7
A dungeon somewhere on Chalderon IV, 1830 hours, August 16 2151
Jean and Reed had both nodded off when Trip hissed urgently "guards coming!" Immediately they both woke up and turned to face the door. All of them were on their feet as the locking code was entered and the door creaked ominously as it swung inwards, allowing three guards to enter.
The six of them squared off, prisoners and guards alike taking up fighting stances.
"We only want the woman." It was one of the gruff guards who had been making crude jibes at her earlier on, but in the darkness of the cell it was difficult to tell precisely where he was standing.
Without exchanging so much as a glance, Reed and Trip took up positions to defend their shipmate. "If you want her, you're gonna have to come through us."
While Trip spoke, Reed took a moment to study the situation. The odds were three against three, but in reality it was more like three to two. If Jean tried to help she'd become vulnerable to an attack from the third guard. Add to that handicap the fact that the guards had weapons and the Starfleet officers were unarmed and Reed couldn't see any way that he and Trip could be successful defenders. All the same, they had to try.
The first guard lunged at them, followed closely by the second. The fight lasted less than a minute, and in what seemed like no time the guards had grabbed Jean and were dragging her out of the cell.
She tried to fight them but it was no use, they were too big and strong for her to break free from their grasp. While two guards pulled her out into the corridor, a third stood in the doorway, preventing Reed and Trip from helping her and forcing them to watch what happened next.
The more brutish of the two guards moved towards Jean with a disgustingly self-satisfied look on his face while the other, slightly cleaner man held her fast against the wall.
"C'mon darling. If you give me a kiss I'll let your friends go. Just one nice kiss and you'll all be free."
"Don't fall for it" Reed whispered from the doorway, but Trip just shook his head. "She won't. She's too smart for that."
"Kiss this!" She kicked the guard in the stomach and then hit him hard in the knees, knocking him to the ground.
"Told ya she was too smart." Trip smiled and Reed nodded in approval. "Good for her."
The guard who was still standing hit Jean across the face with the back of his hand. She fell awkwardly as her legs crumpled beneath her and lay at the base of the wall, cradling her injured face with one hand while trying to present as small a target as possible.
"I'm gettin that kiss an' then some, whether you like it or not."
The fallen guard was helped up by his friend and then both advanced on her. This time the marginally cleaner man was smiling evilly in anticipation. "I wouldn't mind gettin' a little sugar m'self."
Again she readied herself for a struggle, knowing that she couldn't hold them both off for very long. She tucked her feet beneath herself, bringing her knees close together and crossing her feet at the ankles so the men would have to pry her legs apart before they could...
... no, don't think about that. Just curl up, one arm protecting the head while the other protects the stomach. Get ready to scratch and bite. Can't kick, since that would make... other parts vulnerable.
Now the guards were standing over her. The dirtier one grabbed her upraised hand by the wrist and wrenched it downwards, leaving her head unprotected. Seeing a chance to inflict some damage, she tried to pull her hand free to punch or hit him, but his hold on her wrist was too strong. She had to content herself with jigging her elbow about, hoping to jab him somewhere that would hurt.
The cleaner guard grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back, clumsily groping at her breasts with his free hand while his friend, who didn't seem bothered at all by her jigging elbow, moved in for a kiss. When she judged that he was close enough she spat in his face. He slapped her hard and then proceeded to wedge his hand between her knees, forcing her legs apart.
When they saw her get hit the first time, Trip and Reed both winced but were stopped from intervening by the guard blocking the doorway. As both guards advanced on her and their intentions became even clearer, Reed hissed urgently to Trip.
"Sir, we have to do something! We can't just stand by and let... " He broke off, shaking his head. He simply couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence aloud.
We can't let them rape her.
His brain automatically finished the phrase and he winced involuntarily. It was just too horrible. They had to do something and if the commander wouldn't help him, well, then the odds would just be a bit more hopeless than they already were.
The cleaner guard had been playing with her breasts for a while when Trip caught sight of Jean's face. The dim guttering light from the hallway torches was reflected in wet and dirty smudges on her face. She was wearing an expression of humiliation, pain, and fear and although she'd shut her eyes tightly, tears continued to pour onto her cheeks.
It was more than Trip could bear to watch. He tried to force his way past the guard. "Stop that! Leave her alone!"
Reed saw that his superior officer was practically trembling with rage. The guard pushed Trip back a few steps, but the commander recovered his balance and threw a haymaker at the man's face. The guard stumbled back a few paces and Reed tackled him around his middle. The guard fell down in a heap, leaving the way clear for Trip and Reed to pull the other brutes off of their damsel in distress.
Jean kept her eyes closed tightly, ignoring the hands tugging at her hair and fondling her breasts, focusing all her attention on keeping her legs closed. No! I will not be the first human involved in an inter-species rape! No way in hell is that gonna happen!
In trying to pry her legs apart, the guard had moved her around so that she wasn't sitting on her feet anymore. Now if she wanted to she could try kicking him, but it would mean making herself vulnerable for an instant.
But if I keep my feet together when I kick, it'll be a double-blow and I'll expose less of myself...
Taking a chance on her theory, she caught him in the chest and knocked him backwards into Trip's waiting arms.
Moments later, a couple of strong hands touched her arm and she started, afraid of being hit again, until she saw Reed's face hovering before her.
After he and Trip double-teamed the guard at the door, Reed had taken out the guard who was holding her by the hair and molesting her. For a second he thought 'what if someone did this to Madeline?' and the next thing he knew he'd launched himself at the man, pulled him off of Jean and knocked him senseless with two punches. At roughly the same time, Jean had kicked the other guard directly into the path of Trip's right hook, and the commander had laid him out cold.
Now both human men were crouching in front of her on the dirt floor of the corridor with worried expressions on their faces. As soon as Jean realized who was in front of her, she threw her arms around Reed's neck and let him pick her up. She buried her face in his shirt and let the frightened tears stream down her cheeks as he carried her back into their cell. Trip went to shut the door behind them, effectively locking them all back in until Captain Archer would come to let them out.
Before he closed the door all the way, Trip took a look out into the hallway. He saw the three guards lying semi-conscious on the floor and saw the otherwise deserted corridor. It would be easy enough to try to escape now, but there were a few problems which Trip realized without needing a tactician to point them out. For one thing, Jean was in no state to go anywhere or do anything under her own power just yet. She needed to rest for a while and clear her head. Also, the captain was expecting to find them in the cell when the guards changed shift. If they weren't there when the captain came to get them, the whole escape plan which Jean had worked so hard to iron out would be shot to hell.
So we could escape, but instead we're locking ourselves in again. It doesn't seem to make sense, but it actually does. He shook his head. And I figured that all out on m'own. T'Pol would be proud.
Reed put her down in the corner where they had been sleeping, sharing a look with Trip after he closed the door. She didn't seem to be in any shape to answer questions about whether she was hurt or not, so Trip got out the medical scanner and began checking her for injuries while Reed stayed where he was, holding her.
After he put her down she kept clinging to him and crying, but her tears were gradually becoming quieter and less panicked-sounding. He wanted to tell her that she was safe now and that the guards weren't going to hurt her any more, but he knew that neither of these things was certain, so he settled for simply holding her while she cried.
"They... they..." was all she could manage between hiccupy sobs, shaking her head and closing her hands into fists as though she were still trying to fend off her attackers.
He rubbed her back gently with one hand and tried to soothe her. "I know, Ensign, I know. But it's over now and you're alright. Easy does it. You're alright." For now, he thought. He didn't say it aloud, of course, knowing it would only upset her more.
Trip turned off the medical scanner and put it away. "She's okay, no serious injuries."
Reed nodded in acknowledgement and looked down at the top of Jean's head, which was currently resting on his chest. He noticed that she'd stopped crying but had begun to shiver. Her hands were still laced together behind one of his shoulders, effectively locking her arms in place and ensuring that he couldn't go anywhere without bringing her along.
"Commander, could you hand over that blanket?" It had been thrown to the side when they'd woken up and Reed couldn't exactly get up to retrieve it at the moment.
Trip reached across the floor and then laid it over his two entwined crewmates. "I'll, uh, go stand watch or something."
He had nothing against Reed, but seeing Jean clinging to him like that made Trip feel more than a little uncomfortable.
"No, Trip, you stood watch last time. The captain'll be here in two hours, so why don't you try to sleep until then?" Jean had turned so she was facing Trip, but after he nodded in agreement to her suggestion she turned her face back into Reed's chest.
"Sir... " The word was half-muffled into the cloth of his tunic. The soft fabric pressed against her face, warm and comforting in the otherwise dank cell.
"Yes, Ensign?"
She smiled. Since she was using his chest as a pillow, when he spoke she could hear his voice vibrating deep inside him a few seconds before he spoke the words aloud. "You really do make an excellent pillow."
Reed let a relieved smile spread across his face. "Happy to help. So, does this mean that you're back?"
Not exactly sure, she shrugged against his shoulder. "I guess so. I'm alright... ish."
His smile broadened at the use of one of her favorite nonsense words. She'll be fine. "Alrightish, eh? Well, that's better than nothing."
All was quiet in the cell until Reed inhaled sharply, causing his chest to expand and consequently lifting Jean's head a few centimeters into the air. He coughed a few times and hissed through his teeth afterwards, wincing and holding his side with an expression of suppressed pain on his face.
"Dusty down here, isn't it?"
Reed nodded, trying to clear his throat without any more coughing but not adding anything else to her statement.
"Are you alright? I noticed that you were wincing after you coughed."
She's definitely fine, and back in doctor mode no less. "My side hurts a bit, but I don't think it's anything serious."
She nodded, not actually agreeing with him but playing along for the moment. "Would you mind if I took a few scans, just to be sure?"
Without waiting for his answer, she shifted her body slightly and reached out to grab the med kit. Her hand crept out from beneath the warm blanket, groping blindly along the dirt floor until it encountered a smooth metallic corner, then a flat side and then another corner.
"Jean, Trip already scanned me earlier."
She smirked at him, momentarily suspending her search for the scanner. "When did he get his M.D.? Just let me take a few scans to assure myself that you're okay… Ha, found you!" She slid the kit over and then fumbled it open, found the medical scanner and then quickly retrieved it and turned it on.
Before scanning Reed, she aimed the blue glow from the scanner over towards Trip to see what he was doing. In the faint colored light, she could see that he was sitting hunched up against the wall near the door with his head resting on one knee. He was breathing steadily and seemed to be asleep. When the light hit his face, he woke up briefly, turned his head away from it and mumbled something about plasma relays before falling back asleep.
"Is he asleep?"
Reed was looking at her expectantly. She nodded, smirking. "And dreaming about engineerinng components. Now, let's see about you... "
She swung the scanner around so that the blue light washed over Reed and fell onto the floor in a puddle. "Wouldn't you get better readings if you moved?"
"And give up such a comfy pillow? I can get good readings from where I am, but thanks for your concern. Hmm."
"What do you see?"
"A few bruised ribs and a mild concussion. It would be best if..." She trailed off, shook her head and started to laugh.
"I'm sorry, but what's so funny about my injuries?"
She continued to laugh helplessly for a few seconds and then regained enough control to speak. "It wasn't your injuries that were funny, it was the ad-advice I was about to give you..." She started to laugh again.
Reed looked at her as though she were going insane. "And this advice... ?"
Jean bit her lip and got a look on her face that she always wore when she was about to let someone in on a great private joke. "Tr- try to avoid any mo- more physical confrontations for a while..."
Seconds later she heard a low rumbling start deep within Reed's chest, which then erupted into a deep and rich laugh. They both lay there laughing for some time, enjoying the simple sensation of mirth. After such a hectic and terrifying day, just being able to laugh unrestrainedly was a great relief, until...
"Owch! Ohh, ow."
Immediately Jean stopped laughing and looked at him with a mixture of guilt and concern on her face. "Oh god, I'm so sorry. Did the laughing hurt your side?"
After closing his eyes and taking a few slow breaths, Reed shook his head. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that she was looking up at him from where her head was resting on his chest. Seeing how worried she was, he smiled reassuringly and patted her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. It didn't feel all that bad, and to tell the truth I haven't laughed like that in a good long while. It was worth the pain."
After giving him a skeptical look, she turned off the scanner and put it back in the medkit. "Well, I'm sorry to say that there isn't much I can do for you at the moment. An anesthetic would help reduce the pain but it would also make you feel a bit foggy, and that wouldn't be helpful when we have to fight our way out of here."
Both of them were quiet for a while, thinking about that eventual fight and mentally weighing the odds. Four Starfleet personnel against god only knows how many guards and soldiers... Their chances weren't good, to be perfectly honest, but they did have Lorrister on their side, and whatever guards were still loyal to him would probably help too, so the more she thought about it the less hopeless it seemed.
Suddenly and for no obvious reason she started crying again, but now the tears rolled silently down her cheeks. Since she was being so quiet it was a few minutes before Reed noticed that anything was wrong. It was only when her tears began to fall on his tunic and dampen part of it that he looked down at her quizzically. One of his arms was still wrapped protectively around her and he used that hand to gently squeeze her shoulder, trying to get her attention.
"Ensign?" She could hear the concern and confusion in his voice.
Embarrassed, she hid her face in the loose fabric of his tunic, grabbing a handful of the cloth in her fist and using it to wipe away her tears. At the same time she lightly hit his chest with her other hand in frustration. "I'm sorry. I- I don't know why..."
Reed started gently rubbing her back again, wanting to comfort her but feeling more than slightly awkward. The first time he'd seen her cry he'd understood; she was terrified and very upset and had acted it, but now she seemed calm despite the tears which neither of them could seem to explain.
The best thing I can do is try to comfort her, never mind understanding what's wrong.
"Don't worry about it, Ensign. We've all been through a lot today and we're not out of the woods yet. It makes perfect sense that you'd be upset."
A bitter chuckle into his tunic was followed closely by Jean looking up to meet his gaze. "Oh? So why am I the only one in the room who's crying and doesn't know why?"
"Really, Ensign, you should know the answer to that." He couldn't help smiling at the answer he'd come up with, despite the fact that she was still looking at him tearfully. "The commander's asleep and I'm simply too stoic to cry."
This managed to coax a weak grin out of Jean before she let her head rest on his warm chest again.
"I suppose that's true... " She was quiet for a while but her tears didn't stop flowing. Reed could only tell because he felt the wet spot on his tunic continue growing. Finally she broke the silence with a low "Sir?"
"Yes, Ensign?"
"I don't understand. Why I'm such a mess, I just don't understand it..."
He held her tighter while continuing to rub her back comfortingly. "It's alright, Ensign. Just… try to relax and fall asleep. We all need to be alert for when we're breaking out of here, remember? But don't worry about it, I'm looking out for you."
She nodded tiredly, sneaking a glance over to where Trip was still sound asleep at the base of the wall.
"He's got the right id- *yawn* idea. Think I'll take your advice about the sleeping. It's been a really long day. *yawn* You promise there won't be any funny business?"
He frowned, reminding himself to 'speak' with those guards later on. "You have my word, Ensign. I'll be a gentleman and I'll deck anyone who comes close to doing otherwise."
She snuggled into his chest contentedly and smiled, although a few tears were still sliding down her cheeks.
"Sir, you make me feel safe." The words were mumbled into his shirt and he barely caught them, but they made him smile and hold her even closer.
Jean cried herself to sleep soon afterwards and Reed drifted off a few minutes later, but only after he'd sworn to himself that he would do everything in his power to protect her until they were safely back aboard Enterprise.