but there. Then, it just disappeared. 
        Over on the other side of sickbay, B'Elanna was sitting up in
bed, staring at the spot where Tom was in utter shock.
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TO BE CONTINUED
Only two more parts to go!

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