Emotions Series 03 Forgotten Emotions Read online

  Janeway and B'Elanna stared at each other then at Daylia.

  "Who is Teryek?" B'Elanna asked.

  Daylia smiled with an arrogant pride, "He is only my most prized male. He looks like he came from the gods themselves. Just wait until you see him."

  The two women from Voyager stared at each other again. Their curiosity was piqued. They would stay a while longer just to see this "god" themselves.

  Chapter 7

  Daylia led them into her formal garden area. It was in full bloom with many different colored flowers and the smell of the flowers permeated the air. The Lady took her place on the throne that had been placed just for the meeting on a raised dais in the middle of the garden.

  Two of the male slaves were wearing the typical green outfits but third wore a dark red outfit. The one wearing the red walked with his blond head lowered, eyes carefully focused on the ground, to take a position to Daylia's right. He then slightly raised his head so his blue eyes focused on an area of ground just in front of the Voyager visitors.

  B'Elanna's breath caught in her throat. She had to fight the urge to launch herself at the slave for there beside the leader of the Amazons stood her husband. But something was wrong, he didn't seem to recognize either her or the Captain. Looking at him again, carefully studying his appearance, she noted that Tom looked like hell, as if he hadn't slept in days. She wanted to go to him, to hold him, but something about him caused her to hesitate.

  "Tom's alive," she whispered to the Captain. She was stunned.

  Janeway nodded, knowing that the half-Klingon wanted to run to her husband.

  The Captain stared at Tom, concerned.

  *Something's wrong with him,* Janeway thought noticing his almost catatonic state, *He's emotionless. I've seen Vulcans show more emotion than he is right now.*

  "Teryek, come here!" Daylia demanded.

  B'Elanna and Janeway watched as Tom moved to stand in front of the Lady. Janeway heard B'Elanna gasp when Daylia kissed Tom, passionately.

  "That p'taQ!" B'Elanna shouted. She made a move to charge, but Janeway held her back. "Let me go!"

  "B'Elanna, look. There's something wrong. Tom doesn't know what he's doing. He's kissing her without emotion -- like a zombie. He's expressionless."

  B'Elanna ceased to struggle as she saw Tom turn around. She tried to catch his attention, but he only stared at the ground. She was confused. *He never was so quiet, so meek. Something is definitely wrong here.* Daylia looked back at the two before her and noticed the interest they showed in her prize possession, "This here is Teryek, he is my favorite slave," she explained as she ran her fingers through his golden hair. With her other hand she stroked down his back until her fingers encountered his butt which she squeezed as if she were inspecting fruit in the marketplace. "He pleasures me beyond belief."

  B'Elanna tried not to growl, but a grumble did escape.

  "What does his name mean?" Janeway asked, trying to keep the conversation light for the moment.

  The Lady smiled, "Do you like it? I named him myself. It means, Sun that Shines on Water. He is such a magnificent sight to behold, isn't he? No one else looks like him. He is unique and therefor mine."

  B'Elanna growled low. Her husband was alive and right there before her. She wanted him back, and she was not going to let this p'taQ stand in her way. When she saw Daylia run her hands through Tom's hair, and kiss him again, she launched herself at them.

  "NO!"

  B'Elanna shoved a surprised Daylia away and cupped Tom's face in her hands. She stared into his eyes and froze. There was no light shining in those blue orbs. There were dull and lifeless. A chill went up her spine.

  "Tom?" Was all she got out before she felt herself shoved to one side.

  "Keep your hands off of Teryek! No one is allowed to touch him. He's mine!"

  B'Elanna's growl was that of a tiger being challenged. She stood up, scowling.

  "He is my husband! My mate! I marked him! He's mine!!"

  Daylia laughed. Tom only stood there mute, his eyes lowered, his dull blue gaze fixed on his feet. Something about the angry woman seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it. He wanted to look at her; to see what she looked like, but the memory of the laser whips, prevented him.

  "How can he be your mate?" the Lady asked laughing. She then narrowed her eyes at B'Elanna. "Let me see you prove it," she challenged.

  B'Elanna snarled and abruptly turned away from the Lady *what can I say to her to prove that he's my Tom?* she thought. Immediately though she knew. Pivoting back around, she raised her hand pointing her finger at Daylia, "He has a diamond-shaped mole on his back, near his spine. If it's there, he is my mate."

  Daylia glared at her, she couldn't remember any such marking so she nodded. Then in a cold voice she asked, "If he doesn't, will you take your precious dilithium and leave?"

  B'Elanna and Janeway nodded. The half-Klingon then added, "If there is a mole, he will come with us."

  "Agreed," Daylia said. She then turned to the young blond man, and ordered him to remove his tunic.

  B'Elanna could barely contain herself as Tom, his back to Daylia, without any hesitation removed his dark red tunic. She remembered every inch of his body. She wanted so much to touch him after so long apart.

  Daylia gasped as she stared at Tom's back for there before her was the mole just as the Voyager woman had described. She glared at B'Elanna, there was no way she would give up Teryek no matter what she had said before. She went to the Captain and B'Elanna, scowling.

  "He stays. Take your dilithium and go!"

  B'Elanna snarled, her eyes flashing, "Tom does have a mole! I have had enough of this. He is mine! I challenge you for him! If I win, he comes back with me!"

  The Lady laughed inwardly. She knew she could take this small woman easily. She accepted and readied herself.

  B'Elanna ignored everything around her as she prepared to fight the Lady. She was going to win this fight. For Tom. For their children. For herself.

  The Lady acted first, kicking B'Elanna, but the engineer blocked it easily. Dancing around Daylia, trying to think of the best offense, B'Elanna blocked a blow aimed at her head. Then she delivered a sharp blow to the Lady's face. Daylia went down, stunned.

  B'Elanna lifed her right foot to smash Daylia's pretty face, but the Lady caught her foot. She yanked on B'Elann's foot, causing her to lose her balance. The half-Klingon landed on the ground beside then woman.

  Daylia jumped to her feet and attempted to try to stomp B'Elanna. The engineer rolled out of the way then leg sweeped the Amazon leader sending her face first into the dirt.

  B'Elanna then got to her feet, walked over to Daylia, grabbed her long hair, and yanked her head back. Snarling into the woman's ear she roared. "I TOLD you he is MINE!," B'Elanna then slammed Daylia's face into the ground hard. She did this twice, before Daylia elbowed her in the ribs. When B'Elanna didn't budge, Daylia elbowed her again. B'Elanna let go of the Lady's head. Daylia tried to get back up, but the half-Klingon kicked her in the stomach, flipping her over. Now, on her back, she stared into the angry dark eyes of B'Elanna Torres.

  B'Elanna lifted her left foot to stomp Daylia in the stomach, but the Lady quickly rolled out of the way. She then jumped to her feet, and kicked B'Elanna in the stomach. The engineer doubled over in pain, but she still blocked the next attack from Daylia. She glared at the other woman, her dark eyes on fire. Hard and mercilous. black as obsidian they terrified Daylia. She tried to wrench her hand free from the half-Klingon's grip, but it was tight. Painfully tight.

  B'Elanna saw the fear building in the Lady's eyes. She knew this woman was a coward from the first time she laid eyes on her -- she could smell it. B'Elanna smiled wickedly as she twisted Daylia's wrist. She delighted in hearing the Lady cry out in pain. Twisting the woman's arm, she smiled in delight at another cry.

  Daylia tried to trip B'Elanna, but the pain in her arm was too much. She barely nudged the engineer's left leg, and felt her arm almost break as B
'Elanna kept twisting it. The Lady realized that she had underestimated this alien woman.

  "Enough, please!" Daylia begged.

  "Tom is mine! He will come with me!" B'Elanna shouted for all to hear.

  "Yes! Take him! Just stop, please!"

  B'Elanna smiled in victory. She gave the Lady's arm one last twist, then released her. Smiling like a Klingon warrior, she watched her foe cower in fear. She then looked to see as the entire village bowed before her. All her Klingon power vanished as she realized what she had just done. In defeating Daylia, she became the new leader. She looked at Janeway, confused and afraid.

  "All I wanted was Tom," B'Elanna said to her captain, "I didn't want to become these people's new leader."

  Janeway smiled. She knew what the engineer was thinking and decided to ease the young woman's fears.

  "I've heard of people doing this in old Earth myths. People defeating a leader of a tribe only to become their new leader. What they sometimes did was choose someone from the village to be the new ruler. Why don't you try that?" B'Elanna could see the sense in those words. She nodded to her captain, then looked around the village. Most of the people cowered before her, others stared around them confused by what had happened. Others still stood starring in defiance. Approaching these people first. B'Elanna stopped before a woman whose hair shone like fire. Staring into the female's eyes she saw courage and wisdom. Behind that she also saw tenderness and compassion.

  *Just like Janeway,* B'Elanna thought. She then spoke out loud, "What is you name?"

  The woman barely moved as she answered, "My name is Kristra."

  B'Elanna nodded, "I cannot stay here. I am needed among my people. You will be this village's new ruler."

  Kristra smiled and nodded. She raised her spear and shouted that she was the new ruler. Cheers went up all around the village. She then turned back to B'Elanna.

  "I will do you honor by giving your husband back to you. I will also give you the dilithium that you so greatly need."

  "Thank you, Kristra," B'Elanna said, beaming inside.

  Kristra then went to Daylia, who was glaring at B'Elanna. She was now standing on her feet, watching what was happening. When she saw Kristra coming toward her, she tried to glare back. She felt the burning hatred from Kristra's eyes flow to her. She backed down, trying to avoid Kristra's stare.

  "You," the word was a growl, "You have shamed us by making us take slaves instead of mates. Very few of us dared to free our slaves, for fear that you would banish us. I want a man to be with me because he wants to, not because I own him. From now on all slaves in the kingdom will be free. They will be welcome to stay here and help the changes become a reality if they so wish, they will be most welcome. Or they can leave. They are free to chose where they go and what they do."

  Cheers from the women could be heard all around. A few of the males cheered along with them. Everything quieted again when Kristra spoke again.

  "As for you, Daylia," Kristra spat out the name, "You are banished from this village. If you so much as show your face here again, you will die!" Daylia tried to plead to stay. The village was all that she knew. She rarely ventured outside the village. Kristra stopped her pleading by pointing her spear into the forest.

  "Go, Daylia, and never return!"

  To move Daylia along, Kristra whacked the former leader across her butt. Daylia, yelped, and quickly ran into the forest. She could hear laughter from the village flood her ears as she disappeared into the forest. Kristra returned to B'Elanna. She motioned for Tom, but he didn't move. He was looking around, then quickly stared at the ground. He only moved when another male former slave pushed him toward his wife. He tensed when he felt arms move around him. He relaxed though as he somehow remembered. A feeling of security came over him. He knew these arms, but he wasn't sure how.

  Kristra felt her heart ache. She knew what Daylia did to the young man, how he had suffered, and it angered her even more. She hated knowing that such a powerful woman, who could have any man she wanted only got them through the use of drugs. She shook her head, and spat again.

  "Thank you, Kristra," B'Elanna said, thankful to have her husband back even though he acted like a stranger.

  "You're welcome. Now, for the dilithium."

  The two nodded as they followed the new leader to the storage.

  Chapter 8

  The ride back to the ship was accomplished in silence. Tom sat in the back of the shuttle his eyes focused on the floor. Once or twice when B'Elanna tried to talk to him and called him by his name, he hadn't even responded. She had to tell him that his real name was Tom Paris not Teryek. But he hadn't responded to that or to her, he just continued to stare at the floor. Finally the Captain motioned to B'Elanna to join her at the helm. She told her it would be best not to talk to Tom too much before the Doctor had examined him. She feared that talking to him too much might confuse him.

  As soon as the Captain, B'Elanna and Tom returned to the ship, they were all beamed directly to Sickbay. The Doctor upon seeing Mr. Paris immediately placed him on a biobed and performed a complete diagnostic. B'Elanna desperately wanted to stay with her husband but the Doctor insisted that she and the Captain wait in his office until he was finished.

  After what seemed like an eternity to the women, the Doctor bade them to join him by Tom's bedside.

  Tom, dressed in the typical Sickbay blue outfit, lay on his side. The EMH informed B'Elanna and the Captain that Tom had been very agitated and confused even after he had fallen asleep so he had given Tom a hypospray to help him sleep more calmly.

  "Doctor, what is wrong with him?" B'Elanna asked. She reached over and clutched Tom's right hand in her own.

  "Well, as you probably saw on the planet, he has severe scarring on his back mostly from older injuries but some are much more recent. And there is this." The Doctor pulled the back of Paris uniform down and brushed back the now longer hair to reveal bruising and puncture holes. "It appears that they have been injecting Mr. Paris with a drug that attacks the memory storage areas of the brain. It probably also facilitated his obedience."

  "My God," the Captain breathed. B'Elanna swallowed hard.

  "The newer scarring I was able to repair with the dermal regenerator, but I wasn't as successful with the older scarring. Some of those wounds were very deep. It will take many months of generative therapy for those to heal, and some unfortunately may never."

  "Those dishonorable p'taq," B'Elanna spat when she finally regained her voice.

  The Captain agreed with her engineer's assessment of the aliens albite silently. "Regarding his amnesia, Doctor. You can correct that can't you?" the Captain questioned. B'Elanna turned from focusing on her husband to look at the Doctor anxious for the answer.

  The EMH sadly shook his balding head. "I don't know. The drug they used on him and the amount that was injected into his system during that time make it very difficult to judge when, or if, he will ever recover his memories."

  "If?" both B'Elanna and Janeway chorused.

  "Let me explain." The EMH turned on a computer monitor beside the biobed. "Look at this visual display of the blood sample I took from the Lieutenant."

  The Captain and the half-Klingon looked at the monitor that the Doctor referred to. "These molecules," the EMH said pointing to blue orbs that were extremely tiny comparted to the blood cells that were on the screen, "are the drug that he was given. They act like nothing I have ever seen before. Not only do they attach themselves to the blood cells but when I examined their activity within the body they seemed to cling to the brain's cellular walls, particularly in the area of the brain that stores memories. It is that occurrence that I believe accounts for the amnesia."

  "So what is the treatment?" B'Elanna asked.

  "I just don't know. Right now I know of no medicine or treatment that will eliminate the drug in his system. I can only hope that through time they will diminish and ultimately disappear. Of course, I will continue to monitor him. I'm hopeful that in a we
ek or two we will see some progress."

  The Captain fought hard not to let her emotions show. But it was difficult, she had come to think of Tom as not only part of her Voyager family but kind of a younger brother as well. "Is there anything else we need to know?"

  "Just that as is typical for many types of drug withdrawal, we can expect nausea, shaking, headaches, and of course with this type of drug they gave him nightmares might also occur. I'm going to keep him sedated for a couple of days. Hopefully, the most serious effects of the withdrawal will be past before he leaves Sickbay."

  Two days later, Tom wakened alone in Sickbay. B'Elanna, who had stayed by his bedside for most of the two days, had received an emergency call from engineering and had left just moments before Tom awoke.