A/N: I'd just like to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this story so far...I'm glad to have had such a positive response to my first fic! Thank you:

Spydur1 - Thank you - I will! Enjoy the next chapter!

Exploded Pen - Lol, thanks for reading, and thank you for the insight...I love your work!

Volley - Thanks for the reviews...and the encouragement; you're a star...there will be a couple of chapters to come but we're getting to the end!

RoaringMice - Thank you for the continued reviews! It means a lot to hear that. Thanks!

Disclaimer: Does anyone read this part? How many times do I have to say it? I don't own Star Trek, or Enterprise, or any of the characters. I just wish I did.

Chapter Six

Archer scrubbed a hand through his damp, dishevelled hair in disbelief, and glanced around the bridge. Hoshi was staring at the view screen, wide-eyed. Reed's hands were white-knuckled on the confiscated alien rifle, and Archer could see that he was shaking.

"Hail Enterprise," he ordered, placing one hand on Hoshi's console, "they can beam us out."

"Aye sir."

Archer left Hoshi working on the control panel, and crossed over to Reed. In spite of the icy cold of the ship, there was a sheen of sweat on his face, and he was far too pale. Archer reached out, and took the rifle. Reed surrendered it somewhat reluctantly, as if it were some kind of lifeline.

"It's okay, Malcolm," Archer kept his voice low, out of Hoshi's earshot, "we'll be out of here soon…"

Reed swallowed, tried to nod, and Archer lunged forwards just in time to catch him as his knees buckled, and he finally succumbed to pain, shock and blood loss. Hoshi glanced up in concern, but Archer gestured to her to keep working as he lowered the injured lieutenant to the deck.

"Sir, I can't raise Enterprise at all," Hoshi reported, her voice shaking slightly, "either the storms are interfering or the damage to the communications systems is too great."

"With any luck, Enterprise is looking for us anyway," Archer told her, "T'Pol wouldn't just abandon us. Maybe we can enlist the help of Tabby and his friends – they need to get off the ship as much as we do…take care of Malcolm. I'm going to see if our friend has much to say…"

Borrowing the UT from Hoshi, Archer crouched down next to the unconscious alien. After a moment's hesitation, he untied the ropes, but kept the rifle to hand. He reached over, shaking Tabby's shoulder, until the cat-like being opened his huge, green eyes. The slit-shaped black pupils immediately narrowed, and he spat something that the UT couldn't translate.

"My name is Captain Jonathon Archer," he said, slowly, as the UT translated his words into odd sounding hisses and growls, "we can help you get off this ship if you'll let us. There's a ship in orbit; if we can contact them, they will get us out of here."

Tabby hissed and spat, and Archer switched the UT to audio translation, listening to the androgynous computerised voice as it turned the strange language into English.

"How will you do that? This ship is full of holes and sinking fast. Even our ships cannot survive under hssiss water."

"We have a transportation device that will work even through water," Archer replied, avoiding the technical explanation, "we just need to contact out ship. We responded to your distress signal."

"That was for our sister ship," Tabby replied, dismissively, "They were probably destroyed by the grraawwl Klingons. They hate the Ssas."

"The Klingons did this to you? Your people are the Ssas?"

"We are. As for Klingons…we hate them. They taste disgusting. Your people I have never encountered, but you seem like tender meat."

"Well, we're not food."

"That one may soon be," Tabby said, as he pointed a claw at the fallen Reed, "he smells of blood and sickness."

"We need to get back to our ship," Archer reiterated, "if you help us, we'll take you and your companions and drop you off wherever you want to go."

The large alien thought about that for a long time, and then his pupils widened fractionally.

"Very well," he agreed, at last, "I will signal my shipmates. Get us out of here, and we will not eat you."

"It's a deal."

Archer allowed Tabby to set to work repairing the communications console, after sending a message down to his shipmates in the engineering room to say that their dinner was going to help them escape. Grey and Ginger soon returned, their fur wet and their tempers frayed.

"All of the lower decks are flooded," Grey reported, "if you're going to do anything, meat, I suggest you do it soon before we all hsssah drown."

"That depends on your communication system," Archer replied, crouching down next to Hoshi, "if you can get it to work I can contact my ship and find out if the transporters are functional."

He turned his attention away from the aliens, glancing across at her. Malcolm lay on the cold steel floor, motionless. His pale face contrasted starkly with the dark bloodstains on his uniform, and Archer rested his hand on the young lieutenant's shoulder.

"How's he doing?" he asked, softly.

"I…I don't know, sir," Hoshi shrugged, helplessly, "I've done all I can. The bleeding's all but stopped, but the bullet is still in his shoulder. He's running a fever and I can't get him to wake up at all. We need to get him to Dr. Phlox."

"Get over to Tabby and help him with that communications console. If we don't get in touch with Enterprise soon, this ship's going to implode under the water pressure."

Hoshi nodded obediently, and left, as Archer stood up slowly. He hated the feeling of helplessness that came with being cut off from the ship. He listened to the creaking and groaning of the hull, staring at the water on the view screen. At that moment, he felt he understood some of the fear Reed must have experienced being in the water in the hanger bay. Suddenly, the ship lurched, and Grey spat a curse, springing towards a console. He hissed something, and Archer glanced up. Hoshi had the UT for working with Tabby.

"The hull is starting to buckle!" came the prompt translation, "Water is flooding in! We're sinking faster! Hssiss it!"

Archer's only consolation was the fact that Reed was unconscious and would never know that his deepest fear was about to be realised. They were all going to drown.

A/N: Yes, I'm prolonging the agony. Yes, you all hate me. Yes, I will post the next chapter soon. No, I don't like sprouts.