Fan Fiction
TITLE: Care Taker
AUTHOR: Psycho Squirrel
RATING: PG-13
CODES: C, T
SUMMARY: Short piece in which B�Elanna gets sick and Chakotay gets protective. Set during the Maquis days.
B�Elanna was swept into the ship with a gust of wind and turned to fasten the hatch tightly behind her.
�Shit, it�s cold out there!� remarked Dalby, who turned from his console at the bridge to take stock of B�Elanna�s sodden clothes and hair.
Slowly, so as not to slip in the rainwater she was dripping all over the floor, she made her way back to her seat and collapsed into it with a shiver. Their ship (if you could call it that -- B�Elanna had always preferred the term, 'bucket of bolts') had been forced to make an emergency landing two days ago on this godforsaken planet due to engine failure. She and the engineering crew had been working to fix it day and night, to no avail. When the rain kicked in, Hogan, Chell, and the others had chalked the problem up to a 'ghost in the machine', and retired inside to wait out the storm and grab some sleep before resuming their efforts.
B�Elanna, however, was convinced that she was on the edge of a breakthrough, and remained outside despite the weather.
It hadn�t worked, though, and now B�Elanna sat flooding the 39-year-old ship�s bridge and trying to figure out how to repair her tattered bucket of bolts from the inside.
�Torres. Torres. TORRES!�
�What?� B�Elanna snapped back to consciousness, squinting in the dim (but still too bright) light of the bridge, and turned to face the obnoxiously grinning man who had so rudely interrupted her reverie.
�You zoned out again,� Bendura snickered as he turned back to his console and continued pressing a myriad of buttons.
�Yeah, well maybe if your coffee was a bit stronger, we wouldn�t have this problem. It tasted like piss,� she retorted, suppressing a cough.
�When was the last time you drank urine, Torres?�
�I told you, you served me a cup this morning.�
Laughter rippled across the bridge. Bendura cast a mock-wounded look at Chakotay, who just shook his head and smiled.
�Any luck yet, B�Elanna?� Chakotay inquired, business as usual.
�Yeah. The problem is this thing is a piece of shit, and the way we fix it is by getting another ship.� She coughed again. �I�m going to head on down to the main power grid and see if I can get anything done down there.�
B�Elanna rose to leave, swaying slightly on her feet. Only Chakotay noticed.
�I�ll walk you down there,� he volunteered.
She eyed him suspiciously.
�There may be something I can help with,� he shrugged.
They walked together down the narrow passageway, Chakotay slowing his pace to match B�Elanna�s (which was unusual, since he often was the one lagging behind her.) Suddenly, she stopped short, buried her nose in the crook of an arm and sneezed several times.
�Ah-choo! Ah-chh! Chhh!�
�Bless you,� he said.
�Thanks.�
�Are you feeling all right?�
�Of course.�
And, of course, she answered too quickly for his personal comfort. He realized then that she�d never changed out of her soaked clothes, and probably hadn�t slept since the engines failed. Sometimes he cursed himself for leaving Starfleet and not being able to pull rank on his crew and order them around -- the Maquis were much more democratic than that. Chakotay pondered that thought for a moment, then quickly rescinded it.
They had reached the primary power grid by that point, and B�Elanna was already at work with miscellaneous tools that she�d procured out of nowhere, trying subroutines and algorithms she�d tried a hundred times before, pausing only to cough intermittently. Rather out of his element, Chakotay could only stand and watch as her hands fluttered deftly over the myriad circuits and panels, occasionally handing her a desired gadget.
�Chakotay...� she began suddenly.
�Yes?�
And then she fainted dead away. He managed to catch her before she hit the ground, cursing to himself, and fumbled for the comm. Bendura beat him to it.
�Chakotay, how are the engines going?�
�Fabulous. Kurt, you have some basic medical training, don�t you?�
�Yes, but...�
�Meet me in the crew quarters; Chakotay out.�
He scooped B�Elanna�s slight, unconscious figure into his arms and carried her effortlessly across the ship to the quarters.
Bendura was already waiting when they arrived.
�Jeez, what happened?� he grimaced.
�That�s what I want you to tell me. She was working on the engines and just passed out.� He laid her gently on his bunk. �We have to get her out of these wet clothes.�
Bendura snorted. �Uh, yeah, try explaining that to her when she wakes up. �Honestly, B�Elanna, we just wanted to dry you off...�� He carefully placed a hand on her ridged forehead, and his own creased in consternation. �She�s burning up.�
B�Elanna�s eyes flew open. �What�s going on?� she demanded.
�You were working on the engines and you passed out,� Chakotay supplied.
B�Elanna struggled to sit up and started for the door. �I should see how that�s going --�
�No.� He placed a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder, effectively pinning her down. �You�re running a fever and you need to rest.�
�But the ship --�
�Fuck the ship. You said it yourself, it�s a piece of shit.�
Bendura chuckled. �Yeah, and you need to change clothes, too. Chakotay wanted to do it, but I restrained him from taking advantage of you while you were asleep.�
B�Elanna shook her head dismissively. �Look, that�s nice, but I need to get back to my engines.� She rose, then abruptly sat back down as a surge of vertigo hit her.
�How long have you been awake?� Chakotay probed with a frown.
�And when was the last time you ate anything?� Bendura added.
�I don�t know.� Noting their disapproving expressions, she amended, �I haven�t had time to sleep or eat; we need to get the engines back online!�
�Let the others take care of it,� Chakotay said firmly. �You�re going to take a hot shower and get changed, then we�re going to get something to eat, and then you�re going to sleep -- that�s an order.�
B�Elanna opened her mouth to protest, but found the prospect of coffee and a warm bed too tempting to resist. However, thoughts of the goddamn engines were still lingering in her brain...
Chakotay seemed to read her mind. �I�ll get some people on the job. It�s time for shift change anyway; maybe some fresh ideas are what we need.�
B�Elanna scowled. If she couldn�t fix this ship, nobody could. Nevertheless, she stood up (more slowly this time), scoffing at their offers of assistance, and padded off to the communal showers.
B�Elanna emerged from the shower several minutes later (they were, after all, a precious commodity, and to be used only sparingly) feeling markedly warmer, though by no means warm enough for her hot-blooded Klingon tastes. Chakotay informed her that Bendura had returned to his position at the bridge, but would be by to check on her later (�I�m fine!� she protested.) Together they headed down to the tiny mess hall. Though it was not normal dining hours, Chakotay managed to prepare a passable meal -- in the Maquis, everyone assumed multiple roles, since you couldn�t rely on having a single doctor/cook/engineer etc. survive a skirmish. They sat down to eat at one of the ancient, rickety tables that were, it seemed, used so much more frequently for drinking, playing poker, and planning battle strategies than for dining. B�Elanna sipped tentatively at the tea that Chakotay had made, expecting it to be weaker than Bendura�s coffee -- he�d refused to let her have her usual cup of joe, saying it�d keep her awake -- and stared down at her plate.
�You�re not going to eat?� asked Chakotay.
�I�m not hungry,� she replied.
�Maquis are always hungry.�
B�Elanna pulled a wan smile, which was interrupted by -- �Ah-chhh!�
�Bless you. Let�s get you back to bed.�
�Chakotay --�
�B�Elanna, I already gave you your orders. What kind of captain would I be if I didn�t follow through?�
�A damn good one.�
Chakotay grinned and then faked a yawn. �Come on, I�m tired. Let�s go get some shut-eye.�
B�Elanna scowled and followed him grudgingly down the hall, arms wrapped tightly around herself to ward off chills.
Moments after she was buried under the spartan Maquis blankets, B�Elanna was out cold. Chakotay took up position on an adjacent bunk, but was too anxious to fall asleep. He sat motionless and attempted to meditate, hoping to alleviate some of his many concerns about his ship and crew.
B�Elanna was not having much success sleeping either. She was periodically racked with dry coughs; over the hours Chakotay watched her watched her toss and turn, shaking with chills, and throw off the thin blankets. As he got up to readjust them, he couldn�t help noticing the tremendous heat emanating from her body; the pillow and sheets were drenched with sweat. He laid a cool hand against her cheek; she was definitely warmer than before, and he hunted around frantically for a med kit to find a thermometer. Finally, he retrieved one from underneath the bunk. The thermometer read 104.5�.
�Shit!� Chakotay muttered. �B�Elanna.� He shook her gently. �B�Elanna, wake up. Wake up, honey.�
She opened her eyes slightly and shivered despite the sweat streaming down her temples.
�We need to get your temperature down, okay?� he told her, unsure of whether or not she was comprehending his words at this point.
As she nodded complacently (�B�Elanna? Complacent?�) and shut her eyes again, he lifted her carefully to her feet and helped her to the shower. Once there, he turned the cold water on full blast and stripped her down to a tank top and underwear, then removed his own shirt. Gritting his teeth, he led B�Elanna beneath the icy cold stream, holding her arms tightly, both so that she couldn�t break free and so that she wouldn�t collapse again.
He bit his lip at the futile way she clawed at his arms the moment the water made contact with her flushed skin. Chakotay had never really realized how painfully thin she was before (They all are, he mused of his crew --food was often difficult to come by), though she put up a valiant effort to flee the horrible flood of freezing water, sick as she was. Finally, when they were both fully saturated, Chakotay turned off the shower and handed a shivering B�Elanna a set of ill-fitting, albeit dry, clothes to change into.
�All right, �Lanna, put those on before you get even more chilled. I can stay here if you want, I�ll just turn around.�
She nodded numbly, bleary-eyed, and complied, trying to force shaking digits to work faster than they were capable of functioning at the moment. Chakotay ducked into a stall and rapidly changed his own clothes. When he emerged, B�Elanna�s eyes had fluttered shut again, and she was crumpled in a ball on the grimy tiled floor. He crouched down beside her and patted her cheek gently.
�You still with me, �Lanna?� he murmured. ��Lanna. Torres.�
After a moment she stirred slightly, wincing, and managed an �Mmmph� of reply.
�Good enough.�
He slipped his hands beneath her arms and lifted her smoothly to unsteady feet again.
B�Elanna didn�t protest as he helped her into bed or gave her a few extra blankets off of his pallet, but he expected that was just because she wasn�t fully aware what was going on. By that point, Bendura had arrived to see how things were going.
�She�s going to kick your ass tomorrow, Old Man,� he wisely noted as he observed Chakotay pulling the covers up around her neck.
�If she�s conscious, she�ll just as likely kick yours,� Chakotay smiled back.
�Good point. At least now we�ve got some dirt on her. Sleeping like a baby.�
�You sleep like a baby, too, Kurt,� Chakotay reminded him with a grin.
�Oh yeah?�
�A baby elephant. You sound just like one.�
Bendura laughed. �Says papa bear himself.�
He eyed B�Elanna�s sleeping form quietly. �You did the right thing with the shower. Keep an eye on her temperature, and make sure she drinks plenty of fluids. Try to get her to eat something, too.� Noticing the expression on his friend�s face, he reached out a hand to pat Chakotay on the shoulder.
�She�ll be okay, Chakotay. Nothing can keep this one down for long.�
�Don�t I know it,� Chakotay replied with a smile. �Thanks, Kurt.�
�No problemo.� He slipped out of the quarters, leaving the two alone.
B�Elanna awoke with a start the next morning and looked around frantically. Her head was spinning and her throat was sore (not that she would admit to either), but she felt marginally better than the day before. But what had happened? How had she ended up back in her bunk? And --
�Shit! The engines!� Talking aloud made her seize up in a fit of coughing. Instantly, Chakotay sat down beside her and handed her a mug of tea. She scowled down at it, wishing more than anything that it was black coffee.
�How are you feeling?�
�I�d be better if I knew what was going on.�
She shot him a look.
�You were sick as a dog last night, don�t you remember?�
�Well, I�m fine now, so if you�ll excuse me, this dog needs to get back to her engines.�
�Actually, you have the rest of the day off, and however much else time you need,� Chakotay said evenly, eyes sparkling with amusement.
B�Elanna almost laughed in disbelief.
�How much longer do you want to spend on this goddamned planet?�
�As long as it takes for you to get better.�
�I�m fine, Chakotay!�
�You were not fine!� He stood, suddenly angry. �Kurt said that if your fever had gone too much higher, you could have suffered brain damage. I can�t afford to lose my best fr--engineer, B�Elanna!�
She looked taken aback, but frowned and said nothing.
He continued, �I thought that being in the Maquis would have taught you by now that life is precious.�
B�Elanna opened her mouth to explain that everyone�s lives were precious except her own, then looked into Chakotay�s eyes and thought better of it.
Finally, she asked quietly, �Would you do this for everyone?�
Knowing she was questioning whether he thought her �tough enough�, Chakotay couldn�t help but laugh. �B�Elanna, I�d put anyone else on mandatory bed rest! I don�t know if somebody else could have gone through what you did last night and be having a conversation with me the next morning.�
This seemed to placate her somewhat. �Now, let�s go get some grub. I�m hungry,� smiled Chakotay.
�Maquis are always hungry.�
�Got that right.�
With a broad hand on her shoulder, he steered B�Elanna out of the room. Once outside, they paused.
�Huh-choo!�
�Bless you, Chakotay.�
THE END
(Challenge: Write a follow-up piece in which the roles are reversed and B�Elanna does the caretaking.)
