~*~Disclaimer=me no own~*~ Woo! Loads of reviews! (Hey look there's more
than one review and in my book that's loads!) Realised I put in the last
chapter that the first song was we're forgiven by the calling-it was
actually nothing's changed by the calling. Also coming to the end of this
story now, only about three chapters left (ish). I suddenly realised I
haven't updated this story in a while, but I'm putting A Simple Cold on
hold until I've completed Soldier Past, Soldier Present and this story. I
have another idea for a new story as well so yet again I'll probably give
in to temptation and have four stories on the go. (Which is admittedly a
ridiculous number to be writing in one go!)~*~
"I don't remember getting stung," said Malcolm weakly, lifting his head up from the bowl Phlox had provided. "Urgh, it's green....."
"Malcolm!" Hoshi exclaimed looking disgusted. "I don't need a visual commentary!"
"You wouldn't have felt it sting you." Phlox explained. "I believe its sting works in much the same way as your mosquitoes on Earth. You only realise it has bitten you, after it has bitten you."
This was cold comfort to Malcolm as his head disappeared into the bowl once more.
Hoshi surveyed Malcolm with sympathy from the next bed, as Phlox sorted out her head.
"What are you doing about Hannah and the Captain?" Malcolm gasped.
"T'Pol and Trip are still working on it." Hoshi replied comfortingly.
"Suggest a stun grenade to them." said Malcolm leaning back weakly, throwing the menagerie a dirty look as he did so.
"A stun grenade? Wouldn't that kill them?" Hoshi asked.
"Just suggest it to them anyway." said Malcolm.
Hoshi nodded.
"Doctor can I go?" she asked.
Phlox nodded.
"How long am I going to be....." Malcolm began uncertainly.
"Oh for a little while longer, I should think." replied Phlox cheerily.
Malcolm sighed pathetically and then made a mad dive for the bowl again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
"A stun grenade?" Trip asked sceptically.
"That's what he said." Hoshi stated.
"Interesting," said T'Pol her brows furrowed in thought. "I believe that might work."
Trip stared at her looking confused for a moment then the look of realisation dawned on his face.
"Of course." He breathed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Siegat, when will it be light again?" Hakir asked boredly.
"Hakir shut up." Siegat snapped. "The answer is the same as it was five minutes ago!"
"I don't why we just can't start walking now." Hakir whined. "By the time we reach the ceremony site it will be light surely!"
"Hakir," said Siegat a warning note in his voice. "Don't push me."
The atmosphere had changed rapidly from them close to 'mating' to Siegat longing to tape Hakir's mouth shut. Hakir had now gone off the idea of being the other partner in the ceremony and was thinking longing of when it would be over and she would be able to do anything uninterrupted!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
"I think your system has now fully purged the venom," said Phlox smiling.
Malcolm grunted and made as if to leave.
"But if you feel nauseous at any other time, don't hesitate to come and see me." Phlox added. "It might worry the rest of the crew if you vomit such an interesting colour in front of them."
With that cheerful thought in mind, Malcolm exited sickbay quickly and quietly resolved never to eat anything green ever.
He quickly went to find the other officers, hoping that T'Pol and Trip had understood what he had been talking about.
He found the two of them deeply immersed in their work.
"Any progress?" he asked joining them.
"Malcolm! Ya alright now?" Trip asked concerned.
Malcolm nodded abruptly.
"We have managed to create a 'stun grenade'," T'Pol informed him.
"I suggest that we use the transporter to beam someone down to the planet who can then use it on the Captain and Hannah. They will need to be beamed back straight away of course." Malcolm proposed.
"I concur." said T'Pol thoughtfully. "However it must be done soon, we have no idea where they are or how close they are to completing the ritual."
"I'll do it." Malcolm volunteered.
"That would not be wise, you have only just been released from sickbay." said T'Pol
"I assure you I'm fine." Malcolm told her. "I should be the one to do this."
T'Pol studied him a moment.
"Mal, ya can't do this. Ya've just been in sickbay throwing up!" Trip exclaimed.
Malcolm crossed his arms stubbornly.
"Fine." said T'Pol finally. "You may go."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~One hour later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hakir and Siegat rested near the cave entrance staring at the night's sky through the cave opening.
"The sun will rise soon." said Siegat in monotone.
Hakir sighed.
A small noise startled her.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
"No." Siegat stated staring at his clone with interest. "Just your imagination."
Something small and round came to a standstill near them.
"Hey, what's...."Hakir began.
Boom!
Hannah and Archer were thrown back, unconscious.
Hakir and Siegat exploded in a burst of white flame causing the entrance of the cave to cave in killing the clones instantly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Malcolm got off the transporter pad, realising he was shaking.
"It's caved in!" he cried "We have to go back now!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Malcolm, Trip, Phlox and Travis stared in horror at the cave entrance; a hand was visible beneath the rock and rubble.
They began shifting the rocks. Malcolm let out a barely heard cry when he uncovered a face. The eyes staring at him, boring holes into his skull.
"I've found Hannah." He said quietly. "She's dead."
After twenty minutes of hard labour they pulled Archer and Hannah out.
Wordlessly they were carried back to the shuttlepod.
No one spoke. They just focused on what they had to do.
Malcolm couldn't bring himself to look at his dead friends face again. He could feel tears forming, but none fell.
She was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hoshi's face was full of hope as she stood at the shuttlebay doors waiting for them. Her face instantly crumpled as the two still covered figures were carried past her.
T'Pol told Malcolm to return to his quarters. For once he didn't complain.
Hoshi didn't follow him; she knew he wanted to be alone.
Malcolm sat on his bed and stared into space.
*I failed, I couldn't protect her.*
He reached beneath his bed and pulled out a box. It contained data chips of the recorded messages Hannah had sent him. He picked one out and proceeded to listen to it. Wanting to here her voice once more, a part of him wanting to cling to the futile hope that she was still alive.
"Hiya Malcolm!
Was feeling slightly miserable after not having seen you for about a month- which in my book has to be a record! I miss you! I haven't heard from you since that first transmission and you seemed a bit...quiet.
Found another old music file in the attic yesterday-you know I've been helping mum clean it out. Anyway started listening to it. It's really good! Here's track erm....nine. It's really sad; it should come with a Kleenex warning. Anyway here goes, I'll play you a little bit:
'Playground school bell rings again
Rain clouds come to play again
Has no one told you she's not breathing?
Hello I'm your mind giving you
Someone to talk to.
Hello.'
Isn't it just really sad? Aww, I love this one so I'll play you the rest- just humour me Malcolm!
'If I smile and don't believe
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream
Don't try and fix me I'm not broken.
Hello I'm the lie living for you so you can hide
Don't cry.
Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping.
Hello I'm still here
All that's left of yesterday.'
Isn't that just so weepy? What was I talking about? Oh I can't remember! In future I'm gonna write rather than record 'cause I'm too lazy to rewind and see what I've said!
*Smashing sound*
OW! BUGGER! Dammit! Gotta go Mal. Need to find a plaster of some sorts.
Miss ya! Keep safe.
Love me"
Malcolm didn't register as the recording stopped. He could hear one of the song lines replaying in his mind.
'Has no one told you she's not breathing?'
Too close to home.
He threw the chip back in the box and shoved it back under his bed.
*Stupid idea* He thought angrily. *Recordings won't change anything*
He felt hot tears threatening to fall.
"Don't you dare cry!" He exclaimed furiously. "It won't change a thing!"
In spite of himself a tear fell. The door chime rang.
Hoshi came in.
Malcolm stared at the floor.
"She's gone Hoshi." He whispered "She's gone and it's my fault."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hannah opened her eyes and groaned. Everything hurt, she felt like she just come out of a fight with six large angry bears. Wincing she turned her head and saw Archer.
"Captain?" she coughed.
Dust was flying about everywhere. She could see evidence of the rock fall.
"Captain?"
~*~Heh heh heh, I think I'm being evil. Please review!~*~
"I don't remember getting stung," said Malcolm weakly, lifting his head up from the bowl Phlox had provided. "Urgh, it's green....."
"Malcolm!" Hoshi exclaimed looking disgusted. "I don't need a visual commentary!"
"You wouldn't have felt it sting you." Phlox explained. "I believe its sting works in much the same way as your mosquitoes on Earth. You only realise it has bitten you, after it has bitten you."
This was cold comfort to Malcolm as his head disappeared into the bowl once more.
Hoshi surveyed Malcolm with sympathy from the next bed, as Phlox sorted out her head.
"What are you doing about Hannah and the Captain?" Malcolm gasped.
"T'Pol and Trip are still working on it." Hoshi replied comfortingly.
"Suggest a stun grenade to them." said Malcolm leaning back weakly, throwing the menagerie a dirty look as he did so.
"A stun grenade? Wouldn't that kill them?" Hoshi asked.
"Just suggest it to them anyway." said Malcolm.
Hoshi nodded.
"Doctor can I go?" she asked.
Phlox nodded.
"How long am I going to be....." Malcolm began uncertainly.
"Oh for a little while longer, I should think." replied Phlox cheerily.
Malcolm sighed pathetically and then made a mad dive for the bowl again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
"A stun grenade?" Trip asked sceptically.
"That's what he said." Hoshi stated.
"Interesting," said T'Pol her brows furrowed in thought. "I believe that might work."
Trip stared at her looking confused for a moment then the look of realisation dawned on his face.
"Of course." He breathed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Siegat, when will it be light again?" Hakir asked boredly.
"Hakir shut up." Siegat snapped. "The answer is the same as it was five minutes ago!"
"I don't why we just can't start walking now." Hakir whined. "By the time we reach the ceremony site it will be light surely!"
"Hakir," said Siegat a warning note in his voice. "Don't push me."
The atmosphere had changed rapidly from them close to 'mating' to Siegat longing to tape Hakir's mouth shut. Hakir had now gone off the idea of being the other partner in the ceremony and was thinking longing of when it would be over and she would be able to do anything uninterrupted!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
"I think your system has now fully purged the venom," said Phlox smiling.
Malcolm grunted and made as if to leave.
"But if you feel nauseous at any other time, don't hesitate to come and see me." Phlox added. "It might worry the rest of the crew if you vomit such an interesting colour in front of them."
With that cheerful thought in mind, Malcolm exited sickbay quickly and quietly resolved never to eat anything green ever.
He quickly went to find the other officers, hoping that T'Pol and Trip had understood what he had been talking about.
He found the two of them deeply immersed in their work.
"Any progress?" he asked joining them.
"Malcolm! Ya alright now?" Trip asked concerned.
Malcolm nodded abruptly.
"We have managed to create a 'stun grenade'," T'Pol informed him.
"I suggest that we use the transporter to beam someone down to the planet who can then use it on the Captain and Hannah. They will need to be beamed back straight away of course." Malcolm proposed.
"I concur." said T'Pol thoughtfully. "However it must be done soon, we have no idea where they are or how close they are to completing the ritual."
"I'll do it." Malcolm volunteered.
"That would not be wise, you have only just been released from sickbay." said T'Pol
"I assure you I'm fine." Malcolm told her. "I should be the one to do this."
T'Pol studied him a moment.
"Mal, ya can't do this. Ya've just been in sickbay throwing up!" Trip exclaimed.
Malcolm crossed his arms stubbornly.
"Fine." said T'Pol finally. "You may go."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~One hour later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hakir and Siegat rested near the cave entrance staring at the night's sky through the cave opening.
"The sun will rise soon." said Siegat in monotone.
Hakir sighed.
A small noise startled her.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
"No." Siegat stated staring at his clone with interest. "Just your imagination."
Something small and round came to a standstill near them.
"Hey, what's...."Hakir began.
Boom!
Hannah and Archer were thrown back, unconscious.
Hakir and Siegat exploded in a burst of white flame causing the entrance of the cave to cave in killing the clones instantly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Malcolm got off the transporter pad, realising he was shaking.
"It's caved in!" he cried "We have to go back now!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Malcolm, Trip, Phlox and Travis stared in horror at the cave entrance; a hand was visible beneath the rock and rubble.
They began shifting the rocks. Malcolm let out a barely heard cry when he uncovered a face. The eyes staring at him, boring holes into his skull.
"I've found Hannah." He said quietly. "She's dead."
After twenty minutes of hard labour they pulled Archer and Hannah out.
Wordlessly they were carried back to the shuttlepod.
No one spoke. They just focused on what they had to do.
Malcolm couldn't bring himself to look at his dead friends face again. He could feel tears forming, but none fell.
She was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hoshi's face was full of hope as she stood at the shuttlebay doors waiting for them. Her face instantly crumpled as the two still covered figures were carried past her.
T'Pol told Malcolm to return to his quarters. For once he didn't complain.
Hoshi didn't follow him; she knew he wanted to be alone.
Malcolm sat on his bed and stared into space.
*I failed, I couldn't protect her.*
He reached beneath his bed and pulled out a box. It contained data chips of the recorded messages Hannah had sent him. He picked one out and proceeded to listen to it. Wanting to here her voice once more, a part of him wanting to cling to the futile hope that she was still alive.
"Hiya Malcolm!
Was feeling slightly miserable after not having seen you for about a month- which in my book has to be a record! I miss you! I haven't heard from you since that first transmission and you seemed a bit...quiet.
Found another old music file in the attic yesterday-you know I've been helping mum clean it out. Anyway started listening to it. It's really good! Here's track erm....nine. It's really sad; it should come with a Kleenex warning. Anyway here goes, I'll play you a little bit:
'Playground school bell rings again
Rain clouds come to play again
Has no one told you she's not breathing?
Hello I'm your mind giving you
Someone to talk to.
Hello.'
Isn't it just really sad? Aww, I love this one so I'll play you the rest- just humour me Malcolm!
'If I smile and don't believe
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream
Don't try and fix me I'm not broken.
Hello I'm the lie living for you so you can hide
Don't cry.
Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping.
Hello I'm still here
All that's left of yesterday.'
Isn't that just so weepy? What was I talking about? Oh I can't remember! In future I'm gonna write rather than record 'cause I'm too lazy to rewind and see what I've said!
*Smashing sound*
OW! BUGGER! Dammit! Gotta go Mal. Need to find a plaster of some sorts.
Miss ya! Keep safe.
Love me"
Malcolm didn't register as the recording stopped. He could hear one of the song lines replaying in his mind.
'Has no one told you she's not breathing?'
Too close to home.
He threw the chip back in the box and shoved it back under his bed.
*Stupid idea* He thought angrily. *Recordings won't change anything*
He felt hot tears threatening to fall.
"Don't you dare cry!" He exclaimed furiously. "It won't change a thing!"
In spite of himself a tear fell. The door chime rang.
Hoshi came in.
Malcolm stared at the floor.
"She's gone Hoshi." He whispered "She's gone and it's my fault."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hannah opened her eyes and groaned. Everything hurt, she felt like she just come out of a fight with six large angry bears. Wincing she turned her head and saw Archer.
"Captain?" she coughed.
Dust was flying about everywhere. She could see evidence of the rock fall.
"Captain?"
~*~Heh heh heh, I think I'm being evil. Please review!~*~