DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Don't sue.
NOTE: I know Phlox came up with a 'cure' kinda quick - but I had no plot for in between them getting back and this chapter, so sorry if you think it's a little too quick, but hey.............you'll just have live with it! ;)
TRIP'S WAR - Chapter Seven
Archer, unable to find either Malcolm or Pete, had called Malcolm over the comm. and asked him to bring Pete to his Ready Room.
"Come." He called, when the door chimed.
Malcolm entered the room, closely followed by the Vulcan. "Sir?" Malcolm asked.
"Yes, Lieutenant." Archer replied. "Please, sit down." He said, looking at Pete.
After the two had settled, Archer continued. "While our doctor was examining Trip, he found.............." He paused, thinking how to phrase it. "Several scars on Trip's torso. I was wondering if you could enlighten us as to their origin."
Pete nodded. "Trip and I are part of a............" He thought for a moment. "What do you call them?" He asked, looking at Malcolm. "Guerillil?"
"Guerrillas?" Malcolm asked.
Pete nodded. "Guerrillas. Thank you." He turned his attention back to Archer. "I am leader of the Alriten Group. Trip is second in command of the Berilo Group. I suspect they are simply from battles."
"How many groups are there?" Malcolm asked before Archer had a to ask his question.
"Six." Pete said.
"And you all............."
"Malcolm." Archer interrupted.
"Sorry, Sir." Malcolm apologised.
Archer nodded to Malcolm before turning to face Pete again. "What about his back?"
"Sorry?" Pete asked, sounding confused.
"His back?" Archer repeated.
"I'm sorry, I don't know." Pete said, standing. "You'll have to ask Trip." He turned towards the door. "If you'll excuse me, Captain." And with that he left.
"Sir?" Malcolm, who was now standing next to Archer, asked.
Archer sighed. "When Phlox examined Trip he found them."
"Would you like me to keep an eye on our guest?" Malcolm asked.
"Thank you." Archer said, smiling.
"Phlox to Archer."
Malcolm nodded at Archer and left.
"Archer here."
"Captain," Phlox said. "Mr Tucker is awake.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Captain." Phlox greeted Archer as he entered sickbay.
"Doctor," Archer returned the welcome. "How is he?"
"He's resting," Phlox told him. "I have managed to find a temporary prohibitor. However, it will only last for twelve hours or so, so he'll have to retake it at least twice a day."
Archer nodded. ""Good work, Doctor. Thank you." Archer looked around and saw Trip in the bed in the far corner.
"You may speak with him," Phlox said, answering Archers un-asked question. "But only for a short while," He continued. "He's still weak. The prohibitor hasn't started to fully work yet."
"Thank you." Archer moved over to where Trip was. "Trip?" He asked gently.
Trip opened his eyes. "Hey ya Cap'n."
"How you feeling?"
"Better." Trip said, sighing. "Look, Jon, about earlier. I'm sorry I ............"
"It's OK," Archer interrupted.
"It's weird bein' back." Trip said, looking around him.
"Not much has changed." Archer said, sitting in the chair Phlox had earlier placed by the bed. "Except Chef can cook a new dish and Phlox had got a new bat."
Trip let out a small laugh before sitting up in the bed.
"But I do have a question I'd like you to answer," Archer said, looking at Trip. "You don't have to, if you don't want, though." He added.
"Shoot."
"When Phlox was examining you, he found the scars on your front and back. Pete told us about you being in a guerrilla fighting party, so I guess that explains some, but.................what the hell happened?"
"It doesn't matter now." Trip said, shaking his head.
"Please, Trip."
Trip took a deep breath. He held it for a few seconds before releasing it. "The cargo ship that picked us up wasn't exactly your normal cargo ship." He took another deep breath before continuing. "It was a slave ship."
"A slave ship?" Archer asked, not sure he wanted to hear the rest of his friend's tale.
Trip nodded. "When we got to the city, we were sold and put to work in the mines. They even made us sleep down there." Trip looked away from Archer, and instead started to look at his hands. "After a couple of days, me an' Moian got................."
"Moian?" Archer asked.
"He was from Nostarcassa." Trip explained, still looking at his hands. "We started to get sick so they took us outta the mine 'case it was the stale air makin' us ill. They put up on........." He thought for a few seconds. "I guess ya could call it transport duties." Trip stopped his explanation and began twiddling his thumbs.
"Trip. What happened?" Archer asked softly.
"When we didn't get any better, they decided we were fakin' it to get outta doin' the work, so" He sighed. "So they started flogging us till we got better. After a couple of weeks, Moian got real sick and died. They bought Pete up to help me with the work. After that there was a cave-in down in the mine. 'Bout sixty or so people were killed." Trip looked at Archer for the first time since he began his explanation. "That's about it." He looked back at his hands.
Archer found it hard to accept what he'd just been told. The two sat in silence for a while. Archer wasn't sure how long, but he didn't want to leave. He had a million questions racing through his mind. "How did you get to the village?" He asked. He didn't know why - it seemed to be the only coherent sentence his mind could make.
Trip looked at Archer. "We were helped by one of the servant girls," He looked back at his hands. "Aisha." He looked back at Archer. "You remember Aisha?" Archer nodded. "She helped us."
Before Archer could ask another question, Phlox appeared at his side. "Captain," He said in his usual merry tone. "Mr Tucker is in need of rest. And I suspect you have your own fair share of work to be doing."
Archer stood. "I'll come by and see you later." He said to Trip, who smiled and nodded. "Doctor."
"Goodbye, Captain." Phlox said.
Archer turned and left sickbay.
A/N: The whole 'I was a slave' thing isn't central to the story, but I needed a legitimate reason for Trip to REALLY hate Sobakan's in the upcoming chapters. And that was it.
Anyway, that's about all. It might be a while till I update next. I now have a job (yey - money!) but I also have essays to write for University, and I need time to eat. But I'm still writing - just not typing ;).
LYL, Jen.
Leicester City FC won Walsall FC 2-0 on Saturday. Me very happy!! If Leicester City go up into The Premiership, they'll be playing Birmingham City FC next season and................Why am I telling you this? You don't care. Sorry! I'll stop wasting your time and go celebrate elsewhere.................
NOTE: I know Phlox came up with a 'cure' kinda quick - but I had no plot for in between them getting back and this chapter, so sorry if you think it's a little too quick, but hey.............you'll just have live with it! ;)
TRIP'S WAR - Chapter Seven
Archer, unable to find either Malcolm or Pete, had called Malcolm over the comm. and asked him to bring Pete to his Ready Room.
"Come." He called, when the door chimed.
Malcolm entered the room, closely followed by the Vulcan. "Sir?" Malcolm asked.
"Yes, Lieutenant." Archer replied. "Please, sit down." He said, looking at Pete.
After the two had settled, Archer continued. "While our doctor was examining Trip, he found.............." He paused, thinking how to phrase it. "Several scars on Trip's torso. I was wondering if you could enlighten us as to their origin."
Pete nodded. "Trip and I are part of a............" He thought for a moment. "What do you call them?" He asked, looking at Malcolm. "Guerillil?"
"Guerrillas?" Malcolm asked.
Pete nodded. "Guerrillas. Thank you." He turned his attention back to Archer. "I am leader of the Alriten Group. Trip is second in command of the Berilo Group. I suspect they are simply from battles."
"How many groups are there?" Malcolm asked before Archer had a to ask his question.
"Six." Pete said.
"And you all............."
"Malcolm." Archer interrupted.
"Sorry, Sir." Malcolm apologised.
Archer nodded to Malcolm before turning to face Pete again. "What about his back?"
"Sorry?" Pete asked, sounding confused.
"His back?" Archer repeated.
"I'm sorry, I don't know." Pete said, standing. "You'll have to ask Trip." He turned towards the door. "If you'll excuse me, Captain." And with that he left.
"Sir?" Malcolm, who was now standing next to Archer, asked.
Archer sighed. "When Phlox examined Trip he found them."
"Would you like me to keep an eye on our guest?" Malcolm asked.
"Thank you." Archer said, smiling.
"Phlox to Archer."
Malcolm nodded at Archer and left.
"Archer here."
"Captain," Phlox said. "Mr Tucker is awake.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Captain." Phlox greeted Archer as he entered sickbay.
"Doctor," Archer returned the welcome. "How is he?"
"He's resting," Phlox told him. "I have managed to find a temporary prohibitor. However, it will only last for twelve hours or so, so he'll have to retake it at least twice a day."
Archer nodded. ""Good work, Doctor. Thank you." Archer looked around and saw Trip in the bed in the far corner.
"You may speak with him," Phlox said, answering Archers un-asked question. "But only for a short while," He continued. "He's still weak. The prohibitor hasn't started to fully work yet."
"Thank you." Archer moved over to where Trip was. "Trip?" He asked gently.
Trip opened his eyes. "Hey ya Cap'n."
"How you feeling?"
"Better." Trip said, sighing. "Look, Jon, about earlier. I'm sorry I ............"
"It's OK," Archer interrupted.
"It's weird bein' back." Trip said, looking around him.
"Not much has changed." Archer said, sitting in the chair Phlox had earlier placed by the bed. "Except Chef can cook a new dish and Phlox had got a new bat."
Trip let out a small laugh before sitting up in the bed.
"But I do have a question I'd like you to answer," Archer said, looking at Trip. "You don't have to, if you don't want, though." He added.
"Shoot."
"When Phlox was examining you, he found the scars on your front and back. Pete told us about you being in a guerrilla fighting party, so I guess that explains some, but.................what the hell happened?"
"It doesn't matter now." Trip said, shaking his head.
"Please, Trip."
Trip took a deep breath. He held it for a few seconds before releasing it. "The cargo ship that picked us up wasn't exactly your normal cargo ship." He took another deep breath before continuing. "It was a slave ship."
"A slave ship?" Archer asked, not sure he wanted to hear the rest of his friend's tale.
Trip nodded. "When we got to the city, we were sold and put to work in the mines. They even made us sleep down there." Trip looked away from Archer, and instead started to look at his hands. "After a couple of days, me an' Moian got................."
"Moian?" Archer asked.
"He was from Nostarcassa." Trip explained, still looking at his hands. "We started to get sick so they took us outta the mine 'case it was the stale air makin' us ill. They put up on........." He thought for a few seconds. "I guess ya could call it transport duties." Trip stopped his explanation and began twiddling his thumbs.
"Trip. What happened?" Archer asked softly.
"When we didn't get any better, they decided we were fakin' it to get outta doin' the work, so" He sighed. "So they started flogging us till we got better. After a couple of weeks, Moian got real sick and died. They bought Pete up to help me with the work. After that there was a cave-in down in the mine. 'Bout sixty or so people were killed." Trip looked at Archer for the first time since he began his explanation. "That's about it." He looked back at his hands.
Archer found it hard to accept what he'd just been told. The two sat in silence for a while. Archer wasn't sure how long, but he didn't want to leave. He had a million questions racing through his mind. "How did you get to the village?" He asked. He didn't know why - it seemed to be the only coherent sentence his mind could make.
Trip looked at Archer. "We were helped by one of the servant girls," He looked back at his hands. "Aisha." He looked back at Archer. "You remember Aisha?" Archer nodded. "She helped us."
Before Archer could ask another question, Phlox appeared at his side. "Captain," He said in his usual merry tone. "Mr Tucker is in need of rest. And I suspect you have your own fair share of work to be doing."
Archer stood. "I'll come by and see you later." He said to Trip, who smiled and nodded. "Doctor."
"Goodbye, Captain." Phlox said.
Archer turned and left sickbay.
A/N: The whole 'I was a slave' thing isn't central to the story, but I needed a legitimate reason for Trip to REALLY hate Sobakan's in the upcoming chapters. And that was it.
Anyway, that's about all. It might be a while till I update next. I now have a job (yey - money!) but I also have essays to write for University, and I need time to eat. But I'm still writing - just not typing ;).
LYL, Jen.
Leicester City FC won Walsall FC 2-0 on Saturday. Me very happy!! If Leicester City go up into The Premiership, they'll be playing Birmingham City FC next season and................Why am I telling you this? You don't care. Sorry! I'll stop wasting your time and go celebrate elsewhere.................