Preparations Made
Trip looked up the ventilation shaft at the rungs, which reached a junction on C deck more than a deck and a half away from where the vent opened on the bridge. It was a long way to go in approximately an hour and forty minutes. Tucker moved out of the way as a pair of crewman stepped into the shaft with their arms full of freshly made rungs. Crewman Jefferies nodded as he started up the ladder with the other crewman to hand off the additional rungs to the team that was attaching them. It was the best system that they had managed to devise. Would it be efficient enough to reach the bridge in time? Trip was having some doubts, as were many of his technicians, especially those in the shaft whose eyes drifted upward to the decks above them, and it made them redouble their efforts.
Commander Tucker walked into main engineering and grabbed the nearest unoccupied crewman.
"I think we will be needing a doctor soon. I want to have Phlox on hand when we get up there, if it's at all possible." he told her.
"The lift is still down, commander, but it is possible to reach engineering from sickbay through the lateral access crawlways." she informed him.
"If this weren't such a bad situation, I would never ask him to climb through those things, but having medical personnel here just seems like good sense." said Trip, shaking his head and walking toward the more secluded comm panel for a second time.
"If I didn't know better, I would say the chief was going to have a nervous breakdown before this is over with." said the crewman quietly as she returned to her duty station.
Tucker stood at the panel for a couple of minutes before switching the device on and speaking, "Trip to Phlox, can I have a word with you, doc?"
"Of course. I am always at your disposal." said the Denobulan cheerily.
"How's the casualty count doing?" inquired Commander Tucker heavily.
"All injured crewmen have returned to quarters with the exclusion of those who cannot reach them, such as a few ensigns billeted in the JOQ. Ensign Mayweather is still hanging around, if you want to know." Phlox reported.
Tucker frowned and wonder momentarily why he would want to know, but shook his head and asked, "Then can you come to engineering? I want to have you on hand if you get my meaning."
"I take it that you mean when you find away to free Captain Archer, T'Pol, and the others."
"Yes."
"By you estimation when will that be?"
"If it isn't in the next hour and a half, then I'm afraid it might as well be never." said Tucker, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead. It felt awful just to say the words. How bad would it be if his doubts were proven true?
"I understand, commander. Rest assured that I will be there within the hour with a medical team."
"I'm sorry, doc, but all of you will have to come through the access tunnels to get here."
"I expected as much, commander. Just send someone to show us the way. It won't be there first time I have climbed through something of that nature." said the doctor, not at all bothered.
"Thank you, Phlox. You'll have to tell me all about that sometime. I'm be glad to hear it." said Trip. He had not doubted that the good doctor would come. He just believed that sending the chief medical officer of a ship through its underpinnings was an inconvenience and possibly something of an insult.
"Really? Are you certain? No one ever wants to hear my old medical stories. Are you feeling all right, sir?" asked the Denobulan in surprise.
Tucker had the sudden suspicion that the doctor could be unusually verbose, if not downright boring at times. It was an uncanny feeling not unlike déjà vu. He simply knew it.
Trip cleared his throat and said, "Well, I guess I'll get back to you on that, doc."
"Of course, Commander Tucker." Phlox chuckled.
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