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Negotiations-Ch 15Negotiations By Hoshi’s Sis Rating: PG/13 A/N: Takes place after they have left the Expanse at the end of Season 3, but before the Season 4 episode, “Home.” @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Chapter Fifteen Sorrow……… Despair………. Remorse……….. He was feeling totally overwhelmed by these feelings, ever since the sedative had worn off and he had finally awoken from that nightmare, only to realise to his horror that it had been real. Lying on the bio bed, hidden from prying pitying eyes by the surrounding curtain, tears slowly trickled down his face as he lost himself to the void that had once contained his soul; a soul that had been cruelly torn from him when he had been forced to commit those atrocities. “Trip…….” said Archer softly, as he walked up behind him. There was no reply. “Trip…… I can’t even begin to imagine what you must be feeling right now….. but I want you to know that you’re not alone……..” Still no reply. “Trip…… please….” “Sir, I really feel like I just want to be left alone right now,” replied Trip in a faint whisper. “I can’t do that,” said Archer, “whether you realise it or not, you need a friend right now to get you through this.” “Friend…...” replied Trip with a faint laugh, “some friend I turned out to be. A friend doesn’t try to kill ya with a knife.” “Trip……… you couldn’t help it, you were being controlled.” “I should’ve fought harder…….” “and how were you supposed to do that?” asked T’Pol, entering the room and sitting down of the other side of the bio bed. “Examinations of the device by Phlox have shown it to be a highly effective and powerful form of mind control. Once it started to lay down neural networks within your body, control was a forgone conclusion and you would be powerless to prevent it.” “T’Pol’s right, Trip….. there was nothing you could do to stop it…..” reinforced Archer, trying to pull his friend out of the deep abyss which he seemed to be heading for. “I just feel like I’ve lost a part of myself……….,” explained Trip, “I don’t know who I am anymore…….” “Your still the same Trip Tucker that we care about,” said Archer, “nothing will change that. This guilt you feel over what’s happened will be with you for a long time, but if you let us in, we’ll help make the pain fade.” The look on Trip’s face indicated to Archer that he might just be getting through, so he urged onwards with some home truths of his own. “I felt like I’d lost a part of myself after we got back from the Expanse. I’d made all of those questionable decisions, justifying to myself that I was doing it for Earth, for our survival, but the truth is that it was an excuse that I used to sacrifice my morals. I shut myself away from my friends throughout, convincing myself that the onus to complete the mission was solely on my shoulders alone. That was my mistake; the mission needed all of our skills to succeed. If I hadn’t been such an ass and tried to do everything my way, instead of relying on the trust, skills and abilities of my friends, those sacrifices needn’t have been necessary.” “Captain Archer speaks the truth,” said T’Pol, carrying on where Archer left off, “you are hurting right now because you have been forced to do some questionable things that go against your nature. Talking about this with a friend will help you place your guilt into perspective and help you deal with all the overwhelming emotions you are feeling at the moment.” “You sound as if your speaking from experience,” said Trip softly. “If that is true,” replied T’Pol, “we will have some common interests to talk about during dinner and a movie after Dr Phlox permits you to leave sickbay.” “Are you asking me on a date, T’Pol?” asked Trip coyly. “I believe that is the usual first step when someone is contemplating starting out in a relationship with another,” replied T’Pol, as she held his gaze while reaching out for his hand. It took a few moments to sink in what T’Pol had just said, but when Trip finally clued in, he smiled, feeling that there was at least a tiny glimmer of hope on the horizon. “Hmmmmmph…..” coughed Archer, trying not to smile, “wow……. seems kind of cramped in here at the moment……… maybe I should go and talk to Phlox…..” “Sorry…….Cap’n……. kinda forgot where I was for a moment…” replied a rather embarrassed Trip. “I apologise Captain…….” “Don’t worry about it,” teased Captain Archer, glad that something had finally managed to penetrate Trip’s dark mood. “I meant what I said…….. my door is always open,” he said as he stood up to leave; “now since you two have finally come to your senses, I’ll be on the bridge.” “Can you apologise to Commander Shran and Ambassador Soval for ma,” asked Trip sole fully, “I’m fully prepared to accept the consequences for ma actions.” “You don’t have to,” replied Archer, “they’ve broken off negotiations for the time being.” “Despite quite overwhelming evidence towards the Andorian, the Vulcan’s have decided not to press any further,” said Archer, as he threw T’Pol a sharp glance, who avoided his gaze with an embarrassed look. She knew that Archer suspected that Soval was hiding something regarding the mind meld, but she had promised Soval that she wouldn’t divulge classified knowledge that the High command were privy to. “The Andorians,” carried on Archer, “suspect foul play on behalf of the Vulcan’s; so we’re back to square one.” “Damn, I’m…….” “Don’t you apologise, Trip. You were a pawn in someone’s sick little game; we all realise that and you can be damn sure I’m going find out who it was……… whether the Vulcan’s want us to or not,” replied Archer, looking T’Pol straight in the eye. “Anyway I’ll see you latter.” “What was all that about,” asked Trip. “It seems Captain Archer is not as trusting towards Vulcan’s as he thought he was,” said T’Pol. // Even though this time he has good reason to be // she thought. “Anyway as I was saying previously about talking with a friend; I believe it’s time I cleared my conscious in regards to actions of mine during the Expanse……..”
Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS! A handful of people have made commentsGood job, but clearly there's more to the story. I will await your sequel eagerly. Great job! :-) I'll be watching for the sequel. Thank you! I hope you do write a sequel. That Chip has to come out of Trips head,, I dont want to be worrying about Polly to long so get writing. :) Very good story though I would have liked to have seen a scene between Trip and Shran. And just what is it that Soval won't admit to knowing? Wheels within wheels, can't wait for the next story to pick up where this one has left off. Ali D :~) Good story, but why don't you kids know the difference between YOUR, the possessive case, and YOU'RE, which actually is a contraction of YOU ARE? Also LOOSE, to untighten something, and LOSE, which means you have to go look for it because it's lost. Then there's VULCAN'S, which means belonging to one Vulcan and VULCANS, which means more than one Vulcan. They used to teach this stuff in the third grade. |