PIECES IN A GAME
Malcolm tied Dr. Kir's hands behind her back with a thin rope he'd found around an old crate. He lashed her wrists together as tight as he could, not caring whether she lost circulation. The hatred he felt toward the woman was too strong for him to even consider being gentle.
"Stay here in the shadows. It'll take me a few minutes to get their attention," directed Gleenas.
"Thank you, Gleenas, for taking care of Trip," said Archer gently.
The old woman took one more affectionate glance at the commander's form then took the doctor's forearm, dug the phase pistol barrel into the woman's side, and walked boldly out into the open.
As they watched the two women, Crewman Daniels suddenly appeared at Malcolm's side.
Malcolm turned to the younger man. "What did you do, Crewman?" he asked, noting the dirt covering Daniels' black uniform.
"I insured that the Zeen are no longer a threat to the timeline," the crewman responded.
"Did you cause that?" asked Archer, nodding his head toward the glowing sky.
"Yes, sir, I did. How is the commander?"
"He's in bad shape. We need to get him back to Dr. Phlox," replied the captain. "I wish Enterprise was within transporter range."
Shouting drew their attention back out into the street. Malcolm could see Gleenas still holding Dr. Kir several meters away. They were both turned so their sides were towards the group. Another building blocked Malcolm's view of the people to whom Gleenas was talking.
"Let's go," whispered Archer.
They all moved quickly across the clearing toward the distant stand of trees. Malcolm kept glancing back at Gleenas, thankful she seemed to be keeping the security force from turning the corner. He stopped and watched in horror as the old woman was hit by a laser shot. She dropped to her knees, pulling Dr. Kir down with her. The doctor struggled to get away but Gleenas held tight. Then the old woman fired her weapon into Kir's side and the doctor dropped to the ground in a lifeless heap. Now completely unprotected, Gleenas took a barrage of fire, her body finally falling over that of Dr. Kir's.
Malcolm took a step toward the two bodies but T'Pol grabbed his arm.
"Lieutenant," she said. "We must move now!"
They ran to the trees as the shouting continued behind them. Archer struggled with Trip's added weight but Malcolm guessed his adrenaline was pushing him forward. The group reached the shuttlepod and T'Pol quickly opened the hatch. She and Daniels helped the captain with Trip while Malcolm stood watching the dark for movement. The shouting was getting closer and a laser blast hit the ground just in front of him, spraying him with dirt. He quickly jumped in the shuttle while T'Pol closed the hatch behind him. Malcolm sat in the pilot's seat and quickly fired up the little ship. Another shot rocked the pod just as it lifted off the ground. Malcolm flipped on the cloaking device and aimed the craft skyward, leaving Zeenus Prime behind.
With T'Pol's help, Jon eased Trip down on the rear bench of the shuttle pod. In the bright light, he could see now how pale and gaunt his friend really was. The engineer was awake but his mumbled words made it clear he wasn't really aware of what was happening. His body shook violently for a moment then calmed again. Jon looked up at T'Pol as she ran a scanner over Trip's body.
"The escape weakened him considerably, Captain," she responded to his silent inquiry.
"Mom?" managed Trip. He turned his head from side to side, his eyes foggy and oddly darkened.
Jon sat back on the bench then pulled Trip's upper body into his lap, holding him in his arms. The engineer struggled weakly against him.
"Shhhh, Trip," Jon whispered soothingly. "You're okay now. Everything's okay." He continued talking softly and Trip's struggling stopped. His body shook from time to time but otherwise he just stared blankly at the ceiling of the pod.
Jon looked up at Daniels who was seated at the navigation station, his chair turned around. "Will he be okay?"
"I honestly don't know, Captain," Daniels replied quietly.
"Reed to Enterprise," said Malcolm from the pilot's seat.
"Enterprise. It's good to hear your voice, Lieutenant," answered Hoshi. "Do you have the commander?"
"Yes. We should reach you in forty-five minutes. Please have Dr. Phlox standing by."
"Aye, sir. How is he, sir?"
"Not good, Ensign," replied Malcolm softly. "We'll see you soon." He fingered the communications button and the transmission ended.
Dr. Phlox had swept Trip away the minute the hatch door opened. The engineer had continued to talk on the flight back to Enterprise but his words had made no sense. Occasionally it would seem he was in the grips of Dr. Kir and he would cry out and struggle against Jon but then he would calm down and ask for his mother again. Jon had held him gently the entire time, whispering calming words to his friend. He had seen the evidence of Trip's torture in the young man's hands and on his body and it had made Jon sick and angry and very glad the woman who had hurt him was dead.
Now the captain paced outside sickbay, wondering how he was going to tell his best friend that Gleenas was gone yet hoping he would get the chance to do just that. He couldn't even allow himself to think of how he would react if Phlox opened those doors and said that Trip was dead.
Jon stopped and looked up as Daniels rounded the corner. He had disappeared just after the pod had entered the launch bay. The crewman leaned against the wall next to Malcolm.
"What exactly went on down there?" Jon asked.
"With all due respect, sir, it really doesn't matter," replied the crewman.
"It does matter. Now what did you do?"
Daniels sighed. "I found what I was after and destroyed it."
"Did you find your temporal device?" asked Malcolm.
"Yes."
"What you seem to be overlooking, Crewman, is that the damage was already done," stated T'Pol. She stood across the corridor from them, her hands clasped behind her back.
"Not exactly. I entered a virus into their science database. It should purge all their data on the Suliban technology as well as the other information they obtained from the future."
"What about the people? You certainly couldn't purge their minds," said Jon.
Daniels hesitated. "No, I couldn't," he answered simply.
"What did you do, Crewman?" asked T'Pol.
"You must understand how delicate the timeline is."
"What did you do?" demanded Jon forcefully.
"I am entrusted with protecting the timeline and sometimes that means doing reprehensible acts."
"How many did you kill?" asked Malcolm. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched the crewman next to him.
"I don't exactly know. My orders were to destroy the science complex and I carried out those orders to the tee."
Jon moved to stand directly in front of Daniels. "Why did they take Trip?" he asked, his voice quiet with barely controlled anger.
Daniels stared back at him for a long moment. "The Zeen scientist who traveled to the future was told that Commander Tucker would ultimately be responsible for the death of one of Zeenus Prime's leading medical research doctors. Dr. Kir."
"What? When was all of this to take place?"
"It wasn't, Captain. In that timeline, Commander Tucker never had contact with the Zeen."
Jon furrowed his brows. "I don't understand."
"Its very simple, Captain. He used the commander," said T'Pol as she moved to stand next to Jon.
Daniels nodded reluctantly. "Yes. We needed to retrieve our device with the least negative effect possible. Using Enterprise and Commander Tucker was the only way to do that. With your assistance, we achieved all of our objectives."
"What precisely were your objectives?" spat Malcolm.
"To retrieve our technology, destroy the Suliban ship, eliminate the people involved, and purge the data from their systems."
"And to insure that the Zeen thought it was Humans who managed the destruction," finished T'Pol.
Jon dropped his head and rubbed his eyes with the thumb and index finger of his right hand. "Why Trip?" he asked finally, his head still down. "You said he was important to Starfleet's future."
"My superiors simply selected Commander Tucker based on his strong will to survive. Part of my job was to help you get him back so the future of Starfleet wouldn't be jeopardized."
"You wield too much power, Crewman. You and your superiors sit in the future and simply pick and choose who suffers and who doesn't, who dies and who survives."
"Our job is to protect the timeline, Captain, and that is exactly what we do. Do I always like that job? No. I like the commander. He is simply a fine Human being. Do you think I enjoyed seeing him sacrificed? But it had to be done to save millions of other lives, sir. I hated it but I don't regret it."
"Get off my ship!" Jon yelled, his voice shaking with unrestrained fury. "Now!"
"Yes, sir," replied Daniels. He started walking away but he turned. "Commander Tucker will survive, Captain." Then he turned the corner and disappeared from Jon's sight.
"You can come in now."
Jon swung around to see Dr. Phlox standing at the doors. The Denobulan stood aside to allow the three officers entrance. He motioned them over to the biobed on which Trip was resting.
"How is he?" asked the captain, his eyes focused on his friend.
"He's finally sleeping, Captain. I was able to rid his system of the drugs they kept pumping into him. I'm afraid he will go through some withdrawals, however."
Jon gazed down on Trip's face. Phlox had sealed the wound to his cheek and the cut above his eyebrow as well. He could see the ointments covering the burns on his chest and upper arms. The engineer still looked far too thin and pale but at least he was at rest.
"From what I can tell, he wasn't allowed to sleep or eat," Phlox continued. He stood on the other side of the bed. "He's lost some weight."
"But he will recover, Doctor?" asked T'Pol. She stepped to the foot of the bed, her eyes locked on the commander. Malcolm stood next to her.
"Yes, Sub-commander. Physically he will recover. His emotional state, however, is another matter entirely."
He felt the cold metal under him and the straps pulled tight over his wrists and ankles. Trip watched Dr. Kir approach. She was holding a metal bar in her hand and it was glowing white. Trip tried to back away but couldn't move. The Zeen smiled and it sent shivers up the engineer's spine. Then she slowly placed the bar on his bare chest and he screamed---- -
"Stop!" Trip cried. He reached out with his hands, flailing them around madly. He felt hands grabbing his wrists and Trip tried to pull away. He cried out again and the hands held on tight.
"Easy, Trip."
He opened his eyes and blinked. He could see shapes, faces, but they were blurry. Trip blinked again, still struggling against his assailant. Then finally his vision cleared.
"Cap'n?"
Jonathan Archer smiled down at his friend. He still held Trip's wrists and someone else had a hold of his legs.
The engineer closed his eyes again; positive he was dreaming. Then he heard beeping. It was steady and oddly calming. He blinked his eyes then opened them again to see Dr. Phlox hovering over him. The doctor smiled literally from ear to ear.
"Doc?" Trip murmured.
Phlox patted the engineer's shoulder gently. "Take it easy, Commander. You're going to be fine."
"Hey," said Archer as he gently laid Trip's hands on his stomach. "It's good to have you back."
Trip's mind felt hazy and he looked up at his friend in confusion. "What happened to me, Cap'n? Is everyone else okay?"
Archer shared a quick look with Dr. Phlox then smiled down at the engineer. "Everyone is fine, Trip."
Trip squeezed his eyes tightly shut, struggling to remember. Slowly the pieces began to fall into place and the clouds cleared. "Dr. Kir," he managed, his eyes still closed. "I remember now."
He felt a warm hand on his wrist and reflexively pulled away. He opened his eyes and held both of his hands up in front of his face. The left was wrapped entirely while only the little finger was bandaged on his right. "They broke my fingers," he whispered, his throat tight.
"They'll heal nicely, Commander," said Phlox gently.
Trip looked at him. "My eyes. I can see."
The doctor nodded. "Dr. Kir used a chemical solution that formed an opaque layer over your eyes. I was able to dissolve it. Your vision may be somewhat blurry for a short time, but Human eyes have amazing healing abilities."
Trip returned his hands to his stomach. "She didn't want any information from me. All she wanted was to study me. To test the Human threshold for pain."
"I'm sorry, Trip," said Archer. He placed his hand on the engineer's shoulder. Trip fought the urge to pull away. This was his closest friend not a mad scientist.
"How long have I been here?"
"Four days," replied Dr. Phlox. He glanced up at the monitor above Trip's head and turned a knob. "Your body was in desperate need of rest."
"She kept injecting me with this drug that kept me so high I couldn't sleep. A couple times she gave me another drug that made me feel like I was on fire. I think I would have gone completely insane if Gleenas hadn't been there." Trip started with sudden realization. "Gleenas. Is she okay, Cap'n? She was this old woman who visited me every night. Without her, I---I----."
Archer's face dropped and Trip swallowed hard. The captain began to speak but Trip put up his hand to stop him. "No. No, Cap'n" he choked out.
"I'm so sorry, Trip," Archer said gently.
"No." Trip turned his head away from his friend and closed his eyes against the tears.
"She saved our lives," the captain continued softly.
Trip shook his head as the sobs threatened to break him. He felt the hand on his shoulder grip him firmly in support. Gleenas was dead. Trip felt the dam burst and the tears flowed freely, wracking his weakened body. He felt a pinch on his neck and then everything slowly faded away.
Jon watched as Dr. Phlox pressed the hypospray to Trip's neck and injected the contents with the press of a button. The engineer slowly relaxed and fell into a deep sleep. Jon gently wiped away the tears that trailed down his friend's temples. He watched him for several moments. Gleenas had been his lifeline, the one kindness throughout his horrific ordeal and now she was dead.
"Captain?"
Jon looked up and met Dr. Phlox's kind gaze. "Wh---what?"
"I said he'll sleep for several hours," smiled the doctor.
The captain nodded then returned his focus to Trip. "I'll be in my dining room if anything changes," he said but his legs refused to move him away from the bed.
"I'll keep a close eye on him, Captain."
Jon nodded again. He gently squeezed Trip's shoulder again then quietly left the Denobulan to care for his friend.
The mess hall was empty. Trip had been released from sickbay only hours before and now he sat alone in the darkened room absently rolling a glass of warm milk between his hands. Dr. Phlox had worked his magic on the broken bones but his left hand remained bandaged and a splint held the broken finger on his right hand stationary. The pain was only a dull ache. The withdrawal from the drugs had been more painful. His stomach was still sensitive to anything but the blandest of foods. Trip now looked at his hands. Time, Phlox had said. It would take time for them to heal, for him to heal. He squeezed his eyes shut, the sound of his fingers breaking one by one still echoing in his ears.
Trip had chosen the farthest corner away from the door in hopes that anyone entering for a midnight snack wouldn't notice him. He knew his friends were worried about him but he needed time alone. There was so much he needed to grasp it was overwhelming him and the presence of his friends for some reason made it all worse. He held his breath as the door slid open. His back was to the entrance but he could hear footsteps. Trip knew instantly from the gait of the walker who it was and he sighed.
"Evenin' Cap'n," he said without looking up.
Captain Archer took the seat next to him at the little table and looked at his friend. "I've been looking for you. I was worried."
"No need," Trip responded simply.
They sat in silence and Trip could feel the captain's eyes settling on him. He shifted in his chair under the scrutiny.
"Why aren't you in bed?"
"I've been flat on my back for over a week, Cap'n," sighed Trip in exasperation. He looked up at his friend and saw the concern all over his face. "I'm okay," he added softly then they both fell silent again.
"Dr. Phlox says you'll be physically ready for light duty in a couple more days," said Archer, finally breaking the quiet.
Trip laughed humorously. "Physically ready, huh?" He stood up and walked over to the view port. The stars were merely lines of white light shooting passed. They were beautiful.
"Trip," Archer began.
"You know the hardest thing for me to get here?" Trip said without turning around. "Is why did Gleenas have to die? I can deal with being sacrificed but why did she have to be? She was a good woman, Cap'n."
"I don't know, Trip."
"They have way too much power, you know, Daniels and his superiors. We're like pieces in a game to them. At the mere snap of their fingers, they can determine who lives and who dies. It isn't right." He looked down. "They're no better than the Suliban."
The captain stood and walked over to stand next to Trip. He hesitated as if wondering if he should speak. "Gleenas wanted me to tell you something," he said finally.
Trip looked at him. "What?" he asked, his voice catching.
"She wanted me to thank you for helping an old woman to her feet."
Trip turned his head away and sucked in his breath, fighting hard not to fall apart.
He felt Archer's hand on his back. "Come on," the captain urged. "I'll walk you back to your quarters."
Trip didn't move.
"You're going to make it through this, Trip. I promise you that," Archer said.
The engineer turned his head and looked at his captain, a few tears spilling with the movement. "Why, because Daniels said I would?" he asked bitterly, wiping his cheeks.
"No. Trip, Daniels could have said you'd end up insane and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference. And you know why?"
Trip shook his head.
"Because I know you. He may be able to control time but he can't control what goes on in here." Archer touched his index finger to Trip's temple. "Or here." He moved to place it on the engineer's chest.
For the first time in what seemed like ages, Trip felt a real smile forming. "Thanks," he murmured.
The captain nodded his head and smiled back. "Anytime," he replied.
The two stood side by side in companionable silence and watched the stars as they streamed passed them. Trip realized he would be okay and he said a silent thank you to one old woman who had simply cared enough to help a stranger.
THE END
Malcolm tied Dr. Kir's hands behind her back with a thin rope he'd found around an old crate. He lashed her wrists together as tight as he could, not caring whether she lost circulation. The hatred he felt toward the woman was too strong for him to even consider being gentle.
"Stay here in the shadows. It'll take me a few minutes to get their attention," directed Gleenas.
"Thank you, Gleenas, for taking care of Trip," said Archer gently.
The old woman took one more affectionate glance at the commander's form then took the doctor's forearm, dug the phase pistol barrel into the woman's side, and walked boldly out into the open.
As they watched the two women, Crewman Daniels suddenly appeared at Malcolm's side.
Malcolm turned to the younger man. "What did you do, Crewman?" he asked, noting the dirt covering Daniels' black uniform.
"I insured that the Zeen are no longer a threat to the timeline," the crewman responded.
"Did you cause that?" asked Archer, nodding his head toward the glowing sky.
"Yes, sir, I did. How is the commander?"
"He's in bad shape. We need to get him back to Dr. Phlox," replied the captain. "I wish Enterprise was within transporter range."
Shouting drew their attention back out into the street. Malcolm could see Gleenas still holding Dr. Kir several meters away. They were both turned so their sides were towards the group. Another building blocked Malcolm's view of the people to whom Gleenas was talking.
"Let's go," whispered Archer.
They all moved quickly across the clearing toward the distant stand of trees. Malcolm kept glancing back at Gleenas, thankful she seemed to be keeping the security force from turning the corner. He stopped and watched in horror as the old woman was hit by a laser shot. She dropped to her knees, pulling Dr. Kir down with her. The doctor struggled to get away but Gleenas held tight. Then the old woman fired her weapon into Kir's side and the doctor dropped to the ground in a lifeless heap. Now completely unprotected, Gleenas took a barrage of fire, her body finally falling over that of Dr. Kir's.
Malcolm took a step toward the two bodies but T'Pol grabbed his arm.
"Lieutenant," she said. "We must move now!"
They ran to the trees as the shouting continued behind them. Archer struggled with Trip's added weight but Malcolm guessed his adrenaline was pushing him forward. The group reached the shuttlepod and T'Pol quickly opened the hatch. She and Daniels helped the captain with Trip while Malcolm stood watching the dark for movement. The shouting was getting closer and a laser blast hit the ground just in front of him, spraying him with dirt. He quickly jumped in the shuttle while T'Pol closed the hatch behind him. Malcolm sat in the pilot's seat and quickly fired up the little ship. Another shot rocked the pod just as it lifted off the ground. Malcolm flipped on the cloaking device and aimed the craft skyward, leaving Zeenus Prime behind.
With T'Pol's help, Jon eased Trip down on the rear bench of the shuttle pod. In the bright light, he could see now how pale and gaunt his friend really was. The engineer was awake but his mumbled words made it clear he wasn't really aware of what was happening. His body shook violently for a moment then calmed again. Jon looked up at T'Pol as she ran a scanner over Trip's body.
"The escape weakened him considerably, Captain," she responded to his silent inquiry.
"Mom?" managed Trip. He turned his head from side to side, his eyes foggy and oddly darkened.
Jon sat back on the bench then pulled Trip's upper body into his lap, holding him in his arms. The engineer struggled weakly against him.
"Shhhh, Trip," Jon whispered soothingly. "You're okay now. Everything's okay." He continued talking softly and Trip's struggling stopped. His body shook from time to time but otherwise he just stared blankly at the ceiling of the pod.
Jon looked up at Daniels who was seated at the navigation station, his chair turned around. "Will he be okay?"
"I honestly don't know, Captain," Daniels replied quietly.
"Reed to Enterprise," said Malcolm from the pilot's seat.
"Enterprise. It's good to hear your voice, Lieutenant," answered Hoshi. "Do you have the commander?"
"Yes. We should reach you in forty-five minutes. Please have Dr. Phlox standing by."
"Aye, sir. How is he, sir?"
"Not good, Ensign," replied Malcolm softly. "We'll see you soon." He fingered the communications button and the transmission ended.
Dr. Phlox had swept Trip away the minute the hatch door opened. The engineer had continued to talk on the flight back to Enterprise but his words had made no sense. Occasionally it would seem he was in the grips of Dr. Kir and he would cry out and struggle against Jon but then he would calm down and ask for his mother again. Jon had held him gently the entire time, whispering calming words to his friend. He had seen the evidence of Trip's torture in the young man's hands and on his body and it had made Jon sick and angry and very glad the woman who had hurt him was dead.
Now the captain paced outside sickbay, wondering how he was going to tell his best friend that Gleenas was gone yet hoping he would get the chance to do just that. He couldn't even allow himself to think of how he would react if Phlox opened those doors and said that Trip was dead.
Jon stopped and looked up as Daniels rounded the corner. He had disappeared just after the pod had entered the launch bay. The crewman leaned against the wall next to Malcolm.
"What exactly went on down there?" Jon asked.
"With all due respect, sir, it really doesn't matter," replied the crewman.
"It does matter. Now what did you do?"
Daniels sighed. "I found what I was after and destroyed it."
"Did you find your temporal device?" asked Malcolm.
"Yes."
"What you seem to be overlooking, Crewman, is that the damage was already done," stated T'Pol. She stood across the corridor from them, her hands clasped behind her back.
"Not exactly. I entered a virus into their science database. It should purge all their data on the Suliban technology as well as the other information they obtained from the future."
"What about the people? You certainly couldn't purge their minds," said Jon.
Daniels hesitated. "No, I couldn't," he answered simply.
"What did you do, Crewman?" asked T'Pol.
"You must understand how delicate the timeline is."
"What did you do?" demanded Jon forcefully.
"I am entrusted with protecting the timeline and sometimes that means doing reprehensible acts."
"How many did you kill?" asked Malcolm. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched the crewman next to him.
"I don't exactly know. My orders were to destroy the science complex and I carried out those orders to the tee."
Jon moved to stand directly in front of Daniels. "Why did they take Trip?" he asked, his voice quiet with barely controlled anger.
Daniels stared back at him for a long moment. "The Zeen scientist who traveled to the future was told that Commander Tucker would ultimately be responsible for the death of one of Zeenus Prime's leading medical research doctors. Dr. Kir."
"What? When was all of this to take place?"
"It wasn't, Captain. In that timeline, Commander Tucker never had contact with the Zeen."
Jon furrowed his brows. "I don't understand."
"Its very simple, Captain. He used the commander," said T'Pol as she moved to stand next to Jon.
Daniels nodded reluctantly. "Yes. We needed to retrieve our device with the least negative effect possible. Using Enterprise and Commander Tucker was the only way to do that. With your assistance, we achieved all of our objectives."
"What precisely were your objectives?" spat Malcolm.
"To retrieve our technology, destroy the Suliban ship, eliminate the people involved, and purge the data from their systems."
"And to insure that the Zeen thought it was Humans who managed the destruction," finished T'Pol.
Jon dropped his head and rubbed his eyes with the thumb and index finger of his right hand. "Why Trip?" he asked finally, his head still down. "You said he was important to Starfleet's future."
"My superiors simply selected Commander Tucker based on his strong will to survive. Part of my job was to help you get him back so the future of Starfleet wouldn't be jeopardized."
"You wield too much power, Crewman. You and your superiors sit in the future and simply pick and choose who suffers and who doesn't, who dies and who survives."
"Our job is to protect the timeline, Captain, and that is exactly what we do. Do I always like that job? No. I like the commander. He is simply a fine Human being. Do you think I enjoyed seeing him sacrificed? But it had to be done to save millions of other lives, sir. I hated it but I don't regret it."
"Get off my ship!" Jon yelled, his voice shaking with unrestrained fury. "Now!"
"Yes, sir," replied Daniels. He started walking away but he turned. "Commander Tucker will survive, Captain." Then he turned the corner and disappeared from Jon's sight.
"You can come in now."
Jon swung around to see Dr. Phlox standing at the doors. The Denobulan stood aside to allow the three officers entrance. He motioned them over to the biobed on which Trip was resting.
"How is he?" asked the captain, his eyes focused on his friend.
"He's finally sleeping, Captain. I was able to rid his system of the drugs they kept pumping into him. I'm afraid he will go through some withdrawals, however."
Jon gazed down on Trip's face. Phlox had sealed the wound to his cheek and the cut above his eyebrow as well. He could see the ointments covering the burns on his chest and upper arms. The engineer still looked far too thin and pale but at least he was at rest.
"From what I can tell, he wasn't allowed to sleep or eat," Phlox continued. He stood on the other side of the bed. "He's lost some weight."
"But he will recover, Doctor?" asked T'Pol. She stepped to the foot of the bed, her eyes locked on the commander. Malcolm stood next to her.
"Yes, Sub-commander. Physically he will recover. His emotional state, however, is another matter entirely."
He felt the cold metal under him and the straps pulled tight over his wrists and ankles. Trip watched Dr. Kir approach. She was holding a metal bar in her hand and it was glowing white. Trip tried to back away but couldn't move. The Zeen smiled and it sent shivers up the engineer's spine. Then she slowly placed the bar on his bare chest and he screamed---- -
"Stop!" Trip cried. He reached out with his hands, flailing them around madly. He felt hands grabbing his wrists and Trip tried to pull away. He cried out again and the hands held on tight.
"Easy, Trip."
He opened his eyes and blinked. He could see shapes, faces, but they were blurry. Trip blinked again, still struggling against his assailant. Then finally his vision cleared.
"Cap'n?"
Jonathan Archer smiled down at his friend. He still held Trip's wrists and someone else had a hold of his legs.
The engineer closed his eyes again; positive he was dreaming. Then he heard beeping. It was steady and oddly calming. He blinked his eyes then opened them again to see Dr. Phlox hovering over him. The doctor smiled literally from ear to ear.
"Doc?" Trip murmured.
Phlox patted the engineer's shoulder gently. "Take it easy, Commander. You're going to be fine."
"Hey," said Archer as he gently laid Trip's hands on his stomach. "It's good to have you back."
Trip's mind felt hazy and he looked up at his friend in confusion. "What happened to me, Cap'n? Is everyone else okay?"
Archer shared a quick look with Dr. Phlox then smiled down at the engineer. "Everyone is fine, Trip."
Trip squeezed his eyes tightly shut, struggling to remember. Slowly the pieces began to fall into place and the clouds cleared. "Dr. Kir," he managed, his eyes still closed. "I remember now."
He felt a warm hand on his wrist and reflexively pulled away. He opened his eyes and held both of his hands up in front of his face. The left was wrapped entirely while only the little finger was bandaged on his right. "They broke my fingers," he whispered, his throat tight.
"They'll heal nicely, Commander," said Phlox gently.
Trip looked at him. "My eyes. I can see."
The doctor nodded. "Dr. Kir used a chemical solution that formed an opaque layer over your eyes. I was able to dissolve it. Your vision may be somewhat blurry for a short time, but Human eyes have amazing healing abilities."
Trip returned his hands to his stomach. "She didn't want any information from me. All she wanted was to study me. To test the Human threshold for pain."
"I'm sorry, Trip," said Archer. He placed his hand on the engineer's shoulder. Trip fought the urge to pull away. This was his closest friend not a mad scientist.
"How long have I been here?"
"Four days," replied Dr. Phlox. He glanced up at the monitor above Trip's head and turned a knob. "Your body was in desperate need of rest."
"She kept injecting me with this drug that kept me so high I couldn't sleep. A couple times she gave me another drug that made me feel like I was on fire. I think I would have gone completely insane if Gleenas hadn't been there." Trip started with sudden realization. "Gleenas. Is she okay, Cap'n? She was this old woman who visited me every night. Without her, I---I----."
Archer's face dropped and Trip swallowed hard. The captain began to speak but Trip put up his hand to stop him. "No. No, Cap'n" he choked out.
"I'm so sorry, Trip," Archer said gently.
"No." Trip turned his head away from his friend and closed his eyes against the tears.
"She saved our lives," the captain continued softly.
Trip shook his head as the sobs threatened to break him. He felt the hand on his shoulder grip him firmly in support. Gleenas was dead. Trip felt the dam burst and the tears flowed freely, wracking his weakened body. He felt a pinch on his neck and then everything slowly faded away.
Jon watched as Dr. Phlox pressed the hypospray to Trip's neck and injected the contents with the press of a button. The engineer slowly relaxed and fell into a deep sleep. Jon gently wiped away the tears that trailed down his friend's temples. He watched him for several moments. Gleenas had been his lifeline, the one kindness throughout his horrific ordeal and now she was dead.
"Captain?"
Jon looked up and met Dr. Phlox's kind gaze. "Wh---what?"
"I said he'll sleep for several hours," smiled the doctor.
The captain nodded then returned his focus to Trip. "I'll be in my dining room if anything changes," he said but his legs refused to move him away from the bed.
"I'll keep a close eye on him, Captain."
Jon nodded again. He gently squeezed Trip's shoulder again then quietly left the Denobulan to care for his friend.
The mess hall was empty. Trip had been released from sickbay only hours before and now he sat alone in the darkened room absently rolling a glass of warm milk between his hands. Dr. Phlox had worked his magic on the broken bones but his left hand remained bandaged and a splint held the broken finger on his right hand stationary. The pain was only a dull ache. The withdrawal from the drugs had been more painful. His stomach was still sensitive to anything but the blandest of foods. Trip now looked at his hands. Time, Phlox had said. It would take time for them to heal, for him to heal. He squeezed his eyes shut, the sound of his fingers breaking one by one still echoing in his ears.
Trip had chosen the farthest corner away from the door in hopes that anyone entering for a midnight snack wouldn't notice him. He knew his friends were worried about him but he needed time alone. There was so much he needed to grasp it was overwhelming him and the presence of his friends for some reason made it all worse. He held his breath as the door slid open. His back was to the entrance but he could hear footsteps. Trip knew instantly from the gait of the walker who it was and he sighed.
"Evenin' Cap'n," he said without looking up.
Captain Archer took the seat next to him at the little table and looked at his friend. "I've been looking for you. I was worried."
"No need," Trip responded simply.
They sat in silence and Trip could feel the captain's eyes settling on him. He shifted in his chair under the scrutiny.
"Why aren't you in bed?"
"I've been flat on my back for over a week, Cap'n," sighed Trip in exasperation. He looked up at his friend and saw the concern all over his face. "I'm okay," he added softly then they both fell silent again.
"Dr. Phlox says you'll be physically ready for light duty in a couple more days," said Archer, finally breaking the quiet.
Trip laughed humorously. "Physically ready, huh?" He stood up and walked over to the view port. The stars were merely lines of white light shooting passed. They were beautiful.
"Trip," Archer began.
"You know the hardest thing for me to get here?" Trip said without turning around. "Is why did Gleenas have to die? I can deal with being sacrificed but why did she have to be? She was a good woman, Cap'n."
"I don't know, Trip."
"They have way too much power, you know, Daniels and his superiors. We're like pieces in a game to them. At the mere snap of their fingers, they can determine who lives and who dies. It isn't right." He looked down. "They're no better than the Suliban."
The captain stood and walked over to stand next to Trip. He hesitated as if wondering if he should speak. "Gleenas wanted me to tell you something," he said finally.
Trip looked at him. "What?" he asked, his voice catching.
"She wanted me to thank you for helping an old woman to her feet."
Trip turned his head away and sucked in his breath, fighting hard not to fall apart.
He felt Archer's hand on his back. "Come on," the captain urged. "I'll walk you back to your quarters."
Trip didn't move.
"You're going to make it through this, Trip. I promise you that," Archer said.
The engineer turned his head and looked at his captain, a few tears spilling with the movement. "Why, because Daniels said I would?" he asked bitterly, wiping his cheeks.
"No. Trip, Daniels could have said you'd end up insane and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference. And you know why?"
Trip shook his head.
"Because I know you. He may be able to control time but he can't control what goes on in here." Archer touched his index finger to Trip's temple. "Or here." He moved to place it on the engineer's chest.
For the first time in what seemed like ages, Trip felt a real smile forming. "Thanks," he murmured.
The captain nodded his head and smiled back. "Anytime," he replied.
The two stood side by side in companionable silence and watched the stars as they streamed passed them. Trip realized he would be okay and he said a silent thank you to one old woman who had simply cared enough to help a stranger.
THE END