Key
Sentences/ words that are bold and in italics, are direct thoughts.
Random italic words in a sentence are emphasis.
"Italics with speech marks" signify that what is being said within the speech marks is some distance away.
Bold is Onomatopoeia.
"Bold, italic, and speech marks" signify telepathic speech.
A/N- Chapter 2.
Disclaimer- See chapter 1.
Chapter 2- Captain, We Have a Problem
"Sickbay to the bridge." Phlox said through the comm.
The Captain looked up from his chair. It had been four hours since he and Phlox had found his two most senior officers unconscious in T'Pol's quarters, a hideous rash almost fully covering their bodies.
They had managed to get them to sickbay where the doctor had started to carry out tests. He had said T'Pol mentioned something about a plant, so he needed to find out how, and why, a plant would have affected her so much. He had surmised that it had spread from the Vulcan to the Human through physical contact.
"Phlox?" He asked in reply.
"Captain, we have a problem."
Archer frowned and exchanged a glance with Reed. "Is the thing that caused this airborne, too? Will it spread around the ship?"
"No- that's not exactly the problem. I think you should come down to sickbay."
It took Archer ten minutes to walk from the bridge to the sickbay doors which opened as he walked towards them.
"Doctor? You were going to tell me the problem?"
The Doctor, whose back had been turned towards the captain, turned around and stepped aside from the two bio-beds he was blocking the Captain's view of.
The Captain surveyed the beds. "Doctor. Those are not my crewmembers."
"Yes they are, though they happen to be- somewhat-younger- than you last saw them."
"Phlox, they're babies." The Captain insisted.
"They're hardly babies, Captain. I estimate Commander Tucker at being around two years old. The Sub-Commander is somewhat older, around six, but only just."
"But how can this happen? How can someone be made physically younger?"
"I imagine it's linked to time travel, one goes back in time to how a place was before, so why not go back in time to how a person was before?"
"But…" The Captain protested, breaking off when mini-Trip woke up. His big blue eyes immediately fixed on Archer, drool dripping down his chin as if Archer was a plate of Pan-fried Catfish.
Disconcerted, Archer turned his attention to T'Pol, who also regained consciousness.
"T'Pol." Archer spoke. The girl turned to face him, her eyes huge in a small face with a pointed chin, and tiny pointed ears, topped off by a waif-like look to her delicate body and a pixie cut.
"Do you remember who you are?" Not only did T'Pol look scared that a stranger knew her name, never mind one that wasn't Vulcan, but she didn't seem to understand English.
Archer sighed. "We're going to need Hoshi's help on this. I'll go get her." He said with one more glance at Trip, who hadn't moved.
"No need, Captain. That's what the comm. is for. I'm sure Commander Tucker will benefit from your company. He is, after all, still your friend." Phlox admonished, calling Hoshi.
"But a fat one who looks like he wants to eat me."
"Nonsense. He likes you- see- he's smiling."
Cautiously, Archer walked to Trip's bio-bed, sitting beside the toddler who giggled, another globule of saliva joining the wet mass on the front of the dungaree-like outfit the boy was wearing. Frowning, Archer leaned forward to study the clothing more closely.
"Ah." Phlox said, noticing his friend's interest. "It's something I kept from when my son was young, and I'm glad I did. T'Pol is wearing something of my daughter's."
The Captain glanced at the girl who was staring at them with wide eyes, her arms wrapped around her knees which protruded from a pink outfit of dress with shorts underneath. She looked up when the door swooped open and Hoshi walked in. When she caught sight of what had formerly been her colleagues. She stopped still, her eyes bulging.
"Helello." Babbled Trip.
A/N- Just telling you now that I'm not planning on writing any Vulcan down, as I don't know it, and I don't have the time, or broadband to look at the online dictionaries. It'd be fine if it was Klingon, we have a dictionary and 'Learn Klingon' audio tapes at home, something our mum bought years ago. Personally, I would have bought Vulcan if it was available.