A Woman in His Life
Chapter 21 Crumbling
By Penmom
(1) Of course these characters aren't mine, I just play with them. (2) This is AU season 3. (3) Thanks to all of you are following this story! As to the comment about Vulcans bein' separated etc. I commend you on your specifics, I've not come across that information before.
How long has it been? Trip wonders. There's no outside light source so that doesn't help and with no tricorder - who knows?
He searches the darkness for Jon, realizing that his night vision is much improved. He sends up a silent thank you to Vulcans everywhere. He spots Jon still out cold in the corner. Tied up as he is, he debates calling out to him but decides to try to move closer to him instead.
Long minutes pass as Trip maneuvers himself to the floor and then onto his back. He rolls himself across the floor until he nears Jon.
"Jon, wake up!" He whispers repeatedly but nothing seems to phase him. Ruling out that front, he decides to pull at the cords that are binding his hands behind his back. Just when he imagines that he is making progress, he hear footsteps outside the door. He immediately rolls himself across the floor to the wall where he began.
Two humanoids enter the room. From his vantage point, all he can see are two pairs of muddy boots. He pretends to sleep as the two near him. His muscles poised, he thinks about what he needs to do. He thinks about Lizzie. He thinks about T'Pol.
The two seem satisfied that both of their captives are unconscious and begin to speak.
"The Xindi High Council will pay well to have these two humans. I have already hailed them with word of our visitors. By this time tomorrow, we will be rich men."
The other responds, "It is a good thing that we have hidden the humans here, we will not have to share the bounty!"
Both men laugh - pleased and sure of themselves. Their laughter spurns Trip to action.
In seconds, he has broken the weakened ropes holding him. Taking a small piece of the offending rope, he quickly loops the cord around one alien's neck and pulls. Pulls tight. The second captor rushes at him, but Trip pushes the now unconscious body at him, knocking him off his feet momentarily. When the man comes at him again, Trip is ready, his mind clear with what he needs to do.
Trip strikes the figure with his fists, over and over --- releasing his fear, his anger --- his rage. When the form finally falls at his feet, he doesn't bend to check for a pulse but rather picks up his Captain and settles him over his shoulder. Exiting into the foreign corridor, he is careful to close the door behind them. Perhaps it will buy them a little more time?
As he shifts the Captain's weight one more time, Trip opens what looks to be the door to the outside. He is confronted with another figure - hooded like the other two. He halls off a punch with his free hand without thinking.
The figure staggers and then speaks. "Wow Trip. I'm here to rescue you! Don't kill me!"
"Malcolm? Oh God, Buddy - you OK?"
Pulling off the hood, Malcolm is confronted with double vision, "I think I'll be fine, going to have one hell of a hangover. I'll wait and give you hell when we get out of here."
And with that they make their way into the forest.
Even with the use of Malcolm's tricorder as a compass, the sky is turning pink by the time they reach the shuttle. As they head up the last steep hill, it occurs to Malcolm that Trip has been uncharacteristically quiet despite their dire circumstances. Typically, this is when Trip goes on the most. Secondly, it strikes him that Trip has been carrying the Captain's dead weight over his shoulder through tough terrain for the better part of three hours without so much as a whimper.
Malcolm adds these latest facts to his growing list of strange occurrences surrounding Trip. Still, this is no time to quibble.
The sight of Hoshi's sweet and very relieved face gives him the energy to get in the shuttle quickly. Even before they hail the Enterprise, they take off.
Hoshi has just finished contacting the Enterprise when a noise catches his attention. He turns in time to see Trip crumbling to the floor. It looks as if he is having a seizure of some sort. He remembers Trip speaking about some kind of drug. He assumes that's it. As Hoshi goes to Trip's side, Malcolm hails Phlox.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Phlox is already dealing with a call from Travis, regarding T'Pol fainting on the bridge when he is hailed by Malcolm. The news is not surprising. Dangerous - perhaps fatally so - but not surprising. He directs Travis to bring T'Pol to Sickbay and then informs a dubious Malcolm Reed that arrangements must be made immediately to transport Trip directly from the shuttle pod to Enterprise.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
As they await the transporter beam, Malcolm kneels beside of Trip and attempts to reassure Trip as he continues to murmur and thrash. Only one word is clear. All that Malcolm and Hoshi can make out is "T'Pol."
Staring across the space that Trip previously occupied, Hoshi and Malcolm share a long look. Each slowly trying to fit together so many pieces of the recent weeks' puzzle. Trip? T'Pol? Malcolm's own recent close encounters leave him convinced. Hoshi suddenly feels at bit guilty over her recent speculation. Whatever is actually taking place, it seems to be serious --- on several fronts.
Suddenly, it all makes some sort of absurd sense just as Trip fades out.
TBC
Chapter 21 Crumbling
By Penmom
(1) Of course these characters aren't mine, I just play with them. (2) This is AU season 3. (3) Thanks to all of you are following this story! As to the comment about Vulcans bein' separated etc. I commend you on your specifics, I've not come across that information before.
How long has it been? Trip wonders. There's no outside light source so that doesn't help and with no tricorder - who knows?
He searches the darkness for Jon, realizing that his night vision is much improved. He sends up a silent thank you to Vulcans everywhere. He spots Jon still out cold in the corner. Tied up as he is, he debates calling out to him but decides to try to move closer to him instead.
Long minutes pass as Trip maneuvers himself to the floor and then onto his back. He rolls himself across the floor until he nears Jon.
"Jon, wake up!" He whispers repeatedly but nothing seems to phase him. Ruling out that front, he decides to pull at the cords that are binding his hands behind his back. Just when he imagines that he is making progress, he hear footsteps outside the door. He immediately rolls himself across the floor to the wall where he began.
Two humanoids enter the room. From his vantage point, all he can see are two pairs of muddy boots. He pretends to sleep as the two near him. His muscles poised, he thinks about what he needs to do. He thinks about Lizzie. He thinks about T'Pol.
The two seem satisfied that both of their captives are unconscious and begin to speak.
"The Xindi High Council will pay well to have these two humans. I have already hailed them with word of our visitors. By this time tomorrow, we will be rich men."
The other responds, "It is a good thing that we have hidden the humans here, we will not have to share the bounty!"
Both men laugh - pleased and sure of themselves. Their laughter spurns Trip to action.
In seconds, he has broken the weakened ropes holding him. Taking a small piece of the offending rope, he quickly loops the cord around one alien's neck and pulls. Pulls tight. The second captor rushes at him, but Trip pushes the now unconscious body at him, knocking him off his feet momentarily. When the man comes at him again, Trip is ready, his mind clear with what he needs to do.
Trip strikes the figure with his fists, over and over --- releasing his fear, his anger --- his rage. When the form finally falls at his feet, he doesn't bend to check for a pulse but rather picks up his Captain and settles him over his shoulder. Exiting into the foreign corridor, he is careful to close the door behind them. Perhaps it will buy them a little more time?
As he shifts the Captain's weight one more time, Trip opens what looks to be the door to the outside. He is confronted with another figure - hooded like the other two. He halls off a punch with his free hand without thinking.
The figure staggers and then speaks. "Wow Trip. I'm here to rescue you! Don't kill me!"
"Malcolm? Oh God, Buddy - you OK?"
Pulling off the hood, Malcolm is confronted with double vision, "I think I'll be fine, going to have one hell of a hangover. I'll wait and give you hell when we get out of here."
And with that they make their way into the forest.
Even with the use of Malcolm's tricorder as a compass, the sky is turning pink by the time they reach the shuttle. As they head up the last steep hill, it occurs to Malcolm that Trip has been uncharacteristically quiet despite their dire circumstances. Typically, this is when Trip goes on the most. Secondly, it strikes him that Trip has been carrying the Captain's dead weight over his shoulder through tough terrain for the better part of three hours without so much as a whimper.
Malcolm adds these latest facts to his growing list of strange occurrences surrounding Trip. Still, this is no time to quibble.
The sight of Hoshi's sweet and very relieved face gives him the energy to get in the shuttle quickly. Even before they hail the Enterprise, they take off.
Hoshi has just finished contacting the Enterprise when a noise catches his attention. He turns in time to see Trip crumbling to the floor. It looks as if he is having a seizure of some sort. He remembers Trip speaking about some kind of drug. He assumes that's it. As Hoshi goes to Trip's side, Malcolm hails Phlox.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Phlox is already dealing with a call from Travis, regarding T'Pol fainting on the bridge when he is hailed by Malcolm. The news is not surprising. Dangerous - perhaps fatally so - but not surprising. He directs Travis to bring T'Pol to Sickbay and then informs a dubious Malcolm Reed that arrangements must be made immediately to transport Trip directly from the shuttle pod to Enterprise.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
As they await the transporter beam, Malcolm kneels beside of Trip and attempts to reassure Trip as he continues to murmur and thrash. Only one word is clear. All that Malcolm and Hoshi can make out is "T'Pol."
Staring across the space that Trip previously occupied, Hoshi and Malcolm share a long look. Each slowly trying to fit together so many pieces of the recent weeks' puzzle. Trip? T'Pol? Malcolm's own recent close encounters leave him convinced. Hoshi suddenly feels at bit guilty over her recent speculation. Whatever is actually taking place, it seems to be serious --- on several fronts.
Suddenly, it all makes some sort of absurd sense just as Trip fades out.
TBC
