Fragile-Part 32

Fragile Universe
An "Enterprise" story

By Alison M. DOBELL

RATING: PG-13
ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.
FEEDBACK: Welcomed
EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com
WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html
SUMMARY: "Commander Tucker repays a gift. Sub-Commander T'Pol comes to terms with her new condition. The Captain finds himself contemplating unwelcome knowledge."
DISCLAIMER: The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Enterprise' are the property of Paramount. No infringement of copyright is intended.

Part 32

"ACCEPTABLE RISKS"

* * * * *

Kai was waiting anxiously when Trip rejoined him. "How is T'Pol, father?"

An idiotic grin slopped all over his face. "Just fine, son. Dr Phlox is lookin' after her, keepin' her in Sickbay to monitor her progress." He paused. "How d'ya feel about havin' a brother or sister?"

He smiled. "I can't wait."

Trip laughed and hugged him. He noticed how shy Sarsa had become and smiled at her. She really was turning into a very beautiful Volaran woman. It pleased him that her nature was just as beautiful. The combination did not always go together. On Earth beautiful people were often vain, self absorbed and affected. Sarsa was none of those things. It was only then that he noticed An-aga was nowhere in sight. "Where's your mother, Sarsa?"

"She's gone to look for Danna."

As she said that he realised he had not seen Sar in hours. A frown crossed his face. Something was wrong. He just knew it.

"Father?"

"It's okay Kai, I just think it's gettin' real late and we should be getting back to our rooms. But first how about we help the others clear up this mess hall? Wouldn't wanna eat your food off all these trimmin's now would ya?"

Sarsa laughed and Kai smiled, but his eyes were keen and bright. He had not missed the fleeting look of worry on his father's face.

* * * * *

Ensign Hoshi Sato gasped. The image of Shuttlepod One that now filled their screen looked nothing like the pristine craft it had been. Not only was it battered and scorched almost beyond recognition but unless their eyes deceived them it had cracks in the structure itself. If the pod had lost integrity the chances of finding the occupant alive were less than slim. Lt Reed felt his mouth go dry. He looked at the Captain.

"Shall I notify Commander Tucker, sir?"

"No." He paused, having difficulty swallowing for emotion. "Let's go and check it out first. We don't know that it's Sar in there."

*No* Thought Malcolm gloomily. *We don't know it's Sar but it's not as if there are many other possibilities*. He did not even want to imagine how they would tell Trip if his Volaran friend was dead. As if the Commander had not been through enough. Then there was the Volaran's wife and daughter. What would happen to them? Would they have to turn around and take them back to Volara or would Trip insist on taking care of them as he had Kai? What would the Captain do? With the aid of the grappler Lt. Reed brought the shuttlepod back aboard. With a heavy heart he followed the Captain off the bridge. The Captain nodding to Travis to join him and Malcolm. They made their way briskly and in silence to the landing bay.

Once they reached the landing bay the Captain checked that it had re-pressurised then led the way to the scorched pod. It was not until they reached the craft that a tiny noise made him look to his right. A harsh breath hissed between his teeth. The others turned to see what had distracted him and for a moment all of them stood frozen to the spot. An-aga sat with her hands clasped so tightly together her dark skin had paled. Captain Archer found his voice with difficulty. "An-aga, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for my husband, Captain."

"What makes you think he's here?"

"The same thing that you're thinking." She paused and took a step towards them. "I didn't miss him at first. So much was going on. Kai and Trip were so happy. When he excused himself I thought nothing of it. But he didn't return."

Captain Archer wet his lips slowly. "Did he tell you where he was going?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then why do you think he'd be down here?"

She looked deep into his eyes. Saw his fear. His pain. Knew the Captain feared her husband was already dead. "Because he isn't anywhere else."

He had no answer to that. "An-aga, why don't you go and stay with Sarsa and Kai? We'll let you know the moment we find out anything."

"No, thank you Captain. I will wait here."

"I was not asking." Said the Captain quietly. His voice still polite but now much firmer.

She walked right up to him then. "Captain, have you ever lost someone you love?"

He swallowed hard. Thought of his mother so many years ago. Then his father. And much more recently than either of those, his friend AG. He did not like the fact that the list was getting longer with every passing year. "Yes, I have."

"Then you know how important it is to be certain. Not to be pushed to one side while others do the things your heart urges you to do."

He could not answer. Lt. Reed saw his difficulty and tried to approach it another way. "An-aga, we promise if Sar is in there we will tell you."

"No. I will come with you."

"That may not be the wisest thing to do. We don't know what to expect."

"Then do not bury him yet, Lieutenant."

He looked at the Captain. Captain Archer shrugged. What could he do? He was only the Captain. With a heavy heart he nodded to her. "Very well, An-aga, but don't say you weren't warned. What we find may not be pretty."

She nodded back but did not thank him. Captain Archer gave Lt. Reed a nod then helped him and Travis get the shuttlepod door open. All three leapt back as a wave of heat and acrid smoke billowed out at them. It made their eyes smart. Before they could recover their wits An-aga stepped passed them and into the craft. Captain Archer swore then hurried inside the pod after her. Malcolm and Travis exchanged unhappy looks and followed. Sar was inside. Dressed in an EVA suit that had melted to his skin. He sat immobile in the pilot's seat, his gloved hands sealed to the controls by the intensity of the heat. An-aga made no move to pull the suit off him, knowing if she did so his skin would probably come off with it rupturing fragile flesh beneath. Alive or dead she had no intention of seeing him mutilated. Biting back tears, her hands wrapped around him and she pulled herself gently close enough to hug the hot body. Not yet able to see his face through the befogged helmet.

Captain Archer activated his com. "Hoshi, get Dr Phlox down here stat with a trauma team."

"Is he...?"

"We don't know any more at this stage, Ensign." Said the Captain curtly. "Archer out."

* * * * *

He felt the pain intensify the pressure in his chest. Eyes fever bright. Breathing became difficult but not impossible. All it took was concentration. The willpower and motivation he already had. He had to stay calm. Thinking of T'Pol helped him not to panic allowing a sense of equanimity to seep through and pervade his overheated lungs and strengthen his tenuous grip on reality. Embracing a state of deep meditation had at first achieved no noticeable effect. Instinct drove him. He persisted. Gradually a heated shadow imposed itself in synchrony with the beat of his heart. Veins sluggish with thickening blood slowed the supply to the brain making him feel dizzy. Disoriented. A chaotic arrhythmia made his chest ache. His nostrils filled with acrid fumes. Thinking became hard labour yet he persisted. Clinging like a drowning man to a single thought. Movement was something that happened to other people. Just staying conscious was enough of a marathon for him. That and the pain. Slowly he regulated his erratic heartbeat bringing its' agonised echo into alignment between deep shuddering breaths that tore at the fabric of his lungs as he fought for control. Sweat pooled on heated flesh. His eyes closed in concentration. Even closed they burned. *Hang on!*

After wandering aimlessly about the ship trying to locate the source of his growing distress he had gone to the one place that had always soothed him. Engineering. Lt. Hess had been surprised to see him. They exchanged a few words to reassure the Chief Engineer that all was as it should be. With a smile he headed for his office and told her that he was not to be disturbed. With a nod she went back to her duties not noticing that someone had followed the Commander. The boy was light on his feet despite being close to 6' tall. Young and lithe with an almost catlike grace he seemed to glide not walk. Kai watched his father go into his office and shut the door. What to do? Follow or wait? Go back and find Sarsa or look for An-aga? In the end he looked for somewhere to wait but when his father was still inside the office ten minutes later his patience began to fray. He got to the office door unseen and peered cautiously through the clear glass section. Trip was sitting cross legged on the floor. A lit candle burning unheeded in front of him. He had his eyes closed, deep in meditation. Kai was about to turn around and head back to his quarters when he noticed that his father appeared to be sweating heavily as if in some distress. He watched for another minute or so to be sure he was not imagining things. Invading the privacy of another uninvited was a serious breach of conduct among Volarans.

Kai gave a quick glance round but no one was looking his way. Quietly he opened the door and stepped inside the office taking time to close the door softly behind him. Trip did not stir. Kai watched his face then wordlessly adopted a matching posture opposite him. Only the wavering flame of the candle between them. He observed the Human in silence, noting growing signs of distress on his father's face. His cheeks looked hot and flushed, the perspiration doing everything but smoke. It alarmed him. "Father?"

The tentative word hardly registered yet on some level Trip heard him. Without opening his eyes he forced himself to respond. A whisper pushed from lungs that ached with instant oxygen deficit as if every breath expelled was growing harder and harder to replace. Trip struggled to keep calm so that both boy and man could function. "Be calm, Kai." A slow laboured pause. All uphill. "Aid me."

Kai leaned forward slightly but not enough to singe himself on the candle flame nor extinguish it. "With my life, father." Kai paused then frowned. "How?"

"Silence. Sit. Watch." Trip paused painfully. Voice now aching. "Most of all do not panic."

The boy thought he was asking a lot but he was a dutiful son and it would never enter his head to disobey Trip. He nodded and did exactly as he was told. His eyes watching his father closely, noting the state of his breathing and the intensity of his concentration. Trip had no more time to give him for every second now was crucial. He opened himself up as far as he could, his thoughts reaching out to another. One who needed him as much as the breath of life itself. Trying to draw away from the pain and trauma that was dragging his friend into the lifeless arms of oblivion. Trip shuddered. Not with cold. He felt the skin on his hands and arms burning. His clothing too hot. Heat fanning his face and making his sweat sizzle. He gritted his teeth and concentrated harder, biting down on his bottom lip to stifle a cry of pain. He did not want to alarm the boy nor lose the man. *Hang on. Just a little longer!*

* * * * *

Captain Archer was visibly upset. Whatever he may or may not have felt about the Volaran it was a hideous way for anyone to die. And he had no doubt that he was indeed dying. He watched silently feeling distraught and useless. Malcolm and Travis helped Dr. Phlox gently disengage the Volaran from his position. Then, with a speed which amazed and impressed the Captain, they whipped him away on a stretcher to Sickbay making no attempt to strip the charred and melted suit off him. Once in Sickbay the doctor synthesised the solution he needed then asked Travis to hold the man steady while he carefully applied it over the suit. The Captain swallowed hard. Seeing the vaporous puffs of steam released by the cooling fluid that slowly freed the melted material from the burnt and tender skin beneath. Lt. Reed assisted. Only when the doctor had covered the man from shoulders to feet in the solution did he then nod to the two men to hold Sar fast. With a quick look at the Captain's pale face, he braced his hands either side of the helmet and disengaged it.

There was a hiss as overheated air met the cooler air of Sickbay. Dr. Phlox removed the helmet and stared at the half charred, half melted wasteland of the man's face. The eyelids were closed but patchy where skin had melted then peeled off. Gently and with the utmost care, they began to strip the clothing off him. Captain Archer could watch no longer. Did not want to see what they would find. Bad enough that An-aga stood not two feet away from him silently watching. His heart quailed at the thought of breaking the news to Trip but as he turned to go the doctor's voice halted his retreat. "Captain!"

He turned with heavy reluctance, trying to hide how much being present disturbed him. "Yes, doctor?"

"Do not ask me to explain how it is possible, but you might be interested to know that Sar is not dead."

He blinked. Confusion clouded his expression. "What?"

"He is unconscious, badly burned but not dead. Naturally his body is bereft of the necessary fluids to replace what he has lost but I can fix that. The greater part of his injuries *are* treatable."

"Are you saying he'll make a full recovery?"

The doctor gave a solemn muted smile. "I believe so though not knowing the Volaran physiology it is impossible to say how long the healing process will take but I expect to have the worst of his injuries stabilised within the next 24 hours. The rest, as they say, will be up to him."

Captain Archer's mouth dropped open. Dr Phlox had to be the most incredible and amazing physician he had ever had the honour to serve with. "He's going to *live*?" He said in a hushed voice.

The doctor's smile was more evident this time. His look gentle. Compassionate. "Yes, Captain."

The Captain smiled briefly. The relief on his face confirming the doctor's suspicion that the Captain had expected them to be unveiling a corpse. No one was happier to discover that he was wrong. He turned and smiled at An-aga. She nodded to him briefly, a look that told him she had never doubted that they would get to her husband in time. How had she known? He watched the woman patiently standing just inside the infirmary but making no move to draw closer. It was as if she knew the men were doing all they could for Sar and did not wish to delay them in their necessary ministrations. If that had been him he would have been all over Sickbay, his panic and anxiety not allowing him to embrace the calm assurance he saw on this woman's face. It made him feel weak to see such strength of faith. What could she have possibly endured in her life that witnessing something like this could be taken in her stride? Then he caught the look in her eyes and realised he had deceived himself. The pain. The worry. The panic only barely subdued. Was still there but controlled. It shone like an ambient light. A dull wash of colour. When the doctor announced that Sar was alive something that had been switched off came on again. The gold of her eyes no longer the flat finish that reflected no light. Now it embraced the light with a renewed vibrancy. A sparkling prism of gold that would shame any sun. The Captain smiled, nodded to the doctor and An-aga then left Sickbay to go in search of Commander Tucker. Better that his Chief Engineer should hear the news from him.

* * * * *

Sub-Commander T'Pol was on light duties for the next two days and truth be told she had needed the sleep. Waking she lay for a moment staring up at the ceiling of her quarters. Her lips quirking slightly as she thought of the changes in her life. Turning her head she was surprised and a little disappointed to find herself alone but then the Commander had not been given light duties. The quirking lips turned into a delicious little smirk. She planned to get all the exercise she needed when Trip came off shift. She stretched then rose in one fluid motion. First she would shower then dress and go to the mess hall for something to eat. She paused to place a hand over her stomach. A look of wonder stealing over her face.

Belaying her original intention, T'Pol crossed over to her computer terminal and did a rare thing. She put through a transmission to her parents. With the news that she herself was going to be a parent, her feelings towards both her mother and father had softened. Perhaps it was her exposure to a certain highly emotional Engineer and not an unreasoning attack of sentimentality? T'Pol took a moment to think over what she wanted to say while she waited for the connection to go through. She could of course have put through a compressed data message. Low priority naturally. But something made her want that immediacy that only a direct live feed would give. She wanted to speak to them. Tell them how happy she was with her Human companion. Though she would never admit it to herself, she wanted their approval. In the uncertainty of life between the stars she wanted this one thing to be solid beneath her feet. To be the one unchanging thing in the universe around which all else revolved. And she had a question to ask of her father.

* * * * *

He could feel the fire. Feel the skin melt from his face and hands, his chest and neck red raw and bubbling with heat. Yet another fire rose in him. Flowed through him and took the burning heat from him in a flash of energy that expanded to encompass him in a field of gold. Kai's mouth dropped open. His father was becoming brighter and brighter until the boy could not look on him directly without hurting his eyes. He raised his hands to shield himself, only just hearing Trip repeat his last words to his son. "Don't panic...."

Lt Anna Hess was coming to the end of her shift and realised she had not seen the Commander leave. Curious, she walked towards his office then stopped dead in her tracks. The glass sections of the office were lit up. The yellow light pulsing much like the flicker of firelight. A feeling of panic shot through her. Oh God, there was a fire! She broke into a run, grabbing a fire extinguisher on the way. Yelling out to Toby to grab another one. When she got to the door the young crewman was staring open mouthed. Thinking it was in horror she opened the door and stood transfixed to the spot. Fire extinguishers forgotten they gazed in something as close to awe as was humanly possible.

* * * * *

Captain Archer had been unable to get any response from Commander Tucker's quarters. He hesitated with over riding the door code then did it anyway. This was something Trip would want to know about sooner rather than later. He felt cheated when he found the room empty. That meant he was in the Sub-Commander's quarters. This time he walked more slowly, not wanting to walk in on an intimate moment. Halfway there he was hailed. He went to the nearest wall com and answered it. "Archer, what can I do for you Lt Hess?"

He thought her voice sounded strange. Hesistant. Reluctant almost and definitely strained. "Sir, I don't know how to explain this."

His brow creased. What had gone wrong now? "Explain what, Lieutenant?"

There was a pause at the other end. "It's Commander Tucker, sir."

The crease in his brow became a full blown frown. "What about him?"

Another longer pause this time. "He's... he's *glowing*."

* * * * *

Lt. Malcolm Reed had seen many things in his life. Some funny. Many incredibly sad. Tragic even. Others downright pathetic. Varying degrees of drama peppered all his life experiences but this one was most definitely a first. He stared at the figure revealed at last to them. Travis Mayweather had to lean on the next biobed, sure that his legs were in danger of not holding him upright a second longer. Dr. Phlox beamed at all and sundry. Reason and logic were not necessary to tell him that his patient was recovering before his very eyes. His ability to accept without question seemingly miraculous events never ceased to amaze the Armoury Officer.

An-aga moved slowly over to the biobed and stood less than a foot away from her unconscious husband. They had removed the melted remains of his EVA suit. The helmet visor had been cracked. The oxygen line split in three places. His clothing had fallen away and scattered like powdered ash. The blackened, charred flesh revealed beneath lacked skin but was surprisingly firm. Whole. Complete. In one piece. There was no blood. No burst sections of his body leaking half cooked organs. The muscles were intact. The layer of protective fat had not bubbled away or caught light in the conflagration that had engulfed the shuttlepod. Logically some of that could be explained by the protection of his EVA suit except for one important fact. The suit. What was left of it. Could have provided little protection to the sustained hell that must have consumed the interior of the pod. He should have been charred to a crisp. A faint golden glow began to pulse around his body. It reminded Malcolm of something mystics referred to as an aura. He had never really been sure if he believed in any of that mumbo jumbo but had tried to keep an open mind until life and experience could fill in the blanks. Now he was looking at a very physical blank. Wrapped in golden fire like a glowing shroud. As the golden light pulsed he found himself squinting in order to see better. What was that? He tilted his head a bit, the better to see more clearly. Impossible. He shook his head and looked again. No. It was no illusion. As he watched dumbfounded he saw the golden light heal the ruined flesh. Burns healing. Skin reforming. He felt faint. This could not be happening.

It seemed to take forever and no time at all. When the light dimmed and faded, it took him a while to get his focus back. Travis was unable to speak but his look said everything. Asking mutely if Lt Reed had seen the same as he had. Malcolm nodded. Numb but still in control of most of his faculties. A second miracle. "I can't believe what I just saw." He turned his head to gaze questioningly at An-aga. "How the ruddy hell did he do that? By all rights Sar should be dead."

She smiled gently at him then placed a hand on her husband's arm. He had yet to open his eyes but all of them could now clearly see the rise and fall of his chest. "He is Volaran. Chosen of the Prophets."

"Chosen?" Asked Dr Phlox, his curiosity deflecting him momentarily from his monitoring of Sar's vital signs.

"Yes. My husband was a Simitarial Guard. All Simitarial Guards are Chosen by the Prophets. They have very special duties and are bound in the strictest codes of honour."

Lt. Reed shook his head. "Forgive my confusion, but if that is so then what was he doing with Commander Tucker?"

"You will have to ask him, Malcolm."

"And what's with all the golden light?" Chipped in a dazed but recovering Travis.

"That is the healing light."

"Fascinating." Murmured Dr. Phlox.

"Healing light?" Asked Lt. Reed.

"You should look for Trip, Malcolm." She urged quietly.

Baffled, he stared at her. "Why should I do that?"

Her words were gentle, kindly spoken, and as calm as someone giving a weather report but they hit him with the force of phase canons. "He may have suffered burns."

Dr. Phlox gave her an intent look. Not smiling now. Concern creeping into his gentle eyes. "Burns? Are you saying what happened to Sar may have affected the Commander?"

She shook her head. "No. I am saying the light may have burned him."

"I don't understand, An-aga." Said Travis in confusion. "Commander Tucker isn't here, how could the light hurt him?"

"You have to be conscious to embrace the light. You cannot direct the healing any other way."

Dr. Phlox was the first to catch on to her meaning. "Are you saying, An-aga, that Commander Tucker did this?"

A beautiful smile transformed her plain face into that of an angel. "They have shared the light. It means that if one of them is in danger the other can give of his light to save him."

The Armoury Officer took a moment to take in the implications. "If that is true why would it burn him?"

"The light will not burn him, Malcolm, but taking away my husband's wounds to heal him would."

"Oh bloody hell!" Swore the Armoury Officer. "Don't you have any gifts that don't bite back?"

* * * * *

Continue to Part 33

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A handful of people have made comments

I love that last line!

Another great chapter, Ali! Your imagination never ceases to amaze me! :-)

oh more please! i love this story!

Oh this rocks so completely and totally rocks!

More and fast please.

This is so amazing. It just keeps getting better. The relationship between Trip and Sar is now such a complete circle that they feel each other's pain, and share each other's healing ( and burns). Great stuff! More please.