The Phage: Part One

AN: This chapter isn't really too different from the episode. I haven't been feeling creative recently. Hopefully, it will get better!

Chapter Twelve: The Phage: Part One.

(Three weeks after Time and Again.)

Lieutenant Bini Filters POV

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(Captain's log, stardate 48532.4. We're on our way to a rogue planetoid which Mister Neelix tells us is an extremely rich source of raw dilithium. If he's right, this could go a long way toward easing our power shortage.)

I twiddled my thumbs as I walked down the corridor towards the messhall for my usual breakfast stop before I went on shift. Lots of thoughts and concerns clouded my thinking as I nodded to passing crewmembers and pretended to not feel annoyed as the ex. Maquis members glared at me with hatred as they avoided my path.

I was overdue on five reports. Five! Tuvok practically dragged me into his office and gave me a logic speech about deadlines and not to abandon my post for Janeway's kids so often.

I ended up fidgeting with my uniform jacket as I entered the messhall.

It was empty.

Well, this is a first.

I hesitantly stepped back into the corridor. I looked around as the crew seemed to move to the busy room across the messhall, which was filled with the usual wave of hungry crewmembers. I must have dropped my jaw as the door closed again.

Tom and Harry walked down the corridor towards me. Causing me a suspicious glance.

"Um, everything OK, Bini?" Tom asked.

"Why is everyone in the Captain's messhall?!" I demanded and pointed towards the shut door. Harry turned pale as Tom looked between us.

"Neelix turned it into the new kitchen-Wait..." Tom finally made the connection as Harry looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

"That-That's-That's the Captain's m-Messhall!?" Harry stammered out. Tom started to shack his head towards me in disappointment.

"Good going, Bini. You are going to make Harry have a medical emergency before 0700. Good going over there."

"Don't blame this on me!" I snapped back. Harry made a sharp turn and speeded down the corridor again. Tom glared at me and ran after him. Make desperate attempts to make him get into the messhall, while others still just walked in.

I clenched my fist tight up and entered the messhall. This report is going to be the end of me. Especially when the Captain finds out.

-----

(Ten minutes later.)

Micheal Janeway's POV

I watched my Mommy and the Commander walk down the corridor ahead of me. I held on tight to Mollie's lease as Sarah was too distracted to notice how long Mommy keeps looking at him. With the same look, she gave Daddy. The Commander is trying to be my new Daddy. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit.

I considered how I was going to make him go away. Maybe I could get him fired? No. No, I asked Bini about that yesterday. She said I was insane.

What was I going to do?

Hmmm...

I snapped back to attention as they started to talk again. Hoping to hear something I could use to my advantage.

"Assuming we do find dilithium on this planetoid, we're going to need a refining facility on the ship to process it." Mommy said as she looked down at her padd and entered some orders in.

"Lieutenant Torres has already asked permission to start modifications to the auxiliary impulse reactor. It could be converted into a crude dilithium refinery." The Commander suggested.

"The impulse reactor? Sometimes I think B'Elanna goes out of her way to find solutions that ignore Starfleet procedures." She joked and gave him a light punch in his arm.

"Her arguments are quite convincing. She thinks it can be done safely." He insisted.

"I'm sure it can. Tell her I want regular reports on her progress every step of the way. Are you sure you won't join me for breakfast? I was thinking of having eggs Benedict with asparagus, strawberries and cream." She said as she leaned against the door of the messhall.

"Ah."

"I said I was thinking about it. I'm actually having ration pack number five. Stewed tomatoes with dehydrated eggs." She fired back. She looked over to me as I cringed in response. I hated the ration pack. They were dry and disgusting. No matter what label was stuck on them.

"Mmm. Sounds delicious, but I've already had my vacuum-packed oatmeal this morning." He joked. Grabbed her attention away from me. She gave him a bright smile and another punch in the arm as she slid past him, towards our messhall. Which we haven't really used but Mommy thinks she needs some private space.

I didn't really mean to follow her here. I already had breakfast this morning.

"Mommy? What should I do today? All the holodecks are booked up."

"You could...hang out with Bini. I think she has a day off."

"Half day." He corrected. Mollie let out a big yawn.

"Computer, where is Lieutenant Bini Filters?"

"Lieutenant Bini Filters is in the Captain's messhall."

Mommy raised her eyebrow towards the door and hesitantly stepped forward.

Sarah, Mollie and I followed closely behind her. I am curious to what-

Mommy opened the door, suddenly smoke entered into the corridor, we all yelped and jumped back as we heard the 'morning rush' as Bini called it, in the messhall.

-----

Bini Filters's POV

If I wasn't in such a nice mood this mourning, I would have sent Neelix to the brig and beamed everyone out of the room. Maybe intimated them a little. Making sure they never pulled a move like this again. Yet. Lucky for them. I was in a...decent mood. I will hold off on punishment.

"I don't think you understand what you have done here. Do you understand how much reports I have to file to explain how...well...this happened?!" I demanded over the counter as Neelix ran around the kitchen. Scrambling plates together and handing them to curious crewmembers.

"I don't think I understand, Lieutenant. The space was empty-"

"I don't want to hear it! Move out!" I growled and leaned against the counter. Closer to him. He simply rolled his eyes and began to run around again. I was internally screaming at this point as I took deep breathes. I heard the door in the kitchen hiss open. If that is Neelix attempting to escape, I swear-

The Captain and her family walked in.

Welp...

I am dead.

Their reactions were priceless. Despite the fact that I was in huge trouble, I still took the time to internally laugh as Sarah, Janeway, and Micheal's jaws almost hit the floor as Mollie decided the best course of actions was to sniff the floor.

They looked from Neelix to me. My face had morphed to a gulity grin as I gave them a small wave. Then they looked back at Neelix for answers.

"What is going on here?" The Captain growled as she glared at him and the children slowly moved away from their now very angry mother and stood to stand beside me, behind the counter, it was probably the safest place at the moment.

Micheal shook his head in disappointment up at me as Sarah just tilted her head in confusion. I awkwardly shifted my position as I pushed my weight off the counter.

"Good going, Bini." He mumbled.

"You know I am really starting to regret my successful attempts at teaching you sarcasm. Under normal circumstances, I would be proud." I whispered back.

"Neelix wrecked Mommy's kitchen."

"Technically it is not her kitchen, Micheal."

Sarah tugged on my uniform sleeve, we looked towards her.

"You are in trouble." Sarah exclaimed.

"Look, I didn't know about this until I-" I started to protest but the argument between the Captain and Neelix brought us back to reality.

"Well, I know how you and the other senior officers have been, excuse me, disappointed with the rations lately, so I thought I'd use a few of the vegetables from the hydroponics bay and whip up a little breakfast." Neelix explained as he passed another plate to a crewmember.

"You have turned this into a galley?" The Captain clarified as she followed him around. Checking each of the foodstuff littered around.

"It wasn't easy. I had to completely re-route the mess hall power conduits and scrounge a lot of supplies from all over the ship, but that's my specialty, making something out of nothing. I know it doesn't look like much now, but in a few days you'll swear there'd been a galley here for years." He insisted and made another plate. Quickly handed it off to another person. "Be careful, that one is a little spicy."

They nodded and hurried off.

"Neelix, who approved this?" She snapped. Micheal, Sarah, Neelix, even Mollie...Mollie looked at me. I was fuming at this point.

"Don't pin this on me! I just wanted breakfeast. Next thing I know. Here I am! I did not approve of this. I would like to make that quite clear. That I, Bini Filters. Did not approve this!" I protested. Causing several passing crewmembers to glare at me in annoyance. Mostly everyone rolled their eyes and Captain Janeway held her hand up to silence me and looked back at Neelix.

"Who approved this?" She repeated. Neelix gave me a glance before looking back at her.

"Ah, well, no one." He muttered in embarrassment. Yep. He screwed up.

"Well, you might have asked me first. This used to be my private dining room." She explained. Gesturing towards the area.

"Y-You-Your dining room?" He stammered out.

"If you had checked the ship's directory, you would have noticed that cabin one two five alpha deck two is designated as the Captain's private dining room." She said. His eyes darted around the room at the mess he created overnight.

"Oh! Then I guess that you'll be wanting me to move all of this stuff out of your way." He replied and continued to stumbled around the kitchen. Unsure of where to start. Suddenly, the Captain's combadge chirped.

"Bridge to Captain Janeway." Chakotay said over the channel. She took a inhale of breathe and tapped it.

"Go ahead." She replied.

"We're approaching the rogue planetoid, Captain."

"On my way. Janeway out." She replied. Then closed the channel and looked over at Neelix. "I want you to come with me. We will deal with this later."

She quickly stalked out of the room. Followed by Mollie. Neelix yanked his apron off and threw it at me. I barely caught it as Ensign Parsons leaned over the console for more food.

"Ensign Parsons, Lieutenant Filters. Would you mind keeping an eye on things until I get back and er, rotate the darvot fritters every ten minutes until they turn deep chartreuse. And remember one, one to a customer." He ordered and ran into the corridor after the Captain.

We both awkwardly stood there as the doors hissed shut. Both of us were awkwardly aware that we were on the wrong sides of the coin. Ex-Maquis. Starfleet. I gulped and looked up at him for answers as he looked down at me to do the same. Micheal and Sarah had already lost all attention to anyone and were arguing about who knows what.

"Um...What are darvot fritters?" I asked. He shrugged and slowly lifted the top of a pan as we crossed into the kitchen.

"I don't know. What does the colour deep chartreuse look like?" He asked as we looked inside the boiling pot.

"You are the person with more experience here. You should know." I muttered.

"At least I wasn't arrested."

"What was that?" I snapped. We glared at each other as Micheal and Sarah walked up behind the Ensign.

"Bini, when does your duty start. Sarah and I want to go to the holodeck." Micheal interrupted. I cast one last hostile look at him then, I spun around and headed to the door.

"Right now actually," I mumbled and stormed into the corridor.

-----

Captain Kathryn Janeway's POV

I struggled to push down my irritation of the latest incident as I crossed into the bridge and headed towards the middle and everyone straighten their posture. Neelix slumped towards the security console, despite Tuvok's raised eyebrow, in embarrassment at the latest events.

"What have you found?" I asked as I placed my hands on my hips and looked at the viewscreen of a rather rough-looking planet. Mollie let out a yawn and decided to make herself comfy on the floor as she gracefully fell asleep. I looked over to Harry, who quite frankly looked like a wreck. His usual combed hair was a mess, his uniform was rumbled and he was sweating a lot.

"We're picking up definite dilithium signatures, Captain. The strongest readings are originating from ten to twenty kilometres inside the planetoid." Harry nervously reported as he wiped sweat from his brow.

"It also looks like there's a series of subterranean caves with an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere." B'Elanna added from the engineering station.

"Class M. It'll make mining a lot easier if we can go in there without environmental suits." Chakotay suggested as he moved from his chair to stand beside me. I did my best to ignore his gaze, which lasted longer than it should have. I quickly moved a few steps forward and glared at the rotating planet.

"How much dilithium are we talking about?" I asked. A slight flicker of hope fluttered. We were in desperate need of dilithium. This could be just what we needed.

"It's hard to get a precise reading. It could be anywhere from five hundred to one thousand metric tonnes." B'Elanna replied as she bent closer to her console to get a better look.

"Just as I said. I bet there are a few Yallitaian engineers who'd give all three of their spinal columns to know where this planet is." Neelix boasted as his mood improved.

"Commander, take an away team down into those caves and do a preliminary geological analysis. Lieutenant, you'd better get your dilithium refinery on-line." I ordered. People quickly scattered around the bridge to action.

"It'll be ready to go in three days." B'Elanna called out as she handed a padd full of orders to an ensign to go to engineering.

"Ensign Kim." Chakotay called towards Ops. Harry almost broke his back snapping to attention. He quickly moved away from his station to follow Chakotay as someone else on the bridge took over his station. Neelix rushed away from Tuvok. After years of friendship, I have been able to detect little changes in Tuvok's body expression which might help me understand him better.

Tuvok's shoulders got a little less tense. His eyebrow went down, his fingers moved less like a robot across the console. He was relieved. Who wouldn't be? Since day one, Neelix is convinced he can make Tuvok smile.

"Where are you going?" Chakotay demanded as Neelix stepped beside them just outside the turbo lift.

"With you. I've been studying my tricorder operations manual. Lieutenant Torres has brought me up to date on dilithium geophysics. I've been preparing for this mission all week." Neelix insisted as B'Elanna blushed and tried to hid her face with a padd. Everyone looked towards me for an answer. I sighed and nodded towards the group.

"Very well, Mister Neelix." I replied. He gave me the brightest smile he could and almost skipped into the turbo lift with Chakotay and Harry.

"I think you'll find me extremely helpful, Commander. I remember the first time I flew past this planet, it was about three years ago-"

"Deck four." Harry barked in irritation as the turbo lift doors hissed shut.

-----

Harry Kim's POV

We all beamed down to an underground cavern that split into three tunnels just in front of us. We each quickly turned on our wrist beacons and pulled out our tricorders to scan the area.

" It looks like there are several large deposits in this general vicinity. Let's split up and begin taking geological scans. Keep your comm. channels open at all times and don't wander too far. Stay within a fifty-metre radius of this position." Commander Chakotay ordered. Neelix and I nodded. I for one was happy to be away from Neelix. He really screwed up this morning and seems just a little too bubbly to me.

We each quickly moved off. I hurried into the second tunnel as Neelix went to three and Chakotay to the first one. After a few minutes of walking down the empty tunnel and keeping a careful eye on my readings, my combadge chirped. I tapped it quickly.

"Chakotay to Kim."

"Kim here. Go ahead." I chirped.

"I'm still picking up dilithium signatures but there are no dilithium formations here. Have you found anything yet?" He asked as I switched my tricorder scan to geo-strato. Hoping to find some dilithium because I am really starting to hate the rations.

"I'm running a geo-strato analysis of the rock in this vicinity." I stopped in my tracks and waved the tricorder around. "So far there's no indication of any dilithium."

"Keep looking. Chakotay out." And with that. I was alone again. I let out a frustrated sigh and started down the corridor again.

-----

Neelix's POV

I happily hummed down the tunnel, humming my favourite nursery song my sister used to sing to me before bed, so many years ago. My thoughts drifted to my new crewmates. Mostly of the Captain's children and Lieutenant Filters. Many of the crew tend to avoid them, probably reminded of the family they left behind and feel jealous that the Captain at least has her little ones. But that is only what I have heard the crew talking about in passing. At least they have Bini.

Bini seems sort of like an outcast of the crew. The Ex-Maquis don't like her and the Starfleet officers tolerate her because of their training. I feel rather sorry for them but at least they are around each other. My tricorder started to beep insistantly as I snapped back to reality. I quickly tapped my combadge as the readings became clear and I looked at the end of the tunnel.

"Neelix to Commander Chakotay."

"Chakotay here. Go ahead."

"I think I've found something. A large cavern approximately twenty metres from my position. I'm reading a huge dilithium formation there."

"Don't go any further! Neelix. Stay within the search radius. I'll be with you in a minute." He ordered. I was so confused. My tricorder showed a big build-up of Dilithium but...nothing is there! Just a cavern wall. I went over my readings again. The same as before.

"But it's right here. I'm in the cavern now, Commander, but I don't understand this." I looked around the cavern.

"Let me guess, nothing there."

"Not so much as a sliver of dilithium, and yet according to my readings I should be surrounded by it."

"All right, I've had enough of this. Kim, Neelix, we're heading back to the ship. Rendezvous at the-"

My tricorder beeped again. This time it was different.

"Wait a minute. I'm getting unusual readings from this rock face. Traces of organic energy. Looks like a bio-electrical signature. I think there's something alive down here. It's about two metres into this rock face." I said and looked around again.

"Neelix, I said get back here! Neelix, did you hear what I said?" Chakotay insisted.

"Just one minute, Commander." I mumbled.

I suddenly heard a whooshing sound and quick footsteps rush behind me. I spun around. My heart beating rapidly. I haven't been this scared since-

Someone is hiding...

There is a corridor in front of me...What? This wasn't here before.

"Hello? Is there someone there? Hello? I know there's somebody-"

Suddenly, an alien with a twisted face of flesh jumped out from one of the big rocks, holding an energy weapon, before I could even really reach, I saw a flash of light and unimaginable pain go through my body. I wanted to scream, I needed to scream but I can't! It felt like someone ripped out a large part of my body as I collapsed to the ground, shaking uncontrollably, trying to gasp for breathe but I can't! I can't breathe!

I was barely aware of the voices around me as I reappeared in Voyager's sickbay.

-----

Harry Kim's POV

Commander Chakotay and I quickly moved Neelix to the surgical bed as the EMH rushed into action. He quickly brought over his medical bay.

"Get the blood-gas infuser." He barked. Chakotay looked at him like he had grown two heads.

"The what?" He asked.

"Equipment storage unit two, second shelf on the left. Now!" The EMH barked. Chakotay quickly nodded and ran off. I tried to hold a shaking Neelix still as the doctor loaded a hypospray.

"Hold him still." The doctor insisted. I nodded and redoubled my efforts to hold him down at the doctor shoved a hypospray against his neck. He gradually began to stop shaking and "relax" against the biobed.

"What's happening, Doctor?" I asked.

"He's going into a coma." He snapped back without even looking up at me. Chakotay quickly ran back with a small device which the doctor greedily took from his hands.

"The infuser will keep his oxygen levels stable for the next hour or so, but after that he'll die. His lungs have been removed."

-----

(30 minutes later.)

Lieutenant Bini Filters POV

Micheal, Sarah and I stood in sickbay, watching Neelix vital's with a little guilt. Yep. We are here because of guilt. I looked at Micheal and Sarah across the biobed, both staring down at Neelix. Sarah's eyes were dry from crying but the evidence was still there, Micheal, of course, was stoned face. Always trying to be as strong as his mother but once in a while, his face would change to guilt-stricken.

"Is this our felt?" Sarah whimpered.

"What? No." I replied and looked back down at Neelix.

"But we insulted him." Micheal countered. "We called him a frog face."

I did my best to stop my chuckling internally that was fighting to get out. Frog Face Neelix. Haha! Nope, nope, not the time.

Frog Face Neelix.

I couldn't stop from chuckling and holding it back was killing me. I started to laugh and braced myself against the biobed as Sarah and Micheal looked at me with horror. Then Sarah started to giggle and laugh along with me. Micheal was trying to be mature and keep a straight angry face but broke too and started to laugh.

I couldn't look at Neelix anymore without laughing so I moved away from him and braced myself against a wall to stop laughing as Tom moved the medical equipment around, giving us confused looks as we finally pulled it together.

Suddenly, the Commander and Captain entered. Micheal immediately started to glare at him as Sarah cast an uneasy glance between the two. Yep, turns out my little chat with him a few weeks ago did not work.

"By the time we got to him, he was unconscious." Chakotay explained as they entered. They didn't seem to notice anyone else as they walked towards Neelix's biobed.

"How could anyone remove his organs so quickly?" She asked as the EMH moved away from his office and Tom almost fell to the floor trying to get away. Tom quickly looked around to make sure no one watched him do that and walked off, trying to act as nothing happened.

"The Doctor says whoever did this used some kind of transporter to beam the lungs directly out of his body." Chakotay added as they reached the biobed, Mollie had finally shown herself. Why did I not see her before? She is now sitting beside the Captain, wagging her tail.

"Mollie!" Sarah squealed. Janeway jumped a little as they both dived for the dog. Mollie stood up and started to lick them and jump around as they laughed and followed her in that little spot.

"Kids!? What are you doing here?" The Captain demanded as she placed her hands on her hips and glared at them with her chin high. They slowly got the message to stop playing with Mollie and pay attention. Even Mollie stopped and looked up at her with big puppy dog eyes.

"Hi, Mommy." Micheal mumbled as Sarah looked close to tears again.

"What are you two doing here?" She repeated. They looked at each other, then towards me, then back at their mother.

"We called Neelix a Frog Face and wanted to appologize." Micheal almost whispered out but was loud enough for everyone to hear. Tom stopped abruptly in his tracks as he began to shake in an attempt to not start laughing as Chakotay tried to hid a smile and covered his mouth.

The Captain looked around at them. Clearly not impressed at their maturity level. Thank gosh she hasn't noticed me yet. Sarah and Micheal looked at the ground in embarrassment. She bent down and pulled them into a hug. They both gave her a loving smile and hugged her tightly back before she pulled away and smiled at them again.

"OK, I understand. But don't call Neelix a frog face again, alright? He is a part of this crew." I saw the amusement cross her face as she spoke. "But, I do think it is time you two go to our quarters OK? Bring Mollie with you. I will try to be back there by lunch."

They brighten up considerably and nodded.

They quickly scrambled together. Micheal grabbed Mollie's collar and they all quickly rushed out. They barely colliding with Kes as she entered, not that they really cared. Micheal yelled out a quick sorry as they ran past her and out of the room.

Kes, of course, was on a warpath. I don't think she really noticed the kids either as she stormed in with fury and worry plastered on her face as she glared at us all and looked down at Neelix.

"What happened?" Kes snapped at everyone.

"It appears that Neelix was attacked. We don't know how it happened, but someone has surgically removed his lungs." Janeway attempted to lightly explained. Not that you can really explain something...lightly like this. Kes rushed forward and stood at Neelix's side. Keeping a death grip on his hand.

"Did you find any evidence of the life sign that Neelix reported?" Janeway asked as she looked over to Chakotay for answers.

"No."

"Captain, I've analyzed the sensor logs from Neelix's tricorder. The bio-scanner picked up a single class three humanoid organism." Harry announced as he entered sickbay, holding up a padd for reports. Janeway gratefully took it and scanned it with her eyes as the Doctor moved past us and held up the medical tricorder over Neelix.

"The blood-gas infuser will keep him alive for another forty-seven minutes. The only chance for his survival I see at the moment is to get his own lungs back." He explained.

"Can't we fit him with a pair of artificial lungs?" Janeway asked.

"His respiratory system is directly linked to multiple points along his spinal column. It's too complex to replicate. I may be able to surgically reattach the organs if we get them back. In the meantime, I'll have to search for other options."

"Commander, I'm taking an away team back to the planet. You're in charge until we return. Inform Mister Tuvok I want three armed security detachments to accompany us. Issue type three phasers." she barked. She moved past us. Suddenly, Chakotay whirled around and grasped her wrist. I don't think he thought that through.

Tom and Harry swore under their breaths and back away from them as Kes looked startled, Chakotay looked shocked himself as Janeway looked ready to murder him.

"Let go of my wrist, Commander." She growled in a deadly voice. He quickly let go.

"I am sorry, Captain. But you can't go down there. What about your children?"

She sucked in a deep breathe. But she put on her Captain's mask again and narrowed her eyes towards him.

"I will be coming back, Commander. It will be quick. I assure you." She snapped and spun around and stormed out. Harry jogged out, following her. Kes had finally pulled up a chair and clutched Neelix's hand still. Except for her attention, like everyone else's was on Chakotay as he stood dumbstruck there.

"That was not smart." I mumbled. Chakotay gasped when he looked over to me.

"How long have you been standing there?!" He demanded.

"Long enough to know you screwed up." I snapped back. Tom rolled his eyes towards me.

"She means that she has been here the entire time." Tom clarified. Chakotay simply scowled at him and gestured me to follow him.

-----

Kes's POV

Bini and Chakotay both quickly left to whatever duties they needed to perform. The Doctor rechecked Neelix's vitals as Tom finished up.

"Mister Paris, did they teach you how to run a respiratory series in your bio-chemistry classes at the Academy?" He asked.

"No, I'm afraid they didn't." Tom replied.

"Fine, I'll run it myself. Get me a pulmonary scanner." He looked at me. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I'm not leaving."

"All right, just keep out of the way."

-----

Ensign Harry Kim's POV

"Here it is. This is where Neelix was standing when he was attacked. According to his tricorder log he was scanning this rock face when he detected the life sign."

The Captain, Tuvok and I stood in the cavern where Neelix was attacked only a few short hours ago. Captain Janeway began to run her hand on the cave wall.

"Neelix said there was a life sign two metres behind this wall, but my tricorder says there's nothing but solid rock for another fifteen metres." She said.

"Sounds like our tricorders aren't giving us the real picture behind what's going on here." I muttered as we continued to rely on our untrustworthy tricorders for useless data. Suddenly the Captain jolted to a stop and reattached her tricorder to her belt, moving to touch the wall with both her hands.

"Wait a minute. The rock is warmer here." She called out. I moved forward and also touched the wall. She was right! Well, of course, she is. She is the Captain! I looked down at my tricorder again, finally showing some real data about the temperature of the wall.

"You're right, Captain. There's a two degree differential in this section of the wall." I said.

"There are no natural geological phenomena that could be creating this heat source." Tuvok suggested. The Captain pulled out her phaser and aimed it at the wall.

"Let's make a little heat of our own." She ordered. We lined u next to her and all fired at the cavern entrance, the wall flickered away to a bright corridor. We all put away our phasers as Tuvok was the first to check his tricorder.

"There was a highly sophisticated forcefield in place." He said.

"There's a chamber down this corridor."

-----

Lieutenant Tom Paris's POV

I looked over at the beeping console, connected to Neelix's vital signs.

"Doc, I think his cellular toxicity level is rising." I called out. The Doctor rushed out of his office.

"It's up to thirty-two percent. Let's see if we can stabilize those levels. Get me a cytoplasmic stimulator." He barked as he reached the biobed. I looked at the medical tray and stumbled around trying to find one on it. I looked back up at him, embarrassed.

"Um, Doc? We don't have one."

"Then replicate one!" He barked, I nodded and rushed towards the replicator near the entrance of the room, but ended up hesitating because I don't know how to even get one replicated without knowing the design schematics. "The design schematics are in the ship's medical database."

"Right." I nodded and ran to the other part of the sickbay.

-----

EMH (Doctor's) POV

I couldn't help but feel a little agitation at Tom Paris as he rushed out of the room, looking for the design schematics. I may be a hologram but I was still able to feel annoyed. I was programmed with it. I updated the console, muttering to myself in the process.

"The man drives a seven hundred thousand ton starship so somebody thinks he'd make a good medic." I muttered as Kes fidgeted next to Kes.

"I can survive with one lung, can't I? What if I donated a lung to Neelix?" She demanded.

"A transplant is not an option. No one on board is a compatible match for a Talaxian." I reasoned and moved to the far end of sickbay as Tom replicated the device.

"We're going to need a completely new way to oxygenate his blood supply and relay neuro-electrical impulses. Our replicators can't produce compatible artificial organs for him, but maybe there's a way to mimic their functions and give us direct control of his respiratory system." I explained. Tom nodded in understanding. Suddenly I was caught with a bright idea! one of my best ideas, for that matter. "Computer, is there an identification matrix on Mister Neelix from the last time he used the transporter?" I demanded.

"Affirmative." It replied.

"Transfer it to console four." I ordered and headed towards Neelix again. Tom finally got the device and ran after me as I reached the console again.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he watched me enter in commands in the computer.

"I'm using the transporter matrix to get exact specifications for Neelix's lungs."

"I thought you just said we can't replicate his lungs."

"We can't. But if I can reconfigure my emitter array I might be able to create a pair of holographic lungs for Mister Neelix." I snapped back.

"Holographic lungs?"

"If it's successful, we can precisely control his pulmonary functions to allow normal breathing." I clarified.

"But a hologram is just a projection of light held in a magnetic containment field. There's no real matter involved." He insisted. I would have liked to have only done my next move based on an experiment but he did insult me. He had this coming to him.

I raised my flat hand and slapped him across the face. Kes gasped behind me and Tom stumbled back in surprise. Rubbing his cheek in shock and pain.

"W-what happened? Why did you do that?" He snapped.

I ignored him as I pointed to myself. While adjusting my controls on the console behind me.

"Now, you hit me."

He smirked a little. He attempted to slap me but it just passed right by. His jaw dropped for a moment.

"The magnetic containment field that creates the illusion of my body can be modulated to allow the matter to pass through it or be stopped. I might be able to modulate the holographic lungs in the same way, allowing oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass from the lungs to the bloodstream." I added. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"I want to know what this means. What are you going to do to him?" Kes demanded behind us. I turned around and focused my attention on my patient as Tom stood there still dumbstruck.

"There's no time to explain the exact procedure to you right now."

"Oh, you'll make the time, because I'm not going to let you perform any experimental surgery on Neelix until I know exactly what you're doing and what the risks are." she argued as she pressed a finger against me to make me listen to her.

"The risk is that it won't work, and if it doesn't he'll die. But it is his only immediate chance for survival. If he does survive, he'll have to be held motionless in an isotropic restraint. The lungs need to be perfectly aligned to his internal physiology. The computer won't be able to compensate for any body movement whatsoever." I said bluntly. She was taken aback for a moment but quickly recovered.

"How long will he have to stay like that?" She asked as she looked down at Neelix.

"For the rest of his life, unless the holo-lungs can be replaced by his original organs. And he will never be able to leave the holographic environment of this room. The holo-lungs would disappear the moment he went out the door." I replied.

"Kes, I know it sounds pretty grim, but it's better than losing him completely. This way, he'll still be alive, and maybe we can find a better solution somewhere down the road. What do you think Neelix would want?" Tom said to try and soften the blow.

Kes shrugged but never looked away from him.

"I'm not sure. But I do know that I want him to live." She said softly.

-----End Of Chapter 12. Next: The Phage. Part Two.-----

AN: Sorry that I haven't posted a new chapter in a while. I have been pretty busy with school and got Writer's block.

Sidenote: The Prime minister did something really screwed up and my Law teacher refuses to talk about it. It has to do with the Law. Besides, the Canadian elections are starting. Not to mention Ford screwed up the entire school system. It might take me a while to post the next one based on all this.