Author's note:- Apologies once again for the delay but I've been away on
holiday. Your patience has been rewarded with a longer chapter than normal-
hope you enjoy it.
Part 10 Decisions.
"My money would be on him and T'pol still being on the planet," Reed answered. "Kept against their will whilst their alien replacements came back to the ship"
Trip nodded, he'd come to the same conclusion but what he really wanted to know was exactly where the Captain and the Vulcan sub commander were and why they were being held. If they were being held. A terrible thought briefly passed across his senses as it occurred to him that they may already be. no he refused to even consider it and buried the idea where it belonged deep in his subconscious. They had to be alive still, he refused to believe otherwise. The question was where did they go from here. He looked over to where Dr. Phlox had moved over to examine his other patient, the 'Captain.'
"How are they Doc.?" He asked, not really concerned for their well being but wondering if they posed any further threat and if they would be up to answering questions anytime soon.
The Denobulan looked up from his ministrations. "They are both stunned and will remain unconscious for quite a while," he replied. "Otherwise I can detect no problems." He stood, his expression becoming one of puzzlement. "What I can't understand is why the Captain and T'pol would behave in this aberrant manner"
Realising that Phlox had not been listening to their conversation thus far and, although he had agreed to help them alter Reed's appearance, he was still unaware that the figures before him were definitely not who they appeared to be, Trip attempted to explain. "That's because that isn't the Captain," he pointed at the prone form, "and that isn't T'pol." He pointed again. "They're both some sort of alien impersonators."
Phlox considered the reply. "How can you be so."
"..Sure" Trip completed for him "Hurt yourself," he directed.
Phlox was slightly taken aback by the instruction. "Sorry?"
"Do something that'll cause you pain." Trip elaborated, "don't matter what, as long as it hurts." He paused watching the doctor's expression. "It's the only way you'll see them for what they really are."
"I don't see how."
"Trust him doctor," Reed added, "you'll understand once you've done it."
Slightly bemused the doctor raised his arm and turned it, he moved his fingers over the surface until he found what he sought. "If you would be so kind as to press here," he said to Reed. "It's a rather sensitive nerve bundle and should do the trick.." He looked into the lieutenant's eyes. "Only not too hard or I may pass out," he added matter of factly.
Reed did as he was asked and was shocked by the jerk of reaction from the doctor. In the rush of adrenaline caused by the dangerous situation he had been in earlier, he hadn't really thought about the fact that he was actually hurting his friend when he hit him. The pain was secondary, driven by necessity, he had needed to get Trip to react quickly. This, much more clinical infliction of pain, was somehow much harder
The doctor recovered from the flinch. "Thank you," he said, his voice slightly breathless. Then he turned to look at the figures on the floor. He looked at each in turn. "Fascinating," he finally said, his mind already working on the hows and whys of this particular phenomenon. He looked back at the others. "And when the pain wears off?" he asked.
"Well I wouldn't know 'bout that," Trip replied looking at Reed meaningfully. "I'm still kinda hurtin'" he said rubbing his jaw and his chest where another of Reed's, albeit pulled, blows had landed.
"Hey it wasn't me who started that second fight." Reed defended himself.
The argument would have continued but Hoshi interjected at this point. "When the pain wears off they appear to be the Captain and T'pol again," she answered Phlox's original query.
"Fascinating," the doctor repeated, becoming lost once more in his thoughts.
They were all thoughtful for a few moments. "And it's not just them we're not seeing as they really are." Reed stated.
Trip and Hoshi looked at him, even the doctor was pulled out of his musings by this statement. "How so?" Trip asked.
"Well you remember what you said about what you saw on the computer screen, the different records about the planet?"
Trip nodded
"Well you saw that only when you thumped the console, that and the pain in my leg were what allowed me to form a hypothesis that it was pain that allowed you to see how things really were."
"A hypothesis that you just had to test by punching me in the face?" Trip asked.
Reed looked at his friend and superior, trying to gauge just how serious he was. He was already, now that the adrenaline rush had worn off completely, beginning to feel bad about the blow,. "I. it.. I.. was," he replied, flustered "It was the quickest way to get you to see what I saw."
"An' you couldn't a just told me about it?" He asked, in mock seriousness, enjoying Reed's discomfort.
"I.. it wouldn't have been as quick." He attempted to justify his actions, "besides I needed to test my hypothesis."
Trip rubbed his jaw, "Well my jaw isn't very grateful for the way you chose to test it," he said, still somehow managing to repress the urge to grin. He decided on one last dig before he let the younger officer off the hook. "You do realise that striking a senior officer is a court martial offense." He added in a tone so serious that he thought Reed couldn't help but see through it.
Instead Reed paled visibly, taking the comment as a serious threat, since it was one of his most deep seated fears, that one day he would make a mistake and disgrace himself and his family name for ever. That was why he always tried to do everything 'by the book' "but.. I . er. that is.. I. " he floundered, now too flustered to even complete the sentence.
Trip realised instantly that he'd taken the joke too far. He sometimes forgot how seriously his young friend took everything. "Hey, I'm only ribbin' ya, I'm more likely to recommend you for a commendation or somethin' when all this is over" he said, allowing the grin to finally break through. "If you hadn't figured out that and that surprise thing we could all be in a heap of trouble right about now."
Reed looked at the Commander's grinning face and visibly relaxed as he absorbed the fact that far from being genuinely annoyed, Trip had just praised him.
"Although," Trip added, "next time you feel you have to hit me, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd pull the punch a little more."
Reed rolled his eyes, realising that he was not going to hear the end of this for quite a while to come. Trip would use every opportunity over the coming hours to make him squirm for daring to hit a friend, let alone a senior officer, even if it was justified. "Yes well," he countered dryly, his composure restored. "I wasn't sure what level of pain was required."
At that point they were interrupted by a voice from the communication panel on the wall. "Bridge to shuttlebay." Mayweather's disembodied voice rang around the room.
Trip moved over and hit the button on the panel. "Commander Tucker here, how can I help?"
"Commander, we're looking for the Captain. Is he by any chance there with you?" Mayweather asked.
Trip looked across at the prone form over by the shuttlepod. "No," he said truthfully, "I'm afraid he's not down here and I haven't seen him recently."
T'pol was aware that Tetia watched her for about twenty minutes before she disappeared from the room. In all that time she did not speak to her and T'pol concentrated her efforts on trying to bring down the Captain's fever, gently cooling his skin with the wet cloth, frequently pausing to refresh the cooling water on it.
Her efforts, however, were having little effect and as his fever continued to rage T'pol found it increasingly difficult to maintain her balance. They had not got him to help nearly quickly enough, and he had expended so much of his energy in the escape that he had nothing left to fight with. If it wasn't for his own tenacity and high level of physical fitness, it was doubtful that he would have made it this far.
As she watched him struggle to hold on, at two separate points she found herself having to pause to press on the pressure points in her wrist to prevent her logical balance being lost. She was fleetingly aware of the emotions that were there, held in check by a strong mental discipline; concern, caring, worry, but principally fear. Fear that she would lose this man whom she had come to respect and trust with her life and more. If she were to allow emotions to break through, then she was aware that her feelings for him would be stronger than anything else she had experienced. So she knew that she could not allow them through. She rapidly reassembled the barriers, the logical pathways that allowed her to maintain control, but she knew that she needed to meditate, she could already feel the headache pounding in her temples.
Reluctantly she placed the damp cloth on Archer's forehead and watched him for a moment, when she was sure that he would be all right, or at least no worse, if she left him for a while, she moved away and prepared herself for her meditation. She wasn't sure if it was her own exhaustion or something else, but it took her longer than normal to achieve the necessary state.
Trip released the button on the panel and turned back to the others.
"Why didn't you tell him about the Captain?" Hoshi asked.
Trip looked across at her, an exacerbated expression on his face. "And what do you suppose I tell him?" He asked rhetorically. "Yes, he's down here but ensign Hoshi just shot him, which is OK because it's not really the Captain but some alien impersonator that just looks like him unless you hurt yourself, in which case you'll see him as he really is."
"When you put it like that it does sound a little crazy," Hoshi agreed.
"A little crazy," Trip almost exploded, venting a little of the frustration he felt at not knowing where his friends were. Jonathan Archer had been his friend for a long time and, although he had known the Vulcan for a lot less time, he realised that he was beginning to think of her too as more than just a colleague. As to whether their relationship could yet be called friendship he was unsure, Vulcans were so damned hard to read, but he did know that he was worried about her, about both of them. "Hell this whole situation is about the craziest we've come across." He almost shouted the last part.
"The question is still," Reed said calmly, quietly, he was handling his concern entirely differently. "What are we going to do about it?" he paused briefly. "As you so rightly point out, the rest of the crew still believe what they see. We are going to have a hard time convincing them that it's not true."
"Well we could try your tactic," Trip said, bringing his agitation under control in response to Reed's much calmer approach.
"Which is?" Reed took the bait.
"Invite them down here one at a time and punch them as they walk through the door." Trip responded.
Reed's face contorted into something that resembled a smile, but was heavily faked and then returned to his original more serious expression. "Very droll."
"Seriously though," Trip said, returning his thoughts to the problem. "I don't think that there is anything that we can do here on the ship, and if we try, we risk getting ourselves thrown in the brig or worse. Remember we have no idea how many of the crew have already been replaced, I'd kinda lost track of how many pods have already been down to the surface."
"So what do you suggest?" Hoshi asked, absorbing the seeming hopelessness of their situation.
"That we carry on as we were. We hide the bodies of our 'friends' there, and head down to the surface as planned. Only I suggest that we don't land where they tell us to, we fake a malfunction and once we're down on the planet we look for the Captain and try to find out what's going on."
"Do you think that will work?" Reed asked a little skeptically.
"As long as we make it down to the surface before the bogus Captain wakes up, I don't see why not," Trip replied honestly, "Besides it sure beats sitting around here waiting to be shot or replaced." He looked round at each of the others in turn. "I don't want to make this an order, so are we agreed?" He asked.
Hoshi and Reed both nodded. "Agreed," they said in unison.
Trip looked at Phlox who had not replied. "Doc?" He asked.
"Ah," Phlox replied, "I was not included in the original plan, I was unsure as to whether you wished me to go with you, or remain on the ship."
"Well you can't stay here now," Trip said looking over at the two bodies once more. "When they wake up they're just as likely to shoot you as anything else."
"Good point," Phlox replied, remembering the gun that had been held to his throat only minutes earlier. "In that case I accept your kind invitation to accompany you to the planet," he added with a slight nod.
"OK, let's get to it then," Trip said setting off towards the nearest alien
Reed made to go after him, completely forgetting his injured leg he put his full weight on it and gasped in pain, almost toppling as the damaged muscle gave, fortunately Phlox caught him.
"I think you'd better come with me lieutenant" Phlox said firmly. "Let me look at that leg."
Reed was about to protest that he was needed to help, but Hoshi stopped him. "Go on," she said, with assurance. "Trip and I can handle this."
Reed hesitated only for a moment before nodding his agreement, he wouldn't be much use to any of them if he couldn't walk, allowing the doctor to support him they made their way into the pod whilst Hoshi and Trip dragged the bodies across to the far side of the bay.
T'pol returned from her meditative state at the loud noise from beside her. She turned to see the Captain fighting an invisible enemy. His thrashing had overturned the waterbowl, the clatter from which had disturbed her. She quickly moved to his side.
His eyes were open but he was clearly delirious, the sheets had tied themselves in knots around his legs, his arms moving rapidly, oblivious to his injuries, his breath coming in quick shallow pants as he tried to protect himself from the fever induced demons that assailed him.
T'pol hesitated, her breath caught as she saw his distress, then she regained her focus and, using her superior strength, she grabbed his uninjured arm and held it still. Gently massaging the nerve points in his palm and wrist she began reciting soothing phrases to him.
The agitated movements began to calm as Archer began to relax back on to the pillows. He turned his eyes to look in the direction of the sounds that soothed him. For a brief moment they pulled into focus and he struggled to make sense of what he saw, the monstrous images he had been fighting were replaced by a gentle familiar face. "T'pol," he whispered, confused.
"Yes Captain," she replied quietly, brushing the sweat soaked hair back from his forehead, "You must rest."
Archer nodded almost imperceptibly and closed his eyes drifting off once more to a, thankfully dreamless, sleep.
T'pol watched, continuing her massage, as his breathing settled and his body relaxed. Then she stood and began to untangle his legs from the sheets. It was at this point that she became aware that Tetia had returned and was once more watching.
As she tucked the last of the sheet back in Tetia spoke. "He's getting worse."
T'pol turned to look at her. "His condition has not improved," she stated.
"If you don't mind me asking, I'm a little confused, your actions suggest that you care for him," Tetia gestured towards the bed, "Yet he is near death and you do not seem to be.. Upset?"
"I come from a race where such emotion is considered unnecessary. We deal in logic." T'pol replied patiently. "I believe it is time for me to ask you some questions," she continued, deftly changing the subject. "I do not believe that the Captain will survive without medical assistance, if I could contact our ship there may be a chance that they could get help to us, but first I require more information about what is happening and why we were held here."
Tetia nodded, she indicated a chair. "Take a seat and I'll do my best to explain what I can."
The pod launched without incident, Reed, having had his injury treated and his leg strapped up, took up one of the positions at the helm whilst Trip took the other. As they headed for the planet they all tried to cover their anxiety at the uncertain fate that was ahead of them.
"So you still in pain lieutenant?" Trip asked.
"Yes, I asked the doctor not to give me anything so that I would still be able to see things as they really were."
"It's not often that my patients actively request to remain in pain." Phlox observed.
"Good," Trip said. "If you can access the ships database 'bout this planet, maybe you'll get to see what's really down there."
"Consider it done," Reed replied. "I take it you can't do this."
"By the time we hid the second alien, it looked remarkably like T'pol again," Trip confirmed
"Guess I should have hit you harder," Reed stated under his breath, as he worked the computer.
"I heard that lieutenant," Trip said, grinning.
"Damn," Reed said suddenly, his body stiffening as his fingers began to work more rapidly.
"What is it?" Trip asked alerted by the lieutenant's uncharacteristic curse, momentarily believing that it was connected to something in the planetary data.
"Someone's got a weapons lock on us" Reed replied.
"But the only ship around here is.." Trip began, his own fingers flying across the computer screen.
"..Enterprise," Reed completed. "Taking evasive maneuvers."
"Hang on there," Trip shouted back to Hoshi and Phlox.
"Weapons fired," Reed shouted, his words becoming redundant as the pod reacted to the impact.
The interior exploded in sparks, shaking violently, a panel above Hoshi's head blowing out completely as she covered her eyes to protect them from the shower of hot metal fragments, then everything went completely black as all systems lost power. There were a few eerie moments where complete darkness reigned, before the backup circuit cut in, and the much dimmer emergency lighting came on.
"Direct hit to the starboard power cells." Reed shouted, as his computer screen came back up.
"I'm attempting to compensate." Trip's voice was also loud, charged with adrenaline. He stood and pulled open a panel, working rapidly. "At least there is one good thing," he stated as he sat down again.
Reed looked up from what he was doing for a moment. "What's that?"
"We won't have to fake that malfunction," he replied grimly, "we're going down."
Part 10 Decisions.
"My money would be on him and T'pol still being on the planet," Reed answered. "Kept against their will whilst their alien replacements came back to the ship"
Trip nodded, he'd come to the same conclusion but what he really wanted to know was exactly where the Captain and the Vulcan sub commander were and why they were being held. If they were being held. A terrible thought briefly passed across his senses as it occurred to him that they may already be. no he refused to even consider it and buried the idea where it belonged deep in his subconscious. They had to be alive still, he refused to believe otherwise. The question was where did they go from here. He looked over to where Dr. Phlox had moved over to examine his other patient, the 'Captain.'
"How are they Doc.?" He asked, not really concerned for their well being but wondering if they posed any further threat and if they would be up to answering questions anytime soon.
The Denobulan looked up from his ministrations. "They are both stunned and will remain unconscious for quite a while," he replied. "Otherwise I can detect no problems." He stood, his expression becoming one of puzzlement. "What I can't understand is why the Captain and T'pol would behave in this aberrant manner"
Realising that Phlox had not been listening to their conversation thus far and, although he had agreed to help them alter Reed's appearance, he was still unaware that the figures before him were definitely not who they appeared to be, Trip attempted to explain. "That's because that isn't the Captain," he pointed at the prone form, "and that isn't T'pol." He pointed again. "They're both some sort of alien impersonators."
Phlox considered the reply. "How can you be so."
"..Sure" Trip completed for him "Hurt yourself," he directed.
Phlox was slightly taken aback by the instruction. "Sorry?"
"Do something that'll cause you pain." Trip elaborated, "don't matter what, as long as it hurts." He paused watching the doctor's expression. "It's the only way you'll see them for what they really are."
"I don't see how."
"Trust him doctor," Reed added, "you'll understand once you've done it."
Slightly bemused the doctor raised his arm and turned it, he moved his fingers over the surface until he found what he sought. "If you would be so kind as to press here," he said to Reed. "It's a rather sensitive nerve bundle and should do the trick.." He looked into the lieutenant's eyes. "Only not too hard or I may pass out," he added matter of factly.
Reed did as he was asked and was shocked by the jerk of reaction from the doctor. In the rush of adrenaline caused by the dangerous situation he had been in earlier, he hadn't really thought about the fact that he was actually hurting his friend when he hit him. The pain was secondary, driven by necessity, he had needed to get Trip to react quickly. This, much more clinical infliction of pain, was somehow much harder
The doctor recovered from the flinch. "Thank you," he said, his voice slightly breathless. Then he turned to look at the figures on the floor. He looked at each in turn. "Fascinating," he finally said, his mind already working on the hows and whys of this particular phenomenon. He looked back at the others. "And when the pain wears off?" he asked.
"Well I wouldn't know 'bout that," Trip replied looking at Reed meaningfully. "I'm still kinda hurtin'" he said rubbing his jaw and his chest where another of Reed's, albeit pulled, blows had landed.
"Hey it wasn't me who started that second fight." Reed defended himself.
The argument would have continued but Hoshi interjected at this point. "When the pain wears off they appear to be the Captain and T'pol again," she answered Phlox's original query.
"Fascinating," the doctor repeated, becoming lost once more in his thoughts.
They were all thoughtful for a few moments. "And it's not just them we're not seeing as they really are." Reed stated.
Trip and Hoshi looked at him, even the doctor was pulled out of his musings by this statement. "How so?" Trip asked.
"Well you remember what you said about what you saw on the computer screen, the different records about the planet?"
Trip nodded
"Well you saw that only when you thumped the console, that and the pain in my leg were what allowed me to form a hypothesis that it was pain that allowed you to see how things really were."
"A hypothesis that you just had to test by punching me in the face?" Trip asked.
Reed looked at his friend and superior, trying to gauge just how serious he was. He was already, now that the adrenaline rush had worn off completely, beginning to feel bad about the blow,. "I. it.. I.. was," he replied, flustered "It was the quickest way to get you to see what I saw."
"An' you couldn't a just told me about it?" He asked, in mock seriousness, enjoying Reed's discomfort.
"I.. it wouldn't have been as quick." He attempted to justify his actions, "besides I needed to test my hypothesis."
Trip rubbed his jaw, "Well my jaw isn't very grateful for the way you chose to test it," he said, still somehow managing to repress the urge to grin. He decided on one last dig before he let the younger officer off the hook. "You do realise that striking a senior officer is a court martial offense." He added in a tone so serious that he thought Reed couldn't help but see through it.
Instead Reed paled visibly, taking the comment as a serious threat, since it was one of his most deep seated fears, that one day he would make a mistake and disgrace himself and his family name for ever. That was why he always tried to do everything 'by the book' "but.. I . er. that is.. I. " he floundered, now too flustered to even complete the sentence.
Trip realised instantly that he'd taken the joke too far. He sometimes forgot how seriously his young friend took everything. "Hey, I'm only ribbin' ya, I'm more likely to recommend you for a commendation or somethin' when all this is over" he said, allowing the grin to finally break through. "If you hadn't figured out that and that surprise thing we could all be in a heap of trouble right about now."
Reed looked at the Commander's grinning face and visibly relaxed as he absorbed the fact that far from being genuinely annoyed, Trip had just praised him.
"Although," Trip added, "next time you feel you have to hit me, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd pull the punch a little more."
Reed rolled his eyes, realising that he was not going to hear the end of this for quite a while to come. Trip would use every opportunity over the coming hours to make him squirm for daring to hit a friend, let alone a senior officer, even if it was justified. "Yes well," he countered dryly, his composure restored. "I wasn't sure what level of pain was required."
At that point they were interrupted by a voice from the communication panel on the wall. "Bridge to shuttlebay." Mayweather's disembodied voice rang around the room.
Trip moved over and hit the button on the panel. "Commander Tucker here, how can I help?"
"Commander, we're looking for the Captain. Is he by any chance there with you?" Mayweather asked.
Trip looked across at the prone form over by the shuttlepod. "No," he said truthfully, "I'm afraid he's not down here and I haven't seen him recently."
T'pol was aware that Tetia watched her for about twenty minutes before she disappeared from the room. In all that time she did not speak to her and T'pol concentrated her efforts on trying to bring down the Captain's fever, gently cooling his skin with the wet cloth, frequently pausing to refresh the cooling water on it.
Her efforts, however, were having little effect and as his fever continued to rage T'pol found it increasingly difficult to maintain her balance. They had not got him to help nearly quickly enough, and he had expended so much of his energy in the escape that he had nothing left to fight with. If it wasn't for his own tenacity and high level of physical fitness, it was doubtful that he would have made it this far.
As she watched him struggle to hold on, at two separate points she found herself having to pause to press on the pressure points in her wrist to prevent her logical balance being lost. She was fleetingly aware of the emotions that were there, held in check by a strong mental discipline; concern, caring, worry, but principally fear. Fear that she would lose this man whom she had come to respect and trust with her life and more. If she were to allow emotions to break through, then she was aware that her feelings for him would be stronger than anything else she had experienced. So she knew that she could not allow them through. She rapidly reassembled the barriers, the logical pathways that allowed her to maintain control, but she knew that she needed to meditate, she could already feel the headache pounding in her temples.
Reluctantly she placed the damp cloth on Archer's forehead and watched him for a moment, when she was sure that he would be all right, or at least no worse, if she left him for a while, she moved away and prepared herself for her meditation. She wasn't sure if it was her own exhaustion or something else, but it took her longer than normal to achieve the necessary state.
Trip released the button on the panel and turned back to the others.
"Why didn't you tell him about the Captain?" Hoshi asked.
Trip looked across at her, an exacerbated expression on his face. "And what do you suppose I tell him?" He asked rhetorically. "Yes, he's down here but ensign Hoshi just shot him, which is OK because it's not really the Captain but some alien impersonator that just looks like him unless you hurt yourself, in which case you'll see him as he really is."
"When you put it like that it does sound a little crazy," Hoshi agreed.
"A little crazy," Trip almost exploded, venting a little of the frustration he felt at not knowing where his friends were. Jonathan Archer had been his friend for a long time and, although he had known the Vulcan for a lot less time, he realised that he was beginning to think of her too as more than just a colleague. As to whether their relationship could yet be called friendship he was unsure, Vulcans were so damned hard to read, but he did know that he was worried about her, about both of them. "Hell this whole situation is about the craziest we've come across." He almost shouted the last part.
"The question is still," Reed said calmly, quietly, he was handling his concern entirely differently. "What are we going to do about it?" he paused briefly. "As you so rightly point out, the rest of the crew still believe what they see. We are going to have a hard time convincing them that it's not true."
"Well we could try your tactic," Trip said, bringing his agitation under control in response to Reed's much calmer approach.
"Which is?" Reed took the bait.
"Invite them down here one at a time and punch them as they walk through the door." Trip responded.
Reed's face contorted into something that resembled a smile, but was heavily faked and then returned to his original more serious expression. "Very droll."
"Seriously though," Trip said, returning his thoughts to the problem. "I don't think that there is anything that we can do here on the ship, and if we try, we risk getting ourselves thrown in the brig or worse. Remember we have no idea how many of the crew have already been replaced, I'd kinda lost track of how many pods have already been down to the surface."
"So what do you suggest?" Hoshi asked, absorbing the seeming hopelessness of their situation.
"That we carry on as we were. We hide the bodies of our 'friends' there, and head down to the surface as planned. Only I suggest that we don't land where they tell us to, we fake a malfunction and once we're down on the planet we look for the Captain and try to find out what's going on."
"Do you think that will work?" Reed asked a little skeptically.
"As long as we make it down to the surface before the bogus Captain wakes up, I don't see why not," Trip replied honestly, "Besides it sure beats sitting around here waiting to be shot or replaced." He looked round at each of the others in turn. "I don't want to make this an order, so are we agreed?" He asked.
Hoshi and Reed both nodded. "Agreed," they said in unison.
Trip looked at Phlox who had not replied. "Doc?" He asked.
"Ah," Phlox replied, "I was not included in the original plan, I was unsure as to whether you wished me to go with you, or remain on the ship."
"Well you can't stay here now," Trip said looking over at the two bodies once more. "When they wake up they're just as likely to shoot you as anything else."
"Good point," Phlox replied, remembering the gun that had been held to his throat only minutes earlier. "In that case I accept your kind invitation to accompany you to the planet," he added with a slight nod.
"OK, let's get to it then," Trip said setting off towards the nearest alien
Reed made to go after him, completely forgetting his injured leg he put his full weight on it and gasped in pain, almost toppling as the damaged muscle gave, fortunately Phlox caught him.
"I think you'd better come with me lieutenant" Phlox said firmly. "Let me look at that leg."
Reed was about to protest that he was needed to help, but Hoshi stopped him. "Go on," she said, with assurance. "Trip and I can handle this."
Reed hesitated only for a moment before nodding his agreement, he wouldn't be much use to any of them if he couldn't walk, allowing the doctor to support him they made their way into the pod whilst Hoshi and Trip dragged the bodies across to the far side of the bay.
T'pol returned from her meditative state at the loud noise from beside her. She turned to see the Captain fighting an invisible enemy. His thrashing had overturned the waterbowl, the clatter from which had disturbed her. She quickly moved to his side.
His eyes were open but he was clearly delirious, the sheets had tied themselves in knots around his legs, his arms moving rapidly, oblivious to his injuries, his breath coming in quick shallow pants as he tried to protect himself from the fever induced demons that assailed him.
T'pol hesitated, her breath caught as she saw his distress, then she regained her focus and, using her superior strength, she grabbed his uninjured arm and held it still. Gently massaging the nerve points in his palm and wrist she began reciting soothing phrases to him.
The agitated movements began to calm as Archer began to relax back on to the pillows. He turned his eyes to look in the direction of the sounds that soothed him. For a brief moment they pulled into focus and he struggled to make sense of what he saw, the monstrous images he had been fighting were replaced by a gentle familiar face. "T'pol," he whispered, confused.
"Yes Captain," she replied quietly, brushing the sweat soaked hair back from his forehead, "You must rest."
Archer nodded almost imperceptibly and closed his eyes drifting off once more to a, thankfully dreamless, sleep.
T'pol watched, continuing her massage, as his breathing settled and his body relaxed. Then she stood and began to untangle his legs from the sheets. It was at this point that she became aware that Tetia had returned and was once more watching.
As she tucked the last of the sheet back in Tetia spoke. "He's getting worse."
T'pol turned to look at her. "His condition has not improved," she stated.
"If you don't mind me asking, I'm a little confused, your actions suggest that you care for him," Tetia gestured towards the bed, "Yet he is near death and you do not seem to be.. Upset?"
"I come from a race where such emotion is considered unnecessary. We deal in logic." T'pol replied patiently. "I believe it is time for me to ask you some questions," she continued, deftly changing the subject. "I do not believe that the Captain will survive without medical assistance, if I could contact our ship there may be a chance that they could get help to us, but first I require more information about what is happening and why we were held here."
Tetia nodded, she indicated a chair. "Take a seat and I'll do my best to explain what I can."
The pod launched without incident, Reed, having had his injury treated and his leg strapped up, took up one of the positions at the helm whilst Trip took the other. As they headed for the planet they all tried to cover their anxiety at the uncertain fate that was ahead of them.
"So you still in pain lieutenant?" Trip asked.
"Yes, I asked the doctor not to give me anything so that I would still be able to see things as they really were."
"It's not often that my patients actively request to remain in pain." Phlox observed.
"Good," Trip said. "If you can access the ships database 'bout this planet, maybe you'll get to see what's really down there."
"Consider it done," Reed replied. "I take it you can't do this."
"By the time we hid the second alien, it looked remarkably like T'pol again," Trip confirmed
"Guess I should have hit you harder," Reed stated under his breath, as he worked the computer.
"I heard that lieutenant," Trip said, grinning.
"Damn," Reed said suddenly, his body stiffening as his fingers began to work more rapidly.
"What is it?" Trip asked alerted by the lieutenant's uncharacteristic curse, momentarily believing that it was connected to something in the planetary data.
"Someone's got a weapons lock on us" Reed replied.
"But the only ship around here is.." Trip began, his own fingers flying across the computer screen.
"..Enterprise," Reed completed. "Taking evasive maneuvers."
"Hang on there," Trip shouted back to Hoshi and Phlox.
"Weapons fired," Reed shouted, his words becoming redundant as the pod reacted to the impact.
The interior exploded in sparks, shaking violently, a panel above Hoshi's head blowing out completely as she covered her eyes to protect them from the shower of hot metal fragments, then everything went completely black as all systems lost power. There were a few eerie moments where complete darkness reigned, before the backup circuit cut in, and the much dimmer emergency lighting came on.
"Direct hit to the starboard power cells." Reed shouted, as his computer screen came back up.
"I'm attempting to compensate." Trip's voice was also loud, charged with adrenaline. He stood and pulled open a panel, working rapidly. "At least there is one good thing," he stated as he sat down again.
Reed looked up from what he was doing for a moment. "What's that?"
"We won't have to fake that malfunction," he replied grimly, "we're going down."