"Trip's Time in Hell"
by Braycat
Rated PG
Feedback always welcome at braycat@yahoo.com
The crew of the Enterprise are owned by Paramount and Starfleet, not I, alas.
**********************
"Try to stay out of trouble" The phrase echoed over and over in Trip Tucker's head. If he had held any illusions that his recent brush with death might have thawed Jonathan Archer's icy feelings toward him, that little phrase put them to rest.
Archer had made caustic comments like that to him practically every time they had been together since the Cogenitor incident. It was his way of continually punishing the engineer for killing the Cogenitor, as if Lizzie's death wasn't punishment enough, and Trip did believe that the loss of his sister was divine retribution for his actions. Trip was in hell, there was no doubt about it and it looked like nothing was going to get him out of purgatory any time soon.
Despite the fact that Archer had gone to the extreme lengths of creating another sentient being in the form of a clone in order to save Trip, the captain made it quite clear that the only reason that he went to all that trouble was so that Tucker would still be around in order to keep Enterprise going, not because the captain gave a damn about him. That particular fact was tearing Trip's heart apart. Jonathan Archer had been the best friend that Trip had ever had and the engineer still cared for the captain, but that concern was only one sided. All Jonathan Archer felt for Trip now was hate.
Tucker would have shaken his head in frustration, but that would have launched a round of dizziness so strong that Trip probably would have collapsed right there in the corridor. Even though he had, for the most part, recovered from his injuries that he incurred in the explosion, Tucker was still having problems, but the last thing that Trip wanted Jon to know was that he was weak in any arena. Trip's only value to Archer was to do his duty, and Tucker was determined to do his best, but apparently that all ready wasn't good enough.
Saddened beyond belief Tucker wondered, and not for the first time if it wouldn't have better if they had just let him die. Anything would have been better than his current, dismal existence.
Still Tucker worried about the man that he once called friend, not that worrying would do any good. Jon's safety was out of his hands.
But Trip didn't have long to fret, Jon and T'Pol were back only minutes after they left and while Trip was relieved that the pair was safe, the cold look that Jon gave him before rushing off to sickbay broke his heart all over again.
Tucker thought he successfully hid his pain from T'Pol, but the engineer couldn't help but sigh as he went to brief Reed on the surprise that was awaiting him in the situation room. Tucker's existence in hell was continuing, and it looked like he wasn't going to find salvation any time soon.
Finis
by Braycat
Rated PG
Feedback always welcome at braycat@yahoo.com
The crew of the Enterprise are owned by Paramount and Starfleet, not I, alas.
**********************
"Try to stay out of trouble" The phrase echoed over and over in Trip Tucker's head. If he had held any illusions that his recent brush with death might have thawed Jonathan Archer's icy feelings toward him, that little phrase put them to rest.
Archer had made caustic comments like that to him practically every time they had been together since the Cogenitor incident. It was his way of continually punishing the engineer for killing the Cogenitor, as if Lizzie's death wasn't punishment enough, and Trip did believe that the loss of his sister was divine retribution for his actions. Trip was in hell, there was no doubt about it and it looked like nothing was going to get him out of purgatory any time soon.
Despite the fact that Archer had gone to the extreme lengths of creating another sentient being in the form of a clone in order to save Trip, the captain made it quite clear that the only reason that he went to all that trouble was so that Tucker would still be around in order to keep Enterprise going, not because the captain gave a damn about him. That particular fact was tearing Trip's heart apart. Jonathan Archer had been the best friend that Trip had ever had and the engineer still cared for the captain, but that concern was only one sided. All Jonathan Archer felt for Trip now was hate.
Tucker would have shaken his head in frustration, but that would have launched a round of dizziness so strong that Trip probably would have collapsed right there in the corridor. Even though he had, for the most part, recovered from his injuries that he incurred in the explosion, Tucker was still having problems, but the last thing that Trip wanted Jon to know was that he was weak in any arena. Trip's only value to Archer was to do his duty, and Tucker was determined to do his best, but apparently that all ready wasn't good enough.
Saddened beyond belief Tucker wondered, and not for the first time if it wouldn't have better if they had just let him die. Anything would have been better than his current, dismal existence.
Still Tucker worried about the man that he once called friend, not that worrying would do any good. Jon's safety was out of his hands.
But Trip didn't have long to fret, Jon and T'Pol were back only minutes after they left and while Trip was relieved that the pair was safe, the cold look that Jon gave him before rushing off to sickbay broke his heart all over again.
Tucker thought he successfully hid his pain from T'Pol, but the engineer couldn't help but sigh as he went to brief Reed on the surprise that was awaiting him in the situation room. Tucker's existence in hell was continuing, and it looked like he wasn't going to find salvation any time soon.
Finis