The Song Remains the Same

The Song Remains the Same

by Kevin

Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The characters mentioned within this text are the sole property of Paramount Studios, UPN, and Viacom. I intend no infringement.
Genre: Drama
Summary: Scene additions to “Similitude”. Doctor Phlox and Captain Archer discover a startling ability possessed by the most unlikely member of Enterprise’s crew. This story is a sequel to Deceptions and a prequel to New World Man: Vulcan Biology 101.

Phlox returned to his vigil at Commander Tucker’s side after reviewing the mimetic symbiot’s progress at cloning him. Phlox took a deep breath and released it slowly. Recent events convinced him the mission would be in jeopardy if they lost Commander Tucker. Phlox believed Captain Archer shared this grim assessment which led Phlox to pursue an option normally he would have found unacceptable.

Even while Commander Tucker struggled with deep depression over his sister’s murder, he kept the crew focused and morale as high as could be expected. No other senior officer appeared to possess his ability to keep the crew’s spirits up in the face of basically impossible odds of success. Commander Tucker seemed to be able to convince everyone their mission was not a one way trip from which none would return while his own depression spiraled downward until T’Pol caught him and stopped the regression with Vulcan neuropressure. Although it was a complete placebo, he could not have imagined a more effective treatment. Within a matter of weeks Commander Tucker was back to his old self again.

Phlox doubted anyone beyond himself, T’Pol and most likely Captain Archer recognized the depth of Commander Tucker’s despair over his sister’s loss.

Unfortunately the one person capable of getting the ship out of its current dire situation was laying in a coma in front of him. Phlox increasingly believed Commander Tucker’s injuries were fatal. Phlox overheard the Captain’s assessment that if they did not get the ship out of ion field very soon, it would not matter much one way or another if Commander Tucker lived long enough for the transplant. The ship, and its mission, and most likely more than nine billion Humans, would be lost.

Phlox could not focus on the ship’s situation though. That was out of his power to cure. His role would be to keep Commander Tucker alive any way possible long enough for the mimetic symbiot clone to be ready to donate the necessary neural tissue. Engineering was full of crewmen working frantically to give Phlox the chance to save Commander Tucker’s life and thereby restore some hope to the success of their mission.

Phlox finally was able to get Sim to sleep. He never realized just how difficult it would be to get a two year old Human to sleep at a reasonable hour. He had no idea how Human parents handled this time in a child’s life with their greater need for rest.

Phlox needed to check up on Commander Tucker’s condition. He still had not shared with anyone his skepticism that Commander Tucker would live long enough to receive the transplant. Even with Enterprise’s limited diagnostic facilities it was clear his injuries were fatal. At this point there was nothing he, or anyone else on this ship, could do for the Commander until Sim reached the proper age. As far as Doctor Phlox knew, all he, or anyone on the ship, could do was wait and hope for the best.

When Phlox looked to the cordoned off area where the Commander lie, he saw the outline of someone sitting at the Commander’s bedside. He grimaced at this because he thought he had been very clear to the command staff that Commander Tucker was to have no visitors outside the very narrowly prescribed visiting hours. Although he did not hear anyone enter sickbay and he could only see the individual’s outline, he knew exactly who the Commander’s visitor must be. Based on her size and the fact that it was 0220 hours, there could be only one candidate.

There is no rush. I will leave them alone for a bit longer.

Phlox was suddenly startled when she began to sing. He had no idea Vulcans even sang–as far as he knew, they only chanted. Her voice was clear and lovely with perfect pitch, however. Not only did Vulcans sing, but at least one of them had a beautiful voice. Her voice sounded able to do justice to even the most difficult Denobulan aria.

Since the pronunciation and grammatical structure of the words were unfamiliar, it took some effort for Phlox to understand the words of her song. While they were indeed Vulcan, the structure and inflection points were unfamiliar. He was able to piece together most of the words but was forced to guess at the remainder.

When he finally realized the meaning of the song, he felt his chest tighten and his eyes moisten. Ultimately it was a simple song filled with an astonishing amount of beauty and sadness for something sung by a Vulcan. He wondered if his difficulty at translation was due to the archaic nature of the language. He found it hard to believe modern Vulcans ever spoke in the same terms as her song. It was almost unfathomable that such a poignant song could ever be written and sung in Vulcan. But the evidence filled his sickbay.

He was not so lost in his amazement that he failed to hear it trail off and stop. The beautiful sound was replaced by an even more unexpected sound. Again he felt his chest tighten and he reached for the cabinet top to steady himself.

The soft sobbing sound coming from behind the curtain drew Phlox’s attention back to his current surroundings. He sighed and realized that if they lost Commander Tucker, the sound he heard would be multiplied many, many times over.

Although the beautiful sound once again filled his sickbay, Doctor Phlox was unable to enjoy it. Sim would be unable to survive the surgery. In order to save Commander Tucker, Phlox needed to remove too much material for Sim to survive in any meaningful sense.

Captain Archer, Commander Tucker and he would be forced to live with the consequences of this path he recommended–assuming Commander Tucker survived the transplant. They had raised a sentient being for nothing more than spare body parts. Phlox would be forced to kill Sim in order to save Commander Tucker. One life for another. As Commander Tucker assimilated Sim’s neural tissue, Phlox would be forced to help him through his recovery, both physical and emotional, constantly being reminded that his own actions were what led to this conclusion.

The rationalization that he did what was necessary did not lessen the guilt that what he did was wrong. Dr. Strukel told once him an ancient human saying–the ends can never justify the means. He could not imagine a more on-point cliché.

Phlox had to put those thoughts out of his head. He had already made this choice. Now he had to carry it out to the best of his abilities. Not following through with that choice meant putting this mission in jeopardy and with it the lives of nearly nine billion humans.

As he moved the screen to check on Commander Tucker’s condition, T’Pol quickly pulled her left hand back. However the opening in the front of his gown over his chest revealed her hand’s previous location. That explains why Commander Tucker’s condition stabilized two days ago. Phlox had not expected the procedure to work on a Human. He assumed it only worked on Vulcans. Now Commander Tucker’s condition made sense. He had difficulty understanding not just how he had survived this long but also why his condition would be at its peak early in the morning, then deteriorate during the day, only to be improved the next morning. T’Pol was keeping him alive long enough for the transplant to… be ready.

Although he was grateful for her effort, he gave a disappointed scowl as he studied her closely. Her eyes were puffy and green tinged. Her color was off and she was slumped over. Her left hand continued trembling ever so slightly. Even her hair was disheveled and he could not recall ever seeing that on a Vulcan. The scanner confirmed what he could plainly see with his own eyes. She was beyond exhaustion. She could no longer hide that from him.

He was going to have to act. He was going to have to put her on light duty or she was going to harm herself.

Doctor Phlox was tired. Commander Tucker’s surgery had been more complicated than he had expected. He had more tissue damage than the scanner revealed. Ultimately he had to replace not just Commander Tucker’s left temporal lobe, as predicted, but also both limbic lobes and his ventral striatum.

As expected the Captain arrived as soon as Phlox told him the surgery was complete. At least Archer allowed him to return to his office and rest his legs. “Captain, I completed Commander Tucker’s surgery without incident. His body will need a few days to accept the transplant but he should regain consciousness in a week.”

Archer slumped in his chair. “A week?”

“Yes. And I need to restrict his visiting hours.” Phlox paused as Archer continued to stare at his feet. “He is permitted visitors only from 0800 hours until 2000 hours. And then only two can see him at a time.”

“Why?”

“Although Commander Tucker is unconscious, he still responds to external stimuli. Until regains consciousness, I wish to control the amount of stimulation he receives.”

Archer nodded his head. “Sure thing Doc… When will we be able to give Sim a memorial?”

Phlox was not sure how to answer that question. He was not ready to release Sim just yet. “I would prefer to keep Sim in stasis for a bit longer…”

Archer got a grim look on his face. “In case you need more parts?”

Phlox found the Captain’s bluntness offensive. But he was fundamentally correct. “Well, I would not have phrased it that way, but yes. I would like to delay it until I am assured of Commander Tuckers’ recovery.”

“I understand,” Archer nodded in agreement. “Just be careful about the face. I promised someone it would be an open casket.”

Phlox knew exactly of whom the Captain spoke. She made the same request of him.

Phlox took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Captain, if you will excuse me, today has been difficult for me. I would prefer to run a few more tests on Commander Tucker and then rest a bit.”

“Can I see him?”

He shook his head. “I would prefer not until I have had a chance to clean him up first. He is still a bit of a mess after the surgery. I need to change his dressing and his gown. I would prefer you come back after 0800 hours.”

Archer grimaced but Phlox hoped the Captain recognized the determined look on his face. “Okay. I’ll see you first thing tomorrow morning.”

Archer started to walk away. He got about five meters away, stopped and turned. “I know this wasn’t easy for your Doctor… for any of us. I’m glad you did what you had to do. We need Trip to complete this mission... You gave us that chance.”

Phlox believed he understood what the Captain was telling him. The question though was who the Captain was trying to convince–Phlox or himself. “Thank you Captain… Good night.”

“Good night.”

Phlox sat at his desk gathering his strength. The surgery had taken longer and been more complicated than he had anticipated. He was still tired but his sleep cycle was some time off yet.

He was startled to see T’Pol when he stood up to check on Commander Tucker. “Sub-Commander, I did not hear you enter.”

“I apologize Doctor. I did not intend to startle you.”

“There is no need to apologize. I was lost in my thoughts.”

The look on T’Pol’s face was odd. He was uncertain why she would be glaring at him. She almost appeared… angry with him.

“Why did not you not fully inform the Captain of Commander Tucker’s condition?”

Phlox was confused. “I am unsure as to what you are referring to.”

“You did not share with the Captain that Commander Tucker’s injuries were more severe than believed. You had to replace both his limbic lobes and ventral striatum–not just his left temporal lobe.”

Phlox clenched his jaw. She read his medical log. “Sub-Commander, medical logs are supposed to be private.”

“Commander Tucker’s surgery took almost fifty percent longer than anticipated. I was curious as to what caused the extensive delay.”

Vulcans can rationalize anything! “None-the-less, Sub-Commander, those records should be off limits… However, I did not share Commander Tucker’s full situation with the Captain because it would only needlessly worry him.”

“He deserves to know the facts of the situation.”

“Are you sure? Do you want me to share all of the facts of the situation?” He hoped T’Pol gleaned his meaning. And recognized his thinly veiled threat.

Phlox recognized a slight change in her expression. “I believe your choice is logical,” T’Pol replied. She seemed to shift her weight slightly back on her heels. “The knowledge would only cause unnecessary stress for the Captain.”

Phlox smiled as she turned to leave. Yes, Vulcans can rationalize anything…

Later that morning, Doctor Phlox heard the subtle chime go off that indicated it was time to check up on Commander Tucker’s condition.

Once he moved past the privacy screen shielding Commander Tucker, Phlox quietly approached Sub-Commander T’Pol sitting next at his bedside. “Sub-Commander… Sub-Commander…”

She opened her eyes and turned to look at him.

“It is 0500 hours…” Phlox said softly.

“Yes, thank you for notifying me.”

Phlox pulled a small bottle from his coat pocket. “I have something for your eyes. It will remove the greenish tinge and reduce the swelling. No one will be able to recognize a thing… Now tilt your head back slightly.”

As she did, he placed two drops in each eye.

“Now blink a few times for me please.” He waited for her to finish and gave her a soft cloth to remove any remaining moisture.

“There you go. In a few minutes, no one will know.”

T’Pol stood up and stopped at the end of the bed. “I appreciate your consideration Doctor.”

“Think nothing of it Sub-Commander…” He paused for a moment. “Now I expect you to get some rest. Light duty means light duty. Lt. Hess and her team can complete the needed repairs to the ship.”

“The Captain has received your order. I am performing sensor calibrations from my quarters.”

“Good then. Now off you go. Even Vulcans need a couple hours sleep every day.”

“I will return once my shift is complete.”

Doctor Phlox smiled at her. “I am sure Commander Tucker is looking forward to your return.”

T’Pol cocked her head and arched her eyebrow. “Commander Tucker is not expected to regain consciousness for days.” With that she spun on her heels and left him.

Doctor Phlox clucked to himself as he watched her leave.

Doctor Phlox made the rounds checking up on his ‘zoo’ as Commander Tucker had taken to calling it. As the beautiful sound of singing echoed through sickbay, he realized in a couple of days he would lose his morning entertainment. Three days after Commander Tucker’s transplant found him recovering faster than expected. Once he regained consciousness, Phlox assumed he would spend the early mornings alone with his pets and a sleeping Commander Tucker.

He would miss the lovely sound filling the air–the sound that would end once Commander Tucker’s recovery was assured. Or at least that was his assumption.

The song remained the same over the previous nine nights. It was a heart wrenchingly beautiful song. Doctor Phlox still found it almost impossible to believe it was being sung in Vulcan by Sub-Commander T’Pol. He could not believe a Vulcan could write a song filled with such emotion. Apparently some emotions were common to all species. The song was as sad as it was beautiful.

He hated to interrupt her but it was nearing 0200 hours and he had to check up on Command Tucker’s condition. As he walked toward the cordoned off area where Commander Tucker was recuperating from his surgery, he saw a motionless Captain Archer staring intently at something.

Doctor Phlox walked over to Captain Archer, gently grabbed his arm (thereby startling the Captain) and whispered, “May I speak with you in my office?”

Thankfully the Captain took the hint and whispered back, “Of course.”

Once in his office, behind closed doors, Doctor Phlox faced the Captain. “Captain, I specifically asked that Commander Tucker have no visitors from 2000 hours until 0800 hours. Too many people have been in sickbay during his recovery.”

Archer frowned. “That rule doesn’t seem to apply to T’Pol… He’s my best friend. I should be able to visit him when I want.”

Phlox slumped. “Please have a seat Captain… I did not intend to hurt your feelings. I know you care deeply about Commander Tucker’s well being.”

“It seems I’m not the only one.” Archer shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. “You know, I can’t believe it. I never knew Vulcans could sing. Her voice is amazing.”

“Yes, I was quite surprised to learn that too. I will miss it when Commander Tucker leaves. I have become quite accustomed to her singing for him.”

Archer gave a confused look. “She’s done this before?”

Phlox nodded. “Yes. She sings to Commander Tucker every day.”

“Do you understand the words? I don’t know Vulcan.”

Phlox was unsure quite how to answer the question. He did not want to lie to the Captain, but he also did not want to tell him the details. He was certain T’Pol would want to maintain her privacy. “I am somewhat out of practice with my Vulcan. The meaning of the song is complex and I am not sure I could do it justice.”

In the end he decided to mostly a lie. The meaning of the song was simple, even if difficult to fathom coming from a Vulcan. The song spoke of the loneliness felt by a Vulcan female whose mate was away from her. Her katra would yearn for the touch of his until he returned to her. She hoped he would hear her song and, in turn, come back soon.

The song was short and simple and T’Pol would repeat it many times during the wee hours of the morning.

Captain Archer leaned over and put his heads in his hands. He was dead tired. “Does she just sing to him?”

“No. Often she reads or talks to him. She has exposed him to a pair of great works in Vulcan poetry… It is unfortunate he cannot fully appreciate them in his current condition. They are quite good.”

Phlox did not hear a response from Captain Archer so he decided to elaborate further.

“Captain, this is an important part of his recovery. He will recover faster with complex, but consistent, sensory inputs. During the day, there are too many visitors to provide consistent input that his mind can comprehend at this stage. They appear random and place stress on his system. Focusing only on the… stimulation… that T’Pol provides helps his body assimilate the neural tissue.”

“Okay… I guess… If it’s helping Trip.” Archer took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “How are things looking? Is he going to make a full recovery? You said the surgery had complications.”

“I expect he will.”

“When are you going to lift her from restricted duty?”

“I placed her on restricted duty because she worked without rest to help restore Enterprise’s engines. I doubt you want both command officers recovering in my sickbay.”

Archer smiled and looked down at his feet. “No, you’re right. I can’t have her working herself to death.”

After a few moments Doctor Phlox attempted to nudge his Captain out of sickbay. “Captain, I need to check up on Commander Tucker’s condition. I would appreciate it if you could maintain the Sub-Commander’s privacy in this matter and come back to visit in the morning. I can make sure no one interrupts your time with Commander Tucker.”

Archer stood up and smiled at him. “Sure thing Doc. But you have to promise me I’ll be the first to know when he wakes up?” Then seeing the hesitation on the Doctor’s face, he reached up to the Doctor’s shoulder, grasped it firmly and said “Well okay, but I insist on being second.”

“I promise.”

“Thanks Doc.” Captain Archer turned and quietly left sickbay. The singing had stopped and he was sad he did not get a chance to hear it again on his way out.

Phlox walked to his primary patient carrying a bowl for his secondary charge.

“Sub-Commander, I need to do an evaluation of Commander Tucker’s condition.”

“Yes of course, Doctor.”

“I brought this salad for you.” He held out the small salad bowl to her.

“I am not hungry at this time.”

Phlox shook his head. “I insist. While you are in this sickbay, you are under my care. You need nourishment to maintain your strength.”

She glared at him.

“If you do not follow my instructions, I will be forced to confine you to quarters to rest.” His smile gave away his empty threat.

She took the salad from him and ate it while he did his analysis.

When T’Pol determined the Doctor was complete she asked, “How is his recovery progressing?”

“Very well. I believe the transplant was a complete success. There appears to be no tissue rejection.”

“When do you think he will regain consciousness?”

Phlox shook his head. “I am uncertain. I had expected another four or five days, but he is healing faster than normal. It may be as little as late tomorrow or early the following day.” He was now certain T’Pol would be there when Commander Tucker regained consciousness. His recovery progressed rapidly during the time she was present and slowed down once she left.

He saw T’Pol lift up a large book and place it on the bed next to Commander Tucker. “What are you going to read to him this morning?”

“Chapter five of Surak’s teachings.”

Doctor Phlox reached over to pick up the empty salad bowl. “I will leave you two then. I will be back at 0500 hours. Please try to meditate sometime this morning. You do not have to provide Commander Tucker with constant stimulation. His recovery will not suffer if you meditate for an hour or two.”

“Yes Doctor.”

Of course he knew she would ignore him.

“I have more eye drops so if you are overcome again this evening, please let me know. I have left a soft cotton cloth on the table for you in case you need it. It will not irritate your eyes as much as the fabric of your uniform. Try to avoid wiping on your sleeve. The irritation from the fabric only increases the swelling around your eyes.”

She just nodded her head. He returned to his office for some reading.

Doctor Phlox sat reading a medical journal when he heard Sub-Commander T’Pol enter his office. He raised his head to greet her face.

“Commander Tucker will regain consciousness shortly.”

Her statement confused him. Was it a statement of fact or a hope? “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He rose to his feet. “Well then, let us head over to his bed…” He paused for a moment. “There is no need to wake the Captain until later. I wish to have a conversation with Commander Tucker in private first. I am certain his condition will require… some adjustment.”

T’Pol nodded her head slightly. “Agreed.”

Less than forty minutes later, T’Pol was proven correct as Commander Tucker opened his eyes a bit and groaned.

Doctor Phlox ran a medical scanner over him. “How are you feeling Commander?”

He groaned again. “My head hurts like hell… What happened to me?”

“What is the last thing you remember Commander?”

Phlox watched Trip look at him and then shift his gaze to T’Pol. He scrunched his face and stared at the ceiling.

“I’m not sure. I remember a lot of stuff that couldn’t have happened. I’ve had a hell of a set of dreams.”

Phlox saw Trip’s gaze return to T’Pol. He held it for a moment and then returned it to the Doctor.

“I remember talking with T’Pol about some engine modifications… Then I woke up just now.”

T’Pol momentarily distracted Phlox. “Doctor, Commander, I must be going now,” and she turned and left. Trip watched her walk out of sickbay.

Doctor Phlox pulled a chair over to Commander Tucker’s bedside. “Commander, a lot has happened over the past ten days. You and I need to talk through them a bit and then you will need to rest. Ten days ago you had an accident that put you in a coma…”

Commander Tucker and I are going to spend a lot of time together during his… our recovery.

The End

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Wow...that was ... really, really good, Kevin. I love your Phlox. Some of the imagery was nothing short of amazing...I particularly like how Phlox reacts once he realizes what T'Pol is singing.

Can I take it that your version of Archer pretty much assumes that T'Pol and Trip are an "item" by this point? The line: “Well okay, but I insist on being second.” cracked me up...glad to see your Archer isn't mired in adolescent jealousy.

Great job!

T'Pol... singing. Not exactly in character... except, perhaps, in the utmost privacy... but the idea makes me smile. Thanks, Kevin. A sweet story.

This was a nice fill-in for this series. You had created the scenario with the other stories and then decided to write it out. I'm glad your muse has been whispering in your ear.

T'Pol singing, hmm? It's a strange, but pleasant image.

Thanks for writing this.

Yes, I also really like your Phlox. And I can imajine just the sort of song T'Pol was singing.

I am really enjoying your whole take on the development of the bond and the unique nature of it.

I thought this was a great addition. I agree with all the previous comments, Phlox was great, and T'Pol singing was a nice touch. Great work...

Thanks for the comments. For me, "Similitude" is where we first see TnT's relationship changing but also a slight hint that T'Pol is having trouble controlling her emotions. Her first scene with Sim-CT shows just how much. I also wanted to find a way for Phlox to immediately guess why T'Pol was injecting Trellium when he finds out in "Damage".

I hope that with the discussion in Vulcan Biology 101, readers recognize T'Pol singing to Trip is a very unique case and shows just how at a loss she was to cope with the situation. I just cannot ever see me using it again while maintaining its effect. I think if I were to use it again, then I would be taking T'Pol out of character.

I don't think Archer knows quite what to think of TnT at this point. For me, they are not an "item" yet even though they are clearly important to each other. After "Similitude", T'Pol has the advantage of knowing Trip cares about her but he has no idea the feeling is mutual yet. And I don't think he figures it out until "Harbinger". Early in that episode, Trip acts as if he's baffled T'Pol could even feel that way about him.

In my opinion, at this point Archer's not sure if he's still Trip's best friend or not. If he's struggling with anything, it's the realization that he may be pushed out of that role by T'Pol. I believe by this point she has and he just doesn't know it yet. However I am certain that Archer puts T and T together and comes up with TnT by the end of "Countdown".

"However I am certain that Archer puts T and T together and comes up with TnT by the end of "Countdown"."

Heh. Good line. I think he puts it together a little earlier than that myself, right around E2 or slightly before...

Great story and I'm looking forward to the next chapter!

Ooops, I wasn't very clear. In "by the end" I don't mean "during". I think he puts it together sometime between the start of "E2" and the middle of "Countdown". I don't think he knows prior to the start of "E2" because in season 3 he seems pretty focused on the mission to the exclusion of anything else. Trip also says they've been avoiding each other since "Harbinger" which means the final couple days in 2153 and probably all of January and a few days in February 2154. I infer from that, is if you don't recognize it before "Harbinger", you aren't going to recognize it prior to "E2".

I think Archer probably could have figured it out earlier if he wasn't consumed by the mission. He seems solely focused on that (naturally) and needed to be beat over the head with Lorian and Trip's reaction to having a son with T'Pol.

^^ Oh absolutely agreed. I mean, do you seriously think ANY of the rest of the crew even needed to ask who Lorian's dad was? :-D

This was great, looking forward to the next installment.

That was pretty! Thank you very much! :)

Kevin, may I say that this was absolutely lovely! I'm certainly looking forward to more of your New World Man series.

Kevin, may I say that this was absolutely lovely! I'm certainly looking forward to more of your New World Man series.

So the continuation of this - Trip and T'pol talking about how they were *probably communicating* hehe, is that in "Vulcan Biology 101" or will it be in a future story?

So the continuation of this - Trip and T'pol talking about how they were *probably communicating* hehe, is that in "Vulcan Biology 101" or will it be in a future story?

I'm not sure how much more I'm going to do between this story and "Vulcan Biology 101". Right now I'm working on the story I've promised that takes us from "E2" to just before the events in "Home". At one time I planned on including events parallel to what we see in "Home", but I've decided to remove them. I'm also working on some stories that continue on with the "New World Man" series.

My guess is after the story that goes from "E2" to "Home", I'll set aside the scene additions and focus on "New World Man". I may come back to do short stories that look at TnT from other's points of view. For example, I'd like to see Archer's reaction when he finds out Trip went to Vulcan, T'Les' reaction to Trip's arrival, Malcolm's reaction to Trip's behavior in "Awakening" and the residual affects on Hoshi of her mind meld with T'Pol.

I may even do a whole "mind meld" story with T'Pau's reaction to her mind meld with T'Pol, Hoshi's after affects of her mind meld with T'Pol, both Organians' reactions to inhabiting T'Pol while Trip lays dying and T'Pol's reaction to her first mind meld with Trip in "New World Man: Introduction".

Nice. Really nice story. I like your work.

One thing though. When someone addresses someone else in prose there should be a comma before and after the name unless there is a period. This applies to titles used as names too, such as 'Doctor' and Captain.

An example.

Doctor Phlox ran a medical scanner over him. “How are you feeling Commander?”

Should be-

Doctor Phlox ran a medical scanner over him. “How are you feeling, Commander?”