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if they make me want to add something to it!  Be kind, but please send all comments and criticism (constructive, please) to AnnitaS@aol.com.


WORST CASE SCENARIO - Missing Scene:

      The glow from the malfunctioning phaser spread outward, completely engulfing
the holographic Seska's form in an eery orange glow.  With a scream, she began to
collapse, but vanished before she could fall to the floor.
      After taking half a second to register what had just happened, Tom Paris turned
to Tuvok, noting what he recognized (only because he'd seen it before) as a look of
insufferable satisfaction on the Vulcan's otherwise inscrutable face.
      "Not bad," he commended.
      In a tone Paris considered Tuvok's own version of "cocky", the Vulcan replied,
"Seska's not the only one who knows how to cause a phaser malfunction."  Tom knew the
Vulcan was recalling the identical method by which the Cardassian spy had destroyed
the holographic version of Captain Janeway.  Even knowing it had not been the real
captain, watching her image "die" in such a fashion was still painfully fresh in his
memory and he felt the same satisfaction he knew the Vulcan was feeling at the poetic
justice in their tormentor's demise.  Of course, Tuvok would never admit it.
      Tom smiled as the cargo bay and the holographic crew members shimmered out of
existence to be replaced by the familiar crosshatched circuitry network that covered
the inactive holodeck walls.  It was a welcome site.
      "The holographic simulation has ended," the computer intoned.
      Tom sighed.  It was over.
      "I believe, Mr. Paris, that our literary collaboration is at an end," Tuvok stated.
      Paris chuckled.  "Yeah, I think this particular holonovel has lost its appeal for
me."
      Tuvok called for the holodeck door and the pilot started to follow him out.  Now
that the danger was over, the high level of adrenalin that had been pumping through
his system quickly melted away leaving him exhausted.  As he stepped through the
door, a wave of dizziness hit him and he wavered, grabbed the side of the entryway to
maintain his balance.  The Vulcan's hand instantly took hold of his arm.
      "I believe it's time you visited the sickbay, Lieutenant."
      Tom closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to marshall his
remaining strength.  "I don't know.  It wasn't such a great idea the last time," he
commented.
      Tuvok ignored his words as he shifted his grasp to better support the younger
man and began to lead him down the corridor toward the turbolift.
      By the time they reached sickbay, the real one this time, Paris was leaning
heavily against the security chief.  That, along with Paris' uncharacteristic lack of
witty repartee, told the Vulcan that his companion's untreated injury was finally
catching up to him.  As he guided the pilot through the doors, Kes looked up from a tray
of instruments, her expressive face clouding with concern.
      "Activate Emergency Medical Hologram," she called as she moved to help Tuvok
settle Tom on one of the biobeds.
      The doctor shimmered into existence and uttered his standard inquiry:  "Please
state the nature of the medical emergency."
      "Mr. Paris has suffered a phaser burn to his left arm," Tuvok replied as the EMH
smoothly lifted a medical scanner from the tray and moved to his patient.  As he ran the
instrument over the affected area, he frowned.
      "You also appear to have suffered an acid burn in the same location."
      "What happened?" Kes asked.  Tom glanced at Tuvok.
      "The injuries were sustained on the holodeck," the Vulcan replied.
      "It's a long story, Doc.  You think the explanation could wait?" Tom asked.
      "I would be interested in knowing how you managed to receive this acid burn on
top of a phaser burn."
      Tuvok appeared to be about to explain when his commbadge chirped.
      "Janeway to Tuvok.  Are you and Mr. Paris on your way to the bridge?"
      Tapping the badge, he replied.  "We are currently in sickbay, Captain.  Mr. Paris
was injured and required immediate treatment."
      There was a pause.  "Understood.  We'll be right there."  The captain's tone held
a note of concern.
      "There's no need," Paris protested, but the link had already been broken.  "I'm
fine."
      "You most certainly are not 'fine'," the doctor informed him as he took a
hypospray from Kes and turned back to Paris.  "You have second degree burns."  As he
took the young officer's arm and started to bring the instrument closer, Paris inhaled
sharply and jerked his arm away.  The doctor and Kes both looked up at him in
surprise.  "Mr. Paris, if you don't mind, I'm attempting to treat you, not attack you!"
      Tuvok saw the panic in Paris' eyes as they darted toward him.  Quickly he
stepped closer and placed his hand on the pilot's good arm once more, his own eyes
locking with Tom's.  "This is the real sickbay, Lieutenant," he assured him levelly, "and
the real doctor."
      Paris gazed at Tuvok for a moment, then nodded, took another deep breath and
forced himself to relax.  "Right," he sighed and forced a smile.  "Sorry, Doc."
      The doctor looked at him for a moment in confusion before moving in again and
pressing the hypospray against Paris' neck.  "Of course I'm the real doctor," he stated
pedantically.  "Who else would I be?"
      The familiar attitude went a long way toward reassuring Paris.  "That's part of
the long story," he replied.  "Let's just say I've never been more glad you're you."
      The doctor frowned at him before he exchanged the hypospray for a tissue
regenerator.  Kes handed him the devise, then glanced from Tom to Tuvok a look of
concern in her eyes.  Tuvok offered her a slight nod of reassurance.
      "I suggest you lie back and make yourself comfortable, Lieutenant," the doctor
instructed.  "The injury isn't serious, but your delay in seeking treatment has
exacerbated your condition.  The tissue regeneration will take a few minutes and I've
administered a mild tranquilizer."
      Paris was about to protest, but the no-nonsense expression on the doctor's face
made him think the better of it.  Tuvok took hold of his feet and lifted them on the bed
as he settled himself back and closed his eyes.
                                      *****
      "It's over," B'Elanna Torres sighed as the monitor showed the holodeck image
dissolving into its familiar unactivated state.
      "Kim to Engineering.  I think I can give you transporters now, Captain."
      Janeway smiled knowingly at her chief engineer before responding to her
operations officer.  "That's all right, Harry.  No rush."
      B'Elanna leaned against the console, weak with relief as she smiled back at the
captain.  It had been too close.  No matter what they had tried to do to manipulate the
scenario, Seska's program had countered them at every move.  Rescue was not going to
come from outside the holodeck.  If it hadn't been for Tuvok's quick thinking, he and
Tom would be dead now.  B'Elanna shivered at the thought.
      "Let's get back to the bridge," Janeway called as she started moving.  "I want to
get a full report from Tom and Tuvok on what happened before we got the monitor
working."
      B'Elanna nodded and followed her commanding officer.  As they proceeded down
the corridor and into the turbolift, her mind played back the image of Seska levelling a
phaser rifle at the two Voyager officers and she internally raged at her traitorous
former Maquis shipmate.  Even after death, she had almost managed to exact her twisted
revenge.  B'Elanna knew she would have been angry no matter who had been
threatened, but the fact that one of the victims was Tom made it feel more personal.
      Now that she had the chance to think about it, she found herself a little
surprised at the intensity of her reaction.  Certainly, Tom Paris was her friend and in
the last few months, they had become even closer.  She had even admitted to herself
that she was attracted to him and, in the time since her own near-fatal pon farr
experience in the caves of Sakari, had allowed it to show.  It had just been a little
harmless flirtation which both she and Tom had enjoyed.  Or so she had thought.
      But if that were true, why had she felt such fear in the pit of her stomach as she
and the captain had struggled with the computer simulation in an attempt to defeat
Seska's scenario?  Why had her hand trembled as she keyed in the counter-algorithms
on her console?  And why had she felt so cold as she watched the holo-Seska pull the
trigger on her phaser rifle, before she realized Tuvok's deception?
      The turbolift doors opened and she put away her thoughts as she followed the
captain onto the bridge.  It was then that she noticed Janeway smile gently at her and
she realized they had made the entire trip in silence, obviously with the captain
observing her thoughtful expression.  She blushed with embarrassment, knowing
Janeway had apparently been able to read the emotions on her face.
      "I take it the mutiny has been quelled?" Chakotay asked with a smile that
indicated he already knew the answer to his question.
      "Yes," Janeway answered.  "Thanks to Mr. Tuvok's ingenuity, I'm happy to say
Seska's plans have once again failed."
      "If anyone deserved to die twice, she did," B'Elanna spat out with such
vehemence that the captain and first officer stared at her in surprise.  She looked
away, once again embarrassed, but not prepared to apologize for the statement.
      "Are Tom and Tuvok all right?" asked Harry Kim who looked exhausted as he sat
behind his operations console.
      "Yes, Mr. Kim," Janeway replied.  "In fact, I'm surprised they didn't get here
before us."  She tapped her commbadge.  "Janeway to Tuvok.  Are you and Mr. Paris on
your way to the bridge?"
      The Vulcan's voice came over the link.  "We are currently in sickbay, Captain. 
Mr. Paris was injured and required immediate treatment."
      Janeway's eyes widened in surprise as they met B'Elanna's shocked expression. 
"Understood.  We'll be right there," the captain replied as she broke the connection.
      B'Elanna didn't understand.  She had just seen Tom on the monitor and he
appeared to be safe and unharmed.  She didn't wait for Janeway, but turned
immediately back toward the turbolift.  As they began their descent, anxiety began to
knot her stomach once again.  When she looked at the captain, she saw both concern and
sympathy in her expression.
      "I'm sure Tom's all right."
      "Of course," Torres replied, but she wouldn't relax until she knew it was true.
      As they entered sickbay, she immediately took in the tableau before her.  Tom
was lying on a biobed, apparently unconscious, with the doctor and Kes beside him. 
The doctor was running a dermal regenerator over the pilot's arm.  Tuvok, standing at
the foot of the bed, turned toward the captain.
      "What happened?" Janeway asked.
      "Mr. Paris suffered a compound phaser and acid burn to his arm during our
encounter on the holodeck," he replied succinctly.
      "He'll be fine," the doctor added.  "The burn was severe, but easily treatable.  He
was also suffering from mild shock, but he should recover very quickly."
      B'Elanna hadn't stopped moving until she was standing by the bed next to Tom. 
Without conscious thought, her hand reached out to cover his.  It felt cold, but then,
sickbay was invariably cold, she told herself.  At her touch, his eyes fluttered open and
he turned and blinked up at her, a smile spreading slowly across his face.
      "Hi," he said softly as he turned his hand over to grasp hers.
      B'Elanna relaxed and almost smiled back at him, but stopped herself and offered
him an annoyed frown.  "Hi, yourself," she replied, a touch of anger in her tone.  She
didn't, however, let go of his hand.
      "I'll be finished with the regeneration in a few minutes," the doctor announced
as he continued to pass the instrument over Paris' arm.  "You can leave sickbay, then,
Mr. Paris, but I want you to go directly to your quarters to rest.  It will take a few
hours for that sedative to wear off completely."
      Tom turned and looked at the EMH.  "Thanks, Doc."  His tone was so sincere it
caused the doctor to look up once more and offer his patient a frown.
      "I must say, this cooperative attitude is atypical for you, Lieutenant.  Perhaps I
should scan for a head injury.  You are prone to them."
      Paris chuckled.  "My head is fine.  I guess I've just been in sickbay enough over
the past three years to begin to appreciate your bedside manner."  He glanced at Tuvok
and winked.  The Vulcan's only reply was the raising of an eyebrow.
      "Well, I'm just glad you're both all right," the captain commented.  "It was a little
dicey there for a while."
      "Mr. Paris and I appreciate your attempts to assist us, Captain," Tuvok replied.
      "Attempts is right," B'Elanna commented.  "I never realized what a diabolically
good programmer Seska was."
      "Where did you come up with the idea to rig the phaser rifle to malfunction?"
      "From Seska herself," Tuvok replied.
      "Really?  I'll be very interested to read your report.  We only caught the last act
of her little drama on the monitor."
      The doctor finished last pass of the regenerator, closing it with a flourish. 
"There.  Good as new."
      Tom leveraged himself up on the bed, dropping his legs over the side toward
B'Elanna and sat up.  Torres released his hand to take hold of his arm to help him.  He
looked at the newly healed skin.  "Great job, Doc.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate
this."
      The doctor shook his head.  "Well, your appreciation certainly has made this a
novel experience."
      Janeway, Tom and B'Elanna all burst out laughing, adding even more to the
clueless doctor's confusion.  "You may all leave!" he waived them off as he turned and
walked purposefully into his office.
      Tom watched him go, then turned to the Vulcan.  "Tuvok, don't tell the doctor
about how I got the acid burn, okay?"  Tuvok's expression begged an explanation.  "It
wasn't his fault and, well, I'd just rather he didn't know."
      "If you are concerned that the doctor might feel some guilt over his alter-ego's
actions, I should point out that such a reaction would not only be illogical, but
uncharacteristic behavior on his part."
      "You're probably right," Tom nodded, "but the doctor isn't always as logical as
you are.  Sometimes he gets his feelings hurt even if he doesn't show it.  And he takes
that 'do no harm' part of his oath pretty seriously.  I just don't see any reason to take
the chance that he might get upset."
      Kes smiled and leaned over to kiss Tom lightly on the cheek.  "That's very
thoughtful of you, Tom."
      Paris grinned.  "Yeah, well, that's just the kind of guy I am!"  Kes shook her
head knowingly while the captain smothered a smile.
      "You're relieved of duty for the rest of the day, Mr. Paris," Janeway told him. 
"Why don't we give Tuvok time to write up his report.  We can get together in the mess
hall this evening to discuss this little insurrection."
      "Aye, captain."  Tom pulled himself to his feet and had to catch hold of the side
of the bed to steady himself.
      "Do you require assistance in reaching your quarters, Lieutenant?" Tuvok
asked, about to step forward.
      "I'll see that he gets there," B'Elanna told him as she pulled Tom's arm over her
shoulders and placed her own arm around his waist rather possessively.
      "Then we'll leave him to you, B'Elanna," Janeway smiled as she motioned for
Tuvok and they left the medical unit.
      "I'm not completely helpless, B'Elanna," Tom protested.
      "No, not completely," she replied with emphasis.  When she hadn't said anything
else by the time they'd made it to the turbolift, Tom broke the silence.
      "Are you mad at me for some reason, Torres?"
      "Why should I be mad at you!" she barked.
      "I'm not sure," he replied uncertainly.
      "You go off and try to get yourself killed!  Again!  No, I can't think of any reason
I should be mad at you!"
      Tom grinned.  "Were you that worried about me?"
      The turbolift doors opened and B'Elanna just growled in reply.  Tom laughed and
B'Elanna immediately spun on him.
      "This is not funny, Mister!"
      Something in her eyes drove the smile from Paris' face and he looked at her with
an expression so openly sincere it surprised her.
      "No, I guess it isn't.  I'm... sorry I made you worry, B'Elanna."
      Her anger having suddenly disappeared and finding herself at a loss for words,
B'Elanna turned back to her task of guiding them down the hall to Tom's quarters.  She
didn't release him until they were beside his bed.  Tom sat down, but made no further
move.  He seemed to be watching her intently.
      "Can I get you anything?" B'Elanna asked, uncomfortable at his scrutiny.
      "No, I'm fine," he replied quietly.
      "Then I'd better get back to engineering."  She turned to leave without meeting
his gaze.
      "B'Elanna, wait."
      She froze for a moment before turning back to look at him.  "Yes?"
      "Don't be mad at me.  I'm sorry I laughed at you.  It's just that... well, it felt so
great to realize someone really cared enough about me to be worried.  I'm... not exactly
used to it."
      Chocolate brown eyes locked with cerulean blue.  What she saw in those
expressive eyes was enough to fill another holonovel.  It was as if she could see
straight into his soul with all its pain, sadness and fear.  But there was something
warmer there also:  concern and gratitude.  And twinkling somewhere around the edges,
was perhaps a hint of hope.  Once again, her hand seemed to act without conscious
thought, her fingers reaching out and caressing his cheek.  He turned ever so slightly
into the touch and gently kissed her palm.  The touch of his lips seemed to break the
trance into which she had fallen.
      "Get used to it, hotshot," she replied softly, a smile tugging at the corners of her
mouth.  She took hold of his shoulders and pushed him back onto the bed, then helped
him lift his legs under the covers.  "Now, you sleep off that sedative and I'll come by
and collect you for dinner tonight."
      "Yes, ma'am," he replied, not even trying to suppress his own smile.  B'Elanna
found it contagious and mirrored the expression.  Finally, she ducked her head and
started for the door.
      "Call if you need anything," she instructed, taking one more glance at the warm,
contented look on Tom's face, then she disappeared.
      "Oh, I think I have everything I need," Tom sighed after she was gone.  Then he
closed his eyes and let the sedative take effect.