A/N: references events from Star Trek VOY S1 E4 "Phage."

Harry was helping Ensign Parsons in Neelix's recently appropriated gally in the Mess hall, when Death, who had been laughing uproariously at him as he tried to avoid getting burnt alive, suddenly stopped and disappeared from his view.

Harry didn't think much of it. Death would come and go at random all the time, however when Harry went to the Sickbay sometime after the lunch rush to have a severe grease burn seen to, the first thing he found was a frantic group of people surrounding a biobed and Death hovering interestedly nearby.

He found the captain talking quietly with Kim, a tearful Kes standing over what appeared to be Neelix, judging by what he could see of the lower half with a grim Doctor working furiously nearby while Commander Chakotay looked on stoically, laying a comforting hand on Kes' shoulder.

The barest cursory glance was tossed Harry's way as he quietly grabbed a nearby dermal regenerator from storage and set about treating his injury. As he did, he overheard the discussion and raised his eyebrows when he learned that Neelix had run afoul of some mysterious life-form that had stolen the man's lungs using some sort of transporter technology.

Harry raised a brow at that, muttering a "fascinating" under his breath.

When he was on his last sweep with the dermal regenerator, Death appeared at his side.

"Had fun?" Harry muttered under his breath in aside to the entity out of ear shot.

"Oh yes," death purred, "It never ceases to amaze me, the the ingenuity that mortals have when trying to stay my hand a few extra minutes."

Harry rolled his eyes. He knew Death's fascination with Medical Sciences. Death had pestered Harry for decades to study medicine. harry had eventually succumbed somewhere in 2300, annoyed by Death's constant nagging, and had attended the Vulcan Academy of Science, specializing in Experimental medicine, before he dropped out when he got close to his 15-year mark and had to leave Vulcan, mysteriously disappear for a few years, then return as his own son, cousin, brother whom Ambassador Spock would take on as his ward out of respect for his previous one.

If Vulcans were inclined to superstitious behavior, they would have considered his family line cursed to misfortune. At most, the few that had noticed the recurrence, had speculated that it was pre-learned behavior.

Only a handful of people had been aware of his true nature: Spock, Saavick, Sarek, Kirk, Bones, Amanda, and Perrin. Out of those group, only Spock, Saavick, Bones and Perrin were still alive. Bones had been rather amused by his brief stint in medicine, particularly as he was both A) bad at it, and B) that Death took such bloody enjoyment out of it, Bones and Spock being the only two who knew the full secret behind his immortality.

Since he was technically another generation of himself, his files didn't show that he had medical training outside of the biology of reptilian species, so he wasn't surprised that he hadn't been tapped over Paris or some of the others to help the Doctor.

"So what newfangled device did they whip up to secure Neelix from dying that has you tickled?" Harry asked, since Death was practically skipping to tell him.

"Get this," Death leaned close to Harry's ear, the appendage growing cold and numb, "that marvelous holographic being has created a set of holographic lungs in replacement."

Harry leaned his head back, rubbing his afflicted ear irritably, grabbing a hypo spray and the dermal regenerator again, grumbling under his breath as he set about treating it.

Though he had to admit, he was impressed. Holographic lungs! Granted it wasn't perfect, Neelix would likely be incapable of moving until they figured out how to find at least one real one, it was really quite brilliant.

Harry shot the Doctor an impressed look around death.

"See! I knew you would be impressed!" Death enthused, then more slyly, "makes you want to dust off that antique Stethoscope that Bones gave you doesn't it?"

Harry whipped his head back to glower at Death, "no."

"Oh come on," Death wheedled, "think of how much fun...I mean, think of how helpful you will be to those whom you are stuck with for the long, long foreseeable future," Death paused then added, "people that, besides your few exceptions, you can't just meet, greet and toss aside so quickly. What did the captain say? 70 or so years to get back to the Alpha Quadrant? and before you claim that you could just leave the ship for the Alpha Quadrant after attending to your little business with Q, do you think you can convince little Kim to come with you? so attached to the boy as you are. And of course, there is Tuvok..."

Harry grit his teeth, and simmered in impotent rage for a time, a hypo shaking in his hand to restrain from trying to strangle Death. both pointless, and because he didn't want to make his nearby shipmates to think he had suddenly lost his mind, attacking thin air. That, and Death would be even more tickled by his situation.

Eventually, Harry's incensed anger subsided, and his shoulders fell in defeat as he grumpily acknowledged that it had a point.

Harry set aside the hypo when he was done, and went over to the gathering.

"Excuse me Doctor," Harry interrupted the quiet conversation, causing the others to look in his direction, "I would like to offer my services. I am a xenobioligst, and while i specialize mostly in reptiles, snakes that is, I do have some medical knowledge."

The Doctor frowned severely, and Harry gathered in the slight pause that he was accessing his personnel file.

"Your file does not show any sort medical training beyond basic field triage."

Harry scratched his nose grumpily, he hated having to come up with previous "lives" knowledge on the spot, and replied.

"I learned it independently for a few years from an old friend of the family, I dare say I am better equipped to assist you then Tom," he gestured a thumb at the sandy haired man, "oh, no offense Tom."

"None taken," Paris said, looking distinctly relieved at the idea that someone more qualified them him was going to either be directly or indirectly involved in healing.

"Who was your teacher? a Ferengi licensing program?" the doctor scoffed. Not tha he could blame the photonic being, Starfleet medical was notorious for being rather elitist, only looking seriously on those who are formally trained.

Harry didn't think revealing a certain name to the Doctor would harm anything, after all, Death was right, they were 70 years from home after all.

"One of my guardians actually," Harry said primly, "you should recognize him, password to that file is Mandrake Root."

It only took the Doctor a second, and he saw the man's mouth drop slightly before he gathered himself, and he said crisply, "Well, that's fine then. Mr. Paris, you can go," but before the man's relief could completely set in then chimed, "but I still expect you here for continual training."

Tom sighed in resignation, and nodded before leaving.

When the Doctor shoo'ed away everyone leave, with the captain shooting Harry a sharp, "we will talk about this later," and Kes had returned to Neelix's side, gently stroking his forehead in comfort, though occasionally shooting Harry a curious and thoughtful look, The Doctor and Harry retreated to his office.

"So I take it artificial lungs are out of the question of coarse or else he would be sporting a set right now and torturing ensign Parsons with cooking lessons," Harry hummed, picking up the PADD and reviewing Neelix's medical chart.

"His respitory system is linked to multiple points along his spinal column," The Doctor sighed.

Harry grimaced, and with Neelix the only Tilaxian on board, that left donor organs a scarce option as well, and with their Dylethium stores dangerously low, cloning the organs was out of the question, even with the time gained from the holographic organs.

"Well, aren't we in a pickle," Harry declared after a pregnant pause thoughtfully.

ooo ooo ooo

Harry could see that Neelix was looking a little stifled so he guided Kes over to the replicator and forked over one of his replicator rations to get Kes a slice of Andorian Spice Cake.

"Wow, this is really good!" the woman said in surprise.

Harry grinned, "yeah, Kim got me hooked my first month into the Academy, never thought Straight-lace Kim would be into something that requires to be buried in a five-foot-deep whole wrapped in a cloth soaked in the highest concentration of Andorian Brandy. Of course, the replicator doesn't do it justice. I actually had one of my own buried under the apple tree in Kim's parent's backyard that the two of us made," he smiled in fond sadness, "It's a shame that we won't be there to enjoy it with Kim's parents," he sighed, Kim had mentioned that only this morning before they went on shift, they had been a little late after that sad declaration as Harry sat with Kim on the couch and held him.

He looked over at Kes, who looked down at her cake, fiddling with the fork before taking another bite. It occurred to him that she was such a finite being, only living for about a decade, and already she had chosen to leave her own home and head out into the unknown, the only thing that she had that was familiar to her in this great adventure of hers was Neelix.

"How did you two meet anyway?" Harry asked curiously, gesturing with a thumb at the Isotopic Restraints.

Kes smiled fondly, "Neelix had been trading with the Kazon on the surface for a few weeks, then one day during a successful water trade, he got drunk on Kazon grog and wandered off. He fell down a gully and knocked himself out. I found him during one of my visits to the surface and took care of him. We fell in love during that period, and when I was taken captive by the Kazon, he vowed to save me, and he did." she smiled.

Harry chuckled, "not to dissimilar from myself and my first love," Harry mused, "though I saved her from a murderer and a great deadly snake at the time."

Kes' eyes widened at that, "Really?!"

"Oh yeah, we were just kids though," Harry sighed, wondering why he was even telling this story, but figured, why not? "It was at a private school I attended long before I ended up staying with the Vulcans. A man, for political reasons, had...opened the door for a madman to sneak in unnoticed. He petrified some students, kidnapped Ginny, and well, through circumstances, left me in the lurch to be the one to save the day."

"That's...That's awful!" Kes gasped, loud enough that apparently Neelix heard as he called out, "What's awful?!"

The panic in his tone showed that he was mistaking it for himself, so Kes rushed over and reassured him, and with a look to Harry he shrugged and gestured that it was alright to share if she wanted to.

When she was done, Harry was bending over Neelix, applying a Hypo of Psytoplastic Stimulator to help along the lungs in filtering toxins from his system.

"Goodness Mr. Potter! That's quite an enthralling adventure!" He exclaimed, "Was it that incident that got you into your interest in studying reptiles?"

Harry hummed as he tapped out the current tox levels in Neelix's chart, "it might have, though its more that i have something of an affinity for snakes more than anything."

"Yes, I met your legume entitled pet in the cargo bay it is an impressive animal."

"Thanks," Harry said cheerfully, "though I wouldn't recommend calling them that within hearing, they are rather astute at deciphering when it is being called Pet. Potato prefers Companion, or Extreme Excellency."

"I shall remember to do that," Neelix said with a faint smile.

ooo ooo ooo

It was just Harry and Neelix alone in the Sickbay for once.

The Doctor had retreated to his office, and Harry had gently encouraged Kes to leave with Tom when the man's training shift was over so that she could take the time to clean up and rest in a comfortable bed. She had argued but Neelix had also insisted and she eventually acquiesced.

When the two blonds were gone, Neelix began to grumble, "He's like a Targalian vulture."

"Who's like a vulture?" Harry asked as he took Kes' vacated seat and pulled out his personal PADD which contained his notes on a new Rigalian serpent husbandry DNA sequence he had been working on. He had promised Kes Neelix wouldn't be left alone, it was one of the concessions to her taking a break.

"That Tom Paris," he grumbled, "one little accident, I lose a pair of lungs and he swoops in on Kes. He's just one big hormone walking around the ship."

Harry lifted a brow, "My, aren't you the jealous one?" he stated bluntly.

"I'm not jealous," Neelix denied.

"Oh, your jealous alright, trust me, I've been around long enough to know, and its not very flattering you know."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he huffed.

Harry lowered his padd with an internal sigh. No matter how old he was there were somethings that he couldn't escape, such as purposeful obtuseness. As if reading his thought, and most likely they were, Death who was lurking in a nearby corner, snorted in amusement and sing-songed "Potter calling the kettle black!"

Harry flipped Death off out of sight of the prone man and clarified, "It's not flattering to Kes. I mean, she may be new to a lot of things, but she knows herself, her love for you and her own mind. She's not afraid to speak up and put her foot down. Hell, she even told me in no uncertain terms that your fine backside was hers not to long ago."

Neelix blushed deeply, "she actually told you that?"

Harry laughed, "yeah, she was very upfront about her look but don't touch policy with me, which went the same for her as well of course."

"What?!" Neelix barked in outrage.

"Neelix," Harry sighed, "Kes is an amazing woman, and attractive to boot, of course she's going to turn heads, hell I caught the captain checking her out once."

Neelix spluttered at that.

"Tom is the same, but he respects her and your relationship, and even if he went so far as to make a move, Kes would turn him down flat, because she loves and respects your relationship to, and respects you to do the same if another person were to approach you similarly."

There was silence for a blissful moment as Neelix digested on Harry's words.

He sighed, "your right. I do respect her. Its just so hard to believe that she would choose to spend the rest of her life with someone like me, especially when I'm like this."

"Don't worry," Harry said, eyeing Death in the corner who remained at a polite distance that the holographic lungs were providing, "I'm sure that the captain will hunt down those aliens that stole your lungs and when your better, we can all celebrate," Harry grinned and licked his lips dramatically, leaning close to Neelix, "Besides if anyone on this ship is one big hormone, that title belongs to me," he laughed as he added, "Maybe you two wouldn't be adverse to a threesome when your...up to it?"

Neelix spluttered, face a dark orange, and the Doctor stuck his head out snapping at Harry, "Please refrain from asphyxiating my patient with embarrassment."

ooo ooo ooo

Fortunately for everyone, including the Doctor's nerves, Captain Janeway did manage to finally locate and capture the aliens who stole Neelix's lungs.

After an interrogation and a very harsh threat, the captain eventually brought the two aliens, a paired couple of Veridians to sickbay to have a look at Neelix and see what they could do for him in gratitude for Janeway not killing them.

Upon first encounter, Harry, who was standing near the Doctor while they examined Neelix, thought that they all looked like some unfortunate attempt at building humanoid shaped statues out of pieces of ripped magazine pages (something he'd done with a few activists in 1969 when he was drawn into the first march after the Stonewall riots).

"The holographic lungs are primitive but seem to have done the job," the taller of the two Viridian, whose names he hadn't bothered to remember mused, "I'm surprised he is still alive."

The Doctor said something dry as the alien then went about, cautiously, using his high-tech harvester/scanner to run over the various security and rest of crew. It was at this time, as the scanner was nearing his direction, that Death, who had faded through a wall at some point, bored, returned in a sudden dramatic swoop, landing behind Harry and waving his scythe, just as the device pointed in his direction.

To Harry's surprise, the two aliens suddenly paled when they looked at him, or slightly to the side, and began to shiver. The machine didn't do anything odd and gave the same happy chirp it gave for everyone but the doctor.

"Er, yes..." the taller one swallowed, backing away from Harry slightly nudging his partner back with him and scurrying to the other side of the biobed, "let's...um, yes. There is plenty of pros..." he swallowed, and Harry swore he almost saw the man's breath fog as death leaned in the alien's direction, "pro..prospective d...donors!" he ended on a slightly higher pitch.

"Are you alright?" Janeway asked in concern, though Harry suspected she was worried that their...guests, would snuff it before they could heal her crewman. The Doctor and Harry whipped out their tricorders, ready to jump into action.

"We...are fine. It's just...a sudden feeling that many feel, particularly on our home world sometimes," the shorter one explained hesitantly.

"What feeling?" Tuvok asked, raising a brow.

Harry and Tuvok had refrained from looking at each other.

"Forgive me, I don't know the proper way to explain it..." the man fumbled.

Harry eyed Death, who appeared to be highly enjoying itself as it trailed the butt of its sythe on the floor just a breath away from the man's foot. the Viridian stepped back as if he could see it. That's when Harry realized it. The Viridian could, perhaps not see, but strongly sense the presence of Death.

"Like you're in the presence of Death," Harry said abruptly out loud, testing his theory.

"Yes," both men said relieved.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about that, at least today gentlemen," the captain said briskly, shooting Harry a look, plainly saying that the was not helping matters, "the sooner you help my crewmen, the sooner we can part ways."

The two Veridian exchanged a look, obviously agreeing.

After some discussion, it was agreed that Kes would donate one of her lungs, and Harry offered to donate the other. Harry had donated organs before of course. During World War Two he had provided a Kidney to a fellow soldier, the only one with the blood type to donate at the time, and when he took a bullet to the head a few months later and quickly revived, he learned that the solider had not suffered by having it mysteriously disappear. Death had told him that as long as he was alive when they harvest the organ, or he donates blood or what have you, those bits would remain when Harry's body regenerated.

Hell, if it wouldn't raise a lot of questions he would have just donated both his lungs to the Tilaxion.

ooo ooo ooo

A few hours later, Neelix had his new longs, Kes and harry were lectured on what to expect, though Harry knew already, and he slunk out of Sickbay when the Doctor's back was turned, and the two lovebirds were occupied with each other.

As he walked back to his and Kim's quarters, he looked at Death floating at his side and asked.

"So those two Viridian, they sensed you," Harry asked.

"Yes, it's not surprising really," Death hummed, "Veridians are a doomed race at the moment. They die in the thousands every day, and have been dying for over 200 years. Generation after generation of dying in a slow rot. This has left them in a state where they are unusually sensitive to my presence, because they understand they can die at any moment from the moment they are able to comprehend and understand words. I am the first world of many of them as infants," Death grinned proudly, "and I do so love their advanced Medical technology despite this. They are very entertaining."

Harry rolled his eyes exasperatedly at Death's cackles.