Star Trek Enterprise Bk. 03 - The War Ch. 14

"Hold on," The captain commanded. He then switched to the ship's comm and gave his next order to Malcolm who was waiting at the transporter console. "Lt. Reed, get them out of there." He barely finished the sentence and he was turning over the bridge to T'Pol and stepping into the lift.

As the Captain was heading towards D deck, Lt. Reed was sliding the controls activating the transporter. Within a few seconds a blue glow began to appear then morph into two human silhouettes before transforming into the crumpled heap that was Danaë with Nathan still shielding her with his body. Before the major had a chance to comprehend that he was back on the Enterprise, Archer came running at full speed down the corridor, pushing past crew members as he moved. He stopped at the transporter and immediately slid Danaë out from under the major's body before he finally collapsed.

"I promised you I would bring her back."

"Thank you." The captain said as emergency medics descended on Nathan. Knowing Maj. Forrest was in good hands, Archer scooped Danaë up into his arms and began to move as fast he could to the lift and to Dr. Phlox on E-Deck.

Although no one was timing him, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he made it there in record time while shouting for each and every person in the corridor to get out of the way. Once inside he laid her on the table before Dr. Phlox who wasted no time running scanners over her body to find each and every injury. Archer could already tell that she had broken ribs, as well as dark bruises to her face. What he didn't know was whether there were any internal injuries she might have sustained. Nervously the captain stood back and watched everything as the doctor moved his equipment along every part of her body, noting fractured ribs and a punctured lung. As he moved over her abdomen, he stopped suddenly then looking at the readings he furrowed his brow, his sparkling blue eyes narrowed with uncertainty. Taking up a handheld imager he once again scanned her lower abdomen, his face becoming serious.

Archer looked at the image trying to see what was so concerning to Dr. Phlox. All he saw was a large dark space with what looked like a bean shaped object on one side. The doctor pressed some buttons and a new sound joined the normal chatter of animals in sickbay. This one was different. After a moment, Archer realized what he was hearing was a heartbeat, but it was too fast to be Danaë's. He looked back at the screen and watched as Dr. Phlox measured the bean-like object in the image.

At first his mind still didn't understand what he was looking at or hearing. It wasn't until the doctor's vibrant blue eyes looked deep and soberly into his that the realization began to take hold. All expression drained from the captain's face and his skin went pale as his blood drained away. He stepped back, momentarily unable to breathe as he tried to wrap his mind around the truth that was before him. He couldn't speak, but eyes showed all the raw emotion that was welling up inside. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply in an attempt to hold himself together.

"Is that...?"

"Yes," Dr. Phlox answered, looking at the image then back at the captain grimly.

"How far along." Archer asked softly. Even without he could guess when it had all happened. It had to have been during those two glorious days and nights in each other's arms on Risa. He had longed to find life rather than just war and death and it seemed he unexpectedly had.

"Given the size of the fetus in the ultrasound I would say she is about seven weeks long." Normally the good doctor would not have divulged a patient's private and sensitive medical information, but Archer had already heard and recognized the heartbeat. He also could recall the scene he had witnessed between the captain and lieutenant during the Xindi conflict. In that moment he had realized that they were a lot more than colleagues. While he could not say so with one-hundred percent certainty just yet, Archer's reaction told him enough to suspect the captain had more than just the typical concern for a fellow crewman.

"Did she know...?".

"I don't think so. In fact I would be surprised if she had. Body weight, treatments for her depression among other things have always made her courses irregular. I don't believe she would have gone on this mission if she had known," Dr. Phlox explained. He would have liked to have given Archer time to let this discovery soak in but there simply wasn't time. In another place and time Phlox would have waxed philosophical about the joys of babies and parenthood, but not this day. There were far more concerning matters he needed to make the captain aware of. "You are aware that she is badly injured and even if I am able to save her, I may not..." Whatever news Phlox had was suddenly cut off as a medical alarm went off and Crewman Cutler's words shattered everything.

"Doctor the lieutenant is going into cardiac arrest!"

Dr. Phlox was instantly at Danaë's side working feverishly trying to restart her heart. Archer rushed over too in a panic yelling her name at the top of his lungs and ordering her to fight and hold on while simultaneously yelling at the doctor to save her. In sickbay the doctor held absolute authority and seeing that the captain was only going to be more of a hindrance than help, he ordered security to take Archer outside and to make sure he did not try to return until he gave the go-ahead. Archer struggled against the two officers, desperate to stay with Danaë, but it was a losing battle. He swiftly found himself in the corridor helplessly watching as the door shut and separated him from Lt. D'Arcy. Making it worse was seeing the two MACO's take up positions in front of the entrance to sickbay so he couldn't go back in before Dr. Phlox gave authorization.

As he stood seemingly forsaken in the corridor, the medics that had been at the transporter came walking up with Major Forrest on a stretcher. As they approached he had them stop and once again thanked him for what he did. A wave of guilt ran through him as he thought of the jealousy he had felt towards this man, the private argument, the blows they once exchanged. Now he couldn't thank him enough.

As the medics and stretcher continued through the doors into sickbay, Archer became more determined to stay in the corridor in the mistaken belief that the doctor would surely emerge at any time with news, but the only thing that happened was the hands of his watch moved at an unbearably slow pace. He leaned against the wall, allowing his head to rest against the surface. He should have been contacting Admiral Gardner, or setting up negotiations with the Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellerites. Now that they had the Romulans on the run, there was no better time for all parties to come together and reinforce their alliance. For now he could let T'Pol handle things. He wasn't about to step one foot away from this door.

The captain was never one to believe in fate, yet he could never deny that he had been feeling their nimble fingers weaving and entwining the threads of his life with that of Danaë's. Now there was a new, unexpected thread that he could never have imagined. Slowly he slid down the wall until he was seated on the floor, his thoughts going back to a simpler time when they were still new to the galaxy and only trying to be explorers. He wondered how different it all might have been had he not found her on that Suliban ship.

Sitting there he smiled to himself as another more embarrassing memory came to mind. They had come into contact with strange sentient beings that appeared as little more than wisps of smoke in various colors. They were fascinating at first, but soon it became apparent that what they wanted was to take over their physical human bodies. Twenty-four members of the crew were infested and in order to prevent anymore from succumbing Archer ordered the remaining crew to the catwalk. The osmium alloy that shielded the area could not be penetrated by the beings keeping them safe while they figured out how to save the others.

As the crew was moving to the catwalk, Archer was keeping a sort of census of each and every member and soon found that Lt. D'Arcy had not been seen. Concerned that she had become a victim, he rang her quarters but got no answer. Becoming more worried he overrode the lock and went inside. Her backpack was packed on her bed, but he didn't see her. Worried, he barged into her bathroom only to find her stepping from her shower completely naked. Instantly he whirled around apologizing profusely as she tried in vain to cover herself, first with her hands and arms then by snatching up a towel and hastily wrapping it around herself. The only thing she managed to say was a shocked 'merde'. When she was covered and the initial shock had worn off recovered her tongue and did not hold back.

"What the Hell!!"

"Again, I am sorry. You didn't answer and I was afraid you had been possessed."

"I just wanted to take a shower before going to the catwalk. The last time we camped there we didn't get one for a week. Who knows how long we'll be stuck there this time."

"I understand and I realize that I should never have barged in that way."

He really was genuinely sorry and she had every right to be angry, although she didn't seem as upset as he would have expected. No crewman should have to deal with a captain overreaching his authority and barging into their quarters, but his reason had been one of genuine concern and he hoped she could see that. Even so, he had a feeling in his gut that she was not about to let him off so easily. Why would she? How often would she have Captain Archer falling over himself begging for forgiveness?

"Did you get a good look?" she asked.

"It all happened so fast, I really didn't see a thing," he assured her. "I'm a little more concerned about the number of crew members being infected by those lips... Whisps on the thigh- er, rise." Hearing him stumble over his words in what Earth would call a 'Freudian slip' no doubt had brought a smirk to Danaë's pretty face, and yes, he had definitely looked. He was a red-blooded human male with an attraction to the lieutenant. He wasn't even going to think about how long it had been since he had last been intimate with a woman.

"I thought you didn't see anything?"

"I don't have time for this. I need to get everyone on to the catwalk for their safety. I can't fall behind -- and by behind I mean delayed and not your 'behind' or posterior." He was desperately trying to keep things professional, but the more he tried to clarify and prevent another slip the more flustered and worse the situation got. "Not that there's anything wrong with your behind, I'm sure there isn't, but it's completely inappropriate for someone of my rank to be looking or even referring to it."

Instead of easing the awkwardness in the room, it was getting worse. Danaë never even had to say a word, the captain's own mouth just kept digging him into a deeper and deeper hole. He figured for her, this had to be by far the funniest thing she had ever seen. She had mentioned in the past how when she was growing up she had only seen Archer in official portraits where he always seemed cold and stern. Seeing him tripping over his tongue and getting embarrassed had to be utterly delightful for her.

"Well we've established that I'm still me and that as captain you can't admire or even look at my lady parts. The real question is why are you still here?"

"I don't know, but I'm going. Report to Trip on the catwalk and assist him with setting up the temporary command center." Archer turned and once more looked at the lieutenant. She had covered herself with a towel that was firmly folded in place. Even so, he was careful to keep his gaze on her face and eyes rather than any other part of her anatomy that was showing. "Keep me abreast..." He sighed and wished he could just pull a rock over the pit he had dug himself into and be done with it. "Just... Just keep me posted."

Archer smiled and thought to himself that the incident had not been his finest moment. He was in the midst of reminding himself that the lieutenant was receiving the best care imaginable and that there was no better doctor than Phlox when T'Pol approached him. It seemed that Prime Minister Samuels was eager to have a word with him. Right now the captain had no desire to do anything that took him away from this door. The sub-commander glanced at the two MACOs guarding the entrance to sickbay then back at the captain. She thought about the promise she had made to the lieutenant the night before the mission.

"Captain, I understand you are concerned about the lieutenant..."

"No you don't," he cut in.

"With all due respect, captain, five good men were lost on this mission, Maj. Forrest sustained a head injury and Lt. D'Arcy has been willing to sacrifice her life in order to turn the tide of this war and keep The Coalition of Planets going. Surely you can at least take this meeting and learn if what they worked for has succeeded." The captain stared up at her, annoyed at her logic and the knowledge that she was absolutely correct.

"Walk with me."

Together they walked down the corridor without exchanging a word. Occasionally they glanced at each other. Archer desperately wanted advice from someone he could trust, but the subject was damning and he could already imagine the many ways T'Pol would remind him of his impropriety while staring at him with that emotionless face. While the sub-commander already suspected there was some kind of secret between lieutenant and captain, she had more understanding than Archer might have guessed. Even now she harbored feelings for Commander Tucker that she could not ignore or suppress. As the door closed on the lift, the captain nervously turned to T'Pol and tried breaking the ice.

"I don't suppose you can regale me with a story about a Vulcan going against logic and the rules and everything still turning out okay."

"I know of no such incidents," she answered.

"I had a feeling you would say that." frustrated, the captain stopped the lift and placed his hands on the cold metal surface of the wall leaning against it. He just felt so helpless. "I'm starting to think that Vulcan's have the right idea. Perhaps suppressing your emotions and relying solely on logic is the right way to go."

He waited for her to gloat. Oh there was going to be a colossal gloat coming in that emotionless monotone vulcan voice, he just knew it. He had the 'I told you so' coming and was bracing for it. Strangely all he heard was silence. After a few moments he turned around and looked at her almost disappointed. "I expected you to jump all over that."

"I may not know why you requested such an example, or why you are considering this change in behavior, but it seems to me that your emotions have always guided you in the right direction. Your 'gut instinct' as you humans call it., has served you well. I think suppressing your emotions would be limiting."

"Perhaps I need the limitation." he responded tersely. "No emotion might be better than a heart being torn in a thousand different directions. Even if everything turns out okay in sickbay, there still will be consequences and choices to be made." T'Pol raised an eyebrow, curious as to what he meant. "Explore the stars or stay on Earth? Starfleet will never allow both." He said this not only in regards to his own future, but Danaë's as well. Personally, if he had to choose between space exploration and Dani and his child then the choice was easy. He could not and would not decide for Danaë and had no idea what path she wanted. If only he had the ability to offer her all the dreams they had talked about.

"It seems to me that right now you are invaluable to Starfleet and the Coalition of Planets, so much so that I think they would not refuse you anything."

"What makes you say that?" Archer asked.

"You are what is holding the Coalition together," T'Pol answered. "The Andorian's trust you more than they trust themselves and will only come to the table if you are there. The Vulcan's cannot deny that you are a force to be reckoned with. With the others looking to you, the Tellerites cannot help but yield to your word. Prime Minister Samuels may lead the Earth faction, but without your backing he is powerless."

This was something Archer had never even considered. He never pictured himself as anything more than the simple captain of a starship. He might lend his thoughts or opinions to those whose ranks were above his, but that was it. Even with T'Pol's statement he wasn't sure if he was ready for such a leap of faith, although he knew Vulcan's did not lie and there was no logical reason for the sub-commander to mislead him.

"I don't know that I have as much influence as you claim, but maybe there's enough for one small favor," he responded, a small measure of hope appearing in his eyes.

"Maybe," T'Pol agreed.