Title: Ashes to Ashes
Author: Josephine
E-Mail: Lovellama@aol.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: Action
Code: Tu/S, others
Summary: A shared tragedy brings Hoshi and Trip together
Author's Notes: Other character death. Much thanks to Jess and Cindi for help and betas
----------
The shuttle shook violently as one by one the engines exploded, sending the small craft into a sickening tailspin. Hoshi desperately hung on to her seat, eyes squeezed tightly shut as Em and Trip tried to contact Enterprise and somehow level out the shuttle.
"It ain't workin'!" Trip's voice held a note of grim determination as his fingers flew across the control board. "Hold on, we're in for a bumpy landin'!"
The mixed sound of metal and trees crashing into each other filled Hoshi's ears as her body was flung every which way against the restraining harness. Debris hit her in the face and she flung up her arms to protect herself.
Suddenly the shuttle went end over end, crashing to the planet's surface with one last creaking groan of metal.
-----
Hoshi slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the light coming in from a gaping hole in the shuttle's side. Moving gingerly, she shifted slightly to make sure nothing was broken. She sighed in relief, as there were no sharp, debilitating pains, only a dull ache in her head and side.
"Hosh? You alright back there?" Trip made his way back from the pilot's seat, limping slightly as he came to kneel in front of her.
"Yeah, just a few bumps and bruises." Together they got her harness off, but when Hoshi stood up she hissed in pain.
"What is it?" Trip's hands hovered over her body, not wanting to touch her in case he hit a sore spot, his eyes locked on her face trying to read what was wrong.
"Ribs." Hoshi's breathing turned shallow as she tried ease the pain. "I think a few are broken."
Helping her sit down again, Trip leaned over and got the first aid kit from a storage locker. "We'll have to wrap them. This will help." Taking out a hypospray, he injected an analgesic into her neck.
"What about Em?" Hoshi's eyes were closed against the pain, so she didn't see the grim expression on his face.
"She's dead."
"Oh God." Eyes flying open at his words, Hoshi looked toward the front of the shuttle. "Are you sure?"
"Pretty much," came his dry rejoinder.
"Of course." Hoshi was silent, thinking of Em as Trip unzipped her uniform and eased her arms out of it. It seemed so hard to imagine her friend gone. "How?"
"Broken neck, I think." Trip looked at her pale face, and squeezed her hand. "It was fast, darlin', she wouldn't have felt anythin'." He eyed her tank bra, the garment extending down her torso. "I think it would be best if the bandages were under that ."
"Close your eyes, Commander." Hoshi tried to pull the tank over her head, but cried out as the motion ground her broken ribs together. "I think I need some help."
Keeping his eyes shut, Trip stuck out his hands. Laughing slightly, Hoshi took them and placed them on the hem of her tank. Gently she raised her arms as Trip pulled the tank over her head.
Crossing her arms over her breasts, Hoshi lifted them out of the way. "Ok, but make it quick," she told him, biting her lip at the residual pain.
Swiftly Trip wrapped her torso, his face mere centimeters from hers. Hoshi could feel his breath on her cheek, feel the heat radiating off him; her stomach did a little flip she blamed on the stress of the situation. He ran his hands over her ribcage, making sure everything was in the right place. Picking up her tank Trip smiled at her. "Ready?"
Hoshi nodded as Trip closed his eyes again, and between the two of them they managed to get her dressed once more. Hoshi stood up and took a few breaths, moving her arms slightly.
"Better?" Trip asked, and she nodded.
"It aches a bit, but yes, it's better." Hoshi looked at him. "Did you get hurt?"
"Naw, nothin' t' write home about."
Hoshi smiled wanly at his poor attempt at humor, then got up and made her way to the front of the shuttle. Kneeling by Em, she laid her hand against her friend's cheek.
"She's so cold already ." Memories of Em began to run through Hoshi's mind; how she had helped her with her target practice when Malcolm got too impatient and frustrated with her, late nights spent over sangria cataloguing the finer points of their male counterparts .
"Hoshi?"
Trip's hand on her shoulder startled her, and Hoshi blinked back tears as she stood up.
"I'm sorry ."
"It's ok. I need some help getting' the stuff out."
Looking past him Hoshi saw Trip had opened the hatch and started breaking out the survival gear. Grabbing a light container she took it out of the shuttle, stacking it on a nearby pile.
Walking around the craft, Hoshi stared at the long swath they had cut through the dense forest, ending in a 10 meter furrow into the ground itself. The raw earth was almost black with organic matter, torn roots sticking up like frozen tentacles. She let her gaze wander up the multitude of tree trunks to the nearly impenetrable canopy above them, it was no wonder there was hardly any underbrush, only a small fraction of sunlight made it through.
Sighing, Hoshi made her way back around and continued helping Trip figure out what was salvageable from the wrecked shuttle.
They were taking a break when Trip spoke up. "I've been thinkin' about Em . what t' do about her."
Hoshi looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
"What t' do with her body. We're gonna have t' cremate her."
"We can't!" Hoshi was aghast. Trip looked over, his turn to be confused.
"Why not?"
"She's Catholic. It's against her religion."
Trip waved his arm around, encompassing the forest. "There is no way we could dig a grave in this soil Hosh, even if we did have somethin' t' dig with. I have no idea when Enterprise is gonna find us, and in this heat Em's not gonna last long, t' be blunt." He looked at her with compassion in his eyes. "It's the only way."
"Can't you use the phase pistols to blast a hole in the ground or something?" There was a pleading sound to Hoshi's voice.
"It would take up too much of their power, and we might need them t' defend ourselves." Trip interrupted Hoshi as she began to speak. "Even Em would agree it would be foolish to waste the phasers diggin' her a grave when they could save our lives later on."
They stared at each other a moment, then Hoshi glanced away, nodding. "We'll need to gather some wood, I suppose ."
Squeezing her shoulder, Trip stood up and made his way into the forest, Hoshi close behind. They had to go rather far afield to find branches that hadn't been torn off by the shuttle's decent, and Hoshi could only carry the smaller ones, but in time they had enough to build a decent sized pyre. Hoshi waited as Trip entered the shuttle, coming out with Em in his arms. He laid her down in the middle of the pile of wood, placing a few more pieces to cover her body.
Before he had finished Hoshi stopped him, coming up to take one last look at Em.
"I'm sorry we couldn't bury you, " she said, "I hope He'll understand." Hoshi took Em's hand in her own. "You used to jokingly say that everyday since you got on that ship was a gift from God since it should have blown up before we left our system. Add to that the long list of aliens we got on the bad side of . You credited Malcolm with keeping us alive so long. I wish it could have been longer."
She let Trip finish covering Em, then looked at him as he began to speak. "Dear Lord, we commend t' you this your servant Em Gomez, accept her into your presence so that she may live forever more. 'I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever lives and believeth in me shall never die.' Amen."
A few well-placed phaser blasts set the wood alight; moving next to Trip, Hoshi rested her head on his shoulder as he placed an arm around her. It wasn't until Em's uniform started to burn that Hoshi began to cry, burying her face in his chest, unable to watch. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as he cried with her, the flames consuming their friend.
Author: Josephine
E-Mail: Lovellama@aol.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: Action
Code: Tu/S, others
Summary: A shared tragedy brings Hoshi and Trip together
Author's Notes: Other character death. Much thanks to Jess and Cindi for help and betas
----------
The shuttle shook violently as one by one the engines exploded, sending the small craft into a sickening tailspin. Hoshi desperately hung on to her seat, eyes squeezed tightly shut as Em and Trip tried to contact Enterprise and somehow level out the shuttle.
"It ain't workin'!" Trip's voice held a note of grim determination as his fingers flew across the control board. "Hold on, we're in for a bumpy landin'!"
The mixed sound of metal and trees crashing into each other filled Hoshi's ears as her body was flung every which way against the restraining harness. Debris hit her in the face and she flung up her arms to protect herself.
Suddenly the shuttle went end over end, crashing to the planet's surface with one last creaking groan of metal.
-----
Hoshi slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the light coming in from a gaping hole in the shuttle's side. Moving gingerly, she shifted slightly to make sure nothing was broken. She sighed in relief, as there were no sharp, debilitating pains, only a dull ache in her head and side.
"Hosh? You alright back there?" Trip made his way back from the pilot's seat, limping slightly as he came to kneel in front of her.
"Yeah, just a few bumps and bruises." Together they got her harness off, but when Hoshi stood up she hissed in pain.
"What is it?" Trip's hands hovered over her body, not wanting to touch her in case he hit a sore spot, his eyes locked on her face trying to read what was wrong.
"Ribs." Hoshi's breathing turned shallow as she tried ease the pain. "I think a few are broken."
Helping her sit down again, Trip leaned over and got the first aid kit from a storage locker. "We'll have to wrap them. This will help." Taking out a hypospray, he injected an analgesic into her neck.
"What about Em?" Hoshi's eyes were closed against the pain, so she didn't see the grim expression on his face.
"She's dead."
"Oh God." Eyes flying open at his words, Hoshi looked toward the front of the shuttle. "Are you sure?"
"Pretty much," came his dry rejoinder.
"Of course." Hoshi was silent, thinking of Em as Trip unzipped her uniform and eased her arms out of it. It seemed so hard to imagine her friend gone. "How?"
"Broken neck, I think." Trip looked at her pale face, and squeezed her hand. "It was fast, darlin', she wouldn't have felt anythin'." He eyed her tank bra, the garment extending down her torso. "I think it would be best if the bandages were under that ."
"Close your eyes, Commander." Hoshi tried to pull the tank over her head, but cried out as the motion ground her broken ribs together. "I think I need some help."
Keeping his eyes shut, Trip stuck out his hands. Laughing slightly, Hoshi took them and placed them on the hem of her tank. Gently she raised her arms as Trip pulled the tank over her head.
Crossing her arms over her breasts, Hoshi lifted them out of the way. "Ok, but make it quick," she told him, biting her lip at the residual pain.
Swiftly Trip wrapped her torso, his face mere centimeters from hers. Hoshi could feel his breath on her cheek, feel the heat radiating off him; her stomach did a little flip she blamed on the stress of the situation. He ran his hands over her ribcage, making sure everything was in the right place. Picking up her tank Trip smiled at her. "Ready?"
Hoshi nodded as Trip closed his eyes again, and between the two of them they managed to get her dressed once more. Hoshi stood up and took a few breaths, moving her arms slightly.
"Better?" Trip asked, and she nodded.
"It aches a bit, but yes, it's better." Hoshi looked at him. "Did you get hurt?"
"Naw, nothin' t' write home about."
Hoshi smiled wanly at his poor attempt at humor, then got up and made her way to the front of the shuttle. Kneeling by Em, she laid her hand against her friend's cheek.
"She's so cold already ." Memories of Em began to run through Hoshi's mind; how she had helped her with her target practice when Malcolm got too impatient and frustrated with her, late nights spent over sangria cataloguing the finer points of their male counterparts .
"Hoshi?"
Trip's hand on her shoulder startled her, and Hoshi blinked back tears as she stood up.
"I'm sorry ."
"It's ok. I need some help getting' the stuff out."
Looking past him Hoshi saw Trip had opened the hatch and started breaking out the survival gear. Grabbing a light container she took it out of the shuttle, stacking it on a nearby pile.
Walking around the craft, Hoshi stared at the long swath they had cut through the dense forest, ending in a 10 meter furrow into the ground itself. The raw earth was almost black with organic matter, torn roots sticking up like frozen tentacles. She let her gaze wander up the multitude of tree trunks to the nearly impenetrable canopy above them, it was no wonder there was hardly any underbrush, only a small fraction of sunlight made it through.
Sighing, Hoshi made her way back around and continued helping Trip figure out what was salvageable from the wrecked shuttle.
They were taking a break when Trip spoke up. "I've been thinkin' about Em . what t' do about her."
Hoshi looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
"What t' do with her body. We're gonna have t' cremate her."
"We can't!" Hoshi was aghast. Trip looked over, his turn to be confused.
"Why not?"
"She's Catholic. It's against her religion."
Trip waved his arm around, encompassing the forest. "There is no way we could dig a grave in this soil Hosh, even if we did have somethin' t' dig with. I have no idea when Enterprise is gonna find us, and in this heat Em's not gonna last long, t' be blunt." He looked at her with compassion in his eyes. "It's the only way."
"Can't you use the phase pistols to blast a hole in the ground or something?" There was a pleading sound to Hoshi's voice.
"It would take up too much of their power, and we might need them t' defend ourselves." Trip interrupted Hoshi as she began to speak. "Even Em would agree it would be foolish to waste the phasers diggin' her a grave when they could save our lives later on."
They stared at each other a moment, then Hoshi glanced away, nodding. "We'll need to gather some wood, I suppose ."
Squeezing her shoulder, Trip stood up and made his way into the forest, Hoshi close behind. They had to go rather far afield to find branches that hadn't been torn off by the shuttle's decent, and Hoshi could only carry the smaller ones, but in time they had enough to build a decent sized pyre. Hoshi waited as Trip entered the shuttle, coming out with Em in his arms. He laid her down in the middle of the pile of wood, placing a few more pieces to cover her body.
Before he had finished Hoshi stopped him, coming up to take one last look at Em.
"I'm sorry we couldn't bury you, " she said, "I hope He'll understand." Hoshi took Em's hand in her own. "You used to jokingly say that everyday since you got on that ship was a gift from God since it should have blown up before we left our system. Add to that the long list of aliens we got on the bad side of . You credited Malcolm with keeping us alive so long. I wish it could have been longer."
She let Trip finish covering Em, then looked at him as he began to speak. "Dear Lord, we commend t' you this your servant Em Gomez, accept her into your presence so that she may live forever more. 'I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever lives and believeth in me shall never die.' Amen."
A few well-placed phaser blasts set the wood alight; moving next to Trip, Hoshi rested her head on his shoulder as he placed an arm around her. It wasn't until Em's uniform started to burn that Hoshi began to cry, burying her face in his chest, unable to watch. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as he cried with her, the flames consuming their friend.