Phlox: That Christmas Cheer

Phlox ambled back to his Sickbay happily. He'd thoroughly enjoyed himself at Columbia's Christmas party. Having two parties was deemed necessary because of the Romulan threat, but it also gave Chef and his galley crew a break. They seemed to enjoy the opportunity.

Yes, it had been a splendid evening. Phlox always liked Christmas. Human holidays had a delightful tendency to be infectious. His time spent with the Vulcans had produced no similar enjoyment for Vulcan holidays. Phlox respected Vulcans, and in fact some of the most knowledgeable physicians he'd ever worked with were Vulcans. He just didn't find their holidays terribly fun. A whole day of meditation didn't seem like much of a holiday.

Exchanging gifts, mistletoe, carols – these made for a fun holiday. To be informed, Phlox had asked Crewman O'Toole to explain the religious meaning of Christmas his first year aboard Enterprise. He found it somewhat perplexing that the holiday was celebrated because Christ was born, and the crewman had ended up explaining a good deal of Christianity to him. It was a good thing that she was patient. Somewhat enlightened, he was still not entirely certain he understood where the mistletoe fit into baby Jesus being born in a barn.

Some partygoers had deliberately stood under the mistletoe, while others attempted to avoid it. He found it fascinating. Commanders Tucker and T'Pol had put a unique twist on the tradition, much to T'Pol's relief and Tucker's evident delight. It was, Phlox thought, a beautiful thing. He did so enjoy the holidays!

Entering Sickbay, he prepared some hangover remedies for the morning. It was a given that some of the crew would have partaken in too much 'spiked' eggnog or cider. While he himself did not drink alcohol – Denobulans being sensitive to it and Phlox more than most – he did not have any objections to it in principle. He just wished that they would observe the rule of moderation. Commander Tucker, he noted, had come a long way in this department, notably due to the influence of Commander T'Pol.

It was their first Christmas as a married couple, a statement also true for Lieutenant Reed and Ensign – wait, she was now Lieutenant (junior grade) - Sato. Phlox had learned that around Christmas and New Year's humans often reflected on the past twelve months. The year had certainly been full of changes. In April Commanders Tucker and T'Pol wed. It was a small and private ceremony on Earth, because Commander Tucker feared repercussions if his mother was unable to attend his wedding. In the history of weddings on Earth, Phlox doubted that there had ever been such a unique one as theirs. While many aspects were human, there was also a Vulcan priestess (according to Commander Tucker, Captain Archer had 'pulled some strings' with T'Pau for that favor) and several elements of a traditional Vulcan marriage.

Then in September came the wedding of Lieutenants Reed and Sato, although she was still an ensign at the time. They had a more traditional human wedding on board Enterprise, with Commander T'Pol serving as the matron of honor and Commander Tucker as the best man. Captain Archer, who had just a few months prior married the commanders, now married two more of his senior staff. He had joked afterwards that he was going to have 'his part' memorized at the rate he was going.

Phlox's reflection was cut short by Captain Archer striding into Sickbay. Hopefully he hadn't hurt himself on Christmas Eve. He looked healthy, and indeed that was confirmed by his first words. "How was the party?"

"Quite delightful, Captain. I am however, prepared for a number of 'hung over' crewmembers tomorrow morning."

The captain chuckled. "A wise precaution, Doctor."

"I hope I won't have to treat you the morning after Christmas."

"So do I," deadpanned the captain. "It's bad for my image." What he didn't say, of course, was that it was bad for a captain to be inebriated with the specter of Romulan aggression. The shadow that flickered in his eyes said it for him.

"Besides," joked Phlox, trying to keep the mood light, "the last time you drank too much alcohol, I also had to treat Porthos for a terrible cheese-induced stomachache."

Captain Archer groaned. "I still say that was Trip's doing."

"And Commander Tucker still vehemently denies it."

"Anyway," said the captain in a transparent move to change the subject to a less embarrassing one, "did the crew seem to be enjoying themselves?"

"I didn't see anyone who wasn't. Did you know that Ensign Rochers has a lovely singing voice?"

After a moment, he shook his head. "She's kind of shy. I can't imagine her singing in front of a crowd. Unless…oh, no, is one of these," he pointed at the prepared remedies, "for her?"

Phlox grinned. "No, it was a planned performance. She sang a lovely French Christmas carol." A thought occurred to him. "By the way, are you familiar with 'The Restroom Door said Gentlemen?'"

"I don't know all the words, but I guess you could say I am. Why?"

"Last year several crewmembers engaged in a lively discussion of whether or not it counts as a Christmas carol."

"I remember." It was hard to forget, now that Phlox mentioned it. Malcolm argued that it was a classic. Trip proceeded to sing it for the benefit of T'Pol and Phlox. Hoshi and Travis insisted that it was amusing, but not really a classic. T'Pol pointed out that the song did not actually mention Christmas at all. Archer had observed the discussion without getting involved, and noticed that Phlox was enjoying the debate immensely.

"I found no more consensus among Columbia's crew."

The captain excused himself, laughing as he walked out the door. Christmas carols, Phlox pondered as he checked on his bat, were a delightful thing. He was especially fond of 'Good King Wenceslas,' which Ensign Skalinski and Crewman Higgins had sung so beautifully the previous year.

His menagerie settled in for the night, he went off to fetch his Christmas gifts. He wasn't very skilled at wrapping them, and so he'd managed to put the task off until the last minute.

Phlox sat down to wrap gifts, singing to himself. "We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas…"