Chapter Thirty-Three: Emotions
Hoshi opened her eyes and saw T'Pol. She had her phase pistol aimed. The Oknashtian lay on the floor, in front of her, lifeless.
"Ensign, are you alright?" T'Pol asked.
Hoshi only nodded and stood up.
Archer, Malcolm, Trip, a few crewmembers, and other aliens filled the bridge.
Hoshi blinked. The aliens looked familiar. She then remembered they were Horienzi.
Two crewmen carried Travis off the bridge.
Hoshi watched Trip, his eyes not looking at her. He walked past her and hovered over Nevilka's body. He knelt and touched her hand. His head hung and Hoshi looked away. She knew he was disappointed…angry…conflicted. She felt the same way.
Malcolm came up to her and wrapped his arm around her. She placed her head on his shoulder.
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Trip lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He felt numb. He thought of all the things he wanted right in his life, then of all the things he thought should be right. They all never amounted to this; the emptiness and self-loathing.
He heard his chime and sighed. Slowly, he walked to his door. When he opened his doors, there was nobody.
He almost walked back inside when something on the ground caught his attention.
There was a small box, with a note on top.
He picked it up and read the note, "Life is love, love is life."
"Love is complicated; so many emotions, feelings, reactions, and so forth. Love doesn't magically appear overnight."
Trip opened the box.
"That's really pretty. Is it a necklace?"
"It was a gift."
Inside was a golden necklace designed with leaves from a certain tree on Horienzi, Hoshi mentioned a long time ago.