CHAPTER 3;
IT BEGINS…
Doctor Phlox was humming lightly to himself, running over the last of his tests for the day. Ensign Delaney had come to him complaining of stomach pains for the third day in a row, and after the young man had told him that the medicine he had prescribed was having no affect, Phlox had decided to run a few medical exams.
It appeared that Ensign Delaney had a minor case of food poisoning. He would have to inform the Captain in the morning, considering it was now about the time Jonathan Archer liked to be alone… contemplate.
Phlox ceased his humming when he thought he heard a noise… quite similar to that of someone calling 'Hello'. But he wasn't sure. So he listened again.
Sure enough, someone was out in the corridor.
He shrugged. Somebody was probably 'messing around' as they called it. Playing a prank.
He began humming lightly to himself again, smiling, sighing contently, when he heard what seemed to be a scream, albeit a masculine one… but it was a scream nevertheless.
That cannot be good, he thought instantly, rushing to the door, and to the adjacent corridor.
He glanced to his left… nothing.
To his right… there was something.
"Commander Tucker?" Phlox said, moving slowly towards the curled up, trembling figure, who poked his head up from under his arms at the sound of his name.
The man was shaking all over, and patches of sweat had appeared under his arms. His eyes were wide with shock and panic, and maybe even fright.
What had happened to him?
Captain Jonathan Archer had come running to sickbay as soon as Doctor Phlox had contacted him.
There was something wrong with Trip, and when the Captain's best friend was involved, nothing would stand in the way… not even a Suliban attack.
He was standing by the medical bed now, frowning considerably. He had suggested calling Sub-Commander T'Pol, but Trip wouldn't hear of it.
He looked pretty shaken up by something… something he wasn't elaborating on much.
"Trip?" Jon ventured, watching as his Chief Engineer looked slowly up at him.
Trip swallowed dryly.
"Are you alright? You haven't said a single word since Phlox found you cowering in the corridor. What in god's name happened to you?"
Phlox was testing Trip for several things Jon couldn't even remember, so he just kept out of it, and let the good doctor continue uninterrupted, whilst he took it upon himself to question his Commander.
Trip hesitated several times, before actually saying anything; "Well, I was lookin' for Crewman Matheson," he began, slowly, and quite quietly. It wasn't like Trip to be quiet.
Jon nodded. That much he knew already. He motioned for Trip to continue… if he was comfortable to do so.
"I came to see Doctor Phlox, and he said he hadn't seen her, so I left sickbay," Trip continued, giving a small shudder every few seconds. "I tried callin' her again on the comm, but I didn't get a reply. Then I started hearing somethin'… like laughter. It was all echoed… like it was coming from far away. It was eerie."
Jon's brow furrowed. "Laughter? You heard laughter?"
"That's not the worst of it, Cap'n… believe me." Trip looked more serious than Jonathan Archer had ever seen him in their long friendship.
"I thought I heard the laughter next to me, so I turned…" Trip shuddered violently, and clamped his eyes shut for a moment before opening them up again quickly, "and it, it… it was her, Cap'n."
"Her? Who do you mean, Trip?"
"It was Matheson. But… but, she was dead. I mean… she'd been dead for a long time. She looked terrible… it scared the hell outta me… death always has."
Jon sighed. He knew enough about Trip to know his fears… and death and dead bodies… especially human ones, was enough to send the Commander running to the hills. Well, almost. He seemed to be getting over it slowly, using his time aboard Enterprise as a kind of therapy for the fear. But now… it was all forgotten.
"Trip… there's no dead body. There hasn't been, as far as I know," Jon told his friend.
Phlox nodded in confirmation.
"But, Cap'n, she wasn't just dead… she was decomposing. I mean… her skin was fallin' off when I was staring at her. She reached out to me, and her hands were like… just like bones… nothin' else." Trip shook again, and he brought his hands to his face, taking a couple of deep breaths to calm himself before he became hysteric.
Jon didn't know what to do. He placed a gentle hand on Trip's shoulder, feeling he could nothing more than offer his friend comfort until he was ready to come up with more answers, more details.
Trip looked up at him, and sighed.
"What's happening to me, Jon?"
IT BEGINS…
Doctor Phlox was humming lightly to himself, running over the last of his tests for the day. Ensign Delaney had come to him complaining of stomach pains for the third day in a row, and after the young man had told him that the medicine he had prescribed was having no affect, Phlox had decided to run a few medical exams.
It appeared that Ensign Delaney had a minor case of food poisoning. He would have to inform the Captain in the morning, considering it was now about the time Jonathan Archer liked to be alone… contemplate.
Phlox ceased his humming when he thought he heard a noise… quite similar to that of someone calling 'Hello'. But he wasn't sure. So he listened again.
Sure enough, someone was out in the corridor.
He shrugged. Somebody was probably 'messing around' as they called it. Playing a prank.
He began humming lightly to himself again, smiling, sighing contently, when he heard what seemed to be a scream, albeit a masculine one… but it was a scream nevertheless.
That cannot be good, he thought instantly, rushing to the door, and to the adjacent corridor.
He glanced to his left… nothing.
To his right… there was something.
"Commander Tucker?" Phlox said, moving slowly towards the curled up, trembling figure, who poked his head up from under his arms at the sound of his name.
The man was shaking all over, and patches of sweat had appeared under his arms. His eyes were wide with shock and panic, and maybe even fright.
What had happened to him?
Captain Jonathan Archer had come running to sickbay as soon as Doctor Phlox had contacted him.
There was something wrong with Trip, and when the Captain's best friend was involved, nothing would stand in the way… not even a Suliban attack.
He was standing by the medical bed now, frowning considerably. He had suggested calling Sub-Commander T'Pol, but Trip wouldn't hear of it.
He looked pretty shaken up by something… something he wasn't elaborating on much.
"Trip?" Jon ventured, watching as his Chief Engineer looked slowly up at him.
Trip swallowed dryly.
"Are you alright? You haven't said a single word since Phlox found you cowering in the corridor. What in god's name happened to you?"
Phlox was testing Trip for several things Jon couldn't even remember, so he just kept out of it, and let the good doctor continue uninterrupted, whilst he took it upon himself to question his Commander.
Trip hesitated several times, before actually saying anything; "Well, I was lookin' for Crewman Matheson," he began, slowly, and quite quietly. It wasn't like Trip to be quiet.
Jon nodded. That much he knew already. He motioned for Trip to continue… if he was comfortable to do so.
"I came to see Doctor Phlox, and he said he hadn't seen her, so I left sickbay," Trip continued, giving a small shudder every few seconds. "I tried callin' her again on the comm, but I didn't get a reply. Then I started hearing somethin'… like laughter. It was all echoed… like it was coming from far away. It was eerie."
Jon's brow furrowed. "Laughter? You heard laughter?"
"That's not the worst of it, Cap'n… believe me." Trip looked more serious than Jonathan Archer had ever seen him in their long friendship.
"I thought I heard the laughter next to me, so I turned…" Trip shuddered violently, and clamped his eyes shut for a moment before opening them up again quickly, "and it, it… it was her, Cap'n."
"Her? Who do you mean, Trip?"
"It was Matheson. But… but, she was dead. I mean… she'd been dead for a long time. She looked terrible… it scared the hell outta me… death always has."
Jon sighed. He knew enough about Trip to know his fears… and death and dead bodies… especially human ones, was enough to send the Commander running to the hills. Well, almost. He seemed to be getting over it slowly, using his time aboard Enterprise as a kind of therapy for the fear. But now… it was all forgotten.
"Trip… there's no dead body. There hasn't been, as far as I know," Jon told his friend.
Phlox nodded in confirmation.
"But, Cap'n, she wasn't just dead… she was decomposing. I mean… her skin was fallin' off when I was staring at her. She reached out to me, and her hands were like… just like bones… nothin' else." Trip shook again, and he brought his hands to his face, taking a couple of deep breaths to calm himself before he became hysteric.
Jon didn't know what to do. He placed a gentle hand on Trip's shoulder, feeling he could nothing more than offer his friend comfort until he was ready to come up with more answers, more details.
Trip looked up at him, and sighed.
"What's happening to me, Jon?"