Unworthy - Kirsten Beyer [40]
“Doctor Sharak,” Eden said, turning to her CMO. “What is your patient’s status?”
Sharak was engrossed in his study of Miral’s readings. Without looking up he replied, “It appears that the child has been infected by a most hearty virus. She will recover.”
“No thanks to her mother,” the Doctor said.
“I beg your pardon, Doctor?” Eden asked as B’Elanna flushed with either anger or relief.
The Doctor accepted a hypo from Nurse Bens and dispensed it gently into Miral’s limp arm. Then he turned to the captain and B’Elanna.
“Miral was exposed to a simple Talaxian flu. Most children her age who are cleared for interstellar travel receive several vaccinations that Miral appears to have missed. If they are regularly exposed to a variety of species and those species’ respective germs, their immune system learns to fight off the simplest infections. Would I be correct in assuming,” he asked B’Elanna, “that you have kept Miral secluded over the last three years?”
“Yes,” B’Elanna replied.
The Doctor shook his head in frustration and continued, “By doing so you have inhibited the development of her immune system. Even in a preschool setting, where she would have interacted regularly with other children, Miral would have been exposed to common infectious agents. You kept her in a bubble and now her immune system is ill-equipped to fight off exotic pathogens like the one she encountered among the Talaxians.”
“I was only—” B’Elanna began.
“Captain,” the Doctor said, ignoring B’Elanna’s attempt at justification, “it is my opinion that at least for the next several months, this child should be seen regularly by a competent physician.”
“I concur,” Sharak added from Miral’s bedside.
Eden turned to B’Elanna, who was clearly taken aback both by the Doctor’s report, and the hostility with which it was delivered. “I spoke briefly with your husband and he indicated that all of you had planned to leave Voyager as soon as possible. Even before I heard the Doctor’s evaluation, I must admit, I thought that to be an incredibly foolhardy notion. Your service records indicate that you are both quite capable, but you know how dangerous this quadrant of space is. Are you willing to reconsider your plans, or are you going to force me to make this decision for all of you?”
B’Elanna stood in shocked silence. She glanced at the Doctor with a mixture of sadness and reproach. “Please understand, we made the choices we did because we didn’t want to add our burdens to yours. The Warriors of Gre’thor should no longer be a threat, unless they learn Miral is still alive.”
“With all the resources of Starfleet behind us, I’m sure we can sustain the illusion,” Eden assured her.
“I’d be willing to accept any arrangement you would find appropriate, Captain.”
“Welcome aboard,” Eden said with a tight smile.
“Thank you, Captain.”
“If you’ll wait here, I’ll allow your husband a few minutes’ leave to see you.”
Once the captain departed, B’Elanna turned back to the Doctor.
“I’m sorry,” she offered softly.
“I thought you were both dead.”
“I know.”
After a moment, his eyes began to glisten. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am to find that I was misinformed.”
B’Elanna didn’t know which of them moved first to close the space between them. Soon, however, she found herself in a tight embrace. After a moment, the Doctor released her and gestured with a nod for her to look over her shoulder where Tom stood in forlorn silence, staring at Miral.
“What’s wrong with Miral?” he asked, clearly expecting the worst.
“She’s going to be fine,” B’Elanna replied as she reached out a hand to pull him close. Tom took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. She then threw her arms around his neck, and for a few seconds, her universe was complete.
The Doctor broke the spell. “I have to say I’m surprised by the disregard you have shown me and the rest of your friends, Commander Paris.