A/N: Vulcans + surgery healing trance. With that equation going through my head, this is what came out.

Trip couldn't believe his ears. "Are you telling me you're going to have to hit her to make her come out of this?" he started off calm but was shouting by the end of his sentence.

"Please calm down Commander Tucker. She can not only hear you but sense you through your bond. While I do appreciate just how difficult it is for you to hear this, it is the only way to reorient the SubCommander after a healing trance." Phlox did understand. The idea of hitting T'Pol wasn't an easy one for him and the thought of anyone striking one of his own wives was stomach turning. "I'm sorry Commander. I do not look forward to giving this treatment but it is medically necessary."

Trip sighed and rubbed his face with the hand that wasn't clutching T'Pol's. He knew that Phlox would never suggest something like this unless it really was a medical treatment. Phlox was a good doctor and Trip trusted him. He just really didn't like the thought of anyone hitting T'Pol for any reason. "Alright," he conceded. "You know more about this healing trance than I do. I just hope she won't have to do this a whole lot. I'm not sure I can stand to watch this again."

"As do I Commander," Phlox said, patting him on the shoulder. "Although I love the challenge of my position here on Enterprise there are things I truly hate about it as well."

"How soon?" Trip asked. He told himself that he should be glad that Phlox was gearing them both up to doing this. It meant that T'Pol would be waking up soon, hopefully fully recovered.

"From these readings I would say she should begin to awaken within the next few minutes," Phlox said moving to the other side of the biobed. "Under other circumstances you would be expected to be the one to do this." Trip choked and Phlox made a calming motion at him. "I do understand your reluctance Commander. I have three wives of my own and the thought of striking one is sickening. But as you are SubCommander T'Pol's bondmate you are the one person she trusts the most to do only what is necessary and no more."

When he put it like that, Trip could see his point. It was a heck of a thing to have to trust someone with. He leaned over T'Pol and lightly traced the point of her ear. She hadn't let him do that yet, they were still only just past the hand holding stage, but he'd wanted to do it for very long time. "How hard should I hit her?" he asked. He just had to think of it like a kind of Vulcan first aid. CPR hurt like the devil and this wasn't supposed to be any different.

"Are you sure?" Phlox asked, pleased that Trip was willing but wanting to make sure that he could go through with it.

"She needs me to do it and as long as it isn't going to actually hurt her I'll do what I have to." Trip spoke softly to T'Pol, "The doc says that you can hear me, so listen up. I don't like this. In fact I hate it and I never want to do this ever again. So you need to wake up and promise me that I won't have to."

"Strike her across the face with your open hand no harder than you would give a child a hard spanking across the buttocks," Phlox instructed. "She will tell you when she needs you to strike. She will also stop you when she no longer needs the stimulation." Trip nodded and chewed on his lip.

They both watched her face for any sign of her awakening. They were soon rewarded with a slight frown and blinking eyes. T'Pol abruptly sat up. Without letting go of Trip she swung her legs over the side of the biobed and said, "Strike me." Trip complied, although not without wincing, just as Archer led Mr. and Mrs. Tucker, T'Les and Captain Sopek into sickbay.

Phlox immediately hurried over, knowing that Commander Tucker had things well in hand. He could also tell that Captain Archer and the two older Humans that he had not yet met were shocked at Commander Tucker's actions. He had to make certain that they didn't interrupt the treatment. That would be worse than not starting the treatment at all. He knew he didn't have to worry about Captain Sopek or the Vulcan woman with him.

"What the hell!?!" Charles Tucker Jr. couldn't believe his eyes. His son was slapping a young Vulcan woman across the face! He had better have a damned good explanation or he was going to take his son across his knee!

Catherine could only stand in shock for the first few seconds, and then she started to get angry. No son of hers was going to be going around hitting women no matter if she was Human or not!

Archer's first thought was that something on Coridan had done something to Trip. He and Charles started forward only for Phlox to step between them and grab their arms. "Phlox what," he stared to ask.

Phlox interrupted him, "It's a necessary medical treatment. Please don't interfere or you may damage SubCommander T'Pol's mental pathways permanently!" His words stopped Archer and the Tuckers in their tracks.

T'Les watched and came to the conclusion that Humans must not have an equivalent to the Vulcan healing trance. The Human male who was administering the necessary blows to her daughter must be Commander Tucker. She could not see his face from this angle but from what she could see of his uniform he did have the correct rank. From the way he avoided watching his blows she theorized that violence against either females in general or mates in particular was taboo in his culture. And yet he was performing his duty as T'Pol's bondmate. He could have had the doctor do it. 'A promising beginning,' she thought.

Captain Sopek had decided that he was not going to attempt to predict the Human's behavior. He did not have enough information and what information he did have was constantly being contradicted by the Humans that he had met so far.

They were silent enough to hear T'Pol say "Again!" Trip struck once more without looking. Three more times T'Pol said, "Again!" and three more times Trip slapped her across the face. Finally she looked up at Trip. "That is sufficient, thank you."

"Doc?" Trip called and Phlox hurried over to examine his patient. He motioned her to lie back down and proceeded to examine her. Trip stepped back and tried to hold onto his composure. It wasn't working. The combination of relief, worry and fear had him shaking. "Don't you ever do that again," he said softly. He knew that she could hear him.

"Healing trances are necessary," T'Pol began but Trip put two fingers over her mouth.

"Commander you are interfering with my scans," Phlox pointed out.

Trip scowled but removed his fingers. "That's not what I meant and you know it!" he hissed. "Don't go jumping in front of plasma bullets!"

"Captain Sopek would have been killed," T'Pol pointed out frostily in an almost silent whisper. She did not want to have this discussion in front of their parents. She had recognized Mr. and Mrs. Tucker from Trip's pictures. She tried to ignore the emotions that Trip was broadcasting so loudly across their bond. Between the strength behind them and his proximity she could feel them clearly, although they were hopelessly confused.

"You didn't have to take the bullet for him T'Pol. There were other options. I'm sure you know them all better than I do." Trip paused and the emotions that T'Pol was sensing from him suddenly came into focus. A shot of pure fear ran through her before she could block it. Along with the fear she heard Tip say, "I saw him shoot you T'Pol," in a choked voice.

As Trip stopped talking, his emotional broadcasting dropped to the level she had become accustomed to. He had feared for her life, she realized. He had spent every moment she had been in the healing trance at her side, not knowing if she would survive. The knowledge made her next remark more gentle than it would have been otherwise. "I had not realized that you would become this distressed at my injuries. I knew that it would not be pleasant for you but I did not expect the strength of your reaction. I will be more careful in the future."

Trip sighed, relieved. "That's all I'm askin' darlin'. I know you have your duties and I'm not askin' for you to stop doing them, just be more careful when you do."

T'Pol tilted her head, looking up at him. "Is this 'venting'?" she asked.

Trip couldn't help but snigger and nod at her question. It was so typical of her to want to be able to explain his reactions even when she knew the cause. Her curiosity knew no bounds. It was so good to see her alive, well and trying to figure him out. He just wished that they had gotten to the point where she was comfortable enough with his mind that he could hug her. Sometimes this inching towards physical intimacy stuff really sucked, especially when all he really wanted to do was just hold her.

Dr. Phlox had heard the entire conversation. He was glad that they had made it through this crisis and its subsequent revelations as well as they had. It was the first really big adjustment that the couple had been forced to make as far as he was aware. Their reactions boded well for their future together. "All done, you are fit and cleared for duty SubCommander. I suggest however that both of you rest before your next duty shift. Besides, you both have visitors." Cleared to leave sickbay, Trip and T'Pol headed over to see their parents.