Star Trek Voyager: Eternity

Star Trek Voyager: Eternity (Chapter 4)

The Doctor’s suspicions only deepened with every second he spent in Chakotay’s company. The man he had always known for his attentiveness was now barely listening to him and sat frowning at the door Seven had used. Maybe I’m thinking too much, I know they weren’t involved then, Seven still had her emotion suppressing implant at that point. Turning to Chakotay he tried valiantly to keep his anxiety from his expression, “You’re free to go, there’s nothing I can do for you.” Chakotay blinked in surprise as if he had forgotten where he was and left Sickbay with barely a nod of acknowledgement to the Doctor. The worrying final diagnosis came quickly to the Doctor’s mind and he knew he had to do something. Clicking hurriedly on his comm. badge he called Tom. “Tom I think you, me B’Elanna and…” He wondered whether to inform Tuvok of his suspicions but decided against it. “…Harry need to have a conversation.”

“About what?”

“What do you think? The Chakotay situation.”

Tom evidently caught his drift. “Right, ok. We’ll meet in Harry’s quarters in ten minutes; Seven’s kids are still staying in mine. Are you going to tell me what’s happened?”

“Not over the comm. line.”

“See you there.”

Ten minutes later the four of them had congregated in Harry’s quarters. “What’s the new development Doc?” asked Harry, breaking the ice as the Doctor paced anxiously.

“We have a new problem with Chakotay.”

“He’s been the problem all along…wait did Seven tell him?” asked Tom urgently.

“No, that’s not it…” The Doctor braced himself for their reaction with an agitated sigh. “I have reason to believe he’s jealous of Seven’s late husband.”

“Jealous? Of himself?” exclaimed Harry incredulously.

“I always thought they got up to something while they were stranded on that planet together…” muttered Tom.

“It’s neither the time nor the place for that sort of talk!” snapped the Doctor.

“We’re not saying it is Doctor but what other explanation do we have for jealousy? On the other hand he could have discovered something…” Harry responded.

“Would it be such a bad thing for him to know?” B’Elanna quietly spoke up.

“What do you mean? What about the Temporal Prime Directive?” Harry asked.

B’Elanna scoffed, “As if any of us have ever given a damn about that, Chakotay included.”

“Let me get this straight you want him to know about Seven?” Tom asked his wife in confusion.

“Yes! All I know is that she made him happy, more than anyone else…she told me she didn’t want to manipulate him…what else can you call that but selfless love?” B’Elanna was surprised at the strength of her own reaction but she remembered how much pleasure her friend had taken in his wife and children and it just didn’t seem right to deny that.

“None of us are saying that Seven didn’t love him or he her, we all know how it was, but this timeline isn’t so great, Chakotay, Captain Janeway and many others have died in the last five years, personally I’d like that to change.” Harry made his position clear.

“I know…so we tell him everything and send him back?” Tom pondered.

“Ourselves alone cannot make that decision…what does Seven think Doctor?” said Harry seriously.

“I have no idea, she’s shut me out completely…” he replied, deeply dissatisfied.

“We’ll just let it run its course, not interfere.” Tom suggested quietly.