From lauren35@juno.com Sun Apr 27 17:14:55 1997
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 15:01:39 EST
From: Lauren E Taylor
To: bobc@edgar.k12.wi.us, Eraalpert@aol.com, dgc@shirenet.com,
makeitso@icanect.net, jessica@p24818.cle.ab.com, MForrest@mrj.com,
mack3@ix.netcom.com, rolento@alphalink.com.au, whq@acpub.duke.edu,
jowalsvi@sendit.sendit.nodak.edu, djtst18+@pitt.edu
Subject: ‘Don’t Take The Girl’
Summary:
with a very slim chance of survival.
DON’T TAKE THE GIRL
By: Lauren Taylor
One day. Just one day ago, Tom’s life seemed like it couldn’t get
any better. He was doing great at his job, having a great time, and he
was back to normal with B’Elanna Torres. They had been uncomfortable
around each other ever since that pon farr incident three months ago, and
he was glad that all of that nonsense was over and done. Now, his world
was falling apart, all because of the events that had occurred just that
morning.
*******************************************************
The warp drive was in desperate need of repairs. Engineering was
working day and night just so Voyager could at least make it to warp
three, which was the fastest the ship could go at this point. Hell, even
warp three was risking it. Tom Paris was bored to death. He wasn’t
allowed to even go warp one while the work was being done, he had to fly
at impulse.
“Engineering to the bridge” Carey’s frantic voice rang out.
*Carey? Why isn’t B’Elanna contacting us?* Tom asked himself.
“Bridge here. Is there a problem, lieutenant?” the captain asked him,
fearing the worst.
“I’m not sure what happened. One minute things were going fine, and then
consoles were exploding, and there were plasma leaks everywhere.
“Is anyone hurt?” the captain demanded.
*Please say she’s alright. Please say she’s alright.* Tom prayed.
**********************************************
Tom’s prayers were no use. B’Elanna was severely injured, and the
doc’s outlook wasn’t good. She was stabilized for now, in a coma, but her
chances of survival were slim. She had sustained third degree burns all
over, and a massive head injury. The doctor and Kes had healed the burns
on the outside, but there was nothing they could do for the damage done
inside.
Tom sat by her bedside, looking down at her. She looked so
peaceful, as if she was just sleeping, and not…he couldn’t even think
those last words. He grabbed her hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“B’Elanna, you are not going to leave us. I won’t let you leave us. You
mean too much to me for me to let you go like this. I would take your
place if I could, just so you could be the one to live. I love you,
B’Elanna. I don’t want you to go.” he whispered to her, as the tears
welled up in his eyes.
******************************************************
Take the very breath you gave me
Take the heart from my chest
I’ll gladly take her place if you’ll let me
Make this my last request
Take me out of this world
God, please, don’t take the girl
“Don’t Take The Girl” Tim McGraw
******************************************************
“B’Elanna, I brought you something.” Tom told her, as if she could really
answer. She layed there, the same lifeless face that he’d looked at for
the past five days.
Before he sat down, he placed a picture on the side of the
biobed. It was of him and B’Elanna, at that fateful luau when he had
tried his hardest to make her see how he felt about her. The picture was
of B’Elanna, in that great looking dress, sitting down, and Tom, in his
Big Daddy-O Surf Special shirt, standing behind her, with his arms around
her shoulders. Tom hoped that, if *when, Tom, when* she woke up, that
would be the first thing she would see. That, or him, sitting right
there, looking into her beautiful brown eyes.
The doctor wandered in to sickbay from his office, and wasn’t the
least bit surprised to see the pilot sitting there, watching over
B’Elanna.
“Hello, lieutenant.” the doctor said, with annoyance in his voice, but
also, a rare bit of compassion.
“Doc, how’s she doing?” Tom asked him, eagerly.
“I’m afraid that she is becoming worse.” the doc told him, and watched
the expression on the young man’s face fade to worry.
“Is she going to…I mean, will she…?” Tom tried to ask.
The doctor nodded his head, and said, “I’m afraid there isn’t much more
we can do for her. Her injuries were to severe and…” the doctor’s voice
trailed off as he watched the lieutenant bury his face in his hands, and
cry.
*****************************************************
Tom raced to sickbay, hoping that some miracle had occurred, and
that she was going to live. He had just gotten off of duty, early, in
fact, thanks to the captain. He ran out of the turbo lift, and walked
into sickbay. He stopped suddenly as he saw the events that were
unfolding right in front of his eyes.
“Now!” the doctor ordered Kes.
The young Ocampa pressed a button, while the doctor stood over B’Elanna,
trying everything he could to bring her back. Neither of them noticed the
man standing in the doorway.
The doctor stood still for a moment, and told Kes, “Make a note
in the logs. Time of death, 15:35 hours.” he said solemnly.
Tom stood for a moment, and watched as Kes tried to hold back her
tears. She then ran into the doctor’s office, and prepared to add
B’Elanna’s death into the logs.
Somehow, Tom made it over to B’Elanna. The second he saw her, he
began crying. He hadn’t cried since the day his mother died, and now, he
found himself crying every time he was with B’Elanna these past few days.
He heard the doctor, on the other side of sickbay, reporting what had
happened to the captain.
He heard Kes’ muffled sobs coming from the office, and the captain’s
tearful response to the doctor.
********************************************************
Everyone was gathered in the mess hall to say goodbye to B’Elanna
Torres. Harry had already made a speech, and now it was Tom’s turn.
“There was something special about B’Elanna Torres. Something I can’t
quite describe. I don’t know how I’ll get through life without her there.
Some people might wonder what the point of her being here was, if we only
got to know her for three years. Those three years were the best three
years of my life, with her. She was always there if I needed someone to
talk to, or just a shoulder to cry on. This past week, when she was
fighting for her life, has been horrible. To see her just laying there,
motionless, was impossible. I just kept praying that she would wake up,
and miraculously recover, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. I feel
fortunate enough to have known her for these three years, no matter how
short that is. She will always be a big part of my life and I will never
forget her.” he said, managing to hold back his tears through the entire
speech.
Later that night, Tom sat on his couch, staring at a picture. A
picture of a lost friend, and a lost love.
THE END
Sorry it’s so depressing!
Legal stuff. Paramount owns ’em, we just borrow ’em.