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Negotiations-Ch 12

Author - Hoshi's Sis
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Negotiations

By Hoshi’s Sis

Rating: PG/13
Genre: Angst/Action/Adventure
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Paramount. No infringement intended.
Summary:

A/N: Takes place after they have left the Expanse at the end of Season 3, but before the Season 4 episode, “Home.”

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Chapter Twelve

“Nooooo……… Trip,” screamed Captain Archer, jerking awake to find himself lying on a bio bed in sickbay.

“Careful, Captain,” said Phlox, as he eased Archer back down, “you’ve had a bad wound to your abdomen region, which is being held together at the moment by a mass of stitches. Any quick movement on your part might cause them to tear, something I wouldn’t recommend.”

“Trip…….. how’s Trip?” asked Archer, hoarsely as he tried to look around sickbay.

“Don’t worry about Commander Tucker,” Phlox replied as he gave him a sip of water, “he was the recipient of numerous phaser blasts, but he’ll be fine. I have him under heavy sedation, where he be staying for quite a while.”

“T’Pol……?”

“She also is fine. Her wound wasn’t as severe as yours but I still have her resting, which Captain, I must insist on you doing also, otherwise I will sedate you if you persist with this round of fifty questions,” said Phlox, putting on his serious face.

With some reluctance Captain Archer nodded and turned over to get some sleep. He really wanted to find out just what the hell was going on with his Chief Engineer, but as usually Phlox was right, he just wasn’t up to it and badly needed to rest. // Just a quick nap. // he thought before he once more fall into that black abyss that lay some where between the dreamscape of dreams and nightmares.

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“Arrrr…. Lieutenant, what can I do for you?” as Phlox, as Malcolm walked into sickbay.

“How are the Captain and T’Pol?”

“Resting quietly at the moment,” said Phlox, cutting off Malcolm next train of thought, “and no, you can’t see them. I would prefer that they aren’t bothered or harassed at the moment.” He was just in the process of shepherding him out of sickbay when T’Pol called out from behind the curtain that surrounded her bio bed.

“Please don’t speak for me, doctor. I am perfectly capable of carrying out a conversation at the moment and have rested quite enough.”

Malcolm coyly smirked as he slowly strolled past a rather put out Phlox, around the curtain to T’Pol’s bedside.

“Lieutenant, I would appreciate it if you would bring me up to date on events that have occurred while I was recuperating.”

“First of all, I want to apologise for my poor security skills down on the planet. I let concern for my friend override my judgement on Trip’s actions causing you and the Captain to sustain injury.”

“Did Captain Archer shoot first when confronted with Trip?” asked T’Pol.

“No he tried to reason with him but it was to no avail,” replied Malcolm, a little unsure of where T’Pol was going with this.

“If I file a report on you, then I will have to do the same with the Captain and probably all the other crewmen and women on this ship as well,” explained T’Pol raising her left eyebrow, “It’s human nature to show concern for a good friend; it would have been more out of character for you to have come out with ‘all guns blazing’ so to speak. Don’t chide yourself unnecessarily; you did your job and what was expected of you. Now I would appreciate it if you would carry on with your update.”

“Well, Phlox has placed Trip under heavy sedation at the moment while he performs a detailed examination that will hopefully give us some answers to his recent behaviour. Ambassador Soval and Commander Shran each managed to retrieve their delegates, without any fatal losses, although regrettably there are quite a lot of casualties on either side due to the explosive charges Trip set off,” explained Malcolm sadly. “At the moment there are both pretty much pissed off and very, very angry people on both sides, each calling for Trip’s extradition into their custody. Thankfully both Soval and Shran have so far managed to fend them off with the promise of an explanation forthcoming that can account for all this.” “I know, I know, Vulcan’s don’t get pissed or angry,” said Malcolm, fending off T’Pol’s who was just about to jump in with that very fact, “it’s just a figure of speech. What do you think you are doing?” gasped Malcolm in horror as T’Pol climbed off her bio bed and went to the cabinet that held her clothes.

“If we are to exonerate Commander Tucker from this whole mess, it is essential that I help Doctor Phlox with his research and examination,” explained T’Pol as she carried on getting dressed.

“T’Pol you’ve had a bad phaser wound……”

“Which I am fully rested from Lieutenant……,” said T’Pol briskly, “my Vulcan physiology is quite capable of healing while I am helping Phlox, as it would if I was resting in bed. The former is a more appropriate use of my time considering the circumstance Commander Tucker finds himself in at the moment.” Seeing that Malcolm was nearly convinced, she decided to go in for the kill….. “Lieutenant…… Trip needs us………”

“All right,” said Malcolm, rolling his eyes, “although you’re explaining to Phlox why we’re not following his orders, and don’t think he’s going to fall for that….. ‘Trip needs us’ routine either……. He’s not a gullible son of a bitch like me.”

As they walked out around from the bio bed, Phlox was just about to protest when T’Pol silenced him with one of her patented ‘don’t even try Phlox you’ll fail miserably’ looks. Looking at Malcolm for backup, who just shrugged his shoulders, he resigned himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to win this round and waved them both over to Trip’s bedside. Staring down intently at his peaceful face, she promised herself while running her fingers slowly across his strong, slightly stubbly jaw that she was going to solve this mystery and return to them this stubborn emotional fool that she had grown to cherish so much and develop huge affection for. It didn’t seem right that she could lose him, just when she had finally realised how much he really meant to her.

“Commander,” said Phlox quietly, prompting her from her wayward train of thought and back to the crucial matter at hand. With a determined effort to place her Vulcan resolve back on her face, she shrugged all her deepest fears to the back of her mind and focused on the view screen.

“This is the first time I have had the chance to do a detailed deep scan of Commander Tucker since he was returned from the Andorian ship, and from looking at these results I am deeply ashamed that I didn’t follow up on my previous instincts.”

“What have you found Doctor?” asked T’Pol with a curious Malcolm looking on.

“Take a look at this right her,” he said pointing a small object buried deep into the back of Trip’s neck and attached to his brain stem.

“What is it?” said T’Pol, “and how did it get there?”

“Detailed examination shows it to be a chip, but it has parts which are organic.”

“Organic!” exclaimed Malcolm, unsure where this was leading.

“Yes,” said Phlox, going on to explain further, “It is processing data into his mind and around his body just like a normal chip, but it has used parts of Commander Tucker’s metabolism, his iron, to replicate pathways to transfer this data. This alone would certainly account for his tiredness over the last few days and why my booster injections weren’t helping. In fact I would go so far as saying they quickened the process instead,” Phlox reflected sadly.

“When you say processing data into his mind, do you mean mind control,” asked Malcolm, hopeful that they had found an explanation that would exonerate his friend, “that someone is controlling him, causing him to do all of this?”

“Yes,” replied Phlox, “it definitely seems that way.”

“Considering how advanced Andorian technology is,” replied Malcolm, “there is no way they should have missed seeing something like that from his scan on the Andorian ship.”

“That’s because I believe they were trying to hide it,” said T’Pol as she examined the screen closely, “if I am not mistaken, the material used for this chip looks like Andorian technology.”

“You mean used by them alone,” replied Malcolm, “no other species?”

“I believe so,” exclaimed T’Pol, “although it’s been a while since I have had access to the files.”

“But why, what reason would they have to do something like this?” asked a baffled Malcolm, “this conference was arranged by both sides; if they were going to try and sabotage it, wouldn’t they use something that didn’t directly pin point to them?”

“Andorians are not the most logical of species,” replied T’Pol, “I think we should talk to Shran for an explanation.”

“There’s a difference between being logical,” said Malcolm, “and being totally stupid. No offence T’Pol but I think we need clarification before we decide to confront anyone.”

“No offence taken, Lieutenant,” replied T’Pol, before turning around to walk out of sickbay, “I will consult with Ambassador Soval to gain the necessary information before proceeding.”

Malcolm rolled his eyes and looked at Phlox, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s been waiting a long time for a confrontation like this.”

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Chapter 13

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Three people have made comments

Ooooooooh, this is such a good story! Please update soon, you genius, you.

Interesting...nice continuation. I wonder if Trip is still dreaming under sedation though? Is the implant still working? hmmm. looking forward to the confrontation! nice work!

Now that T'Pol et al know that Trip is being manipulated it will be interesting to see how the culprits are uncovered and dealt with. I can't wait to find out just what the rat Daniels thinks he is doing. I'm all for going back into the past and erasing Daniels from every timeline imaginable. That should sort a few future problems out. Ali D :~)