DISCALIMER: Still not mine.
TRIP'S WAR - Chapter Five
"Sorry?" Archer asked, not quite believing what he'd just been told. "What?"
"You heard." Trip said.
"Just because I heard it doesn't mean I believe it!" Archer shouted, standing from the table.
"Would ya just calm down?" Trip asked, not bothering to raise his voice to match Archers.
"You just told me you're going to die and you want me to be calm, I........"
"Sirs!" Malcolm interrupted, trying to control the situation
Archer shook his head and sat back down.
"Ya know," Trip said, looking at Hoshi and Malcolm. "Ya don't need to call me 'Sir' anymore."
"Technically, we do." Malcolm corrected him. "You were never de- commissioned, so you're still 'Commander'."
"Oh," Trip said, surprised.
"Would you listen to yourselves?" Archer said. "You can't just tell us something like that, then discuss if you still hold your commission or not!" He said, looking at Trip.
"What does it matter?" Trip asked, standing and walking towards the door. He turned back to face them. "You all thought I was dead anyway."
"But you're not," Archer said, sighing. "And finding you alive, only to find out that you're going to die is worse than thinking you were dead in the first place."
Archer, Hoshi and Malcolm sat in silence for a while thinking about what Trip had just told them. Trip remained standing by the door, watching his friends. He'd missed them. He was glad to see them, but, at the same time, wished they'd never found him. He'd made a new life for himself, although it was nothing compared to Enterprise, he'd grown to like it.
Shouting outside caught his attention. "Great." He said.
"What?" Malcolm asked.
Trip didn't answer. He walked over to a closet on the far side of the room. He opened the door and removed a false floor, revealing a small room.
"What the............" Archer began, but was cut of by Trip.
"Get in." He said.
"Why?" Archer asked.
"Just do it, Jon!" Trip snapped. Archer, Hoshi and Malcolm walked over to the closet. Hoshi was first to climb down into the small room followed by Malcolm. "If you need to, light the lantern in the far corner, but only that one. And be quiet," Trip told them.
"Trip, what's going on?" Archer asked.
"Get in," Trip told him. "And don't come out till I get you."
"Trip, I........"
"Get in!" Trip said, pushing Archer slightly towards the door. "Promise me you won't come out till I get you."
Archer nodded and climbed down the small hatch.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Archer, Malcolm and Hoshi sat huddled in the small room. They had lit the lantern. It only produced a small amount of light, but it was better than nothing.
They could hear somebody talking, but couldn't tell whom.
"Is it the same language as before?" Archer whispered to Hoshi. She nodded. "What are they saying?" He asked.
Hoshi listened for a minute. "I think they're looking for us." She said. "He's asking for the new comers."
They all listened again. This time they heard Trip talking.
"What did he say?" Malcolm asked.
"Erm," Hoshi said, shifting uncomfortably. "I'd rather not translate that, Sir."
"Hoshi?" Archer asked, looking at her.
"The gist of it was 'go away, you idiot', but there were a few more expletives used."
Archer smiled to himself. He was about to ask what was happening when he noticed that the room above had gone quite. They could hear what sounded like a struggle, followed by a 'thud'.
"I'm going." Archer said, heading towards the door.
"Sir," Malcolm said, grabbing Archer's wrist. "He said to wait here."
"I don't care," Archer said, snatching his wrist back. "I'm going."
"Sir," Malcolm pleaded. "For all we know, going up there could just make whatever's happening up there worse."
Archer sat back down. "Damn." He muttered to himself. He knew Malcolm was right. But he still found it hard to fight the urge to go and see what was happening. The only thing that stopped him was the fact he'd promised.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Trip rolled himself onto his side. 'Well that went well' he thought to himself. He pushed himself up into a sitting position. 'I really should learn to watch what I say.' He thought. His side was hurting, as was his head. He sat still for a few minutes before standing. He walked over to the closet and opened the door. "OK." He called down. "Ya can come up now." He walked over to the table and sat down.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Trip?" Archer asked, climbing up the ladder. He walked over to where Trip was sitting. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked, taking in his friend appearance.
Trip was sitting at the table, leaning forwards slightly with his arms wrapped around his stomach. He had a small cut above his right eyebrow. He didn't respond to what Archer had said verbally. He just looked at his friend and shrugged.
"What did they want?" Malcolm asked.
"You." Trip said. He let out a small cough.
"What did they do?" Archer asked, sitting down next to his friend.
"They just generally don't like me." Trip said, smiling.
"Is that how that happened?" Archer asked, pointing at Trip's scar.
"Not exactly."
Before Archer could ask what Trip meant by 'not exactly', Pete walked in the room. "Thank God." He said, "I thought they'd find you." He smiled at Malcolm and Hoshi before walking over and crouching next to Trip. "Are you OK?" He asked. Trip nodded.
"I think you should come back to Enterprise with us," Archer said. "Let Phlox take a look at you. He might be able to help."
Trip shook his head.
"You should go, Trip." Pete said.
"No." Trip said standing. He walked over to the other side of the room. "I can't just go back!" He shouted.
Archer noticed Trip was sounding short of breath. "Trip," He said, soothingly.
"No," Trip said, coughing. "I'm not going............"
Malcolm noticed Trip start to sway slightly. He moved over to give him a supporting arm. Just as he reached Trip, he collapsed on the floor. "Trip!" Malcolm said, kneeling down besides him and feeling for a pulse.
Archer, Hoshi and Pete had also moved over to where Malcolm and Trip were. "Malcolm?" Archer asked.
"He's alive, Sir." Malcolm said, looking up at the Captain.
"OK," Archer said, looking at Trip. "We're taking him back to Enterprise. Now." He turned his attention to Pete. "Would you please come with us?" He asked.
"Me?" Pete asked, sounding confused.
"You'll be able to inform our Doctor of Trip's condition better the any of us."
Pete nodded and moved over to help Malcolm carry Trip.
Archer followed Hoshi out of the room.
"Sir?" Hoshi asked, noting the look of concern on her Captain's face.
Archer looked at her.
"He'll be OK, Sir." She said.
"I hope so, Hoshi." He replied. He turned his attention back to Malcolm and Pete. "You ready?" He asked.
"Yes, Sir." Malcolm said. "Lead the way."
And so he did. He was too lost in his own thought's to engage in conversation on the way back to the shuttle. He just hoped Phlox could help.
A/N: I know they acted a little oddly in this chapter - especially Archer and Trip. But I'm basically gonna ignore the 'golden rule' of fan fic here. Sorry!
Don't know if anyone's actually still reading this story. If you are, I'll try and update the next chapter soon. If your not, then you're not reading this anyway so...........
I'll stop blabbering and start on the next chapter. LYL, Jen.
TRIP'S WAR - Chapter Five
"Sorry?" Archer asked, not quite believing what he'd just been told. "What?"
"You heard." Trip said.
"Just because I heard it doesn't mean I believe it!" Archer shouted, standing from the table.
"Would ya just calm down?" Trip asked, not bothering to raise his voice to match Archers.
"You just told me you're going to die and you want me to be calm, I........"
"Sirs!" Malcolm interrupted, trying to control the situation
Archer shook his head and sat back down.
"Ya know," Trip said, looking at Hoshi and Malcolm. "Ya don't need to call me 'Sir' anymore."
"Technically, we do." Malcolm corrected him. "You were never de- commissioned, so you're still 'Commander'."
"Oh," Trip said, surprised.
"Would you listen to yourselves?" Archer said. "You can't just tell us something like that, then discuss if you still hold your commission or not!" He said, looking at Trip.
"What does it matter?" Trip asked, standing and walking towards the door. He turned back to face them. "You all thought I was dead anyway."
"But you're not," Archer said, sighing. "And finding you alive, only to find out that you're going to die is worse than thinking you were dead in the first place."
Archer, Hoshi and Malcolm sat in silence for a while thinking about what Trip had just told them. Trip remained standing by the door, watching his friends. He'd missed them. He was glad to see them, but, at the same time, wished they'd never found him. He'd made a new life for himself, although it was nothing compared to Enterprise, he'd grown to like it.
Shouting outside caught his attention. "Great." He said.
"What?" Malcolm asked.
Trip didn't answer. He walked over to a closet on the far side of the room. He opened the door and removed a false floor, revealing a small room.
"What the............" Archer began, but was cut of by Trip.
"Get in." He said.
"Why?" Archer asked.
"Just do it, Jon!" Trip snapped. Archer, Hoshi and Malcolm walked over to the closet. Hoshi was first to climb down into the small room followed by Malcolm. "If you need to, light the lantern in the far corner, but only that one. And be quiet," Trip told them.
"Trip, what's going on?" Archer asked.
"Get in," Trip told him. "And don't come out till I get you."
"Trip, I........"
"Get in!" Trip said, pushing Archer slightly towards the door. "Promise me you won't come out till I get you."
Archer nodded and climbed down the small hatch.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Archer, Malcolm and Hoshi sat huddled in the small room. They had lit the lantern. It only produced a small amount of light, but it was better than nothing.
They could hear somebody talking, but couldn't tell whom.
"Is it the same language as before?" Archer whispered to Hoshi. She nodded. "What are they saying?" He asked.
Hoshi listened for a minute. "I think they're looking for us." She said. "He's asking for the new comers."
They all listened again. This time they heard Trip talking.
"What did he say?" Malcolm asked.
"Erm," Hoshi said, shifting uncomfortably. "I'd rather not translate that, Sir."
"Hoshi?" Archer asked, looking at her.
"The gist of it was 'go away, you idiot', but there were a few more expletives used."
Archer smiled to himself. He was about to ask what was happening when he noticed that the room above had gone quite. They could hear what sounded like a struggle, followed by a 'thud'.
"I'm going." Archer said, heading towards the door.
"Sir," Malcolm said, grabbing Archer's wrist. "He said to wait here."
"I don't care," Archer said, snatching his wrist back. "I'm going."
"Sir," Malcolm pleaded. "For all we know, going up there could just make whatever's happening up there worse."
Archer sat back down. "Damn." He muttered to himself. He knew Malcolm was right. But he still found it hard to fight the urge to go and see what was happening. The only thing that stopped him was the fact he'd promised.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Trip rolled himself onto his side. 'Well that went well' he thought to himself. He pushed himself up into a sitting position. 'I really should learn to watch what I say.' He thought. His side was hurting, as was his head. He sat still for a few minutes before standing. He walked over to the closet and opened the door. "OK." He called down. "Ya can come up now." He walked over to the table and sat down.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Trip?" Archer asked, climbing up the ladder. He walked over to where Trip was sitting. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked, taking in his friend appearance.
Trip was sitting at the table, leaning forwards slightly with his arms wrapped around his stomach. He had a small cut above his right eyebrow. He didn't respond to what Archer had said verbally. He just looked at his friend and shrugged.
"What did they want?" Malcolm asked.
"You." Trip said. He let out a small cough.
"What did they do?" Archer asked, sitting down next to his friend.
"They just generally don't like me." Trip said, smiling.
"Is that how that happened?" Archer asked, pointing at Trip's scar.
"Not exactly."
Before Archer could ask what Trip meant by 'not exactly', Pete walked in the room. "Thank God." He said, "I thought they'd find you." He smiled at Malcolm and Hoshi before walking over and crouching next to Trip. "Are you OK?" He asked. Trip nodded.
"I think you should come back to Enterprise with us," Archer said. "Let Phlox take a look at you. He might be able to help."
Trip shook his head.
"You should go, Trip." Pete said.
"No." Trip said standing. He walked over to the other side of the room. "I can't just go back!" He shouted.
Archer noticed Trip was sounding short of breath. "Trip," He said, soothingly.
"No," Trip said, coughing. "I'm not going............"
Malcolm noticed Trip start to sway slightly. He moved over to give him a supporting arm. Just as he reached Trip, he collapsed on the floor. "Trip!" Malcolm said, kneeling down besides him and feeling for a pulse.
Archer, Hoshi and Pete had also moved over to where Malcolm and Trip were. "Malcolm?" Archer asked.
"He's alive, Sir." Malcolm said, looking up at the Captain.
"OK," Archer said, looking at Trip. "We're taking him back to Enterprise. Now." He turned his attention to Pete. "Would you please come with us?" He asked.
"Me?" Pete asked, sounding confused.
"You'll be able to inform our Doctor of Trip's condition better the any of us."
Pete nodded and moved over to help Malcolm carry Trip.
Archer followed Hoshi out of the room.
"Sir?" Hoshi asked, noting the look of concern on her Captain's face.
Archer looked at her.
"He'll be OK, Sir." She said.
"I hope so, Hoshi." He replied. He turned his attention back to Malcolm and Pete. "You ready?" He asked.
"Yes, Sir." Malcolm said. "Lead the way."
And so he did. He was too lost in his own thought's to engage in conversation on the way back to the shuttle. He just hoped Phlox could help.
A/N: I know they acted a little oddly in this chapter - especially Archer and Trip. But I'm basically gonna ignore the 'golden rule' of fan fic here. Sorry!
Don't know if anyone's actually still reading this story. If you are, I'll try and update the next chapter soon. If your not, then you're not reading this anyway so...........
I'll stop blabbering and start on the next chapter. LYL, Jen.