tp34


	Thanks to Elli for digging me out of the corner I'd written myself into. ***************************************************** Part 34 When Tom and Chakotay arrived in sickbay, Dr. Kéla'an looked up from the readings he was taking of Captain Janeway. He was about to greet the two men, when he noticed Tom's anger. "What's wrong, Captain Paris?" he asked as he shut the tricorder. Tom's eyes narrowed, and for a moment it looked like he was about to say something. Then he obviously changed his mind. But the doctor noticed that something was amiss; he just didn't know what that was. "Never mind," Tom answered. "How is Captain Janeway?" "Her readings are normal," Dr. Kéla'an answered. "She should wake up any moment now." Tom nodded and moved over to stand beside her biobed, closely followed by his husband, who stopped beside Tom. Dr. Kéla'an noticed Chakotay was keeping his distance. The Commander obviously knew that at least something was wrong. "I'll be right back," the doctor said, then turned and went into his office. He sat down and opened a comm line. "Dr. Kéla'an to Lieutenant Kim." "Kim here. What can I do for you, Doctor?" "I realize that you're on duty, but could you come down to sickbay? Captain Paris is in a bad mood, and I don't think that Commander Chakotay knows what to do about it." "Of course," Harry said. "I'll be right down. Kim out." Dr. Kéla'an closed his comm line, then rose from his desk and walked over to the sickbay replicator, where he placed an order for a glass of water. When his order materialized, Dr. Kéla'an picked up the glass and carried it over to the biobed where Captain Janeway had just regained consciousness. Tom saw Dr. Kéla'an return with a glass of water and slid an arm under Janeway's shoulders, gently helping her to sit up. Then he took the glass from the doctor and handed it to Kathryn with a slight smile. "Here you go, Captain." Janeway returned Tom's smile, then drank the water slowly. When she had finished, she handed the now-empty glass to Dr. Kéla'an, then turned back to Tom with a questioning look. "How long have I been in stasis? And how about the rest of the crew? Where...." Tom held up a hand to silence her. "One thing at a time," he said, not at all surprised by her questions. "To answer the second question first, the rest of the crew is fine. The only ones still in stasis are the children, and the doctor will start reviving them in a day or two." Interpreting the expression in Kathryn's eyes correctly, he explained, "It was my decision to have you revived last. I wanted to return the ship to you, fully manned." Kathryn smiled. "Thank you, Tom. Now, how long have I been in stasis?" Tom sighed deeply, dreading her reaction when she found out exactly how long she'd been sick. "Seventeen weeks," he finally answered the question quietly. Kathryn's eyes widened in shock. "Seventeen weeks?" she repeated. "I've been in stasis for seventeen weeks?" When Tom nodded in confirmation, she turned towards the doctor. "When did you find the cure for the virus?" "Three weeks ago," Dr. Kéla'an answered calmly. "It took this long to get the crew out of stasis?" Kathryn asked frowning. When the doctor nodded 'yes', her frown deepened. "Why?" Dr. Kéla'an sighed, then explained. "Once I administered the serum, it started working right away. However, it took eight hours before the patient was clear of any traces of the virus and regained consciousness. And then, I've kept them here for an additional four hours, to be sure there were no side effects." Kathryn considered the doctor's words carefully. After a moment, she opened her mouth to ask another question, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Harry Kim. When Harry saw that Janeway was awake, he smiled to her. "Captain Janeway! You're awake. Welcome back." Kathryn returned his smile. "Thank you, Mr. Kim." Harry nodded, then turned and looked at Tom. Noticing the subtle expression of anger in the blue eyes, he gently touched the other man's arm, getting his attention. "Tom? Can I speak with you in private?" Tom turned to his friend. "Of course, Harry." Then he turned his gaze to Kathryn. "Excuse us for a moment, Captain," he said. Turning around, he then looked at the doctor. "Can we use your office, Doc?" When Dr. Kéla'an nodded in confirmation, Tom and Harry moved away from the biobed and walked into the doctor's office. Harry closed the door behind them, walked over to the couch and sat down, gesturing for Tom to sit beside him. Once Tom sat down, Harry turned to look at him again. "Okay, Tom," he said. "What's wrong this time?" Tom lifted an eyebrow. "What makes you think anything's wrong?" Harry sighed in exasperation. "C'mon, Tom. I know you." He ran a hand through his hair. "Besides, who has dealt with your mood swings for the past several weeks? Hmm?" Tom smiled. "It hasn't been easy for you, has it, Harry? Dealing with two pregnant persons at the same time?" Harry smiled gently. "Oh, you and B'Elanna weren't all that bad." Tom stared at Harry in mock disbelief. "No? That's funny. I could have sworn there were times when you wanted nothing more than to knock our heads together." Harry snorted in amusement. "Knock your heads together, no. Smack some sense into you, yes," he said with a slight smile. He waited for Tom's laughter to end, then continued. "Now, stop avoiding my question, and tell me why you're so mad." Tom's eyes narrowed in renewed anger. "Chakotay made a comment about my ability as a lover," he said, obviously upset. Seeing that Harry didn't understand, he elaborated. "In the mess hall. Anyone could've heard." Harry kept staring at Tom in confusion. It was usually Chakotay who wanted their private life to stay just that, private. "And that upset you," he observed. When Tom nodded, he asked, "Why? You don't usually have a problem with making comments like that in public." He thought about it for a moment. "Or is it the fact that Chakotay made such a comment that bothers you?" "Yes... No... I don't know." Tom frowned slightly. "It just bothers me." "I can see that," Harry said. "Have you told Chakotay?" Tom blushed in embarrassment. "No," he mumbled. Harry sighed deeply. "Don't you think you should?" "I guess I should," Tom admitted. He looked pleadingly at Harry. "Would you go get him?" Harry smiled gently. "Sure thing, Tom." With that, he rose from the couch and walked over to the office door. Just as he was about to open it, he heard Tom's voice behind him. "Thanks, Harry." Harry turned to look at Tom. "What are friends for?" he asked, then turned back to the door, opened it and left the doctor's office. Leaving the door open behind him, Harry walked over to Chakotay who was speaking with Janeway. When Chakotay noticed Harry standing beside him, he interrupted his speech, and looked questioningly at the younger man. "Harry?" Harry smiled reassuringly. "Tom wants to talk with you." Chakotay smiled in relief, then frowned. "Do you know why he got so mad at me?" "He'll tell you himself," Harry answered seriously. Chakotay nodded in understanding, then went into the doctor's office where Tom was waiting for him. Next