DISCLAIMER: Paramount owns all rights to the Star Trek Universe. 
But it's their fault if they make me want to add my own ideas to
it!  Be kind, but please send all comments and criticism
(constructive, please) to AnnitaS@aol.com.

NOTE:  This story takes place in the near future, probably after
about the fifth episode of the season (and those of you who have
read the spoilers know what I'm talking about).  It assumes a
more established relationship between Tom and B'Elanna.

                          THREE WISHES

     Sweat tricked down the front of Tom Paris' uniform top as he
brushed his dampened hair back from his forehead.  It figured. 
The first planet they'd come to in weeks that had the potential
for the raw materials they needed to repair the emitter circuits
and it had to be hotter than Hades!  His eyes on the tricorder in
his hand as he trained it at the cavern wall, all the pilot could
think of was stripping off his uniform and stepping into a cool
shower.  The fact that there was little cross ventilation in the
cave wasn't helping any.  Even out of the intolerable direct rays
of the Zlotkarian sun, he felt as if he were walking in an oven.
     "Torres to Paris," his commbadge chimed.
     "Paris here."
     "Any luck?"
     "I think those sensor readings of Harry's were only in his
mind," he complained as he wiped his sleeve across his forehead. 
"I haven't got a solid reading of anything useful since I
started."
     "I know what you mean," the chief engineer replied.  "But
Tuvok reported that he found a major vein in his sector and
Chakotay has some traces of magnacite."
     "Figures," Paris replied.  "They took the most likely areas
and left us with this swell vacation spot.  Frankly, I'd rather
be sitting in the resort having a nice cool drink with a certain
lieutenant from engineering."
     "Mmmm, sounds good."
     "Then, consider it a date.  As soon as we get back, I..." 
He suddenly wavered and grabbed for the cave wall for balance.
     "Tom?  You okay?" B'Elanna asked.
     "Yeah," he replied.  "But I don't think I can take this heat
for much longer."
     "Understood.  I'm headed in your direction.  If we don't
find anything by the time we rendezvous, I say we give it up for
lost."
     "Sound like a great idea to me, I don't think I could..." 
He broke off at the sound of distant rumbling.  "Do you hear
that?" he asked.  Before B'Elanna could answer, the ground
beneath their feet started to tremble.
     "It's a quake!" B'Elanna cried.
     This time, Tom had no chance to answer as the shaking
loosened the rocks near the ceiling of the cave and sent them
crashing down on him.  The first struck him hard on his back,
sending him sprawling.  He felt another blow to his leg, and he
cried out in pain.
     "Tom!" B'Elanna called, but all he could do was gasp before
the next rock impacted with the back of his head.  He barely had
time to feel the pain radiate through his skull before the
darkness claimed him.
                               ***
     "Open your eyes, Tom Paris."
     Slowly he responded to the command of the unfamiliar voice. 
At first, his vision was cloudy, but gradually the fog began to
clear and he found himself staring in amazement at the figure
before him.
     He was tall, very tall.  Tom would estimate him to be at
least 8 feet, maybe 9.  It was hard to tell from his position
lying on the ground.  His skin was dark with a slightly green
cast to it and his eyes were huge and bright as emeralds.  Except
for these features and a slightly raised ridge of bone that ran
between his eyes from his long, thin nose and up across his bald
head, he was almost human in appearance.  He was dressed only in
a white loin cloth and his dark skin seemed to glisten.
     "Who are you?" Tom asked.
     "Someone you didn't expect, obviously," the stranger
replied.
     Tom pulled himself to his feet, surprised to find himself
lacking the injuries he had felt earlier.  "Our scans indicated
there were no intelligent lifeforms on this planet."
     "Your scans were incorrect."
     Taking in his surroundings, Tom realized he was no longer in
the section of the cavern that had collapsed upon him.  This area
of the tunnel had widened into an huge chamber, and the rocks
that made up its walls seemed to give off an eerie luminescence
of their own.  His attention came back to the stranger.
     "I'm sorry if we've intruded."
     "There is no need to apologize.  I am here to be
discovered."
     Tom's gaze narrowed.  "You've been lost?"
     The tall man threw his head back and laughed uproariously. 
The sheer volume seemed to make the floor beneath the pilot's
feet tremble.
     "I take it that's a 'no.'"
     "I am not lost, human.  I simply exist here, waiting for one
to come and ask me to grant him my gift."
     "Your gift?"
     "It is yours if you..." he smiled cryptically, "wish it!"
     "What kind of a gift?" Tom asked warily.
     "The granting of three wishes.  The more fanciful literature
of your culture has spoken of such things.  Now, they were within
your reach."
     Tom laughed.  "Three wishes?  Are you trying to tell me
you're a genie?  Where's your bottle?"
     The stranger frowned.  "Do not anger me, human.  Unlike the
beings in your legends, I am not your servant.  I have the power
to grant you three wishes, but I also have the power to destroy
you with a single thought if I so wish."
     Tom held out his hands toward the man.  "Okay, I'm sorry. 
It's just a little hard to believe.  It's not every day I run
into a guy who wants to make my dreams come true."
     "I care not about you or your dreams.  I simply fulfill my
purpose.  If you chose to accept the gift, you must live with the
consequences of your requests.  They can be a blessing or a
curse.  This is yours and yours alone to determine.  Now, do you
wish to receive the gift?"
     "There must be another catch."
     "There is not."
     "You don't want my soul or something?"
     The giant shook his head.
     "Okay, then what kind of wishes are we talking about? 
Little things, or great big wishes?"
     "The three wishes I grant you hold infinite power.  You may
use them for anything you desire.  Once granted, however, a wish
may not be recalled.  If you decide you do not want what you
wished for, you can only change it with another wish.  So, take
great care in considering you choices."
     "There has to be more to it than that," Tom sighed.
     "You must answer me now.  Do you want my gift, Tom Paris?"
     "How do you know who I am?"
     "My patience is at an end!" the giant cried, his eyes
flaring.
     "Okay!  Okay!" Tom cried.  "I'll take the gift if it will
make you happy."
     The giant smiled.  "I am pleased."
     "What do I have to do?" Tom asked.
     "Nothing at all," he replied with a smile.  He raised one
hand and pointed a finger at the pilot.  Suddenly a flash of
blinding white light seemed to erupt from his fingertip, arcing
like lightning to strike Paris full on the chest.  He cried out,
as everything, once again, went black.
                               ***
     "Tom?  Come on, Tom.  Wake up!"
     Once more he forced his eyes open, but this time, he
recognized the voice before her worried image came into focus.
     "B'Elanna?"  His voice sounded extraordinarily weak to his
own ears.  In fact, he felt pretty weak, and as he came more
fully to awareness, he suddenly gasped at the return of pain,
centering in his head, his leg and his side, but there was also a
dull ache around his middle.
     "Take it easy," B'Elanna said softly as she pressed one hand
against his head and pointed the tricorder in the other at him. 
"Your leg is badly broken, you have a concussion, several broken
ribs and possible internal injuries.  I can't tell how severe
without a medical tricorder.  You need to lie still until help
comes."
     "Can't we just... beam out?" he asked.
     She shook her head.  "There's too much interference from the
native metals in the rocks of this cave.  I called Chakotay and
Tuvok and they and their teams are on their way with a litter to
carry you out to the surface."
     "Are-are you okay?" he asked, his eyes running up and down
her to check for injuries.
     "I'm fine," she reassured him.  "I managed to get under an
overhang when the tremor hit.  How do you feel?"
     "Lousy," he admitted.  "Awfully hot in here."
     B'Elanna immediately reached for her canteen.  "I don't
think you should drink anything until the doctor has a chance to
check you out.  But maybe this will help cool you off."  She
poured out a little water into her hand and rubbed it across his
face.
     "T-Thanks," he sighed, then grimaced as another pain lanced
through his head behind his eyes.  He squeezed them shut against
it.
     "Hang on, Tom," B'Elanna urged as she stroked his forehead. 
"They'll be here soon."
     "I wish they were here right now," he gasped.
     "B'Elanna!"  Came a cry from just around a bend in the cave
tunnel.
     "Here, Chakotay!" she answered.  "Looks like you got your
wish," she told Tom.
     "My wish?" Tom asked.  "That guy!  He said I had three
wishes."
     "What?"
     "Three wishes," he repeated.  "Just like... in the fairy
tales."  He was incredibly tired and his eyes simply wouldn't
stay open.
     B'Elanna's voice floated down to him as if from a great
distance, full of concern.  "Of course, just like in the fairy
tales."
     At that moment, Chakotay, Tuvok and two more crewmen came
into view.
     "How is he?" the first officer asked as he bent down next to
the injured man.
     "Not good," she replied.  "And I think he's getting
delirious.  We've got to get him out of here fast.  Careful with
his leg," she instructed.
     He felt hands reach out and take hold of his shoulders, his
arms, his legs.  As they began to lift him, the pain shot through
him and he cried out before he lost all awareness of anything
else.
                               ***
     The next time he opened his eyes, he was in sickbay.  He
knew immediately by the smell of the cool air and the sound of
Voyager's steadily humming engines.
     "I guess I'm alive," he mumbled.
     "Of course you are, Mr. Paris," came the reply, just before
the ship's Emergency Medical Hologram stepped into his view. 
"Although you were a bit of a mess when you were brought in,
thanks to my exceptional skill, you are well on the road to
recovery."
     "I'm glad to hear it, Doc," he replied.  "How long have I
been out of it?"
     "Almost 12 hours," the doctor replied.  "Not unusual
considering the blow to your head, your other injuries and the
mild state of dehydration you were in."
     Tom smiled.  "Guess you know your way around my head pretty
well, huh, Doc?"
     "Much better than I care to," he replied.  "This time,
however, I also had to make the acquaintance of your right leg,
your ribs, your pancreas and your spleen."
     "Did a pretty good job on myself, huh?"
     "You could say that," the doctor replied in irritation. 
"Now, I suggest you try and get some more sleep.  You will be
remaining in sickbay for at least the next day or two."
     "That long?" Paris asked.
     "Your concussion was serious.  I need to keep you monitored
for delayed reactions for at least 24 hours.  And it will take
that long or more for the bones in your leg to regenerate to the
point where they can bear your weight.  Even when you're
released, you'll be spending a few days in your quarters."
     Tom sighed.  "I guess there's no point in arguing with you?"
     "None," the EMH replied.
     "Fine," he replied and closed his eyes.
     "Is he awake yet?"
     Tom's eyes flew open again immediately at the sound of
B'Elanna's voice.  "He certainly is," he replied.
     As she stepped into his view, a smile broke out on her face.
"About time.  You had us all pretty worried there for a while."
     "Lieutenant, please keep your visit short.  I want Mr. Paris
to get some more sleep."
     "You said I was asleep for 12 hours!" Tom objected.
     "You were unconscious for 12 hours.  What you need now is
normal sleep."  With that, he turned and walked toward his
office.
     "I won't stay long," B'Elanna called after him.
     "Please, don't go," Tom begged.  "If he's gonna keep me here
for another day or two, I'll need all the distractions I can
get."
     "You find me distracting?" B'Elanna asked, tilting her head
and peering at him from the corner of her eye.
     "Constantly," he replied with a grin.
     "I guess that means you're feeling better.  I wasn't kidding
about being worried about you.  You looked pretty bad when we got
you back here."
     "By that time, I wasn't feeling any pain," he told her.  "I
don't remember anything after Chakotay and Tuvok arrived.
     "You passed out as they lifted you onto the stretcher.  You
were already pretty much out of it.  Talking out of your head
about fairy tales and wishes."
     Tom's eyes flew open wide.  "The three wishes!  I remember!"
     B'Elanna's eyes narrowed.  "Tom, are you sure you're okay?"
     "Yes, I'm fine.  But there was this guy in the cave, after
the rocks feel on me.  He gave me three wishes, anything I want."
     "Sounds like a nice dream."
     Tom was about to object, but he thought for a moment, then
laughed.  "Yeah, I guess you're right.  Must have been a dream. 
But it seemed so real.  And then, when I wished Chakotay and
Tuvok were there, they suddenly appeared."
     "So you got your first wish?"  She shook her head.  "I think
that had more to do with good timing than some wish-granting
genie."
     "You're probably right."  He considered for a moment.  "But
you have to admit, it's an intriguing idea.  If you had three
wishes, what would you wish for?"
     "Hmmm," she rubbed her finger on her chin.  "Maybe for
someone tall, dark and handsome to come and take me away."
     Tom frowned.  "Why would you need Prince Charming when you
have me?"
     B'Elanna tried to hide a smile.  "I didn't have to wish for
you.  You were just here."
     "Oh, thanks," he sighed.  "I'm not what you'd wish for, but
I'm handy."
     "You're exactly what I'd wish for," she assured him, resting
her hand on his arm.  "So, I guess I'll have to pass on Prince
Charming."
     Tom stared at her.  "I *think* there was a compliment in
there somewhere."  B'Elanna laughed.  "Okay, so if you don't want
a knight in shining armor, what would you wish for?"
     "I don't know.  Maybe a seventy-year supply of dilithium
crystals?"
     "Why not just wish to have the ship get home?" he asked.
     "I guess I could," she replied, her expression suddenly
taking on a far away look.
     "Tell me what you're thinking," he said softly, taking her
hand in his.
     "I don't know.  It's just... I know how important it is to
everyone on this ship to get back to the Alpha Quadrant, and I
guess a part of me wants to get back there too, but..."
     "But it's just not as important to you as it is to everyone
else?"
     "Maybe," she admitted.  "I don't have anyone to go back to
there.  My mother and I parted ways years ago and I never really
was one to make a lot of friends.  Actually, Voyager is more of a
home to me than any place I've ever known.  All the people I care
about are here."  She smiled down at him.
     "I know what you mean.  A part of me wants to see my father
again, and my sisters.  But a bigger part of me has never been
more content.  I haven't belonged anywhere in a long time. 
Truthfully, not for most of my life.  But here, I have friends, a
position of trust, and most importantly, someone I care a great
deal about.  What more could I want?"
     "So you wouldn't wish to go home either?"
     "I am home," he answered, smiling up at her.  "I'm not the
same man I was in the Alpha Quadrant.  But I guess if I really
had those three wishes, I could spare one to get us back.  Most
of the people on this ship want it more than anything, and I'd
like to see them happy.  Facing all those old demons back home
might be difficult for me, but it would be worth it for Harry and
Captain Janeway and everyone else."
     "And here or back home, we'd still have the people we care
about," B'Elanna replied.
     "Yeah, we would."  He reached up toward her face and she
leaned down to let him caress her cheek.  His fingers found their
way around her neck and gently tugged her down until her lips met
his.  Tom's fingers slowly lost their grip and his hand slid down
to hang off the side of the bed.  When B'Elanna pulled away, his
eyes were closed in sleep.  She smiled down at him and gently
placed his arm back on the bed.  Leaning down to place another
kiss on his forehead, she turned and left him to his rest.
                               ***
     "Come on, Doc!" Tom cried.  "I've been here a full 24 hours. 
I thought you said I needed rest, not poking and prodding!  I can
rest better in my quarters."
     "Mr. Paris, you are undoubtedly the worst patient on this
ship, which is all the more frustrating since you are the most
frequent patient on this ship!"
     "I just don't like being in sickbay.  Nothing personal."
     "Believe me, I don't enjoy you being in my sickbay!  Also,
nothing personal."
     "Hey, guys, arguing again?" asked B'Elanna as she walked up
to the side of Tom's bed.
     "Perhaps you can find some diversion for Mr. Paris for a few
minutes, Lieutenant.  He seems to be in need of something to
entertain him."
     "And for some reason, I don't find all these tests very
entertaining.  Imagine that!"
     "Tom, calm down.  The doctor is just trying to make sure
you're all right."
     "I know that!" he replied hotly, "but he can be damned
annoying about it!"
     "I suggest you continue your visit while I run a few scans." 
He pressed a hypospray to Tom's neck.
     "Hey!  What was that for?"
     "Simply a regenerative supplement," the doctor explained,
then proceeded to press his hands against his patient's side."
     "Ouch!
     "Those ribs are still a little tender, I see.  Another
indication that you need at least 12 more hours to recuperate
before I release you to your own devices.  If I know you, you
won't heed my instructions and will end up reinjuring yourself. 
I want to make sure when you are released that you will not be
coming back."  He resumed his prodding, this time with Tom's leg.
     "Ow!  Geez, Doc!  I wish you'd disappear and not come back!"
     Instantly, the doctor's form vanished.
     "Whoa!" Tom cried as he sat up in bed, his eyes wide.  "Did
you see that?"
     B'Elanna frowned.  "I don't understand.  The doctor isn't
supposed to be deactivated without the proper voice command."
     "I just wished he would disappear and... Oh, my God!"
     "What?"
     "B'Elanna!  The three wishes!  It has to be true!  I wished
the doctor would disappear and he did!"
     "Tom, you know that was just a dream.  You were injured and
delirious."
     "But what if it wasn't?  What if somehow I really was
granted three wishes?  I've already used up two.  There's only
one left."
     "This is silly.  Somehow, the doctor was just deactivated."
     "Are you sure?"
     "Of course," she replied.  "Computer, activate Emergency
Medical Hologram."
     "That program had been deleted from the system."
     "What?"
     The computer repeated, "That program has been deleted..."
     "What do you mean deleted?"
     "All files pertaining to the program have been purged."
     Tom and B'Elanna exchanged a chilling glance.  "That's not
possible.  Computer, reinstate EMH program," she instructed.
     "That program has been deleted from the system," the voice
repeated.
     "Well, undelete him!" Tom cried.
     "Please restate request."
     "Bring him back!  Reinstate the program."
     "Reinstatement is not possible.  All files pertaining to the
program have been purged."
     B'Elanna moved instantly to the nearest computer terminal,
her hands flying over the controls.
     "God, it's right.  Every file pertaining to the doctor,
including his matrix, is gone!  Even the backup files are
missing."
     "Oh, my God.  What have I done?"
     "This has to be some kind of malfunction."
     "Malfunction!  B'Elanna, you heard me wish he would
disappear and... not come back.  This is my fault.  I've... I've
killed him."  All the color drained from his face and he fell
back onto the bed.
     B'Elanna rushed back to him.  "Tom!  You couldn't have
simply wished him away.  I refuse to believe any of this.  Try to
relax and I'll get down to engineering and find out what really
happened."  She turned to go.
     "B'Elanna?"
     She stopped and looked back at him.  "What if you can't
restore him?"
     "I won't believe that until I've tried everything."  She
walked back to the bed.  "Please, Tom.  This isn't your fault. 
Don't blame yourself."
     "B'Elanna, please find a way to get him back."
     She nodded, but the look in her eyes told him she had doubts
of her ability to do so.  "I'll call you as soon as I know
anything."
     At the look of pain on his features, she hesitated, but
finally pulled herself away and practically ran out the door.
     "I'm sorry, Doc.  I'm so sorry," Tom whispered. "I didn't
mean it.  You know how I get.  How much I hate being sick. 
You're my friend, I'd never..."
     But he had.  He knew he had.  And what's more, he had been
warned.
     *If you chose to accept the gift, you must live with the
consequences of your requests.  They can be a blessing or a
curse.*
     The gift.  Somehow, it had all been true.  He had been given
the power to ask for anything he could ever want, and what had he
done?  He'd committed murder!  Okay, maybe the doctor wasn't a
living being, but he was as much a member of the crew as anyone
else on Voyager.  He had the right to exist, and Tom had taken
that right away with a few careless words spoken in frustrated
anger.  If only he could take back the words.
     *Once granted, a wish may not be recalled.  If you decide
you do not want what you wished for, you can only change it with
another wish.*
     Another wish!  He still had another wish!  He could bring
the doctor back!  He could set it all right again.
     But if he did that, he wouldn't have any more wishes.  He
couldn't ask for all those things he'd always dreamed of having,
of doing.  He could have been wealthy or powerful.  He could have
wished for acceptance and respect.  He could have asked for his
father's forgiveness.
     But did he really need wealth or power?  No.  Maybe once he
had wanted them, but he had moved past those dreams.  They were
no longer important to him.
     Acceptance and respect?  What good are they if they aren't
earned?  And he had earned much of both since he'd come aboard
Voyager.  There were some on board who still harbored ill
feelings toward him, he knew, but the vast majority of the crew
had become his friends.
     And as for his father's forgiveness...  It wouldn't be the
same if it came as the result of some alien magic.  It only
mattered if it came from his father himself.  He couldn't simply
wish away all the years and the things that had passed between
them.  If he ever saw his father again, he hoped they could find
some way to come to terms with each other.  But as he had told
Captain Janeway once, he had come to realize what really mattered
was the respect he had for himself.  Here, on this ship, in the
place that had become his home, he had begun to find that self-
respect.  That was what mattered most, and it wouldn't have any
value if it didn't come from within him.
     No, there was nothing he could wish for that he didn't
already have.  Nothing.  Except, maybe...
     Home.  The chance to set things right with his father. 
Maybe even for B'Elanna to come to terms with her mother.  The
chance for Harry to be reunited with his parents and the woman he
loved.  To be able to reunite everyone in the crew with the loved
ones they had lost over three years ago.  It would be a wonderful
gift for every member of the crew, his friends, his family.
     All but one.  The doctor was not just a member of this crew. 
He had become Tom's friend.
     *You can only change it with another wish.*
     "Tom?"
     He sat up quickly to find B'Elanna standing at the foot of
his bed, her expression pained and decidedly grim.
     "He's really lost, isn't he?" he asked.
     "We can't find any way to restore him.  All the programming
is gone."
     "And you didn't find any malfunction, did you?"
     "Not yet, but I've got Carey working on it.  Even if we find
out what happened..."
     "There's no way to get Doc back," Tom concluded.
     "No," she said quietly.  "I'm so sorry, Tom.  But you have
to know this wasn't your fault."
     "Yes, B'Elanna, it was."  She started to object, but she
knew her words would have no effect.  "Even if it's true, you
didn't mean for this to happen."
     "It's funny, you know?  So many times we say things we don't
really mean.  We don't think about it.  It's just words, but
words have consequences.  Sometimes we end up hurting people
because of it.  Normally, we have the chance to make amends, to
say how sorry we are.  But sometimes, the words can't be taken
back.  This time, because of some alien 'gift,' the consequences
were disastrous, and there's only one way I can make it right."
     "What do you mean?" she asked with trepidation.
     "I have one wish left.  I could use it to get us all home,
but that wouldn't bring Doc back.  If I use it to bring him back,
I will have lost the chance to help everyone else."
     B'Elanna moved to him and pulled herself up on the side of
his bed.  "Tom, when the captain was on the array, she had to
make a decision.  She could have had Tuvok send us back home, but
then the Kazon would have been able to use the array against the
Ocampa.  It couldn't have been an easy decision for her, and at
the time, I thought she was insane not to grab the opportunity. 
But she was right.  I know that now.  We can still make it home. 
All the possibilities are still out there for us to find.  We
won't be any worse off if you don't wish us home."
     "It never was as important to you and me as it is to
everyone else.  Maybe that makes the decision too easy."
     She shook her head.  "No, because of all the thing you could
have wished for, you wanted to do something for your friends. 
Now, you won't be able to and I know how much that hurts you. 
The crew will never even know there was a chance to get home, so
they won't think unkindly of you.  And even if they knew, I think
they'd understand your choice."
     "Would they?"
     "Maybe not at first," she admitted, "but they'd come to
understand.  Look at me.  If I can finally admit the captain was
right about destroying the array, then anything is possible." 
She smiled.  "If you think a wish will bring the doctor back,
then do it.  If it doesn't work, then you'll know you aren't
responsible for what happened to him in the first place.  If it
does, we're no worse off than we were before we came to Zlotkara
IV."
     "You still don't really believe the wishes are real, do
you?"
     She shook her head.  "I don't know.  But I know you do.  And
I know what you have to do."
     Tom nodded.  "So do I."  He reached out and took her hand,
then he closed his eyes and thought about what he was about to
say.  He had to get it just right.  There was no second chance.
     "I wish the doctor's program was restored exactly as it was
before my last wish."
     They both held their breath, but nothing happened.  Tom
looked at B'Elanna, then around the sickbay.  Nothing.  He closed
his eyes.
     "Please, bring him back."
     B'Elanna squeezed his hand.  "It was never your fault."
     "Carey to Torres."
     B'Elanna tapped her commbadge.  "Torres here."
     "Lieutenant, we found it!  It was a glitch in the reporting
system.  The files were never deleted after all.  They just
didn't register in the directory.  All the doctor's files are
still there.  All you have to do is reactivate him."
     A grin spread across Tom's face and B'Elanna smiled at him
as she spoke.  "Computer, activate Emergency Medical Hologram."
     The space on the other side of Tom's bed shimmered and the
familiar figure formed.  "Please state the nature of the... wait
a minute!  Wasn't I already activated?"
     "We had a minor malfunction, Doctor," the engineer
explained, "but everything is corrected now."
     The doctor straightened his uniform.  "Well, I certainly
hope so.  I can't say that I'm fond of the idea that I can just
wink out of existence for no good reason."  His eyes fell on Tom,
who seemed to be staring at him, his eyes unnaturally bright. 
"Mr. Paris, are you feeling all right?" he asked.
     "I'm fine, Doc," Tom said softly.  "I'm really glad to have
you back."
     The doctor frowned, glanced at Torres, then back to Paris. 
"Well, it's good to be back."
     "And... I'm sorry about the way I acted before.  I know
you're just trying to make sure I get well.  I'll try to be a
better patient."
     The EMH narrowed his eyes at Paris, then reached for his
medical tricorder and began a scan.  "Well, according to my
readings, your temperature is normal.  I thought perhaps you had
developed a fever."
     Tom chuckled.  "No, I'm fine, just a little tired."
     "As I thought, you're still in need of rest and
recuperation.  Lieutenant Torres, I must insist you conclude your
visit so Mr. Paris can get more sleep."
     "But, Doc, I..." Tom started, then clamped his mouth closed. 
He looked at B'Elanna.  "He's right.  And thanks for
understanding."
     "Everything is just as it should be," she told him.  "And
I'll come back later to see you get to your quarters.  That is,
if the doctor sees fit to release you."
     "He should be ready to leave in a few hours," the doctor
conceded.
     "Then I'll go check on that glitch to the reporting
program."  She winked at Tom as she turned to go.
     Tom leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes.  Just before
he went to sleep, he felt the doctor's hand gently resting on his
chest for just a moment, then reality faded away.
                               ***
     He was surrounded by a mist that slowly cleared to leave him
standing in the same illuminated room in which he had found
himself before.  The tall alien stood before him.
     "If you're here to grant me another gift, I think I'll pass
this time," Tom told him.
     The stranger smiled.  "No, the gift is only given once.  And
you have done well."
     "Done well?" Tom was incredulous.  "I completely blew it! 
How can you say I've done well?"
     "You are much richer now that you were before, Tom Paris. 
You have realized that everything that is really important in
life is already within your grasp.  Friendship is it's own kind
of magic.  That is the true gift of the three wishes, the truth
of all truths.  It is a fortunate man indeed whose friends are
more important to him than anything he could wish for himself. 
Sleep well, my wise friend."
     The mist grew thick once more until it filled his vision and
a feeling of warmth and contentment filled him.

     The doctor stood looking down at his patient and watched as
his features relaxed into a gentle smile.  It was always amazing
how young and innocent Tom Paris looked when he was asleep.  An
echoing smile spread across the doctor's face before he left his
friend and returned to his lab work.