A/N Sorry this has taken so long but I have had problems uploading the chapters. Thanks for all of those who have reviewed so far.

I just wanted to let you know that my story will not delve too deeply into the symptons of Clarks Syndrom like Drogna's excellent story. Instead it will concentrate more on the characters of Jon and Trip and how T'Pol and Phlox help them both come too terms with their problemss. I'm not sure yet if I will actually let Trip find out that Jon is his brother or whether to let Jon keep it a secret.

Chapter Six

The day seemed to drag as Trip spent all his time in Engineering trying to keep his mind focused on his job, not all that easy when his head ached like a son of a bitch. He knew that Phlox would have given him some pain killers in a flash, but if the truth was known, what Phlox had told him scared him to the core. The very thought of sickbay, never mind the sight of it, brought forth images of what was to come in regards to his illness, and Trip just couldn't handle that right now.

In the same manner, Archer remained in his ready room trying to keep his mind focused on reports regarding the ship and Starfleet. He'd hoped saying goodbye to his mother earlier would have eased his troubled thoughts on how his father, the man he'd looked up to, had betrayed their trust in such a despicable manner. But no matter how hard he tried, the image of his father in an intimate tryst with Trip's mom just wouldn't budge. How could he face his friend, knowing that Trip's mother was the cause of all the heartache his family had gone through when Henry and Sally broke up?

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During dinner later that night, T'Pol knew instantly that something was wrong. The atmosphere was heavy and tense in the Captain's private dining room as both Trip and Archer tucked into their meals with none of the friendly banter that she was used to. They had acknowledged each other's presence upon entering, but after that, neither seemed to want to initiate conversation or even eye contact. As a Vulcan, T'Pol wouldn't have found this behavior too out of place, but having served on the ship for the last three years, she had grown accustomed to their dinner conversations and often found them quite stimulating. She hoped that they hadn't had a falling out, like what had previously happened a year ago with the Cogenitor. It had taken a while for both of them to sort it out, but morale on the ship had suffered badly through it and she didn't want that to happen again. They had been through enough the past year as it was. She would seek out Phlox later for counsel on the matter, as he seemed to understand these humans on a far deeper level than she could emotionally comprehend.

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Entering sickbay after dinner, she spied Phlox tucked away in the corner looking at something through a microscope.

"Can I help you, Commander?" asked Phlox, without looking up, causing T'Pol to raise her eyebrow in surprise.

"You're busy, I can come back later …"

"It's not important," said Phlox, waving her back over.

Unsure of how to begin, T'Pol paced up and down for a minute with her hands behind her back before coming straight out with her query. "Has something happened between Captain Archer and Command Tucker while I have been on Earth?"

"Not that I'm aware of," replied Phlox with a look of confusion. "What makes you think something has happened?"

"Their behavior at dinner seems very … 'out of sorts'," replied T'Pol, unsure of how to phrase her concerns. "They seem … distant … towards each other as if they have had a disagreement … again ..."

"I've not heard anything to indicate that they have had words. And believe me, it wouldn't take long for that sort of knowledge to hit the grape vine, if they had," said Phlox. "Captain Archer's mother stopped over for a visit recently. I know he hasn't seen her in a long time and it's not unusual for humans to feel drained after an emotionally charged event.

T'Pol nodded to indicate that he had a valid point.

"I'm not sure about Commander Tucker," said Phlox, shifting his gaze to the microscope again to avoid eye contact. "He probably has a lot on his mind with the repairs to the ship," he mused quietly. "Maybe you should talk to him … try to find out what's bothering him."

T'Pol threw him a curious look. She had gone over the crew duty roster on her return, so she knew that Trip hadn't had much to do while Jupiter Station was refitting Enterprise, and they hadn't experienced any problems that needed his immediate attention. Looking at Phlox's whole stance and tone of voice, T'Pol could tell that he was keeping something back in regards to Trip and what was presently wrong with him. "Hmmmm… curious," she thought.

"Thank you Doctor … I believe that would be a logical course of action," she stated before turning round to leave sickbay.

Phlox smiled. Apart from Captain Archer, T'Pol was probably the only other person who could draw him out. Maybe now he will get some support to help him cope with what he's about to face.

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