The BLTS Archive - The Sarah Vignettes: Hold On by Sileya (sileyathesultry@gmail.com) --- Disclaimers: All hail mighty Paramount. They own it all, I just aspire to. The inspiration for this vignette was the song "Hold On" by Sarah McLachlan. She owns the lyrics, I just stuck most of them in some sort of order in here. --- The transporter beam fizzles into reality, and the Doctor sticks his head out of his office. "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." A man sits on the floor, desperately supporting the man in his arms. =Hold on...= Another transporter beam screams and a groups of battered crew appear, all standing. "Doctor -" Kathryn Janeway barks. "Tuvok is critically injured..." =Hold on to yourself...= Harry Kim supports Tuvok's torn and bleeding body in his arms, trying to hold him together, tears streaming down his face. "Tuvok... Tuvok..." he cries softly. =This is gonna hurt like hell.= The Doctor and Chakotay manage to get Tuvok up to a biobed, Tom Paris holding back Harry with some difficulty. "Hold on, Tuvok..." Harry begs, almost collapsing in Tom's arms from his own wounds. Tom pulls him over to another biobed where Kes waits with a tricorder and hypospray. =Hold on to yourself...= The Doctor works quickly over Tuvok, murmuring to himself. Kathryn stands to one side expectantly, waiting. After over half an hour, the Doctor steps away and sighs, "Only time can tell, Captain. He was wounded very badly, and although he is in a healing trance, it seems his mental activity is running too high. I would assume it is a mental link to someone else..." the Doctor looks over at the unconscious Harry Kim. Time passes, and Harry Kim sits by Tuvok's bedside, willing him to heal. =What is it in me that refuses to believe... you can't leave me, Tuvok... you can't.= He sobs softly as Kes stands across the Sickbay, her head low with empathic sadness. "This isn't any easier than a 'real' relationship," she murmurs to the Doctor. He nods. "Yes, Kes, it seems these two are rather attached to each other. This is as real as it gets." The Doctor shakes his head. "But I fear that Commander Tuvok is too far gone." He pats Kes's shoulder and moves into his office. Harry takes Tuvok's hand, trying to focus his thoughts. =My love, you know that you're my best friend... you can't leave me. Hold on. You know I'd do anything for you... I'd die to save you.= Tuvok vaguely hears Harry from such a great distance, where he lies curled in a dark corner. =Harry?= =My love, let nothing come between us... my love for you is strong... strong and true enough to pull you back from death's door.= Harry extends a hand into the darkness, reaching for his lover. Tuvok looks into the darkness, wondering as he hears Harry's voice. =Am I in heaven here... or am I..." his mind grasps for something solid. Harry squeezes Tuvok's hand once again. =I'm at the crossroads, Tuvok... come back to me.= Tuvok's life signs stabilize, and Harry drops his head to the bed, exhausted. Kes checks on them both, murmuring. "So now you're sleeping peacefully. I'll stay awake and pray... that you'll be strong tomorrow. Strong enough to hold on." Harry delves further into the darkness surrounding Tuvok, his voice insistent and pleading. =We'll see another day. And we'll praise it and every other we have together. I love the light that brings a smile across your face... Oh god, if you're out there, won't you hear me! I can't lose him! I know we've never talked before... but the man I love is leaving...= he sobs inside, torn apart by the pain of losing his lover to death, but just as insistent that Tuvok will be cared for in the afterlife. =Won't you take him when he comes to your door?= Tuvok wanders in the darkness, not sure which way to go. =Am I in heaven here, or am I in hell? Harry is not here... I must be standing at the crossroads... Harry, help me...= Harry reaches one last time, so deep that he should have lost himself, but he reaches Tuvok just in time... just in time..and they walk together back to life, to living, to love... --- Kes smiles the next day as Harry sits next to Tuvok, no longer crying. "He's going to be OK," Harry insists. Kes nods and goes to tell the Captain. Harry turns to Tuvok's resting face, lightly caressing his cheek. "So now you're sleeping peacefully," he whispers. "And I lie awake and pray that you'll be strong tomorrow." =We will see another day, and we will praise it, Harry.= Tuvok assures him through their thoughts. =I love the light that brings a smile across your face... and I would not give it up.= Harry frowns as Tuvok winces, coming awake to the pain as the Doctor walks over to begin the healing process. =Hold on.= Harry soothes. =Hold on to yourself.= Tuvok repeats to himself. =Harry is waiting.= "This is going to hurt like hell." The Doctor explains before beginning. --- The End