Parturition ( episode ) A trip to " Planet Hell " proves therapeutic for Tom Paris and Neelix . Summary . Teaser . Kes has started to train on operating a shuttle , and Tom Paris is instructing her in a shuttle simulation . It ' s going well , and Kes is jokingly berating Paris for putting her through a scenario involving clogged plasma injector s , calling his training challenge a ' dirty trick . ' During their discussion , though , another problem in the scenario causes the simulated shuttle to throw Kes off her feet and right into Paris ' s arms . Paris hesitates before releasing her , creating a brief awkward moment . However , they leave the simulation joking and laughing , while Neelix is revealed to be hiding around a corner from the holodeck , watching the pair depart . Meanwhile , Chakotay reports to Captain Janeway in her ready room that there is a Class M planet a day away . It shows high amino acid and protein readings , indicating a healthy plant life that can replenish their decreasing reserves , however , a long range sensor scan can ' t confirm plant life due to EM interference . Without any other probable prospects to help their growing food crisis , Janeway decides to take the risk and go " Planet Hell , " the nickname given by stellar cartography . Act One . After the shuttle simulation , Paris goes to Harry Kim ' s quarters , interrupting Kim ' s clarinet practice . Encouraging him to keep playing , Paris tries to hang out , but Kim sees something is wrong . Paris confides that he has fallen in love with Kes , to the shock of Kim , who cautions him that he needs to tread lightly . Meanwhile , Kes is shown having a romantic , candle light dinner with Neelix . As she recounts the shuttle simulation earlier in the day , Neelix becomes more and more agitated . Despite efforts to hide his jealousy , Neelix ' s bad mood is picked up on by Kes and the dinner become tense . The arrives at the planet , and it ' s confirmed that it can support humanoid life . The Doctor calls in , having eavesdropped on the communication between Janeway and Chakotay on the bridge . After berating them for not including their Chief medical officer in their conversations , he proactively says he has a dermal osmotic sealant that will help with the skin irritation caused by the trigemic vapor they are detecting . Janeway thanks him , but asks him not to eavesdrop any more . After she cuts his protest off , B ' Elanna Torres says they won ' t be able to transport to the surface , so they ' ll need to take a shuttle down . Paris and Kim arrive in the mess hall . Paris was hoping to avoid Kes but , unfortunately , she is there , eating alone . Under the pretense of discussing bridge subjects , they sit by themselves , but Kim is soon called away . Paris stays where he is , but Kes knows what ' s happening and leaves . Then , Neelix confronts Paris and they get in a brawl , during which Paris ' and Kim ' s Alfarian hair pasta s end up on himself and Neelix . Janeway then calls both of them to her ready room , forcing them to display the hair pasta stains to her . She informs them they ' ll be flying down to retrieve food sources . Paris suggests Ensign Baytart , but Janeway disagrees and simply says whatever their conflict is they need to work it out . Act Two . During a senior staff meeting in the briefing room , Torres says she has no more luck with the transporter , and Kim says there may be windows in the EM disturbances to beam supplies , but they are not very predictable at the moment . Paris and Neelix are uncomfortable and it shows to Kes as they leave . Paris completely ignores her , and Neelix won ' t discuss it until after he gets back . Kes goes back to sickbay frustrated , and noticeably so to The Doctor . His programming forces him to ask about it , and Kes eventually explains what happened . The Doctor notes to her Paris ' obvious affection toward her , something she assumed was platonic . Kes isn ' t sure what to do , as at home these situations never occurred . He recommends she may not be able to do anything . Paris and Neelix reluctantly start their mission , and the tension is palpable and thinly - veiled . Soon , it drops as the EM interference causes the shuttle to go down . Tuvok sees the shuttle has entered a deep descent , and Janeway now knows the shuttle is in trouble . It ' s up to Torres to work out the transporter issues . Act Three . The shuttle has crashed on the surface , but Paris and Neelix survived with no discernable injuries . Paris knows that " Voyager " is trying to find them , but it may take days for a rescue team to arrive . The high levels of trigemic vapor s cause Paris and Neelix to search for food and a cave in which to shelter , all the while continuing to argue . After sealing themselves in , they heat up some rock s with a phaser and Neelix proceeds to bicker some more when they hear noises . Orbit ing around the planet , the crew attempts to search for the crashed shuttle , but are attacked by an alien ship . The ship positions itself between the planet and " Voyager " , apparently protecting something . Paris and Neelix discover a footprint and a nest of egg s . One of the eggs hatches , revealing a reptohumanoid creature . The two are amazed . Act Four . Torres suggests they take the " Voyager " through the next opening in the EM interference so as to get a better transporter lock on Paris and Neelix . Kim is left to get a better prediction of that window while Janeway tasks Tuvok with getting around the alien ship . Tuvok proposes taking advantage of a slight phase retraction in their shield configuration with a covariant phaser pulse , disabling their weapons systems with minimal damage to the ship . Janeway agrees and sets the crew in motion . Neelix and Paris discover that the species is sentient , and Paris intends to leave before its mother comes . Neelix insists they are now responsible for its care , as they have probably cut it off from its mother . The baby needs food , and it is getting weaker . Paris eventually relents , and they observe the infant . It ' s shivering , so Neelix picks it up in his jacket . After rejecting the field ration s , they find out that the vapors contain the nutrients the infant needs . They ' ll need to go outside . Meanwhile , " Voyager " disables the weapon s of the alien ship , and descends into the planet ' s atmosphere . The other ship follows . Act Five . Paris and Neelix take the infant outside , but it ' s seemingly too weak to take in enough vapor . Neelix panics and insists they use the cordrazine in their bag , but Paris disagrees , not knowing its body chemistry . He then gets the idea to fill the hypospray with the vapor , concentrating it . He applies it directly to its mouth , and it finally recovers . The two congratulate each other , and Neelix starts to apologize to Paris , admitting he hears other crewmembers talking about Paris and it influenced his behavior . Paris admits he is attracted to Kes , but respects Neelix enough to stay away and , further , he wants a better reputation for himself , and wants to change . The two become cordial now , and soonafter , Paris is able to contact the ship . Janeway wants to immediately beam them out , but Neelix insists they wait until they ' re sure the infant is all right . They detect an adult of the species coming close , and Neelix pleads to wait the maximum amount of time . She agrees to wait a minute , and , sure enough , they see the adult arrive and take the baby . With a loud roar of protest at their presence , Paris calls for the beam - out . When Neelix and Paris are beamed back aboard Voyager , they are greeted by Kes . She is both relieved to find them alive and shocked to find that Neelix and Paris have apparently resolved their fight over her . Furthermore , Neelix leads the pair to the mess hall in order to open a bottle of Potak cold fowl that he had been saving for a special occasion . Memorable quotes . " " We lost communication with " Voyager " thirty seconds ago . You don ' t have to impress me with your technobabble . " " " " Captain , I don ' t know what we ' ll find when we get to the surface , flora or fauna , friend or foe . " " " " Set a course for Planet Hell , Commander . " " " " Clogging someone ' s plasma injectors is a dirty trick ! " " " " Ah , yes well , I ' m famous for my dirty tricks , you know ? " " " " Oh , a guy just can ' t win . . . " " " " You subclass genus ! " " " " I beg your pardon ? " " " " I ' m going to kill you ! " " " " Too late ! I ' m betting your hair pasta already did the trick ! " " " " Oh Harry , I ' m in trouble . " " " " What ' s new ? " " " " I think I ' m in love . . . " " " " What ' s new ? " " " " With Kes . " " " " Kes ? ! " " " " Play something . " " " " Play something different . " " " " You should consider it a high compliment . Throughout history , men have fought over the love of a woman . Why , I can quote you autopsy report s from duels as far back as 1538 . " " " " That ' s not funny . " " " " It ' s not meant to be . You ' ve always been interested in autopsies . " " " " Are all Talaxians so jealous ? " " " " I wouldn ' t know . I ' ve only met one . " " " " I ' d say it ' s becoming more and more evident we chose the wrong cave . " " " " On my homeworld , it ' s so much simpler . You choose a mate for life ; there ' s no distrust , no jealousy , no envy , no betrayal . . . " " " " Hm . Your homeworld must have very dry literature . " " " " There is an old Chinese expression : ' Stay out of harm ' s way ' . " " " " That ' s not a Chinese expression . " " " " If it works , use it . " " " " The moment we came in here , it became our responsibility . " " " " And you expect to take care of this thing until what ? It graduates from high school ? College ? " " " " You know , if you skip lunch , the result might be a lower blood sugar level , which could . . . I ' m sorry . It ' s in my program . I see something wrong , I must attempt to diagnose it . " " " " I am a doctor . . . not a voyeur . " " " " Lock onto us " Voyager " . If you hear muffled screams , consider that a request for a beam - out . ' " Links and references . References . aftershave ; Alfarian ; Alfarian hair pasta ; Alpha Quadrant ; ; clarinet ; class M ; " Concerto in A Major " ; cordrazine ; covariant phaser pulse ; Delta Quadrant ; dermal osmotic sealant ; deuterium flow ; driver coil ; duel ; dunghill bird ; Earth ; emergency medical holographic channel ; epidermis ; evasive maneuvers ; eye dropper ; fall ; family reunion ; Felaran rose ; field coil ; flight instructor ; garnesite ; genus ; glandular secretion ; hair follicle ; high school ; holodeck ; hypoglycemia ; inertial damper s ; itch ; Jem ' Hadar attack ship ; junk dealer ; kilometer ; ; leola root broth ; lime ; mess hall ; Milky Way Galaxy ; Molière comedy ; ; nest ; niece ; Ocampa ; Ocampa ( planet ) ; ; Palliantyne pea ; ; phase retraction ; planetary geosciences division ; photon torpedo es ; " Planet Hell " ; plasma injector ; playing favorites ; Potak III ; Potak cold fowl ; ; red alert ; replicator ration ; Reptohumanoid ; Reptohumanoid vessel ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; Talaxian ; Tanzian flu ; technobabble ; trigemic vapor ; turbolift