Two hours later found him swearing at himself furiously. He'd found a canteen of water in another storeroom, but twice he'd almost walked right into a Hadrigan search party, and almost gotten himself lost while avoiding them. He knew exhaustion was mostly to blame for his carelessness, but excuses weren't worth a damn when he'd left Hoshi to fend for herself all this time.

He was almost back to where he'd left her when he heard a noise from the other side of the collapsed wall. Raising the phaser, he eased his head around the debris, trying to see what might be back there with her in the darkness.

She was alone, her eyes closed and her hands in claws at her side as a seizure arched her back and pounded her head against the ground.

Trip dropped the phaser and ran to her, sliding his hands under her head. He didn't think she was breathing. "Hoshi?" he shouted. . 'How long how long?' he thought, cursing himself for not being there sooner. "Breathe Hoshi! Stay with me!"

For an endless moment she stayed rigid; the skin under his hands felt like wood. Then, between one second and the next, she relaxed. He heard her draw in a shuddering breath, and then cough weakly.

"Hosh..?"

"M'ok," she whispered.

"I found some water," he said, feeling stupid and helpless. "Think you can drink something?"

"Yeah."

"Here.."Gently, he pulled her up against him so he she was somewhat upright. He tilted the bottle very slightly against her lips, and let a careful sip spill into her mouth. After a few moments she closed her mouth, and a drop trailed down her cheek. "Sorry," he mumbled, putting the bottle down and using his hand to wipe away some of the water. Only there was more of it than he though, it was getting into her eyes.

It took his exhausted brain a few seconds to realize she was crying.

"Don't, oh god I'm sorry Hosh, please don't cry." He swallowed the lump in his throat, he couldn't stand it, to see her so frightened.

"Sssory," she whispered, blinking up at him. "Just..scared.."

God, she felt so breakable, her arms were like sticks wrapped in cloth, so still. Like a puppet, he thought, with all the strings cut.

He folded himself around her, circling her with his arms, and rocked her gently. "S'okay," he whispered into her hair. "I gotcha."

-------------------------

Hoshi blinked into the dimness, gradually realizing that she was awake. For a wonderful half-asleep moment, she forgot where she was. She just knew she was comfortable, warm, safe, wrapped in Trip's arms.

Trip..waitaminute..

Normally the shock of remembering would've made her bolt upright. Now, she just twitched. Slightly.

She suddenly remembered all her nightmares where she couldn't move and couldn't breathe, suffocating until with all her strength she finally moved an arm, her head, anything. She closed her eyes and thought 'Wake up, wake UP!'

She opened her eyes.

Nothing. Still here.

She was vaguely aware of her heart racing, the panic that made her breathe in short gasps. It was almost like it was happening to someone else.

She closed her eyes again. 'Calm.' She drew the word out in her mind, in as many languages as she could remember. Calm, calme, ruhe, ethimagri, foss, hyi, t'chalo..

She opened her eyes. And listened.

Trip's easy breathing told her he was asleep, his chin resting lightly on her head.

She couldn't hear anything else.

But SOMEthing had woken her up.

She held her breath, willing her ears to pick up something, any..

There.

A small tone, somewhere far down the corridor. A hum, or whistle, almost like wind in the tunnels.

Or feedback from a communicator, quickly silenced.

'Time to go,' she thought, taking a deep breath. Looking down where her hand rested curled against Trip's chest, she willed it to move. Demanded it to move. Pleaded, begged, and hoped that it would just move the tiniest bit, just enough to..

She reached up and touched Trip's face.

He woke instantly, looking down at her.

"Company," she whispered.