**********
TRIP INTO DARKNESS - CHAPTER 4
Captain Archer closed the comm. line in his quarters. He rubbed his eyes in anger. Admiral Forrest said that Star Fleet was only giving him two more days to find Trip. He stood from his chair and headed to his shower. He felt drained. The burial at space for Ensign Crandall had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done. Two more days. They had been searching for five days and still had found no sign of the Chief Engineer. Jon knew in his heart that his friend was still alive. The crew still had hope as well. There was no shortage of volunteers for the daily searches. Today they would revisit the original landing site and search the area again. Two more days.
**********
Archer squinted against the sunlight as he stepped out of Shuttlepod One. The other five members quickly followed. Lieutenant Reed stepped up next to him.
"What did the admiral have to say, sir?" he asked quietly.
"We have to continue our mission in two days, Malcolm. Star Fleet will consider Trip dead after that," Archer replied. He saw the change in Reed's posture as the reality of losing his friend hit him. The captain patted the lieutenant's arm. "We still have two days, Malcolm. We'll find him."
Jon stepped away from the group and surveyed their surroundings. Except for some distant hills, the terrain was flat and dry. He smiled as he remembered his last conversation with his friend. Trip was right, this was definitely no place for a vacation. As he scanned the expanse of land between himself and the base of the hills, Jon saw movement. He began to run. He heard Reed call his name but he kept running. His heart was racing as fast as his legs. There was definitely someone out there.
********** TWO DAYS LATER **********
"When I got to you, you were delirious. It took me several minutes to get through to you. When you finally realized who I was, you just collapsed," Jon watched Trip's face, trying to see what his friend was feeling. "We don't know how long you'd been walking, dragging that body behind you."
Trip shrugged and ran his bandaged fingers through his hair. He turned from the window and walked slowly to sit on his bed. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and looked at his healing hands and wrists. Jon moved to sit beside him. The memory of seeing Trip pulling a corpse behind him on that make-shift stretcher, talking to himself, was something Jon knew he'd never forget. He had hardly recognized his friend. He remembered Trip's eyes looking into his with no sign of recognition. He sighed and shook the thoughts away.
"I can't imagine what it must have been like for you, Trip," he said gently. "Dr. Phlox said that your captor actually died from some sort of illness he'd apparently had for years. It appears he wanted you to put him out of his misery, but you didn't kill him. You do realize that, don't you?"
"I almost did, Cap'n. And how can the Doc be so certain that what I did to him didn't contribute to his death?"
"Phlox did a complete autopsy while you were recovering, Trip. The man did not die from strangulation. You've got to believe that."
"He said everyone was a killer. I kept tellin' myself it wasn't true. That I wasn't one, but I am....." Trip's voice faltered and Jon could see in the dim starlight that he was struggling with all his might not to break down.
"No you're not. You stopped yourself. This alien treated you like an animal. He wore you down by depriving you of sleep and food. He chained you and beat you, Trip, but you didn't allow him to break you. You should be proud of yourself, not ashamed," Jon put his hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. "You are not a killer. You're the best and the brightest, but a killer, no way." He saw the hint of a smile on Trip's face then Jon stood and pulled his friend to his feet. "Now as I recall, the agreement with the doctor was that he would release you from sickbay if you promised to go straight to bed and get some sleep." Jon tugged the blankets back and watched Trip reluctantly climb in. He pulled the covers back up. "You're going to be okay, Trip. I promise you that."
Trip nodded. "I hope so, Cap'n. Right now, it just still hurts so damn much," he answered, moving down further under the blankets.
"Try to get some sleep. I'll come back and check on you a little later." Jon turned and walked to the door. He looked back at Trip, who was already beginning to drift off. He sighed again. It was going to be a long haul getting Trip through this. Then he smiled. He had his friend back with him. His best friend. Jon looked out the window at the passing stars, remembering how close they were to moving on without Trip. He quickly let go of that thought, glanced at his friend one more time, then opened the door and quietly left the room.
THE END
TRIP INTO DARKNESS - CHAPTER 4
Captain Archer closed the comm. line in his quarters. He rubbed his eyes in anger. Admiral Forrest said that Star Fleet was only giving him two more days to find Trip. He stood from his chair and headed to his shower. He felt drained. The burial at space for Ensign Crandall had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done. Two more days. They had been searching for five days and still had found no sign of the Chief Engineer. Jon knew in his heart that his friend was still alive. The crew still had hope as well. There was no shortage of volunteers for the daily searches. Today they would revisit the original landing site and search the area again. Two more days.
**********
Archer squinted against the sunlight as he stepped out of Shuttlepod One. The other five members quickly followed. Lieutenant Reed stepped up next to him.
"What did the admiral have to say, sir?" he asked quietly.
"We have to continue our mission in two days, Malcolm. Star Fleet will consider Trip dead after that," Archer replied. He saw the change in Reed's posture as the reality of losing his friend hit him. The captain patted the lieutenant's arm. "We still have two days, Malcolm. We'll find him."
Jon stepped away from the group and surveyed their surroundings. Except for some distant hills, the terrain was flat and dry. He smiled as he remembered his last conversation with his friend. Trip was right, this was definitely no place for a vacation. As he scanned the expanse of land between himself and the base of the hills, Jon saw movement. He began to run. He heard Reed call his name but he kept running. His heart was racing as fast as his legs. There was definitely someone out there.
********** TWO DAYS LATER **********
"When I got to you, you were delirious. It took me several minutes to get through to you. When you finally realized who I was, you just collapsed," Jon watched Trip's face, trying to see what his friend was feeling. "We don't know how long you'd been walking, dragging that body behind you."
Trip shrugged and ran his bandaged fingers through his hair. He turned from the window and walked slowly to sit on his bed. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and looked at his healing hands and wrists. Jon moved to sit beside him. The memory of seeing Trip pulling a corpse behind him on that make-shift stretcher, talking to himself, was something Jon knew he'd never forget. He had hardly recognized his friend. He remembered Trip's eyes looking into his with no sign of recognition. He sighed and shook the thoughts away.
"I can't imagine what it must have been like for you, Trip," he said gently. "Dr. Phlox said that your captor actually died from some sort of illness he'd apparently had for years. It appears he wanted you to put him out of his misery, but you didn't kill him. You do realize that, don't you?"
"I almost did, Cap'n. And how can the Doc be so certain that what I did to him didn't contribute to his death?"
"Phlox did a complete autopsy while you were recovering, Trip. The man did not die from strangulation. You've got to believe that."
"He said everyone was a killer. I kept tellin' myself it wasn't true. That I wasn't one, but I am....." Trip's voice faltered and Jon could see in the dim starlight that he was struggling with all his might not to break down.
"No you're not. You stopped yourself. This alien treated you like an animal. He wore you down by depriving you of sleep and food. He chained you and beat you, Trip, but you didn't allow him to break you. You should be proud of yourself, not ashamed," Jon put his hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. "You are not a killer. You're the best and the brightest, but a killer, no way." He saw the hint of a smile on Trip's face then Jon stood and pulled his friend to his feet. "Now as I recall, the agreement with the doctor was that he would release you from sickbay if you promised to go straight to bed and get some sleep." Jon tugged the blankets back and watched Trip reluctantly climb in. He pulled the covers back up. "You're going to be okay, Trip. I promise you that."
Trip nodded. "I hope so, Cap'n. Right now, it just still hurts so damn much," he answered, moving down further under the blankets.
"Try to get some sleep. I'll come back and check on you a little later." Jon turned and walked to the door. He looked back at Trip, who was already beginning to drift off. He sighed again. It was going to be a long haul getting Trip through this. Then he smiled. He had his friend back with him. His best friend. Jon looked out the window at the passing stars, remembering how close they were to moving on without Trip. He quickly let go of that thought, glanced at his friend one more time, then opened the door and quietly left the room.
THE END