Star Trek Imagines

[VOY] The Doctor - Hopelessly Oblivious

The medical field was always your calling. When you were younger, you had found a niche for helping others, and decided that you wanted to transfer that passion into a career. You trawled your way through the years at Starfleet Academy and graduated with some of the best scores of your class. Your first assignment came quickly; the USS Voyager.

Voyager was a relatively new ship to Starfleet, and you felt honoured to have been stationed aboard it. Excitement built in you as the day drew closer, and you wondered what it would be like to accompany the crew on their mission.

"Welcome aboard, Y/N," the voice of your captain, Kathryn Janeway, greeted you with a warm smile and a soft tone. Already you felt comfortable. "We're very excited to have you with us, I hope you find it accommodating enough."

You smiled back. "I feel like I've been here for years."

The captain introduced you to another crew member, Harry, who showed you around a little more before taking you to your quarters. He mentioned that you would be working with the Doctor they had aboard, and that piqued your interest. Before that point, you weren't aware there was another doctor. Excitement for the next day at its high, you tried to settle down and relax.

The morning came quick enough, and you rose with a good mindset, ready to start your first shift in the med bay. Getting dressed, you walked with a spring in your step, the closer you got, the nerves built up. Still, the excitement outweighed the anxiety.

Entering the doors, you were shocked to see how big the bay actually was. Inside, there was a young man waiting there for you with a smile.

"Hi there, you must be Y/N?" he asked, and you nodded. "I'm Tom, Lieutenant Paris, but please call me Tom. It's lovely to have you here, finally someone who isn't the Doctor to keep me sane here." You joined in with his laugh; so far, friendly faces all round had greeted you, and it felt like a family.

The Doctor made an appearance, and you were shocked to find he wasn't human, but rather a hologram. Not that it mattered, of course, but you thought someone may have mentioned it in the margin. He greeted you with a quick hello, before showing you round the bay and what everything was. He retreated to his office, leaving you with Tom to show you the rest of the ropes, as it were. 

"You'll get used to him," he smiled, setting down her PADD and inviting you to sit alongside her. "He doesn't have the best bedside manner, but you'll warm to it soon enough. It's sort of nice in a really hostile way."

Laughing, you raised your eyebrows and cast your eyes towards his office door, wondering if what Tom had told you was true. 

Weeks passed by on Voyager, and you were comfortable and well adjusted, having made some good friends already. Amongst them, to your surprise, was the Doctor. He was standoffish to begin with, as Tom had mentioned, though the more time you spent with him, the more he seemed to relax himself, opening up a little more and laughing with you. You were very glad he had taken a liking to you, as you had to him.

"Ah, ensign Y/N, good morning," he greeted you as you stepped into the medical bay, his usual happy tone lacing his words. "I hope you're in the mood to work, there's much to be done."

Smiling at him, you nodded.

"Good morning, Doctor, I am always ready to work, must just be the good company." 

He raised his brows and you chuckled, setting down your things and reading the briefing notes for the tests you were due to run. Lost in the notes, you didn't realise the Doctor was staring at you still, wonder in his eyes as he watched you bury yourself in the task at hand. He was pulled out of his little daydream by your voice a few moments later.

".. over there. Is that right, Doctor?" You lifted your head to see him blink a couple of times; it was clear he hadn't been listening. "Did you catch that, Doc?" You laughed, seeing him visibly cringe at 'Doc'.

"Apologies, I did not, I was rather.. distracted." His tone was flat in his reply, making a statement that said he didn't want the matter pressed. You shook your head with another chuckle, getting back to your work once more. What neither of you saw was Tom and Harry, a knowing look on both their faces that said they could see something you both couldn't.

"So," Tom began, walking to you once the Doctor had left for his office. "Can I come to the wedding?" 

"Tom!" you accosted, though you couldn't help but laugh with him.

"Oh come on, Y/N, I can see the way you both look at each other, we're smarter than you'd think," Harry joined in, and nudged your arm playfully. "Besides, I've never seen him take to someone like that; he never acts like that around anybody."

As the pair began to walk away, you found yourself sitting on their words. Did he like you in such a manner? Had you ended up feeling the same? Allowing your mind to wander, you began thinking of the interactions you and the Doctor had over the past month. Fleeting glances here and there that always ended in one shyly looking away, lingering touches when one was handing the other equipment; there were too many subtle signs you had been blind to until Tom and Harry had mentioned it all. Your head began to hurt, and you rubbed it to try and ease the pain.

"Y/N, is everything alright?" The voice of The Doctor brought you out of your thoughts and you smiled, shaking your head slightly.

"Oh, no, Doc, thanks." Looking at him, he seemed very unconvinced, almost a show of care spread across his face. "Really, I'm alright, often I think too much and create problems."

That must have been the first time you heard him laugh, and you'd discovered your new favourite thing. Eyes widening ever so slightly, you watched him laugh and smile at your statement, repeating the same head shake you had done prior, eyebrows raised.

"If you're sure, there isn't much I can do for overthinking, I'm afraid." His voice was calm and soft, much more so than when he addressed others, or when others were around in general. You wondered just how many other people saw this side of him. Titling your head, you spoke up, surprising yourself in the process.

"Hey, any chance you might fancy joining me in the holodeck tonight? I heard Tom has a new program we could try out?" Your voice was confident, throwing him off guard; so rare were the times you were as bold as that. The extended period of silence irked you, and you began to go back on your idea. "It's alright if not, I mean, I, uh-"

You were cut off with a hand on your arm and a calm, rather honest, smile from The Doctor.

"I would love to, Y/N, thank you."

You smiled at each other, perhaps a little too long, stopping only as you both caught sight of two senior officers beaming at you both. As Tom winked at you, you excused yourself, bidding the Doctor a good day and telling him you'd see him that night. Turning on your heels, you sped after Tom down the hall, missing the loving look from the EMH as you left, who smiling to himself before returning to duties.

Hopelessly oblivious, the both of you. In love, and hopelessly oblivious to it all.

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A/N: Thank you for reading! :) x