Okay. Extremely sorry for the long wait, but, homework calls. I'm ignoring
the phone right now. I'll get to it later. anyway. Here's the sixth chapter
in my great story and once I have time, you'll get the seventh since it's
already finished. I've started the eighth so it all depends on homework.
Okay enough complaining. Now, I hope no one's deserted my story, seeing how
it took so long. Please read, enjoy and bear with me.
Thanks.
~ Little One
*****
" Okay Malcolm. T'Pol, Trip, is there any way we can prove that?" ***
" Is this the only way?" Jon asked as they stood outside the room looking at Dr Phlox attach Alex to a lie detector and then stick a hypospray in her neck.
" No, but you simply asked for a solution. A truth serum along with the lie detector should suffice." T'Pol had come up with the idea they were currently testing. Malcolm was a little worried with the mind to mind that he might experience some of the effects.
//Don't let me forget to teach you how to put up a block, okay Malcolm?//
Once more Alex's calm voice interceded his thoughts.
//I won't.// He thought, more to himself than to her as she slowly closed her eyes.
Dr Phlox turned on the machine and gave a thumb up to Jon. He opened the door, walking in and closing it behind him. Phlox stayed in the room monitoring the computers. As the questioning started, Malcolm felt more withdrawn. He couldn't even feel Alex's comforting presence as she blocked him out. Instead of panicking, he took a deep breath and tried to keep up the appearance that he wasn't too worried.
" So Malcolm, what in the world did you say when she started crying on the bridge?"
" Huh?" He had been so focused on watching what they were doing to Alex that he barely heard Trip's question.
" I said, so Malcolm, what in the world did you say when she started crying on the bridge?"
" Oh. itek teano, tosaru. Uh. it means." The Brit. desperately searched his mind for the meaning he had known so clearly not twenty minutes ago. " It's okay sweetheart. I think." He resisted the temptation to scratch his head.
" It's okay SWEETHEART?" The endearment seemed to make Trip want to break out laughing.
" Yeah?" They were distracted by a loud thump as Jon almost ran into the door in his hurry to get out.
" What?!" Malcolm reached out for that feeling of comfort that had become reassuring over the last few days. All he felt was a blank spot in the back of his mind.
//Alex!//
" She's responding badly. Dr Phlox doesn't know what's wrong. She just, kinda, went rigid like she was getting shocked." Malcolm pushed past the captain and banged against the locked door. He was still screaming her name in his head.
" Malcolm she'll be fine." Jon tried to pull Malcolm from the glass as Dr Phlox opened the door.
" If you think you can be of some assistance, by all means." Phlox gestured into the room and Archer reluctantly let Malcolm dart into the room.
" Alex." He whispered as he knelt down to the bed, which looked a lot like a dentist chair.
//Please wake up. Please.// He begged. Malcolm reached out a hand to touch her face and was instantly dragged into her memories.
" Malcolm!" Jon tried to rush forward and pull his friend back.
" No! He's helping. Something we did caused this. She has to relive this, but it's too much for her body. He's helping." Dr Phlox insisted. " Let them work through it."
//No! Please, no more! Please!// In her memories she pleaded with an unknown attacker.
//Alex, it's okay. I'm here. No one's going to hurt you.// Malcolm tried to comfort her while looking through all of her memories for a clue to what happened. He found it, not too long later. ***
" Make them comfortable. I wouldn't try moving their hands." Dr Phlox directed, once Malcolm's head dropped to Alex's side and she physically relaxed, falling ploy to gravity.
Their hands were steadfastly locked together through the whole process of moving Malcolm's inert body into a bed next Alex. ***
" What happened?" Malcolm croaked when he woke up to bright lights shining down into his face.
" You helped her better than I could Lieutenant." Dr Phlox's face filled his vision, causing him to jerk away. " Calm down Lieutenant. You might wake her up." Malcolm finally noticed the entwined hands hanging from the edges of both beds.
" I remember. all of her memories. I know what happened to that ship.
He said before he passed out again. ***
" When do you think he'll wake up Jon?" Trip asked when they were eating dinner with T'Pol.
" They've been asleep for two days. They will wake up when their bodies are ready." T'Pol stated in that cool unfazed voice.
" Well, I'm sorry that you don't think our friends' life is important." Trip burst out.
" I am worried for the fate of Malcolm and Alex," She stressed 'and Alex' slightly, "but their bodies need time to recuperate from their experience."
" T'Pol has a point Trip. They went through something tremendous. When their minds and bodies are better from the strain they'll wake up. Just give them some time." Trip pushed back from the table and walked out to the distress of his best friend. He ran almost smack-dab into Hoshi.
" Sorry." He mumbled before leaving the room. Hoshi ran after him quickly, dumping her tray in the trash.
" Trip. Commander Tucker!" She called when he didn't respond.
" What?" He turned so suddenly, she ran right into him.
" Sir, do you want to talk about it?" ***
Trip had fallen asleep after spilling his guts to Hoshi, back in her room. She pushed a stray hair back into place as he settled into a more comfortable position on her lap. //Wonder what he'll say when he wakes up?// Hoshi thought absently. As if on cue, Trip woke up and realized where he was.
" Sorry." He said as he straightened up.
" It's okay. You were tired. The last couple of days have been stressful for everyone." She tried to get back that happy feeling she'd had when he'd been sleeping.
" No. Just, I'm sorry." Trip went to stand but Hoshi pulled him back down.
" No. You listen to me Trip Tucker. I'm sick and tired of you moping around, hoping for someone to feel sorry for you! So Malcolm has someone he's in love with. So what? I'm sick of you flirting with every girl you meet and then turning back to me when you need a friend. I love you. You need to make a choice Trip. Me," She had stood up and pointed to herself, then to the door. " Or them?" ***
Thanks.
~ Little One
*****
" Okay Malcolm. T'Pol, Trip, is there any way we can prove that?" ***
" Is this the only way?" Jon asked as they stood outside the room looking at Dr Phlox attach Alex to a lie detector and then stick a hypospray in her neck.
" No, but you simply asked for a solution. A truth serum along with the lie detector should suffice." T'Pol had come up with the idea they were currently testing. Malcolm was a little worried with the mind to mind that he might experience some of the effects.
//Don't let me forget to teach you how to put up a block, okay Malcolm?//
Once more Alex's calm voice interceded his thoughts.
//I won't.// He thought, more to himself than to her as she slowly closed her eyes.
Dr Phlox turned on the machine and gave a thumb up to Jon. He opened the door, walking in and closing it behind him. Phlox stayed in the room monitoring the computers. As the questioning started, Malcolm felt more withdrawn. He couldn't even feel Alex's comforting presence as she blocked him out. Instead of panicking, he took a deep breath and tried to keep up the appearance that he wasn't too worried.
" So Malcolm, what in the world did you say when she started crying on the bridge?"
" Huh?" He had been so focused on watching what they were doing to Alex that he barely heard Trip's question.
" I said, so Malcolm, what in the world did you say when she started crying on the bridge?"
" Oh. itek teano, tosaru. Uh. it means." The Brit. desperately searched his mind for the meaning he had known so clearly not twenty minutes ago. " It's okay sweetheart. I think." He resisted the temptation to scratch his head.
" It's okay SWEETHEART?" The endearment seemed to make Trip want to break out laughing.
" Yeah?" They were distracted by a loud thump as Jon almost ran into the door in his hurry to get out.
" What?!" Malcolm reached out for that feeling of comfort that had become reassuring over the last few days. All he felt was a blank spot in the back of his mind.
//Alex!//
" She's responding badly. Dr Phlox doesn't know what's wrong. She just, kinda, went rigid like she was getting shocked." Malcolm pushed past the captain and banged against the locked door. He was still screaming her name in his head.
" Malcolm she'll be fine." Jon tried to pull Malcolm from the glass as Dr Phlox opened the door.
" If you think you can be of some assistance, by all means." Phlox gestured into the room and Archer reluctantly let Malcolm dart into the room.
" Alex." He whispered as he knelt down to the bed, which looked a lot like a dentist chair.
//Please wake up. Please.// He begged. Malcolm reached out a hand to touch her face and was instantly dragged into her memories.
" Malcolm!" Jon tried to rush forward and pull his friend back.
" No! He's helping. Something we did caused this. She has to relive this, but it's too much for her body. He's helping." Dr Phlox insisted. " Let them work through it."
//No! Please, no more! Please!// In her memories she pleaded with an unknown attacker.
//Alex, it's okay. I'm here. No one's going to hurt you.// Malcolm tried to comfort her while looking through all of her memories for a clue to what happened. He found it, not too long later. ***
" Make them comfortable. I wouldn't try moving their hands." Dr Phlox directed, once Malcolm's head dropped to Alex's side and she physically relaxed, falling ploy to gravity.
Their hands were steadfastly locked together through the whole process of moving Malcolm's inert body into a bed next Alex. ***
" What happened?" Malcolm croaked when he woke up to bright lights shining down into his face.
" You helped her better than I could Lieutenant." Dr Phlox's face filled his vision, causing him to jerk away. " Calm down Lieutenant. You might wake her up." Malcolm finally noticed the entwined hands hanging from the edges of both beds.
" I remember. all of her memories. I know what happened to that ship.
He said before he passed out again. ***
" When do you think he'll wake up Jon?" Trip asked when they were eating dinner with T'Pol.
" They've been asleep for two days. They will wake up when their bodies are ready." T'Pol stated in that cool unfazed voice.
" Well, I'm sorry that you don't think our friends' life is important." Trip burst out.
" I am worried for the fate of Malcolm and Alex," She stressed 'and Alex' slightly, "but their bodies need time to recuperate from their experience."
" T'Pol has a point Trip. They went through something tremendous. When their minds and bodies are better from the strain they'll wake up. Just give them some time." Trip pushed back from the table and walked out to the distress of his best friend. He ran almost smack-dab into Hoshi.
" Sorry." He mumbled before leaving the room. Hoshi ran after him quickly, dumping her tray in the trash.
" Trip. Commander Tucker!" She called when he didn't respond.
" What?" He turned so suddenly, she ran right into him.
" Sir, do you want to talk about it?" ***
Trip had fallen asleep after spilling his guts to Hoshi, back in her room. She pushed a stray hair back into place as he settled into a more comfortable position on her lap. //Wonder what he'll say when he wakes up?// Hoshi thought absently. As if on cue, Trip woke up and realized where he was.
" Sorry." He said as he straightened up.
" It's okay. You were tired. The last couple of days have been stressful for everyone." She tried to get back that happy feeling she'd had when he'd been sleeping.
" No. Just, I'm sorry." Trip went to stand but Hoshi pulled him back down.
" No. You listen to me Trip Tucker. I'm sick and tired of you moping around, hoping for someone to feel sorry for you! So Malcolm has someone he's in love with. So what? I'm sick of you flirting with every girl you meet and then turning back to me when you need a friend. I love you. You need to make a choice Trip. Me," She had stood up and pointed to herself, then to the door. " Or them?" ***