A/N ok I know.. That last chapter was a bit.. Odd.. But anyway The story is going to continue.. If you think you know what is going on.. You are most likely wrong.. But you never know! Many Thanks To YellyBean once again for co-writing this with me!! THANKY THANKY!!

A Ticklish Situation Chapter 2

T'Pol was woken by Trip's hysterical laughter. He was squirming about on the biobed. "Make it stop! Please!!" He gasped out.

T'Pol pulled him off the biobed, and he was able to breath again. T'Pol settled him on the floor then got him some water. He drank greedily. T'Pol put her hand on his arm.

"Drink slower." She said. Trip nodded, but didn't slow down. Then he looked at her hand on his arm. It was no longer tickling.

At first, T'Pol was curious as to why he was no longer laughing... Especially when the biobed seemed to have tickled him. Then she realized that he had stopped laughing hysterically as soon as he'd started drinking. Then it hit her. The water was curing him... it was lessening his condition, anyway.

"Commander, the water appears to be lessening your condition." T'Pol said. Trip grinned weakly. But it was still his trademark grin. "Then bring on the juice!" He said.

Half an hour later, Trip was refusing to drink another glass. "T'Pol I've had enough to drink."

"No, Commander. You must continue to drink fluids. Otherwise your condition may worsen again."

"T'Pol! I've been drinkin' water and juice and milk an' every other drink in the database for a half-hour straight. I feel more bloated than a water buffalo after a monsoon!"

T'Pol, while glad to see the Commander back to his usual talkative self, was also getting frustrated with him. The one time that he'd stopped drinking previously, he had begun laughing hysterically again, thus leading her to the conclusion that constant liquid intake was necessary for a full recovery.

But something inside T'Pol made her hesitate, something that wanted her to see the commander helpless, something that made him have to rely on her. 'What is wrong with me?' she wondered, but she could not come to any logical conclusion, so she proceeded to get Commander Tucker more liquids, and pondered physically shoving them down his throat.

T'Pol waited until Trip had taken a sip of drink, and tickled his ribs.

Trip snorted his drink out of his nose. "T'Pol!!!" He laughed. T'Pol held up her hands innocently, not a trace of emotion showing on her face. Trip watched her warily, sipping his drink.

She sat there still, satisfied that he was now drinking, and obviously he was afraid that she would tickle him again if he didn't. He cautiously took a sip, as his eyes didn't move from hers. Suddenly, he realized that she was moving toward him slowly.

He moved back, fear governing his handsome blue eyes. T'Pol saw the look in his eyes and caught herself. Amusing as watching his drink shoot out his nose was, she must not put it over his health. She settled herself down again and Trip kept sipping.

As soon as she had backed off, she heard something that sounded like sniffling coming form the Commander, who was still sipping his drink slowly, but was no longer looking at her. She was about to ask if something was the matter when he suddenly flung his arms around her. She was caught completely off guard. She didn't know what to do. So she simply returned the gesture, and then became suddenly aware that he was crying. His tears were nearly soaking her shoulder. She didn't know what to do, nor what had caused him to begin crying. She wanted to help him somehow, but Vulcans were not accustomed to comforting crying humans. So instead she just hugged him while he cried into her shoulder, seemingly taking sips of his drink every so often.

T'Pol stroked Trip's back, wondering why he was sobbing so profusely. T'Pol felt him begin to shake, and then heard his tell tale giggle. Thinking fast she tilted his head up and poured some liquid down his throat. He almost choked, but it kept the giggles away. "Thanks" he sniffled.

He went back to hugging her and she decided to ask him. "Commander," she whispered.

"Yeah?" he replied between sniffles.

"Why are you crying? You did not appear to be sad."

"I... don't know," he replied sincerely. "I just... am. I dunno. It's kinda... weird." He continued sniffling and sobbing over her shoulder and she continued to rub his back gently, attempting to calm him.

Trip took another sip of his drink. "Ah'm tired" He whined suddenly. His accent became thick with exhaustion and crossness. T'Pol was hit by a thought that Trip was behaving like a small child. "Commander, it is understandable that you would be tired under these circumstances. However, you must remain awake in order to drink more fluids."

Trip began to whimper, just like a small child. He snuggled closer to T'Pol. "Sleepy," He whined. "Ah wanna go to sleep." He gave her puppy dog eyes, and T'Pol found it hard to resist.

"Very well, Commander. You may rest."

With her permission given, he quickly slumped over in her lap, soundly asleep. She was very surprised, and was taken aback once again.... she had expected him to move before falling asleep. T'Pol tried to move Trip out of her lap, but was met with a sleepy moan and "wanna stay." T'Pol would have rolled her eyes. The commander was acting like a sulky child. A sulky child who needed a nap. A *very* sulky child who needed a nap. A child who if wakened would throw a huge tantrum. So T'Pol let him rest. However, she made one change. She placed a pillow over her knees so he could sleep comfortably.

T'Pol was idly counting the cracks on the ceiling when Trip woke. He tugged at her uniform. "Can ah have a drink please?" He asked in a young voice. T'Pol stayed still for a second.

"Pwease?" Trip asked, turning perfect blue eyes on her

T'Pol sighed and moved to get up. "No. Stay."

"How am I supposed to get a drink for you if I cannot move?" T'Pol asked.

Trip giggled like a small child. T'Pol got up, and Trip grabbed her ankle. T'Pol reached for a glass of water and a straw. Trip drank from the straw. "Are you sleepy yet?" T'Pol asked.

"No." Trip sulked.

"Yes," T'Pol corrected. "You must rest. I will wake you up when the Captain returns."

"Cap'n? Cap'n who? Cap'n Crunch?"

"NO. Captain Archer. He returned to the planet to discover what happened to you."

"What planet? I don't like space. Space is scary..."

Trip was whining continuously and T'Pol was getting very annoyed with him.

"Space is not scary. Captain Archer is not Captain Crunch. If you don't go to sleep I will call Lt. Reed to shoot you." T'Pol had heard Archer talking about mothers scaring children into sleeping with threats like this. Trip's eyes filled with tears and he began to sniffle... the sniffle then turned into a small wail.

Suddenly, this wailing and whining triggered some kind of maternal instinct inside T'Pol. Even thought the man in front of her was a grown friend and colleague, she somehow wanted to comfort him as if he were a small child.

She put her arms around him once again and he hugged her back. She then proceeded to gently rub his back as she had earlier. However, as her hand moved to the top of his back, she found herself moving it up to his head. She began to rub his hair again, and he didn't seem to mind, so she kept one hand rubbing his back and the other on his head.

Trip stopped whimpering and whining and T'Pol desperately tried to think of someway to bring him out of this childish state.

She thought for several minutes while he rested his head on her shoulder and she kept rubbing his back. But she couldn't seem to think of anything. She was completely at a loss.

T'Pol lifted Trip's head, and put the end of the straw in his mouth. Trip sucked the straw innocently. When he was done he gave her his best innocent grin and looked up at her with big blue eyes and asked, "When's Cap'n crunch comin'?"

T'Pol raised an eyebrow at this comment. "'Captain Crunch' is not aboard Enterprise. The Captain has not yet returned from the planet. Once he does, he will come here immediately."

Trip put his head on her shoulder again. T'Pol got a nagging feeling, but pushed it away. She was being illogical. But her suspicion was confirmed: "Can I have some candy?"

She was tempted to tell him no, but for some reason, she gave in. "What type of candy do you desire?"

He thought about this one for a minute. "I dunno," he told her.

He thought some more. "Just candy. Nice candy. No nuts."

T'Pol didn't know of any types of candy so she merely nodded and asked, "Can you give me an example of the candy?" Trip thought for a minute and answered, "Umm... I like Chocolate...."

"Than I shall get you chocolate" T'Pol answered than wondered how she would get the candy for him.... she could not bring him to the mess hall in this condition, or anywhere else on the ship for that matter...

"T'Pol to Ensign Sato"

"Hoshi here."

"Could you bring some chocolate to sickbay?"

"Sub-commander?"

"Please hurry. I will explain on your arrival. Please make it nut free."

"The chocolate is on it's way Commander" T'Pol reported.

"Thank you..." Trip said quietly almost sleepily.

"Are you ...sleepy.... commander?"

"Yeah... a little...."

"Would you like to go to bed?"

"No nap! Candy!"

"Alright, you may wait until your candy comes"

Trip just glared at T'Pol as if saying 'You'd better keep that promise' and curled up in the corner.

"Here's the chocolate." Hoshi said as she breezed in. "Nut free!"

"Yay!" Trip giggled. "Thank you Hoshi!"

Hoshi looked to T'Pol who only raised an eyebrow "I will explain later Ensign"

He set the candy to one side and suddenly pounced on Hoshi. "Wrestle!" He giggled.

"No!" Hoshi laughed. "You're too big!"

Hoshi patted Trip on the head like the 5-year-old he was acting like and strategically exited the room Trip dug into his candy and ate it all in under a minute. T'Pol raised an eyebrow at this and said "you certainly where hungry" Trip nodded and started laughing hysterically...T'Pol quickly got water and wondered why he had suddenly started being ticklish again. Then she remembered that in humans when caffeine is injected it induces the liver to expel water...

Trip gulped some water then he began to squirm in T'Pol's arms. "I need to pee!" He whined.

T'Pol was sorely tempted to groan. "The 'bathroom' is over there."

"I don't wanna go by myself! It's weird over there. Come with me! Please!"

T'Pol stood. "I will come with you." She took him into the bathroom and turned away while he peed. Then: "I can't do my zipper up!"

T'Pol's eyes bugged out, there was no way she was helping him with his zipper… wait the uniforms were not equipped with zippers. T'Pol suspicious, turned around,

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA" Trip giggled as she turned around squirting her in the face with a small water gun.

T'Pol was surprised by this behavior, but only asked "Where did you find that weapon"

"It was sitting over here...." Trip said pointing to a small basket with surgical equipment.

T'Pol was terrified when she realized what he had just squirted her with.

She had just been squirted with apple juice. From Phlox's special store. It was extra sweet and extra sticky. T'Pol glared at the commander who was still giggling fiercely, despite her icy glare. Trip stopped giggling and went to sit on a biobed; almost looking like he didn't know T'Pol was still in the room.

Trip decided he was tired but didn't want to sleep so he lied down on the biobed but folded his arms and told T'Pol, "I'm not tired!"

"Of course not," T'Pol said compassionately "would you like a blanket it is a little cold in here," she said noticing he was in only his boxers.

"Ok..."

"Do you want to sleep now?" T'Pol asked genuinely.

"OK... I guess... but I want something first."

"What do you want?"

"A... A… A… I want a...."

"What?"

"I wanna good night kiss!"

T'Pol sighed resignedly. She walked over to the commander and kissed his forehead. "Ah wanna hug too." Trip said. T'Pol gave him a hug and moved to let go. He held on.

"Commander"

"T'Pol your weely weely pretty...."The five year old tucker said.

"Do not say that," T'Pol answered uncomfortably.

"Why? Ya're." Trip said simply. He giggled and let her go. "Ah reckon you and Cap'n Crunch should get married!" Then he stopped for a sec. "Maybe you an ah could get married."

T'Pol did not know how to answer this so merely said, thinking of him as only 5 or 6, "You are too young to get married"

"When I grow up we could get married!" Trip suggested with all childish honesty.

"I don't believe that would be prudent," T'Pol said kindly.

"Why not?" Trip asked curiously, somewhat hurt.

"It would not be prudent. When you awake, Hoshi will be here. She will make sure you are comfortable." Trip looked troubled but nodded. As T'Pol turned he asked timidly "T'Pol? Ya mad at me?"

"No," T'Pol said. "I could not be 'mad' at you."

T'Pol watched as Trip went to sleep she sat behind him and stroked his hair once she knew he was soundly sleeping. She knew she should leave and have Hoshi watch him for a little while, but she didn't want to go. This was so illogical. Why was she feeling this way, for a human no less! She decided to ignore the illogicalness of it all and simply continued to stroke his hair. Finally it was almost her duty shift and she knew she would have to go soon so she got up and gave the sleeping Trip a kiss on the cheek. "Good night commander, sleep well," she whispered than wrote a quick note, and walked out of sickbay going to find Hoshi.

A/N J still think you know what is going on? Didn't think so…. LOL oh well have fun.. Please…keep reading…