Title:  Past Resurfacing (3/?) Author:  CatHeights Pairing: VOY (P/T) Rating:  R, some angst ----------------------------------------------------------- Feedback: CatHeights@yahoo.com Archive:  If someone wants to fine by me as long as you drop me an e-mail letting me know where it is archived. ----------------------------------------------------------- Spoiler Warning: Thirty Days ----------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: Paramount owns all rights to Star Trek Voyager, its characters, and the Voyager episodes referred to in this story.  The story idea is mine, but I am doing this just for fun, no money to be made. ----------------------------------------------------------      Tuvok stepped in front of the brig as the field went down.  As Tom Paris did not move, he stepped into the brig and said,  "Wake up Ensign, your thirty days have been completed."   Tom sat up groggily, looked at Tuvok’s pips, and quickly stood at attention, "Sir?"       "You are released," Tuvok said.  "The Captain would like to see you in her Ready Room in 2 hours.  I suggest you shower first."       Tuvok turned to leave the brig and Tom followed puzzled.  The Captain?  Which Captain.  This didn’t look like the Exeter, and who was this Commander.  Was he new to the ship?  There weren’t any Vulcans on the Exeter, were there?  Wait, why was I in the brig?  Oh god, maybe I’m still on the station.  No I’m on a ship. What is going on?  His head was pounding.  He stopped walking trying to get his bearings.  The room had started to spin.       Tuvok realizing Tom had stopped walking turned to him, "Ensign, are you okay?"       Tom didn’t answer.  Was there an ensign in the room? He hadn’t noticed one.       "Mr. Paris," Tuvok said.  "Do you need medical attention?"  Tom raised his head at his name and tried to focus on the Commander.  Did he know this man?  The man seemed to know him.  Before he could answer, the spinning of the room quickened.  Tom felt a sinking feeling in his stomach and then the darkness descended. Tuvok moved quickly, but Tom sank to the floor before Tuvok could catch him.  Pressing his combadge, he said, "Tuvok to transporter room one, medical emergency.  Beam Ensign Paris to sickbay immediately."   As soon as Tom dematerialized, Tuvok left the brig and headed toward sickbay. "Doctor," Tuvok said upon entering sickbay.  "How is Mr. Paris?"        "He’ll be fine, physically," the Doctor said.  "He’s suffering from severe sleep deprivation and malnutrition. I thought that the Captain was at least giving him the basic nutrients." "She did," Tuvok said.  "Obviously Mr. Paris chose not to eat what was provided.  When will he awaken?"  "Not for several hours," the Doctor said.  "I gave him a sedative.  He needs rest."  "Thank you Doctor, I’ll inform the Captain."        "As if she’d care," the Doctor muttered as Tuvok left.   He picked up his medical tricorder and resumed treating his patient.  "Tuvok to the Captain."  "Go ahead, Tuvok."  "I released Ensign Paris from the brig," Tuvok said.  Before he could finish Janeway said, "Good, make sure he reports to me in two hours."        "I’m afraid that won’t be possible.  Ensign Paris is in sickbay.  Shortly after my informing him that his sentence was completed, he collapsed.  The Doctor says he is suffering from sleep deprivation and  malnutrition.   The Doctor is treating his condition and plans to keep him asleep for several hours."  Silence followed and Tuvok waited a few minutes before saying, "Captain?"  "Keep me informed, Tuvok," the Captain said softly, "Janeway out."        He had suspected the Captain was feeling some guilt over Mr. Paris’ sentence. Now that suspicion had been confirmed.   Well, he had one more person to inform.  "Tuvok to Lieutenant Torres."  "Torres here," B’Elanna replied distractedly.        "Lieutenant I would like to inform you that Ensign Paris has been released from the brig and is currently in  sickbay."        "Sickbay," B’Elanna said all distraction gone from her voice.  "What happened?  Is Tom okay?  I’m on my way."        "Lieutenant there is no need for you to go to sickbay.  Mr. Paris is fine.  He’s suffering from sleep deprivation and malnutrition.  The Doctor is treating him and says he will be resting for several hours.  Your presence in sickbay is not required."  "Thanks for informing me Tuvok," B’Elanna said brusquely.   Necessary or not she was heading toward sickbay. "Of course," Tuvok said.  "Torres out."  Tuvok touched his combadge one more time, "Tuvok to the Doctor."  "Yes," the Doctor replied an annoyed edge to his voice.        "I just informed Lieutenant Torres of Mr. Paris’ condition.  However, I told her that her presence was not required in sickbay."  "Of course knowing the Lieutenant, she should be arriving momentarily," the Doctor said.  "My conclusions exactly Doctor.  Tuvok out."  Torres stormed into sickbay moments later, "Doctor, I heard…"        The Doctor interrupted her and said "Mr. Paris is fine for the moment.  I have him under sedation.  He should be asleep for about eight hours.  There is no need for you to be here."  His tone indicated that she should stop cluttering his sickbay and return to duty.        B’Elanna ignored the Doctor and walked over to the biobed where Tom was lying.  She almost gasped when she looked at him.  He was so pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes.  Against his pale skin the circles looked like fresh bruises.  Even though he was sedated, his face still looked strained.  What had the Captain done  to him?  She felt her anger rise.  Others had disobeyed the Captain before, herself, Chakotay, and even Tuvok, and yet none of them had been punished like Tom.   Wasn’t demoting him enough, did she also have to place him in the brig for thirty days.  Not a day or two, but thirty, she thought furiously.        Tom never spoke to her about his time in prison, but she knew he couldn’t stand to be confined.  Captain Janeway knew it too, and yet she had confined him to the brig, and ignored the reports that he was waking screaming.   B’Elanna knew that both Tuvok and Chakotay had advised the Captain to permit Tom to serve the remainder of his sentence in his quarters, but Janeway had refused to listen.  Her decision had been made and she was not revoking it.  B’Elanna felt a wave of protectiveness storm through her as she thought of Tom, waking alone, screaming in the brig facing those nightmares he kept to himself.  If the Captain had been there right then, she wasn’t sure she could have stopped herself from trying to tear her limb from limb.   She started to shake as the anger coursed through her.  Get a hold of yourself B’Elanna, she thought.   This is not helping Tom.  She  took a deep breath and with a supreme effort calmed herself down.  She reached her hand out and gently ran it across his hair.  She had missed him so much.  It was comforting to be able to touch him again.        The Doctor’s expression softened as he watched the myriad of expressions cross B’Elanna’s face.   He was worried too.  Tom’s condition concerned him, as did the reports he had gotten from security.  When he had gone to the brig to treat Tom, he had assumed Tom’s attempt to convince him to take him to sickbay was just Paris’ way of trying to relieve his boredom.  As the reports of Tom’s violent nightmares continued, he wished he had beamed the Lieutenant, no Ensign, to sickbay.  He had recommended to the Captain that for the sake of his mental health Tom be released from the brig.  She had asked the Doctor if he had any medical evidence that the time in the brig would cause Tom long-term problems.  As Tom never talked about his past, the Doctor had no evidence, and the Captain refused to consider remitting his sentence.  The Doctor’s subroutines made him realize that right now B’Elanna was as much a patient as Tom. She had been hurt too by his sentence and right  now she needed reassurance.        "He’ll be all right," the Doctor said softly.  "He’ll sleep here for awhile and when he wakes, I’ll recommend a few days off duty for him to recover so that he can get back to sleeping and eating normally."  B’Elanna nodded at him but didn’t look up. Her eyes were still on Tom’s face.  The Doctor continued, "Once he’s back in his own quarters, back to his routine, he’ll be okay."  He hoped he was right.  Tom always bounced back from everything.  He’d be fine, wouldn’t he?        B’Elanna nodded again.  She barely heard the Doctor’s words.  She couldn’t believe how much she had missed Tom.  She yearned for him to open his blue eyes, so she could see the twinkle in them.  She wanted him to make her laugh as only he could, even when she was in a foul mood.  It frightened her just how much she felt for him.  Oh, why can’t he just open his eyes, she thought willing him to do so.  She sighed, he wasn’t going to wake up any time soon, and she needed to get back to work.  She’d be here the moment he opened his eyes, and in the meantime maybe work would distract her from longing for him.  Reluctantly she stopped running her hand through his hair and looked at the Doctor. "You’ll let me know the moment he wakes up," she asked.  "Of course," the Doctor said.        She reached down and squeezed Tom’s hand.  Then, with a last look, she said, "Thanks Doc.  I’ll see you later."  The sickbay doors slid closed as she left leaving the Doctor alone with his patient.  TBC