Disclaimer: Enterprise and all related characters belong to Paramount.
Chapter Eleven
Crouched beside the awakening man, Phlox ran a quick scan. The shuttlepod had just touched down on the planet's surface when the Commander's eyes had begun to flutter open once more – he'd been drifting in and out of consciousness for the past half hour. Leaning down, the Denobulan physician took a closer look at his patient. Unless his eyes were playing tricks on him, coming down to the planet was the best thing they could have done for the young officer. Tucker was still pale and ragged-looking, but some of his colour was returning and already, he looked better than he had for the past week. However, there was still one final detail that needed verification...
"Commander?" Phlox encouraged softly, his voice breaking the silence of the shuttle – besides the engineer, he was the only one still on board. Tanner and Michaels were already outside the small craft, both on high alert for any uninvited guests.
Trip frowned as consciousness made itself known. For a brief moment, he fought it, a part of him remembering the pain that always seemed to accompany that certain state. Being awake hurt. A lot. Just as he was going under once more, a voice, just at the peripheral of his consciousness called out again to him. The slight line between his brows deepened as he responded to its familiar resonance.
"Commander…"
The voice called out again, and this time Trip stirred, opening his eyes to stare groggily at a face he had a feeling that he was supposed to know. It took him a while, but eventually he put a name to the man who was looking intently down at him.
"Hey … Doc…" he croaked, his features scrunching up at the pain in his throat.
"You're certainly looking better," Phlox commented with a nod. Another glance at the medical tricorder confirmed what his eyes had already ascertained and his smile grew. Tucker's vitals were slowly stabilising. If his progress continued at its current pace, in a few more hours, the engineer should be out of the critical zone.
The result of the neuroscans was even more encouraging – the levels of his neurotransmitters were finally dropping. It appeared that this Koerin was correct about the gravitational force of the planet, Phlox mused distractedly. And with his cerebral activity returning to normal, the engineer's mind should be in no danger of any uninvited thoughts although, just to be safe, he'd sent the two crewmen some distance away while they awaited Malcolm and his team to rendezvous with them. "How do you feel?"
Trip blinked at the doctor's question, a soft groan escaping his cracked lips as he strove to answer. His tongue darted out to moisten his bottom lip, and he tasted the blood that had dried upon it. Gratefully, he accepted the water container from Phlox and took a sip. He coughed, drawing an uneven breath. "Al'right … I think … some pain … chest … though. Can't breathe…well…"
"This should help," Phlox remarked, very glad for the spark of recognition in the blue eyes and the lucid responses that he'd received so far. Until the Commander had spoken, he'd been, to a certain extent, concerned that there might be some serious brain damage. Never had he'd been more delighted to be wrong about something. Injecting the contents of a hypospray into Trip's neck, he made a brief note in his PADD as he watched the engineer's laboured breathing gradually quieten.
His discomfort fading, Trip looked around at his surroundings with burgeoning interest before meeting the Denobulan's steady gaze. "We're in … a 'pod…?"
"Yes, we've just arrived on the surface of the planet."
"Surface? … Planet?" Trip repeated in confusion. Then realisation slowly dawned with the emergence of a faint memory of a previous conversation. "…some sort … ceremony…?" he finished weakly, looking up at Phlox for confirmation. He relaxed a little at the nod he received, but his fair brows soon drew together once more. "Cap'n…?"
"We'll be meeting them soon enough," Phlox hurriedly assured the young man. He turned away, moving towards the helm but not before advising gently, "Right now, try and get some rest."
"Doc?"
Halting in mid-turn, Phlox looked back to the Chief Engineer, whose mouth was slightly upturned in a faint grin. "Yes, Commander?"
"Guess this means … I survived t'process, huh…?"
Phlox chuckled. "Yes, it certainly does." His smile faded as he issued the drowsy officer a stern edict, "Now, rest..."
Trip sighed but complied without any further argument, lying back on the makeshift bed while the doctor bustled about nearby. Lulled by the low, muffled sounds around him, his eyes closed and he allowed himself to drift off into sleep.
~O~O~O~
Malcolm Reed had never been so glad to see a sleeping figure in his life. The Commander even looked peaceful, as opposed to the tormented man that he was the last time that he'd set eyes on him. Trip's face had lost most of the tense, haggard look that had been a constant companion in the past week, even during a drugged sleep. Now, except for the faint flush on his cheeks, an indication of his slight fever, and the dark smudges under his eyes, the engineer looked his normal everyday self. Well, almost his normal everyday self, Malcolm corrected with a wince, but not quite. Already lean to begin with, Trip now appeared painfully thin, and his seemingly all-too-frail body clearly showed the unmistakable ravages of his recent distress.
He sighed tiredly, running hand through his short, dark hair. At least things were looking up right now – Trip was finally down on the surface, and help was well within reach. All they had to do was to get him to the castle, to where Koerin was waiting for them.
But what if they were already too late…?
Grimacing at his tendency to think the worst of any situation, Malcolm quickly shoved that depressing thought to the back of his mind before it could take hold. This was not the time to be pessimistic. Turning away from his slumbering friend, he used the next few seconds to gather himself, perfunctorily introducing Taelek to a beaming Phlox at the same time. After the doctor had had a quick word with their guest, Malcolm questioned quietly, "It's true then? He's better?"
"Yes, he is."
"That's great news, right?" he asked, all at once uneasy at the strange expression that had flashed across the physician's face. Phlox was suddenly serious, his usual smile nowhere in sight.
"Well, yes…"
There was something else. What wasn't the doctor saying? His own expression turning grim, Malcolm kept his eyes on the still figure and, with a desperate wish that he didn't have to ask gnawing at him, he said cagily, "What is it…?"
"As incredible as they are, the improvements in his health appear to be temporary. According to the most recent scans, some of his symptoms are already returning. Admittedly more slowly and somewhat imperceptible at the moment but they're coming back. He's weakening fast."
Realising that he'd been holding his breath while he listened to the answer, Malcolm let it out in a soft whoosh. "Good grief. But how? I thought–?"
"Yes, well, although the Commander may no longer be susceptible to the thoughts of others down here, the damage that his body had sustained during the past week is finally taking a toll on his health," Phlox explained. "We need to get him back to Enterprise as soon as the ceremony is over."
"Of course, Doctor," Taelek spoke up, commanding their attention. The young Sentinel had been listening intently at the brief conversation between the two crewmates and he didn't like the discouraging note that it contained. Even to his untrained eyes, he could tell that the focus of their attention was not doing so well physically. With a graceful sweep of his hand, he gestured towards the open hatch. "Come, we should leave for the castle at once."
~O~O~O~
"They're on their way," Archer informed the expectant group gathered before him, pocketing the communicator after Malcolm had signed off.
"Excellent!" Koerin exclaimed. "Come, we shall await them at the Healing Chamber."
"Out of curiosity, just why did the psŷc go for Trip in the first place?" Archer asked as the group made their way out of the main chamber through another door.
"It is drawn to powerful cerebral activity like thoughts or strong emotions."
"Strong emotions…?"
"Yes, usually, we use concentration to draw the psŷc to us," Koerin clarified, turning the narrow corridor. "Emotions such as intense anger or happiness may also have the same effect on it. In fact, Taelek was doing just that when the psŷc suddenly flew off, towards where we know now was Commander Tucker's position."
"I see…" Archer muttered. He was beginning to wonder if something else happened down on the planet that day.
"Commander Tucker was aggravated at the time," T'Pol offered at Archer's pointed glance.
He shot her another quick look, one that demanded an expansion of that simple statement. "Aggravated?"
"We had a minor… difference of opinion prior to the incident."
"A minor difference of opinion…" he said dryly with a raised brow, unconsciously emulating his Science Officer's well-known gesture perfectly. Somehow, her answer came as no surprise to him. He gave an inward sigh of exasperation, wondering if the two of them will ever be able to spend any time together without getting on each other nerves after the first ten minutes. Seeing that T'Pol was about to elaborate further, he quickly spoke up with a slight grimace, "Never mind, I don't think I want to know…"
~O~O~O~
"Where're … we goin' now?"
His head whipping around at the whispered question, Malcolm met the shadowed, bewildered gaze of the man lying stretched out on the gurney, while the Denobulan ran a quick scan. Phlox had sedated the engineer before they left the shuttlepod, but like previous occasions, Tucker's high metabolism had somehow made short work of the medication, allowing him to wake up earlier than intended.
"Commander!" the Lieutenant exclaimed, his pleasure at Trip's return to consciousness evident on his normally stoic face.
"Hey … Malcolm," Trip greeted softly before returning Travis's delighted smile. He gave the rest a weak grin. "Nice … of you guys … to drop in … for a visit."
"We wouldn't miss it for the world," Malcolm stated wryly. "Although, technically, you're the one who's visiting, since this time, we were down here first."
"Oh yeah…" Rubbing tired, red-rimmed eyes with one hand, Trip looked up at his friends, a pang of guilt hitting him hard as he realised how exhausted they all looked. "Travis?"
"Yes, Commander?"
"You … feelin' okay?"
Travis grinned. "Isn't that supposed to be my question?"
"…thought a … change would be … refreshin'…"
While the others chuckled at the engineer's answer, one man met Phlox's somber gaze, who gave him an almost indiscernible shake of his head. Malcolm didn't really need the doctor to tell him what he already knew – he could hear it in Trip's voice, the breathless, wheezing rasp of it a far cry from his normal pleasant drawl.
"Well," Phlox broke in, giving the young officer a stern look. "It's still a little too soon for your next dose of medication so I'd like you to please take things easy for now."
"I will, Doc … Thanks." Trip turned his head to one side, and suddenly went still, eyeing the unfamiliar figure curiously. "Who are you…?"
The query was directed at Taelek, who until now, had hung back slightly from the rest of the group, allowing the men to reassure themselves with their Chief Engineer's well-being. With a smile, he promptly stepped closer to the gurney and, after giving the fascinated engineer a short bow, quickly introduced himself.
"… and you're telepathic?"
Malcolm sighed as his attention drifted back to the conversation between the two men. It hadn't taken long for the affable engineer to bond with Taelek, who was equally intrigued with his conversation partner himself, and had answered all of Trip's questions readily.
"Yes." The head bobbed earnestly. "Much like you – at the moment, at least."
Trip grunted. "I'm not so sure … I like it very much ... How d'you … stand the pain?"
"Ahh, Commander," Taelek smiled. "But what you are experiencing is not what it should be, due to your human physiology. There should not be any pain."
"Damn... short changed," Trip quipped softly before falling silent, causing Malcolm to marvel at his friend's ability to joke even when he was obviously not well. The engineer's exhaustion was also becoming more apparent with each passing moment – even the simple task of making conversation evidently was using too much of his fast depleting strength. Malcolm was turning to check on the rest of the group when the faint twang floated over.
"… the Cap'n? … T'Pol? Hoshi? Are they … are they all right?"
Surprised, he looked down. Trip was so quiet after the last time he spoke that Malcolm was sure he'd finally fallen asleep.
"Yes, don't worry. They're waiting for us at the castle…" Malcolm answered with a frown, distracted by the other man's pallor. Except for the twin flushes that coloured his cheeks, Tucker was too pale for his liking.
"There's … a castle?" Trip whispered, his fatigue temporarily forgotten in light of that new and fascinating detail.
Nodding, Travis launched into an enthusiastic description of the majestic stronghold, with occasional comments from Ensign Eric Foster. Tanner and Michaels, with the gurney held steadily between them, punctuated the conversation with some of their own questions and remarks. Everyone soon joined in and the near silence of the forest was broken by their voices and sporadic laughter.
Listening closely but not saying much, Malcolm had to admit that it was really good to hear the familiar drawl again, despite the tired, rough edge to it. All the same, participation in the ongoing conversation didn't take away the fact that the Commander was currently burning up with fever, in spite of the antibiotics that Phlox had continually pumped into him. Malcolm cast his friend a troubled look, remembering his alarm when he'd felt the scorching heat radiating from the man through his uniform. It was also clear that, instead of resting like he should, the sick man was struggling hard to keep his eyes open. Stubborn bugger…
"Perhaps you should try and get some sleep…" the Lieutenant quickly took the opportunity to voice his concern when a bout of coughing overtook Trip in mid-question, only to earn himself an exasperated glare from the engineer for his trouble.
"But that's the only thing … that I've been doing … for the past few days," came the slurred protest. "D-Doc…tor's … orders…"
Right on cue, Phlox appeared beside the gurney, running another scan with the medical tricorder in one hand and a hypospray in another. "Now, Commander, remember what I said about taking things easy? It's time for you to rest …"
"S-See what … I mean…?" Trip looked pointedly at Malcolm, accompanying his quiet complaint with a helpless shrug as the amiable Denobulan adeptly secured the thick blanket tighter around him. He winced when he felt the familiar sting of the hypospray at the side of his neck.
His mouth twitching at the annoyed look on his friend's flushed face, Reed stated in an even tone, "Doctor Phlox is right, Commander. You do need the rest…"
Looking up at the anxious faces staring down at him, Trip knew that they had a point. He couldn't recall the last time he'd felt this bad. Even lying down, his head was swimming and he was starting to be more than a little queasy. And his last sentence, short as it was, just about left him breathless. Closing burning eyes against the fading light – Taelek had mentioned that dusk would usually start at about 2200 hours – Trip struggled to ignore the ache that was building up within his chest.
If only it didn't hurt so much to take in a simple, single lungful of air.
"'Kay," came his almost inaudible acquiesce after a moment. Another wave of pain lanced through him, and Trip turned his damp head to one side, hiding his distress at its vicious sting. And, try as he might, he couldn't seem to stop from trembling either. White knuckles gripping the sides of the gurney hard, the exhausted engineer forced himself to focus on the low murmur of the voices around him, seeking the familiar, calming reassurance that came with it.
He was thankful for the close presence of his friends. They were the only comforting factor in the sea of pain that he was in. He savoured the sound of their quiet conversation, even if he could hardly make out any of the words, allowing it to soothe his battered mind and body. The dose of medication soon took hold, and he didn't notice when sleep crept up from behind to claim him. Long, rigid fingers gradually uncurling, he drifted off, missing the looks of grave concern that passed between the men as they watched his tense, fevered body finally relaxed in a much needed rest.
A/N: Thanks for staying with me and for reviewing Chapter 10!
Exploded Pen: Yep, Archer's in for a rough ride, poor thing. What insane ramblings? Wouldn't trade them for the world! :) Half eaten by Alsatians, huh? Great idea! Although I think the poor mutts would probably get phasered to death by Malcolm before they could even do any of those dastardly deeds… ;D
The Libran Iniquity: What a scenario! Pure genius. g Love the way you think. Poor Trip. The guy's in no condition to do anything at the moment, let alone decipher the mystery that is Malcolm Reed. :D Phew, no typos. ::goes limp with relief:: Oh, sorry about the late posting. My beta has been really busy these past couple of weeks.
Maraschino: Hope you enjoyed this chapter too. :) More soon!
plumtuckered: I'm really glad that you liked the Archer/Trip friendship part. And T'Pol's bit too! Was worried that she might be a little OOC. Thanks for your seal of approval there!
Emiliana Keladry: So glad that you're enjoying the story. :D Thanks for reading!
Drakcir: Sorry! Will try to update faster. There should be about seven chapters more. :)
Aurora: Yes, Ma'am. Sorry if this was a lil' late. The next chapter will hopefully be up soon.