The vehicle jostled and woke Trip from his doze, the back of the wagon still dark around him, the only light coming from the poor seal around the door. He shifted slightly, careful not to move too much and disturb Malcolm, who was using his lap as a pillow.
The vehicle stopped and Trip heard a door open, then steps pass the side of the truck as the guard came around to the back, opening the door and waving them forward with his weapon. Trip blinked against the sudden brightness, then woke Malcolm and, indicating the door, helped him to stand. They moved unsteadily towards the gate, sliding off the edge of the bed and standing carefully, stiff from the long journey.
The guard motioned them forward and they walked towards some sort of structure, half underground with only the entrance visible, the roof simply appearing to be a slight rise in the grass around it. Stepping in front of them, the guard opened the door with a smile.
A smile? Trip thought, alarmed. Where are we?
Trip took a cautious step forward, his eyes trained on the guard, one hand clutching Malcolm's arm. Ducking to enter the structure, Trip was almost overwhelmed by the sudden warmth, the soft lights, and the smells of food that surrounded him. He felt Malcolm, just behind him, stumble as he entered, and he reached back to steady him.
He heard the guard enter behind them, closing the door firmly and cutting off the sounds of the truck driving away. Glancing at the guard, he saw him lower his weapon, then noticed another person in the room, a woman, clean and healthy. Approaching them, she reached out and tried to take Malcolm by the arm, but he jerked away, almost falling. She held up her hands appeasingly and began to speak, smiling gently, waving them forward and motioning for them to sit.
Glancing at Malcolm, Trip walked forward, wary, and sat on a nearby bench, Malcolm beside him. The woman handed them something that looked like bread, and Trip took it, unsure. When she motioned that they should eat, still talking and smiling, Trip nodded, and tore off a hunk to hand to his friend. As he took his first bite, he saw the guard smile and exchange a word with the woman, then, casually twirling his weapon, walk through a door in the far wall.
The woman slowly came over to them, making soothing noises as she smiled at Trip, and then pointed to Malcolm. She made some sort of sign and said something, and Trip thought that she might be asking if Malcolm was sick or hurt.
It was obvious, to Trip's eyes, that Malcolm was both, but he wasn't sure if he could trust this woman. Hesitantly, he shook his head "no."
The woman looked at him, stern, and then said something, motioning towards Malcolm again.
"It's all right, Trip," Malcolm said quietly. "I don't think we have a choice."
Trip paused and looked at Malcolm, catching the defeat in his friend's eyes. He sighed, then looked back at the woman, and slowly nodded, pointing to Malcolm's back.
She made a sign again, which maybe meant wait, or help, and he nodded. She left the room, walking through another door that opened with a burst of noise, voices, and light. Trip craned his neck, trying to see through the door, but the woman came back into the room quickly, box in hand, closing the door behind her. She sat next to Malcolm, and he watched her warily as she rummaged through the container, pulling out several items and laying them on the bench beside her.
As she moved, Trip noticed her arm. Unlike on theirs, there was no brand, no symbol. Trip glanced up and caught her eyes, which had followed his own as he raised them from her arm. She nodded, then smiled kindly.
Turning her body to face Malcolm, she glanced around him to Trip and raised her eyebrows in a question. Trip nodded, and said to Malcolm, "I think she's Proszka, but she seems to be on our side."
Malcolm looked at him warily.
Trip smiled slightly. "Maybe, anyway. But I think that she's going to try to patch you up."
Malcolm nodded and flinched slightly as the woman pulled up his shirt and jacket. She hissed in a soft breath, then started to carefully pull aside the filthy, bloody, make-shift bandages, revealing the infected wound. She looked at Trip briefly, her worry clearly visible, then back to the injury.
Malcolm sat stiffly, his eyes closed, his head hanging down as she worked to clean the wound as best she could, and then applied a fresh bandage.
Once she was done, she looked up at Trip, her eyes still clouded with concern. She twisted to face her box and, after a moment, turned back to him with a bottle containing some sort of green liquid and a small spoon. Handing the bottle to Trip, she pointed at Malcolm, holding up the spoon in her left hand, and showing one finger with her right. One spoonful, once per day. Trip nodded in thanks and she handed him the spoon.
She stood and waved them forward, indicating that they should come with her. Trip stood and Malcolm finally raised his head, watching Trip move, his eyes dull with pain. Trip placed his hand on Malcolm's arm and helped him rise, and they followed the woman into the back room.
This room was much larger, with areas of cots separated for privacy by curtains and cloths. Trip looked around as they followed the woman. There were at least a hundred people there, of all ages, most looking fairly healthy and well fed.
The woman showed them to an area along the wall that contained two cots, separated from the rest by a curtain, which was currently pulled back. She indicated that they should stay there, and she smiled, then turned and left.
Trip helped Malcolm sink onto one of the cots, and then squatted in front of him.
"Where are we?" Malcolm asked, his voice almost slurring with exhaustion.
"I don't know. Some sort of safe house, maybe?" Trip sat down on the floor in front of the bed, and opened the bottle the woman had given him. "She gave you this." He sniffed at the bottle, then smiled slightly. "I have no idea what it does, but…"
Malcolm grimaced. "Just give it to me."
Trip nodded and poured a spoonful, raising one eyebrow as he moved the spoon up and into Malcolm's open mouth.
"Not bad," Malcolm said, smiling a bit. "Kind of mintish, maybe a little…ooh," he said as he blinked and his smile broadened. "How much of that do I get to take?"
Trip smiled. "One a day."
"Too bad," Malcolm said dreamily. He blinked languidly. "Nice, that. Um, floaty." He straightened slightly. "Back doesn't hurt anymore." He giggled.
"Maybe you should lie down," Trip said, his smile broadening as he stood.
"Sounds nice," Malcolm said through a yawn, his eyes already closing as Trip helped him settle back and pulled a blanket up over him.
x-x
They were walking…Malcolm fell…The guards were there, their weapons drawn…They saw Malcolm crumpled on the ground…One guard raised his weapon and pointed it at the fallen man…Trip heard the shot…
Trip awoke in darkness. He shot upright, disoriented, realising where he was only once his eyes rested on Malcolm, sleeping on a nearby cot.
Trip heard a movement nearby, and then soft voices.
Pushing aside his blanket, he slid off his cot, kneeling in front of Malcolm. He placed one hand, gently, on his friend's shoulder, not wanting to wake him, but needing to know that he was okay. He could still feel the heat of the fever, but maybe less than earlier; maybe that drug was helping. He rubbed his hand along Malcolm's arm.
Trip returned to his own cot and lay back down, staring up at the dark ceiling above him.
x-x
Trip woke in the morning to the sounds of people stirring and the almost unbelievably good smell of food cooking nearby. He groaned as he stretched away the stiffness of the night, smiling as he inhaled and his stomach rumbled hungrily.
He looked over to Malcolm's cot to see his friend still sleeping, his back to him. His blanket had fallen off in the night and lay on the floor beside him, and his filthy shirt had pulled up revealing his bandage, already spotty with blood.
Trip heard pots banging nearby, then laughing. Malcolm stirred and rolled onto his back, squinting against the light.
"Hey, Malcolm," Trip sat up and watched as Malcolm's eyes slowly tracked to meet his. "How're you feeling?"
"Drowsy, and like my head is stuffed with cotton floss."
Trip pushed away his blanket and stood, moving to Malcolm's side. "There's a place where you can clean up, and some food if you want it."
Malcolm nodded. "When did you get so clean?"
"While you were sleeping. You slept for a long time."
Malcolm struggled to sit up. "How long?"
"At least twelve hours, I think." Trip smiled at his friend as he helped him sit. "Good drugs."
Malcolm nodded. "Quite."
Trip helped him to the facilities, washing away the dirt as best they could. They returned to their cots and Malcolm changed into the clean clothes that had been at the bottom of the bed last night. As Malcolm sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, Trip said, "Stay here, I'll get us some food."
Trip went to the food line, eventually filling two plates full of various unidentifiable foods. Balancing both in one hand, he held two drinks with the other, and carefully made his way back to their cots. Settling on Malcolm's bed, he placed one plate in front of his friend, and handed him a drink.
"What is this?" Malcolm asked, staring down at the odd-looking items on his plate.
"I have no idea," Trip replied, picking up one morsel and putting it in his mouth. Around his mouthful, he asked, "Do you actually care?"
Malcolm shook his head, smiling up at Trip. "Not at all," he said, taking a bite and smiling.
Trip felt almost giddy. They were clean, warm, they had food, they maybe were safe…he hoped. Anyway, good fortune, all around. He smiled at his friend as he took another bite.
Malcolm raised his cup in a toast. "Cheers."
Trip raised his own glass. "Salud." He smiled. "To Enterprise, wherever she may be."
Malcolm nodded. "And may she get here soon."
x-x
"So, why do you think they haven't found us yet?" Trip asked, pushing his plate aside with satisfaction, full for the first time in…what? A couple of weeks? However long they'd been there.
Malcolm shrugged, still working on his food. "I'm not sure," he said around mouthfuls. "Maybe our bio signs are the same as everyone else's here. I mean, we certainly look the same." He took a sip from his drink. "Perhaps Enterprise's sensors couldn't…" he let his voice trail off as the woman who'd helped them last night sat next to Trip on the bed with an excited smile.
"Enterprise?" she asked, finishing the sentence in her own language. Seeing the looks of confusion on their faces, she spoke again, the word "Enterprise" coming up in the middle of another sentence. She stood and tugged on Trip's hand, Malcolm putting his plate down as he glanced from Trip to the woman and back. When Trip nodded, she smiled again, pulling him forward, and they both followed her to the back corner of the room, where some sort of equipment was arrayed on a table.
The woman buzzed conversation as she set it up, every once in a while mentioning "Enterprise" as she spoke. After a few moments, she reached forward and flicked a switch, eliciting a strong hum from the device, then some crackling. Bending forward, she spoke into a funnel-shaped object. Leaning back expectantly, she waited, her eyes twinkling merrily as they moved from Malcolm, to Trip, and back again.
After a few moments, Trip heard Hoshi's voice, loud and strong, speaking in the woman's language. He glanced at Malcolm, his eyes wide in shock.
The woman replied, then excitedly waved Trip forward. Cautiously, he leaned in to the mouthpiece, saying hesitantly, "Hoshi?"
Hoshi yelped, "Trip!"
Malcolm winced, and then smiled broadly, leaning against a nearby chair.
"Where the hell have you been, girl?" Trip asked, his happiness clear in his tone.
"Where have we been? Where have you been?" Hoshi asked, excited. "We've been looking all over for you guys. We found your shuttle, and…"
Malcolm leaned forward, saying to Trip, "Nice as this reunion is…"
Trip nodded and leaned back over the funnel. "Hoshi, when can you get us out of here?"
"Today," Hoshi replied. "We'll send down a shuttle. But do you think you can move away from your current location? The people you're with are part of an underground resistance movement there, and we don't want to reveal their location to the Proszka."
Trip hesitated. "I'm not sure, Hoshi." He glanced at Malcolm. His friend was somewhat better, but certainly not ready for another long walk. "Do you think you could talk to the folks here, see if they'd be willing to drive us?"
"Sure, Trip. Could you put her back on the line?"
Trip stepped aside, waving the woman forward, and she and Hoshi began talking again. Trip looked at Malcolm, smiling at the relief on his friend's face, sure that it was reflected in his own. They were going home.
