The Doctor's Tale

“Clipping Clue-Pons” POV Fic CHALLENGE

The Doctor's Tale

By Julie

Rating: G
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Paramount, I make no money from doing this.
Genre: POV challenge, Angst
Summary: This takes place at the end of 'Observer Effect', a doctor's life can be very difficult. Especially when you can't find the cure, and your friends lives are at stake.

“If Commander Tucker should regain consciousness …”

“I know,” he heard Archer’s voice from the view screen. “I’ll let you know right away.”

He saw T’Pol nod, her face taut with the effort of keeping her emotions in check. “Archer out.”

Phlox had just emerged from the turbo lift, having left the captain and Commander Tucker in the now isolated Sick Bay. He moved across to her, understanding her struggle. He was having trouble dealing with the trauma of the day. They had spent hours trying to find a cure for the lethal silicon virus that Hoshi and Trip had picked up. He felt like he had just lost a child himself. Hoshi Sato had been a very good friend to him, and he had developed a paternal affection towards her. Now they had to expect the end of Commander Tucker, and the captain.

He hovered between frustration, sorrow and anger. Frustration that he had been unable to find a cure, a terrible situation for a man trained to heal. He felt sorrow for the loss of such dear friends and colleagues. Then the anger, that such young, vigorous and talented individuals would be lost to them.

His attention shifted away from himself to the Vulcan beside him. Her efforts in sick bay had been tireless. He wouldn’t expect anything else from a Vulcan, he’d reasoned, but this was different. This was personal. T’Pol had not gone to decon at all. Most of her time had been spent in sickbay, her mind focused on the job of finding a cure, but on several occasions he had noticed her eyes fixed on the monitor, filled with pain and sorrow as she watched Commander Tucker.

Phlox couldn’t help wondering if she ever admitted to herself that her feelings for the commander were so much more than colleague or friend. He surmised that she would not let herself acknowledge them. The damage to her emotional control wrought by the Trellium might prevent her from dealing with them “logically”.

He blamed himself for her troubles, at least partially. It had been he who had suggested neuropressure as a cure for Commander Tucker. He had known they were good friends, even if they hadn’t. It was the Corporal Cole incident that given him the clue that things had progressed. T’Pol’s reaction was atypical of a Vulcan. Even allowing for the Trellium, it was an unusual situation. He sighed heavily, attracting T’Pol’s attention.

“I am sorry Doctor. I had forgotten that you must be very upset. Hoshi was a very good friend. I, too, had become fond of her.” He was moved to see genuine concern in her eyes. Someone had told him once that the eyes were the windows of the soul. He decided that this must be particularly applicable to Vulcans. He could see her sorrow as clear as day.

She turned away quickly as her eyes clouded. “Do you think we could have missed anything? Do you think we could save …?” As she turned back to look at him he could see the desperate appeal in her eyes.

“Commander Tucker?” he asked. She cast her eyes down and remained silent. Ah, he had been certain of the attachment, but he hadn’t realised that it was so deep. He shook his head sadly. “It is already too late,” he murmured in a low voice that almost cracked with the emotional turmoil. He saw her shoulders droop and her beautiful eyes close. They were both shaken by the captain’s voice.

“Archer to the bridge.”

“T’Pol here, go ahead.”

“You wanted to know when Trip was awake,” Archer said.

“Yes,” answered T’Pol.

“Well, you’d better get down here, because he’s talking up a storm, and so is Hoshi.”

The Vulcan and Denobulan looked at each other in surprise and confusion. Hope shone in T’Pol’s eyes.

Phlox shook his head. “Captain, Hoshi …”

The captain’s voice snapped back. “You too Phlox. Maybe one of you can tell me what the hell’s just happened.”

The pair looked at one another briefly, unsure if this could be possible. Phlox smiled to himself as T’Pol was out of her chair and in the turbo lift before him.

A jubilant Captain Archer met him. Trip and Hoshi were both dazed and unsure of what was going on. He examined Trip with T’Pol hovering close on one shoulder and the captain on the other. He examined Hoshi unmolested.

“You are all completely free of the virus!” Phlox exclaimed happily as he gazed into Hoshi’s ear. He turned to the captain. “It has to have been a delayed reaction to the radiation treatment. But how it spilled over to you and Hoshi, I have no explanation.”

“Perhaps the pathogens were more unpredictable than we assumed,” T’Pol put in, trying hard to suppress her pleasure, but the lightness of her voice and the twinkle in her eyes gave her away. No one else noticed. Well, perhaps just one other person. He could have sworn that Commander Tucker’s eyes lingered just a little too long on her. Just maybe, he saw the shadow of a smile pass between them.

Later, after the celebrations had ended, Phlox stood in sick bay gazing fondly at his Pyrithian Bat.

“Well, surprisingly,” he said out loud. “It’s turned out to be a good day. We’re all alive and well, and there’s a little more love in the universe.” One eye opened slightly, giving him a malevolent glare. Obviously spectacularly unimpressed, she turned her back on him. Phlox grinned to himself. Everything was back to normal, and he was content.

fin

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Seven people have made comments

I love the way you made Phlox feel so helpless at not being able to help a patient, especially his friends. I think that you captured what every doctor, or every person feels, when they have so much power, yet they are utterly and entirely powerless to help the one they care so much about or love. My only complaint, if you can call it that, was that it was too short, I felt as though between them being ill, and then getting better, it happened a little too quickly, but thank you, that was a really moving POV.

Nice turning of the situation! Just had to read this before I locked the door and headed out for Cleveland. Yes, too short. Please do more Phlox.

Nice to see a Phlox story and his pov about T'Pol and Trip's relationship. And his helplessness at trying to find a cure. I really liked this story showing that T'Pol's deeper feelings for Trip.And her showing Concern for Hoshi and Trip.

Nicely down, a good Phlox pov.

I like Phlox! That was nice, thank you! :)

Ahhh, Phlox! Interesting point in time to use. Thanks for writing this.

Thanks all! I love Phlox, he's such a lovely, quirky character and I really like him.

I felt so much for him in this episode, and later in Terra Prime. He deserved to be used more, he was also instrumental in bringing TnT together, I wanted to give him some credit.