Epilogue

Two days after their rescue mission, Captain Archer finally walked down to sickbay to see his friend and fellow officer. Up till now, Phlox had had them both in quarantine in decon to make sure none of the insects were still on them. It had been touch and go at one point on whether he was able to stabilise their condition. Both of them were extremely dehydrated from fluid loss that had been drained out of them, and he wasn't sure whether there was any internal lung damage due to insect inhalation.

As Captain Archer walked through the doors, both Trip and T'Pol were on bio beds in the far corner. T'Pol was sitting up awake but Trip was still lying down unconscious enclosed within a plastic screen. Both of them had oxygen tubes up their noses and a drip in their arms giving their bodies much needed fluids. They were still pale and drained, but they were both looking a lot healthier than the last time he seen them down on the planet.

"How are you feeling?" asked Archer, as he came towards T'Pol's bed.

"Better," she replied. "Thank you for asking."

"How did the tests come back," Archer asked Phlox, when he walked over to them.

"The damage to their respiratory tracks isn't as bad as I originally feared" replied Phlox, as Archer breathed a huge sigh of relief. Turning back to T'Pol, he said, "I was concerned about damage to your lungs due to the large amounts of insects you both inhaled. They left large concentrations of a chemical within your respiratory tracks, known as luciferase."

"What is that?" asked Archer.

"It's a type of enzyme, which you often find in fireflies and other bioluminescent insects. They inject their prey with this to immobilize them before they go on to feed. Our entomologists are still examining the data to determine the specific type of insects you encountered. They've found quite a few similarities to those found back on Earth."

"I don't recall fireflies on Earth having a carnivorous nature," cringed Archer.

"Obviously that's where the similarities stop," replied Phlox. "Fireflies are predatory by nature, although normally with prey a lot smaller than humans. Usually other small insects, slugs, snails, earthworms…"

"How's Trip doing?" asked Archer, changing this uncomfortable subject, while anxiously looking over at the bed next to them where he lay.

"He's not quite stable yet, but he's doing better," answered Phlox, checking the monitors over his bed. "He should be fine in another day," he said in a reassuring voice, hoping to ease Archer's concern. He knew how close the two were and wanted to ease his worries. "I'm just giving him some additional oxygen to aid his breathing and additional fluids to replenish those he lost. Two or three more hours of exposure and he might not have made it."

"T'pol, I'm sorry," said Archer, looking at her in a remorseful way.

"For what?" she replied, unsure why she needed his apology.

"I should have listened to you … sent down probes to gather more data before sending down a landing party …"

"I agree that you should have been more cautious in your approach," interrupted T'Pol, "but I fail to see how you could be in any way responsible for our situation."

"I nearly got you both killed …"

"The insects were responsible for nearly getting us killed," replied T'Pol. "When I first scanned the planet, I detected signs of a diverse ecology. More detailed scans would have divulged the different types of life indicative to this world, but not their nature. While the situation we found ourselves in was unfortunate … it was also, unavoidable…"

Archer nodded. He appreciated what she was trying to do, but looking over at Trip lying there … so still and pale, he still felt a pang of guilt at what they had both just experienced.

"Thanks … for looking after him," said Archer. "I've known Trip for nearly ten years. He's the toughest thing going … but … bugs, he's scared to death of them … I can't image what it must have been like for him …"

"Under the circumstances, Commander Tucker handled himself quite well …"

"Be sure to let him know that," replied Archer.

"I will endeavour to remind him during our next meditation session," replied T'Pol.

"Trip … meditating," laughed Archer. Then as she just looked at him in a way to show that she was serious on the matter, he began to think … "Just what the hell went on down there between those two." "Well they say an experience like that can change people…"

"Indeed, Captain …"

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A/N If you would like additional scenes to this story - a continuation of how they both cope afterwards, let me know.