DISCLAIMER: Paramount, they're all yours, just borrowed them. No money earned.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to the Colonel for her info regarding Voyager's
layout - Liz, it's proving to be a real gem, thanks.
Oh, and there may not be two lifts, side by side, servicing the area
in question... there are here...
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Turbolift Torment Two
Or it could have happened like this
By alastria7
"Do you need assistance, Lieutenant?" enquired Seven dispassionately as she stepped into the turbolift at Deck 2. She eyed B'Elanna Torres with interest for her current situation but made no move to help, uninvited as she was.
"When I need someone's help, I'll ask for it," snapped an embarrassed Engineer, crouching down and gripping the calf of her right leg, in all shades of agony.
"Perhaps the Doctor could…"
"It's cramp, Seven. I don't think the Doctor wants to be wasting his time with cramp," she looked up at Seven pointedly, "do you?"
"A hologram cannot waste time, Lieutenant, it is simply…"
"I know what he is! And I think he'd consider this a pretty dire waste of his skills!" The Engineer fell silent, attending to her painful calf.
Occasionally Seven could be stupid. She could speak when it was not required and do endless things that were extremely annoying to others. Remarkably she kept quiet, recalling the tales she had `heard' of angry Klingons, and what they were capable of.
Something told Seven she did not want to see a Klingon in the full flight of rage in the confines of a turbolift, especially as she, Seven, was the only other passenger. "Deck 6," she informed the computer, knowing the Engineer would go on to Deck 11, and the lift moved into action.
But Seven was a compassionate creature and she became disturbed by the continued agony on the Lieutenant's face. "I could rub it for you?" she offered.
"I'll rub my own damned leg, and quit staring," gasped B'Elanna as another particularly vicious spasm overtook her. She staggered slightly and her body hit the `halt turbolift' button that came into play if the voice activation possibilities had been compromised. The lift stopped instantly.
Seven knelt to the woman who was now on her butt on the floor - right leg up and both hands kneading it furiously. She cautiously placed a hand around the Lieutenant's waist and was pleased to encounter no resistance as she began to pull the Lieutenant to her feet – well, one foot at least.
Suddenly catching on (through the pain) just who it was who was helping her, the Engineer shouted, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She pulled away from Seven as a little child might, flinging her arms in over-accentuated gestures.
"I should have thought that was perfectly obvious, Lieutenant. Of course," Seven loosened her grip and the Engineer's butt sailed groundward again, "if you do not require my assistance…"
"No," said B'Elanna quickly, gripping Seven's arm with force, "I'm sorry." She allowed Seven to pull her upright as she experienced at the same time a cessation of hostilities in her leg. "It's easing," she told no one, certainly not the irritating ex-Borg, as she continued to get her balance by holding Seven's arm. She tested her leg cautiously to see if it would bear weight.
"Perhaps your intake of sodium is deficient, Lieutenant?" offered Seven in complete innocence.
"You think I neglect myself? You think I don't know how to look after my own body?" snapped B'Elanna as a matter of course.
"What is your leg telling you?"
B'Elanna stared at the slight smirk playing over the corner of Seven's mouth. The half-Klingon was gracious enough, even in `battle' to concede a point. "Perhaps I have been a bit lax with the salt lately. Good point." She smiled at her adversary.
Seven reached around the Lieutenant, aiming for the `re-start' button behind the smaller woman.
"Hey!" B'Elanna ducked slightly, embarrassed, as Seven's face came a little too near to hers.
"I am simply attempting to re-start the lift. Unless, of course, you wish to remain here."
"OK," she said quietly, moving aside, pleased her leg was taking her weight, "start the damned thing."
Seven did, and the short journey passed without further incident, B'Elanna testing her leg and Seven watching her without appearing to be watching her at all (it seemed complicated, she thought, being around a half-Klingon).
They both breathed a sigh of relief when at last the doors opened onto an empty corridor.
B'Elanna wasn't sure exactly what happened next but she knew it ended up with the Captain coming around the corner, from the holodecks, standing before them, raising an eyebrow or two at the sight of her Chief Engineer being held aloft in the arms of her Astrometrics Officer, one yelling a lot and the other seemingly oblivious to the sounds.
"Seven? B'Elanna?"
"Cramp," gasped B'Elanna.
"Lack of sodium," explained Seven.
"Ah," said the Captain, moving past them to take the other lift, watching the two officers with interest and a smile as one seemed to be very ungrateful for the other's help. "Deck One," ordered the Captain, a little pleased to be travelling alone.
The End