One afternoon the Doctor had come to Seven with a problem. He had been performing the crew’s annual physicals and had come across something odd. While viewing a holo-image of Harry Kim he had discovered a surgical incision, something he had done only he couldn’t re-call ever performing neuro-surgery on the Ensign. After some prodding Seven agreed to take a look at his program. When she arrived at sickbay an hour later, the Doctor couldn’t recall a word of their conversation. When the two sat to look at his program they discovered someone had been tampering with it. They went to Tuvok and the captain with their findings and she sent the doctor to sickbay with orders to shut down his program.

(Here’s where I take over.)

The Doctor left the briefing room somewhat dejected; Seven went to follow him.

"Seven, wait a sec." The captain called after her. "Tuvok give us a minute." He nodded leaving the room. "There are a few things you need to know." Seven looked at the captain puzzled. "There is no intruder aboard Voyager. No one has been tampering with the Doctor’s program."

"We found evidence that someone had re-written some of his sub-routines. I do not understand." Seven responded.

"I realize that." The captain sighed rubbing her temples. She could feel a headache coming on. "It was me. I altered the doctor’s program."

"You? Why?"

"It’s complicated. I can’t tell you all the details, but I need you to know a few things. Eighteen months ago, long before you came on board, the doctor experienced some problems. We were in danger of losing his program completely, so we had to make some adjustments. It is imperative that we do the same thing again. If we don’t he could be irreversibly damaged."

Seven’s heart skipped a beat. The idea of losing the doctor was very unsettling. "I’m not sure what you mean. Who was the crewman in the photo and what does she have to do with the doctor?"

"Seven please try to understand. Those questions are best left unanswered. You can never refer to this incident again. I understand you feel protective of the doctor, but I’m doing what’s best for him and you. The two of you are in a relatively new relationship and it is never easy to keep secrets from the person you love. I promise everything will be OK. You have to trust me."

Seven felt very uneasy, but she did trust the captain. Next to the Doctor, the captain was the person Seven trusted the most. "I will comply."

Sitting on the bridge about an hour later, Seven was only vaguely aware of the conversation between Kathryn, Chakotay and Tuvok. Her thoughts were pre-occupied by the Doctor. She didn’t like lying to him, but her fear over the idea of losing him was much more powerful. She was so consumed by her own thoughts she barely noticed when he strolled onto the bridge. 

"If this is another house call it will have to wait. As you can see I’ve got a mutiny on my hands." The Captain said to the Doctor.

"Mutiny. I suppose that’s better than a conspiracy." The Doctor said bitterly.

The Captain and Commander exchanged glances.

Seven looked up from her console concerned. "Doctor?"

"Tell her captain. Describe how you tampered with my program. How it was you all along." The Doctor’s voice barely contained his fury. Seven felt a foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something must have gone wrong with the procedure.

Tuvok stepped around the tactical station. "Perhaps you should accompany me to sickbay Doctor."

The Doctor’s head whipped around. "Et Tu Tuvok." He wondered how many others were conspiring against him. For the first time in his existence the Doctor was afraid of the crew, his supposed friends.

The Captain stood and walked to the Doctor. "In my ready room," she said.

The two walked into the ready room and Seven stared as the door closed. She felt terrible. It had obviously been an error in judgement to sit by and allow them to re-write the Doctor’s program without his knowledge. They were all treating him like an inanimate object. He was so much more than that and she knew she couldn’t allow them to further violate him. She loved him and she would protect him no matter what happened. They would find out together what was going on. 

About fifteen minutes later a dejected doctor walked from the ready room to the turbolift he glanced at her looking defeated and she stood up.

"Seven, remain at your station." The captain was watching her from the entrance of the ready room. It was more than she could handle. She wasn’t about to let anyone prevent her from accompanying the doctor. She could see in his eyes how much he needed her. Defiantly she walked to the turbolift stood next to the Doctor and spat out the words "Sickbay."

When the turbolift door closed Janeway sighed and walked over to Commander Chakotay. "We have to prepare to alter the Doctor’s program again. I want you to use as many people as you need. Let’s get this over with."

"What about Seven Captain?"

"If she gives you any trouble tell her to report to me. I’ll have to make her understand. They don’t have a choice. None of us do."
 
 

In sickbay the Doctor collapsed into the chair in his office. Seven stared at him uncertain of what to say. "The Captain says I’m malfunctioning and need to be repaired. Just like that, no explanation," the Doctor said bitterly. He glanced up at her, "Seven I have never been so scared."

Seven went to him and put her arms around him. "It’s Ok. I won’t abandon you. I love you."

"I know, and I love you." The Doctor pulled back and saw tears in her eyes. "Don’t worry," he said wiping the tears away. "Everything will be Ok as long as we’re together."

"I’m so sorry," she said sniffing.

"Why? This isn’t your fault." The doctor’s heart was bursting. She was upset because of him. She rarely got upset. He hated seeing her cry it broke his heart.

Seven took a deep breath before confessing. "I knew the captain intended to re-write your program."

"What?" The Doctor was shocked; feelings of betrayal invaded him. "You knew and you didn’t try to stop it."

"I thought it was for the best."

The Doctor broke away from her. "For the best," he spat. "That’s what the captain said. I’m nothing more than a program to all of you. Is that how you see me?"

"Of course not. I was wrong. I won’t let them do it again."

"There’s nothing we can do. I tried talking to the Captain but she wouldn’t listen. I’m just a program, a part of Voyager’s systems. Why bother fighting."

"You are not just a program to me. You’re the man I’m in love with."

"Man, hardly. You’re in love with a program, an ingenious piece of holo-technology with a few unique subroutines. That’s all I am to the crew."

"That’s not true." She hated hearing him talk like this. "You are so much more than that. If you really believe that than you can’t possibly love me and I know you do."

The Doctor’s head dropped. "I do love you." He opened his arms and she went to him. No matter what was going on in her life, no matter how crazy, she always felt safe in his arms. 

Their embrace was interrupted by the swish of the sickbay doors. Commander Chakotay and Tom Paris walked in.

"Doctor," the commander nodded at him as he went to a nearby console.

"What’s happening? What are you doing?" The Doctor asked. Seven could feel the Doctor’s anxiety rising. She felt helpless.

"Lieutenant Torres requires a copy of your most recent memory files. Including the back-ups." The Commander responded.

"You’re going to re-write my program?"

"The Captain thinks it’s for the best. I’m sorry." Belanna’s setting up the procedure right now. In the meantime you’re to brief Mr. Paris about any experiments you’re performing. Any tests."

"I’ll be filling in while your program’s offline." Tom nodded at the commander indicating he could take it from there. "Ok so you’re running some kind of cell analysis."

"Yes," the doctor felt defeated.

"Well let’s take a look."

The Doctor couldn’t contain himself any longer. "What happened eighteen months ago. Why won’t the captain tell me."

Tom sighed he hated what this was doing to the Doctor. They argued a lot but deep down he really liked the Doctor. He respected him. "She has her reasons."

"And you agree with her?"

"I was there and yes I agree with her."

"Well I do not." Seven spoke up.

"No offense Seven, I know you and the Doc are involved, but you don’t know what happened. This is the only way."

"We will see." She turned to the Doctor. "I will return shortly."
 
 

The captain was lounging on her chair trying to read, but her mind wasn’t on the book. The door chimed. "Come in," she called.

Seven strode in. "I wish to discuss something important with you."

"If this is about the doctor, you’re wasting your breath. I already had this argument with myself eighteen months ago."

"Well then you need to have it again. Eighteen months ago the doctor was different. It was a different situation. He is so much more now than when he was first activated."

"Seven you didn’t know him eighteen months ago or when he was first activated."

"True, but I know him now. He is a sentient living being. And you can’t treat him like a piece of machinery. It isn’t right."

"I realize you and the Doctor are involved and this may hurt you to hear, but the Doctor is more like a machine than he is like us."

"I just spend the last half hour trying to convince him that that was not true."

"Seven this is pointless. I have made my decision. End of discussion."

She walked toward the door. "It is unsettling. Part of me is human and part is borg. Part of me a machine, not unlike the Doctor. If I malfunction will you choose to someday abandon me too?" Seven walked out of the Captain’s room leaving her to think.

In sickbay the Doctor and Seven sat together in silence, waiting, for what they weren’t sure. Seven had the Doctor’s hand in her own and was rubbing it trying to bring him some comfort. They both felt very helpless.

The Captain and Lieutenant Torres walked into sickbay and Seven and the Doctor stood. The Captain approached the couple. "I’ve decided to do this your way." She turned to the Doctor. "I realize that I can’t treat you like a piece of Voyager. You are a member of my crew and I will give you the same rights I’d give any of the others, if you’re willing."

"Thank you Captain." The Doctor said relieved to be finally able to know the truth.
 
 

Two weeks later Seven sat in one of the holodecks with the Doctor and the Captain. After the Doctor’s memories of what had happened eighteen months ago had been restored everything the Captain said would happen did. Almost immediately the Doctor began changing. His feelings of guilt were extreme and nothing Seven said or did seemed to be able to alleviate them. 

The Doctor sat musing to himself in one corner of the holodeck while Seven and the Captain spoke in the other.

"How’s he doing today?" the Captain asked.

"I’m not sure. Sometimes I think I’m making progress with him and at other times…" Seven trailed off shrugging. "Maybe I was wrong. Maybe we should have left those memories erased."

Janeway dropped an arm around the young woman’s shoulder. "No Seven, you were right. We didn’t have the right to deny him of his memories. He’ll get through this. You must be tired, why don’t you let me stay with him while you go regenerate."

"No that’s Ok Captain. I want to stay with him."

"Ok, I’ll be in my quarters if you need me."

Seven smiled and sat in her chair. The past couple of weeks had been stressful. At times she felt like the Doctor didn’t even recognize her.

"Seven."

"Yes Doctor."

"I’ve been thinking. I think you should re-initialize my program."

"What?"

"I’m no good like this. If I could kill Ensign Jetal, I could kill any one of you. I couldn’t live with myself if that happened."

"Doctor, you didn’t kill Ensign Jetal. Try to understand there was nothing you could have done."

"I did and if I ever hurt you I wouldn’t want to live. I love you."

"You’re not going to hurt me, but if you re-initialize your program you will forget all about us. And I couldn’t live with that."

The doctor’s eyes got bright with tears. "Why did this happen? Why couldn’t I save them both?"

"You can’t control everything. Some things are beyond control, but this ship needs you. I need you."

"I don’t know how you could love me."

"You’re easy to love. We will get through this. I’ve talked to the Captain and she’s agreed to give me my own quarters. I want us to live there together."

"Live together?"

"Yes."

"You couldn’t help Ensign Jetal, but you can help me."

"Help you with what?"

"With life. I want us to take care of each other forever. Are you willing?"

"I am if you are."

Instead of responding Seven brought her lips to the Doctors and kissed him deeply. As long as they had each other he would be able to conquer all of his demons and he would be there for her forever, protecting her and loving her.