Sorry for the delay, folks. Hope I've made it worth the wait. Special thanks to Serit, Hunter of Glitches, for encouragement and assistance on dialogue polishing—hope I'm getting better at it!

D'von's speech pattern is, hopefully, not too difficult to understand. It is a sort of cross between the way I've heard some toddlers express themselves, the way I envision an alien goat-child unfamiliar with English muddling through, far too much time spent at the LOLcats website, and one other thing that I can't mention right now without spoiling a future chapter. Don't worry, though—with Malcolm as a role model, D'von's English can only get better!

The beginning of an explanation of Joining is coming up, and we begin to scratch the surface of why Vulcans and Lehrites don't get on so well...

Chapter 9: Joined

The worst part, Malcolm decided as he lay on the biobed, was finding out that Captain Archer had been the one to catch him when he'd almost crashed to the floor. It was damned embarrassing having to have your CO catch you, and doubly so when you were clad only in your underwear and a bathrobe. Most undignified and decidedly un-Reed-like.

He'd been told that he had only blacked out for a minute, but that had been sufficient time for them to plunk him on a bed, toss a blanket over him, and draw the curtain, cutting him off from the rest of the room. He could hear them talking, and thought he could pick out T'Pol's voice as well. Which meant they were in all likelihood discussing his abnormal brain waves, among other things. Damn it, they should be taking care of D'von, not fretting about my bloody brain wave activity, he thought.

It was then he realized that he could not feel even the vaguest hint of the child's thoughts. Sitting up he looked around, but the other two beds were empty. There was an instant of disoriented panic until it dawned on him that D'von was still sedated. Almost as an afterthought it occurred to him that in sedating the boy Phlox had probably succeeded in severing whatever connection there had been. It certainly felt that way to him: the fog that had taken over his brain was gone now, and he felt more alert than he had in ages. Aside from a rapidly-fading headache he felt fine. And, since he no longer felt or heard the child's mind within his own, his brain wave patterns must surely be back to normal. If that was the case, he reasoned, there was no longer any need of him lazing about in here. Time to go.

Just as Reed swung his legs over the edge of the bed Trip pulled the curtain aside and peeked in. "Told 'em it wouldn't be too long before you'd try ta make a break for it," the engineer joked quietly, drawing a small chuckle from his friend. "Figured I'd better check an' make sure you weren't sneakin' out through the ventilation system or somethin'."

"Ah, the ventilation system...excellent idea," Malcolm said jokingly. "I had intended to simply make a dash for the door, but I'll keep your suggestion in mind as a backup plan. You realize, though, that you've confirmed my suspicions—you've all been sitting around out there gossiping about me behind my back."

Trip returned the smile as he approached the bed. "Well, gossipin' aboutcha's no fun unless it's behind yer back," he joked, then grew somber. "Seriously, Malcolm...you feelin' okay?"

Reed nodded. "Yes. I think Phlox managed to break whatever connection there was when he sedated D'von. I'm feeling quite clear-headed and eager to get out of here. Though I suppose," he added with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "Phlox is watching the exits."

"Good guess, but not quite. Guarding the exits is my job fer right now, 'cuz Phlox is takin' care of D'von."

Malcolm breathed a sigh of relief as he laid back on the bed. "I'm glad the doctor's concentrating on the tyke—I was worried that what happened with me would distract him from that."

Trip chuckled. "Ah don't think you've gotta worry about Phlox neglectin' the little guy. He's read a lot about Lehrites but he's never gotten a chance to treat one before, so he's eager to do a good job. He said the only thing that's really worryin' him is that he's never treated a fractured horn before an' he's not a hundred percent sure how to go about it. Doc's kinda worried that if it doesn't go well, he might have to amputate it. It would grow back," he hastened to add, seeing the horrified look on Malcolm's face, "but it would always look different from the other horn. Smaller, an' maybe even a little different in texture and color. So he wants to avoid doin' that unless there's no other choice. Apparently their horns are real important to them, an' the doc doesn't want D'von to hafta grow one back.

"Anyhow," Trip continued, "Phlox said he'd be able to take care of the hoof and vocal cords easy enough, so he's doin' those first. When D'von wakes up we'll have to let him know that he won't be able to talk for a couple more days, to give his throat a chance to heal properly."

Malcolm nodded, stifling a yawn. "How's your hand? Nothing broken, I trust?"

"Nah...it's fine," Trip said, holding up his bruised left hand and flexing his fingers. "Just kinda sore. How 'bout yer midsection? You took a pretty solid kick to the bread basket."

"Same as your hand—bruised but not broken. I am grateful that he didn't aim much lower, though," he joked. Silence reigned for a time, until Malcolm finally broached the subject preying on both men's minds. "I thought I heard Subcommander T'Pol's voice out there earlier—has she been able to help shed any light on what happened to me?"

Trip shifted uneasily, pulling up a chair and sitting next to the bed. "She and Phlox have their theories, but they're not really sure. Seems that these Lehrites do this thing with each other called Joining, and it lets 'em share their emotions with each other. Thing is, Phlox doesn't really think this Joining thing would work with a non-Lehrite. An' they both think that only adult Lehrites kin even do it. So we really don't seem ta be any closer to an answer right now. Phlox has T'Pol goin' over all the information he's got to make sure he didn't miss anything, plus she's re-checking the Vulcan Database."

Sliding up closer to the bed Trip continued, his voice almost conspiratorial. "Y'know, Mal...I think there's somethin' goin' on with the subcommander as far as this whole Lehrite thing. I know she said it was just a matter of the smell when we were in Decon, but somethin's just...not right with her. I can't help but feel like she knows somethin' about these Lehrites that she's not tellin' us about. She's definitely uncomfortable talkin' about them."

"And you really think if there was an imminent threat to the crew she'd just neglect to mention it to the captain?" Malcolm asked. "That's rather doubtful. Besides, from the way Phlox describes them, these Lehrites are a peaceful, friendly, outgoing sort. And D'von is hardly what I'd deem a danger to the ship. What about them could possibly make a Vulcan uncomfortable?"

"Besides them being a peaceful, friendly, outgoing sort?" Trip joked. "Ahh, yer prob'ly right. I mean, who can tell with a Vulcan, anyhow, right? I think Porthos still creeps her out, and they don't come much more inoffensive than him."

Seeing his friend fight to stifle another yawn, the engineer rose. "Better get some sleep, Malcolm," he advised. "I'll check back a little later an' see how things are goin'."

Malcolm nodded. "Thanks, Trip. You'll tell me if you hear any news about D'von, right?"

"You'll be the first to know," Tucker promised before disappearing behind the privacy curtain.

Stretching, Malcolm gave a full yawn before snugging the blanket up under his chin and closing his eyes. Within a minute he'd fallen asleep.

{Hai!}

He was once again surrounded by blue and felt the same pleasant tingling he'd felt before, when his head had touched D'von's. Not knowing where he was should have been disconcerting but there was something familiar and comforting about the glowing blueness. The boy's cheerful voice came again, a slight nasal quality to it, and a tiny bit muffled. Malcolm felt as though he had small bits of cotton stuck in his ears as he listened.

{Sed hai. Post-ta say hai backs.}

The child was sitting on the floor, looking up expectantly.

Malcolm felt himself reply as he sat in front of the boy. Hello. What's your name?

{I'm D'von. An' you ams Mao-Kim, right?}

Malcolm, the lieutenant tried to correct him. Yes...my name is Malcolm.

{Is what I sed. Mao-Kim. Is safe here, right?}

Yes. You're on our ship, and you're absolutely safe here.

{Really, really, really safe?}

Reed felt himself sigh. We aren't going to hurt you, D'von. We want to help you. Images once again flashed through his mind of caring for the boy; bathing and brushing him, singing to him, holding him. A feeling of absolute safety and well-being settled over him like a thick, comfortable blanket.

The goatish face beamed at him, ears happily pitching upward. {Safe. Ho-kay good. You ams Hoo-min, right?} Malcolm nodded wordlessly.

{Never mets Hoo-mins afore. Is nice...priddy. Very fren-lee. But where ams ress of your head?}

The rest of my head? He suddenly saw himself from the boy's viewpoint, on the alien ship, opening the faceplate of his helmet. He laughed aloud. I told you, I was wearing a helmet. D'von gave him a doubtful look. It's part of my EV suit.

The boy still seemed unconvinced and quickly changed the subject. {Dinnint know Hoo-mins has finners on dare hooves.}

Finners on our?...oh...those are called toes, not fingers. And we don't have hooves, we have feet.

{Toe-finners on hoo-feets. Ho-kay good. But still dunnint know where ams ress of your head...}

Malcolm felt the scene slipping away and tried to hold on, certain that he'd been about to discover something important, but the blue faded and his eyes slowly opened. He found himself staring at the doctor's concerned features.

"That was a rather short nap, Lieutenant," Phlox observed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, actually," he replied, slowly sitting up . "Sedating D'von must have interrupted whatever was going on—I feel fine now. I don't suppose I could just head back to my quarters now, could I?"

The doctor shone a tolerant smile at him. "No, you most certainly may not. You'll be staying overnight for observation, so I've brought you a pair of pajamas." Phlox handed the folded garments to the lieutenant.

Reed gave a resigned sigh, setting the clothes on the foot of the bed. "Thank you for the pajamas. How's D'von getting along? Have you finished treating him?"

"Oh goodness, no. I've started him on intravenous fluids and a nutrient solution, and finished debriding and dressing the injury to his hoof."

"Nutrient solution?"

"Yes. He is somewhat dehydrated and undernourished, so I'm going to let the IV run for a little while before proceeding any further. Crewman Cutler is currently making preparations for the procedure on his throat so I came to check on you. So...how are you really feeling, hmm?"

The corner of Malcolm's mouth twitched in mild annoyance. "I have a slight—a very slight—headache, which is fast fading on its own. Aside from that I feel fine. But you don't believe me, do you?" he asked, seeing the skeptical look on the doctor's face.

"Oh, I believe you feel fine. I'm just not entirely convinced that you are fine." There was a long silence as Phlox pondered his next words. "Your readings are nearly normal at present, but something peculiar happened a short time ago so I want to keep an eye on you for a bit longer."

Malcolm frowned, sitting up straighter. "What do you mean by 'nearly normal', Doctor? If there's something peculiar going on up here," he said, tapping a finger to his temple, "I believe I have a right to know."

Phlox hesitated in his reply but at last spoke. "When Commander Tucker left he told us that you were just dozing off, so once I finished with D'von's leg I came to check on you and found you just waking up. You were asleep for a little less than thirty minutes."

"And it's peculiar that I had a half-hour nap?"

"No no, of course not. The...anomaly occurred while you were sleeping. Humans don't usually enter a dream cycle until they've been asleep for well over an hour, but your readings indicate that you began dreaming almost immediately. You wouldn't happen to remember what you were dreaming about, would you?"

"I suspect I may have been remembering what happened during my missing fifty-four seconds, though I woke before remembering everything. I was talking to D'von, only..." Malcolm paused, unsure how to describe the sensation. "It was more than talking. I could hear him, but...I could feel him, too, as though he were part of me. It doesn't make sense, I know," he added, seeing the perplexed expression on the doctor's face, "but that's the way it felt." Phlox nodded slowly but said nothing. Both men heard the doors to Sickbay open but ignored it.

Fidgeting on the bed, Malcolm broke the silence. "Commander Tucker mentioned a theory about something called Joining. What exactly is it, and do you think that's what this boy was trying to do?"

"We don't have a great deal of information about it," Phlox started slowly, "but Lehrites have the ability to mentally bond with one another, which they refer to as Joining. But I have found no evidence to suggest that they can do so with non-Lehrites, and I'm not convinced that a child would be able to establish such a link."

"But it's possible," Reed stated flatly.

"Any number of things are possible," the doctor admitted, "but I am doubtful that Joining is what happened."

T'Pol stepped past the curtain looking, Malcolm thought, almost uncomfortable. "I apologize for interrupting," she said quietly, "but I have finished going over the files you provided, Doctor, and have cross-referenced them with the Vulcan Database. When you have finished here, I would like to discuss my findings with you."

Folding his arms across his chest in annoyance Malcolm cleared his throat theatrically, drawing the attention of Phlox and T'Pol. "With all due respect Subcommander...Doctor...if these findings have to do with whatever happened to me then I have a right to be privy to your discussion."

Eyebrow arcing almost to her hairline, T'Pol looked to the doctor for permission to continue; after shrugging Phlox nodded in grudging approval, and the subcommander began. "I have found evidence that Joining can take place between a Lehrite and a member of another species. I believe that this is what the child was attempting with you, Lieutenant, though it is unlikely that he succeeded."

Phlox looked astounded. "Subcommander, we discussed that earlier and agreed that that a Lehrite child lacks the ability or maturity to initiate such a connection. Additionally, a non-Lehrite brain should not be open to such a link being formed—it would lack the receptors and pathways necessary for such a link."

"Though he may lack the ability to form the connection it is entirely possible, and indeed probable, that D'von made the attempt. As to our earlier hypothesis regarding non-Lehrites, I now believe it to be in error. There is documentation in the Vulcan Database of such a Joining taking place." She paused as if steeling herself against something decidedly unpleasant, then looked at the lieutenant. "While we were in Decon, Dr. Phlox spoke of Vulcan contact with Lehrites. A Vulcan ship was experiencing difficulty, and a Lehrite vessel came to offer assistance. However, a member of the Lehrite crew...Joined...with one of the Vulcans."

Malcolm had trouble finding his voice. "What happened to them?" he at last asked.

"The Database doesn't contain any further information about them, except to note that the Vulcan crewman grew increasingly...eccentric."

"Oh, that's bloody comforting," Reed muttered under his breath.

Phlox rubbed his chin in contemplation. "In all likelihood, a Vulcan's ability to control his emotions would be adversely affected. I suppose he would have been prone to open displays of emotion, which among Vulcans would be considered eccentric to say the least. Humans have a different set of cultural mores where emotions are concerned," he added in a comforting tone, "so even if D'von could Join with you, Lieutenant, I suspect that the worst side effect you would suffer might be an occasional public smile or two." He grinned broadly at his patient.

After staring in disbelief at the doctor for a second or two Malcolm chuckled, shaking his head at Phlox's attempt to put him at ease. "That's very good, Doctor...quite amusing," he said with mock sarcasm. Phlox grinned wider, pleased with himself, and gave a nod. Suddenly feeling very tired, Malcolm tried to fend off a yawn.

Phlox motioned the subcommander toward the open curtain. "We'll give you some privacy so you can get changed and get some rest," he said, ushering T'Pol out of the cubicle. "I'll come back to update you once we've finished with D'von's throat and horn."

Malcolm nodded, trying and failing to stifle another yawn as they left. He looked at the pajamas still at the foot of the bed, even going so far as picking them up before tossing them on the chair Trip had occupied earlier. At the moment, changing seemed too much like work. He laid back, barely bothering to pull at the blanket before nodding off.

Back in the midst of the glowing blueness, he was still seated on the floor, D'von sitting in front of him. Their conversation picked up where it had left off.

{Toe-finners on hoo-feets. Ho-kay good. But still dunnint know where ams ress of your head...spe-shul clothes for dangerous places is silly. Is jokes, yes? You ams making jokes wiv me?}

Malcolm found himself entertained by the boy's disbelief, though he supposed he should be annoyed. I'll show you the rest of my head later, I promise. D'von, I need to know something...where, exactly, are we?

{Blue room. Safe here. Yew sed. Ams safe, not hurts...yew sed so, when we were here a-fore an' I wuz doin' sleeps. An' yew singded to me, I finks. Not sure, 'cuz I dinnint hear ev'ryfings. Yew sings now, please?} Long eyelashes blinked at him beseechingly.

Now? I'm not sure now is a good time-

{Pleasepleasepleeeease? I be good...an' quiets...I promise. Was priddy song, I finks. Felted nice.}

I'll make a deal with you...once Dr. Phlox gets you properly mended, I promise to sing to you. For right now, though, I'd like you to tell me where this blue room is. Can you do that, please?

Deprived of a song, the boy displayed a disappointed pout for all of a millisecond before he broke into a huge smile and giggled merrily. {Silly Mao-Kim...I dunnint know where ams blue room. Is where yew broughts me. Why-come yew dunnint know where ams?}

Where I brought you? But this isn't where... Puzzled, Malcolm surveyed his surroundings again. It just looked like glowing blue fog to him. Glowing, familiar-seeming, pastel blue fog. Finally it registered. Decon? This is what Decon looked like to you?

{What ams dee-com?}

If he couldn't adequately explain an EV suit to this boy, there was no bloody way he was going to even attempt explaining a decontamination chamber. Besides, what did it matter? Malcolm smiled, feeling almost giddy. Never mind. It's not important. I rather like the name 'blue room' better, anyhow.

More giggles erupted from D'von as he rocked backward, at last rolling onto his back and gleefully pumping his legs in the air as though running in place. At last the child's laughter faded and, still grinning, D'von sat up. {I like Hoo-mins. Ams fun to be wiv yew.} His face grew slightly more serious. {Can ax question, please?}

Certainly.

{Why yew waited so longs?} Ears twitching eagerly, D'von's head tipped to one side in curiosity as he awaited an answer.

I don't understand...waited for what? He felt the boy's mirth travel through him.

{Sill-eee,} D'von's voice sing-songed in his head, {yew sed yew ams Taj djahl-nach but dinnint do Joinding wiv me um-til nows. Do Hoo-mins always waits to do Joinding? Lehrites do Joinding right afters Taj djahl-nach. Is ho-kay, though—we ams Joinded naow, so we ams fam-blee, an' kin lissen to each udder all the time. An' yew ams Taj djahl-nach, so yew will takes care uv me, right?}

At the time it had seemed the most natural answer in the world. Of course I will.

Wide awake, heart hammering in his chest, Malcolm sat bolt-upright in bed and bellowed at the top of his lungs.

"HO—SHIIII!"