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Catch Me When I Fall -- Tannith's Story - Chapter 2

Author - Rhylo
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Catch Me When I Fall -- Tannith's Story

by Rhylo

Disclaimer in Chapter 1

~~~~

CHAPTER TWO

Kneeling beside him again, Tannith had just finished putting the finishing touches to Trip's second dressing when he gave a soft moan and slowly opened his eyes. She couldn't help noticing how long his eyelashes were, the blond highlights in his hair, the strong curve of his nose and jaw, the evenness of his features.....the way he looked at her. He had such physical presence. She blushed, embarrassed that he'd caught her staring at him ~ then felt stupid for blushing. She was acting like a child ~ and she was far from one.

He didn't seem to notice though ~ or if he did he tactfully let it go.

"Hey," he smiled, his eyes moving from her to his freshly bandaged shoulder and back to her again. Tannith inwardly begged him not to look at her like that. It stirred feelings deep within her she'd long ago been forced to bury.

She felt his forehead and nodded, satisfied. "Your fever's down.....How d'you feel?" She tried to disguise the shakiness of her voice.

Trip smiled lopsidedly. "Well, I'm not dead yet....so I guess that's a bonus!" He shifted his position on the bed and instantly regretted it as his shoulder sent stabs of fire down his arm. He figured that potion she'd given him made him think he was better than he actually was. Which reminded him...."What was in that stuff you gave me?"

"Just some herbs.....something to help you sleep."

He had no idea how much time had passed. "How long was I out?"

She half-shrugged, not sure. "A while. Time's not really relevant here anymore." She hesitated, almost didn't say anything, then asked, "Who's Enterprise?" On Trip's frown she added,"You talk in your sleep."

He responded with a nod. "Not who....'what'. Enterprise is my ship. I've gotta find a way of contactin' my Cap'n. Let him know I'm still alive."

Tannith's expression bordered on disbelief. "A starship?.....You're from a starship?"

He smiled and introduced himself in his best Southern accent. "Trip Tucker, Chief Engineer.....Pleased ta meetcha!"

"Then you must have picked up the tracking beacon!" Her voice was getting more and more impassioned. "It worked! It actually worked...after all this time!"

Trip noticed she was trembling with emotion. A single tear formed in the corner of one eye and silently ran down her cheek. She brushed it away quickly.

"It sure did. Our Comm. Officer detected it as soon as we came into orbit, but it was real faint. The Cap'n sent a search team down, but we lost the signal just before we landed."

Realisation dawned on Tannith's face. "That was me. I deactivated it."

Trip looked puzzled. "Why would you do that?"

"To stop Valsar getting a fix on its location." She sighed heavily. "It works both ways. The longer it's turned on, the more chance I have of finding help, but......."

"The more chance this...Valsar...has of gettin' to you first." Trip finished the sentence for her.

She nodded. "I can only keep it running for short bursts, but the signal's getting weaker every time.......I had no idea a ship had even heard it."

Getting up, Tannith retrieved her improvised medical kit and disappeared into the shadows. For the first time Trip realised there were no windows in this bombed out shelter she called 'home', so at least the light wouldn't be visible from the outside. Good news as far as keeping them safe from Valsar's militia was concerned ~ not so good in terms of them being more conspicuous to a rescue party.

Tannith returned with a beaker filled with some indistinct liquid. Settling down next to him she offered it to him. Making no attempt to take it, Trip looked her right in the eye. "Oh, no......Not until you tell me what's in it this time." He had no intention of falling for that one again.

She gave a sheepish little smile. "It's just some broth. It's not much, but at least it will keep your strength up."

Trip thought about it, then smelt it and tentatively took a sip. He was surprised to find it actually tasted quite pleasant. He drank some more of the luke warm fluid, his good hand closing around hers as she steadied it for him whilst supporting him with her other arm. He'd had about half when a thought crossed his mind. His grip on her hand tightening, he pushed the beaker towards her.

"Aren't you havin' some?"

"I've already eaten."

She looked away, hoping he wouldn't see the lie. The truth was she'd barely eaten in nearly a week. She'd been saving the broth for when the gnawing hunger became too unbearable.

Trip tilted his head ever so slightly and narrowed his eyes as he fixed her with that all-knowing gaze. "It's ma shoulder that's damaged, not ma brain! You look like you're starvin'." Why wouldn't she look at him?....Unless....

Tannith felt hot tears starting to well up. She tried to pull away, but his grip on her hand was surprisingly firm.

"This is all you have left, isn't it?" He gestured towards the beaker they both held. "Isn't it?" he repeated, softer this time.

Slowly she nodded.....yes.

Trip sighed. "Why?"

"You needed it more than I did."

"No. Why are you doin' this?" he clarified. "Puttin' your life at risk for me?"

She did that little half-shrug again. "I......." All of a sudden she was lost for words. Something unspoken passed between them and Trip slowly released his hold on her hand. He still insisted she took what was left of the broth. "C'mon. We'll share it, huh?" Reluctantly, but very gratefully, she drank what was left.

Trip then asked her, "How long have you been here?"

The irony was unmistakable in her reply. "I was born here. It's hard to imagine, I know, but this was once a beautiful planet. My father was a herbalist. We made all our own medicines....grew our own food. We were a peace loving community. We'd help anyone who was in need." A darkness crossed her eyes. "Then one day Valsar arrived with his soldiers. I don't even know where they came from....some warring planet....We didn't stand a chance. We had no weapons....nothing to defend ourselves with......" Her voice began to break up with emotion and her cheeks glistened with unrestrained tears. "Those of us they didn't murder on the spot they rounded up like animals.....Valsar sent most of them to his homeworld to fight as conscripts in his army........including someone I cared very deeply about." She hung her head and gave a barely audible sob. "I never saw him again."

Trip closed his eyes. So much grief, so much pain and sadness radiated from her.

"My father tried to make a stand, but they captured him eventually and took him to their compound on the edge of the settlement......I'll never forget his screams as they tortured him." She shuddered involuntarily. "It must have taken him three days to die......Valsar said he wanted to make an example out of him."

All at once, Tannith felt Trip's comforting hand on her shoulder, firm and reassuring. It was just too much and she gave way to a racking flow of uncontrollable sobs. Trip drew her close to him, just holding her with his good arm ~ no words necessary. What could he possibly have said anyway?

After a while she continued with her story.

"They took the children away....Some of the women they kept back for their personal use......I don't need to tell you the details.....it's easy enough to guess." Trip felt her body quiver. He was acutely aware of her warm breath on his bare chest as she nestled against him. She gave a deep sigh. "Anyway.....I had the misfortune to be chosen by Valsar.....I'd have been better off dead." Regaining some of her composure, she wiped her face. "There were times when I actually prayed to die, but I was patient......and one night I slipped past the guards."

"You managed to escape?" Trip could barely speak.

Tannith nodded. "But to what? You've seen for yourself there's nothing left. Everything we had is gone.....tainted with their evil."

"So all this time you've been livin' like this?"

"If you can call it living....In the end I'd had enough....No food...no supplies. That's when I activated the homing signal my father improvised before we were captured. His last words to me were 'use it wisely if things get bad.'"

"Make or break.....That was a pretty risky thing to do, ya know?"

Tannith lifted her head, careful not to press on Trip's injured shoulder.

"Yes," she smiled. "But it worked, didn't it?"


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


In the Captain's ready room, on board Enterprise, Archer had called a strategy meeting with Malcolm and T'Pol. They'd been in deep conversation and T'Pol was not looking happy. For a Vulcan, Archer thought, she sure gave a lot away in her expressions ~ usually disdain.....sometimes bordering on contempt she did little to disguise.

"Captain, I must strongly advise you against this."

Seated at his desk, Archer looked up at her. "Duely noted, Sub-Commander. I'll make sure I put it in the report."

"It is a foolish mission." There it was ~ unmistakable disdain ~ hanging heavy in the air.

Archer folded his arms defensively. "You think so?"

"You have no idea if Commander Tucker is still alive and yet you're willing to put more lives at risk - including your own - by returning to that planet."

Archer sighed. "And what if it were you down there and not Trip? Would you still feel the same way?"

This time her expression never flickered. "I would hope you would have the good sense to leave me.....One member of a crew is expendable...."

"That's bullshit!" Archer slammed his fist down on the desk so hard it actually made Malcolm flinch. "Don't give me that 'needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few' crap! It isn't that easy to just give up on someone's life....a friend's life....to abandon them to their fate."

The corner of T'Pol's mouth gave a tiny, almost imperceptible twitch. "That's very altruistic of you, Captain, but somewhat illogical."

Archer gritted his teeth, seething inwardly. He so wanted to tell her to take her logic and shove it up her Vulcan ass! Instead he turned his attention to Malcolm.

"Is shuttlepod two ready?"

Malcolm nodded. "Yes, sir. It's fully operational."

The Captain's hand went to the companel. "Archer to the Bridge."

"Ensign Mayweather here, sir," the helmsman responded.

"You still up for some more action, Travis?"

"Just say the word!"

"Lieutenant Reed and myself are heading down to the launch bay."

Travis beamed, eager to do battle once more. "Be right there, sir!"

Archer rose to his feet and headed towards the door. Half way out he turned and looked back at T'Pol who had remained silent since his outburst. He paused briefly then said, "You're in command. If things don't go as planned I want you to get the hell out of here....That's an order!" Again another slight hesitation laced with irony. "I take it you won't have a problem with that."


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


Trip had drifted off into a fitful, verging on delerious, sleep, still half drugged from the potent medication Tannith had administered. He kept repeating how he needed to contact his ship ~ to make Jon aware of the situation ~ and to send help. Tannith had been racking her brains trying to think of a way when all of a sudden she realised the solution to the problem was staring her in the face.

She got up quietly, but Trip's sleep had obviously been light and his eyes flickered open in time to see her wrapping her cape around her shoulders.

"Goin' someplace?" he asked groggily.

"I had an idea....I know how to contact your ship." She almost sounded excited. She saw his frown and came back over to the bed, crouching down beside him. "I'm going to reactivate the distress beacon."

Trip's face hardened. "The hell you are!" He grabbed her arm. "You got a death wish or somethin'?"

"It's our only chance. If your ship picks up the signal again, they'll send help."

Trip held her firm. "And what if they don't? There's no guarantee they're even still in orbit."

She pulled against him, but his grip was tight.

"Please," she pleaded with him. "It's your only hope.....It's 'our' only hope of getting out of here."

Trip had a quick reality check. Common sense told him she was probably right. Enterprise ~ or more precisely the Cap'n ~ may not have given up on him yet. Despite his better judgement, he slackened his grip. Gritting his teeth he attempted to get up.

Tannith stared, horrified. "What are you doing?"

"Well you're not goin' alone." He'd almost managed to push himself upright when a terrible gut-wrenching tidal wave of agony crippled him on the spot. He tasted acid in his throat and coughed and wretched, swallowing hard to force it back down again.

"Now who's got a death wish?" She shook her head slowly from side to side. "You must rest and stay still. The medication I gave you can cause powerful side effects."

"No kiddin'!" Trip croaked, through his gasping. He had his second reality check in as many minutes. Inwardly he was furious with himself, eaten up with the frustration of not even being able to stand on his feet. Yet again she was prepared to go out and risk her life and he was powerless to protect her. She looked so vulnerable it tore him up inside, but he was well aware in his weakened physical state he'd be more of a hindrance than a help.

She sighed and bowed her head as if in silent preparation for the danger that lay in front of her. "I have to go."

As she looked up, Trip reached out and touched her cheek. His gaze was disturbingly magnetic. "I haven't even thanked you yet," he said softly.

"You already have," she replied, somewhat enigmatically, placing her hand on top of his. Once more words seemed superfluous between them. She squeezed his hand lightly then stood up with an air of renewed determination.

Trip had a sudden thought. He pointed to the phase pistol lying next to the bed. "At least take this."

She shook her head. "I don't plan on being discovered. If I am, then that won't be of any help to me. Valsar doesn't give second chances.......Besides, if I don't make it back, you'll need it more than I will."

Everything inside Trip screamed futile frustration.
Everything inside Tannith screamed the same.

Preparing to leave, she offered some wise advice. "Remember what I said.....No sudden movements. The potion's effects will wear off gradually."

Trip nodded. "Be safe," he told her, but she was already gone.


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


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