--
"Be careful, Lieutenant Sato," Dr. Phlox insisted, as he continued to scan the wild human before him. Phlox watched the hesitant movement of the man toward the lieutenant, his clear eyes darting nervously between himself and the lieutenant. He flipped his communicator open and summoned the captain.
"Go ahead," Jon replied, making his way toward their location.
"Sir, we've located the human life form. He is indeed human, but very skittish. I suggest you remain where you are. We're quite safe I assure you."
"How is he?" asked Jon.
"I'm not sure. I've yet to get close enough for a proper scan."
"I'll be standing by. Let me know when I may proceed. Archer out."
Phlox observed the wary movements of the lean man as he circled the young woman. He had never seen an example of a human such as this. The man was naked and covered in dirt, his beard and hair long and matted.
He had to admire Lieutenant Sato's restraint as the man touched her hair hesitantly. Most humans held a certain regard toward personal space, but this man obviously held no such boundaries only a seemingly intense curiosity. Phlox started to warn her not to get close due to the potential to attract parasites and lice, but decided against it. If he did have anything, the Lieutenant had likely already been exposed, and any parasites could be taken care of in decon.
"What's your name?" Hoshi asked, standing perfectly still, not really minding the spread of his fingers in her hair, yet concerned that he wasn't answering her. "How long have you been here?" She tapped the UT in her hand and made sure it was working.
Her hair came loose as he tugged and pulled on the silken curtain. "How did you get here?" There were no signs of any wreckage, just him and the signal.
The man stood in front of her now, Hoshi able to feel the heat from his body and smell the stench of his odor. He reached for the zipper to her uniform and started pulling it down. Instinctively, she slapped his hand away, pushed him away, and tried to retreat, but he quickly grabbed her hair.
"Ouch!" "Hoshi?" Phlox called out alarmed.
"I'm okay," she assured the physician, tugging fruitlessly on her hair. "He doesn't understand me?" Talk about frustrated, I can talk to a variety of aliens, but I can't talk with another human. I've come all this way and this hunk of junk in my hand is useless.
"Here," Phlox shouted and tossed her a hypospray. "Sedate him so I can complete a medical exam." He could tell the lieutenant was losing patience and he could hardly contain his excitement over finding such a raw example of humanity.
Hoshi caught the instrument with ease and turned around and smiled up at the man, her breath hitching in her lungs. God, he stank! He smiled back and touched her face tenderly, smearing mud along her jaw. In return she touched him back, sneakily moving the overgrowth of hair and beard and trying to find a spot to inject him.
He could see her lips moving, and knew she was trying to communicate with him, but he heard none of her soothing words. He accepted her touch innocently then felt a slight sting in his shoulder. He looked at her quizzically, questioning her actions for a brief moment before lethargy set in and his eyelids grew heavy. Not now! He didn't want to dream. It wasn't time. Try as he might, the darkness of sleep soon consumed him anyway.
As he fell, he pulled Hoshi to the ground with him, his grip on her hair tight and secure. Phlox rushed to her side and contacted the captain. First he extradited the man's hands from her hair then set about conducting a medical exam. He took detailed scans of the man's entire body, lingering on his head and adjusting his scanner.
Captain Archer walked into the clearing and up to the scene. "Who is he? How did he get here? How long has he been here? Is he talking? Is he."
With the patience of a saint, Hoshi explained that the man had been unresponsive thus far and couldn't answer any of his questions. She really did wonder how she had let someone so clueless talk her into hurtling through space in a tin can, which was built by the lowest bidder.
Phlox straightened and studied the scans. "Judging by the scarring along his minor cortex and the evidence of a fracture, he sustained a major head injury about eight years ago. The scarring is located along the part of the brain, which controls hearing. My guess is that he is unable to hear you. He also sustained some damage to the temporal lobe. Other than that and some cavities, he is the picture of health."
"Can the damage be repaired?" Jon asked.
"Not without surgery," replied the doctor.
The captain nodded, weighing his options carefully and quickly coming to a decision. "Make it so."
--
"Be careful, Lieutenant Sato," Dr. Phlox insisted, as he continued to scan the wild human before him. Phlox watched the hesitant movement of the man toward the lieutenant, his clear eyes darting nervously between himself and the lieutenant. He flipped his communicator open and summoned the captain.
"Go ahead," Jon replied, making his way toward their location.
"Sir, we've located the human life form. He is indeed human, but very skittish. I suggest you remain where you are. We're quite safe I assure you."
"How is he?" asked Jon.
"I'm not sure. I've yet to get close enough for a proper scan."
"I'll be standing by. Let me know when I may proceed. Archer out."
Phlox observed the wary movements of the lean man as he circled the young woman. He had never seen an example of a human such as this. The man was naked and covered in dirt, his beard and hair long and matted.
He had to admire Lieutenant Sato's restraint as the man touched her hair hesitantly. Most humans held a certain regard toward personal space, but this man obviously held no such boundaries only a seemingly intense curiosity. Phlox started to warn her not to get close due to the potential to attract parasites and lice, but decided against it. If he did have anything, the Lieutenant had likely already been exposed, and any parasites could be taken care of in decon.
"What's your name?" Hoshi asked, standing perfectly still, not really minding the spread of his fingers in her hair, yet concerned that he wasn't answering her. "How long have you been here?" She tapped the UT in her hand and made sure it was working.
Her hair came loose as he tugged and pulled on the silken curtain. "How did you get here?" There were no signs of any wreckage, just him and the signal.
The man stood in front of her now, Hoshi able to feel the heat from his body and smell the stench of his odor. He reached for the zipper to her uniform and started pulling it down. Instinctively, she slapped his hand away, pushed him away, and tried to retreat, but he quickly grabbed her hair.
"Ouch!" "Hoshi?" Phlox called out alarmed.
"I'm okay," she assured the physician, tugging fruitlessly on her hair. "He doesn't understand me?" Talk about frustrated, I can talk to a variety of aliens, but I can't talk with another human. I've come all this way and this hunk of junk in my hand is useless.
"Here," Phlox shouted and tossed her a hypospray. "Sedate him so I can complete a medical exam." He could tell the lieutenant was losing patience and he could hardly contain his excitement over finding such a raw example of humanity.
Hoshi caught the instrument with ease and turned around and smiled up at the man, her breath hitching in her lungs. God, he stank! He smiled back and touched her face tenderly, smearing mud along her jaw. In return she touched him back, sneakily moving the overgrowth of hair and beard and trying to find a spot to inject him.
He could see her lips moving, and knew she was trying to communicate with him, but he heard none of her soothing words. He accepted her touch innocently then felt a slight sting in his shoulder. He looked at her quizzically, questioning her actions for a brief moment before lethargy set in and his eyelids grew heavy. Not now! He didn't want to dream. It wasn't time. Try as he might, the darkness of sleep soon consumed him anyway.
As he fell, he pulled Hoshi to the ground with him, his grip on her hair tight and secure. Phlox rushed to her side and contacted the captain. First he extradited the man's hands from her hair then set about conducting a medical exam. He took detailed scans of the man's entire body, lingering on his head and adjusting his scanner.
Captain Archer walked into the clearing and up to the scene. "Who is he? How did he get here? How long has he been here? Is he talking? Is he."
With the patience of a saint, Hoshi explained that the man had been unresponsive thus far and couldn't answer any of his questions. She really did wonder how she had let someone so clueless talk her into hurtling through space in a tin can, which was built by the lowest bidder.
Phlox straightened and studied the scans. "Judging by the scarring along his minor cortex and the evidence of a fracture, he sustained a major head injury about eight years ago. The scarring is located along the part of the brain, which controls hearing. My guess is that he is unable to hear you. He also sustained some damage to the temporal lobe. Other than that and some cavities, he is the picture of health."
"Can the damage be repaired?" Jon asked.
"Not without surgery," replied the doctor.
The captain nodded, weighing his options carefully and quickly coming to a decision. "Make it so."
--