Chapter 5-
He winced slightly as he felt Doctor Phlox gently apply the antiseptic gel on his back. Trip was laying face down on the biobed, arms wrapped above his head around the pillow. He stared at the white drape through mist covered eyes.
A few feet away, Reed and T'Pol stood next to another biobed that held Captain Archer. He sat with one leg curled underneath the other and his face pale and drawn.
"The electrical storm is still raging over Davanj's province." T'Pol informed them. "There is no way to contact them. We can only wait until he contacts us once the storm has passed."
"Clearly this isn't an inhibitor blocker." Reed said. "This is something far more altering."
"How do you feel now, Captain?" T'Pol asked.
"It's not as much." Archer said, swallowing to moisten his throat. "The...hate. It's more intense when we're alone."
"Then we need to keep them separated until we can get some other answers from Davanj." Reed told T'Pol.
"Agreed." T'Pol nodded. "Excuse me." She turned and walked to the drape, parting it and entering the space.
"You know what you have to do, Lieutenant." Archer said, straightening up.
"Sir?" Reed frowned at him.
"The brig, Mr. Reed." The captain told him. "You've got to hold me there."
"I most certainly will not." Reed protested. "You're not to blame for what's happened. You both are not responsible for your actions."
Archer gritted his teeth and slammed his fist onto the bed. "It was my hand and my brut force that did that to him!" He pointed toward the drape. "No matter how screwed up my feelings are right now about Commander Tucker, I know what I did is wrong now!"
"Now, yes! But you didn't then!" Reed argued. "You weren't capable of discerning right from wrong anymore than Commander Tucker was. He allowed you to do this, without calling me or fighting back."
Archer hung his head, now. He was exhausted both physically and emotionally.
---
"How is he?" T'Pol asked the doctor.
"I applied an antibiotic and antiseptic gel. " Phlox told her, while he took off his gloves. "There was some broken skin, so that should take care of any infection. There won't be any scarring and the welts will disappear within a few days."
"What about the affects of the alien spice?" T'Pol inquired.
"There is no scan I've taken that reveals anything chemical in their bloodstreams." Phlox told her. "It is possible that it only attacks the brain's receptors to emotional responses. But I'd have to do more extensive testing."
"How are you feeling now, Commander?" T'Pol looked down at Tucker, who stared past her.
Trip heard her. Heard everything the doctor and she had said. But he didn't understand any of it. All he understood right now was that Jon had hurt him very badly. The pain he was feeling inside was almost more unbearable than the pain from the whipping. The whipping Jon had given him. He closed his eyes, fighting back those damn tears.
"We need to make sure they are separated, Doctor." T'Pol turned her attention back to the physician. "Does he have to stay here?"
"No," Phlox said. "He can, if you like."
"That won't be necessary. He can remain in his quarters. The captain will be under watch."
T'Pol told him.
She turned and left the area. Trip could hear her voice talking to Malcolm and the captain. After a few minutes, he heard Archer hop off the bed and his footsteps move closer. He buried his face in the pillow, his hands balling into fists.
Phlox noticed Trip's reaction as the captain walked past his bed on the other side of the drape. T'Pol walked with Archer and they exited sickbay. Reed pushed back the drape and entered.
"Can he go?" Reed asked the doctor.
"Yes," Phlox replied. "But he needs to be put to bed right away. He's been through a very strenuous ordeal."
"I'll see to it." Reed assured the doctor.
Phlox nodded and left the two alone. Malcolm moved closer and leaned down towards Trip's head.
"You ready?" Malcolm asked.
"I hate him, Malcolm." Trip's voice quivered.
Malcolm closed his eyes and held back his emotions. "No you don't."
"Don't I have the right to?" Trip fired back.
"I don't know." Malcolm sighed. "I don't know what either of you have the right to feel about the other since that dinner with Davanj. Come on. Let's get you to bed."
Trip raised his head and then tried to push up from the pillow, but he grimaced and stopped. Malcolm grabbed him under both arms.
"Let me do most of it." Malcolm told him.
Trip pushed up a little, but felt Malcolm's strong grip pull him up. He swung his legs over the side and hopped off the bed. Malcolm put his hand around Trip's waist, like before, and held onto his arm.
"Malcolm," Trip said. "Thanks for lookin' out for me."
"It's just my job, Commander." Malcolm said with a twinkle in his eye that only belied that remark.
TO BE CONTINUED
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Next chapter will have answers to a lot of your questions. (per the reviews)
----------
He winced slightly as he felt Doctor Phlox gently apply the antiseptic gel on his back. Trip was laying face down on the biobed, arms wrapped above his head around the pillow. He stared at the white drape through mist covered eyes.
A few feet away, Reed and T'Pol stood next to another biobed that held Captain Archer. He sat with one leg curled underneath the other and his face pale and drawn.
"The electrical storm is still raging over Davanj's province." T'Pol informed them. "There is no way to contact them. We can only wait until he contacts us once the storm has passed."
"Clearly this isn't an inhibitor blocker." Reed said. "This is something far more altering."
"How do you feel now, Captain?" T'Pol asked.
"It's not as much." Archer said, swallowing to moisten his throat. "The...hate. It's more intense when we're alone."
"Then we need to keep them separated until we can get some other answers from Davanj." Reed told T'Pol.
"Agreed." T'Pol nodded. "Excuse me." She turned and walked to the drape, parting it and entering the space.
"You know what you have to do, Lieutenant." Archer said, straightening up.
"Sir?" Reed frowned at him.
"The brig, Mr. Reed." The captain told him. "You've got to hold me there."
"I most certainly will not." Reed protested. "You're not to blame for what's happened. You both are not responsible for your actions."
Archer gritted his teeth and slammed his fist onto the bed. "It was my hand and my brut force that did that to him!" He pointed toward the drape. "No matter how screwed up my feelings are right now about Commander Tucker, I know what I did is wrong now!"
"Now, yes! But you didn't then!" Reed argued. "You weren't capable of discerning right from wrong anymore than Commander Tucker was. He allowed you to do this, without calling me or fighting back."
Archer hung his head, now. He was exhausted both physically and emotionally.
---
"How is he?" T'Pol asked the doctor.
"I applied an antibiotic and antiseptic gel. " Phlox told her, while he took off his gloves. "There was some broken skin, so that should take care of any infection. There won't be any scarring and the welts will disappear within a few days."
"What about the affects of the alien spice?" T'Pol inquired.
"There is no scan I've taken that reveals anything chemical in their bloodstreams." Phlox told her. "It is possible that it only attacks the brain's receptors to emotional responses. But I'd have to do more extensive testing."
"How are you feeling now, Commander?" T'Pol looked down at Tucker, who stared past her.
Trip heard her. Heard everything the doctor and she had said. But he didn't understand any of it. All he understood right now was that Jon had hurt him very badly. The pain he was feeling inside was almost more unbearable than the pain from the whipping. The whipping Jon had given him. He closed his eyes, fighting back those damn tears.
"We need to make sure they are separated, Doctor." T'Pol turned her attention back to the physician. "Does he have to stay here?"
"No," Phlox said. "He can, if you like."
"That won't be necessary. He can remain in his quarters. The captain will be under watch."
T'Pol told him.
She turned and left the area. Trip could hear her voice talking to Malcolm and the captain. After a few minutes, he heard Archer hop off the bed and his footsteps move closer. He buried his face in the pillow, his hands balling into fists.
Phlox noticed Trip's reaction as the captain walked past his bed on the other side of the drape. T'Pol walked with Archer and they exited sickbay. Reed pushed back the drape and entered.
"Can he go?" Reed asked the doctor.
"Yes," Phlox replied. "But he needs to be put to bed right away. He's been through a very strenuous ordeal."
"I'll see to it." Reed assured the doctor.
Phlox nodded and left the two alone. Malcolm moved closer and leaned down towards Trip's head.
"You ready?" Malcolm asked.
"I hate him, Malcolm." Trip's voice quivered.
Malcolm closed his eyes and held back his emotions. "No you don't."
"Don't I have the right to?" Trip fired back.
"I don't know." Malcolm sighed. "I don't know what either of you have the right to feel about the other since that dinner with Davanj. Come on. Let's get you to bed."
Trip raised his head and then tried to push up from the pillow, but he grimaced and stopped. Malcolm grabbed him under both arms.
"Let me do most of it." Malcolm told him.
Trip pushed up a little, but felt Malcolm's strong grip pull him up. He swung his legs over the side and hopped off the bed. Malcolm put his hand around Trip's waist, like before, and held onto his arm.
"Malcolm," Trip said. "Thanks for lookin' out for me."
"It's just my job, Commander." Malcolm said with a twinkle in his eye that only belied that remark.
TO BE CONTINUED
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Next chapter will have answers to a lot of your questions. (per the reviews)
----------