Phlox's Imp

by Belen09

Doctor Phlox of Denobula left notes regarding the procedure - not that anyone would necessarily read them if the mission failed - but as a scientist he wished to note the adaptability of Lyssarian Desert Larvae to the Earth Human Lifeform. That the human whose genetic component had been used, was now deceased, was of course an incentive; Phlox would keep the mimetic simbiot alive.

2. Chapter 2

Phlox's Imp – Chapter Two – Pre-verbal

At first, everything seemed 'normal', for what does a newborn crave but to be held and fed, and kept warm, but even this was 'odd'. In what later he would describe as 'my other life', memories existed (though at a primitive level) of a procedure done to him wherein he was restricted despite much protest. Later in 'both lives' the child would read that some adults thought that very young children did not feel pain. This was not true, and for him it would be the first great understanding.

He wondered why the memories of both of both of his lives did not 'match up'; it was confusing. This world was hard – smelled of plastic and metal; the other world had soft green things that he remembered touching with love. The old, wrinkled tree that had skin (Mummy called it bark, but not like the sound that dogs make)and pretty leaves that changed colour and crinkled when he lie on the ground and rolled on them.

Soon, he watched the opening to this room open and close and he wondered if the soft alive world was 'out there' and if watching how – he could figure out how to get out . . . the big people who seemed suspiciously nice, were in another room where some other hurt adults were. He liked the man with the wrinkles on his face, and the lady with the soft voice who made him think of Mummy. Where was Mummy anyway? He had to find out!

OOOOO

Trip Tucker prowled the corridors of the ship at all hours; he rationalized his actions as concern for getting the ship and crew through this Hell of the Expanse and back home. Spent most of his time in the 'tween spaces patching up the damage that those bastard Xindi were doing, did, and had done to the Enterprise – so much so that his friendship with T'Pol was suffering . . .

He entered the section of the ship that would have him pass by the Sickbay, admitting to himself reluctantly (and often) that it wasn't just the general idea of revenge that kept him obsessed much like the Capt'n, but rather what had happened to Malcolm. (So much that he really, really despised – officially despised – Major Hayes . . . not that he had done anything in particular to earn that – except that Malcolm had disliked the man, and Hayes had taken over Malcolm's position.)

Trip paused in front of the doors to Sickbay and wondered how the 'experiment' (he refused to think of it in any other way, especially because of what had happened to him) was going. The scuttlebutt was that something was 'wrong'. The creature, though old enough to talk, wouldn't speak and seemed confused. Trip was horrified at the thought of something resembling his late, brilliant, snarky, intelligent friend – well, he was horrified anyway – but the success of 'the mission' (as Jon Archer was wont to call it) depended on the reanimation of Malcolm Reed. But not a damaged version . . .

Suddenly the doors to the medical unit opened and a small whirlwind exploded through the gap, and flew right into the legs of the commander. He didn't stagger; the child – and it was a child – was too lightweight for that. Trip guessed that the boy was at most two, maybe three years old. Dark-haired, slight, pale skin, and growling . . . Trip said automatically, "Stop that! If you want to make people understand you, you have to use words and talk!" Clearly angry, the boy replied, "Why is that ?! When baby bears are angry, their mummies understand them when they growl!" And he growled again for emphasis. "Where is my Mummy? My name is Malcolm Stuart Alexander Reed and I live at 1487 Sweetbriar Lane . . ."

Trip was swamped by a flood of emotion, but he kept himself under control and remembered a bit of how you were supposed to talk to children – except that instead of bending down – he sat on the deck and enveloped the child in his arms. "Hey buddy, I know you don't remember me, but I missed you." Tears formed at the corners of his eyes and he said, "Were you looking for your Mom? It's kina dangerous out here. Why don't we go back inside, and I'll tell Doctor Phlox that you are looking for your Mom?"

Keeping his hold on Malcolm, Trip regained his feet and carried the 'creature' that was Malcolm Reed back into Sickbay.

OOOOO