Copyright 2000, Susan S. McCrackin  Reprinted with permission of the author.

Harry noticed how quiet Seven was. He knew the Captain and Ketaria had talked to her last night. He had hoped she would talk to him about the conversation, but she had not. Instead, she had been tense all day. Finally, he stopped working and leaned against the console and asked her, "Would you like to talk about it?"

She did not stop. So, he tried again, "I know something is bothering you. I wish you would tell me what it is."

She did not look up but seemed to lose her concentration on her work. He tried one more time.

"Seven, I want you to know that I am your friend. You can talk to me." He paused, "You can trust me, Seven."

Finally, she looked up at him, her eyes showing her uncertainty. He slowly moved a little closer to her, "I am the last person you should be afraid of Seven. Talk to me. Please."

She lifted her head and took a deep breath, "I talked with the Captain last night. She told me I have been on Voyager a long time."

"That’s right. You have been."

"I do not remember."

"No. Your memories have been…damaged. But you will probably get them back. You just have to give them time."

"So the people on this ship know me."

"Yes, they do."

"I do not remember them."

"They know that. No one is expecting you to remember them right now."

"Ensign Kim…."

"You used to call me Harry."

Her eyes shot up to him quickly and then dropped back down. She took a moment before continuing, "Harry, we were friends." It was an uncertain statement.

"Yes, Seven. We were friends. I think we still are friends." He moved even closer to her, "We have a…special friendship."

She looked at him with a hint of fear in her eyes and he took a step back, "Seven, our friendship is nothing to be afraid of. It should give you a feeling of comfort."

"Comfort?"

"Yes. Having a friend that you can trust means you are not alone. You don’t have to worry about how you are going to manage or deal with things by yourself. Having a friend means you have someone you can lean on, someone who will be there for you. I tried to be that kind of a friend to you before, and I will be that kind of friend to you again." He gave her a big grin and was relieved to see a smile start to form on her lips. He checked the chronometer on the console, "Well, friend. I see it is time for our duty shift to end. How would you like to accompany me to the mess hall for dinner? Maybe we’ll even talk about old times."

"I have been eating with Captain Janeway."

"Would you prefer to eat with her?"

She thought a moment, "No."

He grinned again and reached to touch his combadge, "Ensign Kim to Captain Janeway."

"Janeway here."

"Captain, Seven and I are finished here for today. We are going to dinner in the mess hall, unless you need to see her."

"No, Ensign. The two of you can go ahead. Janeway out."

"So, we are on for dinner." She gave him a curious expression and he explained, "That means we can go to the mess hall together." He offered her his arm, and she looked at it blankly. Then, he reached down, grabbed her hand and wrapped her hand on his arm. Keeping his hand over hers, he led her out of astrometrics.

**

They walked into the mess hall, and Harry led her up to the counter to get their food. With trays in hand, he guided her to a quiet table away from the crowd. He noticed that Tom and B’Elanna were eating at a table in the center of the room and that B’Elanna was throwing daggers in his direction. He ignored her. 

"This is a treat tonight, Seven. Neelix has cooked one of my favorite foods."

She looked at the pile on her plate and asked, "What is this?"

"This is Mortetac targeq." He laughed, "Or, as Tom and I refer to it, Delta Quadrant spaghetti."

"I do not know how to eat this."

"Well, it takes a little practice. Here, watch what I do." He picked up his fork and twirled it in the spaghetti, then lifted the fork to his mouth. She frowned, then repeated his actions but was not successful in getting all of the strands wrapped around the fork. When she tried to eat it, she dribbled the sauce on her chin. He reached over with his napkin and wiped her chin. She cast her eyes up at him, but did not stop him.

"Well, aren’t you a gentleman?"

He looked up, "I am just teaching her to eat spaghetti."

"How nice of you." Seven’s eyes moved back and forth between the two people, not understanding the tension between them. Finally, B’Elanna sat down, "I hope you don’t mind if I join you. I haven’t had a chance to visit much with Seven since she got back." She settled herself and asked, "How are you doing? Are you adapting?"

"Yes, I am adapting."

"Good. I am glad to hear it. If I can do anything for you, please let me know."

"Thank you, I will."

"How is work going?"

"Work is going well."

"Is Harry helping you?"

"Yes. He is…a friend."

"I see." 

"B’Elanna," Harry shifted uncomfortably, "I am helping Seven adapt. That is all. There is nothing for you to worry about."

B’Elanna looked up at Seven and tried to give her a smile, "Of course. That’s what friends are for. Well, if you will excuse me, I have to go see the Doctor." She looked at Harry meaningfully. "It was good seeing you, Seven. I hope we will have the chance to visit more soon."

Seven gave her a short nod and watched as she walked away. Then, she looked back to Harry, "She seemed…angry."

"That’s B’Elanna. Always mad about something. Don’t worry about it." He stuck his fork in his spaghetti, "Let’s get back to enjoying our meal."

Seven picked up her fork and started twirling it in the pile of food on her plate.

**

The Doctor was sitting on the floor, building a tower of blocks with Kathryn B’Elanna. She should hand him a block and he would carefully place it. When the tower would get too big and tumble, she would laugh and clap her hands, then they would start all over again. B’Elanna was stretched out on the sofa, enjoying watching them play. Ketaria was in the rocking chair. B’Elanna noticed she was deep in thought.

"Ketaria," B’Elanna broached the subject tentatively, "do you have any idea how long it is going to take Seven to start remembering?"

Ketaria slowly shook her head, "No. I suspect it might take a while." She took a deep breath. She knew what B’Elanna was really asking. Word had quickly spread through the ship about Harry and Seven going to dinner together. Everyone had been surprised at how close the two had seemed. "One thing you need to understand is that the memories most precious to her are probably the most deeply repressed."

"That would be Kathryn B’Elanna." The Doctor’s voice reflected his growing depression.

"And you," B’Elanna added forcefully. She expected a response but all she received was a skeptical look. She had a thought and asked, "Ketaria, do you think it would help to introduce Seven to the Doctor and KB? Would that trigger her remembering?"

"It might, but I also think it is a dangerous thing to do right now." She looked at the Doctor, "You saw what happened to her when we told her that she had been on Voyager for years. She is not ready to reconcile her current situation with the memories and emotions of the past. She needs more time." She leaned back in the chair and started rocking back and forth, her eyes unfocusing on the people in the room, "The assimilation process is a brutal one. Even though Seven was unconscious, it affected her, physically, mentally and emotionally. The programming she received repressed her memories. It will take her time to recover and we have to make certain she has the time she needs."

The Doctor and B’Elanna exchanged glances. After a minute, the Doctor continued his play with Kathryn B’Elanna and B’Elanna shut her eyes in frustration.

**

Harry opened the door and looked at the person standing in front of him. Finally he said, "Come in."

Tom walked through, "I hope you don’t mind me dropping by."

"Not if you are coming to visit." He gave him a hard look, "Or did you come by to see if I had company."

"Maybe a little of both." Tom crossed the room and sat down on the chair. Harry reluctantly followed. "So, what happened after you two left the mess hall?"

"I walked her to the cargo bay, and she started her regeneration cycle."

"Did you kiss her goodnight and tuck her in?"

"That is none of your business."

"Oh, I think it is." They were glaring at each other. Tom leaned forward and spoke, his voice earnest, "Harry, you are my friend. I don’t want to see you hurt." He paused, then added meaningfully, "I don’t want to see her hurt, either."

"And you think I am going to hurt her?"

"I think there is a potential for that."

"But I would never hurt her."

"Because you love her." 

Harry did not respond, but quickly looked away. Tom continued, "Harry, she is married."

"But she doesn’t remember. Besides, her marriage isn’t even legal."

"Harry," Tom’s voice was soft, "even you don’t believe that makes a difference. You know how much Seven loves the Doctor. And don’t forget about Kathryn B’Elanna. Once she remembers them, she will be back with them immediately." He hesitated, "Don’t do anything to make her hate you."

Harry fell back into his chair, almost deflated. He stared at the ceiling, the pain on his face obvious, "I do love her, Tom. I have loved her from the beginning, and I am not ashamed of that."

"You should not be ashamed of loving someone. But you need to recognize your love for her can go nowhere. She is in love with the Doctor, and they have a child. Her family is the most important thing in her life. If you truly love her, you will respect that."

"But what if she decided she really loves me?"

Tom stopped to think about the question, "I don’t know, Harry. I doubt that will happen. But, if it did, it would have to be Seven’s decision. It can’t be something you force on her."

They sat silent, and Tom knew Harry was thinking about what had been said. Tom gave him a few minutes, then asked, "I was wondering if you wanted to talk about what happened on the cube."

Harry jerked his head toward Tom, then turned just as quickly away. Tom was surprised that he could see Harry’s hands visibly start to shake. "Harry?"

"No."

"Harry, I think it would help you to talk about it."

He laughed roughly, "It would help me not to think about it." He stood up and started pacing, "It would help me not to see it in my dreams every night." Tom stayed silent, understanding that, sometimes, listening was better than talking. It did not take long.

"They ripped her apart, Tom. Then, they put her back together. Every time I look at her, I think about that." He stood still and put his hands to his face, "Every time I look at her, I want to take her and hold her and protect her. I want to take all of that away." He stopped, unable to go on.

Tom walked up to him and put his hands on Harry’s shoulders, then he pulled him into an embrace, trying to comfort him. 

**

B’Elanna walked into the sickbay. She noticed the disappointment on the Doctor’s face.

"You must be expecting Seven."

"It is time for her to come in for her daily check up." He gave her a grim smile, "It is almost the best part of my day -- these few minutes we get to spend together."

She grinned, "Actually, that is sort of what I have been thinking about."

"What?"

"Doctor, I think it is time for you to start dating again."

Before he could ask her what she meant, the doors opened and Seven walked in. B’Elanna turned and greeted her, "Good morning, Seven. It is good to see you again."

"Lieutenant." Seven stood, her hands clasped behind her back. Then, she looked at the Doctor, "I am here for my check up."

Before the Doctor could respond, B’Elanna spoke, "You know, Seven, you could probably benefit from social lessons from the Doctor again. I know you don’t remember those, but the Doctor helped you develop social skills before." She made her voice a little challenging, "They would probably help you a lot." Seven raised an eyebrow at her and B’Elanna could see a hint of anger in her eyes, but she did not stop, "What about it, Doctor, are you willing to give Seven some more of those social lessons you used to give her?"

He was looking at her, his face reflecting both his amusement and his fear, but he answered in as friendly a tone as he could manage, "Of course."

"Good. Seven, the Doctor will come by the astrometrics lab right after work." She looked to the Doctor and he nodded. Then, she pointedly looked at Seven and waited for her response. After a minute, Seven nodded. "That settles it. See you later, Doctor." She gave her a friendly look, "It was good seeing you, Seven. Have a good day." With that, she left the room.

The Doctor and Seven stood uncomfortably in the sickbay, the Doctor almost afraid of Seven’s reaction to B’Elanna’s matchmaking. Finally, Seven spoke, "She is blunt."

"That she is." He could feel her starting to say something so he quickly added, "Are you ready for your checkup?"

She hesitated. Then, she nodded and walked toward the biobed. The Doctor raised his eyes and gave a sigh of relief. Thank you, B’Elanna, my dear friend. He gave a silent laugh. Time to start dating, indeed.

**

"How do I look?" He was as nervous as he had ever been.

"You look fine, Doc." Tom was brushing his uniform in the back, straightening out wrinkles that weren’t there.

"I wasn’t this nervous the first time we…never mind."

B’Elanna laughed, "You are going to be great, Doctor. Just be your natural self. That is who she fell in love with the first time."

"But what if that was a fluke?" His face was etched with concern. "What if she decides she doesn’t even like me anymore?"

"That isn’t going to happen," B’Elanna was reassuringly, "Relax and enjoy yourself. What do you have planned?"

"Dinner and dancing at Sandrines." He glanced at Tom, grinning, "Hopefully, this time without any interruptions."

"Don’t be concerned about that, Doc. B’Elanna and I are going to be in your quarters, taking care of KB."

"I hope no one else interrupts us."

They were all quiet a moment, then Tom said, "I don’t think that will happen, Doc."

He busied himself with his uniform, then picked up a single red rose, "I guess I am ready."

Tom and B’Elanna walked him to the doors. Then, Tom slapped him on the back, "Have a good time, Doc. And remember, we won’t be waiting up for you."

**

She was hesitant to enter the holodeck with him. He tried not to allow her reticence to color the mood. He was going to make the best of this night.

"This is Sandrines. We used to come here often."

"What did we do here?"

"We would enjoy a nice meal. We would talk, and we often danced."

"We would eat?"

"Yes."

"But you are a hologram. I was not aware you could eat."

"Well," he stumbled over his words, "I didn’t really eat. I would…go through the motions."

"That seems inefficient."

"Yes, well..um…why don’t we sit, and I will order something for us. For you." He led her to a table and ordered her a drink, suddenly uncomfortable about ordering anything for himself. He had never felt so much like just a computer program before. Still, he forced a smile on his face, "Tell me about your day, Seven."

"I worked."

"Okay. Did you do anything unusual or exciting?"

"No." She looked down at the table, "Actually, there was nothing…unusual or exciting about it."

"Are you bored, Seven?"

"No. It is my assignment."

"But it would be more interesting if it was more challenging." She looked at him surprised, but did not respond. He continued, "You always did enjoy a challenge. It stimulated you. You would work for days without regenerating if you were particularly excited about a project."

"I do not get excited about projects."

"Well, you did not show your excitement, but I could often tell when you were."

"How?"

"We were friends, Seven. I knew you very well." He crossed his arms on the table in front of him, "I probably knew you better than anyone else on this ship."

He watched her eyes and saw them narrow slightly. Then, he watched as she put her hand up to her forehead and knew she was starting to feel some stress from their encounter. He quickly changed the mood.

"I think we should dance." He stood and reached for her hand. "It is something you really enjoyed." He led her to the dance floor and music started playing. Almost unconsciously, she put her right hand out for him to take and moved into their familiar, close dancing position, then took a small step back. He smiled warmly at her, and they started to move to the music. After a few minutes, she moved slowly into him as she relaxed into the rhythm and mood of the evening. He closed his eyes and relished the feel of her back in his arms.

**

"Thank you for that wonderful dinner." Janeway seated herself on the sofa and accepted the hot cup of coffee from Ketaria. "I can’t tell you how nice it is to be here tonight." She noticed the strange look on Kahkar’s face and added, "But I know that this is not entirely a social event." She took a sip of the coffee, "The two of you have something to talk to me about."

Kahkar leaned back in his chair, "You are right, Kathryn."

"Well, I am ready. Go ahead."

He cleared his throat, "Ketaria and I have talked this over and have decided you need to be told. You probably already know this will not be good news."

She nodded and prepared herself.

Kahkar looked to Ketaria and she started, "While I was on the Borg vessel with Seven, the queen…allowed me to look into her mind."

Janeway closed her eyes, a look of pain crossing her face. Then, she looked back at Ketaria, inviting her to continue.

"I learned somethings." Janeway waited. "I learned that Seven has been allowed to stay on Voyager…"

"As a plant?" Janeway interrupted her.

"No. I don’t think Seven was aware of the fact that she was allowed to stay on Voyager or why." She drew a deep breath, "The Borg wanted her to find a mate and have a child."

Janeway caught her breath. "Do you know why?"

"Yes, we do." She looked over to Kahkar and he shifted in his chair and started to speak.

"Captain, we have learned that the Borg manipulated Seven’s DNA." As her eyes widened, he activated a view screen on the wall and Janeway turned her attention in its direction. "That, Kathryn, is a sample of Seven’s DNA." He keyed in a command and the picture zoomed in to the center of the picture. "The Borg somehow inserted Batair DNA into Seven’s."

Janeway blew a deep breath, "That explains Seven’s mild telepathy. And Kathryn B’Elanna’s."

"Yes, Kathryn. But there is more." He zoomed in again and he heard Kathryn Janeway gasp. She slowly stood up and moved closer to the view screen, her eyes locked on the picture in front of her. Finally, she turned to him.

"Kathryn B’Elanna?"

He lowered his head to key in another command and the picture once again split with the two DNA strands displayed side by side.

"Oh…my…God." She reached for the closest chair and sat down in it weakly. It took her a while to find her voice, "Do you have any idea of exactly what this means?"

"No. We can only speculate as to what it means." Ketaria had moved behind her husband and stood with her hands on his shoulders, "We know it explains her telepathy. We think it also explains her ability to get inside the Doctor’s program. We think she will have the ability to mentally communicate with computers, even manipulate them with her mind."

Janeway leaned forward and put her head in her hands. "How in the world do we deal with something like this?" She jerked her head up, "Do you think the Borg know about her abilities?"

"Not completely." Kahkar sighed, "they expected her to have enhanced abilities but even they never expected that she would be conceived in such a unique way." He looked down at his hand, "I have helped create the perfect Borg, Captain."

She thought a moment, then responded, "As long as they don’t have her, we have nothing to worry about. Well, less to worry about."

"Yes, we have thought about that. That is why we have a suggestion." Janeway’s look invited him to continue and he did, "We are proposing that Ketaria move onto Voyager. She can provide invaluable help with Kathryn B’Elanna. She will stay while I return to Eutaria to take my crew home. Then, I will follow. As soon as I am able to catch up with you, we will work on getting both ships to the Alpha Quadrant as quickly as possible." He took his wife’s hand, "We also suggest that the fewer people who know about this, the better. Of course, the Doctor will have to know. And Seven, once she recovers. I recommend that Tom and B’Elanna know about it since they are so important in her life, but that is all. She needs to be treated as much like a normal child as is possible."

"A normal child. A normal, telepathic child with Borg technology at a genetic level." She leaned back in the chair, "Of course." She looked at Ketaria, "Welcome to Voyager. I think we are in for an interesting ride."

**

B’Elanna was waiting for him when he brought Kathryn B’Elanna out of her bedroom.

"Well?"

He grinned at her, "I think it went well."

"Congratulations, Doc!" Tom was slipping on his robe as he walked out of the Doctor’s bedroom, "I had faith in you."

"So," B’Elanna said, "tell us all about it."

"We had a pleasant evening. We danced, and we talked. Well, I guess I did most of the talking. She isn’t much of a conversationalist these day."

"More like the old Seven."

"Yes." He put Kathryn B’Elanna in her chair and started to feed her breakfast, "She seemed to enjoy herself. She did say she would like to go out again."

"Wonderful!" Tom slapped him on the shoulder. 

The Doctor gave him an appreciative look. "Thanks you two. It means a lot to have your support through this." He concentrated on feeding his daughter, then asked B’Elanna, "What do you and Kathryn B’Elanna have planned for today?"

"We are going to spend most of the day in Flotter’s Forest."

"Really? You are starting to like that place, aren’t you?"

She shrugged sheepishly at him, "I guess it is growing on me. But KB seems to be the most…relaxed in there. She hasn’t been herself lately."

He nodded his head, "She really misses her mother."

"Yes, she does."

Tom reached out and put his hand over B’Elanna’s, "This has been hard on everyone."

"Yes, Tom," the Doctor lifted his child out of her child and held her close to him, "it certainly has."

**

"Regeneration cycle is complete."

She stepped forward and stood quietly. She was feeling unsettled. Her regeneration cycle had been interrupted frequently throughout the night with odd feelings and wisps of memories. She remembered touching and being held. Now, she was feeling empty and alone. From time to time, she had wanted to reach for someone -- someone who was not there. It was as if she were only half a person. 

Dinner with the Doctor seemed to have stirred up odd feelings in her. She knew he was expecting her in sickbay but, right now, that was the last place she wanted to go. For a reason she did not understand, she was uncomfortable with the thought of being with the Doctor right now. She decided she would go to work now and go for her check up later in the day. 

She walked into astrometrics and was almost relieved to find it empty. Working alone today would be a welcomed change. She had not been alone except during her regeneration cycles. It was as if they were afraid for her to be by herself. Still, working with Harry had been…comforting. She stopped to think about him and some of their conversations. He had described their relationship as special. She wondered what that meant. She heard the doors open behind her and she knew it was Harry.

"Good morning, Seven. You are early this morning."

"I have not yet gone for my check up."

"Oh? Any special reason?"

"I…just did not want to go this morning."

He started working next to her, giving himself a little time before he asked his question, "Did the two of you have a good time last night?"

She noticed his voice was strange so she looked at him. The look on his face was also strange. It added to her unsettled feeling. She turned her attention back to her work before answering, "It was a pleasant evening."

"You and the Doctor used to do that a lot."

"We did?"

"Yes. It was an important part of your social development." He hesitated, then added, "You considered him an excellent teacher."

She gave him a raised eyebrow then returned to her work. They worked side by side in silence. Then, Harry noticed a blinking light on the console.

"Oh, great."

"What is wrong?"

"It looks like this panel is about to go out again." He stooped down and pulled the cover off the circuit controls. He tapped inside the box and the console powered down. "Wonderful." He looked up at her, "Did you lose any work?"

"No. I had saved my work."

"Good thinking." He stood, "Well, I guess I’d better go to the cargo bay and get a replacement panel."

"I will accompany you." She looked at the dead console, "It does not appear that I can continue work here. Besides, I need to learn…relearn where the replacement parts are kept."

He grinned, "Great. Let’s go."

As soon as they entered the cargo bay, he pointed to a container near the wall. "We’ll need to pull that down." He went over and used a pulley to lower the container to the deck. As soon as it was on the deck, he lifted the lid and pulled out the replacement panel. "This is what we need." He handed it to her, "Now, I will put the container back."

He used the pulley to lift the container and put it back in its place while she stood away and watched him. Once it was in its place, he secured the pulley and turned to see her starting to walk toward him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the container he had just lifted into its place shift and start to fall.

"Seven!" 

She started at his yell and he ran for her, grabbing her and shoving her out of the way. They fell to the floor, rolling on the deck as the container crashed behind them. They came to a stop with her on her back and Harry on top of her. They both looked over at the container that was splinted on the deck where Seven had been. Harry let out a sigh of relief, then looked back at her, "Are you okay?"

She did not answer, but looked into his eyes. This was what she had dreamed about. This was the feeling that had haunted her during her regeneration cycle. This was what she had looked for all night long. Her eyes widened in surprise. 

Their relationship was special. That is what he had said. Is this what he meant? She swallowed, hard.

Harry looked deeply in her eyes and saw the questions and the longing there. He watched as she slowly lifted her chin up and felt her hesitantly pull him toward her. He slowly lowered his head to kiss her lips softly. When she did not pull away from him, he kissed her harder. She unconsciously tightened her arms around him, and he responded by kissing her more passionately. She closed her eyes, feeling his arms tighten around her and feeling the weight of his body on hers. She started to give in to the kiss.

Suddenly, she knew something wasn’t right. She drew her hands up to place them on his shoulders and pushed him away, turning her head, "No. No. Please, no."

He looked at her in surprise and she became almost panicked to get away from him. "No. This is not right. Please, Harry. Get off of me." He rolled off and she slid across the floor away from him. She propped herself against a container, pulled her knees up to her body and hugged herself, putting one hand on her mouth.

"Seven, I…" He was starting to move toward her, but she put out her hand to stop his movement.

"No, please do not come closer. This is not right."

He sat and ran his hands in his hair. Then, he started laughing, bitterly.

"Harry, I am sorry."

"I know, Seven. You are sorry. You are sorry you do not love me like I love you." He shook his head, "We seem to have this conversation over and over. You would think I would learn."

"I do not understand."

"No, of course you don’t," he dropped his arms on his knees in frustration. "You don’t remember that you don’t love me. You don’t even remember that you love him and yet, you still know that something about us is wrong."

"What?" 

Suddenly, he realized what he had said and he looked at her, horrified, "Forget it, Seven. Let’s just forget this whole thing."

"No," she was starting to stand, "you said I don’t remember that I love him. Who is ‘him?’"

"Seven, we need to just forget that all of this happened. Come on, let’s just go back to work." He got to his feet and turned to leave.

"No!" She almost yelled. "Harry, tell me. I have to know."

He slowly pivoted to look at her, "Seven, it would be better for you to remember it on your own. I am sorry I said anything." He indicated the door with his head, "Please, forget this and let’s go."

"I have forgotten enough. I need to remember. You must help me remember." She walked up to face him, "Who is it that I love?"

He cast his eyes around the room, trying desperately to think of a way out, but she would not let him, "Harry. If you are my friend, you will tell me."

After another moment of silence, he dropped his head and muttered something unintelligible. 

"What?"

He looked up, took a deep breath and responded, "The Doctor."

Her eyes went wide in surprise, "The Doctor?" He gave her a single nod of his head, and she continued, "But he is a hologram."

"I know," he responded ironically.

She put her hand to her forehead and frowned. He watched her carefully. Her eyes cut away from him, then back, "What is the nature of our relationship?"

He dropped his head.

"What is it?" When he did not answer, she asked another question, "Are the Doctor and I…more than friends?"

He bit the corner of his mouth, then answered, "Yes."

She caught her breath and stepped back, "That is not possible."

"Well, it seems to work for you." He looked at the distress in her face and reached to comfort her, "Seven, the two of you are very happy together. You love each other very much."

"How can that be? He is a hologram." She was starting to rub her forehead.

"He is a lot more than a hologram. He is a sentient being and he loves you."

"I do not understand." She had both hands to her head.

He was starting to get desperate to say something that would help. He reached out and gently took her by the arms, "Seven, I know this is hard to take but it is the truth. You and the Doctor love each other. You have a good relationship."

She got a strange look on her face. She closed her eyes, trying to pull something out of her memory. Her eyes went to Harry’s face and she said, "There is more. There is something else, but I cannot remember what it is." She started rubbing her forehead harder, "What is it, Harry?"

The look on her face told him he had to tell her, "The two of you are married."

Her mouth started to form the word but she could not. She backed away from him, stumbling toward the doors of the cargo bay. He watched her go.

She half ran, half walked to the turbolift, giving the command as she entered. She leaned against the wall, fighting the pain in her head. They could not be married. He was a hologram. That meant he was not real. How could she love a computer program? She took a deep breath and felt a stabbing pain in her ribcage that almost doubled her over. She fought against the pain.

When the doors opened, she rushed toward the doors of the sickbay, her eyes searching for him as soon as she entered. He was working, his head down, but as soon as the doors opened, she watched as he automatically put his work down and moved from the console, speaking his programmed greeting.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency."

He was a computer program.

She saw his eyes widen when he saw her, a look of delight coming over his face, then quickly disappearing.

"Seven, what’s wrong?" He moved toward her but she backed up. He stopped. He spoke to her again, his voice calm, yet insistent, "Seven, tell me what is wrong."

His voice was so comforting and…so familiar to her. His look imploring and, yet, loving. Loving. She looked into his eyes. Then she saw the lines in his face. She knew those lines. She had touched that face.

No. It could not be.

She held herself as straight as she could, "We are married." 

Hope spread quickly across his face and she saw the anticipation in his eyes when he responded, "Yes, Seven. We are married."

"You are a hologram."

A flicker of concern showed on his face, but he responded, "Yes."

She looked away from him a moment, then back to him, anger now starting to show on her own face, "Unacceptable."

"What?" 

"I will not be married to a hologram. It is unacceptable."

He started for her, "Seven…"

She backed up immediately, "No."

He stopped, but he tried to reach her with his words, "Seven, we love each other. I love you very much and I know you love me."

"No. I cannot love a hologram. You are not even a real person." Suddenly, she grimaced and dropped her head into her hand, woozy with the pain.

"Seven, let me help you." He moved toward her.

"No!" She backed up again, stumbling as she did so but fighting to regain her footing, "Do not touch me." She groaned, grabbing her head with both hands, "I cannot bear the thought of you touching me."

With that, she almost fell backwards out of the sickbay doors and moved in a stumbling run away from him.

He stood in the center of the sickbay, paralyzed by their encounter, unable to think about anything but the last thing she had said to him.