Copyright 2001, Susan S. McCrackin  Reprinted with permission of the author.

Kathryn Janeway raised her head into the stream of water, feeling the water pour over her face and straighten out her hair as it flowed through it.

‘Captain, you should not make promises that are not yours to keep.’

She had given Seven her word that her family would be safe and that they would be together on Earth. She had promised her she would find safety and a home there.

How could she have been so wrong?

The Doctor was pacing around the living quarters, periodically staring at the door. Dr. Zimmerman watched him, a look of concern on his face. The Doctor had barely refreshed his program for the five days his wife had been incarcerated. While Kathryn B’Elanna slept, he would watch the news casts, changing from one news cast to another, searching for any word about his wife. When his daughter was awake, he would spend every minute with her, trying to keep her distracted. Dr. Zimmerman knew he was keeping the child mildly sedated and had put a special choker on her, which he had explained was a mental damper designed by Kahkar Omarahn. He had finally allowed Counselor Troi to start working with the child but more to occupy her attention than to try to communicate with anyone. He knew the Doctor was concerned that Kathryn B’Elanna would try to contact her mother, and that was the last thing they needed. Finally, the doors opened, and they turned simultaneously to see Kathryn Janeway, Dr. E’Nalto and Alta Ro’bara walk in.

The Doctor moved to the Captain immediately, "Did you see her?"

She nodded, "Yes, we did. She is all right, Doctor." When he looked at her with disbelief in his face, she nodded and continued, "She is not in the best shape, but she really is all right. Dr. E’Nalto checked her carefully and has already made a full report to the leadership. They have not provided her with any type of regeneration unit and we have demanded one be made available immediately."

"She hasn’t regenerated in all this time?" His voice was harsh.

Janeway shook her head, "No, but she has tried to sleep to compensate."

"Is she eating?"

Janeway’s eyes cut to Dr. E’Nalto who stepped forward to respond, "Doctor, I will not lie to you. She has not been provided the best of care. The people who are guarding her do not understand her unique physiology or her needs. They are afraid of her and have kept her restrained."

The Doctor’s expression went blank as the implications of her words sunk in. He finally spoke, his voice soft and incredulous, "She’s not eating?"

"Not as much as she needs to. The implant on her right arm was damaged and it is causing her problems in using her hand. They will not remove the restraint on her left arm because they are afraid of her assimilation tubules. So, eating has been difficult for her. There is one guard who tries to provide her with additional care, and he has fed her when he is on duty, but most of the guards are afraid of her."

"But she won’t hurt them."

"I know that, and you know that, but they only know she is a dangerous drone. That is what they have been told." She sighed, "I have promised her I will check on her every twelve hours, and I will make certain she is properly fed when I see her. Mr. Ro’bara and I are also going to ensure she has a regeneration unit made available to her, and I have insisted that she be allowed to regenerate for at least twenty-four hours as soon as it is installed." She checked her chronometer, "The leadership promised me they would have an alcove removed from Voyager and installed this afternoon. I am going to return and stay with her to monitor while she regenerates. I want to make certain the damaged implant on her arm repairs itself properly." She did not tell him how she had had to fight with the leadership to allow Seven to regenerate. She had finally convinced them that their failure to do so would result in a dead drone, and that would not leave them with anything to publicly punish for the crimes of the Borg.

She knew that this was what most of this entire charade was about. The leadership was hoping that by parading Seven through a public trial and finding her guilty of crimes committed by the Borg, they could temporarily mollify the anti-Borg factions who were gradually growing more politically powerful. She was aware the leadership was feeling pressured to be more aggressive where the Borg were concerned. She also knew they were reluctant to do so because they did not believe they could win in a head to head war with the Borg.

She suspected they hoped to study Seven in order to discover ways of successfully defeating the Borg. Finding her guilty of crimes against humanity and imprisoning her would give them full access to her. The irony of the situation was that Seven of Nine would have willingly worked with the Federation to help them had they only asked her. She knew Seven well enough to know that. Now, instead of being a full partner in the war against the Borg, Seven would be the ultimate guinea pig for the Federation. The thought scared her for Seven and even more for Kathryn B’Elanna. She looked around the room at the people there, again thinking the best thing they could do for the child would be to find a way for her to disappear. But that was not possible. At least, not right now.

"I will give you a full report after she has regenerated. Now," she gave him a confident look, "I will return to make certain nothing delays the installation of the alcove and her regeneration." With a nod, she left.

Alta Ro’bara watched the doors close behind her, then addressed the group, "I am going to work on my report. I also need to check on the latest opinion polls to see what we might have to respond to." He did not seem to notice the disgusted look on the Doctor’s face as he left.

Dr. Zimmerman walked up to the Doctor and put his arm around his shoulders, "He is only doing his job, Doctor. And you must remember, he is trying hard to work in Seven’s best interest."

"I know," the Doctor took a deep breath and raised his eyes to the ceiling, "it is just difficult to hear that this entire situation with my family is nothing more than a political game, and that we are nothing more than game pieces to be moved around. Our lives are not our own." He looked at Captain Janeway and gave an ironic laugh, "We were better off in the Delta Quadrant."

Janeway looked down. As much as his words hurt, at this moment, she had to agree with him.

Kahkar sat next to Ketaria’s side, watching her carefully. After checking the read out on the scans, he closed his eyes, pressing his thumbs into the corners of his eyes, pressing in deeply, trying to relieve his pounding headache. He did not hear Meloka come up behind him.

"Sir?"

He jumped in surprise.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to scare you."

"No, Meloka, do not apologize," he sighed and leaned back in the chair, "I was just deep in thought."

"Is there any change in her condition?"

"No, but it is not yet time for there to be a change."

"I do not understand."

He turned in her direction, giving her a small smile, "I have put her into a healing sleep, Meloka. She will sleep for another four days before I wake her. It is important her condition not change until that time."

"Why is that important?"

"Ketaria suffered severe trauma to her brain. She needs to have the time to heal."

Meloka came to stand on the opposite side of the bed, looking at Kahkar, "Will she be okay when she wakes?"

Kahkar gave himself a moment to answer her question. Finally, he responded, "I hope so, Meloka, but I have to be honest. I do not know for certain."

"Do you know what caused her brain trauma?"

He shook his head, "No, I do not."

She watched as the frown on his face deepen, "But you think it has something to do with Seven."

"Yes, I am afraid I do."

"Are you angry with her?"

"Seven?"

"Yes."

He took a deep breath, "No, Meloka. I am not angry with Seven. I fear for Seven." He looked down at his wife, "As I now fear for Ketaria." He lifted his head to look at the puzzled hologram, "They are both victims, Meloka. I cannot be angry with either of them for the situation they find themselves in. I fear for both of them." He paused, then added, "I am angry with those that placed them in their situations." He stood, walking around the room, never moving too far from his wife’s bed, "I have tried so hard to protect them, but I fear I have not done enough." He stopped and stood, his back to Meloka, "For all of my plans, I may have put them both at risk." He turned to look at his wife, a sadness etched deeply in his face, "I do not know if I will be able to live with myself if my actions hurt either of them."

Meloka watched his face, seeing the pain in it and trying to process its meaning. She looked down at the face of the woman sleeping on the bed in front of her, seeing the peacefulness in it, in deep contrast to that of her husband. She knew it was going to be a long four days.

Dr. E’Nalto was as mad as she thought she had ever been in her life. An alcove from Voyager was outside of Seven’s cell, but it was obvious it was not anywhere close to being functional.

"I was only told to get the thing here," the man in front of her was leaning casually against the alcove, "no one told me I was supposed to install it. Besides," he gave it a snarling glance, "I don’t have a clue how to hook the thing up." He snorted, "I’m not sure I’d want to, anyway." He turned his head to look at her, "How can I be sure it wouldn’t a..a..absorb me. Isn’t that what those Borgs do?"

Dr. E’Nalto glared at him, angrily, "The proper term is assimilate. But the alcove would not assimilate you. It is Borg technology. It is not a Borg."

"Like that thing?" He had tossed his head in Seven’s direction.

Dr. E’Nalto had to close her eyes to regain her composure. The man’s words made her so angry, she actually got dizzy. Working hard to control her voice, she said, "She is a human being, not a thing. Her name is Seven."

"Yeah," he grinned at her, "a human being. No human being that I know has all of that…stuff." He walked toward Seven’s cell, stopping before he got too close, "But, I’ll admit, for an android, you’re a looker."

Dr. E’Nalto moved quickly to stand between the man and Seven, "I said she is a human being. She is not an android. And I suggest you leave right now."

The man gave her a smirk, then gave Seven a lingering look.

"Leave!"

The man shrugged, then turned and picked up his tools. Giving Seven one more look, he left. Dr. E’Nalto took a deep breath before turning to face Seven, "Seven, I’m sorry. I’ll see about getting your alcove functioning as soon as possible."

Seven turned her head away from her. Dr. E’Nalto watched her carefully. Even locked in her cell, they kept the manacles on her. It was obvious the guards were afraid of her.

"Seven," she walked up to the opening, wishing she could reach out to touch her but knowing the force field between them would not allow it, "don’t give up. We are fighting for you."

"Perhaps you should not."

"Seven!"

Seven turned to look at her, "You are only delaying the inevitable. You should just allow what is going to happen to happen."

Before she could respond, a guard walked in carrying a tray, followed by two heavily armed guards.

"Hello, Seven. It’s time for lunch." He walked up to the control panel on the side of Seven’s cell and gave her a smile. Balancing the tray with one hand, he keyed in a command on the cell and stepped through the opening. The guards behind him stood with weapons trained on the prisoner. Dr. E’Nalto watched as he placed the tray down on the bed and walked toward Seven, unlocking her restraints. "I’ll bet you’re hungry."

Seven did not respond, but reached with her left hand to rub her right arm and hand, then shook them slightly. The guard kneeled down and unlocked the restraints from her legs. Reaching out, he grabbed her by the arms, "Okay, Seven, shake them out."

Dr. E’Nalto could hear the humor in his voice. She watched as Seven carefully lifted one leg at a time and flexed them, working the muscles.

"Thank you."

"Sure," he grinned at her. Looking over at Dr. E’Nalto, he said, "You can come in if you would like. She won’t hurt you."

Dr. E’Nalto was almost too surprised to respond, but she quickly stepped through the opening. Seven looked at her, "This is Gerald. He is the guard I told you about."

Dr. E’Nalto looked at the tall man, "You’ve been caring for her."

"Sure, that’s my job."

She looked over her shoulder at the guards tensely holding their weapons on them, "You’re not afraid of her?"

He gave her a puzzled look, then laughed, "Of Seven? No, there isn’t anything to be afraid of." He gave Seven a knowing look, "Is there?"

"No," Seven shook her head at him, "there is not."

Dr. E’Nalto watched as Gerald reached to take Seven’s arm to help her over to the small bed, then moved the tray closer to her. He lifted the lid from the plate, "I managed to talk the cook into larger portions today." He picked up the utensils and cut the meat on the tray, "Can you eat yourself today or do I need to feed you?"

"I would like to try on my own."

"Okay, let me know if you need help."

Dr. E’Nalto’s eyes narrowed as she saw Gerald push himself back to lean against the wall and sit casually as Seven struggled to eat her meal. She was surprised at how comfortable the man seemed to be in Seven’s presence. It was obvious she did not frighten him at all. He appeared not to pay any attention to the difficulty Seven was having in eating, but Dr. E’Nalto could tell that he was actually very aware of the problems she was having and managed to assist her without drawing attention to the fact he was doing so. She was distressed to see that Seven was now having difficulty with both hands.

Once she finished the meal, he grinned and reached into the pocket of the jacket he was wearing, "Guess what I have in here?" Seven looked up at him, a frown appearing on her face. When she didn’t say anything, he slowly unwrapped the object, "Your favorite, Seven!"

For the first time, Dr. E’Nalto saw a smile appear on Seven’s face as she responded with pleasure, "Cheesecake. Thank you."

"It took me forever to find this, but I knew you would enjoy it." He picked up the fork, cut off a small piece and offered it to her. Seven hesitated only a moment before leaning forward to accept the bite. "Want me to feed it to you so you don’t drop even a small piece of it?"

Seven gave Dr. E’Nalto a quick embarrassed glance but nodded at Gerald. He cut another piece and fed it to her. Dr. E’Nalto turned to walk around the cell, trying to look as if she were examining it, but she was actually trying to give Seven the time to enjoy eating the cheesecake without being watched. Finally, she heard Gerald speak.

"That’s it, Seven. It’s all gone."

"It was good. Thank you very much."

"Now, do you want to exercise a little bit?"

"Yes, I would."

"Good."

As Dr. E’Nalto turned, she saw Gerald stand up and offer his hands to Seven, pulling her up from the bed and supporting her as they started to move around the small cell. She tried to stay out of their way as they used all of the space available to them to allow Seven to move freely. 

Finally, Seven said, "I need to sit down now."

"Sure," Gerald replied and held her hand as she moved back to the small bed and lowered herself to it. "How’s that muscle in your back today?"

"It is fine."

"Right. I’ve heard you say that before." He moved to sit on the bed beside her, "Turn around."

Dr. E’Nalto watched as Seven shifted so that her back was to him, and Gerald started to gently rub the muscles around her right shoulder blade. Seven grimaced as his fingers found the knotted muscle and started to work it. 

"Gerald," Dr. E’Nalto spoke, "why are you not afraid of Seven like the other guards?"

He concentrated on rubbing Seven’s back, "There is nothing to be afraid of."

"How do you know that?"

He looked up at her and grinned, "I can see it in her eyes." When she gave him a puzzled look, he laughed, "I’ve been a guard for a long time. I have learned that you can tell a lot about a prisoner by looking into their eyes. I knew the minute I looked at Seven that there was nothing to fear." He looked back at his fingers, working on Seven’s muscles, "Believe me, you learn to trust your instincts when you work in a place like this. You’d better if you want to stay alive and well."

Dr. E’Nalto looked at the man’s face carefully for a long time, then smiled at him, "Well, I am glad you are here to care for Seven. There are a lot of people who will be glad to hear she had someone like you looking out for her." She glanced over her shoulder, "I wish more people were like you."

"Yeah, well, that is a problem." He frowned, "Seven, this is getting worse, not better. You probably need something more than what I can do for you."

"I need to regenerate," she looked over at the dark alcove outside her cell, "but it does not appear as if that will happen soon."

"Regenerate?"

"Seven’s unique physiology requires her to regenerate," Dr. E’Nalto indicated the alcove. "Her cybernetic implants require energy, and she can only get that from the Borg alcove. But, as you can see, it is not functioning at the moment."

"Why not?"

"Apparently, getting it hooked up is not a priority."

"Is it supposed to be hooked up?"

"Yes, the leadership ordered it brought here. She was supposed to be allowed to regenerate this afternoon. That is the main reason I am here. I planned to monitor her while she regenerated."

"Well," Gerald lightly patted Seven on the back, "why don’t I take a look at it and see what I can do. I’m sort of good with technology. Maybe I can get it hooked up."

Seven stood to face him, "I can provide you with instructions."

"Wonderful." Gerald grinned at the two women, "Let’s get started and see what we can do."

Three hours later, Dr. E’Nalto activated the alcove, and they each breathed a sigh of relief when it powered up.

"So, Seven," Gerald grinned, "looks like we can tuck you in for a little nap."

She looked at him in appreciation, "I think I am ready for a nap."

Dr. E’Nalto laughed, pleased that Seven seemed to be enjoying the interaction and the process of getting the alcove installed. They had placed her back in the cell behind the force field in order to appease the other guards, who were still standing with their weapons drawn, although even they had seemed to relax a little.

Gerald walked over and deactivated the force field and reached to help Seven step over the base. The guards immediately raised their weapons, aiming them at her. Gerald stopped her.

"She must be manacled," the lead guard demanded.

"Max, she is only going as far as the alcove," Gerald’s voice was soothing.

"Not without the restraints, Gerald."

"Max."

"The restraints or she doesn’t come out, Gerald."

Before he could respond, Seven said to him, "You should put the restraints on me, Gerald."

He looked at her a moment, undecided, then shook his head determinedly, "No, Seven. You don’t need them. Come on." He gave Max a forceful stare, "I’m going to put her in her alcove without the restraints." Gerald pulled Seven out of the cell, walked her over to the alcove and helped her step up into it. He grinned at her and gave her a short nod of his head. She took her place, and Dr. E’Nalto activated the regeneration mechanism. Seven straightened, closed her eyes and began to regenerate. 

As she did, Gerald turned to the guards, "See, guys, she isn’t going to hurt you."

Max looked at him angrily, then turned to the guard beside him, "Keep your weapon on her." Then, he turned and left.

"Gerald," Dr. E’Nalto spoke to him, her voice concerned, "are you sure this is okay?"

Gerald glanced over at the door, a worried look coming over his face, "I hope so. I really didn’t expect Max to react like that." He looked back up at Seven, "Regardless, it’s pretty obvious to anyone that she is harmless like that." He turned back to Dr. E’Nalto, "Is she always like that?"

"When she regenerates?"

"Yes."

Dr. E’Nalto nodded, "From what I understand, she enters into an almost trance-like state. It is different from sleep. She is fairly oblivious to what is going on around her when she is regenerating."

"And pretty vulnerable." His eyes were on her, worry in them.

Dr. E’Nalto looked at him in surprise, "Yes. You are correct."

Gerald watched Seven for a few minutes, then asked, "Will this help the tremors in her hands?"

"I think so."

"They’ve gotten a lot worse in the last forty-eight hours." When she did not respond, he continued, "She has deteriorated a lot since I first met her. Is that because she hasn’t been regenerating?"

"Yes."

Before he could say anything else, the door flew open and guards rushed in, weapons drawn. Dr. E’Nalto screamed in surprise as one of the guards grabbed her, pushing her to the floor. She watched as two other guards rushed the alcove and tackled Seven, knocking her roughly to the floor. Immediately following were three more guards carrying heavy restraints. Dr. E’Nalto watched as Seven started to struggle as she came alert, and she yelled for Seven to lie still and not fight. She saw Gerald fighting to get to Seven, yelling at her to stay still and not struggle with the guards. She watched in horror as Seven was shackled, jerked to her feet and dragged roughly into the cell and pushed inside. She could not see what happened next but heard as one of the guards yelled for everyone to fall back. By the time she was able to lift her head, she saw the force field lights and knew it had been activated. Then, she felt herself pulled from the floor. 

A man walked in and strode up to her, "Are you all right?"

"What in the world was that all about?" She could hear the tremor in her voice as she spoke.

"It was reported that the drone was loose in here."

Before she could respond, Gerald yelled, "She was not loose! She was under control, and she was regenerating."

The man turned to him angrily, "She was outside of her cell and without restraints. I’d call that loose."

"Captain, there were weapons trained on her at all times! There was no danger from her being in her alcove without restraints."

"Dickinson, right now, you should consider yourself relieved of duty. Go to my office and wait on me. I will discuss this with you once I have cleaned up your mess here."

"Captain…."

"Now, Dickinson!"

Gerald struggled for control and gave Dr. E’Nalto an apologetic look. He tried to look at Seven, but realized his view was blocked. Reluctantly, he turned and left.

Dr. E’Nalto rubbed her elbow and addressed the captain, working to make her voice forceful, "I want to examine her."

"I’m sorry. I cannot allow that."

"She may have been hurt."

"I doubt my men could have hurt a drone."

"Captain…." She was searching his uniform for his name.

"Seavers."

"Captain Seavers, Seven is a human being. She needs to be examined to make certain that your men did not hurt her. I demand you allow me to see her now."

He narrowed his eyes, "My men will check on her. If she needs medical attention, we will let you know. Right now, we need to make certain we have this area secured, so I will have to ask you to leave."

"Captain Seavers…."

"Dr. E’Nalto, you must leave." He saw the anger in her eyes, then sighed, "Please, give me two hours, and you can return." He turned to look over his shoulder, "I’ll check her myself. If there is a problem, I will send for you." He spoke to one of the guards, "Please take Dr. E’Nalto to the visitors room and make certain she is comfortable." He then addressed her directly, "Two hours, Dr. E’Nalto." He paused, then added, "Or less, if I can wrap things up here quickly."

She heard the message in his words and turned to leave. She knew the quicker he finished his work, the faster she would be allowed to see Seven. At the door, she paused to see if she could get a glimpse of Seven, but the guards blocked her view. Tightening her lips, she left.

Captain Seavers turned and walked up to the cell, "Let me in." As soon as the force field was deactivated, he stepped into the cell and walked up to the still figure on the floor. He waved two guards in to lift Seven from the floor and place her on the bed. Then, he waved them back.

He reached down to take her face in his hands, shaking her head, "Seven of Nine." When he didn’t get a response, he gave her a light slap, followed by a sharper one, "Seven of Nine!" Her eyes fluttered open, and he watched her try to focus on him. "Seven of Nine, are you hurt?"

She looked up in his eyes and knew what he wanted to hear, "No, I am undamaged."

"Good." He stood, "I need to talk to my men about what happened here, and then I will allow Dr. E’Nalto to return."

She looked at him, but did not respond. He turned and left, ordering the force field activated once outside the cell. Then, he ordered three guards to take up positions outside of the cell and walked out with the rest of the guards following him. She tried to roll onto her back, fighting the desire to groan as she did. Seeing the three guards staring fiercely at her, she closed her eyes, searching for the darkness and the comfort it offered.

"Opinion polls are exactly where we want them."

"You know I do not believe in opinion polls, Andrew."

"But even you have to admit it is important for us to know what the public thinks."

"The public thinks exactly what we want them to think." He walked around the room, his actions slow and deliberate. He picked up the PADD from Andrew, then tossed it carelessly to the table without looking at it, "I can see what I want to know in the eyes of the people I meet. I can tell you that public opinion is equally split. The different factions are polarized, each more strongly believing what they believed before. That is exactly what we want. She is becoming a more valuable commodity for each side. The leadership is increasingly nervous about her…disposition. They will look on her death as a great relief." He looked at the man, "Are our plans still coming together as expected?"

"Yes, we managed to keep her from regenerating today."

"The day is not over." He took a deep breath, "Perhaps we should allow her to regenerate a few hours. We only want to break her spirit. We do not want her to die. We still need her, Andrew."

"I will make the necessary arrangements."

"Good." He lifted his drink to his lips and sipped, "What about the papers to be served regarding the child? Are they ready?"

Andrew checked the chronometer on the wall, "They should be served to the hologram within the hour."

"Excellent. Things are progressing." He sat down and crossed his legs, a smile coming to his face, "Only a few more days."

"Yes, sir."

The Doctor was sitting on the floor, building a block tower with Kathryn B’Elanna. Kathryn Janeway watched them, trying not to look at the chronometer again. She was anxious to hear from Dr. E’Nalto. The doctor had agreed to contact her once Seven was regenerating. The fact that she had not called was making the Captain extremely nervous. She knew the Doctor was also getting more nervous. Both were trying to hide their feelings from Kathryn B’Elanna. She was surprised that the child did not seem to be aware of their feelings. Once again, she gave a silent thanks to Kahkar for developing the mental damper for Kathryn B’Elanna to wear.

Suddenly, she noticed that Kathryn B’Elanna looked up toward the door, then dropped her head back to the blocks. Janeway frowned, but before she could say anything to the Doctor, they heard a knock at the door.

Dr. Zimmerman stood and crossed to open the door. The Doctor and Janeway watched as Admiral Paris walked in, approached the Doctor and handed him an envelope, "Dr. Hansen, you have an appointment to appear before Judge Marshall tomorrow at o-two hundred hours."

The Doctor looked at the paper in his hand, "What for?"

"Doctor," the Admirable looked at him sympathetically, "Claudia Hansen has filed charges, challenging your right to parent Kathryn B’Elanna. She is asking for guardianship."

"What?"

"Doctor, you do not have a legal standing as a hologram. You are at risk for loosing your daughter. Judge Marshall has agreed to hear your case for self-determination tomorrow at two."

"Admiral," Janeway walked up to stand beside the Doctor, "can she do that?"

"I am afraid she can." He gave them each a long look, "And she has."

Before either of them could speak, another knock came at the door. Dr. Zimmerman tightened his mouth and went to the door. They heard him speak to the person, then call to the Doctor. Giving her a frightened glance, he walked toward the visitor and accepted the legal papers that were handed to him. Then, Janeway watched as the visitor turned and left. The Doctor stood staring at the papers in his hand, and she covered her face with her hands.

Kathryn B’Elanna sat on the floor and played with her blocks.