Part
VII and VIII
by
RebelGirl
Inspired
by a challenge issued by Voyooho in Voq Je Bang, the rules of which are
displayed just prior to the start of Part I, I must therefore dedicated this to
Voyooho and thank her for firing my muse.
I
also need to thank my betas Arcanum and Anaglyph, without whom, all this would
be far poorer and quite littered with mistakes - thanks for the support.
Disclaimers:-
The characters belong to Paramount unfortunately - wasted opportunities!
Pairing:
B'Elanna/Seven
Feedback:
Yes please - I wouldn't post it if I didn't want it. [email protected]
Archive:
Perfect Misfits is a given, anyone else, please ask.
Rules
of the Challenge:-
1.
B'Elanna has to actively seduce an unwilling Seven.
2. Seven has to be involved in a relationship with someone other then Janeway.
3. Has to have at least PG-13 content, for the same reason as wyld's
challenge.
4. Must find some way to deal with cortical node booby trap besides ignoring
it.
The
story is T/7. Rating will be NC17.
Comments
to [email protected]
As
the two women materialised in Sick Bay, the Doctor sprang from his office.
"Is this a medical emergency or a clothing emergency?" he asked
acerbically, noting their nudity.
"Doctor,"
warned Seven, the anger blazing in her eyes.
Moving
to one side to allow the Doctor to approach, he forgot any further comments as
he saw that the dark Klingon was still convulsing.
"That's
impossible," he protested, his hands dancing rapidly over a console.
"Her cortical monitor is reading normal."
"Treat
the patient not the monitor," reminded Seven sharply. Her voice was now
rough with emotion as she tried to keep herself together. She was angry for
being unable to help her lover herself there was only the Doctor to direct her
feelings at.. She concentrated on the task at hand and somehow managed to get
the jerking woman into her arms and lift her onto a nearby bio-bed.
Switching
to strict professional mode, the EMH prepared a hypospray and began treatment.
"Seven, there's a locker over there. You might want to put a robe
on," he suggested absently as he watched the convulsing engineer. Making
adjustments on the wedge top of the hypospray, he administered a second dose
into the woman's neck before looking anxiously at his medical tricorder.
Seven
ignored his comment. There was no way she was going to leave B'Elanna's side
now, not even for an instant. She felt the hot sting of tears burn her eyes and
allowed them to collect on her lashes, the drops building before gravity
claimed them and they began to run freely down her burning cheeks. Her stomach
contracted and her throat felt raw. Why wasn't B'Elanna responding?
The
Doctor, sensing that he would have to sedate Seven before removing her from
Sick Bay, decided to leave her where she stood and worked around her.
Frantically, he collated data from the scans he performed, trying to determine
the source of the problem, looking up worriedly at the fitting Klingon
periodically. He stopped for a fraction, trying to make up his mind over the
next course of action. Resolution reconciled itself across his craggy features
and he administered a third dose from the hypospray. Finally, the engineer
stopped thrashing and lay still on the bio-bed.
Seven
let out pent-up breath and roughly wiped her face clear of tears, sniffing
repeatedly.
The
Doctor, feeling safer with B'Elanna's paroxysm under control, was confident
enough to resume his normal demeanour. "If you had a robe on, you could
use the cuff to wipe your nose."
This
time, Seven took the hint, belatedly realising that despite the EMH was quite
used to seeing anatomical bodies, it was somewhat unnerving for him to see both
B'Elanna and herself in a state of undress. She grabbed a blue silk robe from
the locker and another for B'Elanna.
The
Doctor looked up, viewing her blotchy tear-stained face with compassion.
"Seven, before you ask, I don't know what's wrong yet. I've rendered her
unconscious to minimalise oxygen deprivation. I can now perform some tests
safely. Once I've got those results, I'll need to wake her and perform more
tests." He stopped as he watched the tall blonde nod glumly, a look of
guilt written plainly over her face as she covered the unconscious Klingon.
"Don't
blame yourself Seven," the Doctor advised gently. "It won't help
B'Elanna."
His
words provoked Seven to look at him quickly. "She did not suffer seizures
before performing the cortical suppressor modifications Doctor," she
reminded him, her voice dull. "I am fully aware of who is culpable for her
current state." She sniffed again suddenly and then rubbed her sleeve
along the bottom of her nose.
The
Doctor sighed. He was decidedly uncomfortable at Seven's state. Hours before,
she had the luxury of never having to deal with such deep emotions. It was all
very well wanting to feel love and wanting to be in love, but the emotions
involved with that state were not always happy. For every extreme of bliss,
there could be equal measures of guilt, jealousy and insecurity. Seven was
having to deal with these extremes without the one person the Doctor now
believed might guide her. He regarded both Seven and B'Elanna as personal
friends and had seen their friendship deepen significantly over the last two
weeks. He wanted them to be happy. The EMH turned his thoughts back to the task
at hand and began to sift through the data.
Seven
tried to still her emotions but found herself firmly in their clutches. The
time she had spent in B'Elanna's quarters untethered her feelings for the
Klingon hybrid. She had declared her love for the raven-haired woman and had
heard the words returned to her. The paradox of the situation made the
ex-drone's heart ache. She had never felt such depth of emotion until B'Elanna
had stymied the cortical inhibitor. The close work finding a solution to the
problem had allowed them both to recognise and accept the feelings they shared.
Now, the process could permanently affect B'Elanna.
The
tall Astrometrics Officer's mind was in turmoil. She felt foolish for not considering
how *all* her emotions might amplify once the inhibitor had been removed, guilt
included. It was a decidedly unpleasant side-effect of the depth of feeling she
had for B'Elanna. It was something she would have to deal with later though
because dwelling on these sensations now, would not help the Chief Engineer.
Taking
several shuddering breaths, she found a new focus and gently removed the
cortical monitor from behind the unconscious woman's ear, placing it on a
workstation. The Doctor had said that it had shown normal readings. Recalling
earlier events, Tom Paris had stated that his tricorder displayed normal
parameters the first time B'Elanna reacted.
Was
there a connection or was it purely coincidence?
Out
of the corner of his eye, the doctor saw Seven move to a console and begin
work. He nodded in satisfaction.
The
doors to Sick Bay hissed open and Captain Janeway strode in. She had heard the
emergency transmission and came down to check on her Engineering Chief.
"Doctor,
what's wrong with her?" she asked without preamble, even as her eyebrows
raised slightly at seeing Seven standing at a console wearing a short robe
instead of her normal bio-suit.
"That's
what I'm trying to determine," the EMH replied testily. There was a
perfectly good communications system in place. Why did the Captain insist on
checking in person?
"Perhaps
I should re-phrase that," Janeway remarked. "What happened?"
"B'Elanna
suffered another seizure," answered Seven from her console. "I was
with her so transported straight here." For a reason that escaped her for
the time being, Seven felt reluctant to go into details about her relationship
with B'Elanna. Not until she was well enough to share the telling perhaps.
Janeway
looked at Seven through narrowed thoughtful eyes. There was more behind this
episode, but now was not the time or place to delve deeper. "Perhaps we
should leave the Doctor to his tests?" she suggested.
"I
am not leaving Sick Bay yet. I have tests of my own to run." Seven didn't
look up as she spoke, running a correlative set of analyses.
The
Captain tried again. "Seven, you're still tired after the procedure. You
shouldn't be working."
Seven's
eyes came up to meet the Captain's with a blaze of fury. Remarkably, she held
control of her voice and her tone remained cool as she replied. "Captain,
I am well aware of my own condition. However it is not I who lies sedated on a
bio-bed. I need to do this."
The
Captain blanched at the vitriol lacing Seven's words. However, it had taken
years of training to become a Starfleet captain and she was well used to the
arguments of her crew now. "Seven, if you overwork yourself now, what use
will you be to B'Elanna when she wakes? You need time to recover," she
reminded the ex-drone.
"If
I am overwhelmed by my exertions then I am in the right location for
treatment," Seven rebutted logically.
"And
you'll succeed in diverting the Doctor from treating B'Elanna," riposted
Janeway.
"Then
assign Mr Paris to Sick Bay," snapped Seven, tired of the manipulation the
Captain was attempting. "I am staying here," she stated with
finality.
Realising
she'd get no further with Seven, Janeway turned to the Doctor. "Are you
happy for Seven to remain here?" she asked.
"I
agree that she needs to regenerate Captain," the Doctor answered.
"But I suspect that she has higher priorities at this time and I have no
objection to her working on them," he continued cryptically.
Seven
looked up gratefully and gave a tiny nod towards the physician, indicating her
thanks for his understanding. Janeway noticed the gesture and finally
comprehended the dynamic between the ex-drone and her Chief Engineer. Disgusted
with the burning jealousy she felt toward the unconscious Klingon, the Captain
decided that it was time to retreat.
"Keep
me informed Doctor," she advised before leaving, barely sparing a glance
for Seven.
The
EMH and Seven worked on their own tasks in silence but Sick Bay gave out
reassuring beeps from the devices monitoring B'Elanna and Seven found herself
registering every sound as she continued to plough through the data, looking
for anything that might help her stricken lover.
"Seven,
I'm going to wake B'Elanna now," the Doctor advised, startling her out of
her study. She nodded and approached the bio-bed, grasping B'Elanna's hand in
both of hers.
The
EMH placed the hypospray at B'Elanna's neck and injected its contents. For a
second, nothing happened. Then the dark lashes fluttered and B'Elanna opened
her eyes hesitantly. She turned her head slightly to focus on the woman
squeezing her hand tightly.
"Hi,"
she began softly, smiling weakly.
The
single word brought tears to Seven's eyes but she blinked them back rapidly as
she returned the greeting, her voice hoarse with emotion. "I'm sorry
B'Elanna."
A
look of confusion stole across the dark engineer's face. "What
happened?" she asked, glancing back towards the Doctor.
"You
suffered another seizure B'Elanna," the EMH supplied. "I don't know
why yet. I ran a set of tests while you were sedated but I need to do some
comparative analyses while you're conscious. Hopefully, with those results we
can work out what's going on and do something about it," he continued
softly.
"So
I'm stuck in Sick Bay then?" she asked resignedly.
"For
the time being, yes," he replied.
B'Elanna
turned back to Seven as she felt the pressure on her hand increasing. "Why
are you sorry?" she asked the tall blonde, placing her other hand over
Seven's.
"If
I had not proceeded with this project, you would not be in this
predicament," Seven replied brokenly, overwrought.
"Shhhh
sweetheart, don't blame yourself," soothed the recumbent engineer. "I
told you from the start that I was prepared to do this for you."
"You
are injured, B'Elanna," Seven protested. "Perhaps permanently."
"Well
let's wait and see on that one. Don't you realise that I would have done this
regardless of the risk? I've loved you far longer than since this project
began." B'Elanna only realised as the words came out how true they really
were. She smiled warmly at Seven.
"I
cannot say the same simply because of the inhibitor B'Elanna," replied
Seven apologetically. "But if it's any consolation, I can find no adverb
to describe the depth of love I feel for you now. I just hope that we can
continue to share and explore those depths," she finished poetically, drawing
a tear from B'Elanna's eyes.
"Oh
we will, honey, we will," the raven-haired engineer reassured her.
"Touching
though this scene is," the Doctor interrupted, "I still have work to
do," he explained as two pairs of irritated eyes scorched him.
Seven
nodded in understanding. "I need to finish my analysis too," she
stated. She squeezed her lover's hands tightly. "I'll only be at the other
console," she reassured.
B'Elanna
smiled and then frowned as she thought on what had been said. "Is there
anything I can do to help?"
"No!"
Seven and the Doctor replied in unison. B'Elanna pulled a face and was about to
protest when she realised that she was outnumbered. She realised that she felt
exhausted so settled back and allowed her eyes to close while she listened to
the other occupants of Sick Bay bustling around. The Doctor prodded her
unceremoniously and she opened one eye irritably.
"What?"
"I
wanted you awake for these tests," the EMH reminded her shortly.
Grumbling, B'Elanna adjusted position slightly, knowing that if she stayed in a
more uncomfortable position she was less likely to drop off. It also gave her
the opportunity to gaze at Seven and for that, she was thankful. Her heart
quickened as she watched the tall blonde's graceful movements, the barest trace
of a frown furrowing her forehead.
"Not
that my opinion ever counted for much, but I think you suit each other
perfectly," the Doctor whispered in her ear discretely, making B'Elanna
flush to her hairline.
"Thanks
Doc, I appreciate it," she smiled back at him.
"As
do I," agreed Seven and then quirked her eybrow toward the Doctor, earning
a snort of laughter from B'Elanna and an aggrieved grunt from the EMH as he
continued with the tests.
"I
still can't work out why your monitor failed to warn me that anything was
wrong," the Doctor commented conversationally as he worked his console.
"I
am trying to ascertain if there is a link between that and Mr Paris' tricorder
readings," Seven told him from where she stood.
"Do
you think it might have something to do with it getting wet?" asked
B'Elanna sheepishly.
"What?"
exploded the Doctor in disbelief.
"I
took a shower and I didn't want to take the monitor off," explained
B'Elanna hurriedly, cringing at the EMH's reaction.
"Well
that's got to go down in the Ship's Log," retorted the Doctor
sarcastically. "Since when did delicate scientific monitoring equipment
like getting wet?"
"Oh
come on Doc," protested B'Elanna. "That stuff ought to be impervious
to all sorts of nastiness."
"Do
not worry B'Elanna, the monitor is functioning correctly," interjected
Seven. She looked up sadly at both of her companions. "I'm afraid I have
an answer to your predicament," she stated in a dull voice.
The
Doctor left B'Elanna and joined Seven at her console, looking at her data
quickly. B'Elanna, frightened by Seven's tone did not want to go over there and
remained paralysed on the bio-bed. She watched carefully as she saw the EMH
look up to glance at her before returning his eyes to the screen. She noted how
still Seven stood, waiting for a reaction from the Doctor, her azure eyes
darting between him and B'Elanna rapidly.
The
Doctor rubbed his face with his hands as he thought about what he'd just read.
He then walked back to B'Elanna's bed and looked at her carefully. "It
seems that our Borg nanoprobes have a sense of irony," he began.
"Just
tell me Doc," instructed B'Elanna, sitting up and pulling her robe tightly
round her.
"During
your link-up, it would appear the nanoprobes analysed your own neural readings
and have somehow tampered with the synaptic pathways. The alterations trigger a
cascade failure of the junctions whenever there is a build up of certain
chemicals in your body."
"Which
chemicals?" B'Elanna asked, a sense of dread creeping over her.
The
Doctor sighed. "I can't be certain without further testing, but adrenaline
and noradrenaline seem to be favourites at the moment," the EMH replied.
"There may be others," he added.
B'Elanna
laughed mirthlessly. "Talk about cripple a Klingon," she remarked.
"So what's the prognosis?" she pursued, her pragmatism taking
control.
"Again,
difficult to tell at this early stage," the Doctor hedged.
B'Elanna
flicked her eyes over to where Seven stood, watching the exchange nervously.
She smiled at her shyly. "I could use a hug," she suggested softly.
Seven
sprang to the dark woman's side and pulled her into a fierce hold.
"Don't
stay away from me now Seven," B'Elanna whispered into the distraught
woman's hair. "I need your help."
Seven
squeezed her tighter, signifying her understanding. "I love you," she
whispered back.
Kathryn
Janeway pinched the bridge of her nose with her right hand and squeezed her
eyes tight as she allowed herself a few moments to process the report the
Doctor had delivered. Finally, she looked up at the EMH who sat opposite her in
the Briefing Room, absently rotating his data padd on the table. She wondered
when the hologram had decided to include fidgeting as part of his programming.
"Let
me get this right Doctor," she began, leaning forward onto her elbows.
"B'Elanna's neural pathways have been booby-trapped by the nanoprobes so
that when she generates excessive neuro-chemicals, the pathways break down and
she suffers a seizure, correct?"
The
EMH nodded in affirmation, his hands stilling.
"And
the chemicals that the nanoprobes have used for a trigger are generated when
she's under extreme stress or emotion?" Janeway continued.
"Correct,
Captain. Anything from an emergency in Engineering to the throes of
passion." The Doctor couldn't resist referring to Seven and B'Elanna's
relationship, knowing how much it needled Janeway.
The
captain chose to ignore the comment and considered all the aspects of the
problem. "Why did the monitor and tricorder show normal readings during
these episodes?" she asked, speculating if this could perhaps generate a
solution.
"The
synapse breakdown is hidden by the forced generation of another chemical.
Because of the way we scan for medical information, everything that we expect
to see is there, so the problem goes undetected. It's quite alarming to discover
that an age old method of examination is intrinsically faulty," the EMH
explained. "Seven has gone through all the medical instrumentation and
made adjustments so that this sort of thing won't recur."
Janeway
tapped her lips with her index finger, an indication of the tension she felt.
"So how do we resolve this?" she asked. Her eyes snapped up when the
EMH failed to respond. "Doctor?"
"The
simple answer is that I don't know yet. The information I have is too patchy to
provide exact figures or potential solutions." He fidgeted nervously in
his seat, unwilling to continue.
"Go
on," Janeway prompted, lowering her voice commandingly.
"Now
that we can monitor B'Elanna's condition more effectively, I may have to induce
another seizure in order to obtain the data I need to provide a solution,"
the dark craggy hologram finished, clearly uncomfortable with the idea.
"Isn't
that dangerous?" Janeway sat back, the suggestion making her feel
decidedly uncomfortable.
"Of
course it's dangerous. Every time she has a seizure, the oxygen supply to her
brain is reduced, potentially risking hypoxic damage, not to mention the
breakdown of her neural pathways," he retorted angrily. "Captain, I
am working on ways to solve this, but you need to know that as of this moment,
I'm not sure that her condition is curable."
Janeway
stared at the EMH for a few moments, considering her options.
"In
view of the circumstances, I've decided to relieve her of duty as Chief
Engineer," the Captain informed him. "Knowing B'Elanna, that will be
all the stimulus she needs to trigger an emotional outburst," she
continued grimly.
"I'm
not so sure, Captain. From the sketchy information I received from Seven
regarding the events leading to this last episode, the term 'extreme' is quite
accurate. I suspect that B'Elanna's already considered the possibility of
restricted duty. It might not be enough of a trigger," the Doctor
disputed.
Janeway
hid her emotions well, leaving her face a mask of neutrality as her mind
considered exactly what it was that Seven and B'Elanna were doing to prompt a
seizure. "What would you suggest then, an artificial increase in
adrenaline?"
"Exactly,
Captain," the EMH confirmed, impressed with the Captain's grasp of the
problem.
"Is
she still in Sick Bay?" queried Janeway.
"Yes.
Despite Seven's scanning modifications, I'm not willing to take the risk and
allow her to leave, not yet anyway. Besides, other than getting 'stir-crazy',
there's little chance of her suffering another convulsion while she remains
there. I just hope Sick Bay and I can survive her prolonged stay," the
Doctor finished sardonically.
"I
ought to pay her a visit," Janeway resigned herself.
"It's
up to you when you want to visit Captain," the EMH replied, "but at
the moment, B'Elanna is exhausted with the after-effects of her seizure and the
sedative I administered. When I left to come here, she was sleeping naturally.
It might not hurt to wait till morning," he suggested.
Janeway
considered his proposal before her mind switched focus slightly. "Where's
Seven?"
The
Doctor grimaced slightly. "After a lot of persuasion from both B'Elanna
and myself, Seven has returned to her alcove to regenerate. I have no idea how
long she'll stay there but she needs at least sixteen hours," he
explained. "The one consolation out of this situation is that she has no
complications post-surgery. Although it is a little early to be certain, I
speculate that she will recover completely and live a normal *emotional*
life."
The
Captain nodded at that. It was the least that Seven deserved and she told the
EMH her sentiment.
"I
concur, but things are more problematic now that B'Elanna has
difficulties," the bald man demurred.
"B'Elanna
isn't the only friend Seven has on Voyager," Janeway protested.
"There are a number of people she can turn to for assistance adjusting to
her new emotions."
"Quite
so, but I believe that B'Elanna is the only one she truly trusts her emotions
with." The Doctor hurried on as he saw the Captain begin to object.
"Seven thinks that she has already harmed B'Elanna and won't want to put
her in any further danger by bombarding her with her own emotions." The
EMH sat back once he finished.
"All
the more reason for her to approach one of her other friends then,"
Janeway reasoned.
The
Doctor resisted sighing but wondered if the Captain was being deliberately
obtuse about the subject.
"It
looks like I need to pay a number of visits," Janeway continued. She
glanced at the chronometer and was startled by the lateness of the hour.
"Thank you Doctor," she dismissed the hologram gently. "I'll
leave B'Elanna to sleep and Seven to regenerate. I'll visit Sick Bay in the
morning. If there is any change though…"
"I'll
keep you apprised Captain," the EMH finished as he rose.
Janeway
reached for her coffee cup and drained the contents, shuddering as she realised
how cold the contents had become. She spun her chair round and returned the
black and silver cup to the replicator and then left the Briefing Room
purposefully and strode towards the turbolift.
*
* *
Captain
Janeway stood and stared at the empty alcoves for a full minute. The children
were at Sam Wildman's quarters for the evening, spending time with her, Neelix
and Naomi. Seven was noticeable by her absence.
"Computer,
locate Seven of Nine," the Captain ordered.
"Seven
of Nine is in Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres' quarters," the disembodied voice
replied unemotionally.
Janeway
frowned and punched out another question, her heart lurching in anticipation of
the answer. "Locate B'Elanna Torres."
"B'Elanna
Torres is in Sick Bay," the computer replied in a monotone. Janeway
allowed herself to breathe again, even as her mind whirled over her next
actions and their possible consequences. Resolved, she marched quickly out of
Cargo Bay Two and back down the corridor towards the turbolift.
She
pressed the door chime and waited a few seconds, astonished at how nervous she
felt. When there was no answer, Janeway scanned the corridor quickly, checking
for any onlookers, before bending over slightly to punch in an override code.
Smartly, she stepped through the doors as they hissed open. A quick glance
around the Chief Engineer's quarters revealed little to the Captain. Everything
in the living area was tidy. Once the door shut behind her, Janeway called out.
"Seven?" Stepping more centrally into the room, she called the
Astrometrics Officer's name again.
Seven
heard her name called and groaned as she forced her eyes open. Realising where
she was and the owner of the voice, she decided that it would not be prudent to
walk out of B'Elanna's bedroom without clothing so she grabbed the robe that
B'Elanna had discarded by the bed during their love-making and shrugged it over
her shoulders. As the lithe blonde tied the black robe carefully round her
waist, she caught the smell of the engineer and she paused to savour it.
Closing her eyes momentarily, she pressed the material into her face, inhaling
deeply.
Tugging
the robe round her more tightly, as if it could offer protection in the same
way B'Elanna could, Seven padded softly from the engineer's bedroom to greet
Janeway.
"Captain,"
she acknowledged, her tone indicating her surprise at Janeway's presence.
"Sorry
to disturb you Seven," Janeway began, her throat dry as she drank in the
vision that stood before her. The black robe contrasted starkly with the tall
woman's alabaster skin, particularly the V shaped area where the robe crossed
over her breasts. It was tied in tight, highlighting the narrow waist and
curvaceous hips and the shortness of the garment served to accentuate the
length of Seven's legs. The younger woman's golden hair was free from its usual
bindings and looked tousled and soft, and her cobalt blue eyes were puffy from
sleep, yet undeniably alluring.
"Captain,
is something wrong? Has something happened to B'Elanna?" Seven's voice increased
in both volume and pitch as she asked the questions.
Janeway
put a hand out to still the questions and responded quickly. "No, no,
B'Elanna's fine. I just wanted to come and speak with you," she explained.
"I think I'll come back another time and let you get back to sleep."
Janeway allowed herself a bolt-hole for escape, chastising herself for even
coming here.
Before
she moved to leave, the older woman decided to appease her curiosity, though an
inner voice told her that the answer would be painful to hear. "The Doctor
told me you were regenerating. Why are you sleeping in B'Elanna's
quarters?"
Seven
surprised Janeway by moving to the couch and sitting down, curling her long
legs up underneath her and adjusting the short dark robe to cover herself.
"I
returned to the Cargo Bay and spent some time with the children before
regeneration. Once they were in the care of Ensign Wildman, my emotions 'got
the better of me' and I felt the need to be close to B'Elanna." Seven
swallowed before continuing, trying to reign in her emotions once again.
"I came here as I did not want to disturb B'Elanna in Sick Bay. I found
comfort from lying in B'Elanna's bed so I decided to sleep here. It is a less
efficient means of regeneration compared to the alcove but I found it
preferable." Even as she spoke, Seven realised that it was the second
night in a row that she had slept, wondering if it held any significance.
Janeway
moved over to the couch and sat at the other end. "I've just had a meeting
with the Doctor," she told the ex-drone carefully, keeping an expression
of compassion on her face. "B'Elanna's 'condition' may be incurable,"
she continued, watching the blonde woman's visage intently for any expression
of emotion. She was not disappointed.
Seven
closed her eyes briefly at the statement as a pained look washed over her.
"The Doctor advised me that there may be a problem, but he neglected to
mention its severity," she replied, her voice barely louder than a
whisper.
Janeway
placed her hand on the Borg's leg in a gesture of sympathy. "Seven, the
next few days are going to be extremely hard on you. You've just been given
access to all your emotions and they are going to make themselves felt, believe
me." Janeway squeezed Seven's leg gently as she continued. "Now that B'Elanna
is in danger when she is dealing with extreme emotion, you need to search your
own feelings about your relationship with her. Is your 'interaction' likely to
cause more harm than good whilst she's in this state?" She looked
enquiringly at the young drone.
"Kathryn,
B'Elanna needs me," protested Seven.
"Are
you sure she needs all that intense emotion Seven?" Janeway asked gently.
"Can you deal with the idea that your presence might put her in
danger?"
Seven
looked unblinking at her superior officer as she considered her words.
The
Captain continued softly. "I'm here if you need support or you need to
talk about anything," she offered.
Seven
stared back dolefully. "I feel so helpless Kathryn," she whispered,
allowing her eyes to fill with tears.
Instantly,
Janeway swept the woman into her arms and hugged her tightly. "Let it go
Seven," she advised as she rocked her gently. "Let it go." She
felt Seven's shoulders shudder slightly and then heave as the tears came and
flooded through the distraught woman.
Seven
felt confused and hurt. She was angry with herself for putting B'Elanna in
peril but she had no one else who understood her so totally and selflessly. Her
self-loathing spiralled downward. She longed to be held by B'Elanna and then
berated herself for her selfishness and disregard for the well-being of the
woman she loved. These emotions were raw and painful for her and tears wracked
through her body. In turmoil, she hung onto the one anchor she had, Kathryn
Janeway.
The
Captain continued to hug her and stroke her back gently, uttering nonsense
words to soothe and reassure the distressed woman. Softly, she stroked the long
golden tresses and waited.
Eventually,
the tears subsided but Janeway continued to hold her companion, projecting her
own strength and love toward the young woman.
To
Kathryn, it was only a natural progression to tilt the Borg's chin up slightly
so that she could look at her tear-ravaged face. As soon as she set eyes on her
visage, Janeway knew that she was no longer in control of her actions and she
brushed her lips across the full quivering mouth of Seven of Nine.