Consequences-Part 21

Consequences

By Samantha Quinn

All disclaimers in part 1

Part 21

Reaching Out to Others

xxxxx

Malcolm sighed, pressed his fingers to his temples and rubbed furiously. Having returned from a very crowded, and very animated sickbay, he was attempting to determine the exact cause of Sub-Commander T’Pol’s illness. His efforts, however, were useless. The same man who only moments before had been full of apologies and confessing to “hurting” the Vulcan now refused to say anything. Instead, he sat, curled impassively in the corner of his cell, refusing to budge-either physically or verbally.

“Commander Tucker,” Malcolm said forcefully. “What happened between you and Sub-Commander T’Pol?” It was the fifth time he had asked the same question in the span of less than ten minutes, and Malcolm fully did not expect a reply. Nonetheless, the armory officer stood at full attention with hands clasped tightly behind his back as he attempted to glare down at his friend. It was the patented Stuart Reed-”I’m disappointed in you, but I don’t know why yet, so you have to tell me look.” Malcolm had seen it enough in his childhood that his imitation was nearly perfect. Having never failed his father, Malcolm figured, as a last resort, it would work well in this situation.

Stuart Reed, however, had never had a child quite as stubborn as Commander Tucker.

“Commander-”

“Go away, Mal.” The voice that said it was an angry one, and it took Malcolm by surprised. He was certain he had never heard such utter hatred in the Commander’s tone. Definitely not any that could be interpreted as directly towards him. Concern-yes; Irritation-check; Frustration-definitely. But hatred? Never.

It was enough to break Malcolm’s Stuart Reed impression. A bit shaken, Malcolm tried again. “Trip-”

“I SAID TO GO AWAY, LIEUTENANT REED!” Trip snapped, jumping to his feet. Angrily, he turned towards the wall and banged his fists loudly

“I will not, Commander Tucker. Not until you tell me what happened,” Malcolm informed the other man. Malcolm braced himself for another impact, that he was certain was coming. He was utterly surprised, therefore, when Trip did nothing but slump in his cell.

“I don’t know, Malcolm. I just don’t know,” Trip murmured in defeat.

Feeling more and more helpless by the moment, Malcolm resisted the urge to sigh. “If you don’t know that you hurt her, Trip, then how do you know that you hurt her? The two of you were separated.”

Trip was shaking his head. “She was in here . . . “

“The Sub-Commander entered your cell?” Malcolm asked incredulously. *Why didn’t Ensign Connelly tell me that?* he wondered. He was going to have a nice long chat with her about protocol and withholding information from a senior officer.

“Can’t tell ya. . . It’s private,” Trip murmured.

“Commander Tucker,” Malcolm began again, but his voiced died in his throat as Trip turned so that his back was facing Malcolm.

“Fine,” Malcolm stated irritably. “I had hoped you would confess to your crime willingly. However, since you are unwilling, I am certain the security cameras will provide ample evidence of your offense.”

“No!” Trip was on his feet again. “Ya can’t watch!”

Ignoring Trip’s orders, Malcolm turned to face the crewman stationed outside the cell. “Crewman Yamamoto, I need you to transfer the security video to my quarters for these time periods,” he said, handing the man a PADD with the corresponding times. *Whatever occurred with Trip and the Sub-Commander T’Pol should not be viewed in public,* Malcolm noted to himself. *Besides, if it is as bad as Trip is implying. . . I have a good idea that I’ll need to be sitting down as I take in the information.*

“Aye, sir,” Yamamoto replied.

“And crewman, I want that information to be treated with the strictest of confidence. Meaning no one, not even yourself, is to see the contents until I view them. Is that clear, crewman?”

“Yes, sir,” Yamamoto replied quickly.

“Good. I’ll expect the information in no less than one hour.”

“Aye, Lieutenant,” the man agreed, privately wondering how fast exactly the lieutenant thought he could work.

“Have a good night. Oh, and Crewman-make certain no one enters Commander Tucker’s cell. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Yamamoto replied, noting cheerfully to himself that Ensign Connelly was truly in trouble. It was not wise to tick off the Enterprise’s tactical officer. In fact, it was the prospect of repercussions alone that kept Crewman Yamamoto from wavering his gaze from Lieutenant Reed during the preceding conversation. Commander Tucker’s rather loud protests of “Ya can’t watch, ya disloyal British bastard,” had been rather distracting after all.

***

In sickbay, there were similarly distracting occurrences taking place.
To allow both of his patients their due privacy, Phlox had banished Soval, T’Pau, and Sumarek to his office for the desired physical while placing T‘Pol on the furthest bio-bed. T’Pol had been given an ample amount of sedative, yet remained awake and her brain activity still remained in distress. Both Phlox and Cutler worked fervently to try to alleviate the increased activity while Skon, Archer, and V’Lar stood off to the side, watching T’Pol’s situation with fascination, horror, and concern, respectively.

Phlox found their continued presence, along with Archer and V’Lar’s continual questions of “What’s going on, Doctor?” and “Why is T’Pol under duress?” quite annoying. Their concerns were understandable, however their vocalizations combined with T’Pol’s chants of “Reach out to others as they would reach out to you with careful, careful hands” that she had been repeating steadily since her arrival in sickbay fifteen minutes ago were bothersome to a physician trying to do his work. *Of all the species I have encountered, I am certain none have been as stubborn as Vulcan or human,* Phlox determined.

Still, they remained and Phlox forced himself not to lose his temper. Fortunately, Skon had the good grace to remain quiet. Nonetheless, his watchful gaze was just as bothersome to the Denobulan as the Captain and Ambassador’s questions. The physician ignored it, however, as he worked frantically to calm the bodily processes of his patient. As the physician achieved success, he was rewarded with a pained sigh coming from the Vulcan’s mouth. One last chanting of her mantra was issued before T’Pol drifted into unconsciousness.

Three sets of eyes looked at him expectedly as Phlox turned tiredly away from the Sub-Commander. Archer’s eyes looked frightened and hinged with guilt; V’Lar’s eyes were concerned and hinged with sorrow; Skon’s eyes were harder to read but definitely hinged with compassion.

“T’Pol’s illness has increased,” Phlox informed the group in front of him. “Not knowing what exactly caused the initial illness, I can only speculate that Commander Tucker has invoked similar disturbances as he has in the past.”
“This has happened previously?” Skon inquired.

“T’Pol is not going anywhere until I am certain that she isn’t going to recover,” Archer interjected. “So maybe it would be better if you and Ambassador V’Lar joined your friends interrogating Soval.” *Hmm . . . Definite possessiveness,* Phlox noted. *Humans have a strange capacity to feel possession for those things they do not own.*

“That decision lies with neither you nor I, Captain Archer,” Skon replied.

“Right,” Archer retorted. “I suppose you think it lies with the Vulcan High Command.”

“No. The decision lies entirely with Sub-Commander T’Pol,” Skon replied simply.

*What is the human expression? You could have heard a needle drop? Or is it a penny?* Phlox pondered. Whichever object humans used in the rhetorical example, the metaphor could aptly be used, as silence definitely overtook the sickbay.

The silence was broken as T’Pau and Sumarek exited Phlox’s office, with Soval in tow. “Captain Skon, Ambassador V’Lar,” Sumarek stated. “We will be returning Ambassador Soval to our ship.”

“In the middle of the treaty conference?” Archer questioned. “Can’t it wait until-”
“No, Captain, it cannot. I am afraid Ambassador Soval is in no condition to continue to participate in the conference,” T’Pau told the Captain. “Ambassador V’Lar will be taking his place.”

“Then Soval is . . . Infected?” Skon questioned.

Phlox noted that T’Pau furrowed her eyebrows at him.*Ah, she must not appreciate the Captain’s apparent breach in protocol,* Phlox deduced.

“We have found evidence of his illness remaining,” T’Pau stated simply.
Sumarek provided them with a bit more detail. “It has apparently run its course, Captain. This means that the Ambassador would have had to have had the illness before departing Vulcan.”

Skon turned to look at Soval. “Do you admit this, Soval?”

Soval straightened his shoulders. “There would be no logic in denying what you know to be true.”

“Then you willingly endangered a Vulcan peace treaty. There will be serious repercussions for your act, Soval. I trust Sumarek has informed you of your prisoner rights?” Skon asked.

“Yes,” came the one worded reply from Soval.

“Very well. T’Pau, after you accompany Sumarek and Soval to the T’Lar, I need you to meet me here, in sickbay. The Sub-Commander’s illness has left Doctor Phlox at somewhat of a loss, I believe.” With that, Skon turned to look questioningly at the doctor.

“Yes, indeed,” Phlox agreed. “I have checked for several possible Vulcan illnesses. However, none of them fit.”

“Vulcan illnesses?” T’Pau asked. “What type of Vulcan illnesses?”

“All the type of Vulcan illnesses that could possibly affect her,” Phlox replied. “Including what you were checking Soval for, I believe.”

“T’Pol has told you of such private Vulcan matters?” Soval demanded. “This is further proof that she is unfit to remain on this ship. The humans have obviously been-”

“Soval, you will cease talking now,” Skon replied. “Doctor Phlox is T’Pol’s physician. I am certain T’Pol saw the logic in taking all steps to prevent the end of her own mortality. Self preservation is logical. T’Pau, with your medical training, perhaps you can assist the Doctor in arriving at a diagnosis for the Sub-Commander when you return.”

T’Pau nodded shortly and she and Sumarek motioned for Soval to follow them. When they had left, Archer, who had been uncharacteristically quiet since Soval’s retort had silenced him, turned to face the Vulcan Captain. “Soval had an illness?” he questioned. “Is it contagious?”

Skon looked as amused as a Vulcan ever looks. “No, Captain. The illness is uniquely Vulcan. No human member of your crew could obtain the disease from him.”

Satisfied, Archer nodded and turned to V’Lar. “Ambassador, if you’ll come with me, I believe we need to speak with Ambassador Shran.”

V’Lar nodded. Before they left, Archer turned back to Skon. “Captain Skon . . . I apologize for my hastiness earlier. It was uncalled for.”

Skon shook his head. “In the words of Surak, ‘There is no offense where no offense is taken.’”

Archer grinned. “Who was Surak? Some type of Vulcan philosopher? “

Skon inclined his head. “Surak was indeed a Vulcan philosopher. He provided the roots of logic from whence our society is based upon today.”

“A Vulcan equivalent of Socrates or Plato, then?” Archer mused.

“Perhaps. Although, to be more precise, an equivalent of a combination between Socrates and Ghandi,” Skon remarked.

Archer’s face filled with surprise. “You’re aware of Earth philosophers?” he inquired. “And peace movements?”

“Yes. I find the history of other cultures very fascinating. Including Earth. It is intriguing how similar some historical events of diametrically different species can be strikingly similar. Yet the differences within each event provide evidence of the complex differences of the different species,” Skon replied.

Archer smiled. “Perhaps before you leave the Enterprise, we can have more time to discuss history and philosophy of our two planets.”

“I shall anticipate such an event,” Skon replied.

“Okay then. I . . . I have to go see to the conference,” Archer said quietly. “But take good care of her, Doctor, Captain Skon.”

Skon watched the human leave with Ambassador V’Lar before turning to look at the Doctor. “I do not understand the Captain’s sentiment, Doctor. Does he truly believe we would take anything less than efficient care for an ill crewmember?”
Phlox chuckled. “A human eccentricity, Captain Skon. I truly do not understand it myself.”

xxxxxx

To Be Continued. . .
A/N: Ah, the end is in sight. ;) Up next: Malcolm receives a surprise and T’Pol receives a diagnosis.

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One person has made comments

Don't stop now! This is so wonderfully engrossing I can't wait to see what happens next! What will Malcolm make of the tape? How will he react? OOoh, the suspense! Thanks for a great story, Ali D :~)