000 I don't own this. At all. Not a sausage. 000 This took a while to get up but in my defence I have been suffering from concussion due to accidentally walking into the airing cupboard door which hurt. A lot. Anyway thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter! So thanks too: soultoast (hee hee you might be even more confused in a minute!), jani (Nope done my mocks before Christmas it's just good old GCSE's now!), Rinne, G.Eliot, Lieutenants-lady, The Libran Iniquity (I took the hint………eventually!), Reedie (Would I ever kill off Malcolm? Well maybe……..but not right now!), Tata (No Enterprise in this, just lil ole Mally and his freaky world:) ), Cha Oseye Tempest Thrain (I'm glad you like it! Although you'll have to decide for yourself whether its heaven or hell :P I prefer the latter but you never can tell!) Ok longer A/N than I expected so on with the story! 000

Malcolm hovered uncertainly, torn in two. He wanted to go somewhere but he felt unable to leave wherever he was now.

There was a sudden jolt that ran through him and he started falling. Till finally………….

Something was poking him.

"Wake up," said a small voice impatiently. It seemed so far away.

"He's back in normal rhythm."

"Wha'?" Malcolm grunted trying to open his eyes.

He was poked again and he could feel the pressure of someone climbing into his lap.

"Daaaddy!" The voice was more insistent and it had a sing-song quality to it that cut through his aching head like a knife.

His eyes were prised open by small fingers and the tousled head of his son appeared in view.

"Daddy, Grandpa and Grandma are here," said Eddie impatiently.

"What happened?"

What the hell?

"Did you say something?" Malcolm asked groggily.

Ow, why do I feel like I've come off a three day bender?

Eddie looked at him strangely.

"Don't be silly I didn't say anything," he said leaping from Malcolm's lap. "Grandpa and Grandma are here."

"Commander if you could just pass me that hypospray………"

Malcolm leapt up from the sofa as if it had burned him, staring wildly round him.

Ok, moving not good. Bad move.

Is there someone here? Can Eddie hear that?

Was that………….Phlox?

"Daddy, what are you doing?" Eddie asked. "Come on."

He grabbed Malcolm's hand and dragged him into the hallway.

"Grandpa! Grandma!" He squealed joyfully and raced off, Malcolm left leaning against the doorframe.

The scene danced hypnotically before his eyes, he shook his head in a effort to clear it but his vision remained stubbornly blurry.

Oh this can't be good.

Is someone talking to me?

"Malcolm," said the voice more insistently.

Malcolm blinked and he stared at the speaker. Emma swam into focus looking mildly concerned.

"Sorry, I was a million miles away," he said shrugging.

"Malcolm! Emma!"

Mary Reed stepped into his line of vision and beamed. She came forward and out of habit he bent down and kissed her cheek.

Emma repeated his gesture just in time for Stuart to darken the doorway.

I can't handle this right now……….what the hell?

Woah. Is he holding the kids? Blimey, physical contact!

Is he…………smiling? That's just wrong. I thought his facial muscles couldn't pull that look off.

"Hello son," Stuart said his voice gruff, but a wide grin on his face. He shifted his hold on Eddie and shook Malcolm's hand. "How's the head? Emma said you'd been to see the quack."

"I'm fine," said Malcolm dazedly.

"Come in, come in!" said Emma propelling them into the kitchen. "You want something to drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"I'll have coffee, Mary will have tea," said Stuart lowering Eddie to the ground.

Malcolm sank into the nearest chair suddenly wondering if his legs would support him anymore.

"Malcolm dear are you sure you're alright?" Mary asked anxiously. "You do look a bit peaky."

"Grandpa, I want to show you something," Joe interrupted, pulling on Stuart's sleeve.

Stuart laughed and Malcolm shuddered involuntarily.

"Give me chance to sit down!" he said jovially. "Show me later Joe."

"Joe go play with your brother," said Emma from her perch beside the kettle.

Joe threw her an evil look before punching Eddie's arm.

"C'mon," he muttered before racing off.

"Do you know what happened? He was fine a minute ago….."

"Did you hear that?" Malcolm asked before he could stop himself.

"Hear what dear?" Mary asked raising her gaze from the boys to her son.

"Never mind," he replied quickly.

They didn't hear it. It's in my head. It's in my head! They could be lying, this could be some trick!

A trick? What are they trying to send me crazy? They don't need to try!

God, I'm so confused, this would so much easier to figure out if my head didn't feel like it was about to split in two!

Emma set a steaming mug down in front of Malcolm and he downed it in one go.

The others stared at him in amazement.

"Didn't that burn you?" Emma asked shocked.

"No," said Malcolm slowly. "No, it didn't."

"Commander perhaps you should go get some rest………"

Malcolm shoved his chair back from the table so fast that he nearly catapulted himself off the back of it.

"Excuse me a minute," He said quickly, all but running to the bathroom.

The contents of his meagre breakfast were deposited in the toilet and he sank back against the unusually warm tiles on the bathroom floor.

What's wrong now?

I've just thrown up, it doesn't take a genius to figure out all is not right in the world of Malcolm.

But nothing's right anyway, this is all wrong! For one thing my father seems to have had a complete personality transplant and I'm hearing voices of people who I know are real but I can't see…………or at least I think they're real.

Don't be stupid they are real and this isn't.

This headache sure does feel real though, and so did Sam's heartbeat when I was holding him.

God, I can't think. I need to find what's happening.

"Just hang in there Mal, the Doc reckons…….."

Malcolm looked around him for a moment and inadvertently closed his eyes.

Malcolm sighed. The darkness was back but this time it felt like it was constantly surging towards him in waves, throwing him in all directions.

"Phlox, is he going to make it?"

The voice was oddly comforting, and although it sounded like a badly tuned radio he found it soothing. It was the one constant he could seem to rely on in the dark, it was the only way he knew Enterprise was real for his 'family' never spoke to him here.

"Hello?" He called into the surging gloom. It was useless and he knew it but he needed to try. "I'm here! I'm right here! Please! I'm right here!"

"I won't lie Captain, the odds aren't in his favour...there's a strong possibility he won't survive."

"Your lying!" he yelled furiously. "I'm here! I'm right here! I'm fine! Help me! I'm here!"

But the voices didn't reply.

000 Okie dokie! Please review and let me know what you think! 000