C-28

Chapter 14

See Chapter 1 for disclaimer, etc.

A/N: I am nearing the conlcusion. Only a chapter or two to go, so I hope to finish before my spring break is over.


Trip opened his eyes and nearly had a coronary when his vision was met by a pair of eyes almost purple in color, inches away from his face. As he overcame his shock and the owner of the burnt-violet orbs took a step back, Trip managed to find his voice. "Y'know, ya really need to find more tactful ways of wakin' people, Jirah."

"And you need to be less jumpy, but I apologize. After your ordeal, I would be less than calm myself. I'm surprised you allow them to keep that lizard anywhere near you."

Trip shrugged and then looked up at the young Draden. "He won't get past Malcolm, and the doc won't let me out of his sight for a while yet, so I don't really have a lot of choice in the matter."

"Well, if that tak'rghal outlives his usefulness to you and your captain, I would like to have a private conference with him." Jirah said, glancing through narrowed eyes toward where the Xindi was being kept under watch.

"I'll be sure to mention that to the cap'n," Trip said, not bothering to ask what a 'tak'rghal' was.

Jirah nodded. "Archer said I could come and visit you, but the notes which I have brought you concerning our progress with the C-28 I have brought you without his knowledge." Jirah offered a padd to Trip and then helped him raise the bed to a sitting position.

"You're a quick study of smuggling," Trip commented with a smile, then was silent for a few moments as he read over the details. "Great work. Have my teams been checking the already-completed sections of the hull plating at regular intervals for continued molecular stability?"

"As your lieutenant instructed," Jirah nodded.

"Good." Trip worked a couple of controls on the padd, then looked across to the screen on the opposite wall, now displaying several scans, some already completed and some in progress. "Thanks. I'm going to hang onto this for a while."

"You're welcome. I thought you would enjoy knowing how your people have been progressing, despite your injuries and Uncle's attempts to thwart everything. There is one other thing I would like for you to have."

"What's that?" Trip set down the padd on his lap and looked at the Draden, whose voice had changed to a somewhat nervous tone.

From a very well concealed sheath, Jirah produced a sword, the very same one that he had pressed to Trip's throat many hours before, and held it out to the engineer with both hands, bowing slightly. "Take it. It is yours."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You were placed at its mercy, and when I did not kill you with it and you did not kill me, I took you as a companion. It is our tradition. Now, as you have shown that your competence and fortitude in battle is greater than mine, I give you my sword as your trophy. As is also our tradition, you may scar me with it as you choose."

"Why would I do that?" Trip asked with a frown on his face.

"I have not been a useful and worthy companion. I allowed you to fight alone and almost be killed."

Trip waved off the comment. "I didn't even know of your traditions until now, so forget it. I'm sure not going to slash ya up with this thing. One of us havin' ta feel that is enough."

A look of discomfort crossed his face, but then Jirah nodded once in acknowledgement, not making eye contact as he placed the sword in Trip's hands. "As you wish."

"Jirah."

Trip waited until the young man looked back at him. "Ya may not have been able to help me out with the Xindi, but ya helped my friends get out of there. I wouldn't have survived otherwise, so I'd be just a little ungrateful if ah went an' stabbed ya now, wouldn't I?" Trip smiled.

Jirah looked ready to object, but then thought better of it. "If your captain or doctor asks where you got that information, I take no responsibility," he said in the same flippant tone he'd used at their first meeting. The Draden turned and walked out the door then, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.

Trip watched the doors slide shut with a grin before allowing himself to become absorbed in the more intricate details of the progress with the C-28. He placed several scans side-by-side on the screen and cross-checked them with the currently running scans. Catching up quickly with what was going on, Trip linked up to the main computer system and added a few slight modifications to the equations that were running. Noting only one significant discrepancy between the last set of simulations and the current real-time data, Trip progressed through a series of calculations to remedy the problem. He had just sent the last of his notes to the lab when all of his scans froze on the screen.

His eyebrows drew together in confusion, and his gaze shifted back to the padd where he punched a quick succession of buttons, trying to figure out what had happened. The sound of someone clearing their throat made Trip look up. "Oh, hey Doc. Have you been having problems with your screen? It seems to be…" his voice trailed off and he turned his displeased look on Phlox. The 'malfunction' was now quite obvious.

"Feeling better, Commander?" Phlox smiled pleasantly.

"Well I was, but you're makin' it kinda difficult to finish what I was workin' on."

"Your body is nowhere close to being healed, Mr. Tucker. You should be resting, not working."

"Y'know, Doc, there's a limit as to how many times a guy can count the ceiling tiles, mentally compute warp factor equations, not to mention sleep, before losin' his marbles. Besides, I was just reviewin' some scans."

"While preparing for battle?" Phlox raised his eyebrows at seeing the sword that was carefully balanced across Trip's lap.

"Yeah, I thought I'd better keep it around, just in case the Xindi woke up again," the engineer quipped somewhat absently, still studying the padd in front of him.

"That shouldn't be a problem. Captain Archer assures me he will be moved to the brig in the morning."

Trip nodded. "Whatcha got in the vial?" he asked, glancing at the bluish substance Phlox held.

"I've finished synthesizing the neurotransmitter. I estimate you'll need an injection every 12 hours for the next three or four days to completely rid your body of the enzyme, perhaps less depending on just how effectively you respond. You should begin to see improvement within the first 24 hours."

"That's good. I should have my energy back when my muscles relax again, right?"

"In theory, yes, Commander, but it may take a few days. Muscle weakness is an expected side effect of this type of treatment."

"You said I'd see improvement in a day though."

"In your comfort level, yes, most definitely. Any aches you're experiencing that aren't due to your other injuries should subside. Don't expect to feel instantly perfect though. You may even feel slightly more fatigued than you currently do, but I don't foresee any pronounced symptoms as long as you take it easy."

"Well, I should just about be able ta stay awake for a year straight after all the sleep I've been gettin' around here," Trip grumbled, but the look in his eyes belied the hope he felt at finally getting rid of some of the pain that had been with him for the last few days, so he let Phlox inject him without further protest.

"And if you stop working and get a little bit more, I might be willing to release you to your quarters in a couple of days' time. Also, any ill effects you may feel from the neurotransmitter will likely be lessened."

"Make that a day and a half and you've got yourself a deal."

"I'll consider it, Commander, but we'll have to see how your leg is doing and how you're responding to treatment by that time."

"All right. Would ya mind holdin' Excalibur for the evenin'?" Trip asked, offering the sword to the Denobulan.

"Of course, Commander, and I will make sure it's well out of reach of the Xindi."

"Thanks, Doc." Trip yawned then in spite of himself.

"Good night, Commander."


TBC…