Chapter 6

The Nausicaan and Captain Archer were locked in combat, both had their hands wrapped around the others neck as they tried to strangle each other. The Captain had his back to me so I couldn't fire for fear of hitting him. The Nausicaan got the upper hand and managed to punch Archer round the face and he fell back. I raised my rifle ready to shoot him, yet for a few terrible and horrifying seconds I just froze as quick as a flash, the alien pulled out a knife and thrust it into Archer's torso.

"No!" I cried out and fired at him. He fell on the floor, unconscious. My hands began to shake as I ran forward to Archer, falling to me knees as quickly as I could, and checked for a pulse. "Captain?" tears began to roll down my checks as my search failed and I knew he was gone. I stared at the dagger and where it had entered his body. Right through the heart. He was dead and there was nothing anyone could do for him.

I could hear footsteps approaching, but I made no move. I just stayed where I was. A simple response to a distress call had turned into a rescue mission with the worst possible outcome. The footsteps grew louder and louder and before I knew it I felt something on my shoulder. I jumped up and began to hit whoever it was, my eyes tightly shut and I screamed. "No! Get off me!" I just didn't want to look at another Nausicaan. "No!" My arms flailed around trying to get what punches I could get in, but they barely had any strength to them, I was losing the will to fight anymore.

As I tried to struggle with the attacker, I felt arms wrapping around me and heard a gentle soothing voice, a voice I recognised all too well. "Shh… Jesse… Shh. I'm here now. Come on, come with me." That Southern American accent, no one else on board had that voice. Commander Tucker. As the realisation of who it was sunk in I collapsed into him and sobbed, not daring to open my eyes, but I forced myself to. Through the salty tears that welled in my eyes I could make out two figures standing just a few metres away. It had to be Malcolm and T'Pol. He'd been found, but it was all too late for Captain Archer.

I could feel him pulling me away from the body. I didn't want to move, but knew I had to. Were they going to take Him back to the ship or leave Him where He died? I didn't really want to think about it, but it was the only thing going through my head. He was dead and it was all my fault.

"Tucker to En'erprise. Beam us directly to sickbay." I heard him order. Obviously he didn't want anyone else to see the body of their Captain. I guessed that T'Pol and Malcolm must've moved to Him so that he would be transported as well, but my face was buried in Trip's shoulder. I felt the effects of the transporter and could soon hear Phlox's voice. We were back on Enterprise. I couldn't make out what was being said, but I could hear the sound of curtains being drawn.

Trip got me sitting down on a biobed, but after what had happened I didn't want treatment for my wounds. They seemed nothing to me now. They were just little cuts to me, although they were slightly more than that and still bleeding. Trip stood up and i felt weight being put on the bed next to me. I turned my head slightly and found that Malcolm was now there. His face didn't look much better than mine felt, and he most likely had bruising on his torso as when I hugged him I noticed he winced slightly with pain.

The next thing I knew I was waking up in sickbay. I must've either cried myself to sleep, or Phlox may have given me a sedative, which I can't be sure, but whichever it was had given the doctor a chance to treat me as I noticed my cuts were healed.

Were they healed or had that all just been a bad dream and I was sickbay for a bump to the head? I was hoping it was all a dream, but then I saw the closed curtain. I stood up and pulled it back slightly, peering at the white sheet that covered a body. It hadn't been a bad dream. It really had happened. Feeling my stomach churn I turned away, pulling the curtain across to hide it again. A few steps and I found myself once again in the arms of Trip. He must've just come in and seen me at the curtain. I hugged him tightly, not knowing what else to do. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and I could feel his own tears falling onto the top of my head.