"Broken Promises"
Chapter 6-
Phlox watched as Archer pulled up a stool and positioned it near Tucker's head. The commander's eyes were still fighting to remain open and he obviously had trouble focusing.
"He's always been hard to come around after sedation." Archer offered. "Ever since I've known him."
"Well," Phlox pulled back the drape. "I hope you will take it easy on him, Captain."
"I will." Archer answered.
Trip's head lolled to the side in Jon's direction and his blue eyes were glazed under fluttering blond lashes.
"You gave us quite a scare there." Jon said in a low tone.
"Me...too..." Came Trip's breathy response.
"Trip," Jon started, leaning in and placing his folded arms on the edge of the bed. "You know I hate like hell to pull rank. Especially with you. But sometimes you give me no other damn choice."
"No..." Trip protested.
"I can't let you keep quiet any longer." Jon placed a hand on Trip's shoulder. "You know I trust you with Enterprise's engines, with my friendship; for God's sake with my life."
"Cap'n..."
"Do you trust me?" Jon asked pointedly. He knew the answer, but he needed Trip's head to be semi-clear.
"Always have..." Trip swallowed now, licking his dry lips.
Jon looked around and found a cup of ice chips on the stand next to the biobed. He lifted Trip's head with one hand and with the other slipped a small ice chip between his friend's lips. Once he settled Trip back down he, himself, returned to his position.
"Then prove it to me now." Jon pleaded, almost desperately. "Tell me what you're hiding and then trust me to do what's right."
Trip's eyes closed and he turned his head away. "I promised..."
"You promised someone you wouldn't say anything?" Jon prompted.
Trip nodded his head slightly. "Can't...go back on my word..."
"But it's me, Trip." Jon insisted.
"Not ta anyone..." Trip turned to look at Jon now. "Promised not ta say anythin' ta anyone..."
Jon sighed, shaking his head wearily. "I'm not just anyone, am I Trip? You've made promises to me, too. A promise of friendship based on honesty almost nine years ago. A promise when you signed on to this mission, over a year ago, to follow my orders. Damn you for making me do this!"
Jon paused, waiting for Trip to start talking on his own. But as he watched Trip's face, blank and unwavering, he knew. Trip Tucker knew no way out of this but to be forced to tell what he knew. He had made a promise to someone and he was going to keep it. Because the consequences must be far more severe than Jon's bruised ego.
"Tell me what you know about the attack on Nes." Jon said in halting words. He took a deep breath and let it out. "That's an order, Commander."
Trip's eyes closed again and he bit down on his lower lip. He turned his head in the captain's direction and when he opened his eyes, they were misted over with resignation.
Jon listened to Trip tell the story of Nes' confession to being in love with the boy from the southern side. He heard all about Nes' visit to the shed and how she told him about those other southern boys and what the one called Kel had done to her. He listened to all of it and his mind raced with thoughts of Romeo and Juliet and all the tales of forbidden love throughout literature. Through all of it, Jonathan Archer realized that there was no way out of this situation that would leave everyone involved without harm. Already, Nes Sroll had been assaulted and Trip had been beaten for it. In the Srolls' minds it was over. Maybe it should be.
Trip sniffed back the tears that rolled down the sides of his face. He was tired and weak. He couldn't control his emotions. He didn't care if Jon saw him. He was breaking a promise and he prided himself for always keeping his promises.
"I never broke a promise ta ya..." Trip whispered. "I told ya, honestly, that I couldn't tell ya 'bout this...cuz I made a promise ta someone..."
"Trip," Jon tried.
"No!" Trip forced out louder, sending him into a coughing fit.
Phlox was pulling the drape back in a flash and moving on Trip with a hypospray. Jon had jumped to his feet placing his hand on the back of Trip's neck to support him while he coughed.
"If that is your idea of taking it easy, Captain," Phlox remarked.
Trip's coughing fit subsided and the captain eased him back down on the pillow.
"How's..." Trip swallowed again, stifling a cough. "...that breakin' a promise ta our friendship?"
"It's not, Trip," Jon leaned in now, placing his hand on the younger man's forehead. "I'm an ass, okay?"
"I'm sorry..." Trip whispered.
"No, I'm sorry." Jon interrupted.
"I hate to break up this guilt fest, gentlemen." Phlox interceded. "But Commander Tucker needs to rest."
"What're...ya gonna do?" Trip asked.
"I don't know, Trip." Jon looked down at him while he gently stroked Trip's forehead. "But I promise I won't do anything until I talk to you first. Okay?"
Trip nodded and managed a slight curl up of one side of his lip into a lopsided smile. He closed his eyes and was easily drifting off to sleep.
Phlox looked up at the captain, who just sheepishly looked away and back down at Trip.
"He's all right, isn't he?" The captain asked.
"You didn't harm him with your persistence, if that's what you mean." Phlox answered curtly.
"I deserved that, doctor." Archer nodded.
"Indeed." Phlox replied. "Still, I will let you know when he wakes again."
Archer carefully pulled his hand away from Trip's forehead, so as not to disturb him. Then, he slowly walked out of sickbay with more questions than he had answers to, once again.
TO BE CONTINUED
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Chapter 6-
Phlox watched as Archer pulled up a stool and positioned it near Tucker's head. The commander's eyes were still fighting to remain open and he obviously had trouble focusing.
"He's always been hard to come around after sedation." Archer offered. "Ever since I've known him."
"Well," Phlox pulled back the drape. "I hope you will take it easy on him, Captain."
"I will." Archer answered.
Trip's head lolled to the side in Jon's direction and his blue eyes were glazed under fluttering blond lashes.
"You gave us quite a scare there." Jon said in a low tone.
"Me...too..." Came Trip's breathy response.
"Trip," Jon started, leaning in and placing his folded arms on the edge of the bed. "You know I hate like hell to pull rank. Especially with you. But sometimes you give me no other damn choice."
"No..." Trip protested.
"I can't let you keep quiet any longer." Jon placed a hand on Trip's shoulder. "You know I trust you with Enterprise's engines, with my friendship; for God's sake with my life."
"Cap'n..."
"Do you trust me?" Jon asked pointedly. He knew the answer, but he needed Trip's head to be semi-clear.
"Always have..." Trip swallowed now, licking his dry lips.
Jon looked around and found a cup of ice chips on the stand next to the biobed. He lifted Trip's head with one hand and with the other slipped a small ice chip between his friend's lips. Once he settled Trip back down he, himself, returned to his position.
"Then prove it to me now." Jon pleaded, almost desperately. "Tell me what you're hiding and then trust me to do what's right."
Trip's eyes closed and he turned his head away. "I promised..."
"You promised someone you wouldn't say anything?" Jon prompted.
Trip nodded his head slightly. "Can't...go back on my word..."
"But it's me, Trip." Jon insisted.
"Not ta anyone..." Trip turned to look at Jon now. "Promised not ta say anythin' ta anyone..."
Jon sighed, shaking his head wearily. "I'm not just anyone, am I Trip? You've made promises to me, too. A promise of friendship based on honesty almost nine years ago. A promise when you signed on to this mission, over a year ago, to follow my orders. Damn you for making me do this!"
Jon paused, waiting for Trip to start talking on his own. But as he watched Trip's face, blank and unwavering, he knew. Trip Tucker knew no way out of this but to be forced to tell what he knew. He had made a promise to someone and he was going to keep it. Because the consequences must be far more severe than Jon's bruised ego.
"Tell me what you know about the attack on Nes." Jon said in halting words. He took a deep breath and let it out. "That's an order, Commander."
Trip's eyes closed again and he bit down on his lower lip. He turned his head in the captain's direction and when he opened his eyes, they were misted over with resignation.
Jon listened to Trip tell the story of Nes' confession to being in love with the boy from the southern side. He heard all about Nes' visit to the shed and how she told him about those other southern boys and what the one called Kel had done to her. He listened to all of it and his mind raced with thoughts of Romeo and Juliet and all the tales of forbidden love throughout literature. Through all of it, Jonathan Archer realized that there was no way out of this situation that would leave everyone involved without harm. Already, Nes Sroll had been assaulted and Trip had been beaten for it. In the Srolls' minds it was over. Maybe it should be.
Trip sniffed back the tears that rolled down the sides of his face. He was tired and weak. He couldn't control his emotions. He didn't care if Jon saw him. He was breaking a promise and he prided himself for always keeping his promises.
"I never broke a promise ta ya..." Trip whispered. "I told ya, honestly, that I couldn't tell ya 'bout this...cuz I made a promise ta someone..."
"Trip," Jon tried.
"No!" Trip forced out louder, sending him into a coughing fit.
Phlox was pulling the drape back in a flash and moving on Trip with a hypospray. Jon had jumped to his feet placing his hand on the back of Trip's neck to support him while he coughed.
"If that is your idea of taking it easy, Captain," Phlox remarked.
Trip's coughing fit subsided and the captain eased him back down on the pillow.
"How's..." Trip swallowed again, stifling a cough. "...that breakin' a promise ta our friendship?"
"It's not, Trip," Jon leaned in now, placing his hand on the younger man's forehead. "I'm an ass, okay?"
"I'm sorry..." Trip whispered.
"No, I'm sorry." Jon interrupted.
"I hate to break up this guilt fest, gentlemen." Phlox interceded. "But Commander Tucker needs to rest."
"What're...ya gonna do?" Trip asked.
"I don't know, Trip." Jon looked down at him while he gently stroked Trip's forehead. "But I promise I won't do anything until I talk to you first. Okay?"
Trip nodded and managed a slight curl up of one side of his lip into a lopsided smile. He closed his eyes and was easily drifting off to sleep.
Phlox looked up at the captain, who just sheepishly looked away and back down at Trip.
"He's all right, isn't he?" The captain asked.
"You didn't harm him with your persistence, if that's what you mean." Phlox answered curtly.
"I deserved that, doctor." Archer nodded.
"Indeed." Phlox replied. "Still, I will let you know when he wakes again."
Archer carefully pulled his hand away from Trip's forehead, so as not to disturb him. Then, he slowly walked out of sickbay with more questions than he had answers to, once again.
TO BE CONTINUED
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