Erika dived into her cabin and sunk against the wall as the door hissed shut - more xenophobic attacks after more xenophobic attacks. Both diplomatic and otherwise.

It was exhausting and frankly she was more than tired of people's attitudes. Just because one race attacked us didn't mean they all were about to turn around and send a weapon of mass destruction at the planet.

She had only been able to write back to John once and even then it was a short letter not nearly expressing as much as she wished in comparison. Not wishing to let this opportunity of some time off pass her by (she had threatened her second officer that the universe better be ending) and tired as she was she grabbed a pad from the table in front of her and sank futher into her awkward position to tired to move.

John

I am sorry again for the short letter, it didn't nearly express my sadness at hearing about Trip, I am hoping he is awake now as from the sounds of your last letter it was only a short matter of time. Please give him a slice of pie on me when you can.

We have been busy around here you know, were not just sat around like damsels in distress waiting for enterprise to come rescue us. There's a new defence grid in the works that will hopefully be able to hold off an attack if it does come, if not it should hold of anyone else. That is if we can ever get anyone to agree on anything, every other culture seems to think this is us closing our borders so to speak and the attacks I mentioned briefly in my previous letter are not helping matters.

It's not just us feeling the strain every other crew in the fleet is wondering when the tension will cease. Not that I want to add any strain to you but if you could just find the Xindi and give them hell first as payback then perhaps come to an agreement on not exterminating us that would be swell.

I've had my medical examiner track down some of the best medical minds in starfleet who might not have seen Phlox's request for information, and we managed to get in touch with the interspecies medical exchange as well. It might not be much more than Phlox already knows but it's a small comfort to me that no matter how far I am away I can still help you somehow.

miss you too
Erika.

...

Trip had only been awake a few weeks when the first non-usual visitors appeared in Sickbay. They had been rescued from a nearby vessel and had been brought first automatically to sickbay. A protocol Phlox has made a mental note to change with the captain what with their new permanent resident. Phlox looked over to the curtained off bay in the far corner hoping Trip stayed asleep during their stay he had been awake when he closed the curtain blocking his view but he hadn't been able to check on him in all the melee of aliens.

...

Trips Point of View.

I was supposed have left by now.

But there was an accident and now my sickbay is full of strangers, except it's not my sickbay, its Phlox's sickbay but I have been here for a long time people come in all the time but not these people they aren't blue people, they aren't the friendly people and there is lots.

Phlox closed my shield before they came, I wish my shield was blue, I like blue. I can hear them talking through my shield and see them a little. but I can't understand them much like the screeching of the things in the cages but different, louder, I twist my thumb back anxiously, Phlox told me not to do that because I might break it. But I won't because that would hurt and I'm pretty sure that why I haven't broken it yet. Although I may have in the accident. The accident that made my head hurt. I'm late now.

Phlox says my brain is different now and its blocked the bad things. I don't think it has. I remember the accident. Lizzie was with me making sure I was okay after I fell. Phlox tells me that she wasn't and captain' said the same but I think they are just covering for her.

She was there.

Later they said she was dead but I would remember that, my little sister, dead. I try to ask if I can write to her, I need help now that my brain is different now but they get sad looks on their faces and won't look me in the eye. Even Hoshi.

I yelled a lot then when they would not help. Hoshi tried to calm me down I remember but I couldn't. Phlox gave me something then and I woke up later and sickbay was dark.

That happens a lot since my head got hurt. Sometimes I get things confused in my head, Phlox said its normal because my brain gets tired easily and that why it's okay to have lots of naps. Sometimes I don't even know it's happening and I get frustrated and want to pull at my hair and he has to talk me through things. I don't like it, I like blue.

Captain visits a lot, I like his visits. He brings his blue and Porthos. I remembered him when I woke up but I didn't remember most of the other blue's like Hoshi but they said that was fine because I would make new memories. Hoshi even got me a pad to write memories down on after I woke up and I didn't know where I was so I panicked and I yelled a lot and they had to put me in the dark again.

But that's okay I like the dark.

I try to make it dark now but the new people were too loud so my eyes won't close, I twist my thumb back again but nothing changes, and I'm late.

But now they are quiet why are they quiet?

I sit up very slowly, I have to I don't want to hurt my head- once I moved too fast and my head exploded

Phlox said it didn't actually explode but it felt like it.

I move my shield, I wish it was blue but all but two of the strangers who aren't in blue are gone and Phlox is there

He only wears a small amount of blue despite being friendly too, but sometimes he is mean and causes me pain so I think that is why he lacks blue.

I like blue.

Phlox was nervous about Trip being around so many aliens so soon after he had woken up, luckily they had been moved out of sickbay quite fast due to their aversion to scans but Phlox was still worried. Trip's short term memory was rather spotty and he liked to ask the same questions over and over, but so far he had been good and remembered to stay hidden behind his curtain, or his 'shield' as he preferred to call it everyone else had left now they had been checked but this couple whom were asking something he had not expected.

He had been answering their questions when he head Trip behind him, he was moving at a very slow pace. Despite rehabilitation and physiotherapy since he had woken (and his muscles being stimulated while he had been in his coma) he was rather unsteady on his legs still. His right side was stronger than his left since the accident and he never tended to remember instead he adopted his 'go slow' manoeuvre where he half dragged his left half and swayed precariously.

Phlox muttered an apology to the alien woman before moving to help guide Trip to a medical chair Malcolm had pulled from storage for him.

'Trip what have I told you about leaving your bed' Phlox chastised fussing and getting Trip down into the chair

'No you blue, don't go too fast' Trip responded still with a slight slur, Phlox knew it hadn't been too long since his last seizure so it was probably the last lingering effect. After being in close proximity to the Commander.. ex commander he could understand the majority of his speech, however he was not a psychologist so understanding how his mind currently works was not a strong point.

However he would continue to help Trip physically as best as he could while they were stuck on this mission, however long it may be. It was nice that his repeated questioning and slow lack of communication had taken on an almost child-like quality - it helped remind Phlox that no matter how many times he was asking Trip was not doing it on purpose, and it honestly reminded him of his own son.

As he kept reminding the Captain and crew it was a miracle he was able to communicate at all.

'No Trip' Phlox replied gently , 'That was just the one time' he finished helping Trip to the chair before diving back behind the curtain and coming back with a weirdly shaped hat

'Now why did you get up?' Phlox asked kindly, bending down to Trips level in front of the chair mindful of the two watching aliens.

Trip mumbled something incomprehensible into his sleeve as he rubbed his face with it

'What did you say?' Phlox asked again ignoring the slight twinge in his knees for bending down for a longer time than normal

'Slow. Bad noises Late' Trip said again and waved his pad a little with his other hand

Phlox frowned and turned to look at the time on the computer screen nearest to him. Trip wasn't wrong if this had been on his usual schedule he was due to have some physical therapy in the Gym - Malcolm had kindly offered to help out Phlox once he had taught Trip the basics like walking and it meant the doctor had some free time to desperately try to read some medical journals about Trips condition.

Luckily Trip was still unable to get up on his own and walk far, which even if it sounds cruel was a little relief at the moment it meant Trip was un likely to get up and wonder off out of Sickbay and get lost - not that there was many places to go on a ship but Phlox even if he were a gambling Denobulan wouldn't even put a bet on the possibility of Trip ending up in sickbay because he knew that was going to happen. He would often find the engineer sat up complaining that the ship was moving wrong in some way. Often it was his imagination but often Phlox found out through the grapevine that there was engine issues.

He knew Malcolm was busy with security thanks to their current visitors. This setback also meant his plan to try and keep Trip in a routine was officially shot to hell. This was only going to lead to more confusion for the engineer.. ex engineer.

'I see you have been using your pad well' Phlox replied with a smile, 'That's good but your time with Malcolm will have to be later in the week Co- Trip'

Trip nodded very slowly. He was mindful of moving his head too fast.

Phlox straightened up and checking Trip was okay with another quick glance he went back to the alien woman to give her the rest of the possible options.

Once the alien had left, Phlox felt a little better hopefully they would be off the ship soon- much as he normally enjoyed other cultures so far this one had been rather rude with his friendly questioning which set off his gut and he had really felt uneasy.

When Phlox turned around Trip was standing. It was hard to forget how tall he was as Phlox was so used to him being prone on the bed or wheeling him around in the chair.

'Better. No Mal?' Trip asked looking at the door hopefully

'No later in the week you can see Malcolm you're not better enough to not go just yet, want to help me feed everyone?' Phlox offered referring to his menagerie

Trip smiled, 'Slow. Yes good' and he moved towards Phlox's blowfish, Mr Fish. Phlox had wanted to call the creature 'Mr Blow' but it was ironically Commander Tucker himself who had dissuaded him from that after much heavy laughter, that Phlox had later understood upon questioning Hoshi whom had lost some soup out of her nose in the process.

Trip liked Mr. Fish he was the cause of the first time he had laughed since coming out the coma, he had been helping phlox when he had startled the fish by accident and it had puffed up. Trip had been shocked at first and had nearly had a panic attack before Phlox imitated the fish with his own defence mechanism a trick for laughter that had worked on his own children.

It had instantly stopped the panic attack as Trip had laughed so much he accidentally made himself sick. Afterward he had said in his own way it was worth it, and he happily accepted a larger portion of food later in the day.

They had nearly finished feeding everyone when the ship suddenly rocked to the side violently and Phlox heard an explosion.

He knew his gut was right. These aliens were trouble, he knew that when they walked in and refused scans something was up.