tp33


	Dedicated to Jeanette, without whom, this part probably still would be in my 'To do' folder. Also, thanks to my twin, my beta reader and Kim. ************************************************** Part 33 Tom sat across from Dr. Kéla'an in the latter's office. They were talking about Captain Janeway, who had come out of stasis seven hours ago. Both men knew their Captain well enough to know that she would return to duty as soon as she got out of sickbay, so now they were discussing how long she should stay there. "I'd like to keep Captain Janeway here for at least a week," Dr. Kéla'an said. Tom smiled slightly. "I'm sure you would, Doc. However, unless you lock down sickbay, you won't be able to keep her here for that long, and you know it." Dr. Kéla'an heaved the holographic version of a sigh. "I know," he said quietly, then looked questioningly at Tom. "So, how long do you suggest I keep her here?" Tom considered it for a moment. "No more than three days. If you tell her to stay here any longer than that, she'll probably pull her usual stunt and leave when your back is turned," he answered. Dr. Kéla'an thought about it for a moment and had to agree with the young man. "Maybe I should lock down sickbay," he mused. Tom snorted in amusement, then turned serious. "As good as that idea is, you can't do that," he said quietly. At the doctor's questioning look, he elaborated. "What if one of the crew gets sick, or hurt? The only other place you can go on this ship is the holodecks." Dr. Kéla'an lifted a superior holographic eyebrow. "So, create a holoprogram of a sickbay," he suggested. Tom cocked his head slightly. A moment later, he smiled slowly. "I could do that," he said, then lifted an eyebrow. "If I create a holographic sickbay, are you planning on putting Captain Janeway there?" he asked with a slight wince, imagining just how pissed she would be when she discovered that she'd been locked on one of the holodecks. Dr. Kéla'an's eyes widened slightly. "No!" he exclaimed. He, too, could imagine how the Captain would react to being locked in the holodeck. "No, I thought I'd lock her in here and use the holodeck as an emergency sickbay," he explained. Tom breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Goddess. I'd prefer not to be busted down to Crewman. Chakotay feels bad enough that he's a Commander, while I'm just a lowly Lieutenant. I don't want to consider what his reaction would be if Captain Janeway were to demote me." "The Commander is bothered with the difference in your ranks?" Tom sighed. "Yeah." Dr. Kéla'an frowned slightly. "Why?" was his next question. Tom hesitated for a moment. "This is off the record," he said seriously. He waited for the doctor's nod of agreement before continuing. "Chakotay thinks that because of who I am, the Captain should've made me the First Officer." Dr. Kéla'an lifted an eyebrow as he considered this information in silence. "Do you agree with him?" he finally asked. "No!" Tom exclaimed. "I'm a pilot. I would hate being the First Officer." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before continuing. "It's bad enough that I've had to be Acting Captain these last months, and not being allowed to fly. I would go mad if I had to give up flying permanently." The doctor frowned slightly. "Doesn't Commander Chakotay fly the ship occasionally?" Tom grimaced. "Yeah, occasionally. Do you have any idea how crazy it drives me, sitting on the bridge and not being able to sit at the helm?" he asked. "No, I don't," Dr. Kéla'an admitted. Tom sighed deeply. "Let me put it this way: It's a fucking miracle that I haven't gone completely insane while I've been forced to play Captain." When Tom stopped speaking, the expression on the doctor's face changed from curiosity to concern. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently, knowing that the young man had been serious. Tom shrugged. "What's to talk about?" he asked. When Dr. Kéla'an lifted an eyebrow in reply, Tom sighed and ran a hand through his hair, gathering his thoughts. "I've had the helm once in the last four months," he finally said. "And that was to land the ship, so it doesn't really count as flying. Also, because of all the attacks, I haven't been able to use the holodeck to run flight sims." Tom grimaced, then admitted, "This is the first time since I discovered piloting that I've been unable to fly anything, even simulations, and it's driving me crazy!" The EMH ran a few subroutines, then asked, "What about after we landed? Surely you could've used the holodecks after the repairs to the ship were finished." Tom snorted. "Yeah, I could have. Except that I haven't had time. I've had tons of reports to read." Before the doctor could comment on that, the doors to sickbay swished open and a slightly panicked B'Elanna Torres rushed in, her wailing son in her arms. Dr. Kéla'an rose from his desk and hurried over to the Chief Engineer. "What's wrong," he asked when he reached her. "I don't know," B'Elanna answered, the worry clear in her voice. "He's been screaming for an hour, and nothing I do helps." Dr. Kéla'an grabbed a tricorder and scanned the little boy. After a moment, he closed the medical instrument again, then looked at B'Elanna. "It's nothing serious," he reassured her. "Just a slight case of indigestion." He got a hypo spray, set it, and then pressed it against the baby's neck. While the doctor took care of Jonathon, Tom stood a few steps away, watching in silence. When the boy stopped wailing, the acting Captain breathed a sigh of relief, glad it wasn't anything serious. He smiled at B'Elanna when she looked at him, then turned and left sickbay, heading for the mess hall and his lunch date with Chakotay. ***** "Hi, Neelix," Tom greeted the ship's chef and Morale Officer. "What do you have for lunch?" "Hello, Tom," Neelix answered cheerfully. "I've made something just for you. If you go and sit with Commander Chakotay, I'll bring it right over." Tom smiled, then turned around and looked for his husband. Spotting Chakotay sitting alone at a table by the view port, Tom walked over and waited for the other man to notice him. When Chakotay looked up, Tom smiled mischievously. "Is this seat taken?" he asked, deliberatly using the oldest pick-up line in the book. Chakotay smiled slightly and decided that two could play that game. "Actually, I'm waiting for my husband." Tom smiled for a moment, delighted that Chakotay wanted to play. Then the smile disappeared as he schooled his face to show polite interest. "Anyone I know?" Chakotay pretended to think about it. "He's tall, blond, and has the most gorgeous blue eyes. He also has a jealous streak the size of Texas." He shrugged, then continued. "On the other hand, he's always telling me to live a little. Sure, stranger. Sit down." Tom pulled out a chair and sat down across from Chakotay, then opened his mouth. However, before he could speak, Neelix arrived with his lunch. The Talaxian put the tray down in front of Tom who smiled when he caught the delicious scent of the food. "Thanks, Neelix." "You're welcome, Tom. Enjoy your meal," Neelix answered, then turned and went back to the kitchen. Tom started on one of the grilled cheese sandwiches that Neelix had made especially for him. After a moment, he looked at Chakotay who had chosen the vegetarian casserole. "So, tell me some more about this blue-eyed, blond, jealous wonder who's your husband," he requested. Chakotay glanced up from his meal. "What do you want to know?" Tom cocked his head slightly, then shrugged. "What's he like?" Chakotay considered the young man's question for a moment. Then he looked straight into Tom's eyes as he answered. "My husband is very beautiful, especially now that he's pregnant." Chakotay smiled when he saw Tom's faint blush. "I'm very proud of him. It takes a lot of strength and courage to become pregnant." He hesitated for a moment, then admitted, "I'm not sure I could do it. I don't think I have the guts." Tom smiled and nodded at Chakotay's admission. He wasn't the least bit surprised. Even though they'd never discussed it, he had suspected that the other man probably couldn't go through a pregnancy. Few men could. Tom wasn't sure that he would've been able to do it himself if he wasn't half-Darrbakhian. He blinked and shook the thoughts off, then returned to the game. "So your husband is beautiful, strong and courageous," he summarized, then lifted a quizzical eyebrow. "Anything else?" Chakotay thought for a moment, then got a devilish expression in his eyes. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "He is also an extremely wonderful lover." He sat back and waited for the blush he knew was coming. For a moment Chakotay's words didn't register, then Tom blushed a deep red as he realized what his husband had just said. "Chakotay," he hissed. "Don't say things like that in public!" Chakotay lifted a superior eyebrow. "Why not?" he asked. "It's true." Tom glared at his mate. "That's beside the point," he stated. "Do you want the entire ship to know the details of our love-life?" He narrowed his eyes when Chakotay pretended to consider it. Chakotay chuckled quietly and lifted his hands in surrender. "You're right," he admitted. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry." Tom just gave Chakotay another angry glare, then returned to his lunch, completely ignoring the older man. Before he could finish his meal, however, he was commed. "Dr. Kéla'an to Captain Paris." Tom put his sandwich down, then touched his comm badge to activate it. "Paris here. Go ahead, Doctor." "Captain Janeway is about to regain consciousness, so if you want to be present when she wakes up, you better come straight to sickbay." "All right, Doctor, I'm on my way. Paris out." Tom deactivated his comm badge, then looked at Chakotay. "Do you want to join me, Commander?" Wincing slightly at his mate's formal tone, Chakotay nodded in confirmation. Then he put his fork down, rose from his chair and gathered the remains of his and Tom's meals on his tray. He picked up the tray and carried it over to the recycler and disposed of it. Then he hurriedly followed Tom out of the mess hall, all the while wondering why the hell his remark had pissed Tom off. Next