Title: Rest of Eternity
Author: Dana Quell
Rating: G
Classification: A, R,
Summary: Something's seriously wrong with the captain, but
can she and Chakotay admit their feelings for each other
before it's too late?  First person view, told from
Chakotay's p.o.v.
Disclaimer: Kathryn Janeway, Chakotay, the Doctor, and Tuvok
do not belong to me.  They belong to Paramount and Viacom,
and to the wonderful writers of the show.
Author's Notes: I know I have a tendency to ramble on, and
on, and on in these things, but I won't, I swear.  Promise!
This is just a really short story I got one night while I was
trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep.  The next day I wrote
it.  And joy!  It was finished the same day!  That's only
happened to me twice, I think.  But I digress.  I rambled, so
here's the story.

Rest of Eternity
By Dana Quell

     I was called down to her quarters that day.  Why I had
no idea, but I was about to find out.
     I took a deep breath and entered her quarters.  The
Doctor was already there, and I didn't think I was going to
like what he was about to say.
     I was right.  "She's not doing so well.  She's in lots
of pain, and I can't figure out why.  All I can do is
administer pain killers," he said, a grim expression on his
holographic face.
     "Can I see her?" I asked, the question the only one I
could think of.
     The Doctor nodded.  "Yes, but you have to realize that
this is very serious.  There was internal bleeding, which I
managed to stop, but I can't treat her until I find out
what's wrong, and I can't do that unless we get her to
Sickbay.  But she's in too much pain to be moved."
     I bit my lip.  This did sound serious; so serious that
maybe she wouldn't get up and walk away from this like she
usually does.  I decided to ignore the Doctor's statement for
now and walked past him into her bedroom.
     "Hi," she said softly from where she lay on the bed when
she saw me.
     I looked at her, and saw her usually shiny auburn hair
dulled.  I smiled, despite this, for appearance's sake.  "Hi.
How are you doing?"
     She sighed.  "Not so well.  Every move I make brings
shockwaves of pain.  The Doctor's done all he can, I know,
with the painkillers, but. . .I'm afraid, Chakotay."
     I moved and sat on her bed.  "What are you afraid of?"
     She turned her usually clear blue eyes toward me, and I
saw that they were no muddled with pain.  "I'm afraid that
I'm going to die, Chakotay, without you ever knowing how I
feel about you."
     "Kathryn-" I started, trying to stop her from saying
what she needed to.  She will have to make it out of this
alive.  Soon she'll be captaining this ship again, and all of
this would be a memory.  Or so I thought.
     "Chakotay, don't stpo me from saying what I need to,"
she replied, sitting up with great pain etched across her
face.  "The Doctor's optimistic, too optimistic, but I know
that I'm not going to live.  So I have to tell you."
     I moved closer to her in order to help her stay sitting.
She continued.  "Chakotay, I love yo-" she was interrupted by
a spasm of pain.  I helped her to lean back into the pillows,
but her pain did not cease.  I called for the Doctor, who ran
from the main room, tricorder in hand, to attend to his
patient.
     His tricorder started to beep slower, and I looked to
her.  She was staring back at me, the emotion in her eyes
clear.  I knew I had to tell her the truth before she died.
     "Kathryn, I love you, too," I said.  She nodded her
acknowledgement, then closed her eyes and died.  "Kathryn," I
gasped.
     The Doctor shook his head.  "I'm sorry, Commander."
     I managed to find my voice.  "Inform Tuvok, and have him
start making funeral preparations.  If anyone needs me, I'll
be on the holodeck."  He nodded, and I stumbled from Kathryn
Janeway's quarters into the corridor, heading for Holodeck 1.
And that is where I remain, living out my life with my
beloved holographic Kathryn for the rest of eternity.