CHAPTER 16;
AWARENESS
T'Pol could no longer feel the psychic presence of the alien being, and she was grateful for that. The alien discomforted her, and made her uncomfortable in a way she had never felt. She just wondered when it was going to return, and what it was doing now. out in the corridors of Enterprise.
Commander Tucker was sitting up against the wall near to the unconscious Lieutenant Reed and Ensign Mayweather. Both showed no signs of regaining consciousness, and that troubled T'Pol, especially since Reed had a head injury. Another crewman who needed to see Doctor Phlox as soon as possible.
Matheson was knelt close to the three men, glancing over at them occasionally, showing the human emotion that was known as concern. Matheson had shown this more than any other human T'Pol had met in a long while. since Jonathan Archer anyway. No one T'Pol knew had more compassion and emotional strength than the Captain.
T'Pol knew that if anyone could help them, Captain Archer would be that person, without a doubt. if they couldn't help themselves that was, which she sincerely hoped they could.
She glanced sideways over at Commander Tucker, and sighed as he closed his eyes for long periods of time. The pain was most probably increasing over time, and he felt the urge to sleep.
T'Pol had insisted to the Commander that he remain awake, and not succumb to sleep, no matter how tempting it may seem.
Just then, she picked up a noise from behind her, where the two unconscious forms lay, and she turned, looking down as Ensign Travis Mayweather as he stirred.
She moved over, and knelt down, checking the room was empty of the alien being.
They were alone. for now.
"Ensign, are you okay?"
He opened his eyes, and immediately looked frightened. He shot up, and stared around him wide-eyed.
"Where am I? Where did it go?" he asked, rambling, his voice shaky.
T'Pol stood, looking Mayweather calmly in the eye, and said, "Ensign, there is nothing to be afraid of. The alien is gone, for the time being."
"Have you always been this comforting?" came the quiet voice of Tucker.
It was clear he was being sarcastic, so she did not respond to his comment, and instead turned her attention back on Mayweather. "I suggest you sit down, Ensign. Don't worry. nothing will harm you here."
Ensign Mayweather obeyed, seating himself slowly down on the floor, and looking at T'Pol as she too lowered to the ground.
"Where is here?"
"We are not sure. I am confident we are still aboard Enterprise," she told him.
"How can you tell? We could be light-years away by now. on some alien vessel," he said, his voice once again showing his panic.
"Don't worry, Travis, I walked here. we're definitely still on the ship," Commander Tucker put in, closing his eyes once again, and not opening them again.
"Commander?" T'Pol moved closer to him, and touched his arm lightly. His eyes opened.
"What?" he asked, as if he thought she had wanted to tell him something.
"Remember what I told you about going to sleep. It is not advisable. Try to remain conscious," she replied, looking him in the eye, and noting just how exhausted he really looked. It seemed she had underestimated how much injury he had suffered. She was now afraid of internal bleeding.
He nodded dreamily, and sighed a heavy sigh, and then winced, holding his hand to his side.
"What's wrong with the Commander?" Mayweather asked, clearly having calmed himself to a suitable degree.
"I believe he has cracked or broken one or more of his ribs. he may have internal bleeding."
"What?" Tucker exclaimed, hissing through his teeth as if in pain as he tried to sit up straighter, "You never said anything about that before."
"Do not become aggravated, Commander. You could harm yourself further," she insisted, raising her eyebrows at him.
As he leant back against the wall, she heard him mumble, "Any chance to take command."
She ignored it, and glanced down at Lieutenant Reed, who was still unconscious. She hoped he woke up soon.
* * *
He heard the quiet talking of figures all around him, and wondered whether they were human or alien. friend or foe. He wasn't sure whether opening his eyes would bring comfort or further worry.
He couldn't really remember much from what had happened to him, just that something had attacked him, and now there was a blinding pain in his head. He thought his hair felt damp, sticky, but without moving, he couldn't be certain.
When someone spoke slowly, and loudly near him, he recognised that voice as Travis Mayweather, and he realised that opening his eyes was not a bad idea.
Slowly, he did open his eyes, and it was clear that they weren't in sickbay, or anywhere else comforting. The room was dark, dank, and unfamiliar. There was an air about the room, one that made Malcolm Reed a little frightened.
"Lieutenant?" he heard a voice he recognised as Sub-Commander T'Pol say.
He rolled over onto his back, and confirmed his suspicions of blood on the side of his head by touching his fingers to the wound gently. He winced at the pain.
He wasn't sure how bad the injury was, but he knew that Phlox should take a look at it, wherever the Doctor was at this moment in time. or rather, wherever they were. He didn't even know if Doctor Phlox was anywhere nearby.
"Where are we?" he asked, his voice hoarse, as though he had been shouting for hours, non-stop. He then realised how thirsty he actually was.
"On Enterprise," someone said, and the voice was quiet, the words mumbled. It was Commander Tucker. he was sure of it.
Glancing overhead at someone leaning against the wall, a look of discomfort on his face, was Commander Tucker, his hand held to his side.
"Are you okay?" came another female voice, and he glanced over at a woman who was less than familiar to him. Matheson, he guessed. He felt guilty now for not knowing who she was. he remembered seeing her in the mess hall a few times, and even talking to her once.
"Wouldn't mind visiting sickbay," he replied, touching his head again, bringing his fingertips away covered in sticky blood. He sighed.
"You have suffered a blow to the head, Lieutenant. You may have a concussion. Try to remain still," T'Pol warned him, always eager to give orders in one way or another.
If the situation had not been so dire, Reed would have smiled.
AWARENESS
T'Pol could no longer feel the psychic presence of the alien being, and she was grateful for that. The alien discomforted her, and made her uncomfortable in a way she had never felt. She just wondered when it was going to return, and what it was doing now. out in the corridors of Enterprise.
Commander Tucker was sitting up against the wall near to the unconscious Lieutenant Reed and Ensign Mayweather. Both showed no signs of regaining consciousness, and that troubled T'Pol, especially since Reed had a head injury. Another crewman who needed to see Doctor Phlox as soon as possible.
Matheson was knelt close to the three men, glancing over at them occasionally, showing the human emotion that was known as concern. Matheson had shown this more than any other human T'Pol had met in a long while. since Jonathan Archer anyway. No one T'Pol knew had more compassion and emotional strength than the Captain.
T'Pol knew that if anyone could help them, Captain Archer would be that person, without a doubt. if they couldn't help themselves that was, which she sincerely hoped they could.
She glanced sideways over at Commander Tucker, and sighed as he closed his eyes for long periods of time. The pain was most probably increasing over time, and he felt the urge to sleep.
T'Pol had insisted to the Commander that he remain awake, and not succumb to sleep, no matter how tempting it may seem.
Just then, she picked up a noise from behind her, where the two unconscious forms lay, and she turned, looking down as Ensign Travis Mayweather as he stirred.
She moved over, and knelt down, checking the room was empty of the alien being.
They were alone. for now.
"Ensign, are you okay?"
He opened his eyes, and immediately looked frightened. He shot up, and stared around him wide-eyed.
"Where am I? Where did it go?" he asked, rambling, his voice shaky.
T'Pol stood, looking Mayweather calmly in the eye, and said, "Ensign, there is nothing to be afraid of. The alien is gone, for the time being."
"Have you always been this comforting?" came the quiet voice of Tucker.
It was clear he was being sarcastic, so she did not respond to his comment, and instead turned her attention back on Mayweather. "I suggest you sit down, Ensign. Don't worry. nothing will harm you here."
Ensign Mayweather obeyed, seating himself slowly down on the floor, and looking at T'Pol as she too lowered to the ground.
"Where is here?"
"We are not sure. I am confident we are still aboard Enterprise," she told him.
"How can you tell? We could be light-years away by now. on some alien vessel," he said, his voice once again showing his panic.
"Don't worry, Travis, I walked here. we're definitely still on the ship," Commander Tucker put in, closing his eyes once again, and not opening them again.
"Commander?" T'Pol moved closer to him, and touched his arm lightly. His eyes opened.
"What?" he asked, as if he thought she had wanted to tell him something.
"Remember what I told you about going to sleep. It is not advisable. Try to remain conscious," she replied, looking him in the eye, and noting just how exhausted he really looked. It seemed she had underestimated how much injury he had suffered. She was now afraid of internal bleeding.
He nodded dreamily, and sighed a heavy sigh, and then winced, holding his hand to his side.
"What's wrong with the Commander?" Mayweather asked, clearly having calmed himself to a suitable degree.
"I believe he has cracked or broken one or more of his ribs. he may have internal bleeding."
"What?" Tucker exclaimed, hissing through his teeth as if in pain as he tried to sit up straighter, "You never said anything about that before."
"Do not become aggravated, Commander. You could harm yourself further," she insisted, raising her eyebrows at him.
As he leant back against the wall, she heard him mumble, "Any chance to take command."
She ignored it, and glanced down at Lieutenant Reed, who was still unconscious. She hoped he woke up soon.
* * *
He heard the quiet talking of figures all around him, and wondered whether they were human or alien. friend or foe. He wasn't sure whether opening his eyes would bring comfort or further worry.
He couldn't really remember much from what had happened to him, just that something had attacked him, and now there was a blinding pain in his head. He thought his hair felt damp, sticky, but without moving, he couldn't be certain.
When someone spoke slowly, and loudly near him, he recognised that voice as Travis Mayweather, and he realised that opening his eyes was not a bad idea.
Slowly, he did open his eyes, and it was clear that they weren't in sickbay, or anywhere else comforting. The room was dark, dank, and unfamiliar. There was an air about the room, one that made Malcolm Reed a little frightened.
"Lieutenant?" he heard a voice he recognised as Sub-Commander T'Pol say.
He rolled over onto his back, and confirmed his suspicions of blood on the side of his head by touching his fingers to the wound gently. He winced at the pain.
He wasn't sure how bad the injury was, but he knew that Phlox should take a look at it, wherever the Doctor was at this moment in time. or rather, wherever they were. He didn't even know if Doctor Phlox was anywhere nearby.
"Where are we?" he asked, his voice hoarse, as though he had been shouting for hours, non-stop. He then realised how thirsty he actually was.
"On Enterprise," someone said, and the voice was quiet, the words mumbled. It was Commander Tucker. he was sure of it.
Glancing overhead at someone leaning against the wall, a look of discomfort on his face, was Commander Tucker, his hand held to his side.
"Are you okay?" came another female voice, and he glanced over at a woman who was less than familiar to him. Matheson, he guessed. He felt guilty now for not knowing who she was. he remembered seeing her in the mess hall a few times, and even talking to her once.
"Wouldn't mind visiting sickbay," he replied, touching his head again, bringing his fingertips away covered in sticky blood. He sighed.
"You have suffered a blow to the head, Lieutenant. You may have a concussion. Try to remain still," T'Pol warned him, always eager to give orders in one way or another.
If the situation had not been so dire, Reed would have smiled.