The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea- Chapter 11

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

by Sita Z

Disclaimers in Chapter 1

****

Chapter 11

Enterprise's operating room was rather small. Archer had been in here only a few times before (thankfully never as a patient himself), and it surprised him again how Phlox was able to work with such limited space at his disposal. The operating table, a slab of stainless steel, was the dominating feature of the room, lit by the white light of the adjustable lamp above. Lacking any furniture besides a small table for the surgical instruments and a chair in the corner, it was not a very welcoming place.

Archer watched as Ensign Cutler and the doctor carefully lifted Trip off the gurney on which he had been brought in, and onto the table. The engineer was still wearing his one-piece hospital gown, and threw a quick, nervous glance at his surroundings once Phlox and Cutler had him settled on the slab. It was the first sign of anxiety he had shown since Phlox had told him about the impending operation half an hour ago. Trip had taken the news rather calmly, nodding and only asking whether it wasn't too early to remove the baby just yet. Phlox' assurances that the child was going to be "just fine" seemed to have convinced him, for he had not voiced any further doubts.

Now, however, Archer saw that his friend was indeed afraid. Trip tried not to let it show, but his eyes darting nervously from side to side and his hands clenching the hem of his sickbay gown betrayed him. Phlox was still busy preparing his instruments, from time to time giving quiet directions to Cutler who arranged the equipment on the table once the doctor had checked it through. Both of them had already donned their surgical suits. Archer had been given one as well, and he still felt strange, wearing that silvery thing over his uniform.

Looking up, he noticed Trip's eyes resting on him, and stepped closer to the table.

"Hey," he said in what he hoped to be a level tone of voice. "You okay?"

Trip answered his smile, though his expression was strained. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Archer nodded. He knew Trip was far from fine, but of course this was the only answer he would give. He smiled.

"Tell you what, when this is over we're both gonna take an evening off, and watch the last game Forrest sent me."

Trip raised his eyebrows. "Monterey versus Daytona Beach?"

Archer nodded. "He sent it to me about a week ago, but I've never found the time." That wasn't true. There had been several occasions when Archer could have watched the game, but he'd never touched the small plastic chip sitting on a shelf in his ready room, had never even considered taking it down and inserting it into the recorder's slot. He'd sworn to himself he would watch it together with Trip, or not at all, and he intended to keep that promise.

Trip grinned weakly, his surroundings momentarily forgotten.

"Bet we kicked your sorry asses this time."

"I wouldn't count on it, Commander." Archer frowned in mock exasperation. "And just so you know, this time we're not watching the end first. Takes the fun out of the whole thing."

Trip opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Phlox who had stepped up beside the table, placing a drape over Tucker's legs and abdomen. When he noticed Trip's questioning look, he smiled.

"Everything's alright, Commander. I'm going to attach the catheter now, nothing to worry about. Please, continue your conversation."

Trip frowned, clearly not pleased, but he didn't say anything. Archer sympathized with his discomfort, and continued to talk to keep Trip's mind off whatever Phlox was doing.

"If Monterey wins this time they'll make it into the finals." He sighed dramatically. "I'd never thought I'd live to see the day."

Trip grimaced. "You're not goin' to. They have no chance, you'll see."

That moment Liz Cutler appeared next to the table, holding an IV. "Your arm, please, Commander."

Trip extended his right arm, watching as Cutler inserted the tube and fastened the bag to its holder. Phlox had finished with the catheter, and went to the head of the table to check the readings on the bio monitor.

The door slid open again, and Archer turned around. Ensign Li, a member of Phlox' medical staff, entered the room, pushing what looked like a glass container the size of a small fish tank, its bottom padded with a thick layer of soft white material. Phlox raised his head, nodding in satisfaction when he saw the container.

"Thank you, Ensign," he said. "Please wait outside. I'll notify you when I need your help."

"Yes, doctor." Li pushed the container to stand against the wall, then turned to leave. Phlox studied the screen for another moment.

"Everything seems to be fine," he said, gesturing to Liz who picked up a hypospray from the instrument table and put it into the doctor's outstretched hand. Archer noticed that Trip was nervously chewing the inside of his lip.

"You're gonna be fine," he said, quietly so that only Trip was able to hear him. "There's nothing to worry about, okay? You're gonna be just fine."

Trip turned his head to look at him, and for the first time Archer saw the plain fear in his eyes. He laid a hand on Trip's shoulder, hoping the contact would help him calm down somewhat. Trip relaxed slightly at the touch, and even managed a small smile. "Thanks, Jon."

Phlox came to stand at the opposite side of the table, holding up the hypospray so that Trip was able to see it. "I'm now going to inject you with an anesthetic, Commander. You'll be sleeping very deeply, and won't feel a thing. There's nothing to worry about."

Trip nodded, taking a deep breath. Archer tightened his grip on his friend's shoulder, and only a moment later Trip's eyes closed shut as the contents of the hypo were emptied into his vein, causing his breathing to become slow and even. Phlox checked on the screen, nodding at what he saw.

"Good. Please put on your masks now, Captain, Ensign." With a quick movement he undid the fastening of Trip's hospital gown and removed it, leaving him only with the surgical drape that covered his legs and genitals. Archer couldn't help but stare at the large bulge that protruded from Tucker's abdomen. It seemed to have moved somewhat more towards the middle, but was still positioned on his left side. And it was huge. As big as a basketball, or maybe even larger. The skin covering the protuberance was slightly reddened, and Archer noticed fine, knobby ridges that went across its length, covering the bulge like a spiderweb.

"The disinfectant solution, please." Phlox' voice startled him, and Archer blinked, watching as Liz Cutler handed the doctor a small white tube. Phlox removed the cap, then began to apply a whitish substance to Trip's middle, spreading it thoroughly until every part of the engineer's abdomen was covered. When he was done, Liz took the tube, and Phlox held out his hand again.

"Scalpel."

The doctor was handed a small gleaming blade, and despite himself, Archer felt his stomach give a slight lurch. Phlox studied his patient for a moment, frowning.

"Two incisions should be enough. Please keep the sponge holder ready, Ensign."

"Two incisions?" Archer raised his head. Phlox didn't seem to mind at all being interrupted, talking as cheerfully as ever as he answered.

"Yes, Captain. Look at that." He pointed at the bioscreen. "This is the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin. It's not too thick, but I'll have to incise it in order to open the Commander's abdomen. Then I'll perform a second cut, opening the fat tissue that has formed around the child. The tissue consists of two layers, one directly protecting the child, so I assumed I might have to perform a third incision. But it looks like I should manage with two."

"Oh."

Above his surgical mask, the doctor's eyes wrinkled in a smile. "Feel free to ask me any questions that come to your mind, Captain."

Archer nodded, secretly making up his mind not to interrupt the doctor again, come hell or high water. Phlox' hand hovered over Trip's abdomen for another moment, then he began to cut. The Captain watched as Phlox swiftly drew the scalpel from Trip's navel to where the bulge ended, leaving a red, fifteen centimeter gap in the skin.

"Ensign." Liz stepped closer, swabbing the blood that was rapidly emerging from the wound.

"His readings are stable."

Archer noticed a metallic taste in his mouth, and realized that he'd been biting his lip so hard it was bleeding. Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to return his attention to what Phlox was doing. The doctor had proceeded to pull apart the gap, and was now pointing at something inside the wound.

"I'm going to incise the tissue right here," he said, addressing Liz who nodded, her eyes following the doctor's hands. Archer made no effort to see what the doctor was pointing at, thanking all the gods there were that from his side of the table he wasn't able to get a direct look at the wound. The smell of blood in his nostrils mixed with the taste in his mouth, and he felt his knees growing weak. Don't you dare, he told himself. Don't you dare. Trip needs you. You're not going to let him down.

Repeating the words like a mantra in his head, Archer watched as Phlox lowered the scalpel a second time. Fresh blood emerged, and Liz quickly exchanged the swabs she used soak up the blood. Her gloves were dripping with bright red liquid, and again, Archer closed his eyes. Don't you dare.

"There we are."

Phlox laid the scalpel aside, and Archer wondered how he could possibly stay that calm. Trip looked like he'd been ripped open with a Klingon bathleth, his abdomen one gaping red wound. There was blood everywhere, and the smell was penetrating, causing Archer to grit his teeth even harder. He was not going to be sick.

Returning his attention to Cutler and Phlox, he saw that both of them had stopped in their tracks, staring at something inside the gap. Liz' eyes were wide, and she raised a hand as if to cover her mouth.

That moment the bio screen gave a small noise.

"Doctor! His heart rate-"

"I see it." Phlox cast a quick glance at the monitor, then – Archer pressed a fist against the mask covering his mouth – reached into the wound with both his hands. There was a sound like cloth being lifted out of water, and Phlox pulled out his hands again, holding a small brown body that was dripping with red blood. Archer couldn't see its face, but he noticed the tiny legs that were bent at the knees and tucked away under the body.

Cutler placed a clamp on the cord that still connected the two bodies, then cut the string with a quick, skilled movement.

"She's not breathing." Still holding the baby, Phlox turned around to Liz. "We're going to have to drain her lungs."

Cutler threw a glance at the bio screen which was giving off a low, steady beep. "Doctor, the Commander-"

"Quick, Ensign!" Phlox snapped, and Cutler obeyed, grabbing a device from the instrument table. They both bent over the small body in Phlox' arms, their backs to the Captain so that he wasn't able to see what they were doing, but it made no difference. Archer stood paralyzed, his eyes fixed on the flashing screen and his fists pressed against his mouth. He wanted to shout, tell Phlox to help Trip – dammit he was dying – but no sound came out. The seconds seemed to stretch, every sound drowned out by the persistent beeping of the screen, and Archer still couldn't move.

"Remove the tube, Ensign. Her respiration has started." Phlox' voice penetrated the beeping, breaking the illusion of time being slowed down. A sudden flurry of movement followed, and from the corner of his eye Archer saw Cutler carrying the baby over to the glass container. His attention, however, was on Phlox who hurried to the Commander's bedside, frowning down at the screen.

"Hand me that hypo. Quick, Captain!"

In two long strides, Archer was at the instrument table, grabbing the hypospray Phlox was pointing at, and handing it to the doctor. He heard the soft hiss as its contents were injected into Trip's neck, and waited, again biting his lower lip without noticing that he was causing it to bleed again. The doctor stared at the monitor, and Archer saw his eyes widen.

"Cardiac arrest. Give me the stimulator, hurry!"

"Which one?" Archer stared down at the table in panic.

"The small gray stick."

Almost dropping it as he picked it up, Archer gave the device to the doctor, watching in horror as Phlox pulled a switch on the stick's side and pressed the stimulator against Trip's chest. The shock caused Trip's back to arch up, and there was a dull thud as he fell back onto the table.

"No response."

Again, Phlox pressed the device against Trip's chest, and Archer turned his head away, not wanting to see the terrible convulsion that lifted Trip's body off the table. He closed his eyes, wishing he could shut out all the noise and smell that was surrounding him, close off his senses and pretend this wasn't happening.

"Captain!" Phlox' voice. Archer turned to look at the doctor, and saw that for some reason the man was smiling behind his mask. Trip was dying, and he smiled?

"The Commander's heart is beating again. His blood pressure has normalized."

Archer stared at the doctor, unable to comprehend the meaning of his words. He felt a hand on his arm, gently pushing him out of the way, and stepped aside without realizing what he was doing.

"I took her outside," Liz said, taking the stimulator from the doctor's outstretched hand, and laying it back on the instrument table." Li is taking care of her. Is the Commander alright?"

Phlox nodded. "The imminent crisis is over. I still need to remove the tissue, though." He waved his hand. "Scalpel, please."

Archer watched as the scalpel was lowered into the wound again, and a moment later Phlox' hand reappeared, holding a bloody lump of flesh the size of a small melon. Dropping the lump into a kidney basin Liz put away without a second look, Phlox laid the scalpel aside.

"The adhesive, please."

For some strange reason, the word startled Archer out of his numbness. "Adhesive?"

Cutler handed the doctor a small object that looked like a miniature piping bag, and Phlox reached into the wound again, not looking up as he answered.

"That's right, Captain. Tissue adhesive, to be exact. Usually I use a matter resequencer for suture, but in this case the wounds are too extensive for resequencing. I have to close the outer incision as well as the small wound on the Commander's pericardium, and I want to make sure the wounds do not open up again as soon as the Commander takes a first walk around sickbay. Which I am afraid he will insist on doing way too early, as always."

Archer swallowed. "Are you... are you saying Trip's going to be alright?"

The doctor paused to examine his handiwork. "Indeed I am, Captain. His readings are stabilizing even as I'm working, and with the removal of the child his body can begin to heal without having to provide for another organism as well." He looked up, his eyes smiling. "The odds are definitely in his favor."

The Captain briefly closed his eyes, feeling heat well up behind his lids. He'd managed to keep control during all this time, but now he knew he just wouldn't be able to hold back the tears. Again pressing a hand against his mouth, he turned away and walked to a corner of the room. There he leaned against the wall, allowing the tears to fall, not caring if anyone saw him. Trip was going to survive. The long wait was finally over.

After a few minutes Archer felt a hand on his arm, and looked up. Liz Cutler was standing before him, her surgical mask hanging loosely around her neck, an almost shy smile on her face as she spoke.

"Captain, why don't you go sit down for a while."

Archer shook his head, pulling down his mask as well. "I'll stay until he's done."

"Captain," Phlox' voice came from across the room. "It'll take me at least another fifteen minutes to close the wound, and the Commander will certainly not wake up during that time. We'll take him to the IC unit later, and I'll make sure to call you when he regains consciousness."

Archer hesitated – he still felt he would be letting Trip down if he left now – but then decided to listen to reason. Trip was safe, so there was no reason for him to stay in here any longer. And it seemed like a good idea, taking these wobbly legs of his to a chair. After all, he didn't want to have Cutler carrying him out the door. Before he left the room, however, he heard Phlox' voice calling him back. Archer turned around, and the doctor smiled at him.

"Thank you, Captain. You did great."

Archer didn't know what to say, but then the door had already slid shut, hiding Phlox and the still unconscious Commander from sight. The Captain took a deep breath, relieved to smell air that didn't stink of blood and disinfectant solution. Letting Liz guide him over to a chair, he sat down, the tension easing from his body as he allowed himself a moment's rest.

"Captain." A calm voice made him look up again, and he saw T'Pol standing in front of him, hands clasped behind her back. "I take it the Commander is alright?"

"Yes." Archer exhaled deeply. "He made it. But... it was a close call."

He took a look at the chronometer on the wall, and realized that less than an hour had passed since he'd followed Phlox into the operating room. It felt more like days to him.

"Ensign Li and I have examined the child," T'Pol said, breaking into his thoughts. "She seems to be healthy, although it will take a closer examination by the doctor to verify her good condition."

Archer raised his head. "Where is she?"

"Ensign Li has taken her to the IC unit where Dr.Phlox has prepared a special bed. She is sleeping at the moment."

For some reason Archer hesitated before asking his next question. "Can I see her?"

"Of course, Captain."

Archer got up to follow T'Pol into the adjoining room, but then remembered something. "Just a second, Subcommander."

T'Pol waited, her eyebrow raised. Archer pressed the intercom button. "Archer to the bridge."

"Bridge." He wasn't surprised to hear Hoshi's voice. Of course neither she nor Malcolm had gone to bed after Archer had informed them about the impending operation one hour ago. He could only imagine how it must have been, sitting at their stations without being able to do anything but wait for news.

"You'll be happy to hear that both Commander Tucker and the child have survived. Phlox is still with Trip, but he told me chances are very good that he will recover."

Archer closed the connection, smiling as he heard a whoop that sounded very much like Travis' voice. Apparently the helmsman had left his quarters to join the rest of the senior staff on the bridge.

T'Pol was still standing at the door, watching him with raised eyebrows. Archer gestured for her to take the lead.

"After you, Subcommander."

They entered the IC unit, a small, softly lit room with two biobeds that were hidden from view by white curtains. T'Pol walked over to one of the beds, pulling the thin fabric aside and motioning for Archer to come closer. His eyes fell on a rectangular glass container similar to the one Li had brought into the operating room, standing against the wall next to the biobed. Unlike the other container, however, this cot was equipped with a bio screen and a small device Archer recognized as a heat regulator. Exchanging a glance with T'Pol whose face held no particular expression, Archer bent down to get a closer look at the small baby that was lying on the soft material padding the bottom of the cot. At first sight, Archer was surprised how little difference there was to a human baby. A thin ridge of bone parted her forehead, extending across her hairless skull and reminding Archer of the Xyrillians he had talked to on Tr'Nal's ship. Her body was covered with tiny bronze scales that slightly reflected the light, giving her skin a smooth and shiny appearance. Her arms and legs, however, as well as her small torso, were as thin as those of any newborn, and the way she tucked her hands under her chin while sleeping reminded him very much of a human baby. Or Vulcan, for that matter. Archer let his gaze wander across the tiny body, noticing the end of the umbilical cord that was still held by the clamp, as well as the oxygen tube inserted into her nose.

T'Pol seemed to have followed his eyes. "We discovered that she was respiring too rapidly, and decided to give her extra oxygen to help her breathe. It is, of course, Dr. Phlox' decision, but I suppose that we will be able to remove the tube in a few hours' time."

Archer nodded, not able to take his eyes off the baby inside the cot. It was unbelievable that this being, looking so much like a human baby, had grown inside a man's body. He realized that up until now she, the child, had never quite become real to him. Now that she was lying here in front of his eyes, alive, breathing, wearing a diaper for God's sake, he truly didn't know what to say.

T'Pol raised an eyebrow. "I was surprised that she had actually grown an umbilical cord," she said. "But of course there must have been some kind of connection between her and the nutrient tissue."

Archer nodded, not really listening. He thought of Trip, and wondered how his friend would feel, seeing the baby – his baby – for the first time. He couldn't begin to imagine how it must be like.

As he straightened up again, Archer swayed slightly, and T'Pol caught him by the arm. The dizzy feeling wore off in a second, but T'Pol studied him with her eyebrows raised.

"Captain. I suggest you go to your quarters and get some rest. It is half past three in the morning, and you have been awake for almost twenty-four hours."

Archer shook his head. "I want to be here when he wakes up."

T'Pol let out a tiny sigh. "Captain. The Commander will wake up in five or six hours at the earliest. There is no need for you to stay here the entire time."

Archer was too tired to argue with Vulcan logic, and simply shook his head again. "I'm not leaving now."

T'Pol seemed to have expected as much. "You could at least lie down on one of the biobeds, Captain. That way the doctor can wake you immediately when the Commander regains consciousness, and you will not collapse with exhaustion, either."

Archer met her eyes, and knew that she wouldn't take no for an answer. Sighing, he relented, pulling the surgical gown over his head as he followed her to the door. With a last glance at the sleeping baby he left the room, hearing the door sliding shut behind him.

"Shouldn't someone stay with her, just in case?"

T'Pol gave him a dry look. "I will return in there immediately after you have lain down, Captain."

He sighed. "You don't trust me, do you?"

T'Pol raised an eyebrow. "Not in this regard, Captain."

Archer grimaced, but secretly had to admit that it felt good, being able to stretch out his weary body on one of the beds. He felt a blanket being spread over him and murmured his thanks, then heard her steps retreating, and the door of the IC unit opening and closing.

Feeling his arms and legs relax and grow heavy, Archer let out a deep sigh and remembered that there were at least a dozen calls he had to make, and just as many people he had to talk to, calm down, or simply inform of the situation. But not right now. Right now all he wanted to do was close his eyes and think of nothing. If only for a short time.

Continue to Chapter 12

Return to Chapter 10

Back to Fan Fiction Main Menu

Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS!