PART TWO
Jon held Trip tight as the younger man fought for control. "It's okay, Trip," he soothed gently.
"I gave him something for the pain, Captain," said Phlox still holding the hypo-spray in his hand. "Dr. Kavoc told me about his headaches."
"Thanks, Doc," replied Jon.
"Would you like me to stay?"
Jon shook his head. "I think I've got him."
"Very well. Call me if you need anything."
Phlox slipped quietly out of the room leaving Jon with his friend. He hadn't been there for Trip the first time the engineer had heard about his sister so it felt so right to be able to comfort the younger man now.
As the struggles subsided, Jon guided Trip back to his bunk and sat him down. He stepped into the bathroom and soaked a washcloth in cold water then returned to kneel in front of him. Gently, he touched the cloth to his friend's face. Trip lifted his eyes to meet Jon's and in them the captain saw sudden confusion. He smiled gently and handed Trip the washcloth then moved to sit beside him.
"I'm sorry, Captain," said Trip as he pressed the cold cloth to his face.
"For what?"
"For falling apart on you like that," Trip replied. "Not very becoming of an officer, was it?"
"You're more than just an officer to me, Trip. You know that."
Trip looked at Jon. "I don't know that, sir. The lieutenant told me we were close friends but, but I don't remember." He stood up and threw the washcloth aside. "I've lost ten years of my life! Ten years! And now I've lost my baby sister!" He threw up his hands in frustration.
Jon stood and moved to stand in front of Trip. "Hey," he said as he put his hands on his friend's shoulders. "You're not alone in this. You may not remember me or the crew, but we certainly remember you. We'll get you through this, I promise. Okay?"
Trip held Jon's eyes for a long moment then a tiny smile crossed his lips. "I do feel like I can trust you, Cap'n," he said.
"What did you call me?" Jon asked in surprise.
The commander's smile disappeared. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean any disrespect," he stammered.
Jon squeezed Trip's shoulders and smiled. "No, no, it's alright, Trip. You used to call me that all the time. Really, it's alright." Then Jon's smile faded and he dropped his hands from Trip's shoulders. He watched the younger man turn from him to look back at his sister's picture. Jon had ten years of friendship, but for Trip, there was nothing. Their relationship simply didn't exist for him.
Jon cleared his throat. "I'd like you to see Dr. Phlox, Trip and then we can take you down to engineering, see what you remember."
Trip's eyes remained on his sister. "I really don't need to see the doctor, sir."
"I won't make it an order but I'd really like you to, Trip."
The engineer looked back at Jon and searched his face for a long moment. Then he nodded reluctantly and turned back to Lizzie's picture.
"I'll wait outside until you're ready, okay?" Jon offered gently.
"Aye, sir."
The captain slipped out of the room and closed the door. He leaned back against the wall and shut his eyes.
"Captain, is everything alright?"
Jon opened his eyes quickly to see T'Pol standing before him. Not trusting his voice, he merely nodded at her.
"How is the commander?"
"I told him about his sister and the attack on Earth," Jon replied steadily. "He's just taking a few minutes before we go to sickbay."
"I take it he had no memories of the events?" asked T'Pol. She clasped her hands at the small of her back.
Jon shook his head. "None," he replied. "They took ten years from him, T'Pol. Ten years."
"They took ten years from you as well, Captain."
Jon looked at his first officer with startled surprise.
T'Pol straightened her posture. "I would recommend that you leave Lieutenant Hess in command of engineering until it can be ascertained exactly what Commander Tucker remembers."
"I agree," Jon replied.
"Commander Shran and Dr. Kavoc would like to depart right away. Would you like me to see them to the airlock?"
Before Jon could reply, Trip's door slid open and the younger man stepped into the corridor.
T'Pol met the commander's gaze evenly, noting the slight puffiness around Tucker's eyes. She knew he had no doubt experienced an emotional breakdown, a very human response to the news he had just received from Archer. She tipped her head in greeting.
"Sub-commander," said Tucker crisply.
"The Andorians would like to get underway, Trip. I imagine you'd like to say goodbye?"
Tucker nodded. "Yes, sir. I would," he replied.
As the three officers walked down the corridor, T'Pol watched in her peripheral vision how Tucker looked around, his expression one of wonder and awe. She had to remind herself that for the engineer, he was seeing Enterprise for the first time.
The knowledge that he remembered nothing had been quite unsettling for her. She had grown close to Tucker through their neuro-pressure sessions and had discovered him to be an intelligent, compassionate, gentle, and very kind human being. He had quite simply become her closest confidant on the ship and she had come to treasure that relationship. She had even more recently begun to consider seeking more intimacy with him. T'Pol's gaze fell to her feet as it again struck her that her relationship with Tucker was gone, wiped away with all his other memories.
Shran and Kavoc were waiting at the airlock with Dr. Phlox when T'Pol and her two companions arrived.
"Well, Captain," began Shran. "Keep your pink skin out of trouble."
Archer smiled in response.
"And good luck with your mission," the Andorian added. "If I weren't under orders to return to Andoria, I would gladly fight at your side. I doubt you believe that but it's the truth."
"I do believe that, Shran," replied Archer. He extended his hand. "Thank you." He glanced at Tucker then back to the Andorian. "For everything."
Shran nodded and took the captain's proffered hand then moved in front of Tucker. "Commander Tucker," he said with a hint of fondness. "I wish you luck in your journey."
"Are you sure you have to leave so soon?" Tucker asked as he took Shran's hand.
"I'm afraid so," replied the commander. He squinted his eyes. "You'll be fine, Mr. Tucker. You're home now."
Tucker shifted on his feet then gave a small, sideways smile. "I'll try to remember that."
T'Pol met Shran's gaze and nodded her head. "Commander."
"Sub-commander," replied Shran. He then stepped back toward the airlock door as Dr. Kavoc said his goodbyes then both men disappeared from view as the door slid shut. T'Pol moved to the control panel and disengaged the docking clamps, then watched the monitor as the Andorian ship departed. She turned back to her three companions.
"I guess I should introduce myself, Commander," said the Denobulan. "I'm Dr. Phlox."
"Nice to meet you, Doc," replied Tucker. "I guess you want to take a look at me, huh?"
"Only if you're ready."
Tucker inhaled a breath. "Well I doubt I'll get to go to engineering without getting the once over, so I guess now is as good a time as any."
Phlox smiled warmly. "Then shall we?"
T'Pol walked beside the captain just behind Phlox and Tucker as they made their way to sickbay. She could tell by his posture and his expression that the captain was confused by the recent events. If she found Tucker's amnesia disconcerting, she could only imagine how Archer felt.
She had at first been concerned by the close friendship between captain and commander, as had the High Command, but Archer had always been able to make the hard decisions whenever Tucker was involved, so T'Pol had remained quiet. Their friendship had never threatened the safety of the ship. As her own relationship with the two men grew, her respect for both men had grown as well. She had realized how difficult it was for them, knowing that any day, any moment, one of them would possibly have to make a life- ending decision.
Just as Archer had, she reminded herself, when they'd abandoned their search after Tucker's shuttle went missing.
She snapped out of her reverie as the group arrived at sickbay.
"Have a seat, Commander," directed Phlox.
T'Pol and Archer moved aside as Tucker hopped up onto a bio bed.
Phlox picked up a medical scanner from the counter then moved back to Tucker's side. "Please remove your uniform to the waist. Dr. Kavoc said that some of your wounds were still healing. I'll need to treat them with an antiseptic salve."
Tucker hesitated and looked quickly over to Archer.
"You can trust the doctor, Trip," the captain said gently.
T'Pol quickly noted that a bond was again forming between the two men and an unfamiliar warmth coursed through her suddenly, a feeling she was oddly unable to identify.
Tucker removed his uniform and undershirts and T'Pol had to quickly suppress a gasp. His upper torso was covered with dark bruises and scabbed- over wounds, his abdomen streaked with ugly elongated burns.
"Trip," Archer whispered.
Tucker looked at Archer again with an almost apologetic expression. "They don't hurt that bad anymore, sir," he said quietly.
"What exactly do you remember from your, uh, ordeal, Commander?" asked Phlox as he ran his medical scanner over Tucker's body.
"I don't really remember much, Doc, except the pain. I've never hurt like that before. Well, at least I don't remember hurting like that before." The engineer shifted uneasily on the bed. "I remember voices telling me to- ---." He stopped and squeezed his eyes shut. "Ah, damn it," he cursed softly.
Archer moved instantly to Tucker's side and placed a hand on the engineer's shoulder. "Easy, Trip," he soothed.
"Just breathe through it, Commander," coaxed Phlox. "Deep breaths, that's right."
T'Pol could see Tucker's body slowly relax. She stepped closer but still remained at a comfortable distance from the bio-bed.
"I can't remember, Doc," said Tucker in exasperation. "It's like they don't want me to."
"Your assumption is no doubt correct, Commander," offered T'Pol.
Phlox lifted the medical scanner again and held it near Tucker's head. "Do these headaches only occur when you try to recall past events?"
Tucker nodded. "During the day, yeah."
Phlox tucked his chin. "What do you mean?"
"They're worse at night. I wake up sick to my stomach from the pain," Tucker admitted. "I guess my brain is working overtime when I'm sleeping."
"Ah yes, the unconscious mind," said Phlox. He looked over at T'Pol. "Would neuro-pressure help?" he asked.
"Perhaps," replied T'Pol.
"What the hell's neuro-pressure?" asked Tucker with a frown.
Phlox chortled good-naturedly. "I'll let the sub-commander explain," he chirped.
T'Pol lifted a brow at the Denobulan doctor.
"Water polo, sir?"
Jon chuckled and nodded. "May I ask what's wrong with water polo, Commander?" he asked teasingly.
Trip shrugged then looked across the table at T'Pol. "Have you ever watched water polo?"
"No."
Trip looked apologetic. "I don't know, sir. I'm a football man myself but then, I guess you already knew that." He drank down the last of his iced tea. "Did I like water polo---well, before?"
"No, not really," Jon replied with a smile. He lifted the pitcher of tea and refilled the engineer's glass. "But you put up with it because I liked it."
Trip looked to T'Pol again. "Did I?" he asked.
T'Pol nodded. "Yes, I believe you did, Commander," she replied.
"Huh," grunted the engineer. He looked down at his plate. "Well then, water polo it is, Cap'n."
Jon nodded his approval then watched as Trip concentrated on his prime rib. He'd been back two weeks and Jon still marveled at how easily Trip had fallen back into his easy friendships. In a way, having the naïve Trip around again had almost eased the constant tension Jon felt in recent months. Almost.
He looked down at his own plate and tried to suppress a smile. In his younger years, Trip had been so awkward and unsure of himself at a personal level. He'd always been confident in and fiercely passionate about his professional abilities, but he'd been rather inept socially. To see him so innocent and vulnerable again was both heart-warming and heart wrenching. Like everyone else who knew him, Jon had been instantly drawn to the younger man. And no matter how hard Jon tried to fight it, Trip had yet again managed to endear himself to the captain.
"Well," said Trip as he pushed away from the table. "Got to get back to engineering." He stood up. "1900 hours in your ready room, Cap'n?"
Jon shook his head. "How about my quarters tonight?"
Trip hesitated briefly then nodded. "I'll see you then." He glanced at T'Pol. "Same time for our session?"
"Of course, Commander."
The engineer smiled at both of them then left the captain's dining room.
Jon sighed.
"Is there something wrong, Captain?" asked T'Pol.
"What? Oh, nothing."
"Are you certain?"
Jon looked askance at his first officer. "Just worried about Trip."
"I understand your concern, Captain, however, Commander Tucker is adjusting quite well given his current circumstances."
"He does seem more comfortable with the crew."
"His ability to make friends is indeed uncanny."
"How are you two getting along? He wasn't exactly a fan of the Vulcans ten years ago."
"He has been quite accepting of me actually. I found it somewhat puzzling until I realized that he was missing a decade of----." She stopped and looked suddenly uncomfortable.
"Of?" prompted Jon.
T'Pol wiped her mouth with her napkin then set it next to her plate. "Of other influences, Captain," she finished.
"My influence specifically, is that right Sub-Commander?"
T'Pol looked at him. "That isn't what I said, Captain."
Jon sat back in his chair and eyed his first officer. "I think that's what you meant, though, T'Pol," he said. "But Trip didn't like the Vulcans when we first met. No one had any influence over him, especially me. He came to his own conclusions. And now he doesn't remember the majority of our battles to get the Warp Five program up and running." He sat forward and placed his forearms on the table. "He's probably more accepting of you now because you're helping him, something the Vulcans he remembers never did."
"Perhaps, but the commander also does not remember your anger over your father. It is my experience that humans tend to be somewhat blind in their prejudices when it involves those they consider important in their lives."
"Not in this case."
T'Pol stood. "I apologize if I've offended you, Captain. That was not my intent. And I am willing to concede that my assessment may be incorrect."
Jon sighed then smiled slightly. "Maybe you are right in your assessment--- maybe. Trip was just a kid back then. Maybe I did influence him a bit."
T'Pol tipped her head slightly in acknowledgement. "I will be in engineering. Good night, Captain," she said.
"Good night, T'Pol."
CONTINUED