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Deceptions- Ch. 6

Author - plumtuckered
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DECEPTIONS AND TRUTHS

By plumtuckered

Rating: PG-13, Darma, Romance
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Paramount. No money was made.

Chapter VI

*************

Sickbay was nearly dark, the lights on low. T'Pol could hear the doctor moving around just behind her. She stood by the biobed in which Commander Tucker lay sleeping. She looked across him to Lieutenant Reed and Captain Archer. They both had fallen asleep in their chairs. Mr. Reed first then a few minutes later, the captain. T'Pol still wondered at the friendship shared by her captain and the chief engineer. She had never witnessed such a bond before. She almost envied their closeness but then quickly realized envy was not an emotion of which a Vulcan should have personal knowledge. It was similar to love, she guessed. T'Pol only knew love as something shared between humans. She looked down at Commander Tucker. She remembered a conversation she had as a child with her mother. It was the only moment T'Pol had ever seen her mother lower her carefully placed guard. They were talking about marriage. T'Pol vividly remembered her mother's face as she talked about T'Pol's father. At the time, the little girl knew as she listened to her mother that there was something very special between her parents, but there was simply no word in her vocabulary that captured it perfectly. Now as she watched the commander sleep, she suddenly realized the word was "love". Her parents had found it, though completely by accident, as the union had been arranged like all Vulcan marriages. T'Pol thought briefly of Kos, the man to whom she was formerly betrothed. If it had not been for Enterprise and Commander Tucker, she would no doubt have married him, given him children, and lived the rest of her life by his side. T'Pol realized her life would have been merely acceptable, though.

Her thoughts wandered back to the chief engineer. She had always found his physical appearance strangely pleasing but in his sleep, he looked very young and very vulnerable. Without thinking, T'Pol reached a hand out and gently stroked his cheek. She immediately brought her hand back to her side. He was Human and she was Vulcan, she reminded herself. She could never be the person he needed. She let out a small sigh. He was the person she needed, though, and the reality of it frightened her.

"Sub-Commander, why don't you rest?" said Dr. Phlox as he stepped quietly to her side. He studied the monitors over the commander's bed.

"I am not tired, Doctor," she responded quickly. She clasped her hands behind her back. "How is he?"

"Well, his neurotransmitters are finally back in balance which is very good, very good indeed," the doctor smiled happily. "The fact that their levels are not permanently disrupted is good news."

"Then he will recover?"

"I think his chances just improved dramatically, Sub-Commander."

T'Pol felt her shoulders relax in relief. She kept her eyes on the commander as Dr. Phlox moved around the bed to gently shake Lieutenant Reed and Captain Archer. They both awoke with a start.

"What is it?" asked the captain immediately rising to his feet in a panic.

"I can't be completely certain yet, Captain, but my instincts tell me that Commander Tucker is going to be just fine. The levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and."

"In English, Doctor," interrupted Archer impatiently. He and Reed both moved to stand next to the bed.

The Denobulan chuckled. "The chemicals in his brain have returned to normal levels, Captain."

Archer sighed and dropped his head a moment. Reed visibly relaxed at the news.

"I'll go let Travis and Hoshi know, sir. They've been waiting for hours for some news." The armory officer looked down at his sleeping friend one last time then turned and left sickbay. T'Pol noted a slight bounce in his step.

"I've been studying the transmitter, Captain, as well as reading through some Talazorian medical records. I believe the technology was originally developed to treat symptoms similar to those of human schizophrenia. Dr. Kronell simply altered it to serve her purposes. My belief is they tested Mr. Tucker to see if he'd respond violently when the transmitter was triggered. Apparently his neurotransmitters never returned to normal levels after the test hence is abnormal behavior yesterday morning."

"But how could Trip believe he went to the shipyards when it's so clear now that he didn't?"

"Ahh," responded Dr. Phlox. "I think the human term is "brainwashing", Captain. As for the methods they used, I have no way of knowing." The doctor looked down at the sleeping commander. "It is quite disturbing that such a brilliant scientist would resort to using her gifts to hurt another, most disturbing indeed."

>>>>>>>>>>

Trip looked up from the data padd he was studying as the doors to sickbay opened with a "swoosh". He was sitting up, leaning back against several pillows. He'd only been there a day but he was already tired of being couped up.

"You're supposed to be resting," admonished Captain Archer with a smile.

"Hi Cap'n!" Trip greeted. "I'm just making out work schedules for the next week. The doc said it was okay."

The captain stood next to the bed and patted Trip's knee. "How's the head?"

Trip smiled at the question. "Fine," he replied. "He's letting me go this afternoon."

Archer nodded, still smiling. "Do you remember anything yet?"

"I don't know. I can't tell which are real memories and which are the ones I was given."

"Dr. Phlox says you may never really know what happened for certain. We do know that you never made it to the shipyards. I just finished speaking with High Premier Colthera. Apparently Dr. Chimra has given a full confession and implicated six others, including Dr. Kronell, her husband, and the prime minister."

"Good," Trip replied quietly. He looked down at his hands. "We're not in any trouble, are we?"

"No. In fact, the high premier thanked us for saving her life. She knows you're not responsible for your actions, Trip."

Trip sighed. He shifted slightly on the bed. "I still can't believe it actually happened. I've never felt that kind of anger before and I hope I never do again! To think they actually gave me knowledge to enable me to kill her then implanted me with that damned device to make sure I did it scares me to death!"

Archer patted his knee again. "Well, it's over now. You know, if Phlox is releasing you today, I expect to see you at dinner tonight. You've been conspicuously missing from the table for a couple weeks now. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."

Trip shifted his position again. "I just wasn't sure you wanted me there, is all."

"What? Why wouldn't I want you there?"

"Guess I figured you'd want more time with the sub-commander."

"Trip."

"Well it seems pretty obvious that you enjoy her company. I don't want to be the third wheel."

Archer stared at him with a look of utter disbelief. Trip could see he'd upset him and he braced himself for the response. He just hoped it wasn't a confession of his friend's feelings for the Vulcan science officer.

The captain exhaled his breath slowly. "Do you really think T'Pol and I are.involved?" he asked in a controlled voice.

Trip shrugged. "What am I supposed to think Cap'n? You two have been keeping secrets and spending a lot of time behind closed doors."

"T'Pol is my first officer, Trip. That's it. Yes, we've become a lot closer over the last few months, but I'm not pining away for her. Yes, there are certain things that we've kept between us but they're things she has entrusted me to keep to myself. You've never divulged what really happened when you accidentally read her personal letter, have you, and it's because she trusted you to keep it private. Well it's the same thing here, Trip."

"I'm sorry, Cap'n. I guess I just let my imagination get away from me."

"I'll say you did!"

They were silent for a long moment. Trip knew what was coming so his mind worked quickly for a good response.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous," Archer said. Trip looked at him and saw the glint of mischief in his friend's eye.

"Jealous?" Trip snorted. "She's a Vulcan, Cap'n." It sounded pretty weak even to his ears but thankfully the captain dropped the subject. He just chuckled lightly and patted Trip's knee again.

"Let me know when Phlox releases you. I'll walk you to your quarters." With that, Archer turned and left.

************


Continued in Chapter 7

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