AN: I can't believe I've got over 20 reviews!!! Thanks so much, it's encouraging to get feedback. Since I've taken the day off from projects around the house, the boys congregrated their Rescue Heroes toys and Thomas the Tank set in the living room, I've had more free time to write today so I've got another chapter all ready to go! Hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 11

Not You Again

Archer was dozing. After the earlier levity, conversation had dwindled. Malcolm continued pacing...where did he get the energy...Trip had let Hoshi drift into Neverland, while falling off himself. Archer figured if ever they needed to rest, now was the time.

So he had joined them, in a half awake-half asleep state. Jumbled images flitted through his mind, like a slide show; Luvox...big needles...Trip asking him a question but he couldn't understand...T'Pol staring at him with those big almond eyes.

A loud noise ricocheted into the room. Archer moved from the nightmarish sleep state to fully alert. He pulled a knee in, ready to stand. Brutus I and Brutus II were back, along with king Scrooge himself.

"Bored Veen? Thought it was time to play with your little human prisoners?"

Veen laughed loudly, "Captain Archer, how nice of you to volunteer." He waved the Brutuses forward to grab the man.

"I'm a nice guy." Archer said.

Veen didn't appear to agree, but then again, Veen was one of the most disagreeable aliens Archer had met in a while. No sense of humor.

Trip and Hoshi had woken and were watching. Archer shook his head towards them, stand down. They wouldn't get anything but more bruises to show for the effort.

Reed looked like he was going to go for it regardless. Archer held up his arms for I and II to pull him to his feet.

"After you." Archer fought to keep the mental edge. Let Veen think he wasn't concerned. Reality was Archer was dreading another session with his favorite Dr. Headcase.
They hauled him down a hall, and turned into an office; no obfuscated route, blindfold or other attempts at deception. He wasn't sure what to think of that.

He was strong-armed into a remarkably similar contraption. "You guys have spares?"

A dirty look from Brutus I shut him up. No need to get a head start on the beatings.

Luvox presented himself a few moments later, rushing into the room as if he was running late on his appointments. Archer half expected him to apologize for his tardiness.

Luvox inwardly felt a rush of delight. Of all the four humans, Archer intrigued him the most. He wasn't sure why, but there was something there, some spirit. It presented a challenge for Luvox and he wanted to break the man. He enjoyed all of his work, but this case was special. The humans as a whole had presented a depth of challenge he hadn't experienced in a very long time. He was excited to have a second chance at extracting information.

"Captain Archer! What a treat this is, truly. I had heard rumors of your escape...well, it appears they were premature, now doesn't it?" He asked.

Archer wasn't sure if it was rhetorical or not. He decided he wouldn't answer anyway.

"Not feeling very talkative are we? We'll see what we can do about that, hmmm?" Luvox all but danced over to a drawer in a tall metal piece of furniture against the far right wall.

Archer decided now might be the time to protest, "I really would prefer we skip over anything involving needles. I've got this phobia..."

Luvox only seemed more eager, "Even better!"

"There's something very wrong with you."

"But it makes me very good at what I do." Luvox found what he was looking for, and two steps was back beside a now apprehensive Archer. "I would tell you this won't hurt, but that would be lying."

"Don't do me any favors." Archer bit out, eyeing the instrument in his hand. It was large, a lot larger than the previous one. A trickle of sweat snaked down his spine.

Luvox smiled, polite but crazed. How did he manage that? He slid the needle into Archer's thigh.

Oh God, that hurt! He couldn't hold back a moan of intense pain.

"So what...does this do?" Archer struggled against the waves of agony radiating from the injection site. "Make me turn...purple? Break into song...and dance?"

"It hurts, Captain. Hurts a great deal."

"I...noticed...that." Damn, did it hurt. He could barely keep two thoughts straight from the pain.

Luvox straddled a chair, "Tell me what I want to know, and I'll give you the antidote."

"You haven't...even asked...a question."

"I wanted to let you experience the full effects before we get started."

"How nice...of you." Archer panted.

Luvox straightened his coat, white, go figure. Must be some galactic constant that doctors of any sort wore white coats.

"We know Enterprise exists, therefore you are who you claim to be. That leaves two items, my dear Captain. Where are you from, what system is your planet in ...this Earth, and where is our missing criminal?"

Archer fought back the rising nausea, "One-I won't...tell you where Earth is...and two, my dear...I don't know anything about...a missing criminal."

Slap! His head snapped back. Like that hurt any worse than the flames engulfing his nerves. He didn't think it'd be wise to point that out.

"How long do you think you can stand this Captain? Right now your body feels as if it were on fire; every nerve hyper stimulated, every touch will be a breath of newfound agony. Pain taken to limits you never knew existed. Do you honestly believe you can withstand this?

No... "How long do you got?"

"As long as it takes."

That's what I was afraid of. "That's...a long...time." He grunted.

Think Archer, you've got to give him something. But he couldn't think of anything. The pain was overwhelming him, losing his mind in a miasma of irrelevant information and pleads for it to stop.

"Earth, Captain...where is it?"

"I...can't...tell you." Archer couldn't manage a sarcastic comeback. He could barely keep from drooling. His eyes rolled. Help me.

"I would if you answer my question." Luvox replied. Archer realized he must have voiced that last thought aloud.

"I can't." Archer felt tears building in the corner of his eyes. He had never endured such god-awful pain in his life.

"Why? Why can't you? Just answer the question." Luvox was truly puzzled. This man was enduring a pain that sent most subjects gibbering out answers faster than he could record the information.

But Archer didn't answer. Luvox looked at him and realized why. Archer had passed out. He bit out a strangled curse; he should have paid more attention. Obviously these humans couldn't tolerate as much as the average Taltaxin. He'd have to remember that for the next one.

He shoved the antidote into an injector, and pressed it to Archer's leg then waved for Brutus I and Brutus II to take him back.

"Bring me the armory officer, Lieutenant Reed." Next to Archer, he had enjoyed his session almost as much.
Ridney woke up, a rapid rise into a painful reality. He didn't remember losing consciousness. He became aware of several things. He was in a bed. A soft cover kept him warm. A bandage wrapped around his middle. His head ached and he felt...spacy. Drugged then, maybe an anesthesia of some kind?

He cracked an eye-the room was dimly lit. He opened the other eye. He craned his head to try and figure out where he was. There was a table with a basin of water beside him, a chair...it looked like a bedroom in someone's home.

He struggled to sit up. Pain flared in his back.

His movement must have alerted the occupants because the door opened.

"Shurone? Miche Shurone?" Ridney was stunned. The governor didn't live in a meager house of this nature and why had he helped him?

"Shush, lay back you idiot." His words were kind, taking the sting from the criticism. Shurone pushed Ridney back so he was again lying flat. "You were all but dead when we found you. What where you thinking?"

"You are the high-ranking ministry official?"

Miche smiled, "Yes, and very few know this, for obvious reasons. Your actions were not wise."

"I couldn't let them be killed."

"We wouldn't have." He scolded, taking a rag and dipping it in the basin.

"The escape attempt...it was called off." Ridney didn't understand.

Miche wiped Ridney's forehead with the gentleness of a parent with a child, "That one...yes, but we hadn't given up on them entirely. You've never been patient enough Ridney."

Ridney groaned, he had been so stupid. "I'm sorry."

"It may all still work out. We know where they have been taken. It's unfortunate that Luvox has his grimy hands on them again, but he probably would've gotten in another round whether you acted or not." Miche stopped wiping Ridney's face, and regarded him sternly, "We found a device on you. Is it the Humans?"

Ridney nodded, "A communicator. You can speak with their ship."

Miche had hoped that was the case, "Good, very good. We may be able to save them after all."

Ridney closed his eyes. He hoped so. He was even more responsible for this mess than he had thought earlier. What have I done? He found himself slipping back to sleep. Let them be all right was the final thought his mind formed before he was lost to the pain relieving drugs Shurone had given him earlier.

Miche, once assured Ridney was asleep, walked over to the table and opened a drawer. He pulled out the communicator, looked at it briefly then pulled the top lid open. It emitted a beeping sound. He stood, uncertain of what to do.

"Hello?" He finally asked, tentatively.

"Who is this?" T'Pol's voice crackled into the room.

Miche felt the thrill of excitement; he recognized her voice from the recording of Archer's conversation to T'Pol when the away team had first arrived. Archer had been unaware they had monitored his communication with his ship.

"Someone who can help you get your people back." He replied.