Part Four

Archer's eyes cracked open just slightly as a familiar southern drawl irritatingly pierced his peacefulness. He felt as though the ground was swaying, but he soon realised that it was just Trip, shaking him a little too vigorously.

"Cap'n?"

Jonathan tried to respond but his vocal chords didn't seem to be listening to his brain.

"Jon?"

The shaking increased in intensity.

With some great effort he forced his eyes all the way open and managed to be co-ordinated enough to push Trip's arm away.

The engineer was kneeling next to him, a mixture of worry and relief on his face. T'pol was standing a pace away, her face expressing the closest Vulcan's could probably get to concern. She had her scanner out and was alternating glances between him and the read out.

"How ya feelin'?" Trip asked.

Jonathan shook his head, trying to remember what had happened.

"Confused," he eventually conceded, "Help me up."

Trip gripped his arm and helped pull him into a sitting position. Jonathan wobbled slightly as he got there and Trip tightened his grip.

"Stick your head between your knees," he suggested.

"I'm fine," Jonathan insisted, looking around the only vaguely familiar room, "What happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us that," Trip admitted.

"You were unconscious when we arrived," T'pol explained, "You showed no signs of injury but we have been trying to wake you for several minutes without success."

Looking around for any possible explanation, Jonathan spotted Gideo and Yano standing a short distance away. They were talking in hurried whispers, glancing furtively from each other to Jonathan.

"Do you know what happened, Gideo?" Jonathan asked.

The small alien shook his head, "No, Mr Captain. We we're talking and then I said I'd show you our light generator. I activated it and when I turned around you were laying on the floor. Then your friends arrived."

"Light generator?" Jonathan asked. He did vaguely remember seeing some lights.

"It is harmless, I assure you," Gideo said, sounding distressed, "They are simply for decorative purposes. Our people use them for relaxation. If I had known that they may affect you...."

"It's okay, Gideo," Jonathan assured, putting his hand up to stop the apology, "I'm fine."

That didn't sound quite so convincing though as he stood up, wobbled dangerous and had to get a death grip on the front of Trip's uniform to stop himself from falling.

"I think you should go see the doc," Trip insisted, helping to steady him.

"I'm just a bit dizzy, that's all," Jonathan protested.

That was only a slight lie. He was dizzy, yes. He was also disorientated, confused and worried.

"Perhaps the light formations caused some kind of epileptic seizure in your brain," T'pol suggested.

"Thank you for your words of comfort, Sub-Commander," Jonathan said dryly.

T'pol, as usual, was unfazed by his tone.

"I was simply making a valid suggestion for what happened," she explained, "I thought it would be comforting for you to have some idea."

Yes, it would. It was just that that idea didn't sound very appealing.

"I concur with Commander Tucker's suggestion," she continued, "We should take you straight to sickbay."

Jonathan nodded, not particularly liking it but knowing it was the sensible thing to do. Besides, T'pol had that 'don't even think about arguing with me' expression on and he had a feeling she may knock him out again if he refused.

Gideo watched them go nervously.

"Please," he insisted, "Please contact us, when you have any news."

Trip nodded as T'pol hooked her arm around Archer's other side and helped the still unsteady and disorientated captain out.

"We'll be in touch."

---

Without warning there were a few bleeps and Jonathan found himself sliding back out of the medical imaging scanner. This, it seemed, was Dr Phlox's last ditch attempt at finding out what happened. By the look on the Denobulan's face - who was hovering over him checking out the readings - it hadn't worked.

"Nothing?" Jonathan asked as he sat up, swinging his legs over the doctor's side of the examination table.

Dr Phlox shook his head, with a frown, "No, I'm afraid not, Captain. Looking on the bright side however, there is also no indication of any damage. In fact, you're in better health than your Starfleet medical would have me believe."

Jonathan smiled slightly, "All this running around has paid off then, huh?"

Phlox gave him one of his strange smiles, the sides of his mouth turning up at an unnatural angle. Jonathan still couldn't quite get used to them.

"So can I go then," Jonathan stated, hoping off the bed.

"I can't see why not," Phlox said with a small shrug, "But I want you to come back for another

check up in 24 hours. Whilst your collapse doesn't seem to be serious, there's no need to be careless." He moved over to the other side of the room, pressing buttons on the medical consol whilst Jonathan retrieved his uniform and put it back on over his blue skivvies.

"I would suggest that you take on only light duties for now," Phlox continued, "Try to get plenty of rest. And I wouldn't advise anyone going down to the planet until I've analysed these readings Sub-Commander T'pol took. Just in case it was something down there which caused what happened to you."

Jonathan nodded in agreement as he finished zipping up his uniform.

"Yeah, I have plenty of paperwork I could be getting on with," he said with a smile, "I just hope someone back home is reading these reports."

Phlox nodded, seemingly engrossed in the data T'pol had given him. Realising the good doctor probably wasn't listening to him, Jonathan shook his head in amazement of the ability to focus in a scientific mind and headed to the door. He still had a bit of a headache but he wasn't going to trouble Phlox with that. Maybe he could take Porthos for a walk - the relatively fresh air may clear his head.

"Oh, by the way Captain," Phlox said suddenly looking up, "I hear that congratulations are in order."

Jonathan turned back with a bemused frown, "Congratulations?"

"Yes," Phlox said brightly, moving across the room in front of him, carrying the PADD over to yet another consol, "About your son."

"What?" Jonathan asked with a small shake of his head, wondering if he'd heard Phlox right.

"I understand he's been promoted to the defence technology research project at Starfleet," he paused, chuckling slightly, "Commander Tucker called him 'a chip off the old block'."

Jonathan shook his head, smiling at the doctor's obvious mistake, "I don't have a son, Doctor. You must be thinking of someone else."

This finally caught Phlox's attention, and he turned a concerned gaze on the Captain. Picking up his medical scanner he hurriedly crossed to a worried looking Archer and took some readings.

"I didn't detect any brain injuries or lesions that may cause this kind of amnesia," he said, frowning at the read outs. He snapped the device shut and looked at Jonathan.

"Perhaps I was a little hasty in letting you leave," he indicated towards the bed, "Would you mind? I'd like to run a few more tests."

"There's nothing wrong with me," Jonathan insisted, panic just slightly tingeing his voice. He knew he didn't have a son.

"Captain," Phlox said gently, handing him a data PADD.

Jonathan took it in trepidation. It was displaying his personnel record. Highlighted was the line 'Children: Daniel James Archer...'. Jonathan shook his head, shoving it back into Phlox's hand, not wanting to read any more, just in case.

"This can't be right," he said shaking his head wanting to get out of here but knowing that'd be the last thing he should do, "I don't have a son. I know I don't."

Phlox put a reassuring hand on his arm, leading him over to the bed and making him sit, "I realise that this must be confusing for you, Captain, but rest assured - I will find out what's going on."

"Thank you," Archer mumbled, staring at the ceiling as he lay back down. Only one question was going through his head.

Was he losing his mind?