Summary: On an away mission Janeway comes down with appendicitis. With Voyager out of range, and her condition worsening, who will perform surgery on the Captain?
Disclaimer: Paramount is the Great Bird of the Galaxy on this one, and owns all the characters, the ship, and the Delta Quadrant, but I own the story. It's mine, and mine alone. You can distribute and read, but this not for profit (I know I'm not good enough to get published.) and you can't have it. Comments are welcome, as long as you're not trashing me. Constructive will do.
I've written some other Voyager stories over the past couple of years, now I Think I have some stuff I can upload (Still learning how to attach documents to E-mail. It's all a big experiment to me.) I'm following the timeline on the show as it is now, I haven't included anything that could be considered canon, although, I have read Jeri Taylor's book, Mosaic. Hope you enjoy.
Appendectomy
By Pacific Drift
Captain's Log Stardate 51****.*
Voyager has just entered a small binary system, consisting of seven planets. The fourth one from the suns has proven to be a class M planet, that appears to be a good source of sonodanit. It's a substance that we had not yet encountered since entering the Delta Quadrant three years ago. Lieutenant Torres and Ensign Kim have come up with some unique suggestions for sonodanit's use, other than what it's normally used for. We have also discovered that the fifth planet appears to be rich in vegetation. I will be leading an Away mission to the fourth planet and sending Chakotay with Voyager to explore the possibility of obtaining more food supplies. Although we are not dangerously low, I would feel better knowing that we have enough in case the next system should prove to have barren worlds.
Janeway had decided to lead the away team herself that day. She'd been cooped up on board Voyager for too long a time, and felt she needed to give her legs a stretch.
"We'll be arriving in orbit in approximately five minutes, Captain." Tuvok reported.
"Good." Turning to her First Officer, she addressed him; "Chakotay, I want you to take Voyager to the other planet we scanned and have Neelix see what he can find in the way of edible plant life. Come back for the away team by 1900 hours. Hopefully we'll have found the source of sonodanit we're looking for."
"Aye, Captain. Who are you planning on taking with you on the mission?"
Janeway scanned the Bridge, "I'll need Lt. Torres, Mr. Kim and Mr. Paris. Have B'Elanna meet us in Transporter room 2 in 15 minutes."
"Yes, Captain." Chakotay replied.
When she had said their names, Paris and Kim left their posts and stood by the turbo-lift, waiting for their Captain. They were going to have to make a stop to get tricorders, weapons, and a backpack with water, and possibly some Starfleet rations.
Paris had decided a long time ago that it was always a good idea to be well prepared on an away mission, where the ship wasn't going to be in orbit, and getting help wasn't a tap of a commbadge away.
He picked up water, rations, a blanket, and Emergency Medical Kit, along with rope.
Harry watched his friend stuff his backpack. "Why are you taking all that stuff? We're only going to be down there about eight hours, and I don't think we're going to be doing any rock climbing."
"Yeah, I know, Harry, but it always makes me feel better to have some extras just in case. Ya never know what you'll encounter. Besides, with Voyager out of communications range, we've only got each other, our wits, and whatever we brought along to help us if something goes wrong."
Harry shook his head. "I don't know, Tom. It seems to me, you're getting paranoid."
Tom smiled. "I guess that's a good thing."
"What do you thinks a good thing?" B'Elanna asked as she walked in to pick up her supplies.
"Paranoia." Harry answered, and walked toward the Transporter room.
"What's he talking about?" She asked Tom.
"Oh, he thinks I'm paranoid because I like to pack a few extras that may or may not come in handy."
B'Elanna shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, to each his own. You do whatever makes you feel comfortable, Tommy."
"Thanks a lot. And don't call me Tommy. I hate that name." He called after her as the two went to join Harry and the Captain.
When Janeway left the Bridge to get her backpack and tricorder and Phaser, she had been feeling a slight dull ache on her right side.
It was probably nothing, she told herself. After all she'd had this kind of pain before, a couple of months ago. Then it had turned out to be nothing more than her ovary. An egg hadn't completely ruptured, and it gave her a few sleepless nights because of the pain and discomfort. She'd gone to Sickbay and the Doctor had given her something to ease the pain until the problem resolved itself about two weeks later.
Right now her thoughts were of getting off the ship and stretching her legs, taking in fresh, instead of recycled air, and just relaxing slightly for a few hours. If the ovary started aching more before Voyager returned to retrieve the Away Team, she felt she'd be able to deal with it. Just in case, she decided to pack an Emergency Medical Kit in her backpack. The pain killer that was inside would be enough to ease any severe discomfort if it came down to it. She just hoped she wouldn't have to rely on it.
When Janeway walked into the Transporter room, the rest of her Away Team was already assembled.
"I hope everyone remembered to pack water and rations, just in case Chakotay gets back late."
Everyone nodded. Then stepped onto the transporter platform.
When they were all in position, Janeway gave the order. "Energize!"
When the sparkle of the transporter beam faded, they looked around their surroundings. The area seemed somewhat arid, but it wasn't appreciably hot. It was comfortable.
Janeway tapped her commbadge. "Janeway to Voyager."
"Voyager here, Captain." Chakotay's voice rang through the commbadge.
"Commander, we are on the planet surface." She opened her tricorder and scanned its readings. "We're about five kilometers from the main source of the sonodanit. We can walk it. See you later."
"Aye, Captain. See you in about eight hours. Happy hunting."
Janeway couldn't help smiling at Chakotay's little 'hunting' joke. It had started with his telling her an old Indian tale about a great warrior/hunter. She hadn't believed the whole story, and questioned him about who the warrior/hunter was. He had refused to say, and since that time they had found ways to tease each other about it. No one else in the crew seemed to take any notice of their private joke.
The Away Team began heading in a westerly direction, following the readings on their tricorders.
As the day wore on, it also began heating up. The group came to the bottom of a hill, and Janeway called a halt.
"We've been walking steadily for a couple of hours now. It's starting to get hot, and these dark uniforms don't help. Maybe it would be a good idea if we took a break. We need to drink and maybe eat something."
"That sounds like a great idea, Captain." Harry volunteered.
"What's the matter Starfleet, can't take the heat?" B'Elanna teased Harry.
The young Ensign only smiled. Janeway sat down and leaned back against a rock. Looking into the alien sky, she saw some sort of birds fly overhead. It was the first time she realized that she actually heard them.
"What's ya lookin' at, Captain?" Tom asked as he sat down nearby.
"I was just watching the birds overhead. This place seems so peaceful. It's hard to believe that our sensors didn't detect any sentient life on this planet."
"Maybe it's still in it's early stages of evolution?" Harry ventured.
"Or maybe nobody's decided to colonize it yet." B'Elanna threw her few cents worth in.
"Whatever, today this place is all ours." Tom said. "Anybody up for a picnic of Starfleet rations?" He queried.
"No, but since it's all we've got..." Harry started to say.
"Would you rather have something Neelix made from Leeola Root?" Janeway asked all three.
Tom made a face, and Harry shook his head vigorously in the negative.
"Can you believe those two, Captain? They complain about almost everything." B'Elanna said.
"I remember an old saying my father told me years ago, when I was in my first year at Starfleet Academy. He said it was something handed down the generations from a very great grandmother of mine on my father's side."
"What was the saying, Captain?" Harry asked, obviously interested.
"The saying was, 'A bitchin sailor is a happy sailor.'"
B'Elanna burst out laughing, and Tom gave a sick smile, but poor Harry didn't have a clue.
"I don't understand. What does it mean?"
Janeway smiled, her eyes twinkling with merriment, and a hint of mischief. "It means Ensign, that the only reason you complain so much about hating something is that you really like it, and it makes you happy."
This made B'Elanna laugh even louder than before. By now she was holding her sides.
Harry had started blushing. He quickly foraged in his backpack and pulled out a bottle of water. Hopefully it would cool down his embarrassment.
An hour later, everyone had shed their jackets and sweaters, and were down to their tank tops. The heat was getting more intense with each passing hour. Janeway had begun to notice that the pain in her side wasn't subsiding as she had hoped it would. It had begun to ache a little more during their rest break, but she wasn't going to give into it unless she absolutely had to.
According to their tricorder readings there was still at least another 10 kilometers to go before they reached the source of the sonodanite. At the rate they were traveling it would take them at least another couple more hours.
"Captain." Harry called to her, and ran up to walk alongside. "Over there," he pointed to their left. "it looks like some caves in the cliffside."
Janeway looked in the direction Harry had pointed out. Something about the caves was almost too symmetrical. She stopped, and called to Tom and B'Elanna.
"What is it, Captain?" B'Elanna asked, walking back to Janeway.
"Ensign Kim just pointed out those caves. They don't look like they could have been made naturally, do they?"
Tom and B'Elanna studied the appearance of the cave entrances.
"You're right, Captain. They look as if they were made by some sentient life form." Tom stated.
"Why don't we take a closer look." Janeway suggested.
Again Harry called for her attention. "Captain, my tricorder is showing that there are sonodanite deposits in that cliff.
"All the better to investigate, wouldn't you say, people?" Janeway said and began to lead the way. If only her side wasn't aching so much, and the sand under their feet didn't make it so difficult to walk, she'd be able to walk a little faster. As it was, none of them were walking very fast. The heat may also have been a contributing factor. Janeway wasn't sure, but somehow she had the feeling that she was a lot hotter than the others, and she didn't know why.
Within half an hour, they were close enough to the caves and the cliff that they were now entering shade. There was still at least another kilometer to go. They stopped as soon as they were completely in shade. "Time for another drink." Paris said.
"Yeah. It was really getting hot out in that sun. The shade doesn't seem to be much cooler, but at least it's better than having that damn sun beating down on us." B'Elanna added.
Janeway didn't say anything, she got her water out and, sitting down, began to drink.
Harry had gotten his water out and looked over at the Captain. He then moved over to Tom.
"So, what do ya think, Harry. Could this be paradise, or what?" Tom asked.
"I don't know. Listen, Tom. I was just watching the Captain. She looks kinda pale, and she keeps holding her side. I don't think she's feeling to well."
Tom glanced over in Janeway's direction. He watched as she drank. He noticed that she did look pale, which was unusual, especially with the heat they'd been experiencing. Also, he noticed that there were streaks of sweat running down her forehead. He felt hot, as he was sure B'Elanna and Harry did to, but none of them were sweating now that they were sitting in the shade and not exerting themselves. He put a hand on Harry's shoulder, and lifted himself to his feet.
"Stay here a minute, Harry. I'll be right back."
As he started towards Janeway, Torres was heading towards Tom. The two met halfway. "Deserting Harry?" B'Elanna asked.
"No. Actually, we're a little worried about the Captain. Does she look all right to you?" Concern was evident in Tom's voice.
B'Elanna looked back at Janeway. "I don't know, why?"
"She looks kinda pale. And she's sweating like a stuck pig. We're not even doing anything, except sitting."
B'Elanna shot another glance at the Captain. "Yeah, you're right. Do you think she might have heat stroke or something?"
"No. She's pale, not red. But something's definitely not right. I'm gonna go over and see if she's okay."
B'Elanna nodded, and remained where she was, watching Tom and the Captain.
Janeway looked up as Paris approached. She smiled up at him briefly.
"Captain? ...Are you feelin' okay?" Tom asked, tentatively.
Janeway wasn't certain how to answer. She wasn't sure if she should tell him about her aching right side, but decided it was probably best to tell him the truth.
"To be honest, I've had a pain on the right side of my abdomen all day. It's gotten worse in the past five hours. And right now, I must admit, I feel rather lousy."
"That's what I thought. You do look pale. Maybe we should go into one of the caves. You might be able to lie down there for a while."
Janeway nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. It might also give us a better chance to find out where the Sonodonite deposits are."
Tom motioned to Harry and B'Elanna. The two picked up their gear, Harry grabbed Tom's, and walked over to where Paris and Janeway were.
"What's up?" Harry asked, trying not to show his concern.
"The Captain says she's not feeling so good, so I thought maybe it would be a good idea to head into one of those caves and let her lie down for a spell."
Torres grabbed Janeway's pack then she and Paris helped Janeway to her feet. As she rose, her abdomen gave her a sharp twinge that nearly doubled her over.
Harry was close enough to catch her if she fell. "You okay, Captain?"
Janeway grimaced. "I'll be fine. I think if I just lay down for a bit, I'll feel better."
With Tom and B'Elanna helping her, they walked toward the caves. When they were about half a kilometer away, Janeway collapsed.
"Harry, help me get her up." Tom called.
"What are you doing, Paris?" B'Elanna asked him.
"I'm going to carry her, what does it look like I'm doing." He told the Engineer, as Harry helped Tom raise Janeway into Tom's arms.
Janeway was conscious, but obviously in a great deal of pain, and incoherent. "Hang on, Captain. We're almost there." Tom panted as he carried her.
When they finally reached the mouth of the caves, B'Elanna ran along the cliff wall, peering into the mouths of the caves, trying to determine which would make a good camp.
She motioned to Harry and Tom. She was standing at the mouth of a cave just to the right of the small group.
"This looks good. It's a little deep, and it felt cool inside." She told them.
"Great. Harry, there's a blanket in my backpack. Get it out, so the Captain has something to keep her warm. Will ya?" Tom asked.
"Sure thing." Harry said, and began rummaging through Tom's backpack.
Tom carefully lay Janeway in an area that had soft sand. B'Elanna got her jacket from her own backpack and threw it to Paris so that he could make a pillow for Janeway's head.
Janeway groaned and moved her head at Tom's touch. Then she opened her eyes.
Tom gave her a sick grin. "How you doin', Captain?"
Janeway licked her lips, which prompted Torres to get her water bottle out of the backpack. She handed it over to Tom, who opened it, and raised Janeway's head so that she could drink.
"Thank you."
"How's the pain?"
"It feels like a hot knife cutting into me." She told her pilot.
Just at that moment Harry spoke up. "I'm trying to find that Emergency Medical Kit you packed, Tom."
"Good." He then turned to Janeway. "Captain. Until Harry finds the Medkit and the tricorder, I'm going to push down, as gently as I can to see where you have the most pain. Okay?"
Janeway nodded her head. Tom then began carefully pressing various parts of Janeway's abdomen. When he came to the area to her right and across from the belly button, she gasped, and grimaced in pain.
Tom immediately lifted his hand.
"I'm no doctor, Captain, but it looks as if you've got yourself an inflamed appendix."
"It's probably not that at all." She began. "I had trouble with my right ovary a couple of months ago. It's probably the same thing."
Harry had found the Medical kit and had managed to get the medical tricorder out. He handed it to Tom.
"Well, let's see what the tricorder says, Captain." He said and began scanning her abdomen.
B'Elanna had moved up behind Tom, and was standing over him, bent over and looking over his shoulder.
"According to the tricorder, it agrees with my diagnosis, Captain. Right, B'Elanna?"
"It sure does." Torres confirmed.
"It also says that you have a fever of 39.5 degrees centigrade." Tom told Janeway.
"I guess that makes you the senior officer in charge Mr. Paris." Janeway began. "With me out of commission, you'll have to see about finishing the Away Mission."
"Captain, I really think the mission can wait. You need medical attention. The sooner the better."
"Voyager won't be back for another three hours or so. I'll be fine until then."
"Not according to these tricorder readings, Captain. I don't think you realize how sick you really are."
Janeway gritted her teeth. She did know how sick she was, she just didn't want her crew to know how frightened she was by the situation.
Harry tapped Tom's shoulder. "Can I talk to you, outside?"
Tom gave his friend a quizzical look, then stood up and followed. "What is it, Harry?"
"Look, I was thinking that I could take one of the tricorders and maybe enhance our comm signal to contact Voyager and tell them what's happening."
"Sure, it's worth a try. To tell you the truth, Harry. I'm really worried about the Captain. According to the medical tricorder her appendix could rupture at any time. If we don't get her to the Doctor before her appendix ruptures, she could get peritonitis, and die within an hour."
"I know, Tom." Harry tried to console his friend. Tom felt a strong loyalty to Janeway because she had given him the chance that no one else would, and he was afraid of loosing this woman. Harry felt almost the same way. Janeway had been almost like a surrogate mother to him since they'd landed in the Delta Quadrant. "I'll do my best to boost the comm signal. I'll get in touch with Voyager and tell the Commander to come for us."
Tom shook his head and went back into the cave. B'Elanna had stayed by Janeway's side, giving her water, as well as mopping her brow.
"How's she doing?" Tom asked.
B'Elanna's eyes were full of worry. "Not so good. She just vomited a few minutes ago, and she said the pain is getting worse. She's very ill, Tom."
"Yeah, I know. Harry's trying to see if he can't boost the comm signal with a tricorder and contact Voyager."
"Do you think they'll get here in time?"
"I hope so."
While B'Elanna watched Janeway, Tom decided he'd see what the Captain had packed in her backpack. He was surprised to find that she had also packed an Emergency Medical Kit. He pulled it out, and loaded the hypo-spray with a vial of painkiller. He then went over to where Janeway lay.
"Here. Give this to the Captain. It'll ease her pain."
"You sure that's a good idea?"
"It's okay. I brought one and so did the Captain. I got this out of her pack."
"That's not what I meant. Its just that, giving her something will mask her symptoms."
"We already know what's wrong with her, B'Elanna. It's not going to make a lot of difference if she's more comfortable."
Just then Harry came running into the cave. "I got 'em. I got a hold of Voyager. I told the Commander about the Captain, and he said they're on their way. It's going to take them about two hours to reach us."
Tom looked at his friend. "I don't think she has two hours, Harry. According to the tricorder readings her appendix is about to rupture any minute."
"Tom, maybe the only thing to do would be to remove it." B'Elanna suggested.
Paris looked at the half Klingon like she was out of her mind. "Yeah, right. In case you've forgotten Doc is still aboard Voyager, and we're stuck here."
"That wasn't what I meant. I meant that you should do the surgery."
Tom's mouth dropped open. "You're kidding, right? Me? I only took one year of physio-biology at the Academy. I'm in command, remember? Not science or medical."
"Maybe Doc could talk you through it. You've got more knowledge than we do about Human physiology." Harry chimed in.
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