Outside, Archer was getting increasingly worried. He paced, waiting for her return. When they heard a loud crash from the building he knew something bad had happened. Without thinking he went to the building, running as he went. Kartass however quickly grabbed him keeping him back. "No, Captain. It's too dangerous for you to go in there!" Archer looked at him and reluctantly he stayed near him and his family.
Inside the building the flames was getting closer to Raya. Suddenly Trip and T'Pol appeared round a corner.
"Raya!" Trip cried as he saw the Ensign trapped under the beam. Grabbing one end, and T'Pol grabbing the other they tried to lift the beam and move it, but it was too heavy for the two of them to move.
"We need Lieutenant Reed." T'Pol pointed out. Trip nodded.
"Let's look for him then. Hold on Raya!" He tried to assure Raya as T'Pol and he started looking for the Englishman, But just as they were about to leave her Malcolm came round the corner, as if he knew that Raya was in trouble.
"Oh my god! Raya!" Malcolm quickly bent down to her.
"Malcolm! We need your help moving this beam." Trip yelled, alerting Malcolm to the danger that Raya was in. He stood up and grabbed part of the beam. Together the three of them were able to move it and Raya was no longer trapped.
Once they got it away from Raya and themselves, Malcolm rushed to Raya's side. "Raya?"
"Malcolm... I can't feel my legs." She said in pain. Instantly realising what must've happened, Trip, T'Pol and Malcolm were all visibly panicking. If they tried to move her it would cause her more pain and more damage and that was too risky, but if they left her there, then she would die. It was a very tough decision. "Leave me here." She said.
"We can't do that! Jess needs you!" Malcolm said... "I need you. I'm not gonna let you die." His face was close to crying, Trip could tell.
"I know what to do." Trip said moving forward. "If we carry Raya between us, like she was on a chair, which might be the safest thing for her." He said. Malcolm looked at him and nodded his head. Carefully, and very slowly they picked Raya up in a sitting position, pausing everytime her face showed one inch of pain. As they picked her up she wrapped her hands round Trip and Malcolm's neck so she could support herself as much as possible. Very slowly and with T'Pol guiding them they walking around the building trying to find a way out, but every door they came to was blocked by a wall of fire. The smoke was now starting to get to them all and they were running out of time.
"Commander, this is pointless. We'll never get out of here. All escape routes have been blocked!" Malcolm cried as they reached another blocked door. Flames wildly dancing around.
"I have an idea." Raya said. She needed Doctor Phlox and she needed him quickly.
"What's that?" Trip coughed over the fumes.
"When I was looking at the dead man, the suicide bomber... I noticed that not all the dynamite had exploded. We could set off some of the C4 and blast a hole in the wall. That way the three of you can get out." She said. Her knowledge of explosives from earth's history coming in very handy in this situation.
"Then i suggest we get started blowing them up" T'Pol said.
"Three?" Malcolm questioned "We're not leaving you behind Raya"
"Who ever detonates the bomb will be killed. I'm injured. It's best if you leave me behind." Raya's three friends couldn't believe what she was saying.
"You can't do that Raya!" Malcolm shouted at her. Malcolm's face scrunched for a second as he tried to think of another way. "T'Pol!" He called. Upon hearing her name T'Pol moved over. "Take over for me will you?" Stepping into position T'Pol took up carrying Raya for Malcolm.
"Malcolm what are you doing?" Trip asked.
"Malcolm you can't do it! Let me do it!" Raya called out, but Malcolm was off down the corridor and out of sight. Tears began to well up in Raya's eyes.
"He's going to sacrifice himself for us?" T'Pol asked, although she already knew the answer.
"Malcolm!" Raya cried after him. Both Trip and T'Pol had no idea what to do now. There was no way that they could stop him now whilst they were both carrying Raya. After a few minutes Malcolm came back round the corner... the bomb in his hands. "Malcolm, please, don't do this."
"I love you Raya." Malcolm gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and moved away closer to the wall, so he could blast through and let them get outside. Trip couldn't believe what his friend was doing. There had to be another way, there just had to be!
Malcolm looked at a window where he could just about see the outside through all the smoke. He looked back at his three friends... Raya, crying so much. Trip and T'Pol were just standing, their mouths open in shock. Malcolm closed his eyes, and triggered the detonation sequence.
As the force of the blast came towards the three friends, they quickly stepped back to avoid Raya being hurt anymore. As the dust settled rubble layered the floor, and there was no sign of Malcolm. Trip and T'Pol looked at each other and then they made their way over the rubble and out into the fresh air. Quickly they rushed over to where the large group of Saravn's had gathered watching to find out if there were anymore survivors. As the three of them came along everyone cheered... Everyone except Archer. When he saw that Malcolm wasn't with them and Raya was being carried he was worried. And seeing the tears flowing down Raya's face proved his fears.
"Malcolm?" He said as they reached the Captain. Trip just shook his head. He couldn't say anything he was in too much shock, his best friend had just sacrificed himself to save his three friends. "What's happened?" Archer asked, nearly at a whisper. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know.
"Captain... Ensign Tagia needs to get to sickbay." T'Pol said. Archer nodded and they moved away back to the pod.
About an hour later and Raya was in sickbay lying down on a biobed. Phlox was standing over her, an unhappy expression on his face. Trip and T'Pol had gone back to the surface of Bedurra to see if they could find Malcolm's body and bring it back to the ship for a funeral. After a few minutes Archer entered. Phlox turned his head to look at him.
"How is she?" he asked as he moved further into sickbay
"The metal beam has severely crushed her spine. And I'm afraid that the damage is beyond repair. She's paralysed captain." Phlox replied. Archer didn't say anything for a while, at a loss at what to say. At that moment Trip and T'Pol entered, carrying a stretcher between them. A white sheet covering a body... it was Malcolm's. He had been found. They gently placed the stretcher on a biobed and moved over to Raya.
"I'm sorry to hear that Raya." Trip said sadly after Phlox informed them both of Raya's condition.
"Lieutenant Reed gave up his life bravely to save yours." T'Pol added. Sadness in her voice.
"He should have let me do it... then Jessica would still have had a parent who could actually look after her!" Raya said in between her tears.
"He loved you Raya" Trip said softly.
"Why did he have to kill himself to prove it though?"
Trip looked at the floor then back at Raya. He shook his head slowly. "I don't know Raya" He murmured.
"Is there any possibility that Raya will walk again?" Archer asked.
"It's highly unlikely... The damage was extensive." Phlox replied. Archer nodded slowly.
"Captain... I understand that now I won't be able to walk, I can't do my job... I think it would be best if I resigned from Starfleet." She knew there wasn't much she could do on the ship now. Archer looked at her. He didn't feel she should resign just because she was now disabled but after all, it was her choice in the end. "And I request that I go to Betazed. Live out the rest of my life there."
"If that's what you want?" Archer asked shocked. Raya just nodded her head. She pursed her lips as tears were beginning to form. She didn't want to leave, but it was really the only choice for her. "T'Pol do you know the co-ordinates?"
"I do."
"Lay in a course. Warp 2."
T'Pol nodded slowly and left the room.
"Cap'n. I know you'll be sad to hear this, but I'll join Raya on Betazed."
"Commander? Why?" Raya was confused... so many things had happened that day.
"Trip?" Archer asked, also wanting to know why. Whatever bad omen had come to them, it had come hard.
"It's what Malcolm would want. I promised him that if anything happened to him... I would help Raya with Jessica." he replied.
"You're right Trip, I am sad to hear it but if Raya doesn't mind, you can go. Just, don't forget us" Archer said sadly, to hear two friends would be leaving the ship, and another was dead was going to make the ship feel very empty. All three of them were well known on the ship.
"Commander you can't give up your career. You've worked so hard to get where you are."
"I promised him Raya. I don't like breaking them." Trip answered, looking at Raya as he did so. Raya just closed her eyes. Trip noticed a couple of tears rolling down her face. "I'll get my engineering team to make a wheelchair for you so that you won't be stuck in a bed for the rest of your life." Trip said trying to comfort her, but it wasn't easy. With that Trip stood up and left.
"We'll have the funeral in a couple of days time. Get some rest." Raya slightly nodded her head. Archer turned to leave, but in the doorway stood a puzzled Dracona. It looked as though she was looking for something, and indeed she was looking for Malcolm. "Dracona?" Archer asked.
"I can't seem to find Lieutenant Reed. I don't suppose you know where he might be do you Sir"
Archer turned to look at Raya, tears filling her eyes again as her mind raced back to the moment he set off the bomb. Archer then looked at the bed where he lay, under the sheet. "I'm afraid he's dead Dracona." He quickly walked past her not wanting to show tears to her.
Dracona stood silent for several seconds. "Dead?" Dracona asked, shocked. She looked at where Malcolm lay. A white sheet covered one of the bio beds. "How?"
"He sacrificed himself to save Commander Tucker, T'Pol and myself... on the planet. We were trapped. He should've let me set the bomb off." Raya was angry... She now wished she had never suggested setting off the bomb.
"I knew something bad was soon to happen but I couldn't figure out what. Now, it's too late." Dracona said silently. If only her telepathy was working, as it should have been she could have prevented it. She felt sad, not only for the crew at losing a fine officer but also for Raya. She looked at Raya sadly, not knowing what to say to comfort her friend.