Disclaimer: I'm sorry to surprise all you people but I don't own Enterprise. What? You knew that already? Fine. Here we have it part 4!
Thanks to my beta 'HopefulNebula' as always for being kind enough to beta this part.
Just remember these are the thoughts of a dying person so they may jump around a bit, there supposed to.
Lesa, who asked if we would hear from Hoshi the answer is no. The reason I have sort of glossed over the Hoshi/Malcolm part is I am writing a companion story for this one, called 'Candy Hearts', which will focus on them.
Anyway on with this part!
Castles in the Air.
Part 4:-
Space.
Space is very big... not a very original comment I know. I think T'Pol herself once said it on the bridge. That all seems so long ago now. It's true though. I'm lying on my back, the cold floor freezing me and all I can do is wait. At least Enterprise is safe, I was glad that what I had done
hadn't been in vain. I lie here, staring at the stars I can see through the window, my mind flying back to my childhood, to a book I once read, a few words floating through my mind; 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few - or the one.' I finally understand the true meaning of those words. It was worth giving up my life to save Enterprise. Yes, you
heard it right, I'm dying. The needs of the many would be Enterprise and her crew, I'm glad they're safe. The needs of the few would be Jon and the others who would miss me, but missing me is a lot better then everyone being dead. And then there's the need of the one. Me. I don't want to die, I want to live, want to live so badly. I'm so scared as I wait here, 'cos that's
all I can do. Wait. I can't even face death in the eye, my legs don't seem to work anymore.
Space is very big... Who would have thought that fixing such a simple problem, could have such drastic consequences? I was in the mess hall, fixing said problem with the environmental controls. I had nearly finished when I noticed a second problem, where two pipes had somehow managed to develop hairline fractures and leak gas. How was I to know that those two harmless gases when mixed produced a deadly poison? Chemistry had never been my strong point at school, I only knew the basics, certainly not chemical reactions of elements and compounds. I had repaired the two pipes when I began to feel lightheaded. I collapsed to the floor, unable to move. So that's how I ended up here, my life force being slowly sucked out. I had managed to fix the pipes before the poison had spread to the air systems so no one else would be affected. I had saved the crew but at a price, having breathed in some of the most
potent fumes.
Space is huge... I wonder how huge space really is? Light and dark begin to flicker between my eyes sort of like life and death. Who was it who said space was the final frontier? I can't remember, my mind's full of fog, everything is so hard... must think... space the final fronter...
even though I can't remember who said it I know that they were wrong. Space isn't the final frontier, death is. Death is the one thing you can't conquer, the one thing you can't escape from, the one thing everyone must face. I just wish I wasn't facing it so soon. I want to die in my bed, with a Charles Tucker IV by my side or failing that, going out in a huge blaze of glory,
many, many years from now.
Space is massive... suddenly my body starts to spasm, as red hot pain hits me. I can't help but let out a strangled scream, as I wiggle about on the floor, unable to do anything else... God it hurts... the pain hits again as a weak scream of pure pain forces it's way through my entire body. The stars in front of me flicker oddly as the world around me begins to fade...
~@~
A Vulcan sat, her eyes closed, her mind in deep meditation. Suddenly her eyes snapped open. T'Pol looked around her room, wondering why there was a unusual sensation in her stomach. Without knowing why, she stood up and left her room, the feeling in her stomach increasing and somehow she knew, knew that something was wrong with Trip. She unconsciously quickened her pace and began to hunt for him. As she rounded a corner she almost bumped
right into Malcolm and Hoshi, who were standing, a few inches apart, looking into each others eyes. One look at their faces was enough to convince her she had been right all along about Malcolm and Hoshi's feelings towards one another. Hoshi looked at T'Pol, a brilliant smile illuminating her face. She looked deep into T'Pol's eyes and knew something was terribly wrong.
"T'Pol? What is it?" she asked. T'Pol looked down the corridor, past the happy couple, her eyes dark and forboading.
"I... I am unsure but... something is wrong with Commander Tucker. He... he is in danger..." T'Pol said. The other two looked at each other. They didn't ask how she knew, only nodded.
"We'll help you find him." Malcolm offered. For a spilt second T'Pol considered saying no.
"Very well Mr. Reed, you and Ensign Sato can help." They all set off along the corridor, looking for Trip. About 30 seconds later they reached a choice of two possible routes. Somehow T'Pol knew Trip was in even greater danger and that they were running out of time. She looked down both paths, unsure of which to take. Suddenly Hoshi stiffened.
"I can ear something! It's Trip... oh God, he's screaming! The left corridor, he's down the left!"
All three broke into a run. As they skidded to a stop in front of the mess halls closed doors, Hoshi placed her ear to the cool metal.
"He's in there... he's just started to scream again!" she didn't need to tell Malcolm and T'Pol that, they had heard it through the door. The sound was not one they wished to hear again. Malcolm opened the door, dreading what they would find. There on the floor, was Trip, his entire body jerking about. T'Pol rushed to his side as Malcolm used the comm to call the doctor.
"Tell him the Commander appears to be suffering from some form of poison." T'Pol ordered. Trip had stopped moving by now and was taking short, shallow grasps of air. He seemed to be having trouble breathing.
"Lieutenant Reed, Ensign Sato, meet with the doctor and tell him all of Commander Tucker's
symptoms so he has time to prepare." T'Pol stated. Malcolm nodded and left. Hoshi paused for a second, her gaze moving from one to another, then she too left. T'Pol placed her hand in Trip's clammy one. He gave a groan and began to try and open his eyes.
"T'Pol?" he crocked weakly, his gaze unforcused.
"Yes Trip, it is I."
"You... you just called me Trip." he said softly, every word a battle to say. T'Pol looked at him.
"I-I like you Trip." she said slowly. Trip gave a weak smile.
"Stay." he pleaded. "don't want to be alone."
"You're never alone." T'Pol said. Trip gave a small gasp then began to spasm, Coughing as he did so. He put his hand up to his mouth to try and control it. When he lowed his hand, T'Pol was shocked to see blood on it. T'Pol raised her right hand, her fingers in the Vulcan style greeting. Trip stared at the hand for a few seconds, unsure of what she meant. T'Pol genteelly picked up Trip's clean hand and pressed it against her own.
"li-Live long... and prosper." Trip crocked, surprising T'Pol.
"Live long and prosper Trip." T'Pol said, her body slowly relaxing.
Suddenly Trip stiffened, with a cross between a groan and a gasp his eyes slid shut and his hand went limp...
TBC...
just one part left, all you haveto do is click on the little blue button...
Thanks to my beta 'HopefulNebula' as always for being kind enough to beta this part.
Just remember these are the thoughts of a dying person so they may jump around a bit, there supposed to.
Lesa, who asked if we would hear from Hoshi the answer is no. The reason I have sort of glossed over the Hoshi/Malcolm part is I am writing a companion story for this one, called 'Candy Hearts', which will focus on them.
Anyway on with this part!
Castles in the Air.
Part 4:-
Space.
Space is very big... not a very original comment I know. I think T'Pol herself once said it on the bridge. That all seems so long ago now. It's true though. I'm lying on my back, the cold floor freezing me and all I can do is wait. At least Enterprise is safe, I was glad that what I had done
hadn't been in vain. I lie here, staring at the stars I can see through the window, my mind flying back to my childhood, to a book I once read, a few words floating through my mind; 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few - or the one.' I finally understand the true meaning of those words. It was worth giving up my life to save Enterprise. Yes, you
heard it right, I'm dying. The needs of the many would be Enterprise and her crew, I'm glad they're safe. The needs of the few would be Jon and the others who would miss me, but missing me is a lot better then everyone being dead. And then there's the need of the one. Me. I don't want to die, I want to live, want to live so badly. I'm so scared as I wait here, 'cos that's
all I can do. Wait. I can't even face death in the eye, my legs don't seem to work anymore.
Space is very big... Who would have thought that fixing such a simple problem, could have such drastic consequences? I was in the mess hall, fixing said problem with the environmental controls. I had nearly finished when I noticed a second problem, where two pipes had somehow managed to develop hairline fractures and leak gas. How was I to know that those two harmless gases when mixed produced a deadly poison? Chemistry had never been my strong point at school, I only knew the basics, certainly not chemical reactions of elements and compounds. I had repaired the two pipes when I began to feel lightheaded. I collapsed to the floor, unable to move. So that's how I ended up here, my life force being slowly sucked out. I had managed to fix the pipes before the poison had spread to the air systems so no one else would be affected. I had saved the crew but at a price, having breathed in some of the most
potent fumes.
Space is huge... I wonder how huge space really is? Light and dark begin to flicker between my eyes sort of like life and death. Who was it who said space was the final frontier? I can't remember, my mind's full of fog, everything is so hard... must think... space the final fronter...
even though I can't remember who said it I know that they were wrong. Space isn't the final frontier, death is. Death is the one thing you can't conquer, the one thing you can't escape from, the one thing everyone must face. I just wish I wasn't facing it so soon. I want to die in my bed, with a Charles Tucker IV by my side or failing that, going out in a huge blaze of glory,
many, many years from now.
Space is massive... suddenly my body starts to spasm, as red hot pain hits me. I can't help but let out a strangled scream, as I wiggle about on the floor, unable to do anything else... God it hurts... the pain hits again as a weak scream of pure pain forces it's way through my entire body. The stars in front of me flicker oddly as the world around me begins to fade...
~@~
A Vulcan sat, her eyes closed, her mind in deep meditation. Suddenly her eyes snapped open. T'Pol looked around her room, wondering why there was a unusual sensation in her stomach. Without knowing why, she stood up and left her room, the feeling in her stomach increasing and somehow she knew, knew that something was wrong with Trip. She unconsciously quickened her pace and began to hunt for him. As she rounded a corner she almost bumped
right into Malcolm and Hoshi, who were standing, a few inches apart, looking into each others eyes. One look at their faces was enough to convince her she had been right all along about Malcolm and Hoshi's feelings towards one another. Hoshi looked at T'Pol, a brilliant smile illuminating her face. She looked deep into T'Pol's eyes and knew something was terribly wrong.
"T'Pol? What is it?" she asked. T'Pol looked down the corridor, past the happy couple, her eyes dark and forboading.
"I... I am unsure but... something is wrong with Commander Tucker. He... he is in danger..." T'Pol said. The other two looked at each other. They didn't ask how she knew, only nodded.
"We'll help you find him." Malcolm offered. For a spilt second T'Pol considered saying no.
"Very well Mr. Reed, you and Ensign Sato can help." They all set off along the corridor, looking for Trip. About 30 seconds later they reached a choice of two possible routes. Somehow T'Pol knew Trip was in even greater danger and that they were running out of time. She looked down both paths, unsure of which to take. Suddenly Hoshi stiffened.
"I can ear something! It's Trip... oh God, he's screaming! The left corridor, he's down the left!"
All three broke into a run. As they skidded to a stop in front of the mess halls closed doors, Hoshi placed her ear to the cool metal.
"He's in there... he's just started to scream again!" she didn't need to tell Malcolm and T'Pol that, they had heard it through the door. The sound was not one they wished to hear again. Malcolm opened the door, dreading what they would find. There on the floor, was Trip, his entire body jerking about. T'Pol rushed to his side as Malcolm used the comm to call the doctor.
"Tell him the Commander appears to be suffering from some form of poison." T'Pol ordered. Trip had stopped moving by now and was taking short, shallow grasps of air. He seemed to be having trouble breathing.
"Lieutenant Reed, Ensign Sato, meet with the doctor and tell him all of Commander Tucker's
symptoms so he has time to prepare." T'Pol stated. Malcolm nodded and left. Hoshi paused for a second, her gaze moving from one to another, then she too left. T'Pol placed her hand in Trip's clammy one. He gave a groan and began to try and open his eyes.
"T'Pol?" he crocked weakly, his gaze unforcused.
"Yes Trip, it is I."
"You... you just called me Trip." he said softly, every word a battle to say. T'Pol looked at him.
"I-I like you Trip." she said slowly. Trip gave a weak smile.
"Stay." he pleaded. "don't want to be alone."
"You're never alone." T'Pol said. Trip gave a small gasp then began to spasm, Coughing as he did so. He put his hand up to his mouth to try and control it. When he lowed his hand, T'Pol was shocked to see blood on it. T'Pol raised her right hand, her fingers in the Vulcan style greeting. Trip stared at the hand for a few seconds, unsure of what she meant. T'Pol genteelly picked up Trip's clean hand and pressed it against her own.
"li-Live long... and prosper." Trip crocked, surprising T'Pol.
"Live long and prosper Trip." T'Pol said, her body slowly relaxing.
Suddenly Trip stiffened, with a cross between a groan and a gasp his eyes slid shut and his hand went limp...
TBC...
just one part left, all you haveto do is click on the little blue button...