Notes: This was written for the 2015 VAMB Guess the Pairing contest hosted by Ewige.  Thanks again for such a fun contest!  Characters and episode will be revealed in chapter 2.

Time for a Change by Cheshire

He coughed all the way to the turbolift. It wasn’t entirely exaggerated, but it did help delay any awkward questions. For such a small woman, she had sure moved fast. Of course, she hadn’t been that small at the time, but still.

He rubbed his neck as he sagged against the wall of the turbolift. Things were not going as he’d imagined, and he’d severely underestimated her. Who in their right mind reacted that fast to seeing themselves? Most people experienced some sort of shock or denial, but not her; she’d gone right for his throat.

The turbolift slid smoothly to a stop and the doors opened to allow entrance to the blonde Borg.  She raised an eyebrow in question, and he straightened away from the wall of the turbolift. “Seven.”

She nodded in return. Turning to face the doors of the lift, she called for deck ten. Then, “Captain, are you unwell?”

“What-” he had to clear his throat before he could continue. “What makes you say that?”

“You have a contusion developing on your neck and your breathing is irregular. If you are unwell, you should report to sickbay,” she said.

He ground his teeth together, resisting the urge to tell her what he really thought of her observations. All of this was her fault. If only she hadn’t gotten in his way. He gave her a close approximation of a smile. “That’s where I’m headed now.”

“Shall I instruct the computer to take us to deck five then?”

“Computer, deck five,” he snapped, earning another haughty raised eyebrow.

They rode the short distance in silence. When the lift doors slid open, Seven asked, “Do you require an escort?”

“It’s my ship, Seven.” He stepped out. “I think I can find my way to sickbay.”

Seven frowned before her features settled into her default expression. “Very well.”

He balled his hands into fists as he walked towards sickbay. Strangling her would be something he could actually enjoy.  The doors for the medical bay slid open at his approach.  “Doctor, report.”

At least the doctor had given him only good news, but it was no sooner than he’d extinguished one plasma fire that another had risen up in its place.  And this one wasn’t going to be as easy to avoid; however, being captain did have some advantages. He’d left standing orders that he knew were being obeyed, and that would give him just enough time to leave Voyager and its various disappointments behind in a cloud of space dust.  It was past time for him to move on.

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