Get That Cheese To Sickbay! (Star Trek Voyager, Kathryn Janeway)

[anikadicara]

So.  I'm watching Star Trek Voyager for the first time, and recently saw an episode that ENDED with Captain Janeway getting sick and then never. addressed. it. again.  Because of course.  So here's my imagining of the events after Latent Image.  A few more parts to come.  Enjoy!

***

“Captain’s log, supplemental.  Our Doctor is now our patient.  It’s been two weeks since I’ve ordered a round-the-clock vigil.  A crew member has stayed with him at all times, offering a sounding board and a familiar presence, while he struggles to understand his memories and his thoughts.  The chances of recovery… uncertain.”

Captain Kathryn Janeway sat with The Doctor on the holodeck, laying back in her recliner and slowly flipping pages of poetry without taking much of it in.  The Doctor sat stock-still, upright in his own recliner, occasionally busting out with existential monologues about fate, free will, and his own consciousness.  

“The more I think about it, the more I realize... there’s nothing I could have done differently,” he said softly.

Janeway closed her book, reluctantly raising her tired gaze to the doctor.  “What do you mean?”

“The primordial atom burst, sending out its radiation, sending everything in motion,” he stood, gesturing, pacing. “One particle collides with another, gases expand, planets contract, and before you know it we’ve got starships, and holodecks, and chicken soup!”

The holodeck doors whooshed open and Tuvok strode into the room, but The Doctor was too caught up in his litany to notice.  His voice got louder and more frustrated as he paced, continuing. “In fact, you can’t HELP but have starships, and holodecks, and chicken soup, because it was all determined twenty billion years ago!”  He was positively shouting now.  Janeway’s head was pounding, and she wished he would stop.  Thankfully, Tuvok stepped in.

“There is a certain logic to your logic,” he said calmly to the doctor, shutting him up and sending him back to his seat.  Tuvok then strode over to Janeway, who stood up heavily.  “Progress?”

“I’m not sure if he’s making any sense of this experience, or if his program’s just running in circles,” she said hoarsely, rubbing her sore neck.

“You’ve been here for sixteen hours.  Let me continue while you rest.”

Janeway paused for a second, the idea of lying down in her bed was beyond inviting.  But she was the Captain.  The Doctor was her crew.  And this vigil had been her idea.  “I’ll be all right.  Go back to the bridge,” she ordered him, placing a warm hand on his shoulder.  He nodded, all business, and strode off.  Yawning, Janeway dragged her heavy limbs back to her chair, where she curled up with her book and stroked her sore throat.

“How can you read at a time like this?”  The Doctor’s voice cut through her head like a knife. 

“It helps me think,” she said quietly.

“Think?  What do YOU need to think about?”

“You?  This book is relevant to your situation.”

“Oh?  What is it?”

She looked up at him.  “Poetry.  Written on Earth a thousand years ago.  La Vita Nuova.”

“”La Vita Nuova.  The New Life?  Ha!  Tell THAT to Ensign Jetal,” he said derisively.  “Actually, I killed her countless times.”

Janeway gave in, closing her book and regarding the doctor.  “What do you mean?” she asked, a slight note of frustration making its way into her exhausted voice.

“Causality, probability.  For every action, there’s an infinite number of reactions, and in each one of them, I killed her!” he began to pace again, no longer focusing on the Captain as he got more and more entangled in his own thoughts.  “Or did I?  Too many possibilities.  Too many pathways for my program to follow.  Impossible to choose.”  He was quiet again.  Thinking.  Softly, he said, “Still, I … I can’t live with the knowledge of what I’ve done.  I can’t.”  He lowered his eyes to the Captain, who was slumped in her armchair with her eyes closed.  Asleep.  How had he not noticed that she was asleep?  Walking over to her, The Doctor put a hand on her leg.

She jerked awake with a gasp.  “Sorry.”

“How could you sleep at a time like this?”

She sighed, raising a hand to her aching forehead.  “It’s been a long day,” she said, pushing herself back up to a seat.  “You were saying?”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, noting the pained way she sat up and the wince in her eyes.

“Nothing,” she rubbed her forehead again.

“You’re ill,” he said, with sudden concern.

“Headache,” she said, waving him off.  He put his hand to her forehead.

“Fever.  You have a fever!”

“I’ll live,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Medical emergency!”

“Doctor--”

“Someone’s got to treat you immediately!  Call Mr. Paris.  You’ve got to get to sickbay!”

“Doctor,” she said, more forcefully, hoisting herself out of her chair and grabbing The Doctor by the arms.  She looked straight into his eyes.  “I’m a little busy right now.  Helping a friend.”  

He regarded her, guilt crashing over him.  He’d been so wrapped up in his own existential crisis he had not noticed her deterioration over the sixteen hours they’d sat together.  “I will be alright,” he said softly, returning her gaze.  “Go.  Sleep.  Please.  I’ll still be here in the morning.”

“Sure?”

“Yes.  Please.  I don’t want to be responsible for any more suffering.”  The Doctor returned to his chair, and Janeway set her book down then stood before him.

“Good night.  If you need anything--”

“I’ll call.  Thank you, Captain.”  

She nodded at him, then finally left the holodeck, dragging her exhausted body back to her quarters.  It was difficult, now that she was alone, not to admit how run down she felt.  Her head pounded, her throat burned, and her brain felt foggy.  Arriving in her quarters, she shrugged off her uniform and fell into bed, not bothering to eat or brush her teeth or do anything other than set her alarm for morning.  She’d stop by to check on The Doctor before heading to her shift on the bridge.  Almost immediately as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.

***

“The time is 0700 hours,” chirped the computer, and Janeway started awake with a groan.  

“Uhh,” she said hoarsely, putting a hand to her pounding forehead.  Her headache had not abated in the night, her throat was still sore, and now her entire head now felt stuffed full of cotton.  Pushing herself up to a seat, Janeway also noticed that she was lightheaded, indicating that her fever from yesterday had not diminished.  Great.

Dragging herself to the bathroom, the Captain brushed her teeth and took a steamy shower, which helped ease the aching in her joints.  While blowing out her hair, she felt a prickle in her nose.  She could not start sneezing.  She had a job to do, and needed to be the kind of sick that could be effectively hidden from her crew.  She sniffed the prickle back, determined.

As she brushed makeup on her face and lined her eyes, the tickle returned in full force.  This time there was no stopping it.

Shutting off the hairdryer and raising a towel to her face, she sneezed heavily.  “huhhKSSHoo!  Huh… hhhKKSSHH!”  Eyes watering, Janeway blew her nose into the towel and regarded herself in the mirror.  She sniffed, stood up straighter, finished applying her makeup, and headed for the holodeck.  Nobody had to know.

***

“Captain.”  Harry Kim stood, vacating the chair opposite The Doctor’s as the Captain walked into the holodeck.  

“Good morning, Ensign.  Doctor,” she said, nodding as she strode over to him.  

“Is it?” said The Doctor forcefully.  “Who is to say if this is a good morning?  What makes it a good morning?  For whom is it good?  Was it good from its beginning, the moment the clocks passed midnight?  Or did it become good based on some action, something that somebody did for someone else?  Or-”

Janeway held up a hand.  “It’s a figure of speech, Doctor, I meant nothing by it,” she said, then turned to Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him aside.  “Has he been like this all night?”

“We’ve gone through a few phases,” said Harry.  “When I first got here he was going on about failing in his duties, something about neglecting patients when they’re right in front of him.  I couldn’t exactly follow the story there, but he kept going on about letting you down.”

“I DID let you down,” said The Doctor, getting to his feet.  “I sat with a potential patient for sixteen hours without ONCE noticing obvious signs that she was ill!  I made you care for me, Captain, when it should have been the other way around.”

“Are you sick?” asked Harry in surprise, scrutinizing his Captain’s face.  In the five years they’d been living on Voyager, he’d never seen her take a sick day.

“I’m fine,” she said, waving a hand in dismissal.  “I had a headache last night but I slept it off.”

“No thanks to me,” said The Doctor, sinking back into his chair.  Janeway went over to him.

“Doctor, I have full confidence in your ability to give medical assistance to those who need it.  I did not need it.  There was no harm done.”

The Doctor sighed, and looked up at her.  “Thank you, Captain.”

“Ensign Kim and I need to report to the Bridge, our duty shift starts in a few minutes.  Lieutenant Ayala will be joining you here this morning, Doctor.  Call if you need anything.”

The Doctor nodded in acknowledgement, and Janeway strode out of the room with Kim at her heels.  She sniffled, and surreptitiously rubbed a finger beneath her nose, which was beginning to run.

“Are you sure you’re all right, Captain?” asked Harry

“Nothing a little coffee won’t fix,” she answered, clearing her throat as her voice cracked.  Harry gave her a look.  “I’m fine.”

“Okay,” he said, but she could tell he was still scrutinizing her.  

They were the last of the Alpha shift to enter the bridge, and the crew stood as Chakotay announced, “Captain on the Bridge.”

“As you were,” Janeway waved them back to her seats. “Report?” she asked Chakotay, taking a seat in the Captain’s chair beside him.

“We’ve had a few minor gravity fluctuations from the remnants of the astroid belt, but nothing significant,” he said.  “Should be smooth sailing this morning.”

“Glad to hear,” she said huskily, then cleared her throat. “If that’s the case, I’ll be in my ready room.  Coffee,” she said, as he raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

“Long day with The Doctor yesterday?”

“You have no idea,” she said, trying not to sniff.  Chakotay laughed as Janeway got up.  “You have the bridge.”

As soon as her ready room door shut behind her, Janeway made for the replicator.  “Coffee. Black,” she sniffed.  “And a box of tissues.”

They materialized before her, and she immediately grabbed a tissue and blew her nose harshly.  “Ugh,” she said out loud, then picked up the box in one hand and the coffee in the other, settling at her desk.  She scrolled through some star charts on her computer, sipping the coffee and dabbing at her nose.

As she attempted to focus on a schematic of the star system they’d soon be passing through, the prickle in her nose returned.  Taking advantage of her solitude, Janeway grabbed a fresh tissue and held it to her face, tipping her head back as her breath hitched.

“Huh… huh….  huhKKTTCHH!”  she sniffed.  “huhKTTCHHooo!”  She blew her nose again, balling up the tissue and adding it to the small pile on her desk.  She could almost feel herself getting sicker as she sat here, the congestion settling in her already foggy head.  Better return to the bridge before someone came looking for her.  

She scooped her tissue pile into a trash can, put the empty coffee mug back in the replicator, straightened her uniform, and was about to head back to the bridge when the tickle returned without warning.  “haKTTCHH! Uhh…” she groaned, grabbing another tissue from her desk and blowing thoroughly.  This had to stop.  Mind over matter.  She sniffed, hard.  Not sick anymore.  And with that thought, Janeway returned to the bridge.
 

***

Edited February 10, 2021 by anikadicara

[Chanel_no5]

FUCK YES! I love Janeway! And while I'm not very into colds normally, I'd have given ANYTHING to see Janeway all sniffly and sneezy! That episode really left me disappointed, all the possibilities and no follow-up... sigh. 

5 hours ago, anikadicara said:

She had a job to do, and needed to be the kind of sick that could be effectively hidden from her crew.

I love that line.  

5 hours ago, anikadicara said:

This had to stop.  Mind over matter.  She sniffed, hard.  Not sick anymore.  And with that thought, Janeway returned to the bridge.

Ohohoho, she can fight it all she wants, that's not gonna stay hidden for long!  Great start, looking forward to see what happens next.

 

BTW, did you know that when she auditioned for the role as Janeway, Kate had the flu and was so wrecked by fever that she basically went in there thinking she had already gotten the part? And then she got the part mostly because they were impressed by the confidence she showed?   I saw some interview a long time ago where she told that story. It was hilarious.  

[NoV]

From a very early age I always remember thinking that Janeway sounded like she would have an absolutely killer sneeze - thanks for posting

[anikadicara]

17 hours ago, Chanel_no5 said:

BTW, did you know that when she auditioned for the role as Janeway, Kate had the flu and was so wrecked by fever that she basically went in there thinking she had already gotten the part? And then she got the part mostly because they were impressed by the confidence she showed?   I saw some interview a long time ago where she told that story. It was hilarious.  

No, I didn't know that!  I'd LOVE to see that interview, if anyone can find it...

[anikadicara]

***

“Anything to report, Commander?” she asked, as Chakotay vacated the captain’s chair.

“No news,” he said, handing her a PADD with the chart of their current course.

“Good.”  Janeway settled into her seat, flicking the tip of her nose as it prickled.  Not sick.  She examined the pad, or at least pretended to, as most of her energy was focused on not slouching, sniffling, clearing her throat, or betraying any other sign of her condition.

The minutes dragged, the gentle hum of activity on the bridge masking the Captain’s occasional light sniffle - she couldn’t help it, her nose kept threatening to drip down her face.  She just hoped they were all too busy to notice.

“Captain,” said Tom Paris, breaking her out of a failing attempt to read logs from the night shift.

“Yes Mbister Paris.”  She noted with embarrassment the congestion now evident in her voice, and knew that the sniffle or noseblow it would take to clear it would undoubtedly reveal her condition.  

“I’m reading a gravimetric distortion in our path, that’s not outlined on any of our charts,” he said, spinning around in his chair to face her and indicating his console.

“Let’s idvestigate,” she said, then sniffed reflexively.  The sound was not subtle, and she felt Chakotay’s gaze on her.  She didn’t return it, but instead got up and strode to Tom’s console.

“Here,” said Tom, indicating the anomalous wave pattern on the star chart in front of him.  Janeway leaned forward to examine it, which was a mistake - her nose, threatening to run again, responded with a massive prickle.

Janeway jerked to the side, bringing the back of her hand up to her nose. “hhhKTTXCHH!” she stifled painfully, then bent two more times.  “KKKTCHHXX!  CHHXX!”  She straightened, keeping her hand pressed against her nose, horrified to feel moisture there.  “Hold that thought, Mbister Paris,” she said, and without looking at anyone, aware that the eyes of the entire bridge crew were on her, she crossed the bridge to her ready room.

***

Captain Janeway immediately went to the box of tissues on her desk, sat down and blew her nose thoroughly.  After several rounds she could finally breathe, and was satisfied that her voice would no longer sound horribly sick.  Alhough the jig was probably up, she thought wryly, after that display. 

Halfway to the door, she could already feel another tickle deep in her nasal passages.  Doubling back, she grabbed a tissue and let loose three unstifled sneezes “huhKTTCHhhoo! huhKTCHH!  hhhhKKTTCHhoo!” into its folds. Pushing her hair out of her face, Janeway blew her nose again.  She pulled a fresh tissue, dabbed away the remaining moisture, balled it in her fist, straightened her shoulders, and marched back onto the bridge.

As soon as she stepped over the threshold, Janeway felt the concerned gazes of the entire crew upon her.  “Captain,” said Chakotay, standing up, “are you--”

“I’m fine,” she said forcefully, waving him off.  “Mr. Paris.  Tell me more about this distortion.”

“Yes ma’am,” said Tom.  “I’m reading the distortion eight lightyears off our starboard bow, but the charts don’t indicate anything in that area.  I’ve already programmed coordinates, just waiting for the go,” he said, swiveling his chair to look at her.

“Set a course, full impulse,” she ordered, then took her seat.  “Let’s see what this is all about,” she said to Chakotay, raising an eyebrow in what she hoped was an energetic, jaunty expression.  Unfortunately she felt her nose begin to run again, and she was forced to swipe at it with the tissue she still held in her hand.

“You sure you’re alright?” Chakotay leaned over and spoke softly, aware that the Captain was not wanting to draw attention to herself.

“Fine,” she said again, pulling out a PADD.

“Okay,” said Chakotay, in a tone that clearly stated that he was unconvinced.  

“Really,” she said, meeting his eyes.  “I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”

“It’s a quiet day, if you’d like to rest--”

“Chakotay.”

“Okay.  I’ll drop it.”  They settled into something like a comfortable silence, the beeps and whirrs of the bridge almost enough to cover the Captain’s occasional sniffles.  But Chakotay noticed every time she raised the crumpled tissue to her face when she thought no one was looking, and he noticed her wincing when she swallowed, and, after some time, he noticed her breath begin to hitch.

“huhNNGXXX!” she snapped forward into her crumpled tissue.

“Bless you,” said Chakotay.  She glared at him, then stifled another.

“nnGGXX!”

“Bless you, Captain,” said Harry Kim from behind her.

She waved a hand in acknowledgement, pinching her nose with the tissue before pitching forward with one last “huhNNGGGXShoo!”  This time she was unable to completely stifle the sneeze which decimated her overused tissue, so despite the protests of every muscle in her body she stood from her chair and strode back to her ready room without a word.

***
 

[silentdreamer789]

Love it!

[Chanel_no5]

Great part two as well! Do I get the vibe that Janeway is the type that gets testy and irritable when she's sick, hmmm..?  

 

On 2/11/2021 at 6:42 AM, anikadicara said:

No, I didn't know that!  I'd LOVE to see that interview, if anyone can find it...

I'll see if I can find it. I know I bookmarked it, but I've changed to a new laptop since and I didn't import my bookmarks. Uhh, of course I didn't, because the old laptop died first and that's why I got a new one.  Anyway. I'll look for it as soon as I can.  

[anikadicara]

***

Janeway sank into her chair, pulling a tissue out of the box on her desk and blowing her nose.  It was starting to get sore.  Sighing, she folded her arms on her desk and put her head down, closing her eyes.  Just for a minute.  Then she’d collect herself and go back to the bridge.  She really would.

The door chimed and Janeway jolted upright.  “Cobe id,” she croaked, then cleared her throat, hastily pushing her hair out of her eyes with one hand and bringing a tissue to her nose with the other.

Chakotay stepped into the room. “Captain.”

“What do you deed, Cobander?” she asked from behind the tissue, then blew her nose and balled the tissue in her fist.

“Were you asleep?”

“No.”  He gave her a skeptical look, and she amended, “Just for a minute.”

“Why don’t you take a sick day?”

“I’m fine,” she said sternly.

“You don’t look fine.”

“Did you need something?”

“I came to check on you.”

“I’m fine.”

“So I’ve heard.”  

Janeway swiveled her computer toward her, pulling up yesterday’s crew logs.  “I have work to do, Commander.  I suggest you return to the bridge and do the same.”

“I think you should rest.”

Janeway ignored him, pretending to be absorbed in what she was reading but in reality putting all her concentration in fighting a prickle deep in her nose.  Now was not the time.  She sniffed, lightly, but that just ignited it.  She grabbed a tissue and swiveled away from Chakotay in her chair, stifling a pair of harsh sneezes.

“hhKKXXCH!  huNNGGXxx!”  She wiped her nose, balled the tissue in her fist, and returned to her computer.

“Captain.”

“I swear to god Chakotay, if you say ode bore thig about by health--”

“Fine,” he said.  “I won’t.”

“Good.”

He stood there for a few more seconds, watching her, then turned around and left the room without a word.  Sighing, Janeway massaged her forehead, pulled a tissue, and noisily blew her nose.

***

“Bridge to Captain Janeway,” Tuvok’s voice rang out through her communicator.  

She cleared her throat before answering. “Janeway here.”

“We’ve found the source of the gravimetric distortion, Captain.”

“What is it, Mr. Tuvok?” She wiped her nose with a tissue, then added it to the mountain she’s accumulated on her desk over the last several hours.

“I think you had better come see for yourself.”

“I’ll be right there.”  Janeway stood from her chair, then immediately sank back down.  She was extremely lightheaded, her body burning with fever.  More slowly this time, she stood, holding the side of her desk to stabilize herself.  Once she was satisfied she could stay upright, she grabbed the box of tissues off her desk.  Whatever this gravimetric distortion was, she had to go deal with it - she couldn’t run back to her ready room every time she had to sneeze.  

All heads turned toward Janeway as she entered the bridge.

“Report,” she demanded, sinking into her chair and placing the box of tissues on the armrest.  Chakotay raised an eyebrow but did not comment.

“A dense asteroid belt straight ahead,” said Tuvok.  “It does not appear on any of our charts, but it is now within visual range.”

“On screen,” said Janeway.  A haze appeared on the viewscreen, but as Janeway squinted at it she could see that it was actually made up of thousands of tiny asteroids.  “Can we go around it?”

“We could,” said Tom Paris, turning to face her, “but based on my readings, this thing is so wide it could add up to a month to our journey.”

“A month?!” said Janeway, a little too forcefully.  She dissolved into a coughing fit, then in an effort to get her breathing under control she attempted a deep inhale through her nose, immediately pitching her forward with a strong and unstifled “huhKKSHhhoo!”

“Bless you,” said Tom in surprise.  “Do we need to take a trip to sickbay?”

“I’m fide - huhKTCHX!  KTTCHX!” she stifled into pinched fingers, then pulled a tissue out of the box beside her and blew her nose.  “If it takes a month to go around … it.. hhKKTCH! How lodng would it take to go through it?” she asked, massaging her nose with a crumpled tissue.

“If we survive?  A couple days,” said Tom.  “It’s risky flying though.  I can do it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s gonna take some tricky maneuvering.  Are you sure you’re okay?” Tom asked as Janeway’s eyes fluttered, still pinching the crumpled tissue to her nose.

“Fi… ide… hhKKTTCH!”  she wiped her nose.  “Just a cold.  Take us id, Bister Paris.”

“Yes ma’am.”  Tom turned back to his console, ever the cocky pilot, as Janeway blew her nose.

“Captain,” said Tuvok.

“Yes Commander?” she looked up at him with watery eyes.

“Given that the rhinovirus you have contracted is potentially contagious, it would be logical for you to return to your quarters until you no longer pose a risk to the rest of the crew.”

Chakotay stifled a laugh, and Janeway shot him a glare.  But then she looked back at Tuvok, who was watching her with that impassive Vulcan expression of his, waiting for her answer.  She sighed.

“I suppose I can’t argue with your logic,” she said tiredly.  “Tom, stay the course.  Chakotay, you have the bridge.  Contact me at the first sign of danger,” she commanded.

“Yes Captain,” said Chakotay, and as Janeway gingerly stood from her chair and gathered her tissue box, her back to him, Chakotay shot Tuvok an appreciative nod.

“Feel better, Captain,” said Tuvok, and Janeway waved a hand in acknowledgement as she headed for the turbolift, and her bed.
 

***

Edited February 14, 2021 by anikadicara

[SneezingGenius]

Omg, I had totally forgot about that episode! This is amazing please continue!!! 👏🏻😆

[anikadicara]

***

Hours later, Janeway was curled up on her bed, a book in one hand and a tissue in the other, drifting in and out of sleep.  She’d shrugged off her uniform jacket and shoes but was still wearing her turtleneck and pants - the idea of fully changing had felt too exhausting.

Her door chimed.  “Cobe id,” she said, clearing her throat and raising the tissue to her face, blowing softly.

“Captain,” said Chakotay, stepping over the threshold and looking her over. “How are you feeling?”

She tossed the tissue onto the growing pile on her nightstand.  “Lousy,” she admitted, sitting up gingerly then leaning back on her pillows.

Chakotay crossed the room and put a hand on her forehead.  “You have a fever,” he said.

“I know.”  They looked at each other for a moment.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“It’s just a … cold… huhKTTCHhoo!  It’ll pass.” Janeway sneezed onto the back of her hand, and Chakotay passed her a tissue.

“Bless you.”

“Save your breath,” she said, before pitching forward with another several “huhKTTCCHoo!  huhKUTCHOO!  KTTCHH!  Uhhhh…” she groaned before blowing her nose noisily.

“Bless you again.”

She glared at him, but without any real menace.

“Have you eaten?” he asked her, sitting down on the side of her bed.

“Not hungry,” she said, balling up the used tissue and immediately pulling a fresh one to dab at the moisture around her nostrils.

“How about some soup?”

“Really.  I’m fine.”

“Kathryn,” said Chakotay softly, placing a hand on her knee.  “You’ve already admitted you're not fine.”

She opened her mouth to retort, but instead bent away from him with a sudden harsh “hukttssSSHHOO!”

“Bless you.”  He handed her the whole tissue box.  As she tended to her nose, Chakotay said, “I think Tom should take a look at you.”

“Ad risk passig this to hib?  Thed we’d have zero doctors,” she said, closing her eyes and massaging her temples.  “I just have a cold.  It’ll go away.”

“You seem really miserable.”

“Havig a cold is biserable,” she said, opening her eyes and pulling a fresh tissue from the box she held.  “But dot dangerous.”  She blew her nose and added it to the pile now spilling over her nightstand.  “You’re worrying about nothing.”

“You’re probably right.”  Chakotay squeezed her knee, then got up and retrieved a trash can from her bathroom.  He started picking up the used tissues scattered around her floor.

“You don’t need to do that,” said Janeway, curling up on her side and watching him.  “I’ll clean up tomorrow.”

“It’s no problem.”  He swept the nightstand pile into the trash, then set the can down beside her bed.  “Here.  For easy access.”

“Thank you, Chakotay,” she looked at him with shining eyes.

“Anything for my Captain,” he said with a smile, which faded as she curled in on herself and began sneezing.

“huhKTTCHH!  KKTTCCSHoo!  huhKTTCHHoo!   Huh….  hhhh…  huhKTTTCHHHH!”  She blew her nose several times before opening her eyes.  “Sorry,” she said softly.

“Bless you.”  He sat back down on the side of her bed, placing a hand on her shoulder.  “If you’re not going to eat, why don’t you at least get some sleep?”

“I will.  Right after I check on the Doctor,” said Janeway, shrugging off Chakotay’s hand and pushing herself up to a seat.  She closed her eyes as dizziness washed over her.

“You’re not going anywhere,” said Chakotay firmly.  “I’ll check on him.”

“He’ll be expecting … me… huhkktTCHH!,” she sneezed into the back of her hand.  Reaching around her for the tissue box, Chakotay pulled one out and placed it in her hand.

“Kathryn.”  

She blew her nose and looked at him tiredly over her tissue.  “You’re right,” she said defeatedly.

“I am.”  Chakotay stood.  “Why don’t you get into bed - REALLY into bed - and sleep for a while?  I’ll take care of The Doctor.  You’ve trained your crew well.  We can handle things for an evening.”

Janeway stood too, shakily, and put a hand on Chakotay’s shoulder.  “Thank you, Chakotay.”

He smiled, brushing the back of his hand against her warm forehead.  “You’re welcome.  Captain.”

As Chakotay left her quarters, Janeway headed for her closet.  He was absolutely right.  It was time for pajamas, and real sleep.

***
 

[musiclover90]

On 2/11/2021 at 12:42 AM, anikadicara said:

No, I didn't know that!  I'd LOVE to see that interview, if anyone can find it...

She's talked about it at a lot of ST conventions. Here's one:

 

@ 25:40