Second Officer of Voyager | A Star Trek: Voyager/Tom Paris fanfiction

The Caretaker-Part 2

Tom and Harry enter the sickaby. The doctor and a Vulcan nurse are dealing with a patient on a biobed. "Run a level three diagnostic, just to be sure." says the doctor, Tom and Harry. "Can I help you?" he asks. "Tom Paris, reporting on board." said Tom. "Oh yes. The observer." said the doctor coldly. "That's me. As a matter of fact, I seem to be observing some kind of problem right now, Doctor." quipped Tom. "I was a surgeon at the hospital on Caldic Prime at the same time you were stationed there. We never actually met. Your medical records have arrived from your last posting, Mister Paris. Everything seems to be in order. The Captain asked if you were on board. You should check in with her." said the doctor. "Er, I haven't paid my respects to the Captain yet either." said Harry. "Well, Mister Kim, that would be a good thing for a new operations officer to do." said the doctor.

Tom and Harry were all walking in the corridor, "what was that all about?" Harry asked Tom. "It's a long story, Harry, and I'm tired of telling it. I'm sure someone around here will tell you before long." said Tom.

A split level room with the higher part by the windows, so little Kathryn can stand there and be eye to eye with her crewmen. "The doctor called." Mark, Kathryn's fiancée on the monitor. "And?" asked Kathryn. "And I was right." said Mark. "She's pregnant?" Kathryn asked. "The puppies are due in seven weeks." said Mark. "Oh, Mark. You've got to take her home with you." said Kathryn. "With me? I just got the rugs cleaned." said Mark. "She's with child. I can't leave her in a kennel while I'm..." said Kathryn. "Is this another 'love me, love my dog' demand?" asked Mark. "Yes." said Kathryn. "How could I ever refuse you?" Mark asked rhetorically "thanks, honey." said Kathryn. "So, when are you leaving?" Mark asked curiously "as soon as I approve these systems status reports." said Kathryn not looking up. "All right. Then I won't bother you anymore." said Mark, causing Kathryn to look up and kneel down at the monitor "hey. You never bother me, except the way I love to be bothered. Understand?" she said. "I'll remember that." said Mark. "See you in a few weeks. Oh, Mark, go by my house and pick up the doggie bed. She'll be more comfortable." said Kathryn. "I already did, an hour ago." said Mark. Janeway blows a kiss and ends transmission.

Her doorbell to her Ready Room rings as she walks behind her desk "come in." she says. Tom, Harry and Kamisa enter "gentlemen, welcome aboard Voyager." said Kathryn, Tom noticed Harry was tense. "Thank you, sir." said Harry, "Mister Kim, at ease before you sprain something. Ensign, despite Starfleet protocol, I don't like being addressed as sir." said Kathryn. "I'm sorry, ma'am." said Harry. "Ma'am is acceptable in a crunch, but I prefer Captain. We're getting ready to leave. Let me show you to the bridge." said Kathryn.

She lead the three onto the Bridge, Kathryn turns to Tom. "Did you have any problems getting here, Mister Paris?" she asked. "None at all, Captain." said Tom "My first officer, Lieutenant Commander Cavit. Ensign Kim and Mister Paris." said Kathryn, "welcome aboard." said Cavit, he shakes Harry's hand, then Paris' reluctantly and walks away, Kathryn frowns at the rudeness, while Kathryn leads Harry to his station.

"Ensign Kim, this is your station. Would you like to take over?" asked Kathryn. "Yes, ma'am." said Harry. Rear of the bridge, on the right as we view it. "It's not crunch time yet, Mister Kim. I'll let you know when." said Kathryn smiling. "Lieutenant Stadi, lay in the course and clear our departure with operations." said Cavit as Kathryn takes her seat "course entered, Ops has cleared us." said Stadi "ready thrusters." Cavit ordered. "Thrusters ready." said Harry. "Initiate launching sequence." said Cavit. "Sequence underway." said Stadi. "Engage." said Kathryn.

At the prow of the ship, with picture windows - a small Ten Forward. Tom enter and Tom goes to the food replicator. "Tomato soup." said Tom. "There are fourteen varieties of tomato soup available from this replicator. With rice, with vegetables, Bolian style, with pasta, with" said the Computer. "Plain." said Tom. "Specify hot or chilled." said the Computer, Tom was getting annoyed. "Hot. Hot, plain, tomato soup." Tom practically snapped at the Computer, To goes to sit by Harry. The doctor and Cavit get up and walk away. "There, you see? I told you it wouldn't take long." said Tom. "Is it true?" Harry asked. "Was the accident my fault? Yes. Pilot error. But it took me a while to admit it. Oh, fourteen varieties and they can't even get plain tomato soup right." said Tom pushing the bowl aside "They said you falsified reports." said Harry. "That's right." said Tom. "Why?" asked Harry. "What's the difference? I lied." said Tom. "But then you came forward and you admitted that it was your fault?" asked Harry. "I'll tell you the truth, Harry. All I had to do was keep my mouth shut and I was home free. But I couldn't. The ghosts of those three dead officers came to me in the middle of the night and taught me the true meaning of Christmas. So I confessed. Worst mistake I ever made but not my last. After they cashiered me out of Starfleet, I went out looking for a fight and found the Maquis. And on my first assignment, I was caught." said Tom. "It must have been especially tough for you, being the son of an admiral." said Harry. Kamisa snorts it would've been harder for Tom's father rather than Tom "frankly, I think it was tougher on my father than it was on me. Look, I know those guys told you to stay away from me. And you know what? You ought to listen to them. I'm not exactly a good luck charm." said Tom.