T'Pol strutted onto the Bridge with her usual Vulcan style; expressionless, emotionless, and silent. She scanned the Bridge, making sure everything was in a logical order before she began her day. The Captain was in his chair, Hoshi was at Communications, Travis at the Helm, and Malcolm was at his weapons station. Everything on the Bridge appeared to be normal. Satisfied, T'Pol took a seat at her station, and started to review the logs from the previous day.
Half an hour later, a call came in from Engineering.
"Captain Archer, this is Engineering. Commander Tucker never reported for duty."
Jonathan Archer acknowledged the call, stroking his chin. Trip was almost never late for his shift, let alone did he ever not show up for his shift at all. He loved the engines too much.
"T'Pol, you and Malcolm go find Trip, and make sure he gets to Engineering." Captain Archer ordered.
"Aye, sir." Malcolm said as he made his way towards the turbolift. T'Pol nodded, and trotted after him.
"Where do you think he could be?" Malcolm asked.
"The most logical place to look would be the mess hall." T'Pol stated matter-of-factly.
Malcolm laughed. "I don't get it. Why the mess hall?"
T'Pol suppressed the rising aggravation. "Because, Lieutenant, I believe Chef made a pecan pie last night. I am assuming Commander Tucker knows about it."
Malcolm nodded, not completely understanding the logic behind T'Pol's assumption, but following her to the mess hall anyways.
Once in the mess hall, the two saw no sign of Commander Tucker. Malcolm walked back to the kitchen to ask Chef if he had seen him. Chef said Trip hadn't come to the mess hall since last night. Confused as to the whereabouts of their friend, T'Pol and Malcolm went to the next most logical place; Commander Tucker's quarters.
Malcolm rang the bell. No answer. T'Pol rang the bell. No answer.
"Commander Tucker, are you in there?" T'Pol asked in her rather deep, calm voice. When she was met with silence, she pressed a few buttons, and the door slid open.
The room was dark, and very, very warm. Malcolm was the first to step through the doors, and T'Pol followed quietly behind him. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out Trip's bed. A few seconds later, she made out Trip's body lying underneath several thick blankets.
Malcolm leaned over the bed, and whispered "Trip." When Trip didn't move, Malcolm cleared his voice and said it a little louder.
"Trip! Wake up!" Trip rolled over, and tugged the blankets around his neck even tighter. Malcolm grabbed Commander Tucker by the shoulders and shook him hard. Finally, Trip moaned and opened his eyes a little bit.
"Trip, how can you sleep with all of those blankets on? It is hot in here!" Malcolm exclaimed as he tugged at his collar, hoping to cool himself off.
T'Pol turned the lights on low, as to not blind Commander Tucker. She noticed that he was sweating a great deal.
"Commander Tucker, are you alright?" T'Pol asked curiously.
Trip shivered. "Who the heck are you? And you?" He asked, pointing at T'Pol and Malcolm.
"Commander Tucker, we are your friends, T'Pol and Malcolm. Don't you remember?" Malcolm asked.
"Lieutenant Reed, feel his forehead." T'Pol told him. Malcolm did so, and said that he felt very warm.
"Grief, can you warm this place up a little bit? It's freezing in here!" Trip shouted loudly.
"I think we should take him to Sick Bay." T'Pol told Malcolm. Malcolm nodded his head in agreement, and pulled back Trip's blankets to help him out of bed.
"Come on, Trip. We're going to take a little walk."
Trip closed his eyes and mumbled something inaudible to T'Pol and Malcolm. As Malcolm tried to adjust Trip comfortably against his shoulders, Trip looked at T'Pol.
"I think…she…should…leave." Trip slurred. T'Pol tried not to show her confusion, but Malcolm could see that she was indeed confused, as was he.
"I don't see why she…" Malcolm started. Trip interrupted, still slurring his words together.
"I'm…not dressed…improper…in…Florida…to…walk...around…underwear." Malcolm scanned Trip quickly, and realized that he was indeed in his boxers and Starfleet issued t-shirt.
"It's alright, Commander. I'm used to it." T'Pol added.
Both Trip and Malcolm looked at T'Pol in shock. T'Pol caught on to how they were taking her words, and tried to explain herself.
"That is not what I meant. I meant that in the decon chamber, you always see Starfleet personnel in their t-shirts and shorts. It's not exactly…underwear."
Malcolm shook his head and started to help Trip out of the door. Trip, however, did not want to go, and shoved Malcolm away. T'Pol grabbed Trip's other shoulder, and helped Malcolm get him to Sick Bay.
"Doctor, will he be alright?" T'Pol asked calmly.
Dr. Phlox pulled the blanket over the now sleeping Commander Tucker, and closed the curtains.
"Oh, yes. He just has the flu. It will be another week or so before he's feeling better, but he will recover." Phlox said as he put away his scanner.
"A week?" T'Pol asked, slightly shocked at the length of time Trip would be sick.
"A week." The Doctor confirmed.
T'Pol glanced over towards the curtain which Trip was sleeping behind. "Would it be…acceptable…if I…stayed with him?" T'Pol asked shyly.
"Why, yes! Of course! Talk to him, hold his hand, I don't care what you do." Came the response. T'Pol nodded her thanks, and walked over to the curtains. Dr. Phlox went on giving his pets their lunch, not paying much attention to Trip or T'Pol. He knew how he felt about her, and he knew that T'Pol would prefer to have some time alone with him.
T'Pol cautiously pulled the curtain open, entered, and closed it behind her. She sat gently on the small chair next to Trip's bed, and started to think of what to say. She cleared her throat, and began.
"Commander Tucker. You need to get better."
When Trip didn't respond, or move, T'Pol spoke again.
"That's an order." She said blankly. Still no response. T'Pol heard footsteps approaching the curtains.
"Commander T'Pol, by the way you're sounding, Trip won't want to wake up. Try being a little more…emotional about it." She heard Phlox say.
"Yes, Doctor." T'Pol answered, slightly annoyed.
A few more minutes went by, and T'Pol felt as though Trip had been sick for an eternity.
"The Bridge seemed to be very quiet today."
Silence. That's all T'Pol could hear. She didn't even hear the Doctor walking around in Sick Bay. She just heard silence.
"I never knew Lieutenant Reed was so strong. He seemed to have been able to carry you to Sick Bay all by himself, if you hadn't refused."
T'Pol could have sworn she saw a smile on the pale, sweaty face before her. Her voice must be waking him up, or at least causing an emotional response!
"You were rather strong yourself, Commander, for someone who has such a fever as you do."
Trip moaned, shifted to a different position on the bio bed, and made a rather troubled expression on his face. He lifted his eyelids up ever so slightly, just enough to see where he was.
"Travis? Is that you?" Trip asked weakly.
"Ummmmm…no, this is T'Pol."
"Oh. T'Pol. T'Pol, I don't feel so go-…" was all Trip managed to say before the vomited on T'Pol's clean, white uniform.
T'Pol didn't flinch. She just took hold of Trip's hand gently, and stroked his hair back.
"Commander Tucker –Trip- you're going to be fine. Just rest." T'Pol said soothingly.
"But…but…duty…" Trip slurred.
"Sssshhh, Trip. I'm here. You're fine. I'm here." T'Pol said as Trip rested his head back on his pillow.
For the next three days, T'Pol spent every spare moment she could find in Sick Bay with Commander Tucker. On the fourth day, he could recognize people, and even speak, but was still feverish.
"Good morning, Commander." T'Pol said as she took her seat beside Trip's bed.
"For you, maybe." Trip muttered. "You try eating, sleeping, talking, basically living in Sick Bay for four days with the Doctor."
"No, thank you. A visit every day will suffice." T'Pol said in her calm manner. Trip smiled weakly.
"T'Pol?" Trip asked quietly.
"Yes?"
He rolled over onto his side, his flushed face facing hers.
"How long did you sit by me?" He asked shyly.
T'Pol thought for a moment before answering.
"I spent approximately twenty one hours and eleven minutes in Sick Bay in the past 4 days."
"Ah, I see. That would explain why every time I woke up, you were there." Trip said as he returned to his former position.
"Yes, I was there." She confirmed quietly.
*****
Two weeks later
"Sick Bay to Bridge." Dr. Phlox's voice rang out over the Bridge. Hoshi flipped a few buttons, and responded.
"Bridge here. Is something wrong, Doctor?"
"Ensign Sato, would you please inform Captain Archer that T'Pol will not be able to report to duty for a few days?"
"Yes, Doctor. May I ask why not?" Hoshi asked.
"I'm afraid she has a case of the flu."
Hoshi ended the transmission, and made her way to the Captain's office.
"Sir, Doctor Phlox reports that T'Pol will not be able to report for duty for the next couple of days, due to a case of the flu."
Captain Archer looked up from his PADD. "Will she be alright?"
"The Doctor said she'll be fine in a week or so."
"Thanks, Hoshi."
"Where's T'Pol?" Trip asked as he took his seat at the Captain's dinner table.
"I'm afraid she has the flu, and won't be able to report for duty for a week or so." Captain Archer explained as he placed his napkin in his lap, not noticing the look on Trip's face.
"Oh crap, it's all my fault, Cap'n!" he said as he rushed from the room to Sick Bay.
Once in Sick Bay, Trip quickly located the bio bed in which T'Pol was laying. He pulled back the curtains, and slowly scanned the patient. T'Pol's eyes were closed, she was shivering, and her face was flushed.
Trip took a seat next to her bed, and laid a hand on her shoulder. T'Pol opened her eyes slightly and muttered jokingly "this is your fault, isn't it?"
Trip let out a small smile, and ran one finger down her warm, pink cheeck. T'Pol closed her eyes and breathed quick breathes, trying hard to break her fever.
"It's alright, T'Pol. You'll be fine. I'm here."