A:N: Thanks to everyone for reading, and a big thanks to the reviewers, Buggles586 and Greysummers for pointing out the grammar, hopefully it's fixed. In case any didn't notice my English bad, jk. Don't forget to review. I love them and I would love to hear your opinions on the story

Chapter Two

Bio-beds and Broken Noses

Nearly two days had passed since they picked up the ship; Phlox was having a pure ball running test after test, trying to explain what their unexpected visitor was with very little to no success. Her genetic structure was completely erratic. Every time he turned his back to run a bio-scan her whole system seemed to undergo a mutation. The only explanation he had for the configuration change would be her healing rate was remarkable.

Unfortunately, thanks to Lieutenant Reed's multiple shots, his patient had slipped into a comatose state. Even the administration of a hypo spray didn't stir her. Phlox couldn't help but feel like she had brought her own body into this state. Why he had yet to discover so he was reviewing several scans in his office when Archer entered the sickbay.

The two MACOs were standing guard nodded to the captain. Sent by Malcolm to make certain that the second wake up call was friendlier than the previous one.

Jon didn't even look for the doctor; he's gaze was drawn to the other alien in sickbay. She lay on the bio-bed; the restraints were loosened enough so Phlox could maneuver her body with ease. A blanket covered her body from the collarbone down. Something was different about her though from the first time he saw her. And it wasn't Phlox chopping off most of her hair.

Scars, dozens just on the part of her body that was exposed, he didn't want to know the extent of the scaring. None were partnered like some of the races they had run into in the past. They ranged from deep and disturbing to just a slight change in the tint of her flesh. One held his attention though; it was on her face, running at an angle from the top of the left side of her forehead over the bridge of his nose and down to her right jawbone.

"I have a feeling that was done on purpose," Phlox stated sadly as he approached the captain.

Archer looked to him. Dread covered his face but it was combined with his own sorrow. Even though the female had attacked his tactical officer he couldn't let his compassion for those tortured simply leave him. "Why couldn't we see these when she first came out of the chamber?"

Phlox shrugged. "Perhaps her skin was tightened to prevent damage from the severe cold she was placed in. Her healing capabilities are remarkable however; any internal damage I have documented has been completely repaired without my aid. Why the scars are appearing now I couldn't tell you."

Archer let an idea mull around in his head but he didn't say what he thought.

If she was healing herself from the inside out, maybe then an outer scars were being reverted back to a state because she couldn't sustain them anymore.

The more he thought over the idea the more confusing it became. "How many scars does she have?"

"Hard to say," The doctor admitted sadly once again. "They seem to appear then miraculous disappear," He turned on the monitor above his patients bed to show the footage of what Phlox had described. The longest lasting scar was the one on her face. "This one actually looks far better than when it first appeared. And believe it or not she is far more complicated than just the disfigurements that are scattered over her flesh," He handed Archer the data pad in his hand. "I haven't been able to bring this up just because of the fact every time I do a scan every part of her genetic code has been altered, as though she's mutating in order to compensate for the damage done.

"I haven't been able to do extensive scans for this reason," Phlox continued to explain while Jon looked at the data, unable to believe what he was examining. "I haven't found anything, as of yet, that I can monitor without it morphing into something else completely."

The good doctor pressed another button on the monitor and they gazed at a video that was observing her heart rate. Jon noticed what he was showing him almost immediately. There was no heartbeat, or at least not at the moment.

"Her heart rate is almost non-existent," Phlox remarked now seeming happy at the discovery. "If she wasn't breathing at a normal rate as well as being an unknown species I would of deemed her dead the moment Lieutenant Reed and Commander Tucker brought her in."

"Has she woken up at all?"

"I would have contacted you if she had," Phlox stated with a hint of disgust that she hadn't woke yet but the scans he had run finished and he excused himself to bring them out for the captain to see as well. "Actually I believe she is," Phlox began with a smile handing Archer the data pad. "See the neuro pathways of the brain?" Jon nodded. "They are far more active than someone in a comatose state."

"So you think she's faking it?"

"Oh no, no Captain," Phlox shook his head. "I believe she's in her current state to heal herself but also to learn about us. Her brain activity isn't in the same relation to dreaming brain activity. I'm quite certain that technically she is awake," Archer looked at the alien woman and the scales and longer ears. "The scales are hers as well as the ears," Phlox admitted with a happy smile. "Fascinating species, she'll certainly keep me preoccupied when we don't have any emergencies to tend to."

"Can she hear us?" Archer questioned recalling how the doctor had mentioned her being awake.

"More than likely," Phlox told him with a smile. "But if she is remaining in this state then it is probably best to let her rest. The damage is extensive and I cannot help without knowing more."

"You're just going to let her heal of her own accord?" He questioned moving away from the alien and with Phlox towards the doors.

"I see no reason not to," Phlox thought for a moment. "How is Lieutenant Reed doing? He was suppose to meet me here sometime in past day so I could make certain his nose wasn't broken."

"I'll make sure he comes down," Archer told him looking at the readers. "I'm going to have T'Pol look at this if that's all right."

"Of course," Phlox told him. "I'll contact you the moment she wakes."

Tucker was standing beside the warp coils when he noticed T'Pol walk into the room. Her gaze met his and she walked to him, a data pad in her hand. He moved to greet her leaving his duty to a fellow officer.

"The captain wanted you to review this," She told him plainly handing off the pad to him. "After you are done I would like to discuss it in the mess hall."

He raised an eyebrow. He thoughts were confused but he knew T'Pol and took the opportunity to mess with her a bit. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"I am merely requesting for you to review the data and tell me what you think of it," She told him in that matter-fact way he had grown accustom to. "I don't believe that could be considered 'a date'."

He smiled knowing he had gotten her goat. "Relax T'Pol," He told her. "I'm only kiddin'," He looked at the data pad. "This is all medical reports pertaining to the alien in sickbay?"

She nodded to him. "Yes."

"Why am I reading it then?" He questioned her looking confused at the readings. He was an engineer he wanted to get his hands on the ship that they had brought into the docking bay two days ago. The captain thought it would be unsafe, not knowing if it was booby-trapped or not.

"I simply wanted another person opinion."

"Why don't you talk to Phlox then?"

"I have already spoken to him," She replied. "And Captain Archer wants all senior officers to review the findings. I will see you in the mess hall in one hour."

She walked out leaving Trip dumbfounded at the idea of talking over the medical conditions of an alien whose ship he'd rather be looking over than this. He excused himself from engine room in order to look over the findings. He never realized just how fascinating he would find it until he spoke to T'Pol later that day.

Hoshi was making her way to her quarters when she saw T'Pol walking towards her. She had already delivered the reports to Hoshi who had diligently read over them before she was to retire for the night. She only nodded to T'Pol, enough to tell her of her surprise at the results. T'Pol was obviously not in the mood for conversation as she walked past Hoshi without a second glance.

Hoshi could understand her sternness at the moment. Reviewing Phlox's discoveries was confusing enough for her but she was also trying to translate whatever she had been babbling to Reed and what was ever said on the transmission. She was having minimal success with the translating. So far only able to translate, 'fighter' and 'damage', it was something to work with though.

She was rather shook that she was hoping for the creatures well being. She had attacked Reed and, according to him, was set on attacking the captain as well. Hoshi was rather doubtful at the idea of the alien attacking them with any actual knowledge of it. She had been studying the process of stasis chambers when humans attempted to use them. While it was never truly used the studies conducted had many failures.

Most participants ended up with memory loss. This group behaved erratically, usually attacking whoever helped them out of the chambers. Another good percentage died from the exposure to the extreme cold. Her idea was that the alien was simply scared of them. Forgetting what she had put herself through and didn't realize that they were there to help not hurt.

If she was wrong then the Enterprise might have been in greater danger than she could predict.

Lieutenant Reed reported to sickbay as Captain Archer had instructed him to do. He needed to have his nose set correctly, or at least better than what he had done. He knew very well that the captain knew why he was avoiding sickbay. Phlox was overjoyed with his new patient no matter how confusing her anatomy was for him to study. Reed wasn't really one for listening to the doctor's happiness at the moment. At the moment he didn't have much of a choice.

The captain had ordered him to get medical attention.

He stepped into sickbay, a grimace on his face. He nodded to the MACOs he had placed there to watch over Phlox. It wasn't that he didn't trust Phlox to do his work properly; he just wouldn't trust her unless she was on an autopsy table.

He looked around noticing Phlox wasn't in the room or his office. He looked to the MACOs for the answer who replied that Phlox had stepped out to get food for the numerous animals he brought on board with him. Malcolm gave an annoyed sighed before his gaze went over to the alien that had attacked him.

Strange that she seemed at peace but something was disturbing about her, the scars that he had read about for one but she was different. Her ears almost appeared human to him. Far shorter than the long ones he had first seen but still had a slight point. That point was becoming more invisible with each passing second. Another thing he noticed that was disappearing were her scales, shrinking back to blind in with the tone of her flesh.

Phlox suddenly appeared by his side. "Ah so that was what she was doing."

"Doing what?" Malcolm questioned.

"Making herself appear more human," Phlox stated moving to get a scanner from a nearby tray. "I noticed she was morphing into something. I never would of thought it to be a human. Perhaps she's trying to make everyone more comfortable with her appearance," He led Malcolm over to a chair. "Now let's have a look at that nose."

"Doctor," Reed began as the scans took place. "I noticed something with her eyes when she first came out of the chamber. One moment they were pure white the next blacker than space."

Phlox nodded. "When her eyes are black I suppose she can see heat. Her eyes are very complicated but at the moment they are white and she is as you humans say 'blind as a bat'?" Reed shook his head in amusement to Phlox's statement. "I suspect she'll be moving about in the next day or two."

"I'll be certain to send another MACO when she does," Reed sneered, the idea of having her awake was still not a high on his list.

"Oh now Lieutenant," Phlox began placing his hand on Reed's nose. "I'm sure she was just frightened of you."

He looked defensively at Phlox. "I was trying to keep her from dying of shock!"

"I doubt she would have died Lieutenant," Phlox protested with that upbeat tone of his. "Her body is quite capable of healing itself," Phlox smiled broadly and another annoyed glare was shot. "Almost done," He informed Reed.

Reed's gaze wandered back to the alien. She now looked fully human but the scars were still covering her body. He had read Phlox's analysis of them. Deeming that most of them were purposely placed on her body. For what reason he had yet to discover.

Just as Reed's nose was set, Tucker walked into the sickbay. "Hey Doc," He looked to Malcolm and he raised the data pad in his hand. "Did you read this?"

"Of course," Malcolm told him, his hand moving to his nose after Phlox had finished.

His gaze went to Phlox. "Please tell me this is some sort of joke?"

"You and everyone else seems to believe it is," Phlox told him as a monitor over their visitor's head began to flash. "But it is all true," He began to move. "You are all set Mr. Reed, if you'll excuse me for a moment?"

Tucker looked to Reed. "I can't believe this. And I have to talk with T'Pol on this in about twenty minutes."

Malcolm smirked. "She's trying to get everyone's opinion on the matter."

"Yah," Trip nodded looking over at the woman, when he noticed her appearance she looked confused. He stared at pointing at her while Phlox examined her. "Why does she look human?"

Archer appeared in the sickbay next, obviously checking up on the doctor's progress with their visitor. Instead he moved over to Malcolm and Trip.

"Glad to see you made it down here Malcolm," Archer told him looking between him and Trip. He had noticed the look of discouragement on Trip's face. "I take it that you both have read Phlox's reports?"

"Capt'n," Trip began holding the data pad up. "I've seen some weird things since we've been out here but I don't think anything tops this," He looked over to the woman as Phlox continued his examinations. "Have you seen her? She looks human! Anyone who walks in would think she is one."

Archer looked to Malcolm a rather puzzled look on his face. "I thought you'd be lecturing me like this, not you Trip."

"I have to agree with Commander Tucker sir," Malcolm added to aid Trip in his argument. "This is strange even by this ship's standards."

"I agree but we don't know why she actually attacked us Mr. Reed," Archer defended her. "She very well might have been scared of us."

"I think I'm more scared of her sir," Tucker admitted to them. "Her species had placed warp drive into a fighter ship, she can manipulate her appearance and she can heal quicker than anything so god forbid that we need to kill her and she won't die."

Archer raised an eyebrow and pointed between them. "Are you sure that you two didn't switch bodies?" He looked at Trip. "Her technology could help us find the Xindi."

"What if she doesn't want to aid us?" Reed questioned standing up. "What if she is an ally with the Xindi? We are in their region of space, there's no telling what sides she's on."

Phlox listened quietly as the captain and his officers began to discuss, well more or less, argue over what would be done about her. Trip and Archer were traveling with their opinions but Malcolm stuck with his own gut on the matter.

Phlox could only shake his head at their conversation. He didn't have an opinion simply because she didn't know the woman on a personal level. Then again neither did they. They were basing their idea off of a first impression. He understood that humans were terrible for basing a person or creature off a first impression. He was quite certain that she would be a treat when she was awake. She had altered her appearance in order to show respect for them.

The three continued they're bickering then another voice broke in, this one was more feminine than the others: "Do they ever stop?" Phlox looked around before his gaze fell on the woman. Her eyes fluttered open to reveal the white pupil less eyes. "They're really obnoxious."

Phlox gaze become puzzled. "You can speak English?"

"I've been in your system or shall I say," She lifted her head up to shout at the three by the door. "Their system," They all looked over at her and Phlox. "Before. I just needed to listen to..taotoive?"

Phlox thought for a moment before he replied; "Refresh?"

"Yes," She began as the captain walked over to them. "Refresh," Her gaze went to Malcolm and she smirked obviously remembering him. "How's your nose?"

A:N: Yeah I'll leave it their for you. Thanks again to Buggles586 and Greysummers for their reviews! Don't forget to review