The fourth time she rubbed her temples, Chakotay leaned over and spoke softly, "Captain, one of us is going to go to sickbay to get something for that headache. And if you leave it to me, I may decide to carry you with me."
Janeway looked her first officer full in the eyes for a moment. On the tip of her tongue was a stinging answer designed to put him firmly in his place. Then a glimmer of common sense overrode her pride. She stood, walked toward the turbolift, and said, "Commander Chakotay, you have the Bridge," all without looking at him further.
=======
The holodeck resort was a little warmer and sunnier than usual. Most of the crew would have found it painfully bright, but the Captain had ordered it for herself.
Wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat and a bikini, Janeway lay stretched out on on an adirondack chair. Through black sunglasses, she was reading a PADD. The fact that its casing was a very non-standard-issue candy-apple red gave away the recreational nature of the material.
The doors slid open. Commander Chakotay strode into the holodeck and stopped in front of her. "Well, Captain, what did he threaten you with?" he asked.
She responded without looking up, "Read the report. Tuvok has it. Therrolet did very little threatening. He just came out of his corner swinging."
"I wasn't talking about Therrolet. I meant what did the doctor threaten you with to make you take time off?"
Still not looking up, Janeway replied, "Believe it or not, I volunteered for this assignment.
"Commander, this is a no-uniforms-allowed resort, and you are blocking my light. Leave me alone until you can bring yourself to behave properly." She spoke with mock exasperation in her voice.
The Commander stepped away a few paces and began shucking his uniform.
Janeway looked up at him for the first time since their conversation began. "What are you doing?"
"Getting out of uniform, as ordered."
"Funny, I don't recall an order about skinny-dipping."
"You're right. There was no order about skinny-dipping. But you know how I like going above and beyond the call of duty." Stripped down to burgundy swim trunks, Chakotay sauntered past the Captain and headed for the water. "Feel like going for a ride?"
"On what?"
"Oh, Harry added a small speed boat. Thought I would try it out after a while. Or there's always para-sailing."
"Maybe I had better go along. Safeties or no safeties, I don't trust you with a speed boat."
"Now who's being funny?"
Janeway plucked an ice cube out of her iced tea and hurled it at him. "Go swim. Neelix promised to bring me a picnic lunch. After that we can go for your boat ride."
======
Chakotay entered sickbay carrying the Captain. As they came through the doorway she called out, "Computer, activate Emergency Medical Hologram". He put her down on a biobed and stood back.
The Doctor appeared. "Please state the... Captain, what a surprise, what brings you to sickbay twice in one day?"
"A big lug on the holodeck tripped over me and sprained my knee for me," she replied.
"Really, Captain, you of all people should know to keep the safety protocols engaged."
"Holodeck safety protocols have little hold over Commander Crash."
"Who is Commander Crash?" Queried the Doctor. Seeing the guilty grin on the First Officer's face, the Doctor added, "Nevermind. I can answer that for myself."
Scanning her knee with a tricorder, the Doctor pronounced judgment, "Captain, I'm afraid this is no simple sprain...."
======
A site-to-site transport deposited Captain and First Officer in Janeway's quarters. She spoke in a dry tone of voice, "If I didn't know better I might think this was a conspiracy between you and the Doctor to extend my little vacation."
"Breaking the Captain's knee by slipping on a wet boat deck is hardly a subtle approach. That is not a very flattering opinion of my skills at manipulating a situation."
"Would you consider manipulating the Captain's leg muscles? The Captain's leg has some residual cramping"
"I'll see what I can do. Maybe you should get in bed. I will give you a good rub-down and then you can get some sleep, Kathryn."
Captain Janeway walked cautiously toward her bathroom. "Would you bring me something to sleep in?"
"At your service. Fetch and carry is the least I can do after breaking your leg."
"Thank you, Chakotay. Underwear is in the top drawer, and you should find a night gown in the third."
He found the needed items and brought them to her. After Kathryn changed and sat under the sonic shower for a short time, she lay on her bed face up, on top of the covers. Finding a bottle of apricot scented lotion, Chakotay warmed the lotion up in his hands. Then he gently rubbed it into the muscles of her injured leg. Slowly up and down her calf first, then her thigh, he worked the stressed area and gradually increased the pressure.
She sighed her relief as the soreness eased. With that signal, Chakotay worked his way back down her leg to the foot. Soon she was moaning with the pleasure of it, and he went to work on her other foot.
"Chakotay, that feels wonderful, but you don't have to keep it up." Her voice was low and mellow with relaxation as she spoke.
"Hush Kathryn. Let me do this for you," Chakotay answered, his own voice scarcely audible. His hands continued their way up her leg, stroking the length of the calf muscle time and again.
"Trying to work off your guilt, Chakotay?"
"Could be. Or maybe I am just taking advantage of the situation. I could have an ulterior motive." Chakotay flashed Kathryn a brief grin, and returned his concentration to her leg, working the muscles further up. Finishing his work on her legs, he said, "Roll over Kathryn. I want to massage your back, too."
=====
Chakotay slept on the Captain's sofa that night, in case she needed anything. The night passed quietly but with little sleep for the man on the sofa.
THE END
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