Chapter 7-
"How're you feeling, honey?" Trip's mom asked, wiping her eyes but not letting her voice waver.
"Fine, Momma." Trip answered softly.
"You look really good," she beamed proudly although he couldn't see her. When he turned away she said, "Really."
"Son," His father began. "I asked Jonathan to be here. I hope it's okay."
"Yes, sir." Trip nodded, feeling Jon lightly close his grip again.
"The doctors tell me your loss of sight isn't necessarily permanent." Trip's father went on. "I guess that's if the underlyin' cause is dealt with. But even then it's not known if it'll return."
"I don't know what the cap'n told you, sir, but..." Trip started to fidget.
"Let me finish my say," Mr. Tucker said with parental authority. "I brought you up the best way I knew how. There's no instruction manual that comes with a baby when they're born. My father, your Grampa Tucker, raised me a helluva lot tougher than you think I did you. But if there's one thing I'm grateful for, it's that he made me able to stand up and take on what life threw at me. I thought I was doin' the same for you." His voice started to crack, quiver slightly.
Trip closed his eyes and bit down on his lower lip. He clasped his hands over his knees, trying to keep them from shaking. For the first time in his life his father was actually talking to him. Not at him, but to him.
"But you're different than me." Mr. Tucker turned and looked at his wife. "Oh, your momma will say that we're a lot alike and she's right to a point. But you needed more from me than I knew how to give."
"Daddy, don't..." Trip's low voice said, shaking his head and looking downward.
"Jesus, son," his dad sighed. "Did I ever miss an awards ceremony at school? Or a parent-teacher conference?"
"No, sir." Trip said, his voice strained.
"Did I miss any one of your graduations?"
"No, sir." Trip answered, sniffing back the tears.
Jon watched Trip closely and then looked back up at the screen. He saw now that Charles Tucker the Second was wiping his eyes on his sleeve. Trip's mom was on her fourth tissue at least and still clinging to her husband's arm.
"Now here comes the hard one, son. And I want you to be honest with me." Mr. Tucker told his son. "Will you do that?"
Trip only nodded slowly, looking up even though he couldn't see a thing.
"Did I ever tell you how proud I've always been of you?" His dad's voice trembled with emotion.
Trip broke out into sobs now, leaning forward and placing his head in his hands. Jon slid his hand down Trip's back and slowly rubbed it.
"I'm waitin', son." Mr. Tucker managed to gather his strength and steady his voice.
Jon knelt down placing his other hand on Trip's arm, speaking in a hushed voice. "Remember. You can do it."
Trip sniffed and looked up, his face red and tear streaked. He shook his head slowly.
"No, sir." Trip forced out.
"And you never really knew that? Without my tellin' you?" His dad asked, disbelieving.
"How?!" Trip raised his voice. "How would I? Yeah, ya went to all those ceremonies. But ya never said anythin'. You were just there. I didn't know if it was cuz Momma dragged ya or what."
Jon had risen and grabbed a hanky from a drawer and placed it in Trip's hands.
"I wanted so much more for you, Trip." His dad said. "I had to struggle for everythin' I ever wanted in life. I didn't want you to have to do that. But money was tight and I hated that you had to work so hard to get through school and get your degree. And...although I was proud of you, I was angry with myself for not bein' able to provide for your schoolin' better."
"No, no..." Trip shook his head. "Daddy, that's the one thing I'm most grateful for. That I didn't have it handed to me. That it wasn't easy to get. It made it all the sweeter. That I did it on my own."
"I am proud of you, Trip." His dad reinforced. "I always have been. I just thought I was helpin' you by toughenin' you up. I guess I forgot that when you were just a little boy, that little boys need more from their daddys. Like..."
Jon was standing behind Trip now, and had a feeling that what was to come was going to be even more personal. So, he turned away with his back to the monitor.
"Even more important than tellin' you I was proud of you," his dad went on. "I can't ever remember tellin' you that I loved you."
Trip began to cry again. "Daddy..."
"I love ya, son." His dad let a cry at the back of his throat out, but quickly covered it with a cough.
"I love ya, too, Daddy."
"I guess we really never realize how much that we don't say to our children is just as important as what we do say." His dad deduced. "Jonathan."
"Yes, sir." Jon turned around and placed his hands on the back of Trip's chair.
"Would you do me a very big favor?" Charles Tucker the Second lifted his chin with the utmost pride. "Would you please give my son the hug I should've a very long time ago?"
"Yes, sir." Jon replied.
"Honey," Mrs. Tucker said, "You do what the doctor tells you and don't worry. We'll be waiting for you when you get back home."
Trip was still sobbing, but looked up. "I love ya, Momma."
"I love you too, baby."
"I'll contact you as soon as we know the particulars, Mr. and Mrs. Tucker." Jon told them. The screen displayed "end transmission" and Jon hung his head.
Trip wiped his eyes and blew his nose on the hanky. Jon put his hands on Trip's shoulders and massaged them a little before moving around to the front. Trip, still feeling Jon's hands on his shoulders pulled himself up from the chair.
"I promised him." Jon said, as he wrapped his arms around Trip. The younger man's tense body relaxed into the embrace and returned it with all the strength he could muster after his physical and emotional ordeal.
"When do I have to go back?" Trip mumbled, his head buried in Jon's shoulder.
"Let's take it one step at a time, Trip." Jon told him. "Right now, just think about what your dad said. And let me worry about all the rest."
It was easier said than done, Trip thought. But whatever happened to him couldn't be any worse than what he'd already been through. He'd miss Enterprise, the people and the mission. But if he couldn't see it all, he didn't want to be here. And it was good to know he could go home again.
Jon guided him over to his bed and he stretched out, feeling tired and worn. He felt the blankets covering him and Jon tucking them in and under his chin.
"I'll stay until you fall asleep, if you want." Jon told him.
"I'm okay now, Cap'n." Trip told him, sleepily.
"All right." Jon walked to the door, but before pushing the button he turned back. "Malcolm's off in an hour. I'll send him by."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Trip told his captain. "I know I'm not alone, sir. All I have to do is buzz, right?"
Jon smiled thoughtfully. Trip was tough as nails, just as he'd always said. But somehow he seemed more grounded. "That's right. Sleep well, my friend."
"Thanks...for everything." Trip said. "And...well, you know there's a lot of things we all take for granted sometimes. What we think people close to us should know, even though we've never said it. Ya know what I mean?"
"Yeah, I know." Jon agreed, knowing full well what Trip meant. "Back at ya. Now get some sleep."
As the door closed behind him, Jonathan Archer stood in the corridor outside Trip's quarters. He looked up and down the hall. He had so much to do still. And the one task he was dreading the most, was contacting Admiral Forrest and informing him of Trip's accident and current condition. That was something he couldn't put off any longer. He moved to the comm panel on the wall and pushed the button.
"Archer to the bridge."
"Bridge, Captain." T'Pol's voice came through.
"Have Hoshi contact Admiral Forrest. I'll take it in my quarters."
TO BE CONTINUED
----------
"How're you feeling, honey?" Trip's mom asked, wiping her eyes but not letting her voice waver.
"Fine, Momma." Trip answered softly.
"You look really good," she beamed proudly although he couldn't see her. When he turned away she said, "Really."
"Son," His father began. "I asked Jonathan to be here. I hope it's okay."
"Yes, sir." Trip nodded, feeling Jon lightly close his grip again.
"The doctors tell me your loss of sight isn't necessarily permanent." Trip's father went on. "I guess that's if the underlyin' cause is dealt with. But even then it's not known if it'll return."
"I don't know what the cap'n told you, sir, but..." Trip started to fidget.
"Let me finish my say," Mr. Tucker said with parental authority. "I brought you up the best way I knew how. There's no instruction manual that comes with a baby when they're born. My father, your Grampa Tucker, raised me a helluva lot tougher than you think I did you. But if there's one thing I'm grateful for, it's that he made me able to stand up and take on what life threw at me. I thought I was doin' the same for you." His voice started to crack, quiver slightly.
Trip closed his eyes and bit down on his lower lip. He clasped his hands over his knees, trying to keep them from shaking. For the first time in his life his father was actually talking to him. Not at him, but to him.
"But you're different than me." Mr. Tucker turned and looked at his wife. "Oh, your momma will say that we're a lot alike and she's right to a point. But you needed more from me than I knew how to give."
"Daddy, don't..." Trip's low voice said, shaking his head and looking downward.
"Jesus, son," his dad sighed. "Did I ever miss an awards ceremony at school? Or a parent-teacher conference?"
"No, sir." Trip said, his voice strained.
"Did I miss any one of your graduations?"
"No, sir." Trip answered, sniffing back the tears.
Jon watched Trip closely and then looked back up at the screen. He saw now that Charles Tucker the Second was wiping his eyes on his sleeve. Trip's mom was on her fourth tissue at least and still clinging to her husband's arm.
"Now here comes the hard one, son. And I want you to be honest with me." Mr. Tucker told his son. "Will you do that?"
Trip only nodded slowly, looking up even though he couldn't see a thing.
"Did I ever tell you how proud I've always been of you?" His dad's voice trembled with emotion.
Trip broke out into sobs now, leaning forward and placing his head in his hands. Jon slid his hand down Trip's back and slowly rubbed it.
"I'm waitin', son." Mr. Tucker managed to gather his strength and steady his voice.
Jon knelt down placing his other hand on Trip's arm, speaking in a hushed voice. "Remember. You can do it."
Trip sniffed and looked up, his face red and tear streaked. He shook his head slowly.
"No, sir." Trip forced out.
"And you never really knew that? Without my tellin' you?" His dad asked, disbelieving.
"How?!" Trip raised his voice. "How would I? Yeah, ya went to all those ceremonies. But ya never said anythin'. You were just there. I didn't know if it was cuz Momma dragged ya or what."
Jon had risen and grabbed a hanky from a drawer and placed it in Trip's hands.
"I wanted so much more for you, Trip." His dad said. "I had to struggle for everythin' I ever wanted in life. I didn't want you to have to do that. But money was tight and I hated that you had to work so hard to get through school and get your degree. And...although I was proud of you, I was angry with myself for not bein' able to provide for your schoolin' better."
"No, no..." Trip shook his head. "Daddy, that's the one thing I'm most grateful for. That I didn't have it handed to me. That it wasn't easy to get. It made it all the sweeter. That I did it on my own."
"I am proud of you, Trip." His dad reinforced. "I always have been. I just thought I was helpin' you by toughenin' you up. I guess I forgot that when you were just a little boy, that little boys need more from their daddys. Like..."
Jon was standing behind Trip now, and had a feeling that what was to come was going to be even more personal. So, he turned away with his back to the monitor.
"Even more important than tellin' you I was proud of you," his dad went on. "I can't ever remember tellin' you that I loved you."
Trip began to cry again. "Daddy..."
"I love ya, son." His dad let a cry at the back of his throat out, but quickly covered it with a cough.
"I love ya, too, Daddy."
"I guess we really never realize how much that we don't say to our children is just as important as what we do say." His dad deduced. "Jonathan."
"Yes, sir." Jon turned around and placed his hands on the back of Trip's chair.
"Would you do me a very big favor?" Charles Tucker the Second lifted his chin with the utmost pride. "Would you please give my son the hug I should've a very long time ago?"
"Yes, sir." Jon replied.
"Honey," Mrs. Tucker said, "You do what the doctor tells you and don't worry. We'll be waiting for you when you get back home."
Trip was still sobbing, but looked up. "I love ya, Momma."
"I love you too, baby."
"I'll contact you as soon as we know the particulars, Mr. and Mrs. Tucker." Jon told them. The screen displayed "end transmission" and Jon hung his head.
Trip wiped his eyes and blew his nose on the hanky. Jon put his hands on Trip's shoulders and massaged them a little before moving around to the front. Trip, still feeling Jon's hands on his shoulders pulled himself up from the chair.
"I promised him." Jon said, as he wrapped his arms around Trip. The younger man's tense body relaxed into the embrace and returned it with all the strength he could muster after his physical and emotional ordeal.
"When do I have to go back?" Trip mumbled, his head buried in Jon's shoulder.
"Let's take it one step at a time, Trip." Jon told him. "Right now, just think about what your dad said. And let me worry about all the rest."
It was easier said than done, Trip thought. But whatever happened to him couldn't be any worse than what he'd already been through. He'd miss Enterprise, the people and the mission. But if he couldn't see it all, he didn't want to be here. And it was good to know he could go home again.
Jon guided him over to his bed and he stretched out, feeling tired and worn. He felt the blankets covering him and Jon tucking them in and under his chin.
"I'll stay until you fall asleep, if you want." Jon told him.
"I'm okay now, Cap'n." Trip told him, sleepily.
"All right." Jon walked to the door, but before pushing the button he turned back. "Malcolm's off in an hour. I'll send him by."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Trip told his captain. "I know I'm not alone, sir. All I have to do is buzz, right?"
Jon smiled thoughtfully. Trip was tough as nails, just as he'd always said. But somehow he seemed more grounded. "That's right. Sleep well, my friend."
"Thanks...for everything." Trip said. "And...well, you know there's a lot of things we all take for granted sometimes. What we think people close to us should know, even though we've never said it. Ya know what I mean?"
"Yeah, I know." Jon agreed, knowing full well what Trip meant. "Back at ya. Now get some sleep."
As the door closed behind him, Jonathan Archer stood in the corridor outside Trip's quarters. He looked up and down the hall. He had so much to do still. And the one task he was dreading the most, was contacting Admiral Forrest and informing him of Trip's accident and current condition. That was something he couldn't put off any longer. He moved to the comm panel on the wall and pushed the button.
"Archer to the bridge."
"Bridge, Captain." T'Pol's voice came through.
"Have Hoshi contact Admiral Forrest. I'll take it in my quarters."
TO BE CONTINUED
----------