Consequences

Disclaimer - Paramount and Viacom own the characters from Voyager, although they didn't often treat them right. The story line belongs to me.

A special thanks to: My friend and editor of all my stories, Mill3rs.

Chapter 10

 

"Why don't you take a break, Harry. I'll stay here with Mr. Paris and make sure he gets to sickbay for his therapy session." The Captain began to walk Harry towards the door.

"Captain?" he responded in a confused voice.

"It's OK, Harry, I have some reports to go over. I'll be fine." Janeway gave him a warm smile. Harry noted that The Captain had two PADDS in her hand. "You've done a good job. Get some rest and return about 1800 hours. I've increased Mr. Paris' replicator rations so you both can have dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Captain. I'll be back tonight." he returned her smile and walked into the corridor.

Janeway went over to the replicator on Tom's wall and ordered. "Coffee, black." she inhaled the scent and sat down on the couch. She set one of the PADDS down on the table, sat back and began to read the reports on the other one.

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"Damn it, Joe! That's the fifth time we've tried to get shield harmonics back online in the past four hours. Something else must be wrong." Sue Nicoletti turned to Joe Carey.

"Yeah, the Chief's going to have our heads if we can't get them up and running today. She's been upgrading the navigational array with Seven and you know what kind of mood she'll be in when she gets back here." Joe replied.

Just then, B'Elanna strode into engineering and headed straight for her office. One could almost see the steam rising from her as she passed.

"Yeah, not the kind of day to tell her the shield harmonics are still down." Sue agreed. "Why was she in Astrometrics and not Ensign Kim?"

"I heard that Harry had a special assignment direct from the Captain." Joe answered.

B'Elanna came out of the office just then, with a hot cup of coffee in her hand, and walked over to the two engineers. "How are we coming with the shield harmonics, Joe?" the tension in her voice noticeable.

"Not too good, Chief. I think the gel packs may still be the problem. How many were you and Ensign Paris able to change yesterday?" Joe asked.

"We finished in section 10 of Jefferies tube 63 and were going to work on section 9 this morning before I was ordered to Astrometrics." her volume slowly rising as she replied. "I wonder if Tom was able to finish them." she said. "Lt. Torres to Ensign Paris, come in please."

There was no response and B'Elanna's expression became uneasy. ÔTom didn't show up for dinner last night and now he's not answering his comm badge. Something must be wrong.' "Computer, location of Ensign Tom Paris."

"Ensign Paris is in his quarters." the monotone voice replied.

"Look, Lieutenant you've been at it since 0700 this morning. Why don't you take a break and go find Tom. Maybe he's finished the gel packs already." Joe pulled B'Elanna off to one side. "I heard that he and Dalby are confined to quarters. He might welcome a visitor." he smiled at her sympathetically. He knew that Tom and B'Elanna's friendship was deepening and he tried to encourage it. When B'Elanna was happy, engineering was a much easier place to work.

"OK, if he didn't finish the gel packs, I'll commandeer him for a repair job. Keep working on the shield harmonics from here." B'Elanna left engineering to the relief of her staff.

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Janeway sat quietly reading the reports on her PADD when suddenly B'Elanna's voice came over Tom's comm badge. "Lt. Torres to Ensign Paris, come in please."
Janeway grabbed the badge which was on the table in front of the couch. She glanced back at the bed but Tom didn't stir. ÔGood, he didn't hear her. He needs his rest.' she thought as she placed the badge back on the table.

The door chimed, about 10 minutes later, and Janeway stood up and went to it. "Who's there?" she asked.

"Captain? It's B'Elanna." the surprised voice of her chief engineer was heard from the corridor. The door swished open and Captain Janeway stood in the entrance to Tom's quarters.

"Captain, what's wrong with Tom? He didn't answer my call." B'Elanna tried to enter the room but the Captain walked out into the hallway and the doors closed.

"Ensign Paris had a little problem last night and he's resting right now." The Captain looked calmly at B'Elanna.

"Captain, Tom didn't show up for dinner last night. Chakotay went looking for him but I haven't seen the Commander today to ask where Tom was. We hadn't finished repairing the gel packs last night and I thought Tom went back there today." B'Elanna was getting very suspicious about Tom's actions.

"Ensign Paris is off duty for the next 36 hours, Lieutenant. You'll have to handle the repairs without him." Janeway turned to go back into Tom's quarters.

"Captain, is Tom in some sort of trouble? Was there another fight?" the concern for Tom was clear in B'Elanna's voice.

The Captain put her hand on B'Elanna's arm. "He'll be OK, B'Elanna. There was some trouble but it's being taken care of. I'll let him know you came by." she turned and keyed in the entry code and entered Tom's quarters.

Janeway moved quietly to Tom's bedside and looked down on her helmsman. He had not awakened at B'Elanna's visit. ÔHe looks so vulnerable and so young.' She remembered her first run-in with Tom Paris years ago.......

 

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"Give it back, Tommy! Give it back right now!" a young girl's voice could be heard coming down the stairs from the second floor of Admiral Paris' house.

A whirlwind, dressed all in silver and blue, streaked through the foyer and slammed into the petite, red haired, young woman standing by the front window. "Ohmf! Now see what you made me do, Kathleen." the muffled reply came from the small figure now sitting on the floor.

The young woman knelt down until she was eye level with the boy. "Are you hurt?" she asked in a quiet voice." looking into his clear blue eyes.

A small smile lit up his face, as he pushed his blond hair out of his eyes. "No, Ma' am. I'm OK. Are you hurt?" he asked in a small but formal tone.

"No, I'm not hurt. You must be Thomas. My name is Kathryn Janeway and I have an appointment with your father." she gave him a smile.

"Yes, the Admiral said one of the cadets from Star Fleet was coming here today." he replied in the same formal tone, so out of place for a five year old.

"Tommy was playing pilot and he swiped my starship model." Kathleen stated as she entered the foyer. The model lay on the floor next to Tom. One of the nacelles appeared to be bent. Kathleen picked it up and turned it over in her hands. "Dad is going to be so angry with you now, Tommy."

"It was an accident." He looked up at Janeway. "Please don't tell the Admiral that I was running in the house. It's against his rules." the cobalt blue eyes widened in fear as the sound of the study door opening was heard.

"You'd better hide, Tommy. You're in big trouble now." the seven year old girl announced.

"No, no. I'm not. I'm not. No." the childish voice faded off........

 

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"No, no. I'm not." the same words returned Janeway's thoughts to the present. Tom was stirring in his bed repeating the words from her memory. He turned from side to side and flung his left arm in front of his face as if to ward off a blow. "No, please. Don't" he pleaded.

"Tom, wake up." the Captain called out to him with no response. She gently touched his left shoulder and spoke louder. "Ensign Paris!"

Tom's eyes flew open and he bolted up into sitting, his breath coming in jagged gulps of air. His left hand went to his head and he closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness came on. "Captain?" he asked in a confused voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed a quiet place to work on reports so I told Ensign Kim to take a break. Are you OK?" she helped him to lie back down and reached for the hypospray on the bedside table. "Are you in any pain?"

"Not really, just a little dizzy. I guess I sat up too fast." Tom's breathing had evened out but his face was still quite pale.

"You were having a bad dream. You were repeating ÔNo, I'm not'. Do you remember what it was about?"

"No, ..Captain, I ..don't remember it." Tom quietly answered with an anxious look on his face. He pushed himself into sitting and tossed the blanket, that covered him, to one side. Looking at the chronometer on his wall, he noted. "It's time for me to report to sickbay." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up slowly.

The Captain helped to steady him and walked to the corridor with him. They approached the turbolift and headed for sickbay.

"Lt. Torres to Captain Janeway. Captain, I must talk to you. It's quite urgent." B'Elanna's voice came through Janeway's comm badge.

"Meet me in my ready room, Lieutenant. Janeway out." When they reached sickbay, Janeway informed the Doctor that she had to leave but would be back when Tom's therapy was finished.

 

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The chime to the ready room sounded. "Come in." the Captain said as she sat down on her couch.

B'Elanna rushed in with a fearful look on her face. "Captain, I know that Tom's been hurt. Please tell me what happened. I went to check on the gel packs in Jefferies tube 63. One of the hyperspanners is missing and there's blood on the bulkhead near the tool kit. Tom was attacked last night, wasn't he? That's why he didn't show up for dinner and why you were in his quarters today." B'Elanna's voice rose in volume.

"Please, sit down, B'Elanna." Janeway indicated the end of the couch. "I'll explain what I know so far."

 

TBC