Chapter 4-
Trip laid in bed staring up at the ceiling, one hand tucked under his head and the other across his chest. He hadn't slept much at all and fitfully tossed and turned. His alarm had gone off twenty minutes ago, but he couldn't seem to get himself going.
When he got back from Treianna's last night, he had almost called Dr. Phlox but the belly flip-flops had subsided and he wasn't feeling as weak. So he had jumped in the shower. A cold shower and that seemed to ease the hotflashes he was having.
The fingers of the hand on his chest slowly twirled the blond tufts of hair there. He closed his eyes, soothing himself from this strangely uncomfortable feeling. He was thinking about the way she smelled, like the sweet smell of lilacs in bloom. He inhaled deeply, remembering. He kept trying to understand what had happened in her quarters. How had she been able to get him to talk about things he hadn't even consciously revealed to himself?
The warmth started on his face. Just like last night. The intensity wasn't as great, but the warmth was definitely returning. His eyes shot open and he jumped out of bed, heading for the cold shower once again.
----------
Archer, Treianna, T'Pol and Hoshi were all present and eating breakfast. A chair at the table, Trip's place, was empty. The door opened and Trip, out of breath, entered. He sat, never making eye contact with anyone.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Cap'n. Ladies. I kinda overslept."
"Oh," the captain remarked. "So you were there."
"Sir?" Trip asked, looking over at him.
"I stopped by your quarters to pick you up. You didn't answer." Archer told him.
Trip pushed the scrambled eggs around on his plate. "Must've been in the shower."
"His tardiness is my fault, Captain." Treianna interjected. "He was with me late last night."
"Oh." Archer remarked in surprise.
There was an uneasy pause as Trip looked up at Treianna and they stared at each other. Hoshi kept her eyes on her plate. T'Pol, sensing the need for distraction, picked up the platter of eggs and held them out to Treianna.
"Would you care for some more eggs?" T'Pol asked.
"No, thank you." Treianna said, breaking her gaze with the commander.
"May I be excused, sir?" Trip finally looked up at Archer. "I really need to get a few things
done in engineering before we go planet-side."
Archer regarded the younger man sensing his uneasiness. He reached over, took a piece of toast and two pieces of bacon from Trip's plate. He folded the toast over to make a sandwich and held it out to Trip.
"We leave at 1300 hours," was all the permission Archer gave.
"Yes, sir." Trip said. He took the bacon sandwich and he was gone.
"He is a very complex young man." Treianna surmised.
"Not really," Archer disagreed. "He's usually juggling 4 or 5 tasks at once. That's why he's the best."
----------
Captain Archer came up behind the chief engineer and stood studying his back. The shoulders were sagging, his posture telling more than words could. The captain noticed the uneaten toast sandwich sitting on the desk as Trip sat staring blankly at the screen in front of him.
"Thought I'd stop by and see how it was going." The captain said.
Trip all but jumped out of his skin and turned to face Archer. "Oh, great, Cap'n."
"So, did you finish those few "things" you wanted to get done?" Archer asked.
"Uh, yeah, I did, sir. Everything's just fine." Trip answered, punching buttons on the terminal.
Archer slowly walked over to the desk and picked up the uneaten sandwich. "Not everything."
Trip looked up at him. "I wasn't very hungry."
"Something wrong?"
"I'm not really sure, sir." Trip told him.
Archer now saw the circles under the commander's eyes and the pale complexion. "You all right? You don't look so good."
"I'm not exactly runnin' on all thrusters, sir," Trip admitted.
"Come on." Archer put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's take a walk."
----------
Trip was laying on a biobed, while Phlox ran a scanner over him and Archer stood nearby.
"It seems like a dream in some parts. It was like I was going crazy or somethin'." Trip was telling them.
"Well, you're not going crazy, Commander." Phlox assured him. "It's very faint, but the traces are there. A minute chemical compound that is causing this jittery feeling. Slight elevated temperature and rise in blood pressure."
"It sure wasn't slight by any means last night," Trip stressed. "When she stuck her arm in my face, I felt like my heart was gonna burst outta my chest."
"So do you know what it is?" The captain asked the doctor.
"Given the events leading up to these symptoms; an educated guess without examining Treianna would be... pheromones," the doctor announced.
"Pheromones!" Trip exclaimed, sitting upright.
"Animal species give off strong intoxicating pheromones to seduce mates of their own species," Phlox verified. "It is possible an alien race could possess the similar abilities that can affect other species."
"She was comin' on to me?" The shock on Trip's face was apparent as the color began to return to his cheeks.
"Wasn't she?" Phlox asked Trip matter-of-factly.
"That's embarrassing," Trip frowned.
"I don't see why," Phlox told him. "It's not like you were in control of the situation in any way, Commander."
"Thanks, Doc," Trip said dejected.
"It could've been a very bad situation." Archer, the voice of reason spoke. "Bordering on criminal."
"By human standards, yes. Perhaps not to Treianna," Phlox reminded him. "She may not be aware any violation occurred."
"So bringing it up to her could be moot," The captain decided.
"And bad for diplomacy if you insult her." Phlox moved to the counter and busied himself.
"What do you say, Trip?"
"I'd just like to forget it happened at all, Cap'n"
"Then I won't say anything to Treianna. But, that leaves you out of the festival," Archer informed him.
"Why," Trip challenged. "Now that I know, I can handle it even better than last night. I did get out with my chastity in tact."
"Barely," Archer shook his head.
"It wasn't that close," Trip argued.
"Trip." The captain used the warning tone he did when his friend was getting close to crossing that fine line.
"Okay," Trip relented. "It was that close, sir."
"What do you think, Doc?" The captain called out to Phlox.
"Mr. Tucker, you may have been lucky last night in that you were already uneasy in her presence." Phlox moved back to the bed. "That may have allowed for some delay in the affects of the pheromones. It is possible, though, that the toxicity could become greater with each encounter."
"That settles it, then." The captain slapped a hand on Trip's knee.
"But that's not fair, Cap'n." Trip was in full blown whine mode now. "I won't be alone with her like last night. I'll be with you, T'Pol and Hoshi."
"Doc?" Archer threw it to Phlox.
"They do say safety in numbers," Phlox shrugged his shoulders.
"Damn right," Trip picked up the fight. "I mean, I hardly think Treianna is that hard up to put the whammy on me in public. And besides. I kinda think I need to understand her culture a little better now, sir."
Archer could see the anticipation and wondered why he always fell for those puppy dog eyes Trip so masterfully used on him countless times. "All right, but you stay close to me. We'll get this over with and be on our way."
Trip smiled broadly now and jumped off the bed. "Thanks, Cap'n. You won't regret it."
Archer sighed, shaking his head. "I hope not."
----------
TO BE CONTINUED
Trip laid in bed staring up at the ceiling, one hand tucked under his head and the other across his chest. He hadn't slept much at all and fitfully tossed and turned. His alarm had gone off twenty minutes ago, but he couldn't seem to get himself going.
When he got back from Treianna's last night, he had almost called Dr. Phlox but the belly flip-flops had subsided and he wasn't feeling as weak. So he had jumped in the shower. A cold shower and that seemed to ease the hotflashes he was having.
The fingers of the hand on his chest slowly twirled the blond tufts of hair there. He closed his eyes, soothing himself from this strangely uncomfortable feeling. He was thinking about the way she smelled, like the sweet smell of lilacs in bloom. He inhaled deeply, remembering. He kept trying to understand what had happened in her quarters. How had she been able to get him to talk about things he hadn't even consciously revealed to himself?
The warmth started on his face. Just like last night. The intensity wasn't as great, but the warmth was definitely returning. His eyes shot open and he jumped out of bed, heading for the cold shower once again.
----------
Archer, Treianna, T'Pol and Hoshi were all present and eating breakfast. A chair at the table, Trip's place, was empty. The door opened and Trip, out of breath, entered. He sat, never making eye contact with anyone.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Cap'n. Ladies. I kinda overslept."
"Oh," the captain remarked. "So you were there."
"Sir?" Trip asked, looking over at him.
"I stopped by your quarters to pick you up. You didn't answer." Archer told him.
Trip pushed the scrambled eggs around on his plate. "Must've been in the shower."
"His tardiness is my fault, Captain." Treianna interjected. "He was with me late last night."
"Oh." Archer remarked in surprise.
There was an uneasy pause as Trip looked up at Treianna and they stared at each other. Hoshi kept her eyes on her plate. T'Pol, sensing the need for distraction, picked up the platter of eggs and held them out to Treianna.
"Would you care for some more eggs?" T'Pol asked.
"No, thank you." Treianna said, breaking her gaze with the commander.
"May I be excused, sir?" Trip finally looked up at Archer. "I really need to get a few things
done in engineering before we go planet-side."
Archer regarded the younger man sensing his uneasiness. He reached over, took a piece of toast and two pieces of bacon from Trip's plate. He folded the toast over to make a sandwich and held it out to Trip.
"We leave at 1300 hours," was all the permission Archer gave.
"Yes, sir." Trip said. He took the bacon sandwich and he was gone.
"He is a very complex young man." Treianna surmised.
"Not really," Archer disagreed. "He's usually juggling 4 or 5 tasks at once. That's why he's the best."
----------
Captain Archer came up behind the chief engineer and stood studying his back. The shoulders were sagging, his posture telling more than words could. The captain noticed the uneaten toast sandwich sitting on the desk as Trip sat staring blankly at the screen in front of him.
"Thought I'd stop by and see how it was going." The captain said.
Trip all but jumped out of his skin and turned to face Archer. "Oh, great, Cap'n."
"So, did you finish those few "things" you wanted to get done?" Archer asked.
"Uh, yeah, I did, sir. Everything's just fine." Trip answered, punching buttons on the terminal.
Archer slowly walked over to the desk and picked up the uneaten sandwich. "Not everything."
Trip looked up at him. "I wasn't very hungry."
"Something wrong?"
"I'm not really sure, sir." Trip told him.
Archer now saw the circles under the commander's eyes and the pale complexion. "You all right? You don't look so good."
"I'm not exactly runnin' on all thrusters, sir," Trip admitted.
"Come on." Archer put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's take a walk."
----------
Trip was laying on a biobed, while Phlox ran a scanner over him and Archer stood nearby.
"It seems like a dream in some parts. It was like I was going crazy or somethin'." Trip was telling them.
"Well, you're not going crazy, Commander." Phlox assured him. "It's very faint, but the traces are there. A minute chemical compound that is causing this jittery feeling. Slight elevated temperature and rise in blood pressure."
"It sure wasn't slight by any means last night," Trip stressed. "When she stuck her arm in my face, I felt like my heart was gonna burst outta my chest."
"So do you know what it is?" The captain asked the doctor.
"Given the events leading up to these symptoms; an educated guess without examining Treianna would be... pheromones," the doctor announced.
"Pheromones!" Trip exclaimed, sitting upright.
"Animal species give off strong intoxicating pheromones to seduce mates of their own species," Phlox verified. "It is possible an alien race could possess the similar abilities that can affect other species."
"She was comin' on to me?" The shock on Trip's face was apparent as the color began to return to his cheeks.
"Wasn't she?" Phlox asked Trip matter-of-factly.
"That's embarrassing," Trip frowned.
"I don't see why," Phlox told him. "It's not like you were in control of the situation in any way, Commander."
"Thanks, Doc," Trip said dejected.
"It could've been a very bad situation." Archer, the voice of reason spoke. "Bordering on criminal."
"By human standards, yes. Perhaps not to Treianna," Phlox reminded him. "She may not be aware any violation occurred."
"So bringing it up to her could be moot," The captain decided.
"And bad for diplomacy if you insult her." Phlox moved to the counter and busied himself.
"What do you say, Trip?"
"I'd just like to forget it happened at all, Cap'n"
"Then I won't say anything to Treianna. But, that leaves you out of the festival," Archer informed him.
"Why," Trip challenged. "Now that I know, I can handle it even better than last night. I did get out with my chastity in tact."
"Barely," Archer shook his head.
"It wasn't that close," Trip argued.
"Trip." The captain used the warning tone he did when his friend was getting close to crossing that fine line.
"Okay," Trip relented. "It was that close, sir."
"What do you think, Doc?" The captain called out to Phlox.
"Mr. Tucker, you may have been lucky last night in that you were already uneasy in her presence." Phlox moved back to the bed. "That may have allowed for some delay in the affects of the pheromones. It is possible, though, that the toxicity could become greater with each encounter."
"That settles it, then." The captain slapped a hand on Trip's knee.
"But that's not fair, Cap'n." Trip was in full blown whine mode now. "I won't be alone with her like last night. I'll be with you, T'Pol and Hoshi."
"Doc?" Archer threw it to Phlox.
"They do say safety in numbers," Phlox shrugged his shoulders.
"Damn right," Trip picked up the fight. "I mean, I hardly think Treianna is that hard up to put the whammy on me in public. And besides. I kinda think I need to understand her culture a little better now, sir."
Archer could see the anticipation and wondered why he always fell for those puppy dog eyes Trip so masterfully used on him countless times. "All right, but you stay close to me. We'll get this over with and be on our way."
Trip smiled broadly now and jumped off the bed. "Thanks, Cap'n. You won't regret it."
Archer sighed, shaking his head. "I hope not."
----------
TO BE CONTINUED