Runaway

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Dislcailer: By owning Star Trek Voyager, Paramount owns what is best in this world and the world of the 24th century. We just care enough to try to make it more interesting. No infringement is intended. The story is all mine.

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"Since we were too busy for lunch, and I know you skipped breakfast today, would you join me for dinner?" Commander Chakotay inquires of Captain Kathryn Janeway as they finish their discussion in her ready room. They had spent several hours thoroughly reviewing the weekly departmental reports and were finally satisfied that they were addressing all issues that needed attention. Voyager’s latest reports show crew and systems to be functioning well. They had been through some rough times lately, and the latest reports were good news.

"Give me twenty minutes to finish and I’ll be ready," Kathryn replies smiling up at Chakotay. "I’m tired, so it will feel good to relax and enjoy a meal."

"Agreed," Chakotay replies with a delighted smile as he leaves to wait for her on the bridge.

In less than twenty minutes Kathryn appears inquiring, "Ready?"

"You bet," Chakotay replies as they leave together, their duty shifts done for another day.

"Come with me," Chakotay instructs Kathryn, taking her gently by the arm as they exit the turbolift. "Rather than eating in Neelix’s mess hall, I have a better idea."

"Where are we going?" she inquires as they head down the hallway toward Holodeck 2.

"Someplace special that I programmed some time ago hoping for the chance to share it with you," Chakotay replies as he instructs the computer to run program Chalet 1. "I hope you’ll like it."

As the doors to the holodeck swish open, Kathryn is astonished by the sight. A beautiful waterfall is cascading over iridescent rocks making the watery mist rising from the bottom look like colorful stars exploding like fireworks. A deck is built on a rock ledge at the bottom of the waterfall and extends over the water allowing the patrons of the adjoining restaurant the luxury of watching the waterfall as they dine. An energy shield prevents them from getting wet. Soft music is being played in the background accompanied by the soothing sounds of the waterfall. There is one holographic couple on the deck who are enjoying each other’s company. A waiter swiftly presents himself to seat them at the best table in the house, quickly pouring them a glass of wine.

"It’s sooo beautiful!" Kathryn enthuses. "Where is this place?"

"The waterfall is located on Alpha Jupano in the Mutara sector. I discovered it many years ago and fell in love with it," Chakotay smilingly replies, very pleased with Kathryn’s reaction. "The restaurant is from Austria on Earth. I discovered this remote restaurant when I was on vacation from Starfleet Academy and visited it whenever I was on Earth. It’s a place I find myself longing to visit again."

"I can understand why," Kathryn replies as she delightedly takes in the whole scene.

"Here’s to us and our success in getting home," Chakotay toasts as he raises his wine glass and gazes intently into Kathryn’s beautiful clear gray eyes trying to let her know how much he is enjoying this interlude.

"Here’s to us," she replies looking intently at Chakotay as she sips the wine.

The meal is wonderful and the atmosphere soothing as both officers relax and enjoy each other’s company. The waiter comes to announce that he is now serving coffee, Kathryn’s favorite drink, and it is delicious.

"This has been perfect," Kathryn smiles accepting a second cup of coffee. "Everything is so beautiful." As she sighs her pleasure with the evening, much to Chakotay’s delight, her hand holding the coffee cup start shaking and some of the hot liquid spills onto her fingers. "Oh! How clumsy of me!" she cries as she mops up the spill. "I don’t understand why my hand is shaking. I must be tired, although I have been dropping things lately."

"Then let’s get you to bed," Chakotay smilingly offers. "We can come back here again whenever you like."

"Thanks," she replies as they exit the holodeck and head for the turbolift to take them to the deck where their individual quarters are located.

Suddenly Kathryn’s right leg shakes and collapses and she finds herself on her knees. This happened so fast that she couldn’t catch herself, and Chakotay couldn’t catch her either. "What’s wrong?" the now worried Chakotay softly inquires as he kneels beside her. "Are you feeling well?"

"I don’t know," Kathryn replies as she accepts Chakotay’s proffered hand and shakily regains her feet. "I feel fine. I never felt that coming. I must be more tired than I thought."

"You’d better go right to bed," Chakotay suggests. "Hopefully a good night’s sleep will fix whatever ails you. I’ll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, and thanks for everything," Kathryn smilingly offers as she enters her quarters.

Chakotay is already on the bridge the next morning when Kathryn reports for her shift. Striding to her chair and seating herself she orders, "Report."

"All’s quiet and there were no problems during the night. B’Elanna is realigning the emitters and running some diagnostics," Chakotay answers. "We are on course for the Alpha quadrant. How do you feel this morning?" he quietly inquires as he leans over the console toward Kathryn.

"I feel fine," she replies with a smile. "No more clumsy incidents like last night."

After several hours on the bridge Kathryn announces, "I’ll be in my ready room if you need me. I have a stack of reports to complete so I might as well get started." As she rises from her chair, her left leg starts to shake and she collapses back into her seat. Kathryn realizes that Chakotay is the only one who saw her collapse, so she whispers, "I guess I’m still clumsy." Quickly rising to her feet, she makes her escape without looking back.

With a sigh of relief she seats herself at the desk in her ready room. She now admits that something isn’t right, but she can’t figure out what could be wrong. She feels fine. As she reaches for a padd to begin her paperwork, her right hand starts shaking and her vision suddenly blurs. Her vision quickly clears, but her hand is still shaking and this is now frightening. Kathryn realizes that she needs to see the Doctor, but is reluctant and more than a little afraid of what he might find wrong.

Knowing that she doesn’t have to face this alone, Kathryn taps her combadge. "Janeway to Chakotay. Please report to my ready room." She has barely stopped speaking when the door buzzes. "Come in," she orders with a sigh as the door swishes open.

"Kathryn, what’s wrong!" Chakotay exclaims as he notices her hand shaking and the stricken look on her face. "We must get you to the Doctor right away. Come, lean on me," he offers as he helps her to her feet resisting the urge to sweep her into his arms and carry her to sickbay. He knows that she will want to walk on her own rather than beam directly to sickbay or have him carry her. They carefully make their way across the room and out onto the bridge.

"Captain, are you ill?" Tuvok inquires as he observes Kathryn’s hand shaking and Chakotay helping her to walk. "Do you need assistance?"

"No, I’m fine. Just a little shaky. You have the bridge, I’ll be in sickbay," Kathryn answers as she and Chakotay enter the turbolift. She is trying not to notice the concerned looks being sent her way by the other members of the bridge crew.

"I have the results of your tests," the Doctor seriously informs Kathryn who has been lying on one of his diagnostic beds for the past two hours while the Doctor probed, scanned and conducted his tests. A worried Chakotay has been hovering by her side trying to help her look on the bright side of things.

"What is it Doctor?" Kathryn asks as she sits up anxiously waiting for the bad news she is sure she is going to hear.

"I am afraid you have contracted a form of Rangoftian Palsy," the Doctor somberly announces as he gives his captain a sympathetic look. "From what I can determine from your tests, this is a virulent and fast-acting strain of the palsy. The good news is this disease isn’t fatal and will not affect your mental abilities or your speech. The bad news is it will paralyze your muscles in a relatively short period of time, probably from the neck down, and your vision might be blurred for short periods of time."

At Kathryn’s stricken look, the Doctor continues. "There is no known cure and this disease is not transmitted from person to person. You probably came in contact with it years ago on one of the planets in the Alpha Rango Sector, but it’s just now manifesting itself in your body’s systems. I promise you, Captain, I will devote myself to finding a cure for you, but as of now there is none."

As Kathryn sits numb and stricken on the diagnostic bed Chakotay gathers her into his arms, holding her tight and stroking her hair, trying to offer some measure of comfort. "We’ll beat this Kathryn," he promises as his heart breaks for her. "You’ve never given up yet no matter what the odds, don’t start now. I promise I’ll stick by you and so will your crew."

The Doctor approaches Kathryn and injects her before she or Chakotay realizes what is happening. "I gave you a sedative so you can relax and sleep," he explains. "I know this has been a shock, and a good night’s sleep will help. We can discuss options and treatment in the morning. Right now you need rest more than anything."

Kathryn quickly slumps in Chakotay’s arms fast asleep, and he and the Doctor gently lower her back onto the bed so she can rest. As the Doctor pulls a blanket over her sleeping form, he orders Chakotay to get a good night’s rest also.

"You need to rest too Commander. She’s going to need you now more than ever," the Doctor lectures. "Report back here first thing tomorrow morning and the three of us will discuss her options. In the meantime, I’m going to start researching everything I can find to help me formulate a treatment and possibly a cure for her."

"Thanks," Chakotay sadly whispers as he brushes a gentle kiss across her forehead. With a long last look at Kathryn and a quick touch to her cheek, he leaves to follow orders.

Three weeks later the effects of Kathryn’s disease are glaringly apparent, and everyone on board Voyager is feeling sympathy for their Captain. No longer able to walk more than a few steps by herself, she must lean on somebody or Chakotay must carry her. She will allow only Chakotay to carry her, and then only when she is far too exhausted to struggle to walk herself. Her arms have started to shake more often and she tires much more easily than before. She no longer has the strength for social encounters with the crew, and has limited herself to work, therapy and rest.

Kathryn fights valiantly to fulfill her duties, and she now has daily therapy sessions with the Doctor in an attempt to keep her muscles in shape and her spirits up. But she is getting more and more depressed and has all but ceased eating. The Doctor has become alarmed by her weight loss since she was always slender and is now becoming much too thin. Even by inviting Kathryn to join him on the holodeck in his Chalet 1 program, Chakotay cannot entice her to eat very much. She hates what she is becoming - dependent on others.

The Doctor is working non-stop trying to find a cure or treatment that will slow the effects of her Rangoftian Palsy, but so far has been unsuccessful and he is getting worried about her state of mind.

"I don’t know how to cheer her up," the Doctor musses to Chakotay who is also expressing his concern. "I guess there really isn’t anything short of a cure that will make her feel better, and I can understand this. She never complains so she can’t get it out of her system."

"She’s doing better than I would. She’s a fighter." Chakotay answers. "Please keep trying for that cure."

Two more weeks have passed and Kathryn now realizes she has to turn over command of Voyager to Commander Chakotay. Her mind is as clear as ever, but her legs are almost useless. She can stumble only a few feet without falling, and her arms and hands shake more often. The Doctor has made no progress in finding a cure. Knowing what she is about to become only depresses her even more, so she makes the decision that she never dreamed she could make.

It is the middle of the "night" on Voyager and the computer has confirmed that Chakotay and the other senior bridge staff are in their quarters, hopefully asleep. Kathryn makes her Captain’s Log entry transferring command of Voyager on a permanent basis to Chakotay effective tomorrow. She also makes a personal log entry trying to explain her decision, her feelings, and offering heartfelt best wishes to him and the rest of the crew. She sincerely hopes they will soon find their way home, even though with this decision she knows that she will never see home again.

Two hours later Kathryn is sliding along with her back against the corridor wall as the doors to the shuttlebay open before her. It has been a long and exhausting journey from her quarters to the shuttlebay. Some of the time her legs would slide along, some of the time she had to crawl, but through sheer determination she made it this far undetected. She instructed the computer to record her resignation as captain effective tomorrow, but since she is still captain it quickly follows her orders and has a shuttlecraft ready for her.

Because of the hour, there are no maintenance crews on duty in the shuttlebay. As captain, she has ultimate control over the computer, so she drags herself into the waiting shuttle and pulls herself into the pilot’s chair. The shuttle is ready, so she orders the shuttlebay doors open and launches herself into the dark alien space a long, long way from home. Knowing that the computer will alert the bridge of the launch, she immediately positions the shuttle in one of Voyager’s small sensor blind spots, goes to full impulse, then warp in order to get as far away as possible before her crew fully realizes what is happening.

"Bridge to Commander Chakotay," the combadge chirps awakening Chakotay from a restless sleep. He was dreaming of Kathryn’s situation and is worried about her state of mind. Having to face what she is facing would fell the strongest of people, and even though she is a very strong individual, she is not invincible. He is aware that she has been pushed to her limits and beyond, but he hopes she can once again prevail. In all fairness, this whole journey has pushed her to her limits and beyond with very little letup. Since there always seems to be some type of crisis, he knows that at some point the burden may ultimately become too great and she could falter. "Please not now," he prays. "She’s too sick and can’t take care of herself."

"Chakotay here," he answers brushing the last traces of sleep from his mind. "What’s wrong?"

"A shuttle was launched and the Captain is aboard," Lt. Solon responds from the bridge. "I thought you should know because she won’t answer hails and we don’t know where she’s going. She caught us by surprise and we lost her trail."

"On my way," Chakotay replies as he jumps from his bed with his worst fears realized. Kathryn is running away and they’ve lost track of her!

Three days later there is still no sign of the Captain’s shuttle and Voyager has carefully searched the area where she launched for a radius of five light years. "She has to be here somewhere," Chakotay worries to Tuvok. "Expand the search by two light years," he orders as they calculate the coordinates.

"If anyone can fool our sensors, Captain Janeway can," Tuvok responds. "She is an able scientist as well as an exceptional captain so she knows all the tricks. I can tell you from experience that she is skilled at using these tricks. I learned much by serving with her all these years."

"We’re not quitting," Chakotay informs Tuvok.

"I concur," Tuvok replies.

"Still no progress," the Doctor informs Tom Paris as he gets the results of yet another test. "I just can’t find a cure for the Rangoftian Palsy. I’m running out of places to look."

"Even if you do find a cure, first we have to find the Captain," Tom answers. "We’ve searched everywhere and it seems she just disappeared."

The ion storm is unlike any she ever saw. It hangs over the planet like a parachute hangs over the parachutist covering a large area of this planet. It seems to be moving in a stable orbit around the planet. She needs to land soon and this planet is the best possibility for as far as she can scan. Besides, she is so weak and tired that she can barely see, let alone function. She has been on the run for almost three days.

After entering the coordinates where she wants to land, well away from the storm, Kathryn leans back in her seat wondering what she will do next. Surprised at her ability to get this far, but resolved to free Voyager and its crew from responsibility to her eroding ability to function, she decides to just do the best she can. She already misses them, especially Chakotay. She can now admit to herself how much she needs and misses him, if only she could tell him. But in her present condition she feels sure that he would not want her.

Sensors indicate that this planet is inhabited, but not by humanoids, so she programs the shuttle to land away from any populated areas. If she is destined to die here, she would rather do it alone.

Without warning the energy waves from the ion storm start buffeting the shuttle, knocking it off course. The storm suddenly expanded just as the shuttle was entering the atmosphere and intense energy waves from the storm rock the shuttle. Kathryn fights for control, but her strength is gone, her arms are shaking, and the energy waves are strong. She is almost down, but as the shuttle fights for its life Kathryn is thrown forcefully from her seat and her uncooperative body is bounced from side to side in the small cabin. Unable to help herself, she is quickly knocked unconscious as the shuttle crashes onto a hillside overlooking a large valley.

The large green blob slid over the ground as it hurried toward the scene of the destruction. He had seen the fiery trail coming down from the sky and understood what was happening. He had seen spaceships before and some had even crashed because of the tricky currents of the orbiting ion storm. He was not afraid and neither were the four beings with him. They wondered what type of aliens this ship would bring.

Hanar slid faster as he saw where the ship had torn the tops from the trees, then as it got lower it had knocked over whole trees. Fortunately the trees on this planet never grew very large. He finally spied the small ship sitting at an angle on the hillside, smoke rising from one of its sides. He understood a plasma leak and sent one of his companions for help. He knew they could fix this, they had encountered them before. He doesn’t know how to open the door so he starts expanding his blob of a body over the ship, feeling all over and instructing his companions to do the same. If anyone inside the ship is still alive, he knows they will need help.

The noise of the shuttle ramp lowering surprises Hanar and his friends. He didn’t know which of them had found the switch. It didn’t really matter because he can see someone lying on the floor, someone who obviously needs help.

Quickly entering the ship, Hanar approaches Kathryn and studies her carefully. A small rather fragile-looking being with a rigid skeleton who stands upright and walks on two legs is his quick assessment. Rather attractive for a biped compared to some he has seen, but certainly not beautiful by his standards. He gently turns Kathryn onto her back and tries to assess her injuries. Hanar isn’t sure what to look for, but her forehead and cheek are bleeding and one leg appears to be bent at an odd angle.

"We cannot remain in here because of the leaking plasma," Hanar states to his companions. "I think this is a female, and we must move her even though she is injured. It’s too dangerous for us to remain in this plasma infested air. It has to be dangerous for her also. We’ll take her home where our doctor can help her."

Hanar slides against Kathryn’s side and extends a portion of his body under her body forming a support, gently lifting her onto the rest of his body. He then reforms himself to cradle her injured body carefully in his. Since Hanar’s people have no skeletons to support their bodies and give them a rigid form, their gel-like bodies can reform into any shape they desire. Sliding slowly down the shuttle ramp, Hanar carefully carries Kathryn back to his home, with his companions ready to offer their help if Hanar needs it.

"She has several injuries which I know nothing about, although I can treat her other problems," Llydar, the doctor, informs Hanar after carefully examining Kathryn. "Her supporting structure seems to be broken in several places, and I don’t know what to do about it. I never had to treat rigid framed people before even though I have seen them. I can treat her other problems, and I can stop the bleeding and heal her internal injuries. She was thrown around quite violently when her ship crashed. Her body is very fragile and doesn’t bounce like we can."

"Do what you can," Hanar replies. "Once she wakes, maybe she can tell us what do to about her broken supports."

Kathryn is lying on a large, soft gel-filled cushion in a small room in Hanar’s home. He, Rayan his mate, and Llydar have been keeping watch over her for two days waiting for her to awake. They are anxious to learn more about her, but she shows no signs of waking up.

"Maybe she has injuries you are not finding?" Hanar inquires of Llydar. "Why doesn’t she wake up?"

"I don’t know," Llydar responds. "We have enlightened medical procedures and I have treated all her problems except her broken frame. I am a very competent doctor. I don’t think her waking up depends on her frame, but she is an alien and I don’t know for sure. I know her body has responded to the medicines I administered and some of her injuries are healing. We just have to wait."

Commander Chakotay has been almost frantic for the past two days. It has been six days since they lost Kathryn Janeway and he does not think she can survive much longer without help, assuming she is still alive. Her medical condition was worsening each day, and her state of mind was just as bad. He knows she was hardly eating, so her having the strength to pilot a shuttle is doubtful. Where can she be? They are running out of places to look!

"We are approaching a binary star system with two inhabited planets," Harry Kim informs Chakotay. Harry’s voice startles him from his reverie and he is suddenly alert.

"Any sign of the shuttle?" he inquires, hope cautious in his voice.

"No sign," Harry replies, "although the fourth planet has a large area covered by an orbiting ion storm. Our sensors cannot penetrate the storm area, but scans reveal no sign of the shuttle on either planet. I’m sorry, Commander."

"She has to be here," Chakotay says as the hope in his voice fades. "She was in no condition to get even this far, although I know better than to underestimate Kathryn Janeway, and there are no more systems for four light years. I don’t believe we can’t find her."

"Commander," Tom Paris interrupts, "I can get a shuttle through the storm by coming in at an angle and modulating the shield frequencies. Since the storm is localized, even though it is large, I know I can do this. Then we would know for sure."

"Agreed, but I’m coming with you," Chakotay acknowledges. "The Doctor too, just in case. Meet me in the shuttlebay in 20 minutes. I’ll get the Doctor. Tuvok, you have the bridge," Chakotay orders as he hurries with Tom from the bridge.

Soon they are streaking through the atmosphere of the planet making their way through the turbulence of the ion storm. Tom’s piloting skills are all being tested, but Chakotay has confidence that Tom can get them through.

"I can use the short-range sensors now," Chakotay reports with his eyes glued to his readouts. "There it is!!" he excitedly calls as the computer identifies the blinking blip on his screen as the missing shuttle. "It crashed, but it’s in one piece and it definitely is our shuttle! Land as close as possible," he orders.

Ten minutes later they are running through the trees closing in on the shuttle. As they approach, they notice that the ramp is down and the shuttle appears to have been recently repaired, so they cautiously scan looking for any sign of Kathryn.

"She’s not in the shuttle, nor is she nearby," Chakotay reports as they examine the inside of the shuttle. "But there is human blood, and a trace of something or someone alien. They left in that direction," he says as he points toward the valley where a large sprawling structure is visible. "Let’s go, but be careful. We don’t know if they’re hostile, but it’s likely they have the Captain. I just hope she’s alive."

It feels like someone is pounding on her head with a blunt object, and the throbbing is almost unbearable. In fact, her whole body feels like it has been beaten and sharper pain is registering in her left leg and her left ribs. What happened? It hurts to think, but as consciousness and memory return, Kathryn wonders where she is. She slowly opens her eyes, groaning softly against the pain, and tries to focus her vision.

"She’s awake," she hears from an unfamiliar male voice at her right side.

It takes a moment to focus her eyes, and moving her head hurts like hell. As her vision returns she wonders if she was better off not looking, for leaning over her is a large green blob with bright red eyes protruding from blue eyestalks. These eyes are intently watching her face, but they seem concerned and kind, not as frightening as his overall appearance. A second, then a third green blob lean into her range of vision, all looking intently at her and projecting feelings of concern

"What happened?" she manages to weakly whisper. Her voice is hoarse and her mouth dry. "Where am I?"

"Your spacecraft crashed nearby, and you’re in my home with my family. My name is Hanar," the large green blob carefully explains. "You were badly hurt in the crash. Since your ship was leaking plasma we had to move you, but we did so carefully. Llydar, our doctor, has treated you for some of your problems, but we don’t have rigid support systems in our bodies so we don’t know how to treat the damage to yours. We have very advanced medical skills, but some of your supports are broken, so you must tell us how to help you. You must also tell us what you eat. It appears your body is desperately in need of nourishment, and we will try to provide something to feed you."

"Thanks," Kathryn whispers moving slightly on her cushion, but she is quickly stopped by the pain. "Give me a few minutes. My head hurts so much I can’t think."

Llydar quickly leans over her, his eyes looking intently at her face. From the blob of his body a protrusion forms and grabs an instrument from the table beside her head. He quickly moves the instrument over her head and neck. Another protrusion quickly forms and grabs another instrument which he places gently against her temple. Kathryn can feel cool vibrations coming from the instrument and penetrating her head. Amazingly she can feel the pain slowly fading.

"Whatever you’re doing, it’s working," Kathryn slowly whispers to Llydar as he continues to lean over to scan her with his device. "My head doesn’t hurt so much and my mind is clearing. Thank you."

"My name is Kathryn Janeway, and I was Captain of the Federation Starship Voyager," she slowly and softly continues. "I recently developed a disease which was paralyzing me from the neck down, so to free my crew from having to take care of me, I left the ship. I’m not sure what I hoped to accomplish, but even death would have been preferable to being a burden to my crew. My mind was not affected, so I knew everything that was happening to me and realized that I did not want to face life trapped in a body unable to function. I couldn’t bear to see the pity on everyone’s face. My disease can’t be transmitted from me to you, so you don’t have to worry about getting it."

"We’re not worried," Hanar explains. "We have excellent medical skills and diagnosed your problems immediately. We fixed that problem along with your internal injuries when we started treating you. That was the easy part. I’m very sorry though that we have no experience with your rigid support system. We can’t treat that part of you."

"You mean my bones," Kathryn explains not grasping all that Hanar is explaining to her. "I can feel that some of them are broken, the pain is intense, but broken bones aren’t fatal - they heal. I think my left leg and some of my ribs are broken, although my body hurts so much that I can’t tell about anything else, and I’m afraid to move. We must set the broken bones and brace them until they heal, but please give me some time. I’m so tired."

"Of course," Hanar replies. "In addition to your head, we also think you have hurt some of the bones in your....here," Hanar indicates Kathryn’s right arm and hand, "but we’ll talk about that after you rest. We do know you need water. Here, drink this," Hanar offers as he gently slides part of his body under hers. Hanar’s body then molds itself into a brace for her head and neck, supporting it carefully and lifting it slightly as Llydar holds a container of water to her lips. Kathryn drinks thankfully, not realizing how thirsty she really was.

"Thanks," she whispers as exhaustion prevails and she quickly falls asleep.

The next two days pass as Kathryn moves in and out of painful consciousness. Hanar and Llydar are taking turns keeping watch over her. She is totally exhausted, and her battered and unbelievably sore body is demanding sleep. She can only stay awake for a few minutes each time, and she has been unable to tell Llydar how to set her broken bones. They have tried to feed her during her waking spells, but she is only able to ingest small amounts. The cushion supporting her is warm and comfortable, designed to embrace and protect her battered body without compounding her injuries. She feels safe and protected as the healing process starts.

"She’s in that building," Chakotay announces as he scans the large sprawling structure from their hiding place in the trees. "There are about forty of those blob-like beings in there with her. I wonder if she’s a prisoner, a guest, or if they plan to have her for dinner."

"Her condition has to be deteriorating," the Doctor worries. "We’ve got to get her back to Voyager quickly."

"Maybe we should just knock on the door." Tom Paris offers. "After all, those blobs look pretty dumb. They probably don’t know what to do with the Captain."

"Not such a bad idea," Chakotay replies surprising Tom. "If they are hostile, at least we would know."

Chakotay contacts Tuvok to let him know their situation and their plans. Tuvok would rather have a security force accompany them, but Chakotay is insistent that they try this first. Besides, the ion storm is moving away and it won’t be long before their transporters are working again since their communicators already are.

"You don’t need force," a voice suddenly announces from behind the away team startling them. They never heard anyone approach. "We will not harm you, especially if you are friends of Kathryn. My name is Hanar, and Kathryn is resting in my home. Please, come with me," he offers as he slides along the ground. An arm and hand-like appendage forms itself from the body of the green blob called Hanar and points the way. The away team looks on in amazement as they follow where Hanar indicates. They are very surprised that he can speak to them, and are relieved at the news that Kathryn is alive.

"How is Kathryn?" Chakotay anxiously inquires. "She was sick when she left Voyager and we found blood in the shuttle."

"Kathryn is hurt and we do not know how to treat all her injuries," Hanar responds. "Llydar, our doctor, has successfully treated some of them, but we do not have ‘bones’ like you, so we don’t know how to fix her broken ones. She has been too tired and in too much pain to tell us how to fix her, but she is getting stronger. I hope you can help."

The away team is amazed at the friendly green blobs they encounter as they walk through the building. Their progress is followed by bright eyestalks and friendly eyes. Many of the blobs form appendages roughly resembling their own arms and hands, which they wave at the away team in greeting as they pass. The sight of these beings waving their "arms" is both funny and bizarre.

They finally come to a closed door which Hanar opens inviting them to enter. It’s a small room furnished only with a table holding strange instruments, a lamp, and a large gel-filled cushion on which Kathryn is sleeping. Another green blob is watching over her. Quickly rushing to her side, Chakotay feels the side of her cheek and finds it warm - a relief since for the past six days he has only imagined her dead or dying alone somewhere. Since Chakotay is a very emotional individual and his love for his captain is no secret, his abject relief at finding her alive brings tears to his eyes.

The Doctor quickly scans Kathryn’s body and reports, "She has a broken left leg, 3 broken ribs, some cracked bones in her right wrist and hand, and a concussion. She must have been thrown around forcefully when the shuttle crashed as her whole body is badly bruised. She also suffered internal injuries, but they seem to be healing as are her bruises."

He continues to scan Kathryn, repeating over and over the area of his scanning. "I don’t believe this," he says to Chakotay as he raises his head and looks directly at him. "These readings can’t be right."

"What’s wrong, Doctor?" Chakotay worriedly inquires.

"She shows no sign of having the Rangoftian Palsy," he states in wonder. "What happened to her that she now shows no sign of the disease?" he inquires of Llydar.

"We cured that problem," Llydar responds, "but we feel inadequate that we couldn’t fix the problems with her rigid frame and stop her pain. We have no bones of our own, so we didn’t know what to do. I’m very sorry," he continues looking fondly at Kathryn.

"Sorry?" the Doctor exclaims. "You performed a miracle!! We couldn’t cure the Captain of this disease, but you did. I can fix her broken bones, but you gave her a chance to again live normally. Thank you."

"You’re not upset that we couldn’t heal her broken bones?" Llydar inquires. "What we did was nothing special. We have cures for all kinds of problems like Kathryn’s. Our bodies never break, but we are prone to disease. You can’t imagine all the diseases we get and how many colors our bodies turn because of them. Over the years we have developed cures for almost everything."

"I would like to know more about your methods. We could learn much from you," the Doctor announces to Llydar with a look over his shoulder to Tom Paris. "You’ve proved that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Would you teach me? I have to get the Captain back to Voyager so I can heal her bones. They need to be set and regenerated, but I would like to learn more about your medical technology."

"Book by its cover?" Llydar inquires.

"Never mind, only a human expression," the Doctor explains sarcastically.

"Can we come with you?" Hanar brightly inquires. "I can carry Kathryn so there will be no more damage to her body and Llydar can watch you heal her bones. Then he can tell you about our techniques. I would love to see Voyager and its crew. Kathryn loves you all so much, especially you Commander Chakotay," Hanar winks. Chakotay is amazed at this revelation.

"Commander?" the Doctor inquires of Chakotay who has been kneeling by Kathryn’s side stroking her cheek. He is devastated by how much her body has wasted away and by how bruised and battered she is, and he knows she needs medical attention and nourishment. He also knows with certainty that she will now fight to recover once she realizes that her disease has been cured.

"Agreed," Chakotay replies as Kathryn stirs and slowly opens her eyes. "Kathryn, why did you do this to us? We’ve been frantic for the past six days looking for you. Please don’t ever leave us again!" Chakotay implores taking her uninjured hand in both of his and kissing her fingers. "I need you on Voyager with me," he confesses.

"Chakotay?" she softly whispers. "Am I dreaming again? Oh, God I’m glad to see you!" Tears start falling silently from Kathryn’s eyes as she looks up at Chakotay. "I didn’t want to be a burden. I never thought I would see you again. I was sure I was going to die here."

"You could never be a burden and we’d never leave you any more than you would leave any of us. Don’t you know that?" Chakotay earnestly whispers to her. "How many times have you risked yourself to save one of us? We’re going to move you back to Voyager so the Doctor can treat you. You’ll soon be home again."

Hanar moves silently to Kathryn’s side, and Chakotay is amazed as he watches him slide part of his green body under Kathryn’s body and lift her gently onto the rest of himself. Kathryn didn’t even wince in pain. His body then molds itself around Kathryn encasing her in the soft green gel called Hanar.

"Let’s go!" Hanar chirps as carefully embracing Kathryn he starts to slide toward the door looking as anxious and excited as a green blob can look. He’s acting like a happy child. "Where do we go?"

"We don’t have to go anywhere," Chakotay replies. "We can beam up from here. Our transporters are working. Llydar, come here," Chakotay indicates as he orders them beamed directly to sickbay.

"So what is this instrument for?" the Doctor inquires of Llydar as they review methods of disease control. The Doctor and Llydar have been engrossed in each other ever since Kathryn’s surgery and treatment was completed. She is now sleeping in sickbay, being fed intravenously and under constant monitoring, but her recovery is progressing amazingly well. Once she had been informed that her disease was cured, the change in her outlook and her grateful thanks brought tears to everyone’s eyes. For once in her life she is happy to be a cooperative patient.

The doctors have been exchanging medical techniques for hours. Both are fascinated by the other’s methods and equipment, and the Doctor is delighted that he will have months’ worth of scientific data to experiment with. Llydar’s successful approach to disease control has opened new doors for the Doctor to explore. Llydar is fascinated with the number of different species in Voyager’s database, and is happily devouring information as fast as the Doctor can supply it, especially information about bones.

Chakotay is giving Hanar a tour of the ship, and is very amused at the reaction of the crew to Hanar’s appearance. Hanar, completely oblivious to the crew’s reaction, is happily forming a hand and arm to wave enthusiastically at each crewmember as he slides past them. "This has been a truly wonderful day," Chakotay thinks as he considers how lucky they are to have Kathryn back and on the road to recovery. After the hell of the past weeks, today feels like heaven, especially if Hanar was correct in assuming that she had feelings for him.

"Let’s return to sickbay," Chakotay suggests to Hanar. "I want to check on Kathryn, she should soon be awake."

"Good," Hanar replies. "Then can we return to your mess hall? I really enjoyed tasting your food. It’s very different from ours. We don’t eat like you, our bodies absorb ions from the orbiting storm. But I must admit, I enjoyed the sensation of processing your food."

Chakotay laughs his approval as they enter sickbay. Everyone in the mess hall enjoyed watching Hanar try food for the first time. His method was unique. Much to Neelix’ dismay, Hanar’s idea of processing food was to rub it on his body, which then absorbed it. The Doctor and Llydar are still engrossed in medical theories. Except for Kathryn, the sickbay beds are empty.

Quickly crossing to Kathryn’s side, Chakotay sees that her eyes are open and she seems to finally be focusing clearly. She’s still badly bruised, obviously still hurting and looks desperately in need of nourishment, but the hopeless look is gone from her face and the sparkle is back in the smile she flashes for him.

"Kathryn, how do you feel?" he inquires looking down at her and taking her uninjured hand in his. "You’re looking better."

"I don’t hurt as much as before, although the Doctor has me strapped down. I guess he thinks I’ll try to escape," she smiles, "but that will be difficult with my ribs bound tightly and medical forcefields on my leg and arm. I can’t remember much about what happened on that planet, only the pain and being so terribly tired, but in case I forgot to mention it - thanks for coming for me. I still can’t believe I did something as foolish as running away, but I guess it’s good I did or we might not have met Hanar and Llydar and found a cure for my disease."

"The Doctor says I’ll be fit for duty in about ten days, but only if I promise to eat. Can we go to the holodeck again? I really enjoyed your program, and the food was much better than this," Kathryn smiles as she slightly raises her broken wrist which has intravenous tubes attached to it under the forcefield. "By sometime tomorrow I’ll be able to eat real food again."

"Consider it a date," Chakotay smiles.

The waterfall is cascading over the iridescent rocks as Kathryn enjoys her first real meal in a long time. Recovery has been steady, and Chakotay has been there to encourage her every step of the way. Even though the Doctor has not released her from his care or allowed her to return to duty, he was persuaded by both Kathryn and Chakotay to allow this outing.

In her newly replicated royal blue dress which hugs her much too slender form and brings out the red highlights in her hair and enhances the gray/blue of her eyes, Kathryn looks lovely and relaxed as she smiles lovingly at Chakotay. Her bruises are almost gone and her bones healing, as are her other injuries. There is no sign of the Rangoftian Palsy, and Llydar assured Kathryn and the Doctor that she was cured of this disease forever. Eating has been difficult only because her duties hardly ever allowed her to have a regular schedule for that process before she got sick, but she is honestly trying to cooperate and has regained a little of the weight she lost. She is still weak, but recovering nicely.

Chakotay, in a cream shirt and black pants, looks relaxed and delighted with his dinner companion. He feels the need to pinch himself occasionally just so he can be sure he’s not dreaming and that Kathryn is really sitting here with him giving him that lopsided grin he has come to love so much.

"I ordered your favorite dishes," Chakotay smiles as he leans forward in his chair. "You’d better eat it all or the Doctor will have my head for taking you on this outing."

The sound of Kathryn’s laughter is music to Chakotay’s ears as she smilingly replies, "I’ll eat all I can. This setting certainly encourages me - it’s so beautiful, and the company is wonderful. I could come here often," she shyly whispers.

"Let’s dance until the food comes," Chakotay offers as he rises and extends his hand while staring lovingly into her eyes. "A little exercise will do you good, and I can catch you if you fall." So with Kathryn in his arms, the sound of the waterfall and the music in the background, Chakotay realizes that being here with Kathryn means he is really at peace with himself. Even though they are thousands of light years from home, for now at least, everything is right with the world.

The End

~~~~ a Y a ~~~~