It was a strange thought that the last thing another human being might experience was you, blowing them off mid-conversation. And yet, it was a thought Archer was facing when, even as he stepped onto the bridge, T'Pol announced a second blast had destroyed the embassy he had just been speaking to.

"Casualties?" he asked in a hushed voice, unsure whether he was referring to the first or second explosion, or both at once.

"Unknown, sir," Hoshi replied, her voice tinged with anger. "We can't raise the away team. Or the embassy. The Denobulans are overwhelmed and are refusing to talk to us."

"Keep trying," Archer answered somewhat helplessly. "And get in touch with Dr Phlox and Crewman Cutler. Make sure they know what has happened and that they take precautions with their safety."

Hoshi nodded. "Should I tell them to prepare to evacuate to Enterprise, sir?"

The 'yes' had all but formed on Archer's lips when he recalled the conversation he had been having with the ambassador. If it got to Earth...

"I don't think we can evacuate them. Or anyone." he blurted out. "We've got a quarantine problem."

"Quarantine?!" Hoshi blurted, visibly taken aback. "But..."

Archer cut her off with a curt shake of his head. "Get on to Phlox and Cutler and tell them to stand by. And keep trying the Denobulans. And somebody get Dr Harper up here."

"Sir, the Vulcan Embassy is..."

"Take a message! No wait! Patch it through to my ready room."

When he did reach his ready room, Archer all but collapsed into his chair.

The news reached engineering quickly, sending Trip to the bridge in even less time than that.

It was a simple enough segment of information, and yet he couldn't quite fit it all in his head at the same time. So, running, not jogging, towards the bridge, he focused on the one edge of it that said he had to talk to T'Pol.

"T'Pol I have to talk to you. Now." He knew he was red-faced, although more from emotion than the effort of the journey. He knew he had spoken curtly. Too loud. He knew she outranked him. He didn't care.

"Commander Tucker, I am currently..."

"NOW!"

Even amidst the already frenetic atmosphere of the bridge, this shout, this command, was enough to draw attention.

Trip ignored Hoshi's shocked expression. And Travis's. He stared at T'Pol until she abruptly stood and walked off the bridge. Unsure whether she had intended him to follow her, he did anyway.

And sure enough, she turned to face him after a short distance. "What do you need, th'y'la?" she asked softly.

Trip refused to be distracted by the unfamiliar word, by her soft, sad eyes, by her beauty. "I need you to tell me what the hell is going on, T'Pol."

"I don't..."

"You pulled me off that mission in a panic. You REFUSED to say why. And now they've been caught in an explosion?"

T'Pol paled before him. "The two things are not connected," she whispered unhappily.

"That's not good enough, T'Pol! Malcolm is down there... Amanda...What the hell is going on?"

She met his eyes then, and he was shocked into silence to see hers were shimmering. Then, she answered him.

"I'm pregnant."

"But, what did he say exactly? Try to remember..." Alice pressed, chewing her bottom lip, and making only halfhearted eye contact.

Archer was almost out of patience. "I don't KNOW, Alice. Follicular something? 'Ecto' something? Immuno... Or was it 'Endo' something?"

"That's not terribly helpful," Alice replied distractedly. "Don't you have some sort of pathology report listing what they found?"

"The fucking embassy BLEW UP, Alice," Archer roared, his temper exhausted. "Presumably, the report along with it!"

"I did mean something he might have sent BEFORE the embassy blew up," Alice replied tiredly. "I wasn't proposing you get it by Ouija board. " 'Ovarian follicles', perhaps? 'Endometrium'?"

Archer sank back into his chair. "Possibly."

"Did he mention anything about a causative agent?"

"I don't think so. Just that humans were also affected."

"That's not good," Alice mused after a moment.

Archer rolled his eyes "Oh, do you think? What astonishing fucking insight! We're so glad you are here."

"Is busting my chops making you feel better?" Alice replied, tilting her head slightly. "Because if it is, by all means, continue. But if the goal is to upset me, you'd best up your game. I've done graveyard shifts in emergency departments. It will take some creative swearing to rattle me."

Archer sighed and slumped even further into his chair. "Sorry. I shouldn't...What do you think, though, can we safely recall Phlox and Cutler, in your opinion?"

Alice shook her head. "Don't think so, no. That region hasn't been declared affected yet by the Denobulans, but it's a huge chance to take, based on that. Believe me or not, there really is a pregnant crewmember. And if it causes infertility, too? And if it's contagious? If it spreads to Earth? Well, humanity may be doomed regardless, but I'd rather not help, if you take my meaning."

Archer nodded resignedly. "At least we can trust the Denobulans to look after our people. If anyone survived, that is."

"Actually, I'm not sure we can?"

"You're kidding, right?" Archer frowned. "It's a Coalition worl! Hell, it's Denobula! You really think they'd be xenophobic enough to..."

"Ordinarily, no. Of course not. They'd treat our people as their own. But, captain, you have to remember what's happening down there. Twelve billion people correspond to hundreds of thousands of births per day. And now, more and more of those births are constituting a major emergency. And the rest a potential emergency. And there are riots, civil unrest. The medical system will be overwhelmed. Under those circumstances, a doctor faced with a critically injured alien might well put a haemorrhaging new mother first. Especially if said mother is their second wife's cousin's first husband's niece, or something."

"Maybe Phlox can go to the Capital and..."

"The capital is classified as an affected region and Destara Province, where Phlox's daughter lives, is still listed as unaffected. If Phlox or Cutler travel to the Capital, they won't be allowed to go back."

Archer shook his head resignedly. "And for all we know, everyone is dead, anyway. We can't even raise the Denobulans on the comm. Hoshi's still trying but..."

"I know people. Or rather, I know people who know people. Doctors, nurses, technicians. I'm sure Phlox is trying as well, but I may as well see what I can find out."

"All right, Alice," Archer answered tiredly. "So, can you tell me who is pregnant yet?"

"Nope, sorry."

"Cause if I find out later, there isn't anybody. Or that it's you..."

Alice smiled weakly in reply, as she stood to leave "It's NOT me. And that's all you're getting. And don't forget to rest, and to eat. You aren't a young man anymore."

Archer pretended to bristle. "I'm in excellent shape. I played water polo, you know. Have you even heard of water polo?"

Alice scoffed. "Of course I have. It was invented in Scotland you know."

"No, it wasn't. You're thinking of golf."

"No. I'm not."