Restless
As usual, any references to the standard crew complement are the property of Paramount Pictures, but the story itself is all me.
Note: This episode takes place just after Friendship One.
Chapter 1
B'Elanna sighed as Tom continued to knead the muscles of her knotted back.
"How's that?" he asked with a little smile.
"Better, but that doesn't mean you can stop, flyboy," she said with a sly smile.
"It's almost time for you to go on duty. Are you sure that you're up for it?"
"Tom, I'm fine. Just a little sore and tired. Now I've got to get ready, so you're going to have to stop or I'll never want to leave."
He smiled, "Promise?"
B'Elanna rolled over onto her left side to look up at him. "Thanks, I needed that." Gently, he touched her face and smiled. "I love you, B'Elanna."
She kissed him, saying "I love you too, Tom. Now I really have to get going. Computer, what is the current time, please?"
"The current time is 06:45 hours," the computer blandly replied.
"Tom, I'm late, I've got 15 minutes to get ready. I guess I'll skip the shower this morning." B'Elanna rolled out of bed and pulled on her uniform. Looking in the mirror, she sighed. "I remember when my uniform actually fit, now look at me!"
Tom smiled, "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen!"
"Really Tom, It looks like there should be two of me," she sighed again as she stroked her fully rounded belly. Tom rose from the bed and put his arms around her. She cringed when she realized that his arms didn't encircle her as much as they used to.
"I'm surprised you can still reach around enough to hug me," she said biting her lower lip.
"B'Elanna, I mean it. You are beautiful and I love you very much," he said. Kissing her deeply, he placed his hand lovingly on her belly.
"I love you too. Now I've got to go." With that she turned on her heel and walked quickly out the door in a rush to get to engineering.
Chapter 2
B'Elanna strode into engineering at top speed, colliding with Icheb.
"What are you doing in engineering?" she sneered.
"Are you okay, Lt. Torres? Did I injure you?"
"No, I'm fine. I wish people would stop asking me that," she spat out the reply. "Now who gave you permission to be in my engine room, Icheb?"
"I did," Seven replied as she walked over. "It is only logical to utilize his expertise since Mr. Carey's death."
B'Elanna flinched at the coldness in Seven's voice. "Well, don't get in my way. I have a lot to do today," she replied bitingly trying to suppress thoughts about Joe and what his loss meant to her.
On the bridge, Harry Kim scanned his instruments for any signs of help or trouble. "Captain, I'm reading a Class M planet approximately 2 days away that's showing rich signs of trilithium."
"Tuvok, scan the planet for any signs of life," commanded Janeway.
"The planet appears to be devoid of all higher life forms, Captain. I am detecting a diverse array of vegetation. Captain, I believe that this planet's vegetation could sustain us for an additional year."
"A year's worth of food? Well now, we can't afford to pass that up. Commander?"
Commander Chakotay punched the Comm and announced "All senior staff members, report to conference room 1.
B'Elanna walked into the mess hall and over to Neelix to see what was for lunch. She wasn't particularly hungry, but with the baby she always tried to make sure that she didn't skip too many meals.
"Hello, Neelix, what's for lunch?" she asked with a touch of disappointment.
"Oh. I'm so glad you asked," Neelix could barely contain his enthusiasm. "For you we have Kohlanese Stew and for dessert Rokeg Blood Pie. I thought you might enjoy some authentic Klingon dishes. I noticed you have not been eating as regularly as you should and thought that this may help a little. I did have a bit of a hard time replicating some of the necessary ingredients."
"That's sweet, Neelix," Then it occurred to her that he may have told the Captain, or the Doctor, or worse Tom that she had not been eating. She turned to give him a piece of her mind with anger playing at her features.
"Don't worry, Lt. If you eat lunch today, I don't see why we can't just keep this our little secret."
"Thanks Neelix." She turned to find Tom. They were meeting for lunch, and she was already late when she arrived at the mess hall.
Tom, seeing B'Elanna carrying over her plate, waved to her with a smile playing at his lips.
"So, how are things down in engineering?"
"First a plasma conduit blew out, then we lost four relays, I had to squeeze through a Jeffries tube on deck 8 to fix a faulty circuit." It was at that moment she realized she had said too much.
"B'Elanna, what were you doing crawling around in the Jeffries tubes? You're supposed to delegate those jobs to Harry or Vorik. I can't believe." Tom started.
"Tom, I have to do my job. I'm pregnant, not an invalid," she hissed. "I can't take much more of this, Tom. I have to get off this ship for a little while. I swear I'm losing my mind."
He could tell she was getting exasperated and for once let it drop and began to eat his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Suddenly, they looked up as they hear Chakotay's ship-wide announcement that all senior officers should respond to Conference Room 1. B'Elanna, thankful for the interruption, tapped her combadge and announced that they were on their way.
Chapter 3
In the conference room, the Captain waited patiently as the senior officers took their places around the table.
"Go ahead, Harry," the captain began.
"Captain, this class M planet has enough resources to re-supply the ship for awhile. I think that we should jump at the chance to gain more resources. And the trilithium could sustain our engines until we make it home"
"I agree with Mr. Kim, Captain. Logically, I believe that the numerous diverse resources on the planet outweigh the fact that it is 2 days off course. I recommend that we send a shuttlecraft, carrying a minimal crew so as to accommodate the resources to be gathered once there."
"Thank you, Mr. Tuvok," Janeway replied. "I agree. Tom, take the Delta Flyer and prepare to leave within the hour. Mr. Kim, Seven, Neelix, you go with him. Remember that you leave within the hour. Dismissed."
Everyone got up to leave the conference room, except B'Elanna.
"Captain, may I talk to you for a minute?" B'Elanna asked, her eyes fused with energy.
"What is it, B'Elanna?"
"Well, Captain, I respectfully request to go on this away mission. It should be me going, instead of Seven. I'm the chief engineer. You need someone with my skills to determine the stability and usability of the trilithium."
The captain paused for a moment. "B'Elanna, I know that you've been going a bit stir crazy on the ship, but you know that an away mission can be dangerous."
"Can be, yes, but this mission is for food and fuel. We've detected no hostile aliens in this sector, it's been almost four months since I've been on an away mission and if I don't get off this ship, I know I'm going to kill something!"
"B'Elanna, what does Tom think about it?"
"I didn't ask Tom. I'm asking you, my commanding officer, to give me a break. What if I check out with the Doctor before I go?" she implored.
The captain sighed and shook her head, bemusedly. "Alright, B'Elanna, IF the doctor clears you, you can go."
"Thanks, Captain. You won't regret this."
"I hope not," Janeway said quietly as B'Elanna turned to leave.
Chapter 4
Tom, Neelix, and Harry were all waiting on the Delta Flyer.
"Where is Seven?" Harry grumbled, anxious to be underway.
"She's not coming," B'Elanna replied, stepping onto the shuttle.
Harry and Neelix tried to find anything to do when Tom bounded out of the pilot's chair.
"What are you doing, B'Elanna? You are NOT coming on this mission."
"Why not, Tom?" "Because you're six months pregnant and it wouldn't be good for you or the baby," he replied gently, hoping she wouldn't take his head off.
"The captain told me I could come on this mission if the Doctor cleared me and he did, so here I am."
"Paris to Doctor."
"Yes, Mr. Paris. What can I do for you?" came the Doctor's instant reply.
"Doctor, did you clear B'Elanna for an away mission?"
"Yes, Mr. Paris. Your wife and baby are both strong and healthy. They will be fine. I suggest you get going, Mr. Paris."
"Yes sir."
B'Elanna looked amused and even a little smug.
Harry and Neelix were still looking for anywhere else to be when Tom sighed.
"Ok, then. We'd better get going. Everyone to your stations."
Commander Chakotay looked stunned as Janeway told him of the Doctor's decision.
"You mean that the Doctor gave B'Elanna the okay for the away mission? I don't believe it!"
"I was a little surprised myself, Chakotay, but the Doctor said she would be fine."
Chakotay smiled. "Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall in that shuttle about now?"
Janeway returned his smile with a chuckle and shook her head.
Chapter 5
"Tom we're encountering some unexplained turbulence that is affecting the starboard warp nacelle."
"I see it. Hold on a minute. There, that seems to have corrected the problem."
Suddenly, the Delta Flyer shuddered, and alarms rang out all over the cabin. Several consoles began to shower the officers with electrical sparks.
"There are several small moons ahead. Are any of them compatible?" Tom asked.
"Negative, They are Class C silicate planets with a reducing, dense atmosphere and exceedingly high surface temperatures," replied Harry.
"Well, we've got to put this thing down somewhere, people. Talk to me and find me a place to land!"
B'Elanna excitedly called out," Wait! I've got something. Set a heading for the coordinates I've laid into Conn. It's not perfect, but it'll work!"
"How imperfect is it?" Neelix asked a bit nervously.
"There it is," Harry started. "It's a Class G planet with extremely limited water resources, but it's the only planet that I'm finding within range. I've released the emergency beacon, but it seems to be malfunctioning and the Comm systems are down."
B'Elanna agreed, " We took a pretty hard hit to all systems, Tom. You're not going to have much help with navigation. Most of our systems are off line or currently malfunctioning. Whatever that discharge was fried our systems."
"I'm setting a course for the Class G planet. We're not going to make it to the Class M. It's still almost a full day from here. Hold on, it's going to be a very bumpy ride." Tom took a few seconds to cast a worried glance at his pregnant wife.
"Don't worry about me, flyboy. Just fly the shuttle!"
"We're going down. Harry, relay our current position in a coded emergency signal. If we're lucky, Voyager will hear the call and come looking for us very soon. Everybody, hold on," Tom commanded.
The shuttle rocketed through the atmosphere as Tom deftly handled the controls, but without navigational relays he had to rely solely on sight, and the darkness of night wasn't helping. They careened without stabilizers into the sand skidding for what seemed an eternity as the protection the hull afforded was ripped away.
Chapter 6
Tom awakened with a groan. "B'Elanna?" He tried to move, but disorientation was wreaking havoc with his ability to get up off the floor. He was having trouble breathing and ascertained that he had at least one broken rib. He groaned again. He realized that he couldn't see B'Elanna at all and she hadn't answered his call. He tucked his left arm into his chest to protect his ribs and heaved himself to his feet.
"B'Elanna?" he called again. He stumbled over Harry and winced as the movement caused the pain in his ribs to flare. Harry groaned at his feet.
"Harry? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, but I think I broke my arm. It's killing me. Is everybody else okay?"
"You're the first one I've found," Tom replied.
Just then he heard Neelix groan off to the left. "Neelix? Are you okay?" he asked, suddenly very worried that he hadn't heard from B'Elanna at all.
"Yes, yes. I'm a bit shaken, but I'll be fine. A few cuts and bruises," he replied.
"Good, Neelix give Harry a hand while I try to find B'Elanna."
Tom made his way to the back of the shuttlecraft to find B'Elanna lying unconscious on the floor. He bent down and caressed her face. 'Damn it, I knew I should never have let her come on this mission' he thought angrily, placing his hand gently on her belly.
"B'Elanna? Wake up, B'Elanna," he said, gently shaking her. She had a rather large cut on her forehead that was bleeding profusely. "Neelix, grab the medkit and get back here. I found B'Elanna and she's hurt."
Neelix left Harry's side to grab the medkit and take it back to Tom. "How is she?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, she's unconscious and I can't seem to bring her around. B'Elanna? Wake up. please," Tom begged.
"What.. happened?" B'Elanna asked groggily.
"The shuttle crashed. Are you hurt? Can you move?" Tom asked gently.
"Tom, I'm fine," she reassured as she tried to pull herself to her feet. Tom laid a steadying hand on her shoulder and tried to settle her down.
"Not yet, B'Elanna. You're bleeding pretty badly and I want to make sure you're okay."
Tom ran the med-scanner over her to reassure himself that she was fine.
"Is the baby okay?" B'Elanna asked with fear in her voice.
"Yes, she's fine. As far as I can tell, you're fine. You have cuts and bruises and a mild concussion, but otherwise everything looks good. Let me bandage that cut on your head and then I want you to rest for a little bit."
"Wait, Tom. Did you say bandage? What happened to the dermal regenerator?" she asked.
"Well, it looks like it got fried in whatever that electrical discharge was. Harry, can you give me a status report?"
"I think so." Harry dragged himself from the floor and made his way to his console. "We've lost propulsion, communications, navigation, replicators, both the warp and impulse engines are offline. Tom, the Delta Flyer's a mess. The only system that isn't offline is life support," Harry added feeling discouraged.
"First things first, let's check out where we are and see if there's anything out there we can use to help us. Neelix and I will go out and survey the area. The tricorders seem to be working. Neelix, let's go." Tom handed one to Neelix. Being mindful of his left side, he opened the hatch and stepped out into the glaring sun.
'Great, nothing but desert,' Tom thought as he shielded his eyes. "Let's get moving, Neelix. We'll walk out about 25 yards in each direction and take readings. We shouldn't stay out in this heat too long. The tricorder is measuring the environmental temperature as 105 degrees. We'll take a better look around when it gets cooler tonight."
Chapter 7
Tom and Neelix found nothing but sand and more sand, before returning to the cabin. B'Elanna was helping Harry put the Delta Flyer back together when they returned.
"Not to alarm anyone, but there's nothing out there but sand," Neelix informed Harry and B'Elanna.
"B'Elanna are you feeling okay?" Tom asked concerned.
"Tom, I'm fine. I'm too busy putting the ship back together to think about it. We've managed to reroute some of the EPS relays to reinforce the environmental controls. That will help control the cabin temperature in this heat. I've also reinstated the external sensors and auxiliary shields just in case there are hostiles on the planet."
"B'Elanna, you're doing too much. Please sit down and take a break. I want to check your head wound." Tom couldn't help but worry. B'Elanna was always pushing herself too hard.
"Look, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me. I feel a bit tired and sore, but otherwise I AM FINE!" she stated emphatically. As she drove her point home with a well placed finger on Tom's chest, he gasped in pain and paled considerably. "You, on the other hand, are not fine," she started. "Tom, what's going on?"
"I think I broke one of my ribs, but I'll be fine," he said pulling away.
"Tom, let me check it out. Take off your jacket and let's see that chest of yours."
Feigning shock at her request, he teased, "B'Elanna, here in front of Harry and Neelix?"
She punched him playfully which caused him to curse and gasp with renewed pain.
"Sorry, Tom. Now let's look at that rib." B'Elanna commanded. Tom sighed and removed his jacket and T-shirt, knowing this was one battle he would not win. His left side was black and purple and there was a lump at the level of the fifth rib. "Tom, this looks awful. I'll have to use the osteotractor to keep it immobilized until we can get back to the ship. This is going to hurt a little," she winced as she started to apply the specialized splint to his left side.
Tom paled and gasped as the osteotractor began to constrict. His breathing was becoming irregular as he fought to take in enough oxygen in the thin atmosphere of the planet.
"Tom, are you okay?"
"It's just a little hard to breathe right now, but I'll be fine," he said as he struggled to stand.
"Just a minute, flyboy," she said placing the hypospray against his neck and dosing him with medicine. "It's tri-ox compound. It'll help you to breathe a little easier."
"Thanks," he replied getting to his feet.
Harry and Neelix were working on the communications grid trying to get it up and running.
"Any progress?" Tom asked hopefully.
"Not yet, but I think we're getting closer. B'Elanna can you give us a hand?" Harry asked while skillfully working on the communications conduits.
"I'm coming. What if we took some of the circuitry out of the navigational system and use it to boost the communications grid? It should work. They work along the same lines, fundamentally. It should boost the power enough to relay communications through the emergency beacon we jettisoned."
"Great, let's get it done," Tom stated authoritatively.
After twelve long hours of bypassing relays, they tried to send a message to the ship, but one of the relays blew. It knocked B'Elanna back to the floor.
Tom moved with a start, "B'Elanna, are you okay?"
"I think so. Yeah, I'm fine." Annoyed, she stood up to fix the burned out relay. Just then she let out a little groan. Trying to ignore the newfound pain in her abdomen, she continued with her work. As she straightened to stretch out her back, she gasped and lurched against the console.
"B'Elanna? What's the matter?" Neelix asked worriedly.
"I'm not exactly sure," she replied confused.
"Tom, I think you better get over here. Something's wrong with B'Elanna," Harry said as he watched her glare at him through the pain.
"B'Elanna? What's going on?" Tom asked as he ran the medical tricorder over her.
"I don't know. I feel nauseous and there's pain in my abdomen," she gasped. " What's wrong? Is the baby okay?"
Chapter 8
Tom reached over and placed a hand on her belly. He could feel her abdomen tightening with a contraction.
"B'Elanna, you need to rest right now. You've gone into premature labor because you're overexerting yourself. Lay down right now!" he told her forcibly as he guided her to a bed near the back of the shuttle. She stopped as another contraction assaulted her. Disregarding his broken rib, he picked her up and carried her to the bed while trying not to pass out from the pain. He laid her down gently and brushed the hair back from her face.
"Hold on B'Elanna. We've got to get communications up and running so we can call for help," he shouted to the front of the shuttle. Tom turned to B'Elanna and began giving her water slowly. "Drink as much as you can, slowly. Dehydration can also cause premature labor. Hydrating you may be one way to stop it. I'm going to give them a hand and see if we finish a little faster."
Tom headed up to the front of the shuttle to help Harry get the communications online. His head sprang up as he heard B'Elanna stifle another cry of pain. He decided to give it a try. "Paris to Voyager.. Paris to Voyager.. Nothing. Harry, see if you can boost the signal anymore."
"Hold on. I've almost got it. Try again."
"Paris to Voyager, come in Voyager."
"Voyager, here. Mr. Paris, we weren't expecting to hear from you for another day. Is there a problem?" Janeway questioned concerned.
"More than one, Ma'am," he replied with a grin. "We hit some kind of electrical surge that overloaded the Flyer. We crash landed on the Class G planet near several Class C moons. We need medical attention."
"What's the status of the crew?" she asked.
"Well, Harry's got a broken arm and I broke a rib, but B'Elanna's just gone into premature labor. We're trying to stop it, but so far we've been unsuccessful. How soon can you be here?"
"Commander?" Janeway inquired.
"Mr. Paris, we can be there in eight hours at maximum warp. Just try to hold on." Then Chakotay turned to the ensign at the Conn. "Set a course, maximum warp. Engage."
"We'll do our best, Commander. See you soon. Well everybody, help is on the way. B'Elanna, you just need to hold on a little longer."
"Okay, Tom. I'll see what I can do," she groaned. "Tom, how much longer?"
"About 8 hours," he replied kneeling down at her side. "Just try to relax and stay calm."
"Voyager to Tom Paris."
"Go ahead Voyager"
"This is the Doctor. How is B'Elanna? Has her water broken? How far apart are the contractions?"
B'Elanna rolled her eyes anxiously, "Doctor, my water hasn't broken and I haven't been counting the time between contractions. I've been busy!"
"Very well. Stay still and rest until we can get there. Doctor out."
Tom turned to his wife, who is flushed with the effort of her contractions. "B'Elanna, try to relax and breathe. When you feel a contraction, take a deep breath and hold it, then let it out slowly like this." Tom took a deep breath and demonstrated the breathing for her. He smiled.
B'Elanna practiced the breathing one time before the next contraction hits her full force. She let out a feral growl and struggled to remain calm.
"B'Elanna, you have got to relax. Tell me about the new engine specifications that you were planning after getting your hands on that trilithium."
She looked at him like he was out of his mind. "What?"
"I mean it, B'Elanna. It'll help get your mind off the pain. Now what were your plans? I personally would like to see some upgrades in the holodeck programming subroutines."
"You would," she growled at him. "I'll tell you now that's not going to happen. The engine. modifications will. require most.of.it" she spoke through teeth clenched in pain. She gripped the sides of the bed as another contraction hit her.
"Harry, come stay with B'Elanna while I talk to the Doctor." Harry reluctantly made his way back to sit with B'Elanna and took her hand in his.
"You'll get through this," he told her as she was assaulted by another contraction. She glared at him. Harry gritted his teeth as she crushed his hand from the force of the pain.
"Paris to Voyager."
"Chakotay here, what can I do for you Mr. Paris?"
"B'Elanna's in a lot of pain. I need to know if I can give her something, if I've got anything down here that will work without harming the baby."
"Tuvok, patch Mr. Paris through to sickbay."
"Aye, sir," Tuvok replied as he re-routed communications to Sickbay.
"What is it Mr. Paris?" the Doctor's clipped tone could be heard over the comm.
"B'Elanna's in a lot of pain and I need to know what to give her. Replicators are still off-line so all I have is the med-kit." Tom nervously awaited the Doctor's instructions.
"Mr. Paris, is she still in the primary phase of labor?"
"Yes, the contractions are coming stronger and more frequently, but her water hasn't broken yet, he replied.
"Good, in the med-kit, see if there are any vials of asindyathin or hydrocortilene. These will do well to help control her pain until we can get her to Sickbay. There is nothing to worry about, Mr. Paris, Klingon labors often last for days."
"Days!" B'Elanna screamed from the aft compartment. "Did he say days. ah!" She gritted her teeth as another contraction consumed her. She grabbed Harry's uniform and pulled him to her face, growling. "Did he just say days?"
Harry tried to back away, but she held him fast. "Tom!" Harry cried out to the helmsman. "Get back here.please!"
Tom ran to the aft compartment. "What is it? B'Elanna are you okay?" he asked casting an anxious glance at Harry. "B'Elanna, you need to let Harry go."
"Did he just say days?" she repeated angrily. "It will not be days. Tell him he's wrong.ah! Days.is.completely.unacceptable." she cried through clenched teeth.
The Doctor, overhearing the exchange interceded, "Mr. Paris, also give her a dose of improvoline. It is a calmative agent that may aid the situation. We should be there in approximately 4 hours. Just make sure she relaxes and everything will be fine. Doctor out."
Tom busied himself with the hypospray loading it with the medications that would hopefully bring some comfort to his wife. She hissed at him as he injected the medication.
"B'Elanna, you have to calm down! Now let go of Harry, please." She loosened her grip and her head lolled slightly as the medications started to take effect. " Well there's nothing to do but wait. The ship will be here very soon." Tom smiled down at his wife as he realized that she had fallen asleep.
Chapter 9
"Voyager to Mr. Paris," the Captain's voice could suddenly be heard over the Comm system.
"Go ahead, Captain."
"We are within transporter range. Are you ready to transport? We'll retrieve the Delta Flyer once you are all safely aboard."
"Yes, ma'am, we're more than ready," Tom replied as he felt the familiar tingle of the transporter.
The next thing he knew, he was in Sickbay helping to put B'Elanna on a bio- bed.
"Mr. Paris, please start the Metorapan treatment on Mr. Kim's arm, and then give me a hand with Lt. Torres."
"This might tingle a bit," Tom assured Harry as he started the treatment for his broken arm. He then hurried over to give the doctor a hand with his wife.
"Tom?" B'Elanna was calling for him as she awakened.
"I'm right here," he reassured her.
"Is the baby okay?" she asked nervously.
"The baby's fine. The Doctor was able to stop the contractions with increased fluids and a sedative. You'll be fine. You just have to spend the next few days in Sickbay taking it easy." He smiled down at her, gently caressing her face. Placing both hands on her abdomen lovingly, he bent down and kissed her belly. "Just don't scare me like that ever again!"
She sighed and returned his smile. "It was still nice to get off the ship, Tom. I feel a lot better. Do you think you could con the Doctor into letting me do the rest of my time in our quarters?" she asked hopefully.
"I'll see what I can do," he smiled and went off to find the Doctor.
As usual, any references to the standard crew complement are the property of Paramount Pictures, but the story itself is all me.
Note: This episode takes place just after Friendship One.
Chapter 1
B'Elanna sighed as Tom continued to knead the muscles of her knotted back.
"How's that?" he asked with a little smile.
"Better, but that doesn't mean you can stop, flyboy," she said with a sly smile.
"It's almost time for you to go on duty. Are you sure that you're up for it?"
"Tom, I'm fine. Just a little sore and tired. Now I've got to get ready, so you're going to have to stop or I'll never want to leave."
He smiled, "Promise?"
B'Elanna rolled over onto her left side to look up at him. "Thanks, I needed that." Gently, he touched her face and smiled. "I love you, B'Elanna."
She kissed him, saying "I love you too, Tom. Now I really have to get going. Computer, what is the current time, please?"
"The current time is 06:45 hours," the computer blandly replied.
"Tom, I'm late, I've got 15 minutes to get ready. I guess I'll skip the shower this morning." B'Elanna rolled out of bed and pulled on her uniform. Looking in the mirror, she sighed. "I remember when my uniform actually fit, now look at me!"
Tom smiled, "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen!"
"Really Tom, It looks like there should be two of me," she sighed again as she stroked her fully rounded belly. Tom rose from the bed and put his arms around her. She cringed when she realized that his arms didn't encircle her as much as they used to.
"I'm surprised you can still reach around enough to hug me," she said biting her lower lip.
"B'Elanna, I mean it. You are beautiful and I love you very much," he said. Kissing her deeply, he placed his hand lovingly on her belly.
"I love you too. Now I've got to go." With that she turned on her heel and walked quickly out the door in a rush to get to engineering.
Chapter 2
B'Elanna strode into engineering at top speed, colliding with Icheb.
"What are you doing in engineering?" she sneered.
"Are you okay, Lt. Torres? Did I injure you?"
"No, I'm fine. I wish people would stop asking me that," she spat out the reply. "Now who gave you permission to be in my engine room, Icheb?"
"I did," Seven replied as she walked over. "It is only logical to utilize his expertise since Mr. Carey's death."
B'Elanna flinched at the coldness in Seven's voice. "Well, don't get in my way. I have a lot to do today," she replied bitingly trying to suppress thoughts about Joe and what his loss meant to her.
On the bridge, Harry Kim scanned his instruments for any signs of help or trouble. "Captain, I'm reading a Class M planet approximately 2 days away that's showing rich signs of trilithium."
"Tuvok, scan the planet for any signs of life," commanded Janeway.
"The planet appears to be devoid of all higher life forms, Captain. I am detecting a diverse array of vegetation. Captain, I believe that this planet's vegetation could sustain us for an additional year."
"A year's worth of food? Well now, we can't afford to pass that up. Commander?"
Commander Chakotay punched the Comm and announced "All senior staff members, report to conference room 1.
B'Elanna walked into the mess hall and over to Neelix to see what was for lunch. She wasn't particularly hungry, but with the baby she always tried to make sure that she didn't skip too many meals.
"Hello, Neelix, what's for lunch?" she asked with a touch of disappointment.
"Oh. I'm so glad you asked," Neelix could barely contain his enthusiasm. "For you we have Kohlanese Stew and for dessert Rokeg Blood Pie. I thought you might enjoy some authentic Klingon dishes. I noticed you have not been eating as regularly as you should and thought that this may help a little. I did have a bit of a hard time replicating some of the necessary ingredients."
"That's sweet, Neelix," Then it occurred to her that he may have told the Captain, or the Doctor, or worse Tom that she had not been eating. She turned to give him a piece of her mind with anger playing at her features.
"Don't worry, Lt. If you eat lunch today, I don't see why we can't just keep this our little secret."
"Thanks Neelix." She turned to find Tom. They were meeting for lunch, and she was already late when she arrived at the mess hall.
Tom, seeing B'Elanna carrying over her plate, waved to her with a smile playing at his lips.
"So, how are things down in engineering?"
"First a plasma conduit blew out, then we lost four relays, I had to squeeze through a Jeffries tube on deck 8 to fix a faulty circuit." It was at that moment she realized she had said too much.
"B'Elanna, what were you doing crawling around in the Jeffries tubes? You're supposed to delegate those jobs to Harry or Vorik. I can't believe." Tom started.
"Tom, I have to do my job. I'm pregnant, not an invalid," she hissed. "I can't take much more of this, Tom. I have to get off this ship for a little while. I swear I'm losing my mind."
He could tell she was getting exasperated and for once let it drop and began to eat his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Suddenly, they looked up as they hear Chakotay's ship-wide announcement that all senior officers should respond to Conference Room 1. B'Elanna, thankful for the interruption, tapped her combadge and announced that they were on their way.
Chapter 3
In the conference room, the Captain waited patiently as the senior officers took their places around the table.
"Go ahead, Harry," the captain began.
"Captain, this class M planet has enough resources to re-supply the ship for awhile. I think that we should jump at the chance to gain more resources. And the trilithium could sustain our engines until we make it home"
"I agree with Mr. Kim, Captain. Logically, I believe that the numerous diverse resources on the planet outweigh the fact that it is 2 days off course. I recommend that we send a shuttlecraft, carrying a minimal crew so as to accommodate the resources to be gathered once there."
"Thank you, Mr. Tuvok," Janeway replied. "I agree. Tom, take the Delta Flyer and prepare to leave within the hour. Mr. Kim, Seven, Neelix, you go with him. Remember that you leave within the hour. Dismissed."
Everyone got up to leave the conference room, except B'Elanna.
"Captain, may I talk to you for a minute?" B'Elanna asked, her eyes fused with energy.
"What is it, B'Elanna?"
"Well, Captain, I respectfully request to go on this away mission. It should be me going, instead of Seven. I'm the chief engineer. You need someone with my skills to determine the stability and usability of the trilithium."
The captain paused for a moment. "B'Elanna, I know that you've been going a bit stir crazy on the ship, but you know that an away mission can be dangerous."
"Can be, yes, but this mission is for food and fuel. We've detected no hostile aliens in this sector, it's been almost four months since I've been on an away mission and if I don't get off this ship, I know I'm going to kill something!"
"B'Elanna, what does Tom think about it?"
"I didn't ask Tom. I'm asking you, my commanding officer, to give me a break. What if I check out with the Doctor before I go?" she implored.
The captain sighed and shook her head, bemusedly. "Alright, B'Elanna, IF the doctor clears you, you can go."
"Thanks, Captain. You won't regret this."
"I hope not," Janeway said quietly as B'Elanna turned to leave.
Chapter 4
Tom, Neelix, and Harry were all waiting on the Delta Flyer.
"Where is Seven?" Harry grumbled, anxious to be underway.
"She's not coming," B'Elanna replied, stepping onto the shuttle.
Harry and Neelix tried to find anything to do when Tom bounded out of the pilot's chair.
"What are you doing, B'Elanna? You are NOT coming on this mission."
"Why not, Tom?" "Because you're six months pregnant and it wouldn't be good for you or the baby," he replied gently, hoping she wouldn't take his head off.
"The captain told me I could come on this mission if the Doctor cleared me and he did, so here I am."
"Paris to Doctor."
"Yes, Mr. Paris. What can I do for you?" came the Doctor's instant reply.
"Doctor, did you clear B'Elanna for an away mission?"
"Yes, Mr. Paris. Your wife and baby are both strong and healthy. They will be fine. I suggest you get going, Mr. Paris."
"Yes sir."
B'Elanna looked amused and even a little smug.
Harry and Neelix were still looking for anywhere else to be when Tom sighed.
"Ok, then. We'd better get going. Everyone to your stations."
Commander Chakotay looked stunned as Janeway told him of the Doctor's decision.
"You mean that the Doctor gave B'Elanna the okay for the away mission? I don't believe it!"
"I was a little surprised myself, Chakotay, but the Doctor said she would be fine."
Chakotay smiled. "Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall in that shuttle about now?"
Janeway returned his smile with a chuckle and shook her head.
Chapter 5
"Tom we're encountering some unexplained turbulence that is affecting the starboard warp nacelle."
"I see it. Hold on a minute. There, that seems to have corrected the problem."
Suddenly, the Delta Flyer shuddered, and alarms rang out all over the cabin. Several consoles began to shower the officers with electrical sparks.
"There are several small moons ahead. Are any of them compatible?" Tom asked.
"Negative, They are Class C silicate planets with a reducing, dense atmosphere and exceedingly high surface temperatures," replied Harry.
"Well, we've got to put this thing down somewhere, people. Talk to me and find me a place to land!"
B'Elanna excitedly called out," Wait! I've got something. Set a heading for the coordinates I've laid into Conn. It's not perfect, but it'll work!"
"How imperfect is it?" Neelix asked a bit nervously.
"There it is," Harry started. "It's a Class G planet with extremely limited water resources, but it's the only planet that I'm finding within range. I've released the emergency beacon, but it seems to be malfunctioning and the Comm systems are down."
B'Elanna agreed, " We took a pretty hard hit to all systems, Tom. You're not going to have much help with navigation. Most of our systems are off line or currently malfunctioning. Whatever that discharge was fried our systems."
"I'm setting a course for the Class G planet. We're not going to make it to the Class M. It's still almost a full day from here. Hold on, it's going to be a very bumpy ride." Tom took a few seconds to cast a worried glance at his pregnant wife.
"Don't worry about me, flyboy. Just fly the shuttle!"
"We're going down. Harry, relay our current position in a coded emergency signal. If we're lucky, Voyager will hear the call and come looking for us very soon. Everybody, hold on," Tom commanded.
The shuttle rocketed through the atmosphere as Tom deftly handled the controls, but without navigational relays he had to rely solely on sight, and the darkness of night wasn't helping. They careened without stabilizers into the sand skidding for what seemed an eternity as the protection the hull afforded was ripped away.
Chapter 6
Tom awakened with a groan. "B'Elanna?" He tried to move, but disorientation was wreaking havoc with his ability to get up off the floor. He was having trouble breathing and ascertained that he had at least one broken rib. He groaned again. He realized that he couldn't see B'Elanna at all and she hadn't answered his call. He tucked his left arm into his chest to protect his ribs and heaved himself to his feet.
"B'Elanna?" he called again. He stumbled over Harry and winced as the movement caused the pain in his ribs to flare. Harry groaned at his feet.
"Harry? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, but I think I broke my arm. It's killing me. Is everybody else okay?"
"You're the first one I've found," Tom replied.
Just then he heard Neelix groan off to the left. "Neelix? Are you okay?" he asked, suddenly very worried that he hadn't heard from B'Elanna at all.
"Yes, yes. I'm a bit shaken, but I'll be fine. A few cuts and bruises," he replied.
"Good, Neelix give Harry a hand while I try to find B'Elanna."
Tom made his way to the back of the shuttlecraft to find B'Elanna lying unconscious on the floor. He bent down and caressed her face. 'Damn it, I knew I should never have let her come on this mission' he thought angrily, placing his hand gently on her belly.
"B'Elanna? Wake up, B'Elanna," he said, gently shaking her. She had a rather large cut on her forehead that was bleeding profusely. "Neelix, grab the medkit and get back here. I found B'Elanna and she's hurt."
Neelix left Harry's side to grab the medkit and take it back to Tom. "How is she?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, she's unconscious and I can't seem to bring her around. B'Elanna? Wake up. please," Tom begged.
"What.. happened?" B'Elanna asked groggily.
"The shuttle crashed. Are you hurt? Can you move?" Tom asked gently.
"Tom, I'm fine," she reassured as she tried to pull herself to her feet. Tom laid a steadying hand on her shoulder and tried to settle her down.
"Not yet, B'Elanna. You're bleeding pretty badly and I want to make sure you're okay."
Tom ran the med-scanner over her to reassure himself that she was fine.
"Is the baby okay?" B'Elanna asked with fear in her voice.
"Yes, she's fine. As far as I can tell, you're fine. You have cuts and bruises and a mild concussion, but otherwise everything looks good. Let me bandage that cut on your head and then I want you to rest for a little bit."
"Wait, Tom. Did you say bandage? What happened to the dermal regenerator?" she asked.
"Well, it looks like it got fried in whatever that electrical discharge was. Harry, can you give me a status report?"
"I think so." Harry dragged himself from the floor and made his way to his console. "We've lost propulsion, communications, navigation, replicators, both the warp and impulse engines are offline. Tom, the Delta Flyer's a mess. The only system that isn't offline is life support," Harry added feeling discouraged.
"First things first, let's check out where we are and see if there's anything out there we can use to help us. Neelix and I will go out and survey the area. The tricorders seem to be working. Neelix, let's go." Tom handed one to Neelix. Being mindful of his left side, he opened the hatch and stepped out into the glaring sun.
'Great, nothing but desert,' Tom thought as he shielded his eyes. "Let's get moving, Neelix. We'll walk out about 25 yards in each direction and take readings. We shouldn't stay out in this heat too long. The tricorder is measuring the environmental temperature as 105 degrees. We'll take a better look around when it gets cooler tonight."
Chapter 7
Tom and Neelix found nothing but sand and more sand, before returning to the cabin. B'Elanna was helping Harry put the Delta Flyer back together when they returned.
"Not to alarm anyone, but there's nothing out there but sand," Neelix informed Harry and B'Elanna.
"B'Elanna are you feeling okay?" Tom asked concerned.
"Tom, I'm fine. I'm too busy putting the ship back together to think about it. We've managed to reroute some of the EPS relays to reinforce the environmental controls. That will help control the cabin temperature in this heat. I've also reinstated the external sensors and auxiliary shields just in case there are hostiles on the planet."
"B'Elanna, you're doing too much. Please sit down and take a break. I want to check your head wound." Tom couldn't help but worry. B'Elanna was always pushing herself too hard.
"Look, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me. I feel a bit tired and sore, but otherwise I AM FINE!" she stated emphatically. As she drove her point home with a well placed finger on Tom's chest, he gasped in pain and paled considerably. "You, on the other hand, are not fine," she started. "Tom, what's going on?"
"I think I broke one of my ribs, but I'll be fine," he said pulling away.
"Tom, let me check it out. Take off your jacket and let's see that chest of yours."
Feigning shock at her request, he teased, "B'Elanna, here in front of Harry and Neelix?"
She punched him playfully which caused him to curse and gasp with renewed pain.
"Sorry, Tom. Now let's look at that rib." B'Elanna commanded. Tom sighed and removed his jacket and T-shirt, knowing this was one battle he would not win. His left side was black and purple and there was a lump at the level of the fifth rib. "Tom, this looks awful. I'll have to use the osteotractor to keep it immobilized until we can get back to the ship. This is going to hurt a little," she winced as she started to apply the specialized splint to his left side.
Tom paled and gasped as the osteotractor began to constrict. His breathing was becoming irregular as he fought to take in enough oxygen in the thin atmosphere of the planet.
"Tom, are you okay?"
"It's just a little hard to breathe right now, but I'll be fine," he said as he struggled to stand.
"Just a minute, flyboy," she said placing the hypospray against his neck and dosing him with medicine. "It's tri-ox compound. It'll help you to breathe a little easier."
"Thanks," he replied getting to his feet.
Harry and Neelix were working on the communications grid trying to get it up and running.
"Any progress?" Tom asked hopefully.
"Not yet, but I think we're getting closer. B'Elanna can you give us a hand?" Harry asked while skillfully working on the communications conduits.
"I'm coming. What if we took some of the circuitry out of the navigational system and use it to boost the communications grid? It should work. They work along the same lines, fundamentally. It should boost the power enough to relay communications through the emergency beacon we jettisoned."
"Great, let's get it done," Tom stated authoritatively.
After twelve long hours of bypassing relays, they tried to send a message to the ship, but one of the relays blew. It knocked B'Elanna back to the floor.
Tom moved with a start, "B'Elanna, are you okay?"
"I think so. Yeah, I'm fine." Annoyed, she stood up to fix the burned out relay. Just then she let out a little groan. Trying to ignore the newfound pain in her abdomen, she continued with her work. As she straightened to stretch out her back, she gasped and lurched against the console.
"B'Elanna? What's the matter?" Neelix asked worriedly.
"I'm not exactly sure," she replied confused.
"Tom, I think you better get over here. Something's wrong with B'Elanna," Harry said as he watched her glare at him through the pain.
"B'Elanna? What's going on?" Tom asked as he ran the medical tricorder over her.
"I don't know. I feel nauseous and there's pain in my abdomen," she gasped. " What's wrong? Is the baby okay?"
Chapter 8
Tom reached over and placed a hand on her belly. He could feel her abdomen tightening with a contraction.
"B'Elanna, you need to rest right now. You've gone into premature labor because you're overexerting yourself. Lay down right now!" he told her forcibly as he guided her to a bed near the back of the shuttle. She stopped as another contraction assaulted her. Disregarding his broken rib, he picked her up and carried her to the bed while trying not to pass out from the pain. He laid her down gently and brushed the hair back from her face.
"Hold on B'Elanna. We've got to get communications up and running so we can call for help," he shouted to the front of the shuttle. Tom turned to B'Elanna and began giving her water slowly. "Drink as much as you can, slowly. Dehydration can also cause premature labor. Hydrating you may be one way to stop it. I'm going to give them a hand and see if we finish a little faster."
Tom headed up to the front of the shuttle to help Harry get the communications online. His head sprang up as he heard B'Elanna stifle another cry of pain. He decided to give it a try. "Paris to Voyager.. Paris to Voyager.. Nothing. Harry, see if you can boost the signal anymore."
"Hold on. I've almost got it. Try again."
"Paris to Voyager, come in Voyager."
"Voyager, here. Mr. Paris, we weren't expecting to hear from you for another day. Is there a problem?" Janeway questioned concerned.
"More than one, Ma'am," he replied with a grin. "We hit some kind of electrical surge that overloaded the Flyer. We crash landed on the Class G planet near several Class C moons. We need medical attention."
"What's the status of the crew?" she asked.
"Well, Harry's got a broken arm and I broke a rib, but B'Elanna's just gone into premature labor. We're trying to stop it, but so far we've been unsuccessful. How soon can you be here?"
"Commander?" Janeway inquired.
"Mr. Paris, we can be there in eight hours at maximum warp. Just try to hold on." Then Chakotay turned to the ensign at the Conn. "Set a course, maximum warp. Engage."
"We'll do our best, Commander. See you soon. Well everybody, help is on the way. B'Elanna, you just need to hold on a little longer."
"Okay, Tom. I'll see what I can do," she groaned. "Tom, how much longer?"
"About 8 hours," he replied kneeling down at her side. "Just try to relax and stay calm."
"Voyager to Tom Paris."
"Go ahead Voyager"
"This is the Doctor. How is B'Elanna? Has her water broken? How far apart are the contractions?"
B'Elanna rolled her eyes anxiously, "Doctor, my water hasn't broken and I haven't been counting the time between contractions. I've been busy!"
"Very well. Stay still and rest until we can get there. Doctor out."
Tom turned to his wife, who is flushed with the effort of her contractions. "B'Elanna, try to relax and breathe. When you feel a contraction, take a deep breath and hold it, then let it out slowly like this." Tom took a deep breath and demonstrated the breathing for her. He smiled.
B'Elanna practiced the breathing one time before the next contraction hits her full force. She let out a feral growl and struggled to remain calm.
"B'Elanna, you have got to relax. Tell me about the new engine specifications that you were planning after getting your hands on that trilithium."
She looked at him like he was out of his mind. "What?"
"I mean it, B'Elanna. It'll help get your mind off the pain. Now what were your plans? I personally would like to see some upgrades in the holodeck programming subroutines."
"You would," she growled at him. "I'll tell you now that's not going to happen. The engine. modifications will. require most.of.it" she spoke through teeth clenched in pain. She gripped the sides of the bed as another contraction hit her.
"Harry, come stay with B'Elanna while I talk to the Doctor." Harry reluctantly made his way back to sit with B'Elanna and took her hand in his.
"You'll get through this," he told her as she was assaulted by another contraction. She glared at him. Harry gritted his teeth as she crushed his hand from the force of the pain.
"Paris to Voyager."
"Chakotay here, what can I do for you Mr. Paris?"
"B'Elanna's in a lot of pain. I need to know if I can give her something, if I've got anything down here that will work without harming the baby."
"Tuvok, patch Mr. Paris through to sickbay."
"Aye, sir," Tuvok replied as he re-routed communications to Sickbay.
"What is it Mr. Paris?" the Doctor's clipped tone could be heard over the comm.
"B'Elanna's in a lot of pain and I need to know what to give her. Replicators are still off-line so all I have is the med-kit." Tom nervously awaited the Doctor's instructions.
"Mr. Paris, is she still in the primary phase of labor?"
"Yes, the contractions are coming stronger and more frequently, but her water hasn't broken yet, he replied.
"Good, in the med-kit, see if there are any vials of asindyathin or hydrocortilene. These will do well to help control her pain until we can get her to Sickbay. There is nothing to worry about, Mr. Paris, Klingon labors often last for days."
"Days!" B'Elanna screamed from the aft compartment. "Did he say days. ah!" She gritted her teeth as another contraction consumed her. She grabbed Harry's uniform and pulled him to her face, growling. "Did he just say days?"
Harry tried to back away, but she held him fast. "Tom!" Harry cried out to the helmsman. "Get back here.please!"
Tom ran to the aft compartment. "What is it? B'Elanna are you okay?" he asked casting an anxious glance at Harry. "B'Elanna, you need to let Harry go."
"Did he just say days?" she repeated angrily. "It will not be days. Tell him he's wrong.ah! Days.is.completely.unacceptable." she cried through clenched teeth.
The Doctor, overhearing the exchange interceded, "Mr. Paris, also give her a dose of improvoline. It is a calmative agent that may aid the situation. We should be there in approximately 4 hours. Just make sure she relaxes and everything will be fine. Doctor out."
Tom busied himself with the hypospray loading it with the medications that would hopefully bring some comfort to his wife. She hissed at him as he injected the medication.
"B'Elanna, you have to calm down! Now let go of Harry, please." She loosened her grip and her head lolled slightly as the medications started to take effect. " Well there's nothing to do but wait. The ship will be here very soon." Tom smiled down at his wife as he realized that she had fallen asleep.
Chapter 9
"Voyager to Mr. Paris," the Captain's voice could suddenly be heard over the Comm system.
"Go ahead, Captain."
"We are within transporter range. Are you ready to transport? We'll retrieve the Delta Flyer once you are all safely aboard."
"Yes, ma'am, we're more than ready," Tom replied as he felt the familiar tingle of the transporter.
The next thing he knew, he was in Sickbay helping to put B'Elanna on a bio- bed.
"Mr. Paris, please start the Metorapan treatment on Mr. Kim's arm, and then give me a hand with Lt. Torres."
"This might tingle a bit," Tom assured Harry as he started the treatment for his broken arm. He then hurried over to give the doctor a hand with his wife.
"Tom?" B'Elanna was calling for him as she awakened.
"I'm right here," he reassured her.
"Is the baby okay?" she asked nervously.
"The baby's fine. The Doctor was able to stop the contractions with increased fluids and a sedative. You'll be fine. You just have to spend the next few days in Sickbay taking it easy." He smiled down at her, gently caressing her face. Placing both hands on her abdomen lovingly, he bent down and kissed her belly. "Just don't scare me like that ever again!"
She sighed and returned his smile. "It was still nice to get off the ship, Tom. I feel a lot better. Do you think you could con the Doctor into letting me do the rest of my time in our quarters?" she asked hopefully.
"I'll see what I can do," he smiled and went off to find the Doctor.