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«K'lalatar Prkori K'lalatar Prnak'lirli
(Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations)»
by Monica MicioGatta
8th chapter: A great teacher
«Here you are!» Phlox said, after pushing the hypospray against Trip's neck. «Is it better?»
«It still hurts!» cried Tucker.
«Come on, do not be a baby. As you Human say, 'the bum does not hurt for a long time' [this is an Italian saying...]... Well, I don't really ever understand this saying, given that a blow is still a blow...» He turned to the door from which T'Mir and T'Pol were entering. «Oh, here are your women! I leave you some privacy.»
Trip looked up to heaven. 'My women...' Phlox had known it before him.
T'Mir smiled and sat on the biobed next to him, not too close, she didn't want to take his breathe away. «How are you?»
«I'm...» he started, but stopped. After a pause, he said: «I don't know.»
«You don't know?» T'Pol raised an eyebrow.
«I mean the blow,» T'Mir stressed.
«Oh, that... Phlox gave me...» He pointed to his neck. He shook his head and stared at the young woman. «But were you serious?»
T'Mir tilted her head, smiling. «Didn't Phlox show you my DNA analysis?»
«Yes, but...» He looked at T'Pol, which of course wasn't offering him the slightest help. Yeah, he would find more support from... his daughter. «I understand why you crimp cables as I do.» he said, laughing.
T'Mir grinned. «All I know about the warp engines I learnt it from you.»
«Or better,» interjected T'Pol, «from Commander Tucker in another universe.»
Trip glanced sideways at the Vulcan, but was T'Mir to give voice to his thoughts: «How to keep away all the poetry.»
«However, it's evidently the future of another universe.»
«M'aih, come on, I'm here now!» T'Mir stopped her. «However, we are genetically related.»
Trip could swear that he saw the shadow of a half-smile on T'Pol's face. He was going to make a joke about it, but Archer came through the door of the sickbay.
«How are you?» he asked.
«I'm okay, Captain. I'm going to get back to work.»
«Wait,» Jonathan put his hand on his shoulder to stop him, «Phlox told me that you felt dizzy.»
«Yes, but...»
«It was my fault,» T'Mir said, then added, whispering, «He has a thing for pointy ears...»
Tucker whirled toward her: «Quit that!»
T'Mir smiled.
«I want you to rest for a while,» Archer remarked, «that's an order.»
Trip sighed.
«I can finish the work on the wires, it won't take too much,» T'Mir proposed.
«I'll help you,» T'Pol said.
«Okay, go. We have to go to warp as soon as possible.» When the two Vulcans came out of the sickbay, Archer looked back at his chief engineer. «T'Pol told me they were talking to you and you lost your balance.»
Tucker shrugged, nodding. «Yes, that was it.»
«Trip, you wouldn't fall from the top of a warp drive just for a chat.» He clapped a hand on his shoulder. «Stay in the sickbay, I think the two Vulcans can finish the job. T'Pol will check that T'Mir does everything correctly.»
Tucker shrugged. «It wouldn't be a problem.»
«Wouldn't it?»
«No...» Could he tell that? Of course. «...She is a genius in wiring. She crimps like a goddess.»
Archer laughed as he left the sickbay. «She must have had a good teacher.» He took a few steps in the hall when he noticed an acceleration: -We are going to warp.- thought. «A very good teacher.» he corrected himself.
