Catch Me When I Fall -- Tannith's Story - Chapter 4

Catch Me When I Fall -- Tannith's Story

by Rhylo

Disclaimer in Chapter 1

~~~~

CHAPTER FOUR

Trip came to on a biobed in sickbay. It took him a few seconds to orientate himself. He heard Doctor Phlox's voice say, "Lie still, Commander. You've been through quite an ordeal."

No shit, thought Trip, still trying to focus properly. Phlox moved over to the companel on the wall and pressed the button.

"Sickbay to Captain Archer."

A split-second later Archer's voice came back, "Go ahead, Phlox."

"Commander Tucker has just regained consciousness. You asked me to keep you informed."

"On my way!"

Not long after, Archer's familiar figure strode into sickbay. Going straight over to Trip's side he asked, "How is he, doc?"

"Surprisingly well, considering the wound he sustained to his shoulder. By all accounts he's been extremely lucky."

Trip opened his eyes. "Cap'n...."

He tried to get up, but Archer restrained him. "Stay put, Trip.....unless you want to end up on the floor again."

Trip had a vague memory of seeing Malcolm before passing out back down on the planet. He had no recollection whatsoever of how he'd got back on Enterprise.

There was a fresh dressing on his shoulder. Phlox had obviously been at work. Trip tentatively flexed his arm ~ it was still painful, but nowhere near as bad. Phlox came at him with a hypospray, saw his look and explained, "It's just some analgesia for the pain." Trip submitted gratefully and heard the soft hiss as the medication penetrated his skin and was immediately absorbed into his bloodstream.

Ever vigilant, Phlox checked him over with a bioscanner. "I must say you have remarkable healing properties, Commander. I would have expected you to have been in far worse shape. That wound was potentially very serious, yet there's absolutely no sign of infection."

Trip shook his head. "That wasn't me, doc. That was Tannith."

Archer frowned. "Tannith?"

Trip frowned back at him. "Yeah....you know?......Small....kinda cute lookin'......about this tall." He raised his good arm a little higher than the biobed. "She found me just after I got hit. Took real good care of me."

"She did a lot more than that," Phlox stated smiling. "Whoever treated you must have had an extensive medical knowledge. Your wound is starting to granulate already." Trip guessed that was a good thing as Phlox was still smiling."There were also traces of plant extracts in your blood that when combined together in the right quantities form a potent barbiturate."

Now that Phlox mentioned it, Trip still felt a little light-headed. "I told her you two would make a good team!" He gave a broad smile. "So...," he said, tilting his head expectantly. "Where is she?"

Archer and Phlox exchanged glances. What was that Trip saw on their faces? He couldn't quite make it out.....almost like...worry? Now Trip was worried. What weren't they telling him? His smile evaporated instantly.

He levered himself up on his good elbow. "Cap'n?.....Where's Tannith?"

Archer put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Trip...."

Trip could feel panic rising up inside him. "What's goin' on?" Then, "Tell me she's not still down there.....?"

Archer's silence confirmed his worst fears. Trip's face blanched.

The Captain explained how they'd been pinned down, unable to get to him, until Tannith had deliberately drawn their fire, putting herself at great risk. Trip realised that was the second time that day she had saved his life. He sat up despite the giddy feeling it provoked. His forehead had broken out into a cold sweat. He was aware of his pulse racing and he felt distinctly nauseous. Phlox saw the change in him and ran a surreptitious bioscan.

"Commander, you must rest...."

Trip cut him off mid-sentence. "Sonofabitch!" His eyes flared at Archer as he momentarily forgot himself. "You left her down there, didn't ya?.....After all she'd done.....after all she'd risked.....You left her down there at the mercy of those bastards!"

Archer let the insubordination ride under the circumstances. He held Trip's almost venemous gaze waiting for him to calm down. Trip dropped his eyes, but his blood was boiling.

"It wasn't like that," Archer at last explained. "I tried to stop her, but she was very.....determined."

"You know they'll kill her!" Trip was still fired up. "She escaped from them once....they've been huntin' her ever since." He gave him a brief run-down of the pertinent details.

"You can't be sure they captured her," Archer stated. "She might have gotten away."

Trip was breathing hard, full of tension. "Oh, great! So she can die a slower death of starvation, is that what you're sayin'? I'm tellin' you, Cap'n, she has nothin' left. She used the last of her supplies on me......We can't just leave her.....it's only a matter of time before they find her."

Trip had a bad feeling about this. He felt sure something had gone seriously wrong. Why else had she not met back up with the away team? He tried to get up off the biobed, but Archer blocked him. "Where the hell d'you think you're going?"

Ever impulsive, Trip's reply ~ at least in his head ~ was probably the brig after assaulting a superior officer! He opened his mouth, but then thought better of it. He'd said too much already. His shoulders slumped exasperated, but not defeated. He closed his eyes, fighting to regain his composure.

Archer studied his friend silently. He'd always had problems trying to curb Trip's emotional impetuousness and strong will which all too often bordered on the verge of insubordination. He guessed he was partly to blame for not nipping it in the bud at the beginning. However, in this instance, he had to admit he fully sympathised. If he'd gone through what Trip had, he probably would have felt the same.

"If Tannith had been captured.....where would they have taken her?"

Trip slowly looked up, confused. He looked around as if expecting an answer to drop out of thin air. It did!

"The compound! She mentioned some sort of encampment on the north side of the settlement. That's where they take the prisoners."

Hope had returned to his eyes as he fixed his Captain with a wordless pleading stare.

Archer pressed the companel.

T'Pol answered, "Yes, Captain?"

"Have Hoshi run a detailed scan of the perimeter of the settlement. You're looking for some kind of fortress or garrison....probably heavily guarded."

"May I ask why?"

Archer sighed. "Commander Tucker has some unfinished business...."

Trip gave an audible gasp of relief.

Sometimes, Archer thought to himself, he wondered just who really was running this ship!

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

Hoshi had no problems whatsoever locating what was undoubtedly a stronghold of some description. It ticked all the boxes both in terms of personnel and fire power. They hadn't picked it up before because, quite simply, they hadn't run a full scan when they initially detected the distress beacon. In retrospect that was something that would need to be reviewed.

On the outer rim of the far north side there appeared to be what looked like an armory, judging by the array of weapons the scanners picked up. Malcolm's eyes lit up as the Captain briefed him and T'Pol in his ready room. He had just about finished when the door chime rang.

"Come in!" Archer barked and, as the door swished open, Trip's frame filled the gap. He was fully dressed in a clean uniform and the only outward signs of his current injury were the pained expression between his eyebrows and a more obvious lightweight sling for his damaged shoulder.

Archer pinched the bridge of his nose again. "You've gotta be kiddin' me! I thought I told you to stay in sickbay."

Trip gave him his best 'puppy dog' smile. "I thought it was a suggestion, not an order." On Archer's look, he added, "C'mon, Cap'n....I'm fine. The doc's given me somethin' stronger for the pain......I've gotta go down there with you."

Archer gave up. What was the point wasting precious time arguing? "When we get back, remind me to throw you in the brig for insubordination."

Trip nodded. "If we can find Tannith and get her outta there safely, I'll go willingly."

Somehow Archer found that hard to believe.

On their way out, Malcolm asked him, "So....how good's your aim with your left hand?"

"Better than yours with your right!" Trip teased, then, as Malcolm headed for his tactical station on the Bridge instead of the turbolift, he added, "Aren't you comin' with us?"

Malcolm shook his head, his blue-grey eyes glinting.

"I'm sitting this one out. The Captain wants me to create a little diversion."

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

As Travis navigated smoothly through the planet's outer atmosphere, Archer buzzed Enterprise from the control panel in the shuttlepod.

"Lieutenant Reed?"

Back on the ship, Malcolm responded. "Reed here, sir."

"Everything set?"

Malcolm re-checked the target co-ordinates. "Affirmative, Captain. Weapons are on line."

As the seconds ticked by Malcolm realised he was holding his breath. Then Archer's voice came through, "On my mark, Lieutenant.........Now!"

Malcolm fired the first volley of shots from the port phase cannon.

Back on the shuttlepod, Archer turned his attention to Travis who was making a minor adjustment to the thrusters. "Take us in, Ensign."

"Aye, sir."

As they cleared the planet's outer atmosphere and dipped down through the clouds all hell was breaking loose beneath them. Malcolm had scored a direct hit on the weapons cache, lighting up the night sky with white hot flames. Soldiers were running every which way frantically trying to put the colossal inferno out and at the same time avoid the cascading chain of additional explosions the initial blast had created. No-one even noticed the tiny craft as it nestled down safely concealed from general view.

The immediate area was deserted.

Donning thick outer jackets against the chill of the night air, Archer, Trip and Travis disembarked and ducked under the low perimeter fence heading for a side door in the wall of the largest building. Archer tried the handle ~ it wasn't locked. Inside everything was empty ~ no guards in sight.

Travis scanned the area just to make absolutely sure. He almost missed it. The weak biosign was barely traceable.

"Got something?" Archer queried.

Travis hesitated. "I think so. Just give me a second, Captain.......There!"

He did a little fine tuning and was able to get a lock. He led the way down a corridor going deeper into the building, tracking the fragile signal, Archer and Trip ready to fire on anyone or anything that got in their way. The scanner led them to another door left partially ajar. Travis indicated this was the right spot and without a second's hesitation all three of them burst through the doorway and into the dank, foul-smelling chamber. Archer produced a torch from his jacket and shone it slowly round in a wide arc.

What they saw caused their breath to catch as simultaneously their eyes fell upon Tannith's slumped, half-naked body strung up from the ceiling.

"Oh, my God!" Trip was at her side in a heartbeat. Her small vest top was covered in spots of dried blood. Fresh blood oozed from a gash on her head trickling downwards to join up with a cut on her lower lip, like raindrops on a windowpane. Her body was stretched to its full limit with only the tips of her toes resting on the floor.

Trip took her weight in his good arm, supporting her while Archer unstrapped her wrists, freeing her so that she collapsed limply against Trip. He couldn't believe how light and cold she felt. She was so silent and unmoving that he actually wondered for one stomach-churning moment if she were dead. He lowered her gently to the floor, resting her against one knee while he checked the artery on the left side of her neck. It was there....just....a faint and very erratic pulse. Trip knew she was showing all the symptoms of clinical shock. Quickly he shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped the quilted material around her. She was so tiny she looked lost inside it, but it was warm with the heat of his body. It must have stirred her for a brief moment causing her to regain consciousness. She uttered a single low moan, her eyes flashing open in sudden total terror.

"It's okay.....it's me. Hang on, sweetheart. We're gonna get you outta here."

Trip wasn't even sure if she'd heard him. She gave no indication of recognition. Her body went limp against him as she slipped back into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, Archer had been talking into his communicator. He'd been asking Phlox if he thought it was safe to use the transporter to get Tannith back to Enterprise quicker since her condition was obviously serious. Trip seemed to have 'zoned out' since finding her in this appalling state. Archer could see all the signs of emotional shock in his friend so he was trying to do it quietly and tactfully. He got Travis to take a bioscan and relayed it straight to Phlox. The doctor's answer worried him even more.

"I'd seriously advise against using the transporter, Captain. Apart from her obvious injuries she also has some severe neurological damage. I doubt she'd make it back alive."

"Understood," Archer responded into the communicator. "Be ready to take her straight to sickbay as soon as we dock."

"I'm ready now, Captain. Please try to be quick.....Time is of the essence."

Archer nudged Trip's arm. It seemed to jolt him back to reality. "Come on,Trip....Move it!....Clock's ticking."

He made to pick Tannith up, but Trip shook his head. "I'll carry her." He didn't want Archer to misinterpret that so he clarified it by adding, "Makes more sense if you cover us.....I seem to be outta hands."

They'd almost made it back to the side door when a disturbance brought them to a dead stop. Two uniformed guards entered and started walking down the corridor, heading their way. Archer and Travis made short work of them, dispatching them in seconds, but they could hear more voices fast approaching from outside.

Archer unzipped his communicator from his sleeve pocket and flipped it open. "Malcolm, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Captain."

"We could use a little more help down here."

"I'll see what I can do."

A brief pause, followed by a deafening explosion somewhere outside to their right. The voices went away, as the whole building shook and the walls began to buckle.

Malcolm's voice came back, "How was that, sir?"

Archer raised his eyebrows. "Oh, fine, fine....Although it might be a good idea to wait until we're clear of the building before you actually demolish it!"

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

They made it back to the shuttlepod without further interference. Most of the camp was burning now and the air was heavy with thick choking smoke. Trip seemed almost afraid to let Tannith go ~ as if by keeping hold of her broken body it would somehow prevent her from slipping away from him for good. She spent the journey huddled on his lap, Trip counting her every breath. She stirred only once and gave an ominous rattling cough. Fresh blood, bright red and frothy, bubbled from the corner of her mouth. Trip gently wiped it away. A hundred kilometers from Enterprise, her breathing really started to give him cause for concern. Her breath was laboured, coming in short rasps and Trip was sure he could feel the life ebbing out of her. He held her to him and half-buried his face into her hair to hide the burning tears that threatened to escape any moment. He was finding it increasingly difficult dealing with this.

Archer looked across and saw the raw emotion on Trip's face. He truly felt for him. "Hang in there....not long now."

He leaned forward towards his helmsman. "Travis?"

"E.T.A. two minutes, Captain."

Archer carried on talking, but Trip no longer heard him.

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

Phlox spent three hours in surgery fighting to save Tannith and repair what he could of the damage her torturers had inflicted. Twice her heart had stopped and twice he'd managed to resuscitate her. Once a patient was in his care he would not give up on them that easily ~ and certainly this patient was a very deserving case. If necessary he would watch her round the clock. He knew there was someone else willing to do the same. Commander Tucker. He could hear him pacing up and down outside the theatre screen. It was a wonder he hadn't worn a hole in the deck plating! Strange how he'd developed what seemed to be a genuine deep affection for this young woman in so short a time, but then again she'd cared for him and risked life and limb to save him so he supposed it was only natural....only 'human'. Plus she was extremely pretty....vulnerable....delicate....and obviously intelligent ~ an intruiging combination that would most certainly appeal to Mr. Tucker. Yet at this particular moment he had his doubts she would ever be that same young woman again. His work finished, at least for now, he covered Tannith with a light sheet.

As Phlox brought her out of surgery Trip practically leapt on him. "How is she, doc? Will she be okay?"

Phlox wheeled her biobed over to a softly lit bay and connected her up to the monitors which displayed her vital signs.

"Didn't I ask you to get some rest yourself, Commander?"

The door to sickbay slid open and Archer came in. He took one look at Trip. "Aren't you supposed to be resting? You look like crap!"

Trip raised his eyes skywards. "I'll rest when I know she's gonna be okay...I promise."

"I could always have you thrown in the brig."

Trip looked taken aback. "What for?"

"I'll think of something......There's the small matter of your earlier outburst."

Trip looked genuinely apologetic. "I'm sorry, Cap'n."

Archer shook his head and sighed. "Just....don't make a habit of it."

Phlox finished checking the monitors and turned round to two enquiring faces. He took a deep breath, mentally cataloguing her injuries. "I've managed to repair the pneumothorax caused by a penetrating rib fracture.....and re-inflated her lung, but even normal breathing is going to be extremely painful for a while. She does have several additional fractures to her ribs and extensive internal bruising to most of her major organs.....oh, and a ruptured spleen which caused a great deal of internal bleeding. There's tissue damage to her shoulders....torn ligaments....tendons....and she has concussion from the blow to her head. The wound should heal without leaving a scar."

Trip slowly shook his head. "The bastards sure did a number on her," he mumbled mostly to himself. He gritted his jaw, trying not to think about it, but failing miserably. He realised the doctor hadn't finished.

"All this would be bad enough, but she's in an extremely weakened physical state. Her body has no reserves with which to fight this."

Archer's head snapped up. "Are you saying she's not going to make it?"

"If I'm honest, Captain, it's too early to tell.....I'll do my best."

Trip couldn't take his eyes off Tannith. At first glance there didn't seem to be an area of flesh on her that wasn't part of a bruise or connected to some other injury. He couldn't get the image out of his mind of when they'd found her hanging from the ceiling. Whoever had tied her there knew exactly what they were doing to elicit the maximum amount of pain. She wouldn't have stood a chance of bracing herself against any of the blows and she'd taken one hell of a beating. If whoever was responsible for this had been standing right in front of him at that moment, Trip would have dealt them the same fate before throwing them out the nearest airlock ~ and be damned with the consequences.

Moving closer he took hold of one frail hand from under the sheet, immediately noticing the bandage Phlox had applied to her slender wrist. He remembered the raw open welts left behind in the delicate skin by the tight restraints after Jon cut her free. His eyes just stared, but the rest of him was lost in some deep, dark personal nightmare.

Archer and Phlox exchanged glances. The Captain was becoming increasingly concerned about Trip's emotional state. He looked drained and exhausted, yet permanently on edge, completely unable to do the one thing his body was crying out for....rest.

Suddenly Trip felt Tannith's hand tremble and tighten around his. Just for a second he thought she was coming to, but the trembling quickly spread to the rest of her body, becoming more intense and violent. The monitor above her head went frantic.

Tannith's hand locked around Trip's. "Doc?!"

Phlox did a quick bioscan. "I was afraid this might happen."

"What's wrong with her?" Trip's voice grew more high pitched.

Phlox went over to a dispenser and was back with a hypospray in double-quick time. Administering it directly into her neck, he explained, "She's having a seizure, Commander.....No doubt brought on as a result of the isolytic torture she received."

"What the hell are you talkin' about?!" Trip's mouth fell open. "Are you sayin' on top of everythin' else they electrocuted her as well?"

"That would be a fairly accurate analogy."

This time even Archer was stunned.

Whatever Phlox had given Tannith soon took effect. Her body slackened and Trip felt her hand relax in his. The monitor's alarms fell silent, too.

Archer remembered something Phlox had told him before. "Would this have anything to do with the neurological damage you mentioned? Was that why you advised against using the transporter?"

Trip's head shot up. What neurological damage? Where had he been when they were having that conversation?

Phlox nodded. "Precisely. I thought it might precipitate an attack such as this. Without first having stabilised her other injuries.....well, let's just say the outcome may have been different." Even Denobulans could be tactful when they tried.

Trip's mind was working overtime. "When you said 'neurological damage', it's only temporary, right?"

Phlox busied himself so it would appear he was preoccupied. Why did Commander Tucker always seem to ask awkward questions?

Trip was persistent. "Doc?....I said it's only tem......"

"I heard you the first time, Commander." He knew Trip was desperate for an answer, yet he could not give him the one he needed. He had to be told the truth. "I can't say with any certainty that this won't happen again. What I do know is that each time she suffers an attack there's always the risk of it further affecting the synapse and neuron pathways in her cerebral cortex.....Put simply, the longer she remains in a coma the more likely it is that she will never regain consciousness."

Trip hadn't even realised she was in a coma.

A cold chill ran down his spine as he tried to come to terms with the shock of what the doctor had just told him. He felt frozen and sick. Everything inside was churning yet he felt unable to really 'feel' anything. His mind was numb. He didn't even notice when Phlox discreetly swiped his biosigns with the scanner and showed the results to the Captain.

"TRIP!!" He jumped, startled back to reality, wondering why Jon was shouting at him, then realising it was probably because he'd ignored him the first three times!

"Cap'n..." Trip sounded remote, disconnected.

Archer had had enough of gentle persuasion. "As of now you're temporarily suspended from duty, Commander."

"On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that you're physically and mentally exhausted. Not twenty-four hours ago you were lying in sickbay yourself. You've consistently refused to follow medical advice, so you leave me no choice." On Trip's stunned look, he added more kindly, "Don't worry, it's only for a few days and it's not going on your record......I'm doing this as your friend, Trip. You need rest. You need sleep.....Have Phlox re-dress your shoulder and give you some more medication." Just to clarify his position, he added, "That's an order.....in case you've forgotten what one sounds like!"

Heading for the door he asked Phlox to keep him posted on Tannith's progress.

His last words though were to Trip. "If you so much as even think of turning up for duty in the morning, I'll bust your ass down to crewman so fast you'll be purging plasma exhausts into your retirement." He checked he'd got the message home. "Understood?"

Trip put up no resistance. "Aye, Cap'n."

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

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