Homecoming - Christie Golden [70]
“Mark, what’s going on? Is Kevin all right?”
“No, he’s not. He’s ... we assumed that because of Voyager ... ?” Mark cleared his throat. “We’ve contacted the authorities and they’re on their way, but we wanted to talk to you first, to see if you knew what—We know you wouldn’t do anything deliberately to hurt him, but. ...” Mark’s voice trailed off.
“Mark,” said Janeway calmly, though her heart was [208] racing, “take a deep breath and tell me clearly. What is going on? Is Kevin ill?”
“Look at him!” Carla cried, thrusting Kevin toward the screen.
Janeway gasped, the hair on her arms standing on end in horror. Kevin was strangely silent for such a young child, and he stared at Janeway blankly. His skin was an ashen shade of gray, and strange veins crawled over his small body like insects. One eye didn’t seem quite right to her and—
Her hand went to her mouth. “I’ll be right—”
The screen went dark.
To his credit and to Janeway’s enormous relief, Chakotay didn’t bat an eye at being asked to bring his little Alpha Flyer out for a jaunt at three in the morning. They arrived at the Johnsons’ house in Colorado shortly after he picked her up, and Janeway barely waited for the shuttlecraft to fully settle before opening the door and jumping out. She raced to the front stoop of the Johnsons’ pleasant little home and knocked frantically. There was no answer, not even Molly’s loud barking.
“Looks like nobody’s home,” Chakotay said, stepping beside her.
“That’s just not possible,” Janeway said, more to herself than to Chakotay. She hadn’t told him what she’d seen, only that her friends needed her immediately because their child was desperately ill.
“They said Kevin was sick,” Chakotay continued. “Maybe they took him to a doctor. He could have that flu that’s been going around.”
[209] Janeway went cold inside. “Xakarian flu,” she repeated. “Symptoms are cold skin, paleness, delusions ... oh my God.”
“Kathryn, what is it?”
She wanted to tell him, but she couldn’t, not until she knew for sure. “Take me home,” she said, and though he looked at her quizzically, he obliged.
“What the hell have you done with the Johnsons?” she cried as soon as Montgomery’s face appeared on her computer screen.
He stared at her. He had thrown on a robe and his fair hair stuck up at odd angles. He obviously wanted to be deeply angry but couldn’t seem to summon the energy.
“Kathryn, it’s nearly four in the morning.”
“I’m well aware of what time it is. I have to tell you that I am getting tired of people I care about disappearing with no explanations. Let me ask you again: What happened to the Johnsons?”
“Who are you talking about, and what makes you think I know anything about these people?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Two words: Xakarian flu.”
“If they were suspected of having contracted it, they have to be quarantined. If you have a problem with that, you’ll need to take that up with Starfleet Medical. That’s not my field.” He extended a hand as if to terminate the conversation.
“You’re conducting a cover-up,” Janeway said.
That stopped him. “Of what?”
“I saw Kevin. I saw the implants. How convenient [210] that Xakarian flu has all the symptoms of the early stages of Borg infection.”
Montgomery stiffened visibly, and was suddenly very wide awake. “I’m sorry you saw that. We wanted to do this quietly, to avoid panic, but your sniffing around has forced my hand. I’m going to have to call everyone who served aboard Voyager in for questioning. Starting with her captain.”
Gray Bear looked at the strained face of James Red Feather. James had been the medicine man who had instructed Gray Bear, but now he was on the receiving end of the healing medicine he had once given of so freely. His face was haggard and drawn, the wrinkles looking as if they were physically cut into his aged face. The sickness had come upon him suddenly, a mere two days ago, and Gray Bear had had to make haste to gather people and materials for the sweat lodge. He feared to wait another day. Federation