Disclaimer: I don't own Enterprise, it belongs to ParaMount. I do wish I owned Malcolm. :D

Author's note: I apologize for the delay in the posting of this chapter. I've been so busy with school and such that I completely forgot to post chapter 10. I hope that you can forgive me and enjoy this chapter. Please read and review! And I hpoe that you aren't terribly confused. We did jump forward in time with Trip and Malcolm's story, now Jonathan's will finish telling what happened to him and the others. I'm sorry if I confused you. Go ahead and read!

Thanks to my beta, Sita Z!

Chapter 10 - Panic

The moment that Trip and Malcolm were deposited on the transporter platform, there was a sense of panic in the air. It must be a funny sight, Trip thought. The two of them were lying together, wrapped in each other's arms and Malcolm was dressed in Trip's clothing, barely awake. Trip was supporting his friend and an injured, bandaged leg. T'Pol, Hoshi, Doctor Phlox, and a medical team were waiting for them. Phlox went for Malcolm first, scanning him quietly. Hoshi came up beside them, looking at Mal with sadness in her eyes.

"Lieutenant Reed's bio-signs are weak and unstable! He needs immediate surgery!" Doctor Phlox announced as Malcolm's head rolled back and he groaned loudly. Hoshi caught his head and was shocked to feel how warm he was. "Get him to sickbay!" The doc ordered.

"His appendix… it ruptured," Trip relayed as T'Pol helped him let go of Malcolm and get off the transporter platform. "He's been in pain for two days. It's… my fault. He had to carry me."

Trip watched as the medical team lifted Malcolm onto a gurney to take him to sickbay. Mal was moaning in pain, attempting to get the hands off of him and get away. Trip reached out an arm to touch his friend, but couldn't. Hoshi was holding Malcolm's hand as they disappeared from view, headed to sickbay. Trip stopped moving and tried to lie back down, his body going limp. T'Pol caught him as he fell.

"Commander Tucker needs to get to sickbay too," Phlox declared, scanning Trip's leg. "Cutler and Subcommander, please help me move him onto a stretcher."

T'Pol and Liz helped Trip lay down on the stretcher. Phlox ordered the second medical team that was waiting to get him to sickbay and they began the short trip there. Trip was anxious to see Malcolm and wondering where Jonathan was. He moaned, moving his leg and trying to get up.

"Commander, you should not move," T'Pol suggested.

"Mal… I wanna see him," he murmured.

"Doctor Phlox is very capable of taking care of Mr. Reed. You need to relax."

"Where's Captain Archer?"

"He is already in sickbay, recovering from previous wounds he received while you were gone."

Trip felt that T'Pol was being very vague about why Jon wasn't waiting for them. He still wanted to see Malcolm and tried to move again.

"Commander, if you continue to move I will have to restrain you so you don't harm yourself," Phlox declared, looking distressed and on edge. "You will find out in due time."

"But what took so long to come get us?"

"If you have to know at this moment, we were boarded and taken to an alien prison. Captain Archer was tortured for information and after a few days we managed to escape. He will surely tell you more details when he's feeling better."

Trip didn't know how to respond to that pile of information, so he nodded and closed his eyes. They were gonna be alright. Their arrival in sickbay was quick and panicked. Trip saw Jonathan lying on a bio-bed on his stomach with a blanket covering his back. There were bruises visible on his face. He tried to sit up when he saw Trip enter, but the medic near him kept him down. Doctor Phlox rushed over to Malcolm's side and Trip realized that they had already removed his clothing and placed him on the imaging bed. He was flushed and moaning in pain, not opening his eyes. Trip groaned as they lifted him onto the bio-bed next to Jon.

"Funny me meeting you here," Trip joked.

"Are you two okay? How's Malcolm?" Jon demanded to know, not smiling at Trip's attempt of humor.

"I'm okay, but my leg's broken. Mal's not doing so well. His appendix ruptured hours ago. What the hell happened to you?"

"It's a long story," Jon sighed.

"We don't appear to be going anywhere fast," Trip teased, moaning softly.

A young crewman picked up a hypo-spray and injected it into Trip's neck. As the painkiller infiltrated his body, he relaxed and put his head down. His neck was sore from craning to look at Malcolm. Mal was now out of the imagining chamber and half awake. Trip knew that Malcolm had been given painkillers since he wasn't moaning or whimpering anymore. Phlox was bustling around, ordering the medics to do this and that. T'Pol stood near the door to sickbay, not speaking. Hoshi was beside her, worry etched into her features as she intently watched Malcolm. In a swift movement, a med team moved Mal onto a gurney and into the back part of sickbay, the intensive care unit where Phlox would perform the surgery on the weak and sick man.

"Do you think he's gonna be alright?" Trip asked, glad that he could finally be the one asking the questions and not be the one expected to know the answers.

"I don't know, Trip. I've never seen Malcolm look like that. He looked like a mere shadow of himself."

Trip closed his eyes and sighed, enjoying the feeling of painkillers in his system. It was the best that he had felt in days. Yet, his curiosity wouldn't allow him to get the sleep that he needed. He wanted to know what had taken Enterprise so long and why Jon was stuck in sickbay.

"Cap'n, what happened?" Trip asked, rolling onto his side so he could see Jonathan.

"It really is a long story, Trip."

"I'm ready to listen. I could use something to distract me while we wait for Malcolm to pull through."

Jonathan carefully sat up and Elizabeth Cutler helped him move so he could lie on his stomach and still see Trip. Trip noticed that his friend was being careful as to not let the blanket slip off his back. Once he got settled, Jonathan propped himself up on his elbows and began his story.

"It all started when I was sitting in my ready room, reading another one of Malcolm's security updates. Then I suddenly felt weapons fire as the ship was being attacked. I ran to the bridge and…."

Jonathan attempted to roll onto his back, but was stopped by gentle hands holding him down. The hands were cold and soft. He stopped trying to move and opened his heavy eyes. Hoshi held out a water bowl and helped him drink. Jonathan greedily drank the water, easing the pain in his parched throat. He sat up slowly, fighting dizziness. Hoshi stabilized him until he could sit up on his own. Phlox was scanning him.

"How is everyone?" Jon groaned, taking in a sharp breath.

"Easy Captain," Phlox urged. "You've developed a slight fever and your body is under a lot of strain."

Jonathan looked around, realizing that that it was just beginning to get dark outside. Travis and T'Pol were talking softly in the opposite corner. His back felt like it was on fire and his stomach lurched.

"What's been going on while I was out?" he inquired.

"Travis and T'Pol have been working on an escape plan," Hoshi replied. "The crew is waiting patiently."

"How are you doing?" Jonathan whispered as Phlox went over to join the others. "You still look like you haven't slept."

"I'll sleep tonight. We'll need our strength to get out of here."

He nodded, rubbing his sore neck and trying to get comfortable on the hard floor. There were loud footsteps in the corridor and Hita appeared before the cell bars. He opened them and stepped inside. Hoshi slid in front of Jonathan, shielding him with her own body. In a sudden movement, Hita snatched her and put a gun to her head. Hoshi fought him for only a second, and then froze. Travis, Phlox, and T'Pol stood up, watching the whole situation unfold. The alien ran his fingers down Hoshi's cheek and chin. Jon heard her breath catch in her throat.

"Leave her alone!" Jonathan yelled.

"I don't have to kill you," Hita whispered seductively in Hoshi's ear. "You could tell me what he refuses to say and then you would all be free to leave. Lady Talla only kills the ones that refuse, which is most of the aliens she brings here, but I like you. I'm sure we could work out an agreement."

"Get your hands off of me," Hoshi yelled, losing control. "I'll never tell you anything. He'd never let you hurt me! He'd kill you!"

Jonathan about felt his heart drop in his chest at her words. He knew that she wasn't talking about him. It couldn't be… Malcolm? He thought. Jon quickly dismissed the thought to ponder over on some sleepless night. Right now he needed to concentrate on getting Hoshi away from Hita as the stranger tightened his grip on Hoshi's waist.

"Let her go. She won't tell you anything."

Hita dropped Hoshi and she fell to her knees, breathing quickly. Jon expected to see tears on her face and was shocked to see that she was angry, very angry. Hita laughed and exited the cell. No one moved for a moment. Hoshi sat up and stared at Jonathan.

"Are you okay?" Jon asked.

"I'm okay, sir. This is actually good. Have you ever felt so hurt that you wanted someone to be angry with you, so you could feel angry at them and have a reason for your pain?" Hoshi muttered the last part to herself.

She stood up and moved back over to Jon. Her soft hands guided him so he was lying down again. He took another sip of water and saw the others join them. T'Pol sat closest to him and spoke first.

"Ensign Mayweather and I believe we've developed a plan to get us out of here, but we might need a little help," she announced calmly as Travis nodded, smiling. "Do you have any way of contacting Kallata? She might be the key to our survival."

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Emma