DIRECTED BY
AIRED ON
January 24, 2001
RUNTIME
44 minutes
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187
LAST UPDATE
2024-09-13 18:42:21
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Version 1
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SUMMARY
Stardate: 54452.6 - When B'Elanna learns she is pregnant, she tries to proactively repress her child's Klingon heritage on the basis of her own troubled past.
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REVIEWS
Excellent
Written by
Pike on 2018-04-01
★
★
★
★
An excellent episode. All the storylines are great in that episode (Benton and the baby, Ross and his case being stolen by Benton, Susan leaving, Mark's pain of seeing Susan leaving, etc.).
SUMMARY
I give it 7 out of 10. Excellent.
TRANSCRIPT
[Corridor]
(Torres greets a crewwoman as she passes her.)
TORRES: Good morning.
PARIS: You're in a good mood.
TORRES: It's another beautiful day in the Delta Quadrant.
PARIS: What did you have for breakfast?
(They kiss.)
TORRES: I'll see you tonight.
[Engineering]
CREWWOMAN: Here you are, Lieutenant.
(Torres takes the PADD.)
TORRES: Thank you. Nice job, Ensign. (to another crewman) You keep the warp field that stable you might just get us home a few years early.
[Engineering upper level]
ICHEB: The Starfleet manual allows for a variance of point three.
SEVEN: That's only a guideline. You can do better.
TORRES: I don't remember giving you permission to work here.
ICHEB: I'm sorry, Lieutenant.
SEVEN: I'm helping him study warp mechanics.
TORRES: You should have notified me. It's a busy day, and I.
(Torres stumbles against Seven.)
SEVEN: Lieutenant?
TORRES: I'm fine.
(Seven helps her sit down. Icheb scans her.)
ICHEB: I'm detecting another lifesign.
SEVEN: Where?
ICHEB: Inside Lieutenant Torres. It could be a parasite.
(Seven checks his tricorder readings.)
SEVEN: Seven of Nine to the Doctor.
EMH [OC]: Go ahead.
SEVEN: I'll be accompanying Lieutenant Torres to Sickbay.
EMH: What's wrong?
SEVEN: I believe she's pregnant.
[Sickbay]
EMH: The foetus appears to be about seven weeks old and doing quite well. So are you.
PARIS: Why did she faint?
EMH: Klingon and human metabolisms sometimes clash.
TORRES: Tell me about it.
EMH: It's not uncommon for such pregnancies to cause biochemical fluctuations in the mother.
PARIS: Is that serious?
EMH: Not usually. You can expect some behavioural volatility, increased nutritional needs. Creating new life is a big job.
PARIS: Creating new life.
TORRES: I can't believe it.
EMH: I don't mean to be indelicate but, weren't you trying to get pregnant?
TORRES: Well, of course. I mean, we knew we wanted a family.
PARIS: But the odds against human-Klingon conception are so high.
EMH: Well, apparently you've beaten the odds. May I be the first to congratulate you.
PARIS: When is the baby due?
EMH: Normally, Klingon pregnancies run thirty weeks. But with mixed species, it could be sooner.
PARIS: Is it a girl or a boy?
TORRES: No. Don't tell. I want to be surprised.
PARIS: We've already been surprised.
TORRES: I just don't see any reason to have to label the baby. I don't want to know the gender. I don't want to have to pick a name yet.
PARIS: Okay, okay, Mommy knows best.
TORRES: Mommy?
[Corridor]
PARIS: I wonder if the holodeck has any child-rearing programmes.
TORRES: There are some things you just can't simulate.
PARIS: I'll take whatever help I can get.
TORRES: We should get our quarters ready.
PARIS: Maybe I could replicate one of those antique cribs.
TORRES: And put it where? We need to rearrange the living area.
PARIS: We need to do a lot more than that.
TORRES: You're happy about this, right?
PARIS: Of course I'm happy. Just a little overwhelmed, that's all.
TORRES: Me too. Can we, er, keep this to ourselves for a while?
PARIS: Absolutely.
(They hug and laugh.)
TORRES: I, er, I need to get to work. See you later, Dad.
[Mess hall]
(Paris enters to a round of applause.)
NEELIX: Congratulations, Tom.
PARIS: Thanks. How did you find out?
NEELIX: Icheb. Oh, he wasn't supposed to tell?
PARIS: We were hoping to keep it private for an hour or so.
NEELIX: As they say on Talax, omara s'alas. Good news has no clothes.
PARIS: Thanks. I guess.
NEELIX: Now, my good news would be learning that I'll be the godfather. I do have experience with Naomi Wildman, you know.
PARIS: I can't think of anyone more qualified.
NEELIX: Well, in that case, I've been making up a list of names. Tell me
[Engineering]
CHAKOTAY: Have you checked the warp core for radiation leaks today?
TORRES: No. Why?
CHAKOTAY: You have a certain glow about you.
TORRES: Okay, who told you?
JANEWAY: I just heard. Congratulations.
(Janeway hugs Torres.)
TORRES: Thanks.
JANEWAY: Seven said you were dizzy. Are you all right?
TORRES: I'm fine.
CHAKOTAY: Nothing ever rattled her. Not even the Cardassians.
TORRES: This is scarier.
JANEWAY: Would you like some time off?
TORRES: To do what?
JANEWAY: Adjust. This is a big change.
TORRES: I'll work during the day, sleep at night, and have the baby when it's time.
JANEWAY: Well, if you need to cut back on your duties, I'm sure Seven would be happy to fill in for you.
TORRES: I think I can handle it.
[Corridor]
KIM: Congratulations, buddy.
PARIS: Where did you hear the news? In the datastream from Earth?
KIM: Actually, I think it was a transmission from the Borg. It's all over now. No more late nights on the holodeck. No more racing the Delta Flyer.
PARIS: Don't you think you're exaggerating just a little?
KIM: I've seen it happen. The new dad gets tied down with family. Old friends drop away.
PARIS: It's fatherhood , Harry, not exile.
KIM: If you say so. Kidding aside, how's it feel?
PARIS: Well, it's, it's not quite real yet.
KIM: Maybe that's what pregnancy's for. Time to let reality sink in, before your life spins out of control.
[Jefferies tube]
PARIS: Do you need any help?
TUVOK: Mister Paris, this may be the first time you've ever volunteered to assist me.
PARIS: Really? Well, we ought to change that. I mean, we've known each other a long time. We ought to work more closely.
TUVOK: I'll keep that in mind.
PARIS: So, I guess you've heard. B'Elanna and I are going to have a baby.
TUVOK: I was unaware.
PARIS: Finally, someone who doesn't know.
TUVOK: Allow me to extend my best wishes.
PARIS: Thanks. You know, a baby is, er, it's a big responsibility. But I'm ready for it. Not that you can ever be completely ready, can you?
TUVOK: Lieutenant, are you asking me for advice about fatherhood?
PARIS: Well, I don't know anyone else who's been through it.
TUVOK: I'm afraid my parenting skills are somewhat dormant. It's been many years since my children were young.
PARIS: Then you've had a long time to think back on it. Any helpful hints?
TUVOK: Offspring can be disturbingly illogical, yet profoundly fulfilling. You should anticipate paradox.
PARIS: I'll remember that.
TUVOK: If you'd like my counsel on more specific issues?
PARIS: Something tells me I'm going to be volunteering to work with you on a regular basis.
[Torres-Paris' quarters]
(Paris is lighting the candles for a romantic dinner.)
PARIS: So?
TORRES: Looks nice.
PARIS: Well, I figured quiet romantic dinners may soon be a thing of the past. Tough day?
TORRES: The captain practically relieved me of duty, as if I couldn't handle being an engineer and being pregnant at the same time.
PARIS: Well, if you ever need a baby-sitter, Godfather Neelix is ready to go.
TORRES: Chakotay wants to be godfather.
PARIS: Neelix already has a list of names.
TORRES: Oh, I don't mind people suggesting names. What annoys me is all of the free advice about feeding, discipline.
PARIS: Folk wisdom is my favourite. According to Chell, Bolians believe that if you give birth near a warp core, it'll improve the baby's disposition.
TORRES: Why does everybody feel they're entitled to give us advice? This is our child.
PARIS: People should know better than to interfere with a Klingon mother.
TORRES: What's that supposed to mean?
PARIS: Nothing. It was a joke.
TORRES: What does being Klingon have to do with it?
PARIS: Take it easy.
TORRES: I don't want to take it easy! I want everybody to back off and just let me. (pause) The Doctor said I might experience some behavioural volatility. I guess this is it.
PARIS: Forget about the Doctor. Forget the captain or the godfathers.
TORRES: Maybe you're right.
PARIS: I know I am. This isn't about their expectations or hopes or doubts. None of this belongs to them.
TORRES: It belongs to us. All of it.
PARIS: Lucky us.
EMH [OC]: Lieutenants Torres and Paris, please report to Sickbay.
[Sickbay]
EMH: It's a holographic extrapolation of your child's spine, approximately ten months after birth.
TORRES: It's deviated.
EMH: Yes, there's a pronounced curvature to the left.
PARIS: Can it be corrected?
TORRES: I had surgery for it when I was a baby.
PARIS: You never told me that.
TORRES: My mother had it, too.
EMH: It tends to run in Klingon families, especially among females.
PARIS: Are you saying that this baby is a girl?
EMH: No. I didn't say that.
PARIS: But it is a girl, right?
EMH: You cannot infer that.
TORRES: It's okay. You might as well just tell us.
EMH: Yes. It's a girl. And aside from the deviated spine, she's healthy.
PARIS: Will she need surgery?
EMH: Fortunately, we've advanced beyond that. Genetic modification is the treatment of choice.
PARIS: If you can project an image of the spine, can you use the genetic data to show us the whole baby?
EMH: I could. It would only be an approximation.
PARIS: Let's take a look.
TORRES: I don't know.
PARIS: Oh, come on. Aren't you curious?
TORRES: Okay.
(The EMH complies.)
PARIS: Oh, she's beautiful.
TORRES: Forehead ridges?
EMH: Yes.
TORRES: But she's only one-quarter Klingon.
EMH: Klingon traits remain dominant for several generations, even with a single ancestor.
PARIS: Oh, she looks just like her mother.
[Torres' memory - campfire]
JOHN: You are so much like your mother.
[Sickbay]
PARIS: She's perfect, isn't she?
[Torres-Paris' quarters]
(Paris gets into bed with Torres.)
PARIS: What a day.
TORRES: Uh-huh.
PARIS: Six years in the Delta Quadrant and nothing has ever scared me as much as hearing our baby had a problem.
TORRES: It's not much of a problem.
PARIS: We didn't know that at first.
TORRES: Now we know.
PARIS: And we also know that the Doctor is going to fix everything tomorrow morning.
TORRES: I'm sorry. It's a lot to take in all at once, and I'm really tired.
PARIS: We could both use some sleep. Computer, dim the lights.
[Torres' memories - camping trip]
CARL: Somebody make sure those coals are completely out.
DEAN: I'll get it, Dad.
JOHN: You kids be careful and be back before sunset.
CARL: And bring your appetites. We're having fish for dinner.
ELIZABETH: If you two can catch any.
B'ELANNA: Dad, I increased the field strength of the targeting lure.
JOHN: Ooo. Those fish don't stand a chance. Better get going, your cousins aren't going to wait forever.
B'ELANNA: I was thinking. Maybe I could go fishing with you and Uncle Carl.
JOHN: I thought you were looking forward to the hike. Just the kids, no dads to slow you down.
B'ELANNA: They don't like me.
JOHN: Why would you say that?
B'ELANNA: Because it's true.
ELIZABETH: Come on, B'Elanna, let's go.
JOHN: See? Now go on, have a good time.
B'ELANNA: Dad?
JOHN: What is it?
B'ELANNA: Nothing.
[Torres-Paris' quarters]
(Next morning, the toaster pops.)
PARIS: Relax, we're not that late.
TORRES: The Doctor scheduled me at oh eight hundred.
PARIS: You still have time for my favourite gourmet breakfast, peanut butter toast.
TORRES: I'm too tired to eat.
PARIS: If you're having trouble sleeping now, wait till those oh two hundred feedings come around.
TORRES: You'll be in charge of those.
PARIS: I can't wait.
TORRES: Look, er, you don't have to come with me. It a minor procedure.
PARIS: Wouldn't you like some moral support?
TORRES: I'm not an invalid.
PARIS: In that case you're on your own. That goes for breakfast, too.
[Sickbay]
EMH: I've been expanding my database in obstetrics and paediatrics.
TORRES: You haven't found another problem, have you?
EMH: No, not at all. But I have put together a prenatal enrichment programme.
TORRES: Why am I not surprised?
EMH: I'd like to start with trans-abdominal vocalisation.
TORRES: Let me guess. You're going to sing to my foetus.
EMH: Through a diatonal amplifier. It's quite safe, and it should enhance the child's mathematical abilities.
TORRES: Can we talk about this later?
EMH: Absolutely. At our first parenting class.
TORRES: Parenting class?
EMH: Birthing techniques, feeding options, bonding strategies. It's not all hard work, though. We'll have ample time for fun.
TORRES: Could we get on with it?
EMH: Certainly. Computer, dim lights.
TORRES: I hope you don't expect me to sleep through this.
EMH: Of course not. The darkness encourages vascular dilation. Now you may feel a slight tingling. Please remain as still as possible.
[Torres' memories - hiking]
MICHAEL: B'Elanna, come and have lunch.
B'ELANNA: That's okay. I'm not hungry.
MICHAEL: You'd better eat while you can. You know our dads aren't going to catch any fish.
ELIZABETH: Here.
(Elizabeth takes a sandwich out of a box.)
B'ELANNA: Thanks.
ELIZABETH: Your mom wasn't sure you'd be able to come this weekend.
(The boys see some worms on the ground.)
B'ELANNA: I had a lot of schoolwork.
ELIZABETH: I'm glad you made it.
B'ELANNA: That's nice of you to say.
ELIZABETH: No, I mean it.
DEAN: Hey, B'Elanna, can you hand me a drink?
B'ELANNA: Okay.
(While she isn't looking, he puts a worm on her sandwich.)
DEAN: Thanks.
(B'Elanna sees the worm and screams, throwing the sandwich away. The boys laugh.)
DEAN: My teacher said Klingons like live food.
(B'Elanna grabs Dean's shirt.)
ELIZABETH: Hey, stop it. Stop.
DEAN: It was just a joke.
ELIZABETH: It was a stupid joke, Dean. He's always doing stuff like that to me.
(B'Elanna growls and runs off.)
DEAN: Don't be mad, B'Elanna.
ELIZABETH: B'Elanna, wait.
[Sickbay]
EMH: Computer, raise lights. Your daughter's spinal column is now perfectly aligned.
TORRES: Is she going to be all right?
EMH: Better than all right, if her parents are any indication.
[Holodeck research lab]
TORRES: Computer, access B'Elanna Torres' medical file.
COMPUTER: File accessed.
TORRES: Project a holographic image of the baby.
(Up comes the image seen in Sickbay.)
TORRES: Now extrapolate what the child's facial features will look like at twelve years old.
(Torres turns her back on the child with the forehead ridges.)
TORRES: Display the foetus genome.
(DNA Analysis 716)
TORRES: Delete the following gene sequences. Extrapolate what the child would look like with those genetic changes.
(The forehead ridges are still here, but the hair is pale instead of dark.)
TORRES: Delete the following sequences. Extrapolate.
(The ridges are now gone.)
TORRES: Save changes. Restrict access to this file. B'Elanna Torres only.
[Doctor's office]
EMH: There's no valid medical reason to do what you're proposing.
TORRES: I disagree.
EMH: You want to delete entire DNA sequences. The genes that create redundant organs, for example.
TORRES: They're superfluous.
EMH: Those redundancies are there for a reason.
TORRES: Does my daughter need a third lung to survive?
EMH: Strictly speaking, no. But having it may be beneficial. Some geneticists believe the extra lung evolved to give Klingons greater stamina on the battlefield.
TORRES: My daughter is not going to be a Klingon warrior.
EMH: With all due respect, you have no idea what your daughter's going to be. What if she develops an interest in athletics? Greater lung capacity would be an advantage. The point is, there's no reason to arbitrarily remove genetic traits.
TORRES: It's not arbitrary. It's preventive.
EMH: How so?
TORRES: That third lung could become diseased, couldn't it?
EMH: I suppose.
TORRES: Then what I'm suggesting is no different than removing an appendix before it becomes inflamed.
EMH: Why tamper with biological systems that evolved over aeons?
TORRES: Like curvature of the spine?
EMH: If I make these changes, it'll affect her appearance.
TORRES: I'm aware of that.
EMH: Are you also aware that some of these genes influence behaviour, personality?
TORRES: None of that's as important as her health.
EMH: What does Tom think about all this?
TORRES: I wanted to see what you thought first.
EMH: As you can see, I'm very dubious.
TORRES: Look, I've done statistical analyses, epidemiology. At least review my work.
EMH: All right, I'll look at it. But in the meantime, I suggest you have a talk with your husband.
[Delta Flyer]
(Presumably in the shuttlebay.)
PARIS: Absolutely not.
TORRES: This is our child's health we're talking about.
PARIS: It's more than that. You want to change who she is, her individuality, her. You don't want her to be Klingon. That's what this is really about, isn't it? You're trying to protect her from being Klingon because you had a rough time when you were a kid.
TORRES: I was treated like a monster.
PARIS: That isn't going to happen to our daughter. Everyone on Voyager will accept her for who she really is.
TORRES: That's easy for you to say. You're human.
PARIS: Meaning what, exactly?
TORRES: Meaning you don't understand what it's like.
PARIS: Okay then, tell me.
TORRES: When the people around you are all one way and you're not, you can't help feeling like there's something wrong with you.
PARIS: Voyager isn't just one way. We've got Bajorans, Vulcans, a Talaxian.
TORRES: And hundred and forty humans.
PARIS: Our daughter is going to have a mixed heritage just like her mother. It's something you'll have in common. Something she should be proud of. Why destroy that?
TORRES: I'm not destroying anything. Gene resequencing isn't a weapon, it's a tool, like a hyperspanner.
PARIS: She's not a machine, She's our daughter.
[Ready room]
JANEWAY: I'm not exactly sure what you want me to do.
TORRES: I want you to order the Doctor to genetically alter my child.
PARIS: Do you see what I'm dealing with here?
JANEWAY: What you're asking for is ethically questionable. The Doctor has reservations. Your husband is against it.
TORRES: I only want to do what you did, for Seven of Nine.
JANEWAY: I beg your pardon?
TORRES: You had her implants removed.
JANEWAY: I don't see the connection.
TORRES: You altered her physiology. You changed who she was.
JANEWAY: I was acting in her best interests.
TORRES: That's all I'm doing.
PARIS: Seven was born human. The captain just helped to restore her original physiology.
TORRES: And gave her a much better life in the process.
PARIS: Our child isn't even born yet. How do you know what's going to make her life better?
TORRES: I just don't want her to start at a disadvantage.
PARIS: Look, the Doctor said you might experience mood swings.
TORRES: That's it. Just dismiss my argument as some kind of hormonal outburst.
PARIS: I didn't mean that.
JANEWAY: Stop it, both of you. The biggest problem you two have isn't ethical, it's marital. I'm happy to offer you advice as a friend. But as your captain, I'm not going to overrule the Chief Medical Officer. You two need to work this out.
[Corridor]
PARIS: B'Elanna?
TORRES: What?
PARIS: You heard the captain. We have to work this out.
TORRES: There's nothing to work out. You're getting what you want.
PARIS: What I want is to have a civilised discussion with my wife. Maybe a change of scenery would help. How about the holodeck?
TORRES: That's your solution to everything.
PARIS: At least I'm trying. Look, I don't care where we do it, but we have to talk this out.
TORRES: I am tired of talking, all right?
[Kim's quarters]
(Kim is playing his saxophone. He breaks off to answer the doorbell. Paris is there with a duffel bag.)
PARIS: Do I need a reservation?
KIM: What happened?
PARIS: I think B'Elanna and I need some time apart.
KIM: My couch is your couch.
PARIS: She's barely pregnant and already we're having a major crisis.
KIM: You'll make up. You always do.
PARIS: But that's what worries me. We're always fighting and making up. How's that going to affect our daughter?
KIM: She's going to have a great life. Piloting a ship from your lap, battling Doctor Chaotica on the holodeck.
PARIS: Yeah, unless B'Elanna thinks battling is too Klingon.
KIM: She's always been sensitive about being part Klingon. You know that.
PARIS: That doesn't give her the right to turn our child into a science experiment.
KIM: But it does explain why this is so important to her.
PARIS: What am I supposed to do?
KIM: Maybe you should tell her you understand.
PARIS: What good would that do?
KIM: It might make her less defensive, and then maybe it would be easier for her to see your point of view.
PARIS: What if she can't?
KIM: Like I said, my couch is your couch.
[Torres' memories - campsite]
(Night.)
JOHN: She should be back by now.
CARL: Nobody has any idea where she went?
DEAN: She just ran off down there.
JOHN: I'm going to go look for her.
ELIZABETH: Uncle John?
JOHN: Yeah?
ELIZABETH: I. It.
(B'Elanna comes out of the bushes.)
JOHN: B'Elanna, where have you been?
B'ELANNA: I'm sorry. I got kind of separated.
ELIZABETH: It was our fault.
MICHAEL: It was Dean's fault. He put a worm in her sandwich.
DEAN: I was just kidding. I'm really sorry.
B'ELANNA: Forget it.
CARL: Come on, let's get dinner started.
(B'Elanna is a little way away from the camp fire, sitting on a rock. Her father goes to her.)
JOHN: You want to talk about it?
B'ELANNA: I just wish.
JOHN: You wish what?
B'ELANNA: I wish I weren't Klingon.
JOHN: Now why would you say that?
B'ELANNA: Because everyone makes fun of me.
JOHN: Who's everyone?
B'ELANNA: Dean. The kids at school. They all hate me.
JOHN: Did I ever tell you what the kids at my school used to call me? I used to fall asleep in class all the time, so instead of John Torres, they called me John Snore-ez.
B'ELANNA: It's not the same thing.
JOHN: Of course it is. Kids tease each other. They can be very cruel. But it doesn't mean that they hate you, or that they hate Klingons.
B'ELANNA: You don't understand!
JOHN: I think I do. You have to learn to be a little less sensitive.
B'ELANNA: Fine.
JOHN: Now come on. Uncle Carl's going to tell one of his famous fish stories.
B'ELANNA: I'd rather just read.
JOHN: Suit yourself.
(B'Elanna goes to one side to read a PADD, and John goes to the camp fire.)
CARL: We saw a flying fish today.
ELIZABETH: Flying fish?
CARL: It's true. I'm telling. You we saw it.
MICHAEL: Really?
CARL: John, did we see a flying fish today?
JOHN: We sure did. It jumped five feet in the air.
(Torres is sitting up in bed remembering all this. Later, when the kids are put to bed in their tents.)
JOHN: Everybody asleep?
CARL: They were exhausted. Coffee?
JOHN: Sure.
CARL: Listen, I'm sorry.
JOHN: For what?
CARL: The way Dean treated B'Elanna. I had a talk with him.
JOHN: He was just doing what eleven year olds do. I'm sure B'Elanna overreacted.
CARL: What makes you say that?
JOHN: She's too damn sensitive.
CARL: What do you mean? She's a great kid.
JOHN: You haven't been around her much the last couple of years. She's gotten moody, unpredictable, argumentative. Just like her mother.
(B'Elanna is listening.)
CARL: I thought you loved Miral's intensity.
JOHN: Everything's become a fight with her. I guess the older, I get the less intensity I can handle. You know, it's funny how Mom and Dad always turn out to be right.
CARL: What do you mean?
JOHN: Mom warned me not to marry Miral.
CARL: Mom loved Miral.
JOHN: Sure she did. But she never thought I had the constitution to live with a Klingon. And now I'm living with two of them.
[Engineering]
CHAKOTAY: Taya.
TORRES: What?
CHAKOTAY: Taya. It's the feminine form of Chakotay. What do you think?
TORRES: I'll add it to the list. Right after Floxia. Neelix suggested that one. It's number thirty two.
CHAKOTAY: On second thought, you and Tom ought to come up with your own name.
TORRES: I knew there was a reason I always liked you.
CHAKOTAY: You look like you've been up all night. Want to get some coffee?
TORRES: That's the best offer I've had all week.
[Corridor]
PARIS: Morning.
TORRES: Hi.
CHAKOTAY: Join us for breakfast? You know what? I forgot my PADD. Why don't you two go ahead. I'll meet you in the mess hall.
(Chakotay leaves.)
PARIS: So, how are you today?
TORRES: I haven't changed my mind, if that's what you mean.
PARIS: No. What I meant was, how are you?
TORRES: I've been better, but I'll get over it.
PARIS: You know, Harry has the lumpiest pillows on the ship. He snores, keeps the room way too hot. I missed you.
TORRES: Me too.
PARIS: I still owe you that slice of peanut butter toast. Why don't we go back to our quarters, fire up the toaster?
TORRES: Sounds nice.
EMH [OC]: Lieutenant Torres, Lieutenant Paris, please report to Sickbay.
[Doctor's office]
EMH: I've reviewed the data you gave me, and I've also done my own analysis.
TORRES: Skip the details, Doctor. You've already made it clear what you think of my proposal.
EMH: Actually, I've changed my opinion.
PARIS: What?
EMH: The genetic alterations you've suggested are necessary.
PARIS: On what grounds?
EMH: The clash I mentioned between Klingon and human metabolism? It's more extensive than I realised.
TORRES: How extensive?
EMH: Theoretically, it could lead to complete metabolic failure.
TORRES: But you can fix it.
EMH: By eliminating most of her Klingon genetic material.
PARIS: Are you sure about all of this?
EMH: My analysis was quite thorough. Of course if our circumstances were different, you would be free to seek a second opinion.
PARIS: No offence, Doc, but I am just trying to understand what's going on.
EMH: You're welcome to review my findings. But let me stress, it would be unwise to delay this too long.
TORRES: Why?
EMH: The foetus is at a critical stage of development. Antibodies have begun to form.
PARIS: How long do we have?
EMH: I've scheduled the procedure for tomorrow morning. With your permission.
[Astrometrics lab]
PARIS: I want to thank you both for helping B'Elanna when she fainted.
SEVEN: I'm glad it wasn't a parasite.
PARIS: Well, you probably don't know this, but there may be some problems with the pregnancy.
SEVEN: I'm sorry to hear that.
PARIS: The Doctor suggested a treatment for the baby, but his findings are very confusing, at least to me. You have some expertise in genetics. Do you mind taking a look at this?
ICHEB: Of course not.
(Icheb looks over the PADD.)
SEVEN: Whatever the problem is, I have no doubt the Doctor will solve it.
PARIS: I hope you're right.
ICHEB: Your confusion is understandable. There's a computational error.
SEVEN: It's not like the Doctor to make a mistake.
PARIS: I didn't think that was possible, unless there's some sort of glitch in his programme.
SEVEN: I'll run a diagnostic.
PARIS: Thank you.
ICHEB: Please tell Lieutenant Torres, if there's anything I can do.
PARIS: I'll let her know. Thanks.
SEVEN: It appears to be more than a glitch. I believe the Doctor's programme has been tampered with.
PARIS: B'Elanna, this is Tom. Respond. Computer, locate Lieutenant Torres.
COMPUTER: Lieutenant Torres is in Sickbay.
[Sickbay]
(Torres is on the biobed, about to undergo foetal genetic resequencing.)
EMH: Frankly, I'm relieved you decided not to wait till the last minute.
TORRES: Once this is behind us I'm sure we'll all feel better.
[Astrometrics lab]
SEVEN: Someone's blocked communications to Sickbay.
PARIS: See if you can deactivate the Doctor.
SEVEN: Access to his programme has been restricted.
PARIS: Keep trying. Paris to Tuvok.
TUVOK [OC]: Go ahead.
PARIS: Meet me in Sickbay.
[Outside Sickbay]
TUVOK: Why would she alter the Doctor's programme?
PARIS: To change his mind about the medical procedure. Computer, open Sickbay doors.
COMPUTER: Unable to comply.
TUVOK: Override authorisation Tuvok pi alpha.
COMPUTER: Authorisation denied.
(Tuvok forces the doors open.)
[Sickbay]
PARIS: Doctor, stop what you're doing.
EMH: You're interrupting a medical procedure.
(Paris walks into a forcefield.)
PARIS: Your programme has been altered.
EMH: What do you mean, altered?
TORRES: Ignore him.
PARIS: B'Elanna, this is completely irrational.
EMH: Will someone please tell me what's going on?
TORRES: I'm your patient. Your first duty is to me and my baby.
TUVOK: Tuvok to bridge.
KIM [OC]: Kim here.
TUVOK: There's a force field in Sickbay.
[Bridge]
TUVOK [OC]: I can't deactivate it. Cut power to the EPS relay
[Sickbay]
TUVOK: Surrounding the surgical bay.
[Bridge]
KIM: Access has been restricted. I'll have to bypass them.
[Sickbay]
TORRES: You said it could be dangerous to delay the procedure.
PARIS: She's manipulating you, Doc, in more ways than one.
EMH: I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but if there's something wrong with my programme.
TORRES: There's nothing wrong with your programme.
KIM [OC]: I'm cutting power to the surgical bay, now.
(Paris turns off the gene resequencer.)
TUVOK: I suggest we deactivate your programme until we determine the extent of the alterations.
EMH: I understand. Computer, deactivate EMH.
TORRES: You had no right to interfere.
PARIS: Tuvok, would you mind giving us a minute?
(Tuvok leaves with his security guards.)
PARIS: I never thought you would go this far.
TORRES: I don't know what you're talking about.
PARIS: Reprogramming the Doctor?
TORRES: I upgraded his programme so he could understand what had to be done.
PARIS: You mean to reconfigure our baby so she wouldn't be treated like a monster.
TORRES: It's not just about the way she'll be treated.
PARIS: What else is it about, then? Come on, B'Elanna. Tell me.
TORRES: Forget it.
PARIS: No, no, we're not going to forget it. We're going to talk about this right now.
TORRES: Stop telling me what to do. You're not my father.
PARIS: What are you talking about?
TORRES: Look, my father
PARIS: What? What about him?
TORRES: We were inseparable. He spoiled me and I worshipped him. But the older I got, we just grew apart. He ended up organising this camping trip with my cousins. I guess he just wanted to, I don't know, make things better again.
PARIS: But it didn't.
TORRES: It was awful. I ended up trying to run away.
[Torres' memory - campsite]
JOHN: B'Elanna? What are you doing?
(B'Elanna is packing her bag.)
[Sickbay]
TORRES: It was so stupid. I mean, where was I going to go?
PARIS: You probably just wanted him to stop you.
TORRES: Well, he did.
[Torres' memory - campsite]
B'ELANNA: Don't touch me.
JOHN: B'Elanna, what's wrong?
B'ELANNA: You know what's wrong.
JOHN: No, I don't.
B'ELANNA: Maybe I'm just being moody and unpredictable.
JOHN: What are you talking about?
B'ELANNA: I heard what you said to Uncle Carl.
JOHN: You shouldn't be listening to private conversations.
B'ELANNA: And you shouldn't have said what you did about Mommy.
(They move away from the other tents, and B'Elanna sits on that rock again.)
JOHN: B'Elanna, listen to me. Your mother and I are having problems, but that doesn't
B'ELANNA: You don't love her anymore.
JOHN: That's not true.
B'ELANNA: Yes, it is. And you don't love me, either.
JOHN: B'Elanna.
B'ELANNA: You're no different than anyone else. You don't like Klingons. You said it.
JOHN: You are twisting my words, B'Elanna.
[Sickbay]
PARIS: Maybe he was right. Maybe you misunderstood.
TORRES: No, I know what I heard. It made me so angry.
PARIS: You had a right to be, after the things he said.
TORRES: It's not what he said. It's what I said.
[Torres' memory - campsite]
B'ELANNA: If you can't stand living with us, then why don't you just leave?
[Sickbay]
TORRES: And that's exactly what he did.
PARIS: Oh, B'Elanna.
TORRES: Twelve days later. And he never came back.
PARIS: You can't blame yourself for that.
TORRES: Why not?
PARIS: Because he was obviously unhappy about his marriage. He didn't leave just because you told him to.
TORRES: You don't know that.
PARIS: Look, whatever the reason was, I'm sure it was a horrible thing for you to live with. Wait a minute. You don't think? B'Elanna, I am never going to leave you.
TORRES: You say that now. But think about how hard it is to live with one Klingon. Pretty soon it'll be two.
PARIS: And someday I hope it's three or four. I mean it. And I hope that every one of them is just like you. B'Elanna, I am not your father and you are not your mother. And our daughter is going to be perfect just the way she is.
TORRES: Do you really think so?
PARIS: I know so.
Medical officer's log, stardate 54452.6. Lieutenant Torres has deleted the alterations she made to my programme. It's a relief to be back to my old self again.
[Sickbay]
EMH: Good morning, Lieutenant. You're not feeling ill, are you?
TORRES: No. I'm fine. I just wanted to apologise for violating your programme.
EMH: Apology accepted. Not guilty by reason of biochemistry.
TORRES: Nice of you to let me off the hook. But biochemistry isn't an excuse. I knew exactly what I was doing. Oh!
EMH: Is something wrong?
TORRES: I don't know.
(She holds her abdomen. The EMH scans her.)
EMH: Your baby's kicking.
TORRES: So soon?
EMH: Well, she is part Klingon.
TORRES: Oh. There it is again.
EMH: May I?
(He puts his hand on her abdomen.)
EMH: Feisty little thing, isn't she? I wonder where she gets that from.
TORRES: Speaking of the baby, I have another request.
EMH: Yes?
TORRES: I wonder if you'd like to be her godfather. Neelix wants the job but he's already got Naomi Wildman. And Chakotay knows less about raising kids than Harry. And if you think
EMH: I accept.
TORRES: Thanks.
EMH: Thank you.
TORRES: I was also wondering. Do you think I could see her one more time? The holographic projection, I mean.
EMH: I don't see why not.
(He calls up the baby with the ridges, floating blissfully in mid-air, or the womb.)
TORRES: She is cute, isn't she?
2024-09-13 18:42:21 -
Pike:
Added the transcript.
