~ The Lightening ~

[fenriz275 0]

"Of course I want you in the child, our child's life. You are the father." She said. Chakotay was hopeful but he could sense that there was something else she wanted to say.

"But?" He added. Janeway searched his face, hoping she could find the right words.

"Chakotay. You're my dearest friend. Maybe if we were going to spend the rest of our lives on this planet then you and I, we would have a life together. But we're going back to Voyager." She said.

 

"OH to H*ll with Voyager." He shouted. "If I could spend the rest of my life here with you and our child I would be the happiest man in the universe. But I know that's not going to happen so we have to talk about the future Catherine. You've left me out of this thing so far, I want to know what is going to happen between us!!" He demanded.

 

"You know I can't tell you that , Chakotay. I don't know! I wish I did but I don't!. Now leave me alone for a while, I need to get some sleep. I worked hard all day out there in the cold and tomorrow will be just as busy and just as cold, and I don't need this sort if inquisition from you right now. Now get out of my room and leave me alone!" Janeway yelled.

 

"Alright Catherine, I'll leave you alone but I want you to understand we are NOT through with this discussion!" Chakotay stormed out of her room and slammed the door shut behind him. After a few moments he wanted to go back and apologize but he decided it would be best to let it alone for the night. He sat in front of the fire thinking for a while before he went to his room and tried his best to sleep.

Edited September 3, 2004 by fenriz275

[fenriz275 0]

The weeks past slowly and the topic wasn't brought up again. Their daily routines and rituals took up all their time. When one day Janeway noticed the vibrations in the ground were starting again. There hadn't been any for months. All the strange occurences seemed to have stopped. When once again, at their cabin door, who showed up but Sam. This time with his mate and the two girls. Only now his mate appeared to have something very much in common with Janeway. She too was pregnant.

 

Obviously the winters here on the planet are very difficult for the primates. And with Sam's mate being heavily pregnant she appeared to be having trouble walking and she was moaning quite a bit too.

"Chakotay?" Janeway said.

"Look, look at her. She is looking for a place to lay down. I think she is going to have her baby, right here, right now."

"We have to let them stay." Chakotay agreed.

Janeway quickly went to her bedroom and brought out a thick blanket and laid it down near the fireplace where it was warm.

[Jeanway 0]

"OH Sweetie." Janeway said as she placed it on the floor and the monkey all but fell down on it. Janeway kneeled down beside her the monkey placed her head on Janeway's lap and looked up at her, obviously in labor.Sam refused to leave his mates side.

 

Chakotay picked up the two little ones and they clung to him. Janeway stroked her head and talked to her trying to get her mind off her pain. "I think we need to give you a name, little one." Janeway said to her. "What do you think?" She asked Chakotay. 'Well?" She asked. "I think that would be a good idea." He said. "One of the little monkeys he was holding was grooming his hair like he was another monkey, her sister was searching through his pockets. "Alright then, how about we call you 'Delilah'? Sam and Delilah? How's that sound Chakotay? You like that?" She asked him. "I think it's perfect." He answered. "And since we are naming everyone, how about 'Romulus and Remus' for the girls? We can call them Rommy and Remmy?" "Great" Janeway said. "And now we just have to wait for the next addition to arrive and we'll name it too, we might as well, everyone else has a name." They both laughed.

 

 

Delilah rolled around on the blanket struggeling to give birth. She'd roll on her stomach then squat and cry out in pain. Janeway did her best to try to comfort her and each cry from Delilah brought echoing cries from the other monkeys. This went on long into the night. Chakotay left a few times through the night to get more wood from outside for the fire.

[Jeanway 0]

Delilah, now locked in pain, screamed as she squated on the floor. Gripping onto Janeways leg. When suddenly a new baby monkey appeared under her. Delilah turned and looked at it then resumed her squat and screamed again. Yet a second baby fell out onto the blanket. Chakotay and Janeway, Sam and the two girls just watched. In the flickering firelight, Delilah began to touch them and pick them up. Wiping away the remnants of their birth from around their faces she kissed them and held them close to her breasts, one at a time. They each in turn began to suckle on their mother. Delilah was an experienced mother and knew just what to do.

 

Janeway took notice of their anatomy and said to Chakotay quietly. " Two boys." Then smiled at Chakotay. He walked over to her and sat down beside her on the floor. He could see how this affected Janeway, she had tears in her eyes. He put his arms around her as she rested her head on his shoulder. " I guess we need to think of two more names." He said almost in a whisper in her ear. She just nodded a yes.

[Jeanway 0]

When suddenly the ground under them began to vibrate. Stronger that the previous vibrations, things began to fall from the table and the shelves and onto the floor. Chakotay and Janeway just watched as the monkeys began to get frightened and dart around the room, not knowing what to do. They screamed and jumped onto Janeway and Chakotay, who did their best to try to calm them. Delilah just layed on the blanket, immersed in her new babies as they nursed. Delilah was almost asleep with her arms around them.

 

"They have to stay here with us." Chakotay said. "I know." Janeway answered. Chakotay thought to himself for a moment then said. " I'll build them some sort of nest, so they will feel at home here." "A nest?" Janeway asked. " Yes, well, a box, or a bed, whatever you want to call it. You don't really want all these monkeys sleeping in your bed, do you?" Janeway laughed. "Not really." She answered. "I still have some wood left over from building the cabin. Let me see what I can put together for them today." He said as he donned his coat and headed for the door.

[Jeanway 0]

Now outside, the sun was up and it began to get a bit warmer. It had snowed again and the last remnants of snowflakes were strangely hanging in mid-air. "Catherine, come look at this." Chakotay yelled from outside. "Coming." she answered and opened the door to the outside. She stood there her mouth dropped open. "Well, I'll be, just look at that." She said to him. "I've never seenTHAT before." The snowflakes were suspended in the air, not moving up or down. As all around the cabin the snow appeared to be travelling upward too. Along with a few tree branches and bushes. This could also explain the monkey's sudden appearance at their cabin the night before, they were frightened.

 

Chakotay spent the next few hours dragging planks from a pile next to the cabin. Measuring them and cutting them with his phaser. He fit them together and searched for the container of wooden pegs they had left over. He talked to himself as he worked and Janeway, thinking he was calling her kept coming outside asking what he wanted. She was busy inside tending to the monkeys. Feeding them and offering Delilah water and food, which she refused. All she wanted to do was nurse and sleep.

[Jeanway 0]

By mid-afternoon Chakotay had finished with the nest. He needed to bring all the pieces inside and set it up and put it together with all the wooden pegs in place. "Can you move them all to the bedroom while I put this together, Catherine?" He asked. Since they were all lying right where the nest was to be set up. "I'll try." She answered. When she tried to move Delilah with the two babies Delilah began to scream and display her objections loudly. Janeway decided she would drag them by the corner of the blanket into the bedroom. She began to drag it and Delilah showed no objection as Sam and Rommy and Remmy followed. She closed the door behind her and came out to help Chakotay assemble the nest.

 

Next to the fireplace he laid out the cut planks and began piecing it together. He asked Janeway to hold a piece at a time as he inserted the pegs and slowly the nest took shape. Janeway marvelled at his skill at building things and was impressed at it's design. Piece by piece it took shape until it was assembled. "It looks like a canopy bed, Chakotay." She said to him. "That'll give them a sense of security." He answered. Janeway was pleased as was Chakotay at the final result. "Let me get some extra blankets for their mattress then I'll go get them." She said.

 

From out of her locker she found a couple blankets and spread them out onto the platform under the canopy. "There. I 'll go get them." She opened the bedroom door and said to Sam. "Come on." As she waved her arm. Sam and the girls walked out and ran right over to the nest and jumped up into it. They loved it. "Let me get Delilah and the babies now." Janeway said as she walked into her bedroom and dragged the blanket back out by the corner across the floor.

Edited September 3, 2004 by Jeanway

[Jeanway 0]

It was a bit of a struggle to get Delilah and the babies separated just long enough to get them up onto the platform. But once on there they settled down and resumed nursing. The family was all together now and they all layed down and fell asleep in front of the fire. Chakotay and Janeway exhausted also, retired to their bedrooms.

[Jeanway 0]

Everyone slept until the afternoon. When Janeway heard screaching and commotion coming from the great room she got up to see what was going on.

 

Chakotay was up and laying on the floor with the girls. They were climbing and jumping all over him trying to pull off his clothes while Sam was tring to pull of his shoes. Chakotay was laughing hysterically and the monkeys were doing their version of laughing.

 

Delilah and the two newborns were laying in the nest. The babies nursed contantly. Janeway could see that Delilah was exhausted, she barely moved or lifted her head. Janeway decided she'd better try to get her to eat, the babies needed milk.

 

She looked into the stores of food and found some fruit and some roots in a bin near the door. She poured a cup of water for her and tried to get her to drink. She did and she ate the fruit and some of the roots too. Then she layed back down.

[fenriz275 0]

While Chakotay held Rommy and Remmy at bay Sam managed to pull one his shoes off. He climbed up a bookcase and leapt from the top of it to the rafters. "Hey give that back." Chakotay laughed.

 

"What's going on in here?" Janeway said playfully, standing with her hands on her hips. When Rommy and Remmy spotted Janeway they went for HER shoes. Chakotay sat up and laughed. They managed to get them off her and they escaped into the nest with their Mama and the two babies. They wanted to give the shoes to the babies. The babies lay there, each with a shoe on their little bodies. Chakotay could see that Delilah wasn't strong enough yet to deal with two adolescent monkeys so he picked Rommy and Remmy up.

"Can I have my shoes back now Please?" Janeway said to Chakotay.

[Jeanway 0]

"Catherine?" Chakotay asked as they sat at the table eating the evening meal. "yes." She answered as she sipped her tea. "I must go hunting, soon." He told her. "Yes, I've been waiting for you to bring that up. Since the snow and the ground being frozen all we have sits over there in that bin." She answered as she pointed towards the door. "You need meat now and so does little Delilah, she lost alot of blood delivering those two babies. Look how weak she is." He said. "I know." She answered. "I'd like to go in the morning at first light. I just wanted to discuss this with you so you won't wonder where I am in the morning." He told her. "By all means, go. And take Sam with you, alright? Leave the girls with me, they're no trouble." She added with a smirk. ^_^

 

At first light, just as he told her, he and Sam headed out for the hunt. Sam beat Chakotay out the door and ran ahead of him. "Hey, get back here you, you little monkey." He yelled to him as he climbed a tree. Of course he ignored him and just kept climbing. As Chakotay walked on the forest floor Sam followed him high in the tree-tops, swinging from branch to branch. Rousting birds from their nests and causing the snow to fall down on Chakotay's head frequently. "Stop that." He yelled up to him over and over. But as usual, Sam ignored his pleas. And screached and screamed at everyything that moved up there. Chakotay stopped and stood still and hoped Sam would quiet down up there. Chakotay saw something moving up ahead of him. Something large. Not the usual small animals he was used to seeing.

[Jeanway 0]

Chakotay crouched down behind a cluster of bushes and pulled an arrow from his quiver. Luckily Sam finally was quiet. When the ground started to vibrate and shake. What ever that animal was that he saw in the distance was now running right towards him, obviously in fear. Chakotay squinted his eye to get a better look at this thing that was running at him. He held up the bow, the arrow ready, pulled back and let it fly. The animal stopped and fell to the ground. Chakotay waited for a few moments before he approached the hairy mass that lay in the snow. He crept up to it silently and waited to make sure it wasn't moving. It was dead. He stood over it now. Looking down at a mass of antler-like protrusions on it's enormous head. A mass of gray-black hair covered it's lifeless body. Chakotay knelt down next to it and felt it's chest for movement. It was still warm but not breathing. From where the arrow entered, a stream of blood still leaked and puddled in the snow. He put his hand on the beast and said "Thank you for giving your life so we can survive."

[Jeanway 0]

After a few moments Chakotay knew it was time. He pulled out his knife from it's sheath and began to carve up the beast. First he removed the hind legs. The enormous size of them, he knew he'd be making more that one trip to get the other two and the body back to the cabin. As he carved he thought about making a sort of sleigh that he could pull with the animal on it. The wagon would be of no use in the snow, it needs rails, not wheels. With a long piece of cording he tied one leg to his back and dragged the other back to the cabin. Not realizing at that time Sam hadn't made a sound for at least an hour in the trees.

 

Making his way back through the forest he got back to the cabin. "Catherine." He yelled as he approached. She opened the door and stood there in nearly total shock at the sight. "So much meat, Chakotay. Can we eat it all?" She asked. "Well, we'll certainly give it a good try, won't we?" He answered with his usual handsome smile. "Here untie this thing, it's heavy." He asked her. She fumbled with the knots for a bit then they unravelled and the leg fell to the ground next to the other one. "Let me do a bit of carving so we can eat." He said as he leaned over the leg and began cutting and pealing off the skin. "I'll get some more wood and get the fire going real good." Janeway said as she began taking logs from the pile next to the cabin door.

[Jeanway 0]

A metal frame was fashioned by Chakotay while they were building the cabin. He had planned to build a stone fireplace and had an idea to take some of the framework from the modules and cut it and shape it with his phaser. He made it to fit the fireplace opening perfectly. " Where's the frame, Catherine?" She laughed.

"OH, it's in my bedroom, I was using it as a table, Haha, I'll go get it." She went back inside, got it from her room and placed it in front of the fire. Chakotay continued skinning and carving up the hind-leg. Janeway brought out a large plate and began picking up the large slabs of fresh meat onto it. "Come on, put the frame in the fireplace so I can get this cooking, I'm starved." She told him. He stopped, went inside and fitted the frame inside the opening. "AH, perfect fit." He said. Then he went back outside to finish carving until Janeway cooked what he had already cut up.

 

Within a short time, the smell of the roasting meat filled the air. Delilah sat up in the nest and looked very aware, she was hungry. This was a good sign, Janeway thought. "Smells great, no?" Chakotay said as he came in with another plate of cut up meat. "Yes, it's almost ready." Janeway told him.

[Jeanway 0]

As the first batch of meat was finally ready Janeway took it from the fireplace and piled it on the plate then replaced it with the raw meat Chakotay had brought in. She sat at the table and began cutting it up and eating. She walked over to Delilah and the waiting Rommy and Remmy and the infants. She handed each a piece of cooked meat which they sniffed first then ate. Janeway ate pieces as well. Chakotay came back in with yet another plate of raw meat. Sat at the table and helped himself to the cooked meat and began to eat. "This is wonderful." Janeway said. "Yes, it is, isn't it." Chakotay answered. Finally Chakotay said. "Where's Sam Catherine?" "OH MY, where is he?" She answered. They both walked outside and began calling him. Sam was nowhere to be seen or heard.

[Jeanway 0]

"Let me finish eating then I have to make a sled to pull the carcass back here with. I can use the wagon as a frame, take off the wheels, then attach some rails to the bottom, that should work." Chakotay told Janeway. He finished eating then went back outside. Followed soon after by Janeway and the girls, Rommy and Remmy, calling for Sam. They walked in the direction Chakotay's foot-prints in the snow led them from his hunting trip. They walked and called his name for hours with no response from Sam. It began to get dark so they turned around and started walking back. About half-way Chakotay appeared dragging the sled. "You want me to help you?" Jeanway asked him. "No, I can do it, I may not get back until after dark though." He answered. He continued on through the forest towards the carcass and Janeway and the girls returned to the cabin. Almost out of sight she turned and called to him. "Chakotay, keep calling for Sam, will you?" She yelled. "Of course, Catherine." He answered.

[fenriz275 0]

Snow began to fall when Chakotay had gone a short distance into the forest, shrugging it off Chakotay decided to press on. As he trekked through the forest Chakotay saw no trace of the primate. He wondered where Sam had gotten. It took some time for Chakotay to reach the site of the kill and it was after dark when he finally arrived at his destination. Immediately he knew that something had been feeding on the beast while he had been gone.

 

Inspecting the animal, Chakotay could see that whatever it was that had been here possessed powerful jaws. The flesh had been pulled from the bones, leaving some of them cracked and broken, and he could see evidence where something had held onto the body with claws or perhaps talons. Chakotay had seen little evidence of predators on this planet but maybe it had been drawn by the scent of blood. "Could be a scavenger." Chakotay mumbled to himself. The fresh snow obscured any tracks that might have been left behind. Despite what had been eaten and what Chakotay himself had taken back to the cabin earlier that which remained of the animal would feed them for a long time. With nothing else he could do Chakotay went to work loading the animal on his sled. He made sure his phaser was at the ready, just in case.

[fenriz275 0]

It took some work to get the animal loaded onto the sled. When it was done Chakotay had to take a few moments to catch his breath. Leaning against a tree Chakotay took a few gulps from his water pouch that he had inside his backpack. Swallowing the cold liquid Chakotay looked around the area again. His second inspection revealed no more than the first had. Turning back to the sled Chakotay stopped when he heard a faint sound. A painful whimpering sound.

 

Following the sound a few feet into the underbrush Chakotay found that it was coming from inside a hollowed out tree that had probably fallen some years earlier. "Maybe I've found our dinner guest." He thought to himself.

Setting his phaser on maximum stun Chakotay leaned down and looked inside.

 

"SAM!" Chakotay cried in surprise. Cowering inside, the primate was cradling his arm. Bleeding badly, it looked broken. Sam needed help now. Chakotay reached in and pulled the monkey out of his hiding place. Sam howled in protest and tried to resist. Once in Chakotay's arms he clung to him with his good arm. Sam was shivering from fear and the cold. Chakotay secured his arm with a makeshift splint and then wrapped him in his coat. Using his pack to carry Sam he slung it over his back. With Sam hanging from his back and pulling the sled Chakotay made his way back to the cabin. It was very late when he returned but Janeway was waiting for him.

Edited September 5, 2004 by fenriz275

[Jeanway 0]

Janeway, exhausted and well fed now, fell asleep when she returned to the cabin as did Rommy and Remmy. Coming in from the cold into the warm cabin nearly knocked them out instanty. Delilah and the newborns were also asleep in the nest. Janeway woke up and was anxious to see if Chakotay had returned with Sam. She put on her jacket and her boots and walked outside, closing the door behind her. She stood outside waiting and listening for any sounds. It had stopped snowing and the four moons of this planet shown brightly in the starry sky. Affording great illumination when it bounced of the snow. She paced back and forth in front of the cabin until she heard the infants inside whinning and fussing, so she went back inside. Almost immediately Chakotay opened the door and walked in saying. "Look who I found." Then turning around to show Janeway Sam in his backpack. "SAM!" She said loudly as she walked towards him, he screamed. Janeway reached up to lift him out and Chakotay said. " He has a broken arm, be careful." Janeway said, " What happened Sam?" to the monkey as she lifted him out. He told her in his own language, a series of squeels and sqawks and screaches in rapid succession. She held him as he clung to her and she sat down in the chair in front of the fire cuddeling and comforting him. "The splint looks good Chakotay." She told him as she inspected Sam's broken arm. "But he does need a bath, he stinks. I'll heat some water, I do too. Chakotay answered.

[fenriz275 0]

Chakotay went into his room. A few moments later he dragged out his locker. Emptied of everything and flat on the floor it could double as a tub. Janeway had already put a few pots of water on the fire. Janeway went over to Sam and gently inspected his arm. "We're going to have to do something about this after you get cleaned up." She said. While Chakotay emptied the heated water into the tub, Janeway fed Sam some of the cooked meat the rest of them had been eating earlier. Chakotay put some more water on to heat.

 

"His injury certainly hasn't hurt his appetite." Chakotay observed. "That's good. I'm glad I found you, little guy. I just wish I knew what got a hold of you."

"You didn't find any clues?" Janeway asked him.

"Nothing. Just what I could see on the animal. Whatever it is it's pretty nasty." Chakotay said. "I wonder why we haven't seen it before?" he added. Sam held a piece of meat in his good hand.

 

Janeway thought for a moment and said. "Since the season has changed perhaps it's a migratory animal or maybe a bird. Did you see any tracks around the carcass?"

"No. But the snow covered everything." Chakotay answered. "A migratory animal or bird would be possible. If only the Universal Translation worked on Sam." Chakotay emptied the rest of the water into the tub.

 

Noticing the fire was getting low Janeway walked outside to get more wood. When as if Divine Providence had heard her question she heard a faint cawing coming from above. She looked up and saw six massive pairs of wings circling the cabin. Their outlines showed up clearly as they flew in front of the moons in the night sky.

Edited September 5, 2004 by fenriz275

[Jeanway 0]

As Jeaway and Chokatay wrestle Sam into the bath, Janeway tries to hold his broken are up so he won't hurt it again.Sam finally settles down as the warm water relaxes him. Janeway gently washes the cuts on it and talks to him in a comforting manner, while Chakotay washes the rest of him. "Let's get this overwith as soon as possible,I don't want him getting excited again." Janeway told Chakotay.

 

Chakotay lifts Sam out of the bath an wraps him in a towel and sits in front of the fire with him to dry him off.

Exhausted, Sam falls asleep. Chakotay puts him the nest and covers him with a blanket.

The towel he threw across the chair to dry is now floating in mid-air. Janeway and Chakotay just watch. "UH OH," She says. "It's starting again."

They watch as things around the room begin to lift up. The table and chairs are hovering several inches off of the floor and the monkeys' nest floats with the monkeys clinging to it. Alarmed the primates cry in fear. Janeway moves towards her tricorder that is sitting on the table. The motion causes her to float across the room, her feet off of the ground. She flies right into Chakotay and he catches her.

[fenriz275 0]

A clattering and scratching sound begins to come from the outside on the roof of the cabin. A scrambling of something they couldn't figure out.

"Wait." Janeway said. 'Maybe it'll stop."

They held each other for a moment and listened quietly, Janeway's feet still off the floor. When finally she was back down, they both walked outside to see what was making the noise on the roof.

 

It was these large birds Janeway had seen and heard earlier in the evening, trying to land on the cabin but more like bouncing, they couldn't seem to stay down. They stood and watched until finally the birds flew off into the night.

"We have to find out what's happening on this planet Catherine." Chakotay said.

She looked at Chakotay with a worried look on her face.

"How exactly do we do that?" She asked him. "We only have our tri-corders. If Voyager was back by now we'd be off this God-Forsaken planet. What is holding them up? I want to get out of here." She said as she began to cry, something she never does.

 

Chakotay put his arms around her.

"They'll be here Catherine. I don't know what's taking them so long but I know Tuvok. They'll be here." He said.

While they were outside it had started snowing again, the snowflakes were drifting slowly down to the ground, just like they were supposed to.

"Let's go back inside, where it's warm." Chakotay said.

[Jeanway 0]

The monkeys were agitated at the noise coming from the roof also. When Janeway and Chakotay came back into the cabin they were running around in a panic. Even the infants were scared. Delilah held onto them as they whimpered and cried in the nest. Sam did the best he could to drag around his broken arm, and Rommy and Remmy were on top of the frame of the nest. "Looks to me like they know these birds." Janeway said to Chakotay. "Funny we haven't seen them before this." Chakotay answered. "Oh wait" He continued. "I think I have seen one of these birds before. The first sunrise on my Vision Quest. A large bird was circling me as I woke up, but then it flew off. Yes, I have seen them before, up on the mountaintop." He added. "They must be birds of prey." Janeway added. "They must be what were feeding on the carcass. And do you think Sam was attacked by one of them as well? She asked. "Very well could be." Chakotay answered.

[Jeanway 0]

[Jeanway 0]

The following morning, all was quiet. Janeway was asleep in her room, Chakotay in his.The monkeys were also asleep. The babies were now a week old and beginning to explore inside the cabin out of their nest away from their mother. Janeway was the first human to wake up. It was cold and she wanted to put on her shoes before she walked out to the great room to get the fire going. "Where are they?" She said to herself. She looked around and noticed her door was ajar, so she opened it and saw the two babies sitting in her shoes in front of the nest on the floor. She laughed out loud. "You little monkeys." She said then tapped on Chakotay's door."Yes." He answered. "Come out here, you just have to see this." She said through the door. "Be right there." He answered. He opened his door and Janeway stood there with her arms fold over her enormous belly and pointed at the two babies in her shoes. Chakotay laughed and said. "Looks like we have a pair of shoe-monkeys on our hands. They seem to have forgotten all about last night." Janeway answered. "The babies might have but I don't think Delilah or Sam have." She went over to Sam who was in the nest with Delilah. "Yes, thats good. Those birds broke Sam's arm, I'm sure of it. Why else would he react this way?" Janeway then said. "That explains why he was hiding down on the ground in a hollow tree. They must have surprised him when he was climbing." Chakotay brought some of the cooked meat to the nest. He gave it to Sam and Delilah who were both hungry and took it eagerly. "You're one lucky boy Sam." Chakotay said.

She came in and told Chakotay the birds were back.

 

Janeway walked outside to get more wood for the fire and found the birds were back and perched on the carcass feeding. She came right back in and said. "You'd better get that thing carved up and we have to put the rest in the cellar under the floor so they won't get it. They are out there tearing it up again. Janeway suggested.

Edited September 5, 2004 by Jeanway

[fenriz275 0]

[Jeanway 0]

^

^

^

Janeway after seeing this--->> :)

[fenriz275 0]

Janeway and Chakotay went back outside. She watched him as he skillfully cut and tore at the animal, slicing off the skin in one piece.

"We can use this Catherine, for in front of the fire on the floor." He said.

"It needs a good wash Chakotay, it stinks." She said.

"I'll start working on it after I finish here." He replied. "All of this meat will keep well in the cellar. We don't have much down there now so there's plenty of room."

Chakotay cut off huge slabs of muscle. Then sliced it and laid it in a pile next to him in the snow.

 

"Catherine, why don't you drag one of the lockers outside here. We can wash it outside. I don't want to bring it in until it's clean." He asked her. When the large pieces were cut Chakotay went to work cutting off the smaller pieces. Janeway dragged the locker that had doubled as a tub the night before.

 

As Chakotay carved and cut, Janeway began filling the locker from the stream. The flowing water wasn't frozen.

"Soap, Catherine, lots of soap." He told her.

"Alright, give me a chance here to get this thing filled. I'll get the soap." She told him angrily. The monkeys still inside began making a ruckus and Janeway stopped and went back inside.

"Everything alright in there?" Chakotay hollered.

"Yes, they just wanted us to come back in. A little separation anxiety I think." She yelled. They both laughed. Chakotay finished filling the tub and submerged the pelt so it could soak for a few minutes.

[Jeanway 0]

After a while Janeway came back out side. "They just wanted their Mama." She said jokingly.She looked down into the locker at the half submerged pelt. "Well, back to the stream." She said picking up the pail.She made another dozen trips back and forth before the pelt was totally submerged.

 

The water was black with dirt and stench. Then it occurred to her. "Why don't we just drag this down to the stream? It'll certainly be easier on my back. And the flowing current will do all the washing and rinsing for us."

 

Looking at the dirty water Chakotay smiled. "Good idea." Chakotay set his knife down and pulled the pelt from the tub. "Good idea, glad I thought of it." She said to herself. "Let's just soap it up real good before we drag in down there." She said to him.

 

As they dragged the heavy, dirty, soapy, wet pelt across the snow to the stream they failed to notice or remember they had left the cut meat out in plain view for those preditory birds.

[fenriz275 0]

Chakotay turned around in time to see several of the birds spiralling down towards the carcass and the meat.

"Oh no you don't."

 

Chakotay dropped the pelt and sprinted back towards the cabin. He could see a couple of the scavengers land and begin pecking at the freshly cut meat. Chakotay reached for his phaser at his waist. His hand grabbed at empty air. He had left his phaser on the table inside the cabin. Chakotay picked up a thick piece of kindling as he ran past the woodpile outside the cabin. Swinging his club above his head he ran at the birds, yelling as loud as he could.

 

Janeway stood and watched, not wanting an incident. After Chakotay had run them off Janeway said. "Why don't I stay here with the meat, you come back when you have the pelt in the stream and for Heaven's sakes put some rocks on top of it so it doesn't float downstream on us."

Several minutes later Chakotay returned.

"We'd better get this all into the cellar." He said. "Then I can go wash the pelt."