Day of Honor - Michael Jan Friedman [47]
"Arrange for transport," the captain ordered. "And check with the doctor to see if he can spare any medical supplies."
Neelix nodded. "Aye, Captain."
Lumas laid his ridged forehead against the briefing room table. He seemed overwhelmed with gratitude.
"Thank you," he told Janeway. He lifted his head
again. "May the gods smile on you and your crew. Tonight, our starving children will go to sleep without hunger. When they ask, I will tell them it is because of the generosity of the captain of Voyager."
Janeway wished she could feel good about Lumas's gratitude. Unfortunately, she didn't. In fact, if she didn't know better, she would have felt she was being used.
After all, Tuvok had had a point. As the captain's father had often pointed out to her, Providence helped those who helped themselves.
"I urge you to keep looking for a homeworld," she told the Cataati. "One that might support you and your people. We want all those children to grow up strong and healthy."
"Perhaps now they will," Lumas replied.
Janeway turned to her tactical officer. "Tuvok, please escort our guest back to the transporter room."
Lumas got up and approached the captain. Taking her hand, he squeezed it in a final gesture of gratitude. Then he followed the Vulcan out of the room.
Janeway sat back in her seat and looked at Neelix. The Talaxian didn't seem any more gratified than she did.
"Well," he said, "I guess I'll see about those supplies."
But he didn't go anywhere. Obviously, there was something on his mind.
"What is it?" the captain asked.
Neelix's brow furrowed. "Rahmin said there were nearly thirty of these ships. What happens when we run into the next bunch? And the next? What do we tell them?"
The captain didn't have an answer-because there wasn't one. She put her hand on the Talaxian's shoulder. "I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge
when we come to it."
The Doctor glanced around the table and smiled at each of the seven people seated about it.
The children, Naomi, Benjamin, and Aaron, smiled back at him. So did It. Rabinowitz and his sister and brother-in-law, Carla and David Sokoloy. Only the elderly Aunt Pearl gave him less than a hearty acknowledgment.
It. Rabinowitz, who was seated on the Doctor's left, leaned closer to him. "It's not you," he said. "It's her gall bladder. It always acts up this time of year."
The Doctor nodded politely. "I see," he responded, though he was at a loss as to why such an ailment might manifest itself on a seasonal basis. He was still considering the problem when David picked up his padd and cleared his throat.
"Shall we begin?" he asked.
"Isn't that why we're here?" Aunt Pearl answered drily.
David smiled at her. "So it is."
With one hand, he indicated the glass of wine set before him. In fact, all the people present had glasses of something set before them-wine in the case of the adults, grape juice in the case of the children.
With the other hand, David held up his padd. "Baruch attah adonai, elohainu melech haolahm, borai p'ree hagahfen. Blessed art Thou, 0 Eternal, our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine."
"You needn't translate for my benefit," the Doctor assured him. "I'm quite conversant in a variety of Terran languages and dialects."
David glanced at him. "Thank you for sharing that, but we always say the prayers in both Hebrew and English. It's sort of a tradition in our family, going back some four hundred years."
"Ah," the Doctor replied. "I see. In that case, please proceed."
His host did just that-almost as if he were the real David Sokoloy and not a holographic recreation of the lieutenant's brother-in-law. "Baruch attah adonai, elohainu melech haolahm, shehecheyanu v'keeyamanu v'heegeeyanu lazmahn hazeh. 13lessed art Thou, 0 Eternal, our God, King of the Universe, who has preserved us, sustained us, and allowed us to enjoy this season."
With that, David picked up his glass and drank from it. Looking around, the Doctor saw that everyone else was following suit. Lifting his own glass, he inhaled its bouquet