Title: Secrets
Author: soultoast
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: "The Shipment." The rest of this story will occur after "The Shipment," but before "Twilight."
Pairings: R/S
Disclaimer: I own a pair of tweezers, nothing else. Oh, and a plant. And a box of tissues. And some muffins….
Author's Note: This is dedicated to all the hip peoples who review. I won't list because I am far too lazy. But thank you.
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The Next Morning…
Hoshi lifted the pancake-laden fork to her lips. She slowly chewed and chuckled over the rumors she heard being whispered by crewmen.
"No, I heard she's a robot! I'm serious! There's a malfunction in her programming!"
"I heard she was infected with that virus that the Captain had!"
Malcolm shook his head as he ate a pancake smeared with peanut butter.
"You'd think they just wait to see what she tells us," he mused, a small smile on his lips.
"I don't blame them," Hoshi sighed. "It's unbelievable that she's alive. What did Phlox say?"
Malcolm chuckled. "He said she's practically a miracle. Apparently she suffered severe brain damage and the fact she's even alive is rather surprising. He thinks it's to do with that tube she was found in. We put her back in and it started working again."
"Do you think she'll be okay?"
Malcolm shrugged; "I don't know; I'm not a neurologist." He took another bite of his breakfast. He smiled again as he frowned thoughtfully.
"Although I feel like one after listening to Phlox go on and on about his findings last night. There's nothing quite as dull as neurology lesson while guarding a metal tube all night," he joked as he watched her. He lowered his voice, "Especially when I have somewhere else I'd rather be."
Hoshi smiled as he reached his hand under the table and grasped hers.
"Careful, someone might think you have a crush on me," she chided. He shot her a sensual smile as he slowly ran his thumb over her palm.
"They'd be right."
Hoshi swallowed, his voice always made her feel warmer. She was about to respond when she noticed the new diner.
"That's not good," she whispered. Malcolm looked over and frowned. It was Asha, but she seemed much more lucid as she crossed over to the buffet line and quickly filled her tray with several plates. She carried her tray over and sat by Hoshi. Hoshi's eyes were wide as Asha dug into the mountain of food.
"Asha?" The woman in question looked up and swallowed.
"Hoshi?"
"Are you…okay?"
Asha cocked an eyebrow as took a long drink of orange juice. "Aside from a headache, the knowledge that I attacked Rostov and Trip, and a near death experience, I'm doing pretty good."
"What are you doing here? I doubt Dr. Phlox released you, Corporal," Malcolm said cautiously.
"I was hungry and I didn't feel like sitting in Sickbay. I thought a quick walk and some breakfast would be good. I'll go back in ten minutes, scout's honor Mally," she joked, emphasizing the deviation of his name with a wry smile.
"I highly doubt you were ever a Girl Scout, Corporal Miller. I'll go contact Dr. Phlox and let him know where you are," he said, rising from the table.
"Knock yourself out, but I left him a note."
Hoshi was shocked as she and every other person in the mess hall watched Asha plow through the eggs, bacon, and pancakes heaped on her tray. Hoshi studied her; Asha was thinner, and her skin pale with dark circles that clung to her eyes.
"Hungry?" Hoshi chuckled nervously. Asha shook her head.
"Nope." She glanced over her shoulder at Malcolm, who was at the comm panel. "Yesterday when Malcolm warned you, and he called you Hoshi, not Ensign."
"Yes he did," Hoshi admitted quietly.
"You two back together?"
Hoshi's eyes imitated saucers; "How did you even know we were together?" she whispered.
Asha shrugged. "Wasn't that hard; I can tell by the way you look at each other. You check out each other's butts like you own them."
"Asha!" Hoshi cried, shocked. She opened her mouth to speak when a male voice cried out.
"Asha!"
They turned to see a screaming Eli hurtling towards them with Levi, Daniel and Alexei behind him.
"Asha!" he threw his arms around her, squeezing her until Hoshi was certain there would be broken ribs.
"Eli, calm down," Asha wheezed, trying to eat a piece of bacon. "I'm trying to eat and I can't breathe."
Eli stepped away, immediately chagrined. "Sorry, but I'm just so damn happy to see you."
Asha rolled her eyes as he once again threw his arms around her, as did Levi, Daniel, and Alexei, their eyes brimming with tears.
"Jesus! When did you guys turn into school girls?" she asked, feigning confusion.
"Shut up! We're just happy to see you," Alexei muttered. He sat beside her and rested a hand on her shoulder.
"We all missed ya, especially Jarod," Levi drawled, tousling her hair and snatching a piece of bacon from her plate. Asha's hand snapped out and grabbed his wrist, squeezing.
"I haven't eaten in four days Levi. Drop the bacon," she growled. Levi complied and slowly backed off.
"Bloody hell, Asha. You almost took his arm off," Daniel muttered. "Sure you still don't have some brain damage?"
"Go to hell you limey bastard."
"Sorry," he said with a smile. "Come on, let's get some breakfast, guys."
Daniel turned around and he, Alexei, Levi, and Eli joined the breakfast line. Malcolm returned and sat down, retrieving his cup of tea.
"Dr. Phlox says that as soon as you finish your breakfast, I'm to escort you back to Sickbay." Asha saluted him with a mock solemnity on her face.
"Yes Sir!" Behind them, they heard a voice yell.
"Someone call the Cap'n! There's a crazy lady in the mess hall!"
"Don't make me kick your ass again, Trip," she commented drolly as he approached the table. He sat down in the empty chair and threw an arm around her shoulders.
"Good to see ya sane again," he drawled, surprisingly serious.
"Sorry about yesterday, Trip," Asha said.
"Hell, I don't care. I'm just glad you're alive." He cleared his throat of emotion as he studied her.
"Your hair's longer," he observed.
"That's what it is," Hoshi said, "I knew there was something different."
"You think that's bad, you should see my legs. It's like a jungle down there," Asha muttered, taking a final bite of eggs. She pushed the empty tray away and stood.
"Okay, I'm ready to go back, Lieutenant," she yawned. "I need a nap. Nearly dying takes it out of you."
"I'll bring you lunch," Trip offered as he, Malcolm, and Hoshi stood. He looked down at her empty plates; "A lot of lunch."
"Sounds good." Hoshi and Trip said their good byes before Malcolm led her to Sickbay.
"So you and Hoshi are together?" she asked in the hallway. Malcolm shot her a quizzical look.
"I could tell. But don't worry, it isn't too obvious," she placated. He smiled.
"Yes, we are and that's all I'll be saying to you on the subject." They reached Sickbay and Malcolm opened the door. "I trust I won't need to escort you back to Sickbay again, Corporal."
"Not today; I'm whipped," she yawned. Malcolm nodded and took his leave. As Asha staggered towards the biobed, Dr. Phlox appeared from behind the curtain.
"How was your breakfast Corporal?" he asked, a merry smile glued on his face.
"Exhausting. Nearly dying is bitch." She yawned and started to climb into bed.
"An interesting turn of phrase, but I'm afraid you can't sleep yet. I need to run a few more scans on you. The sheer fact that you are lucid today is a remarkable feat considering the severe brain damage I observed yesterday."
Asha responded by rolling her eyes and shuffling over to the body scanner. As soon as she lay on the table, her eyes started to droop. She was dozing as soon as the scanner closed. As she dozed, her ears captured every sound outside of the scanner; Phlox as he moved around the room, buttons being pressed, the sound of the scanner's machinery clicking, the Sickbay door opening. Time passed fluidly, and when she emerged a few moments later she immediately noticed Jarod hovering near the door.
"Hey." He smiled gently, his eyes meeting hers.
"Hey Jarod." Phlox smiled; he prided himself on his powers of observation, so he quickly made his excuses and exited. As the door closed, Asha stood and headed over to the biobed. Jarod watched as she curled up on her side, her eyes on him. He walked over and lowered his head, pressing his lips against hers.
"How you doing, babe?" His voice was soft, gentle. She shrugged.
"I'm tired. This shit always makes me tired." Jarod ran his fingers through her hair, gently twisting the brown strands around his fingers. He moved his hand to her face, running his thumb over her cheekbone.
"I have good news and bad news," he finally said. Asha chuckled, her eyelids heavy.
"There's always bad news," she sighed.
"We're heading to Teloun. T'Pol traced the materials in the tube to the system, at least that's the buzz. It won't take them long to figure out there's only one inhabited planet," he explained; he always told her the bad news first, leaving the good news to brighten her mood.
"Makes sense; fate wouldn't let me get this close to Teloun without making sure I have to go back. What's the good news?"
"For the duration of your recuperation, Hoshi has volunteered to loan you her quarters."
"Wow, my own quarters for ten whole minutes. Wonderful," she murmured sarcastically.
"Actually, they'll probably keep you off duty for a few days for rest."
"And I'm sure you'll visit me each night to make sure I'm okay," she stated coyly.
"You know it." Jarod leaned down and pressed a kiss against her forehead. "I'll let you sleep. I'll come back later, okay? I love you."
Asha watched as her husband's figure retreated. Her eyelids fell, and within seconds she was sleeping fitfully. She slept for four hours, until Archer and T'Pol decided it was time to question her. As soon as they entered Sickbay, Asha's eyelids had snapped open.
"Time for interrogation?" she asked, sitting up; Archer smiled. Phlox stood in the corner, relegating himself to the position of observer.
"Yes. Sorry to interrupt, but we have some questions." He approached the bed and extended a hand. As she shook it, he continued.
"We're glad you made it, Corporal. I also wanted to thank you for what you did."
"It wasn't too hard. Earth is my home and I'd die to protect it." She frowned. "Damn, that sounded really cliché."
"What happened after you hit Corporal Vissarovich?" T'Pol asked.
"I went down to their engine room and orchestrated a warp core breech."
"How?"
"Well Captain, I hit some buttons and pushed all the levers up until there was an alarm," she lied.
"And then?" T'Pol prompted.
"I ran like hell, I didn't feel like waiting to die. As I approached the outer rim, I noticed several of them trying to enter a docking bay. I figured that if they escaped they could still sell the information about Enterprise. So I stopped them."
"How did you accomplish this, Corporal?"
"With knives, Sub-Commander. Then I went into the shuttle bay and was just going to wait, but I figured 'why the hell not?' and got in their shuttle. I had barely launched when the ship started to explode, so I slammed it into impulse and got about a hundred meters away. The shockwave from the breech hit, and I flew out of my seat. The next thing I know, I'm in Sickbay, today."
"Do you recall what happened yesterday?" T'Pol inquired.
"Kind of. It's like a dream; I know what happened, but it's hazy. It doesn't seem real." She yawned, squeezing her eyes shut. Phlox stepped forward.
"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave Captain. Corporal Miller's body has been through a great deal and she requires rest. You can continue this later," he ordered happily.
"Of course. Well, I'll see you later, Corporal. Get well soon, that's an order," Archer joked as he turned to leave. Asha chuckled half-heartedly. T'Pol nodded quickly and turned. As the room emptied of superior officers, Phlox approached the bed and started running the scanner over her body.
"Well," he smiled as she lay down, "you seem to be healing quite nicely."
"You smile way too much, Doc," she muttered as her eyes drifted shut. "Get off the ganja, man. It's creepy."
The last thing she heard before she succumbed to exhaustion was his soft chuckle as he inspected the burned-out shell of the stasis tube.
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The screens positioned throughout the situation room displayed maps and charts. The senior staff stood around the table as T'Pol explained her findings. As the lecture turned scientific, Major Hayes tuned out. He didn't understand all of what the Vulcan had said, but he'd grasped the basics of the situation: the nearest inhabited system was three light years away, Asha's tube had self-destructed, and the Enterprise was going to look for this new alien race.
"Alright," Archer sighed, "We know they saved Corporal Miller's life and that they went through some trouble to return her to us alive and well."
"Sir, the Xindi know enough about human physiology to know how to heal one. As happy as I am that she is alive, it is possible that the she is some sort of a trap- a Typhoid Mary," Malcolm theorized.
"That is a possibility Lieutenant; however the materials comprising the outer hull of the tube are unlike those used by the Xindi. These elements are wholly unique to this sector of space, and the concentrations of these materials increase as we get closer to the star system in question," T'Pol explained. Archer then spoke.
"If they are friendly, they may be able to help us stop the Xindi. Their actions indicate that they are not hostile towards humans, and that's a possibility we can't ignore. We'll reach the system in 36 hours. Dismissed."
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Initial scans had indicated that 4 of the five planets surrounding the star were unable to support life. The only inhabited planet was the second planet from their sun. It indicated an advanced civilization with highly advanced industry. There were six continents but only five were inhabited.
"Hail them," Archer commanded. There was an air of tension and anticipation. This planet could hold the key to saving Earth, an ally in a hostile area in space. The bridge was eerily silent as they waited. Archer sat in his chair, still enough to hear his heart beating in his ears.
"Sir," Hoshi began, "We're being hailed."
"Onscreen." Archer stood as a man appeared onscreen, dressed in a scarlet tunic.
"Can I help you?" he asked, an eyebrow cocked in a snobbish arrogance.
"I'm Captain Jonathan Archer of the Earth starship Enterprise."
"I am the assistant to the Junior Secondary Councilman of the Agricultural Commission. I am afraid that our race had no interest in speaking with you and it fell to me to ask you to leave our system," he said arrogantly. "If you do not leave, our war ships will attack and destroy you."
The screen went blank.
"He was most uncooperative," T'Pol stated dryly. Archer nodded.
"Travis, set a course away from the planet."
"Aye aye, Sir."
"Sir, we're being hailed again, from a continent in the south of the Eastern Hemisphere."
"Onscreen, Ensign."
Before them appeared the image of a sweaty man with dazzling blue eyes and long, black hair.
"Who are you?" he asked, a smile breaking across his face.
"I'm Captain Jonathan Archer of the Earth starship Enterprise." The man onscreen grimaced.
"No wonder they want to shoot you down," he said with a sympathetic grin. "I am Denal Sebal Lishom Chiltonkay, formerly Premiere of the planet Teloun. Why are you here?"
"One of our crewmen was recently injured and we believed someone from your planet rescued her and we were hoping to receive some assistance with an important issue," Archer explained. The man nodded.
"It was actually me who found your injured female. I was out for a pleasure cruise when I detected the warp core breech. Would it be possible for me to visit you and discuss this important issue?"
"We've been told to leave or face an attack-," Archer started.
"Pffft, whatever. In the current mood of isolationism, the government is rather rude. But as long as you have a sponsor, which would be me, it's all good. I'll be there, unarmed, in an hour. I need to get cleaned up first."
The screen went black.
"That was rather odd," Malcolm said. Archer sank into his chair.
"Sir," Hoshi began, "We're being hailed, again. It's from the first location."
Archer nodded and stood again.
"Onscreen," he sighed. It was the same arrogant Junior Secondary assistant as before.
"We are told that Premiere Denal is sponsoring you, which grants you the privilege of remaining in orbit. You may stay as long as he allows, but do not charge your weapons, or we will destroy you."
"Thank-," Archer started; the screen went black again.
"I guess they aren't as friendly as we'd hoped."
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A/N: Weeee… chapter 10 is done! So far, I plan on there being 2 more, possibly 3 more chapters.