^*^*Chapter Six*^*^

Captain Archer walked hurriedly down the corridors towards sickbay, fists clenched. Lieutenant Reed had called him over, saying Trip wasn't in good shape and that Aneorm once again had something to do with it. He had then ordered Reed to keep Aneorm away from Trip. Before he entered the sickbay doors, he stood still and took a deep breath. Looking inside, he eyed a white curtain blocking one of the biobeds completely, and could see some large yet indistinct shadows behind it. Reed was close, leaning on one of the counters, head lowered in worry, patiently waiting. Archer was now calmer and walked in.

"Lieutenant," he greeted quietly. Reed hadn't heard him come in and jerked his head up, immediately standing straight.

"Sir," he replied. Archer took another look at the curtain.

"Aneorm?" he asked. Reed swallowed.

"In the mess hall with a guard… until you say otherwise, Sir," he said plainly and shifted his stance. "Sir? May I ask when you plan on bringing Kemparu and Jivan into this?" Archer looked down at the shorter man.

"When I feel the time is right, Malcolm," he responded flatly and looked up from the worried armory officer; Phlox came out from behind the curtain with a regretful look on his face. Archer saw a glimpse of one of Trip's hands draped over the side of a biobed, but that was all.

"Doctor?" Archer spoke. Phlox sighed.

"He is still in a great deal of pain," he began. "I took the same scans before; his synaptic activity is erratic, even worse than before. He can't even move his head without retching from the pain."

"May I speak to him?" Archer asked. Phlox glanced at the curtain hesitantly.

"Yes… but only for a short while. He needs his rest," the doctor affirmed. Archer quietly pulled back the curtain and saw Trip lying down, back flat on the biobed, and a sheet covering him up to his shoulders. His head lifted up slightly, his eyes looking at Archer. They were bloodshot, and the lids were dry and swelled.

"Cap…" his voice scratched.

"Trip…" Archer said soothingly and knelt down to face him. "Are you alright?" Ironically, Trip smiled.

"Yes… and no," he whispered.

"Did you let Aneorm do this to you?" Archer asked as calm as he could.

"Yes… and no," Trip whispered the same and swallowed. "I wanted to feel everything what she could do… but I wasn't ready…"

"Dammit, Trip," Archer suddenly interrupted. "Look at what she did to you. I still can't comprehend what you're talking about…"

"You don't have to…" Trip said to his surprise. "We're leaving soon anyway." His tone turned into a bitter one as he turned his face away from Archer.

"I'm sorry, Trip, we have to and you know it," Archer tried to reason.

"I just want to see her…" Trip said suddenly. No matter how much Aneorm had hurt him, he needed to be with her. In his mind, he felt she didn't mean to do what she did; she only tried to bring them closer together. His eyes slowly blinked as he tried to get out what he wanted to say as quickly as possible. "Still so many questions… I… need… t' talk… please…" His eyes closed. "Don' hurt her… please… ah…" He drifted into a sleep and all that was heard was his breathing. What was to be done next? He was the captain and felt he knew how to protect his crew. But in this case, he had no control even over his own engineer… his own friend. Trip purposely disobeyed him without any real cause. Was Aneorm really all to blame or was Trip hiding something from him? It might have had something to with the cogenitor awhile back, but the only way to be certain was to truly speak with Trip without any distractions, anything in the way. And it would have to wait. The Drendarins would be gone soon, and there was little time left.

"Lieutenant," Archer called. Reed quickly stepped up.

"Yes, Sir?" he replied. Archer stood to face the armory officer.

"I'll to speak with Aneorm now," he said blatantly and quickly walked out. Reed nodded his head apprehensively and followed him.

^*^*^

She saw the mess hall door open. Archer entered, with Reed right behind him. The captain's stance was rigid, ready to snap any moment. "Captain…" she tried to greet, but he wouldn't answer. He looked over his shoulder at the security officer.

"You may go," he ordered. The man loosened up and nodded at both the captain and the lieutenant. After he exited, Reed stood in his place as the captain sat himself in the chair across from Aneorm. He stared at her coldly. She merely stared back at him for a moment, expressionless. She felt sorry for what happened but wouldn't give him the satisfaction of breaking down.

"You have no right to keep me here like this, Captain," she said. "Not even those on my planet have the sanctity." Archer took a deep yet subtle breath and glared at her.

"I don't trust you," he said frankly. "I don't trust you… or anyone like you on your planet. And I don't see there's any way I can."

"Stop the blubbery, Captain, it doesn't fit you," she said and stood up. Reed took a step closer.

"Sit down," Archer barked.

"I need a walk," she said with a smile. "You can't force me to stay."

"Watch me."

Reed took a couple more cautious steps closer and she stood still, declining to take a seat.

"Please, Aneorm," Reed said to Archer's surprise. He turned and looked at the lieutenant. He shouldn't get into this, and he knew it. But he felt sorry for Aneorm, and somehow trusted her because Trip did so adamantly.

"I'm not letting you go without answers," Archer avowed. "Until Kemparu and Jivan get here, I will use any force I wish."

"Well, that won't be long," she said and willingly sat back down in her chair. "Drendarin men don't waste time with their meals." Archer said nothing and glanced around the table. She stared into his untrusting eyes, vigilantly. "You haven't contacted them… or anyone, have you?"

"No," he admitted and leaned in closer. "And I won't until I get your cooperation."

"What do you really want from me, Captain?" she asked. "There's no point in you trying to learn what went on between me and the commander." Archer looked at her angrily. This routine would never end, and that's how she wanted it just so they could use up his time. "Isn't that what you want? And why you came here?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Well if you know what's good for you, you'll leave it alone."

"Why?"

"You wouldn't be able to grasp it as well as he has. He's a stronger man than you'll ever be," she said without hesitation. Archer paused at her reply.

"I don't care," he said and put his fists on the table. "Show me." She paused, eyes frozen on them clenching.

"No."

"Show me!" he growled and Reed twitched. Aneorm gazed into his enraged eyes as his hands spread out onto the table, palms up.

"Captain…" Reed was about to object.

"Shut up," he barked, keeping eyes bitterly locked with hers. She smiled dryly and settled her hands on the tabletop again.

"You're not really good at things like this, Captain," she stated softly. Archer lifted his chin at her with a stiff jaw. She leaned closer and slid her hands ant-crawls from his. "So, no." 

His eyes widened as hers stayed hooked on his. She slid away and started to walk to the exit door. Reed didn't know what to do. He didn't want to stop her against her will but merely moved to stand in her way. Before he could, she jolted back from Archer's grasp; the very second she looked away from him, he had stood and eagerly held onto her wrist. He wasn't being rough, but she made it harder by trying to pull away. She paused for a moment and he immediately felt a pinching sensation in his head.

"Captain, please," Reed called. He didn't know whether he was urging his captain to let her leave, or to simply let go. Archer didn't answer, trying to concentrate. Concentrate on something he couldn't find but tried to nonetheless. The pain pierced through his head and he winced. She was cold. And she knew what he was feeling. 

"Listen to him, Archer. Don't do anything foolish," she advised, suddenly keeping still. She gave him another warning and he grimaced from the sting.

"No. Show me," he muttered.

"Sir!" Reed exclaimed. Archer didn't reply. He watched astonished as his captain nearly quivered from another sting. His eyes stared into her, fuzzy, yet eager. He was unrelenting and squeezed harder.

"Very well," she said finally and Archer let go. He looked around him, suddenly aware of his surroundings.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, out of breath. "Is that what Trip wanted?"

"Sit down," she said calmly.

"Captain…" Reed stepped closer. Archer held up a hand.

"Its okay, Malcolm," he told him and did what she said, unsettlingly feeling at her mercy. She sat in the adjacent seat and closed her eyes. Without reopening them, she took his hands into hers and held them in midair, palm-to-palm. Reed stood silent, helplessly witnessing the greatness of her deceivingly alien power once again. Archer winced another time and his teeth pressed hard against each other. 

"They won't help me…"

"What?" Archer said, confused. Aneorm's lips didn't move.

"Close your eyes," she said. He winced and obeyed.

He was in engineering, staring into the warp core. He had seen her walk in, heard her speak. He spoke to her, concerned, and dangled his legs over the platform. She looked so small, so innocent.

"They won't let me climb mountains… I want to stay here with you…"

He felt pain… and pity.

"What are you doing?" Archer asked, breathless. He didn't want to experience any of this.

He led her down the corridor. She didn't really need his direction; she'd been there before. He closed the door behind them in his cramped quarters.

"You'll be okay here. I don't want them to take you."

"They are already so furious with you. I am so sorry." He sat down next to her.

"Don't be. You don't deserve to live the way you do. And I'm willin' to suffer the consequences. But I have a feelin' the Cap'n will understand." He smiles.

"Please, stop this," Archer pleaded.

"I can't thank you enough."

"Quiet," Aneorm said, concentrating hard.

"It's not necessary…"

He grabs her hand briefly but lets it go and stands up to reach for a book on the shelf. "This is a good one, too… Julius Caesar…"

"Captain!"

Someone enters with the Vulcan and he stiffens. The sun doesn't hurt his eyes anymore. The man who just entered is a reflection of himself.

"Where is she?"

"Aneorm… stop!"

"Captain!" he heard someone yell in the distance. There was a grunt and a crash.

"Where?" the man raises his voice.

"In my quarters…" he says to him. Why is the man so angry?

His head hurts like hell. No on is there to help him. He's fighting her and she's saying nothing.

"How could you know what I would've done if I don't even know what I would've done?"

"I didn't think it would hurt to teach her to read…" It brought pure joy to him when he saw how glad and excited she was about everything he had taught her and everything he had hoped to teach her. The reflection was still furious.

He had no control now. He couldn't even speak.

She was sitting there at peace, listening to the piano, eyes closed. She wasn't afraid, she felt safe with him. But he was worried what would happen, what the angry man would decide. He would come soon. This might be one of his last moments with her, and he didn't want it to end just yet. His fingers nervously entwined, he tried to close his eyes and just listen but the anxiety was too much. The door chimed. 

The door chimed.

"Come in…" he heard the angry man say from inside his office. He entered.

"Stop!" Archer took all his might to try to get to Aneorm. "Damn it!"

"What?" he choked.

"Suicide, Trip…"

Archer yelled across the room, hoping someone would come to help.

"It's all my fault…"

"You're damn right it is…" he growled to himself in the mirror. One face, two angles.

"We're in deep space… and a person is dead…"

He wants to cry. How could this be true? She's dead.

"…a child won't be born…"

He doesn't want it to be his fault. He only meant good. Why would this happen?

Archer collapsed over the table. His hands lied flat on the cold surface.

"I don't know if I've gotten through to you…"

He wonders why Jon would do this to him. He is his friend, his best friend. They've been through so much. He thought he of all people would understand. There's a pain in his back, his head. She's dead and Jon is enraged. He wishes Jon would stop looking at him that way so he averts his eyes. But he's his captain, this is his duty. He tells himself he must understand. He wonders how she did it, did she go in pain? He tells himself maybe he was totally wrong to do what he did. He wants to say he's sorry but it wouldn't make a difference no matter how much it used to before.

"You're not responsible…"

Archer doesn't sense anyone around, including Aneorm.

"Dismissed…"

Jon turns his back to him. Trip is sorry and hurt. Archer feels cold from his reflection.

"Cap'n?"

There is silence.

Archer lost consciousness. He had a nightmare about blood and tears and the sun. Aneorm was in it, crying. Trip was screaming in pain and beat him, making him bleed.

To Be Continued…