Time Heals- Ch. 6

Time Heals All Wounds

By Aeryn Alexander

Rating: PG-13, Romance, Drama
Disclaimer: Fan fiction is for fun, not for profit.

Chapter Six

The other son

T’Pol stood at attention in the captain’s ready room as he read over her request. Commander Tucker, conspicuously absent, had returned to the Zedeev to tell his engineers that they could take their EV suits off and work in a more normal manner, which meant that he had begged out of going to present the ‘quarters consolidation’ request to Captain Archer. The captain coughed to disguise a laugh as he read the very logical proposal.

“This was obviously very well thought out and researched. I imagine Lieutenant Hess would be very grateful for your recommendation concerning the reassignment of Trip’s quarters, although you’re right, we could use the extra storage space too.” he said, looking up from the data pad.

“Thank you, captain.” she said, shifting slightly, uncomfortably at his humor.

“I will take your request under serious consideration, sub-commander.” he told her. “But there are regulations to consider.”

“To what regulations are you referring? I am not technically a Star Fleet officer, and regulations against fraternization may not apply in this situation, given that we are of nearly equal rank in our respective services. If I may be so bold as to make that observation, sir.”

“True ...” Captain Archer admitted. “I just wanted to know how you really felt about this request.”

T’Pol simply blinked and replied, “I believe you have your answer.”

“Then I guess you deserve yours. I am approving your request, effective immediately. I hope I never any reason to regret doing so.” said Archer with a smile.

“Thank you, and I am certain that arrangement will work out amicably.” she said.

“Well, that might be too much to hope for, T’Pol. I’m just hoping to avoid weapons fire. That sort of thing.” he chuckled, tempted to tell the sub-commander that the course of true love never runs smooth.

“I will keep that in mind.” said T’Pol, gracefully raising one eyebrow.

Just as she turned to leave, the door of the captain’s ready room chimed. Archer gestured for her to stay.

“Come in.” he called.

The door whisked open to reveal Az. The captain grinned as he motioned for Az to step inside.

“What can I do for you, Az?” Archer inquired.

“I ... My father ... He suggested that I ask you or Commander Tucker. My ship’s lateral scanners began malfunctioning sometime ago, and my brother and I do not have the technical know-how to repair them. Would it be an inconvenience to have someone take a look at them?” Az questioned nervously.

Archer grinned and turned toward Sub-commander T’Pol before he asked, “What do you think, T’Pol? Can we do something to help out?”

“I have some experience with scanning devices. I would be willing to attempt repairs.” she replied.

The engines of the Zedeev were beginning to look like something again by the time Commander Tucker, grimy and stiff, crawled out of an access panel and checked the monitors again. Most of his team were repairing burned out relays and performing routine diagnostics. Trip wiped his sweat streaked face on his sleeve and looked around with a small smile of satisfaction. Twelve hours and a few test runs and the Zedeev would be fit to fly again. It still wouldn’t look nice, but it would in working condition.

As he stood there, one of his engineers, Crewman Rostov, appeared at the open hatch and yelled, “A shuttlepod’s about to dock, sir.”

“Is this shift over already?” questioned Tucker.

“No, sir.”

“I guess I’d better see what’s the matter then.” he said, wiping his face a second time. “Keep an eye on those monitors for me.” said Trip as he climbed through the hatch and out of the engineering compartment.

T’Pol and Az were just climbing out of the shuttle when Trip reached the docking area of the ship. The Vulcan wrinkled her nose slightly as he approached them. Even after a year, the smell of sweat and engine grease was no more appealing than it had been initially. Trip grinned as he noticed her reaction and stepped back a pace.

“Welcome back aboard.” Trip said to Az. “I think you’ll find her in better shape than you left her. We’re only a few hours away from bringing the engines on-line.”

“Thank you, Commander Tucker. I have heard that you can perform extraordinary feats of engineering. I must admit, this seems to be one. The raiders that boarded our vessel did their best to permanently disable our engines. I never believed anyone would be able to repair them.” said Az with a smile that nearly beat Trip’s.

“Right now, we are on our way to examine the lateral scanners. They are malfunctioning and are in needs of repair.” T’Pol informed him.

“Aw, you should have mentioned that earlier! I could’ve had one my guys already on that. Rostov’s been minding the diagnostics for three hours. That would’ve given him something to do in the meantime.” said Commander Tucker, shaking his head.

“I didn’t want to be a bother.” stammered Az.

Trip grabbed him by the shoulder as they began walking toward the bridge and said, “It’s no bother. We all like this kind of thing. Beats fixing the broken stuff on the Enterprise. It’s a right nice change of pace.”

T’Pol unobtrusively removed the commander’s hand from Az’s shoulder.

“They don’t like to be touched.” she reminded Trip quietly.

“Right. Sorry about that.” said Tucker as Az almost mechanically shrugged his shoulder and brushed off his tunic.

“It is a cultural thing, I presume, so think nothing of it.” he said.

“The humans are relatively new to space exploration and have much to learn about interacting even with more familiar alien cultures, although none of their failings can be attributed a lack of effort.” said T’Pol in diplomatic tones.

Trip, having become at least somewhat accustomed to her well-meaning jibes, glowered quietly as he kept his hands to himself and silently repeated his mantra to himself: “If you lose your temper, she’ll make you meditate later. If you lose your temper ...”

“We have had contact with other, more gregarious races, sub-commander. That hardly needs to be explained.” said Az. “Many of them find our race slightly off-putting for that reason.”

“As some races fault my people for our pursuit of logic and clarity of thought.” said T’Pol as they stepped onto the bridge on the tiny vessel.

“You know, unfair assumptions are made about humans too.” said Commander Tucker rather pointedly.

“I’m sure they are.” said T’Pol. “Would you mind indicating from where we should access your scanners, Az?” she questioned.

“Right over here.” he answered, hiding a smile as he stepped toward a darkened panel on the far bulkhead. It was obvious even to him that T’Pol and the commander were very much in love.

When Tish opened his eyes, he was momentarily surprised to find himself somewhere other than the quarters that he shared with Az aboard the Zedeev, but then he remembered the foggy journey onboard a shuttlepod and being carried through the corridors of an alien vessel. He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes as he realized that he felt much better, not entirely well, but substantially more like himself. As he slowly sat up a nearby voice alerted him to the fact that he was not alone.

“You’re awake.” stated the friendly, but tentative voice.

“Father?” questioned Tish, squinting against the increase in the room’s brightness. Phlox had turned the lights up before approaching the biobed.

“Indeed.” said the doctor, glancing at the read outs on the monitors as he came to stand by his son’s bedside.

“I told Az that I didn’t want to see you.” he said sulkily, rubbing his eyes.

“People often say things that they don’t mean.” said Phlox.

“Where’s my brother?”

“He is taking care of your ship. I am taking care of you ... with his consent.” Phlox informed him.

Tish looked at him blankly and questioned, “He isn’t angry anymore?”

“Oh, no, Az is still very angry, but ... we had a talk.”

“And?” questioned Tish expectantly.

“It was very enlightening.” Phlox answered.

Tish frowned slightly and looked away. Phlox recognized that look. When Az didn’t want to talk anymore, he would get angry and storm out of the room. Tish would simply grow very taciturn and his eyes would glaze over slightly as though he retreated into an inner world.

“When can I return to the Zedeev?” he asked.

“Tish ... your brother would want me to tell you what I told him.”

The younger Denobulan swung his legs over the edge of the biobed to look Phlox in the eye as he said, “I’m listening.”

“I am sorry for trying to make you live my life ... and for spending less time in my role as a father than perhaps I should have.” said Phlox.

“Az said that you had changed. Maybe he was right.” laughed Tish, shaking his head. “I guess I can accept your apology just so long as you don’t try to find wives for me ever again.”

“Then you weren’t angry? After all these years, you ...?” Phlox began to ask.

“When Az and I were children we realized that we needed something to hold on to, something to depend on, and we knew that it couldn’t be you. All we had for sure was each other. When we left home on the Zedeev, we swore that we would never speak to you or see you again. I mean, you were there, right? You remember thrusting that horrible girl at me and trying to get me to talk to her. I was just coming of age ... with a bright future ahead ... and there I was standing toe to toe with this dreadfully ugly girl who happened to have a sister Az’s age. It was supposed to be a happy occasion. All the aunts, uncles, cousins, half-siblings, the whole family was there. But who rescued me? You? Of course not! It was Az. Was I angry then? Yes, and for years after. Not just for that, but for everything. That day was absolutely it for me. But after being out here in space ... charting the stars and having some great adventures with Az ... I guess I forgot to be mad anymore, even if Az didn’t.” said Tish with a shrug.

“I never realized.” said Phlox, feeling slightly wounded, but mostly regretful.

“I know. You just showed up at the party after six years on Vulcan or wherever it is you were and began randomly grabbing unmarried girls and shoving them toward Az and me. But ... Az always had it harder than I did. You were around when he was really small. Then you kind of vanished. I never had a father to lose. Or at least that’s how it felt when I was old enough to understand why Az seemed mad at the world.” said Tish, who was far more expressive than his older brother.

“If it is any consolation, I always missed you and your brother and the rest of the family when my career took me away from all of you.”

“I suppose it is, but it would have been more if you had told us at the time. Things could have worked out differently.”

“Yes.” Phlox agreed. After an awkward paused, he smiled softly at his son and told him, “Your injuries were extensive. You need to rest now.”

Tish nodded and reclined on the biobed again. Phlox glanced at the monitors as he did so.

“I was ... Az said that I was brave when they boarded the ship.” said Tish.

“I’m sure you were. Perhaps you will tell me about it later?” asked Phlox with a smile.

“Perhaps I will.” he agreed as Phlox administered another sedative.

**************

Continued in Chapter 7

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