Chapter Two - Trespasses

"What the hell happened?"

Malcolm looked straight ahead.  "I'm…not entirely sure, commander."  He sounded dazed, as if the answer was coming from very far away.

Trip shook him lightly.  "Malcolm?!"

Reed looked around, but his eyes didn't seem to focus on his friend.  Trip drew a breath as he saw two small bloody indents in Malcolm's neck, just like a vampire bite in all those tacky black and whites he'd seen. 

Chu*tic* gasped at the sight.

"Hell!"  Trip shrugged off his jacket and put it around his friend's shoulders.  The shock clouding Malcolm's eyes worried him and he felt the pulse in his wrist.  Familiar thrumming answered him, strong and sure, but maybe a little slower than it ought to be, but he didn't know.  Maybe that was normal for Malcolm. 

A Dayohsi man bumped against Trip's shoulders.  He glared at the gawker and waved the crowds back.  "Give the guy a little air, all right?"

The crowd of Dayohsi obediently backed off, and a few even wandered back to their business now the excitement had waned.  Trip pulled out his communicator and opened it.  "Tucker to Phlox."

A moment later, the doctor's distracted voice answered.  "How can I help you, Commander?"

"Can ya get over here?  Malcolm's been hurt."

"Of course.  I just need to know where 'here' is."

Trip didn't have the slightest idea.

"This is the West Central Path."  Chu*tic* said softly.  "Next to the Tolla bridge."

Trip shot a look of thanks in her direction. 

"How bad is the Lieutenant?"  Phlox enquired.

"He's conscious.  I don't think anythin's broken but…"  He searched for the right description, knowing how important it was.  "Looks like he's been…I don't know, bit by somethin'."

"Reptilian or mammal?"

"Hell I don't know, doc."

"Keep the affected limb elevated until I arrive."

"It's on his neck.  I'm guessin' near the jugular."

"Is the bleeding under control?"  Concern deepened the Denobulan's voice.

"I don't think it is bleedin'."

"Well, make sure he remains sitting and do not allow him to move around."

"Don't think there's much chance of that."  He told him. Not with the eerie shock in Malcolm's eyes and Trip realised it was getting worse.  "He's kinda out of it.  Better hurry, doc."

"I'm at the Dayohsi Medical institute.  They have a number of invasive-"

"Just get over here!  Tucker out."  He took another look at the marks on Malcolm's neck, slowly forming a deep bruise.  He was a little relieved to see the tiny holes scabbing over.  He opened his communicator again.  "Tucker to Archer."

"Archer here.  What is it, Trip?"

"Think we might have a problem, cap'n."

***

The quiet shock in Reed's face lapsed into a kind of sleepy calm.  It took twice as long to get answers from him and they were usually slurred and monosyllabic.  The deterioration frightened Trip, more than he cared to admit.  There didn't seem to be anything he could treat.  Nothing to make him useful.

Malcolm's skin felt cold and he had begun shivering.  But then so had Trip.  The Dayohsi night was cool and a sharp breeze whistled along the path way. 

"You are cold?" 

Trip looked up at the voice.  An elderly Dayohsi man stood behind him, white haired and heavily lined.  "I need to keep him warm."

"Please.  Use our house.  We live just here."  He pointed across the street.  "I can help you carry him."

As tempting as the offer was, Trip immediately saw a problem with that.  "Our doc won't know where we are."

"I can stay here, Treep."  Chu*tic* offered.  "I will tell your doctor where you are."

Tucker considered for a moment.  "All right."

He slipped his arms around and under his friend and lifted.  Malcolm was heavier than he looked and Trip groaned.

"Things I do fer you, Malcolm…"  He muttered.

The Dayohsi man led Trip to his home, introducing himself as Yot.  There was an elderly woman waiting to open the door and Yot smiled and told him that this was his wife of ten decades, Yolan.

Trip sat Malcolm on a comfortable looking chair in the main living area.  The couple fussed over them kindly. Trip smiled; they so welcome it was almost like back home.  Real southern hospitality light years from Texas.

Yot brought out some blankets and gave them to Trip, who had tucked them around his friend.  He did his best to keep Malcolm warm and dressed the wound to his neck.  As he did so, he checked more thoroughly for other wounds.  But Malcolm didn't seem to have any other injuries, at least not that Trip could see, but his casual shirt had been torn and his trousers were loose as if he'd been in a fight.  He tried to ask Malcolm about the tears and the bite on his neck, but the armoury officer hardly reacted to the questions at all.  Malcolm's head moved as if he'd heard something in the distance, but he never concentrated on Trip's words or even the soothing quality to his voice.

The sluggishness in his friend was beginning to scare Trip and the long moments waiting for Phlox and the captain seemed to drag. 

His conversation with Archer had been brief; Trip didn't know anymore to tell the captain even if he'd had the time to tell it.  Archer had said he be there as soon as possible.

Phlox arrived about ten minutes later, in a land vehicle driven at break neck speed by a small, and obviously very young, Dayohsi woman.  Chu*tic* looked a little ill as she escorted the Denobulan doctor in. 

As soon as Phlox saw Malcolm, he shuffled everyone out of the room and closed the door.  Trip went to argue with him but the elderly Dayohsi woman brought him a cup of something warm and spicy and he forced himself to say silent for her sake. 

A quarter of an hour passed and Trip paced back and forth, on edge.  The sight of the 'vampire bite' on Malcolm's neck had disturbed him the moment he saw it, dredging up fears and superstitions about Creatures of the Night.  Kid's stuff really…only…

The distant look in Reed's eyes, so unlike his usual sharpness, was almost…inhuman.  It was bothering Trip more that he cared to admit. 

He couldn't help but feel responsible too.  Reed hadn't even wanted to come down here, but Trip had made him…and then abandoned him to go gazing at the sunset.

Archer arrived a few minutes later with an elderly Dayohsi man Tucker recognised as Commandant Holtem, president of the home world. 

"What happened, Trip?"

"I don't know.  We were at a bar.  I left…when I got back, he was lyin' on the floor."

"Was he conscious?  Did he tell you what happened?"

Trip shook his head.  "He was in shock mostly.  I think some kinda animal bit him."

Archer frowned.  "Bit him?"

Chu*tic* was very quiet, but she hadn't left.  Trip had almost forgotten she was there.  She looked up at the captain.  "On the neck."  She murmured but at that moment, the door opened and whatever she might have said afterwards was lost.

Trip turned to Phlox.  "Is he all right?"

"He will be fine after some rest."

"Do you know what happened?"  Archer asked.

Phlox paused.  "Perhaps we should talk privately, captain…"

Archer looked at Trip.  The engineer waited sure he would not be excluded. 

Archer was about to confirm that belief when Phlox spoke again.  "Patient confidentiality."  He said.

Surprised, the captain nodded and they moved to the other end of the room.  Trip knew he could probably eavesdrop if he put his mind to it, but his mother had raised him right.

"The wound to his neck wasn't serious," Phlox told Archer, "although I do believe he was injected with some sort of natural drug.  A venom."

"Venom?"

"For want of a better term, yes.  But more to subdue than to poison.  I ran a toxicology test on the residue in his bloodstream to be sure, but it appears to be similar to a tranquillizer."

"So that was why he didn't respond to Trip?"

"Very probably.  I doubt he was very aware of what was happening."  He paused.  "I've given him some Defline to counteract the affects and remove the toxin from his blood stream.  This works best when the patient is unconscious so I gave him a mild sedative.  He should be awake in a couple of hours."

"Was there anything else?"

For the first time since Archer had met the Denobulan, he seemed hesitant.  "I also preformed a complete a full physical examination of Mr Reed.  It's standard procedure."

"And?"

"I believe he has had some form of sexual contact in the last few hours."

The words hung for a long moment.  There was something deeply serious in Phlox' eyes and the significance slowly dawned on Archer.  Not aware… Subdue rather than poison…  "Was he forced?"  His voice was rough.

"There was some slight bleeding."  Phlox conceded, "but until Lt Reed has confirmed this…"

Archer turned and strode over to the Commandant.  "I want everyone my officer's came into contact with questioned."

Trip jolted at his friend's anger.  Archer didn't often lose his temper and this was John at his most dangerous.  What the hell had Phlox said?

"I can understand your anger, captain, but-"

"I haven't started being angry, Holtem!"

"Cap'n?"

Archer paused, visibly reigning in his temper.  "I'm sorry."  He drew breath.  "Commandant, the welfare of my men-"

Holtem's face softened.  "I understand."

"It's important I discover what happened to my officer."

"There's no need, captain."  Chu*tic* came forward.  "Commandant, the Lieutenant bore the Hek*sic*.  I saw it with my own eyes."

Holtem's face flickered in amazement.

Archer snapped around to her, but Trip beat him to it.  "Heksick?"

She touched her own neck.  "The mark.  Here."

"The Dracula bite?"

Archer stepped towards Chu*tic*.  "What do you mean?"

"She means, Commander, that no crime was committed here today.  In fact, your crewman has been honoured."

"Funny that, he didn't look to honoured when I found him."

Archer waved Trip down.  "Commandant, I understand that there are many customs on your world that we haven't learned yet."

"The same can be said of our understanding of yours."

"Exactly.  And our Lieutenant isn't ready to be questioned.  It would help us if you could investigate the matter."

"Of course."  He stepped forward.  "Commander, the bar that you visited, was it called the Gamman Ko?"

Trip shrugged.  But Chu*tic* nodded.  "It was."

Holtem sighed.  Then pulled out a small communicator.  "Goh*tic*?"

"Commandant?"  The voice was tinny over the communication.

"Alert the Ko.  I wish to speak with it.  And send a transport."  He looked at Archer.  "We will see to your crewman."

***

A short time later, they moved the sedated Reed to the small medical facility at Dayohsi High Council.  As they waited outside, Trip saw movement through the glass partition.  It caught his eye.

A creature was being escorted in to the enormous Council hall.  Cat-like and downy, wearing no clothes, not that it needed too.  Fine fur covered its body, but did not appear to conceal any sexual characteristics.  It smiled at him.

"Trip, was Malcolm there with anyone?"

"No."  He pulled his eyes from the creature and turned to face Archer.  "He didn't even look like he was enjoyin' himself.  You know Malcolm."

"And then you left?"

"Pretty much.  I didn't mean to be gone so long, but…y'know."

A Dayohsi doctor came out of the room.  He walked over to Archer.  "Your man is awake."

"And?"

"It is just as we suspected."

"Suspected?"  Trip demanded, "suspected what?"

"That your friend has had sexual contact with the Ko."

Trip's mouth opened and closed.  Then he recovered.  "He ain't likely to get pregnant, is he?" 

The doctor looked at him like he'd grown a third ear.

"It ain't the stupid question you think it is, trust me."

Archer's tone grew cold.  "Was he coerced?"

"Coerced!"  Trip gasped.

The man looked appalled.  "No, this is the Ko!  Your crewman has been done a great honour.  What do you mean by accusing it of such an abomination?"

"On our world, there's no honour in forcing another!"

"So too on ours!"  He turned, almost shaking with rage.  "I will not listen to your lies!"

Archer watched the doctor stalk away, his face deeply troubled.

"Cap'n?"  Trip turned to his friend, feeling sick.  "Is that true?  About Malcolm?"

But at that moment, the door opened, interrupting the question.  Phlox came out. 

"Captain.  Lt Reed is awake."

***

The medical room was warm.  Reed lay propped up in a long bed, covered in blue blankets.  There was more colour in his cheeks now, although deep black smudges circled both eyes.  He looked a little like the raccoons back home and the thought made Trip smile.  But the humour was gone in a flash, eaten up by the knowledge of what Archer and Phlox suspected had happened to Malcolm. 

"Captain."  Malcolm said his tone all military, the moment Archer stopped at his bedside.  "I sorry to have-"

"That isn't important."  Archer assured him.  "I'm just glad you're alright."

"Thank you, sir."  More stiff formality.

"Malcolm, what happened?"

"Sir, I...  I would prefer not to say."

Archer laid a hand on Malcolm's arm.  "Phlox already told me, Malcolm."

A flush appeared on Reed's cheeks and he looked down.  "A slight misunderstanding…"

"Misunderstanding?"

"Yes, sir."  He looked his captain full in the face.  "I will, of course, apologise to-"

"Apologise!"  Trip yelled.  "You were forced, Malcolm.  You got nothin' to apologise for!"

"No…"  Malcolm shook his head, not meeting their eyes.  "I…I consented."

TBC