Unexpected Redux - Ch 4

Unexpected Redux

By Hoshi’s Sis

Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Paramount invented the characters and the original storyline, I just went

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Sorry for the confusion. In my summary I was just outlining how the story will go. This first chapter's was generally an outline how setting up the events in the story. Trip hasn't got pregnant yet, that will happen in these next couple of Chapters.

Thanks once again to my beta Peter Simon.

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Chapter Four

“What the hell happened?” Trip demanded to know the moment he opened his eyes. He tried to ignore the throbbing headache as well as the overall feeling that he’d just been hit by a ten tonne truck.

“Phlox seems to think you had a bad reaction to our food,” lied Allion, trying to look sincere as he helped Trip sit up on the bio bed.

“I can’t remember… I don’t even remember sitting down for dinner.”

Allion handed him some water to drink. “Don’t worry, I’m sure it will all come back.”

“Thanks,” Trip said softly as he slowed sipped it down.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better,” Trip replied, “but it’s nothing to worry about. I’m just a little dizzy, and I’ve got a killer headache.”

“Here,” said Allion, injecting him with a hypo spray, “Phlox left this for me to give you when came round. I’ll help you back to your quarters so you can get some rest. Me and Travella can finish up here.”

“Preciate that,” said Trip, as Allion helped him down and guided him back to Enterprise. He was not normally the sort of person to spend time resting, especially when there was work to finish, but he simply didn’t have the strength to do anything at the moment.

“We appreciate everything you’ve done for us … and what you are doing for us,” said Allion softly. “We all owe you a huge debt.”

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After escorting Commander Tucker back to his quarters and helping him settle, Allion returned to his ship to begin preparations for their departure. Trevella had just sent word that his extended tour, dinner and drink with Captain Archer and T’Pol was ending and that if all ‘vital repairs’ were completed, it would be best if they got back on their way.

“Captain, thank you for all your help,” said Trevella as he bid farewell at the airlock to T’Pol and Captain Archer. “Please give my regards and thanks to Commander Tucker after he has rested.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind coming down here to say goodbye.”

“Please no, Captain. I don’t want to disturb him after his hard work in the last few days; he looked quite exhausted when I last saw him.”

“Maybe we should accompany you on your journey?” Captain Archer offered. “Our mission is to seek out new worlds after all, and this region of space is new to us.”

“Normally I wouldn’t mind, Captain, but our clients are quite wary of strangers. I don’t want to jeopardise our trade agreement.”

“Maybe next time then,” said Captain Archer as they bid each other farewell.

“Well I think that went quite well for a change,” smiled Captain Archer as they both walked into the turbo bridge back to the bridge.

“Indeed,” T’Pol said dryly, “most unusual.”

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It had been 3 days since Enterprise had parted with the Daladians’ ship, and everyone aboard had quickly gotten back to their routine. Not so Trip. He carried on as usual in Engineering, but he still couldn’t explain what had happened to cause his reaction on board the Daladian’s ship. To make matters worse, there seemed to be slight after effects. He felt dizzy and extremely tired, no matter how long he slept. He considering seeing Phlox about it, but decided that it probably would go away on its own.

Scans had indicated the ship was within a day’s range of an unknown M-class planet, so preparations were made for teams to be dispatched to go down and explore it. In fact, Captain Archer had called for the senior staff to meet up in the briefing room this morning to discuss the survey plans. T’Pol, Reed, Travis, Sato, and Phlox were already there when Archer entered to start the meeting.

“Where’s Trip?”

“We’re still waiting for him to arrive,” said T’Pol, “he may have been delayed in Engineering.”

The Captain nodded, and then reached for the next comm. panel. “Archer to Engineering ..”

“Engineering, Sir … Kelby here.”

“Can you put Trip on, please?”

“He’s not here, Sir…”

“I thought his shift started 30mins ago?”

“It’s possible that he was called away on an urgent matter, Sir. Do you want me to send someone to look for him?”

“No, it’s all right,” replied Archer, and switched the comm. off. Then he indicated for T’Pol to scan for Trip’s bio sign.

“He is in his quarters,” she said, a little surprised at Trip’s unusual behaviour.

The Captain reached for the comm. panel again. “Archer to Commander Tucker, please respond.”

It took almost two minutes before an extremely sleepy Commander Tucker reacted at last. “Trip here …”

“Forget to set your alarm clock, Commander?”

“Damn it,” cursed Trip, and then they could hear him stumble out of bed. “I’m sorry, Sir. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

True to his word, a hastily dressed and washed Trip rushed into the briefing room five minutes later, mumbling an apology to the others before taking his seat.

“Let’s begin then,” Archer said and threw Trip a concerned look. When the meeting had ended, and everyone was getting up ready to leave, Archer approached his friend and asked him whether he had a minute?”

They waited until the others had left the room before Trip asked: “Is this about me being late? I’m really sorry about that, Cap’n.”

“Forget about it. Even the best of us are entitled to an off day. Are you feeling okay though? Anything bothering you?”

“Yes and no to both of your questions. I’m fine, Sir; there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve just been a little tired the past few days. I guess, things just caught up on me,” Trip explained. “I’ll be a good boy and get an earlier night tonight.”

“Okay, Commander,” smiled Archer as he playfully tapped him on the arm and followed him out. “Why don’t you go and help T’Pol prepare for the upcoming survey? I think she wants her science station scanners looked over.”

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On the Bridge

“Hey,” Trip greeted T’Pol, “the Cap’n said you wanted your station looking at?”

“Yes, the sensors appear to be out of alignment. There are numerous discrepancies and errors when trying to get detailed scans.”

“Well, scoot over and let me look,” said Trip as he leaned down under her console and started checking the wires.

“How are you?” T’Pol asked him. Her voice sounded a little hesitant and unsure.

Trip gave her a quick glance, and then carried on with his work.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you eating well?”

“I’m getting enough. Why do ya ask?”

“You have not been eating with the Captain for the past few days.”

“Yeah, I’ve been a bit tired recently, so I grabbed some food and had early nights.”

“You still appear to be tired. You are quite pale, Commander. Maybe you should see Dr. Phlox after you’ve finished here?”

“Watch out, T’Pol,” Trip teased her, “you sound like you’re concerned. Before ya know it people may think ya care.”

Her voice was unusually soft when she answered “There has never been much doubt about that … Trip.”

Trip looked into her big brown eyes for a moment, and felt bad for having accused her. “Sorry, that was uncalled for. I know you care, T’Pol. I guess, I’m just feeling nostalgic for bygone times.”

She nodded as if to accept his apology.

“I am concerned about you, Trip. You don’t seem well, even more so with your lateness for this mornings meeting.”

“I appreciate your concern, T’Pol but I’m fine. This morning was just a one off; it won’t happen again.”

T’Pol didn’t appear convinced at all, so Trip pushed more. “Why don’t we meet up after our shift? We could have dinner in ma quarters. It’s been a while since we’ve had a chat and a game of Go. You can make sure I’m tucked up in bed early enough, and I’ll even let ya set ma alarm clock.”

T’Pol nodded with a strange expression on her face. “Is seven o’clock agreeable?”

“It’s a date,” Trip said and winked to show that he was teasing her. Then he went on to look at her console.

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Chapter Five

It was seven o’clock sharp when Trip’s doorbell chimed. You could say a lot about T’Pol, but being late for an appointment was definitely not one of her traits.

Trip was quite nervous. This would be the first personal moment they shared with each other since Elizabeth’s death six months ago. And he hoped, it wouldn’t be the last for as long. The food was prepared already, and Trip had needed to force himself to wait for T’Pol. He hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. He was starved! In fact, he was so tired and so exhausted that he wondered why he had asked her to dinner in the first place. These doubts vanished quickly though, when he opened the door and found her wearing his favourite outfit: the red cat-suit.

He smiled at her while waving her inside.

“On time as usual. Hope your hungry, Chef has prepared a feast.”

Trip offered her a chair, and she sat down gracefully.

“Thank you,” T’Pol said. While Trip walked back to his own seat, she glanced around the room with barely hidden curiosity. When she noticed a small photo in the corner which was lying down face forward, she threw Trip a look and raised her right eyebrow in question.

“It’s a picture of Elizabeth,” Trip replied softly. “I know talking about her still upsets you , and I didn’t want to ruin things this evening … I can put it away in the--”

“No, please return it to its original position. You derive pleasure from remembering her; I don’t want to deprive you of this.”

“Do you still think of her?” Trip asked and indicated for T’Pol to tuck in.

“Occasionally.”

“Occasionally?” he queried, a little surprised considering Elizabeth had been her child.

“It is illogical to spend one’s life thinking about ‘what might have been’. I grieve for her in my own way. Vulcan’s may suppress their emotions but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss her.”

“I am sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that you didn’t … It’s difficult … Um, maybe I shouldn’t have brought the topic up.”

“It is fine,” T’Pol said quietly. “I understand that talking about her helps you deal with your grief.”

There was a tense silence for a few moments. So they both tucked into their meal and wondered what subject to approach next. “This macaroni cheese is delicious,” T’Pol offered at last. “Aren’t you hungry? You have eaten very little.”

“Thought I was, but I seem to have a bit of heart burn that’s putting me off.”

“Would you like some water?” T’Pol asked, and rose to her feet to get it for him.

“Thanks, but I’ll get it,” Trip interrupted her. He stood up and walked over to the bathroom, but he was suddenly overcome by a dizzy spell which caused him to stumble and grip his desk for support.

“Damn, I think there’s something wrong with the environmental controls… It’s a bit hot all of a sudden …” the Commander said to himself before the whole room began to spin out of control and he felt himself collapse onto the floor. The last thing he heard was a faint cry of his name.

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Slowly, Trip pulled himself upwards through muggy water. The closer he got to the surface, the clearer his mind became. By now he could make out faint voices of people close by; and he used them as a guide to pull himself closer until he broke the surface to a blinding light. He had to blink to clear his vision. After a moment, the blurred images became clear enough for Trip to recognise Sickbay. with T’Pol, Phlox, and Captain Archer stood next to him.

“Damn, how the hell did I get in here?” he asked quietly, and attempted to sit up.

“Easy!” said Archer, rushing to his friend’s side in order to help him into a more comfortable position. “Can you remember what happened?”

“Things are a little hazy …” mumbled Trip, trying to think back to how he got into this predicament.

“We were having dinner in your quarters,” T’Pol reminded him and offered him a glass of water. “You were feeling a little nauseous from heartburn, and were about to get a drink of water when you suddenly collapsed.”

“That’s right! I think the environmental controls were a little off, ‘cos the last thing I remember was getting so hot that I couldn’t think straight … then everything went blank.”

“I don’t think it was the environmental controls, Commander,” said Phlox. “Your blood pressure is very high, and your low serotonin levels indicate that you are hungry and exhausted. All of these combined added to your collapse.”

“I admit, I’ve been exhausted lately, and I may have skipped a few meals, but it’s no different from what I’ve been through before, Doc. I don’t know why my blood pressure would be high. I’ve never suffered from that in the past.”

“As I recall,” Phlox corrected him, “you have suffered high blood pressure during your Xryellian pregnancy.”

“That was four years ago, and I'm not pregnant!” Trip countered forcefully. He wondered why Archer, Phlox, and T’Pol were suddenly exchanging looks as if they knew something he didn’t. “Cap’n, Phlox, what’s going on?”

Archer sat down next to him on a chair. “Trip, were there anyone other crewmen on the ship aside from Allion and Trevella?”

“No. It was just them. You should know that, you scanned the ship.”

“Did anything happen while you were over there?”

“Like what?”

“Did you touch or do anything you weren’t sure about?”

“No, I didn’t! Look will ya tell me what’s going on? I’m getting real worried.”

“Commander,” T’Pol began. She looked quite agitated. “It seems you are pregnant … again.”

Trip was so perplexed, all he could do was to throw out a ‘WTF’ look. “Is this a joke?” he whispered, then chuckled after deciding that it had to be a joke. The Captain was trying to pull a fast one. “Good one, Cap’n. Ya almost got me going there.”

Archer’s face didn’t look like he was joking at all though. “Trip, we’re not joking,” he replied in a solemn voice. At last Phlox moved the overhead view screen so Trip could look at his recent scans.

“This cluster over here, Commander is the embryo. I’ve been able to determine that it was impregnated about four, maybe five days ago, but it’s growing at an exponential rate. I’d say it will come to full term in about five to six months.”

Slowly the truth began to dawn on him, and Trip was unsettled. “How the hell did this happen?”

“That is what we are trying to find out, Commander,” T’Pol bit at him in an accusing voice.

“Cap’n, I swear, I didn’t go near or touch any pebbles this time.”

“Can you think back to what happened on the ship?” Captain Archer asked. “Something must have happened around the last day you were there.”

Trip furrowed his brow.

“That’s the thing, Cap’n; I can’t remember what happened that day. Everything’s a bit fuzzy. I was gonna see Phlox about it, but I figured it were just the side-effects of the medication he gave me.”

Phlox was puzzled.

“I haven’t seen or treated you for anything in weeks, Commander.”

“What do ya mean, Doc? I had a bad reaction to some of the alien’s food, and you came aboard and treated me. Allion gave the medication you left for me when I came round.”

“You are mistaken, Commander. I haven’t set foot on the alien’s ship.”

“Why would Allion lie?”

“I don’t know, Trip,” said Captain Archer, “but I intend to find out. Doc, how is Trip? Will he be okay?” Trip was about to retort that he was fine and not someone to be mothered, but decided to keep quiet when he caught the warning glance in Archer’s eye.

“I’d like to monitor him in Sickbay for the next 24 hours, but he should be okay to return on-duty tomorrow -- on the condition that he sees me twice a day, gets plenty of rest, and doesn’t miss any meals.”

“Don’t worry, Doc, he will,” replied Captain Archer in his ‘I mean business’ tone of voice.

Then he turned to his pregnant Chief Engineer. “Don’t worry, Trip,” he said, “we’ll find the Daladians, and then we’ll figure this all out.”

Archer turned to leave Sickbay, but hesitated for a moment. Then he added: “We’ll better keep this to ourselves … for now.”

“God damn it,” thought Trip while lying back down on the bio bed, “why does this always happen to me?”

He had just been getting back with T’Pol … bud judging from the look she threw him, he doubted she’d come within ten foot of him now.

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Chapters 6 & 7

Return to Chapters 2 & 3

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Nine of you have made comments

Poor Trip. I hope Tpol will be more supportive in the future. The poor guy can not get a break. Can't wait until the next update. Love the way the characters interact.

Oh boy! This is gettin' good!

This is great. I'm looking forward to the next update.

Trip never seems to catch a break, the poor boy. Hopefully somebody impressed upon T'Pol that Trip has been violated--or that she comes to that conclusion herself.

I agree, Poor Trip. I hope this all works out, he just gets too many bad breaks! :)

great, another mess for trip, but he will manage it, please let him, thanks for the story, kind of funny...

this is a great story. i especially liked the way you didn`t make two bad guys out of those aliens, but made them seem sympathetic, by saying that they regretted to have to do this to trip and all. anyway, like your story. i also liked your clip by the way, or was that not yours?

Pregnant again? ARGH...................

Awwww...Trip must have the worst luck of any human male in history to end up pregnant not once but twice now. Poor dear boy. Can't wait for the next update.