RENAISSANCE MAN
Episode 170
Part H

 

The shuttlecraft returns to Voyager, with Tuvok, the Doctor and Janeway on board.

Janeway, Tuvok and the Doctor are beamed onto the Holodeck. The Doctor's program fritzes.

Seven and Torres are waiting at the computer console. Torres: "Computer transfer the EMH back into the Holodeck buffer." Janeway: "Can you stabilise his matrix?" Seven: "Not until we purge the excess subroutines." Torres: "There's more than a thousand teraquads of new data in here."

Kim, Paris and Tuvok enter. "How is he?" to be answered by Janeway: "We're not sure yet."

Doctor: "Captain, if I don't survive, I need you to do something for me." Janeway: "You're going to be alright."

Doctor to Janeway: "If I'm not, when you reach Earth I want you to donate my emitter to the Daystrom Institute." He hands her his mobile emitter. "They may be able to replicate it some day so that other holograms can know the freedom I've enjoyed."

His program fritzes.

Doctor: "I've had something on my conscience for a long time. After I was first activated I kept a record of what I considered to be your most questionable command decisions."

Doctor: "It's in my personal database. I hope you'll delete the file without reading it."

Doctor: "Mr Tuvok, I violated the most sacred trust between physician and his patient. I told Mr Neelix about the cutaneous eruption you developed on your-"

As Paris moves his head in curiosity, the Doctor realises everyone is listening. "That was indiscreet. I hope you can forgive me."

Doctor: "Ensign, at your recital last month I told Lieutenant Torres that your saxophone playing reminded me of a wounded targ."

Doctor: "I should've put it more delicately. I'm sorry."

The Doctor moves Kim out of the way as he sets his sights on Seven at the other end of the Holodeck.

Doctor: "Seven." Seven: "You should remain still." Doctor: "You don't know how difficult it's been, hiding my feelings all these years, averting my eyes during your regular maintenance exams."

As his program fritzes and he partly vanishes, he says desperately, "I know you could never have the same feelings for me, but I want you to know the truth - I love you, Seven!" Seven: "Your cognitive algorithms are malfunctioning."

Seven cannot believe she is hearing this.

At the Doctor's revelation, Janeway turns and looks at Paris.

The Doctor fritzes more seriously.

Thinking this is the end, the Doctor gets up turns to address everyone, holding up a hand in farewell: "Goodbye, my friends! Speak well of me!"

His program fritzes again, he closes his eyes thinking he is about to decompile, and he vanishes.

Janeway to Torres: "Is he-?"

Torres: "No, I've got him."

The Doctor materialises and this time his program is back to normal.

Doctor: "What happened?" Torres: "I deleted the extraneous subroutines." Doctor: "I'm not going to decompile?"

Janeway: "You'll probably outlive us all." She holds out the mobile emitter for him to take.

Paris: "Doc, anything else you'd like to confess?"

The Doctor feels embarrassed and mortified.

USS Voyager cruising at warp speed. Janeway: "Captain's log, stardate 54912.4. Lieutenant Torres has restored our warp drive in less than a week. The Doctor's dignity, however, might take a little longer. He hasn't left Sickbay once since he returned to the ship."

Janeway enters Sickbay. She finds the Doctor in the medical lab.

Doctor, timidly: "Captain. Do you need- need medical attention?" Janeway: "No. You've been keeping to yourself lately. Your friends are worried about you."

Doctor: "After my deathbed confession I wasn't sure I had any friends left. I overstepped my bounds in documenting your command decisions. It happened a long time ago, before I considered myself to be a part of your crew."

Janeway: "Oh, I'm not here to make you grovel. I'm here to punish you for your insubordinate behaviour." Doctor: "I understand." Janeway, picking up his mobile emitter: "You're hereby denied the use of your mobile emitter for six days."

Janeway: "Since you haven't left Sickbay for a week," she places his mobile emitter on his arm, "we'll call it time served."

Doctor: "I appreciate the gesture, Captain, but I've got a lot of work to catch up on." Janeway: "I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping you might be free for a cup of coffee on the Holodeck. I know a little sidewalk cafe in Buenos Aires. You said you wanted us to socialise more."

Doctor, pleased to be asked: "I suppose Mr Paris can finish this."

Janeway: "Now, when you're on the Holodeck with the captain there are two rules you have to follow." Doctor: "I understand."

Janeway: "First, leave your rank at the door." Doctor: "Not a problem. The second?" Janeway: "No opera."