Disclaimer: Star Trek and Star Trek: Voyager are the property of Paramount Pictures and Viacom. I make no money off of this story what so ever. No copyright infringement intended.
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Voyager's Plague
by Tamar Richardson
*
"I am functioning within normal parameters," Seven argued.
"I beg to differ," the Doctor retorted. "For one, you just fainted in the Mess Hall. Second, you have a fever of 39°C. Third, these tricorder readings suggest that you have a mild stomach flu." He walked over to the medical table and picked up a hypospray. "I'll give you something to help with the symptoms, but I want you to rest in the Cargo Bay for a couple days."
"That is insufficient."
The Doctor was going to argue his point further, when the Captain and Neelix walked into the room. "How's our patient doing?" she asked.
"She has a mild stomach flu."
"Oh, my, my, my," Neelix exclaimed.
"Is there something wrong?" the Doctor asked.
"While I was down on Menia collecting supplies, there were reports of a certain virus going around that has similar symptoms to what Seven has," he paused.
"I'll contact the Menian officials and see if there's anything that can be done about the situation at hand." Janeway turned and walked towards the Bridge.
**********
Menian doctors came aboard Voyager and vaccinated the entire crew. They couldn't leave a cure, for there wasn't one. They did, however, leave Voyager with a warning: "Up until now, no non-Menians have been infected with the flu. We are unsure of the effects it might have on other species." With the warning in place, they left.
Furthermore, the vaccine would prove ineffective. Within 10 hours of leaving Menia, more than half the crew would come down with symptoms of the virus. The Doctor would also prove that all those who were sick had already been infected at the time of vaccination. The last thing to be proven would be that the situation on Voyager would become more dire with time.
**********
*beep*
Kathryn groaned. Who could that be? she wondered. "Enter," the captain replied in a hoarse whisper.
Chakotay walked in carrying a food tray. "I brought you something to eat."
"I'm too sick to eat."
"This is different. My mother used to give me this soup whenever I was sick," he replied.
"Does it work?"
"I used to think so."
"'Used to'?"
"Stop being so skeptical, Kathryn. Just try some."
Janeway sat up and Chakotay placed the tray down. She took a spoonful of the soup, blew on it, and drank it down. Ecstasy immediately washed over her face. "This is wonderful," she complimented.
"I'm glad you like it."
"How many more crew members have been infected," she asked in between spoonfuls.
"103 total."
"So much for vaccines."
"The Doctor has forbidden all currently sick crew members from being on-duty," he paused and then added, "We'll be a little stretched for people, but I think we can pull it off."
"Due to lack of healthy crew members, do you think the Doctor will let some of the crew back on-duty before hand?"
"Eager to get back to the Captain's chair?"
"No, I'm more worried about the 47 over-worked crew members currently on duty," she lied.
"You're lying."
"Kathryn, it's written all over you face. You never were a good liar."
"And I suppose you're just so much better at lying."
"I fooled you with the Angry Warrior 'legend'."
"As I recall, I caught you," she retorted.
"Those were good times."
"Hmm?"
"New Earth."
Kathryn nodded her response. "It was the place we became friends."
The place where I fell in love with you, she thought. He longed for her. The first officer wished for the day when Kathryn would love him back. "It was a shame we had to leave."
Kathryn nodded. It was also a shame that I never got to tell how much I love you, he thought. She longed for him. Janeway wished for the day when Chakotay would love her back. "I still prefer the comforts of Voyager," she stifled a yawn.
"I'm sorry. You must be exhausted," he said. Chakotay picked the tray up off of her and set it aside. "I'll leave you to your sleep." He turned to leave, but Kathryn grabbed his hand, stopping him.
The first officer looked back towards her. "Please, stay," she asked. There was a pleading in her eyes that cut threw Chakotay like a sharpened knife.
"Alright," he replied. His toned was quiet, serious, final.
"Tell me a Indian legend," she paused. "A real Indian legend."
He nodded and sat at the base of her bed. Still holding her hand, Chakotay told a legend that his father had told him when he was a child. Kathryn, in turn, listened to the legend, until she fell into a dreamless sleep.
**********
"The time is 06:30."
Kathryn must have forgotten to turn off her alarm, Chakotay thought. He turned his attention towards Kathryn, still asleep. She looked so peaceful (so beautiful) lying there. He wondered why the alarm hadn't waken her. She had never been a heavy sleeper.
A nagging feeling came over him. It was probably nothing, but then again...
"Kathryn," he whispered. She didn't move.
"Kathryn," the first officer said, a little louder, while gently shaking her. Again, nothing happened. Immediately he went into action, "Computer, two to beam directly to Sickbay."
**********
"What happened?" the Doctor asked, after the transporter beam had deposited the two senior officers on the Sickbay floor. He immediately started scanning the captain with a tricorder. "She's in respiratory failure. Doctor to Lt. Paris, come to Sickbay, now."
Chakotay stood there in the middle of it all, frozen. He watched as the Doctor worked of the captain's unconscious body. The first officer felt truly helpless, there was nothing he could do. He felt like he was in some sort of dream. If only it was...
"Commander, perhaps you should go to the Bridge and give us some space," the Doctor said, never even looking up from the Captain.
Chakotay nodded his response and left Sickbay, never to see Kathryn alive again.
**********
It would be two hours before the Doctor would Chakotay the news. Two hours spent waiting. Two hours of wondering. Two hours of feeling entirely numb. The first officer had become completely oblivious to his surroundings. The Borg could have attacked the ship and assimilated the crew and he would none the wiser. Two hours before Chakotay would go down to Sickbay and hear of her death.
**********
Chakotay walked through the Sickbay doors and asked the question for which he already knew the answer, "How is she?"
"I'm sorry, Commander, but she didn't make it," the Doctor responded.
"How did it happen?"
"The virus mutated. It began attacking her lungs, until..." the Doctor stopped, his programing not being able to deal with this.
"Is the rest of the crew in danger?"
"Everyone who is infected, yes."
Rage engulfed Chakotay, "I want you find a cure, soon." He was surprised
by the amount of anger he had just displayed. But, somewhere deeper down
inside him, the first officer saw his wrath as completely normal. He loved
Kathryn, nothing would ever change that. "No one else should have to suffer
**********
Unfortunately, others would die. The Doctor was never able to find a cure in time. All of the 103 crew members would within 24 hours after Kathryn's death. It was a time of great mourning aboard Voyager.
"We are gathered here to celebrate the lives of our lost compatriots," Chakotay said, with a tear in his eye. He went on to read the names of the all the crew members who had fallen due to what would be known as The Plague (among the names read were Seven of Nine, Neelix, Ensign Samatha Wildeman, and, of course, his beloved Kathryn).
After the crew had shared memories about the dearly departed, Chakotay spoke, "Voyager and her crew are currently at a turning point in our journey. I don't want any rushed decisions, so I'm giving you two weeks to think about this. In light of recent events, I have come to the conclusion that there are parts of the final frontier not meant for humans to venture through. I am suggesting that we find the nearest uninhabited M-Class planet and settle there. Some of you might not agree with, and that's okay. I'm giving you the choice on whether to stay on Voyager or to settle on a planet. A starship is normally not a democracy, but I have decided to make an exception this time." There, he had said what needed to be said.
**********
After two weeks, about half the crew had decided to leave Voyager forever. Most left because they had given up hope of ever getting home alive. Others couldn't bare to go on without the dear friend/soul mate they had lost during The Plague. But one truth remained, Voyager was now, and forever, divided.
*
