Kes and Tom Paris in Before and After timeline (not only as a romantic pair)

[BohandiAnsoid]

As should be obvious, Kes is one of my favorite characters and, despite me not pairing her much, I like Tom/Kes pairing. And their interaction in general (I always write them as friends if I do not pair them , and my Kes actually lived with Tom, and B’Elanna, once she returned to Earth).

But they are canonically married in Before and After. This episode’s timeline seems to have a quite curious situation. Since they could not date before the Year of Hell began and the Doctor went offline quickly and was still offline when their daughter was born, this means they were the only two medical personnel aboard when they were dating and their married. I would guess they married quickly, probably mostly because Kes had her elogium coming.

Which also makes it strange why these two were sent on an away mission, and why Kes was even allowed to go. These were only two medics on Voyager, they were married and expecting a child. I guess things had to be really bad on Voyager.

I also wonder how sickbay was organized when Kes and Tom Paris ran it. I would guess Kes was in charge, but she is not really bossy and I think they would operate more like equals. Which is even funnier as they are a couple then.

And we don’t even know how they became a couple in the first place. We know Tom had a crush on Kes before, they were good friends and Kes might have reciprocated, but it is still a long way. Especially since Tom lost B’Elanna. Well, Kes lost her too, as they were friends.

What do you think?

 

[Finn]

I don't remember Tom running sickbay with Kes in Before and After?

 

[Orac]

Irrefutable proof of the Mandela Effect!

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

If I fell in love with someone with a terminal illness and I knew they only had 5 years to live well.. I would go for it but the the relationship would be overlayed with this impending loss. First everything together that couples would normally celebrate would also more often than not be last t hing as well. Of course this is doable, just very sad and it takes a certain constitution to enter into a relationship knowing this is what is coming up fast.

I don't think Tom has that constitution. I think he's deluded. His sense of time and future is already cut short and compartmentalized because they are on this ship of the damned and there might never be a house or piece of soil to call their own.

Anyway, dumb romance.

 

[Oddish]

There's actually a bit of sadness about it... Tom knows that Kes will only live six years or so, but his feelings are such that he doesn't care. And his description of the years they had together is very touching. As he said: "At the time, I thought that [our wedding] was the happiest day of my life, but every day it just got better and better."

I like to think that the Ocampa short childhood is dominant, but that the nine-year morilogium is not. Maybe human/Ocampa hybrids have a few more years than pure Ocampa do. Maybe Linnis lasts 20 or 25 years, and Andrew makes it to half a century.