Stranded 5
Chakotay head jerked back at the young man laying on the ground saying, "What did you say?"
Raising his head and meeting Chakotay brown eyes saying, "I love you."
Shaking his head, Chakotay nodded saying, "That what I thought you said."

Tom just looked at waiting to see if he'd say anything more he watched as emotions after emotions passed over the Commanders face, not daring to move an inch he just laid there watching, he could feel the from the fire, heard the others whispering quietly to each other, he felt the pain piecing through his body but he didn't care he just stared at the man he loved. Chakotay tried to sort through his feelings for the young man before him,  he knew that there was something that always drew him to Tom and he never knew what it was, staring into the flames he knew he had to sort out what he felt for the young man he knew that there was something, he had to meditate talk to his guide with that in mind Chakotay moved over to Tuvok and whispered, "I need to seek my guide before I can do anything."
 Nodding Tuvok whispered back, "Ok I'll wait till you made your decision, Commander don't take to long deciding I need to do this for Tom by the morning."
 Chakotay nodded as he looked over at the young man who eyes were following him, "He really loves me doesn't he?"
 Tuvok stared at him saying, "Never doubt that Commander, I wish it wasn't so but you have always held his heart, no one stands a chance while you're around."
 "You love him don't you? Why help me then?" He asked.
 Tuvok looked over Tom saying, "His happiness mean the world to me," Tuvok looked back at him seriously he stated matter factually to him, "Believe me when I say this Commander, if you hurt him in anyway, I'll come hunting for you and you won't live long enough to hurt anyone else."
 Shocked Chakotay stepped back saying, "I don't plan on hurting anyone."
 "See that you don't," 
 Chakotay nodded as he moved away to find a spot he could use to meditate finding a spot by the tree line, within sight of camp sitting down, wishing he had his bundle with him.
 Tom watched as Chakotay talked to Tuvok and then walked off towards the trees, looking back over at Tuvok he watched as he stood up and walked over to him gathering him up in his arms moving him away from the fire, Tuvok carried him back to his spot saying, "What going on?"
 Tuvok laid Tom down and lowered himself down beside him saying, "He's gone to meditate."
 "I think we shocked him with it all."
 Tuvok replied dryly, "You think? What gave that away?"
 Tom smiled saying, "If anyone ever tells me that Vulcan's have no sense of humor I'll point them to you to prove them wrong."
 Rubbing the younger man cheek saying, "You are the only one to see this side of me love."
 At times it still shocked Tom to see Tuvok joking about but it was only in front of him and sometime Harry and the Captain, to the others he was as stiffed neck as any other Vulcan they wouldn't believe him ever if he did say anything.
 Pressing his cheek into the Vulcan's palm saying, "Tuvok I need to sleep but I'm scared."
 "Of what?"
 Looking into his eyes saying, "That I'll never wake up again, I don't wanna die like this."
 Tuvok gently pulled Tom so his head laid in his lap saying, "You're not going to die Thomas."
 Grasping Tuvok hand as he gasped in pain, "You. . . can't. . . . promise. . . . . me that. . . . I'm in . . . . trouble. ." Gulping in some air into his lungs as he continued, "I . . . know what . . . you gonna do is. . . to keep. . . . me alive. . .  but there no guarantees. . . that I'll. . . survive. . till. . . . Voy. . . Ahhhh." Panting heavily as the pain ripped through him.
 Harry moved closer to help Tuvok calm Tom, "B'Ela go and get some water we need to bring his temperature down."
 Picking up the helmet B'Elanna darted for the river, passing by Dalby who decided that for his health not to join the others, after being warned by nearly all the away team to stay away from Tom, he heard Harry drone on about The Commanders first meeting of Tom he didn't believe it he felt asking how the hell did a five year old remember that sort of thing, he didn't remember much from when he was five so how the hell did Tom remember that summer on Dorvan V?
 

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Seven marched into Sick bay, searching for the Doctor, spying him by Gerron Tem and Greg Ayala moving over to she waited for him to finish scanning the young Bajoran man, listening as the Doctor told them, "Ensign you're doing fine all we need are the herbs the Captain and other are gathering and you're be out of here along with everyone else."
 Gerron grasped Ayala hand as he asked, "Why didn't they get this virus Doc?"
 Frowning as he stated, "I'm not sure why they didn't get this and you and the others did some cases are minor while others are nearly die like Neelix his heart gave out twice while Megan and Jenny Delaney had the symptoms of the common cold, they only thing at cures it is the herb that grows on unnamed planet that the Hureds pointed us to."
 Seven said, "The planet name is Garen V unpopulated by animals or race it has three suns in orbit no moons, it's daylight all the time."
 "Explains why no one made it home." Tem joked.
 Seven dryly remarked, "It would seem the case since human require sleep at some point of time if the sun shone all the time they would feel the need to work or enjoy themselves."
 Ayala grinned at the fact that Seven didn't get the joke once again, he wondered how Chakotay and the others were doing he was worried about Tom, since Dalby was going down in his place, his ex-lover still couldn't cope working with him but did when he had to, he knew that Tuvok and Harry would protect him, he was actually amazed that Tom and he were friends again, after he broke it off at the beginning of journey to date Tem, they had steered clear of each other for awhile then one day Tom turned up on his doorstep wanting to talk. Ayala amazed at the fact that Tom could be so forgiving and he went out of his way to be nice to Gerron even when he wasn't talking to Ayala, Gerron asked him why that was how could Tom still talk to him like a friend when it was he who replaced Tom in Greg's heart, to this day he still didn't know the answer to that question.
 Greg jumped when Gerron squeezed his hand looked over at the younger man with a smile, he heard The Doctor ask, "Seven, were you able to make contact with the away team?"
 "Negative, I was unable to contact the away team."
 Greg asked, "Do you think it's possible to send another team down to check on them?"
 The Doctor who had been in charge since the entire senior staff along with Dalby went planet side peered at him saying, "Lets give them another twenty-four hours to get in touch or return to us, then we can risk another team to go down."
 Ayala nodded as he said, "I'll volunteer to use a shuttle and fly down Doc."
 Nodding as he told him, "I'm going down as well just in case there be an accident."
 Seven asked, "Doctor that is unwise for you to leave the ship at this time to many of the crew need you on board."
 "I'm going and that is that Seven they may need me down there."
 "It's illogical for you to go down, I'll go in your stead Doc."
 Gerron turned his head to hide the mirth in his eyes while the Doc and Seven fought over who was going down just then Bateheart stepped in, "Excuse me but I think it's unwise that nether of you go down, I've had some medic training while with the Marquis and I'm a pilot, so I can use shuttle to fly Ayala and myself down since the Doctor has only had two training sessions in the Sims and Seven I know you can fly shuttles but we need you on the bridge so since that settled I'm heading but to the helm and relieve Wildman for a while, Comm me when we are ready to head down." Without another word Bateheart headed out of Sickbay leaving behind four every stunned people.
 Ayala was the first to recover by saying, "He can be quite demanding can't he?"
 Seven replied, "Indeed, I've never heard him say more than few words before."
 "That's because you never joined out weekly poker night." Gerron remarked as he smiled at her.
 
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Coming out of his meditate state feeling refreshed and filled with a sense of relished relief, between his guide and father explaining everything to him, Chakotay felt ready to make his decisions about his future.
 Tuvok glance over towards where the Commander was meditating as he had since he went to seek his guide, that was all they needed was for him to be attacked by some wild animal or local, he didn't trust the fact that they couldn't locate any living being since arriving and having the sun shining annoyed him to no great length he wished that it would just disappear for an hour or two, between the Captain and Tom they had ran out of sun block Kathryn had moved to the shade of the trees with Harry for company, B'Elanna and a reluctant Dalby were building a shelter to cover Tom, who had remained unconscious since Chakotay went on his vision quest, from the burning suns.
 Wiping Tom down again, his naked chest glisten with sweat, early on they had decided it was better for the younger man, if they removed most of his clothes, between him and Harry they got Tom stripped down to his shorts.
 Chakotay moved towards the others he watched as Tuvok gently wiped down Tom body frowning as he saw Dalby creeping closer to Tuvok with something that looked like a log clutched in his hands, racing towards them yelling, Chakotay threw himself at Dalby's back, "WATCH OUT TUVOK!!"

TBC