A/N: I KNOW that it is VERY unlikely that this first part would ever happen-the Doc is very dedicated… but it was necessary in order for the length of time which the last two chappys took up would make sense….
Chapter 21
He had wanted to start for hydroponics as soon as he'd received the Commander's urgent call. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to find a necessary piece of medical equipment. Finally, he decided to leave without it, realizing that a precious three minutes had been wasted looking for the instrument.
He walked as quickly as possible, stopping only to wait for the turbolift, and arrived in hydroponics a minute later.
He walked in to the room and immediately saw Commander Tucker and Sub-Commander T'Pol near the door. He was holding her carefully in his lap and she appeared to be close to unconsciousness. When the door had opened, he expected to hear some kind of urgent outburst from the chief engineer. But instead, he didn't hear anything and the man didn't even move.
This was certainly odd, but he didn't waste any time thinking about the odd behavior. He ran right to the pair and kneeled beside them. He immediately took out a scanner and began his task.
"How is she, Doc?" Commander Tucker asked him, not moving his head to look at Phlox. Once again, this seemed odd, but he shrugged it off and completed his scans.
"She has a concussion. And, as I'm sure you've already noticed, she has a deep wound on her right side. She has lost a dangerously high amount of blood."
"What about the babies, Doc?"
He ran another scan. "They're fine," he answered. "In fact, her body is working so hard to protect them that her own vital systems are being compromised."
For the first time, the Commander moved his head to look at the doctor. "She'd not gonna die, is she?" His face showed an array of emotions-- pain, guilt, concern, fear, and apprehension.
"I do not believe so. But she won't live if you leave her here. Normally I would give her something for the pain, but in her condition I wouldn't recommend it until we get to sickbay." Trip became visibly more worried and more full of guilt. "You were wise not to bring her to sickbay without asking me first, but we must take her there now. Can you carry her?"
Trip, seemingly relieved that he hadn't caused her near-death by neglecting to take her to sickbay, nodded. "Sure thing. Do you know how this coulda happened?"
"I wish I could say," the Doctor responded regretfully. "Don't you have any idea?"
"'Fraid not. When I got here, she was in that storage locker over there." He pointed to it with his head since his hands were being used to hold T'Pol.
"Hmm… how did she get in there in the first place?"
"Don't ask me. I tried askin' her, but she was nearly out her answers didn't make a whole lot of sense."
Phlox seemed to ponder that for a moment. "Well in any case, we need to get her to sickbay as soon as possible."
"Right." He picked her up gently, trying to avoid injuring her further, and stood up carefully. "We'd better hurry down there. We could run into dozens of crewmembers before we reach sickbay. And they're all gonna want t' know why I'm carryin' T'Pol t' sickbay."
"I hadn't considered that," the Doctor admitted. But he shrugged it off. "I am sure we can, what is it humans say, 'cross that road when we come to it'… hm!" He just couldn't seem to stop being cheerful, even in the worst situations.
"Bridge," Trip corrected.
"Excuse me?"
"Bridge… cross that BRIDGE-- oh, never mind," he sighed, realizing that explaining to the Doctor would mean more time to reach sickbay.
"Very well," the Doctor shrugged, not wanting to press the issue and waste more time.
"Well let's go, Doc." Doctor Phlox nodded in agreement and opened the door, checking outside before giving Trip the 'all clear' nod. Trip made sure that he didn't shake or rock T'Pol too badly, which meant that he had to walk extremely carefully, yet quickly. "Ya know, I've been carryin' T'Pol t' sickbay a lot in the last few days. Do you think anyone's wonderin' why?"
As the two of them continued to walk together, Phlox just checking around each corner before Trip turned, the Doctor seemed to think about that question. "It's hard to say," he replied at last. "I haven't heard anything as far as rumors are concerned. But perhaps some of the more… talkative crewmembers simply haven't seen you. I'm sure that a few crewmembers, at least, have noticed some of the Sub-Commander's odd behavior--not to mention her change in attire--and are probably curious. But I do believe it's too hard to say whether enough people will find out to be dangerous for either of you."
"What about the other Vulcans? Do ya think they know? I mean, T'Pol says Vulcans don't snoop, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't notice differences in her behavior. And if people on Enterprise are even noticing', then her own family is goin' t' figure it out." His voice was again filled with a mix of concern, guilt, and fear.
"I agree. We must attempt to remove them from Enterprise as soon as possible. The longer they are aboard, the more likely it is that they will find out."
Trip looked down at T'Pol again, as he had in hydroponics. He would do everything in his power to protect her from anything--including everything that was sure to happen if any other Vulcans found out about her situation. But the fact that the visiting Vulcans were her PARENTS coming to tell her to get married only made things that much harder, and he was afraid that he whatever he could do would not be enough.
Suddenly, he noticed T'Pol shift slightly in his arms. Her movement was barely noticeable, but he could tell that she had, most likely either subconsciously or accidentally, moved closer to him. He moved her slightly as well, so that carrying her was easier. She was now snuggled against him comfortably and staring at him. He wanted to stare back, but knew that anyone passing would notice immediately. Then the ship's gossip would take an unexpected turn for the worse.
Chapter 21
He had wanted to start for hydroponics as soon as he'd received the Commander's urgent call. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to find a necessary piece of medical equipment. Finally, he decided to leave without it, realizing that a precious three minutes had been wasted looking for the instrument.
He walked as quickly as possible, stopping only to wait for the turbolift, and arrived in hydroponics a minute later.
He walked in to the room and immediately saw Commander Tucker and Sub-Commander T'Pol near the door. He was holding her carefully in his lap and she appeared to be close to unconsciousness. When the door had opened, he expected to hear some kind of urgent outburst from the chief engineer. But instead, he didn't hear anything and the man didn't even move.
This was certainly odd, but he didn't waste any time thinking about the odd behavior. He ran right to the pair and kneeled beside them. He immediately took out a scanner and began his task.
"How is she, Doc?" Commander Tucker asked him, not moving his head to look at Phlox. Once again, this seemed odd, but he shrugged it off and completed his scans.
"She has a concussion. And, as I'm sure you've already noticed, she has a deep wound on her right side. She has lost a dangerously high amount of blood."
"What about the babies, Doc?"
He ran another scan. "They're fine," he answered. "In fact, her body is working so hard to protect them that her own vital systems are being compromised."
For the first time, the Commander moved his head to look at the doctor. "She'd not gonna die, is she?" His face showed an array of emotions-- pain, guilt, concern, fear, and apprehension.
"I do not believe so. But she won't live if you leave her here. Normally I would give her something for the pain, but in her condition I wouldn't recommend it until we get to sickbay." Trip became visibly more worried and more full of guilt. "You were wise not to bring her to sickbay without asking me first, but we must take her there now. Can you carry her?"
Trip, seemingly relieved that he hadn't caused her near-death by neglecting to take her to sickbay, nodded. "Sure thing. Do you know how this coulda happened?"
"I wish I could say," the Doctor responded regretfully. "Don't you have any idea?"
"'Fraid not. When I got here, she was in that storage locker over there." He pointed to it with his head since his hands were being used to hold T'Pol.
"Hmm… how did she get in there in the first place?"
"Don't ask me. I tried askin' her, but she was nearly out her answers didn't make a whole lot of sense."
Phlox seemed to ponder that for a moment. "Well in any case, we need to get her to sickbay as soon as possible."
"Right." He picked her up gently, trying to avoid injuring her further, and stood up carefully. "We'd better hurry down there. We could run into dozens of crewmembers before we reach sickbay. And they're all gonna want t' know why I'm carryin' T'Pol t' sickbay."
"I hadn't considered that," the Doctor admitted. But he shrugged it off. "I am sure we can, what is it humans say, 'cross that road when we come to it'… hm!" He just couldn't seem to stop being cheerful, even in the worst situations.
"Bridge," Trip corrected.
"Excuse me?"
"Bridge… cross that BRIDGE-- oh, never mind," he sighed, realizing that explaining to the Doctor would mean more time to reach sickbay.
"Very well," the Doctor shrugged, not wanting to press the issue and waste more time.
"Well let's go, Doc." Doctor Phlox nodded in agreement and opened the door, checking outside before giving Trip the 'all clear' nod. Trip made sure that he didn't shake or rock T'Pol too badly, which meant that he had to walk extremely carefully, yet quickly. "Ya know, I've been carryin' T'Pol t' sickbay a lot in the last few days. Do you think anyone's wonderin' why?"
As the two of them continued to walk together, Phlox just checking around each corner before Trip turned, the Doctor seemed to think about that question. "It's hard to say," he replied at last. "I haven't heard anything as far as rumors are concerned. But perhaps some of the more… talkative crewmembers simply haven't seen you. I'm sure that a few crewmembers, at least, have noticed some of the Sub-Commander's odd behavior--not to mention her change in attire--and are probably curious. But I do believe it's too hard to say whether enough people will find out to be dangerous for either of you."
"What about the other Vulcans? Do ya think they know? I mean, T'Pol says Vulcans don't snoop, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't notice differences in her behavior. And if people on Enterprise are even noticing', then her own family is goin' t' figure it out." His voice was again filled with a mix of concern, guilt, and fear.
"I agree. We must attempt to remove them from Enterprise as soon as possible. The longer they are aboard, the more likely it is that they will find out."
Trip looked down at T'Pol again, as he had in hydroponics. He would do everything in his power to protect her from anything--including everything that was sure to happen if any other Vulcans found out about her situation. But the fact that the visiting Vulcans were her PARENTS coming to tell her to get married only made things that much harder, and he was afraid that he whatever he could do would not be enough.
Suddenly, he noticed T'Pol shift slightly in his arms. Her movement was barely noticeable, but he could tell that she had, most likely either subconsciously or accidentally, moved closer to him. He moved her slightly as well, so that carrying her was easier. She was now snuggled against him comfortably and staring at him. He wanted to stare back, but knew that anyone passing would notice immediately. Then the ship's gossip would take an unexpected turn for the worse.