BLUE ICE

The name translated to Blue Ice and the name fit the planet perfectly. It was a planet made up almost entirely of ice and snow. The temperatures on the surface averaged minus fifty to minus seventy. As unbelievable as it seemed, there was life on the planet and it was a fairly advanced race. They lived in cities under domes that kept the harsh elements out. Archer had decided to send Trip and Hoshi down to the surface to see if they could negotiate with the inhabitants for some of their duratanium.

Hoshi was being sent to translate and Trip to handle the duratanium if they could get some. Archer didn't see any problems with sending the pair in a shuttlepod. It should be able to handle the freezing temperatures and occasional snowstorms. What he didn't know was that there were pockets on the planet where it got so cold the air turned to liquid. And that liquid was where the problems began.

Trip had maneuvered the shuttlepod through the turbulent atmosphere and he and Hoshi were about forty kilometers from the city when they hit a pocket of liquid air. The engines on the shuttlepod immediately went dead and the ship began a freefall. He did the best he could with the thrusters, but then they cut out too. “Hold on Hoshi, we’re going down.” Bracing for the impact, Trip was thrown to the deck and knocked unconscious.

Hoshi held on tight, but was thrown forward where her head and right side impacted the console hard and she slumped over it unconscious. She’d been holding on tight ever since the shuttlepod entered the atmosphere, but the impact had been hard and she couldn’t keep from being thrown forward. Just before that she saw Trip get thrown to the deck and the last thing she thought before losing consciousness was whether he was okay or not.

A short time later Trip slowly came around. His head hurt a little, but otherwise he seemed fine. It was dark in the shuttlepod and all the systems were off-line. Climbing to his feet, he searched for the flashlight and turned it on. First he needed to see how Hoshi was and it worried him that he heard no other sounds in the pod. “Hoshi?” Moving forward the beam from the flashlight landed on her motionless form as she slumped over the console. He could see the blood on the right side of her head and face and it scared him. “Oh, God.”

Moving forward, he knelt down beside her and pressed his fingers to her neck. He was relieved to find a pulse, but it was a little weak. Using the flashlight, he checked her pupils and found the right one dilated. That was a bad sign and he knew it. Trip carefully checked her for any other injuries and didn’t find any. Carefully he picked her up and carried her back to the bench at the back of the shuttlepod. Laying her down, he put a jacket under her head and a blanket over her. It was starting to get cold in the shuttle already and it had only been fifteen minutes or so since they went down.

Taking the medical kit out of the compartment, he gently began to clean and bandage the wound on Hoshi’s forehead. There was quite a bit of blood on her face and he cleaned all of it off. He tried to clean it out of her hair too, but couldn’t get all of it. Once he finished, he placed another blanket over her and moved away.

Trip put on a jacket and began to check the ship’s systems. Everything was off and it appeared that the major systems had all been damaged in the crash. They wouldn’t be contacting Enterprise, but they should be figuring out that something went wrong soon. When they didn’t check in, or the officials on the planet checked to see if they were on their way, Enterprise would know. Hopefully they could be found before it got too cold. Glancing at Hoshi, Trip knew he had to do whatever he could to keep her alive.

Removing his tools from the storage compartment, Trip began trying to make repairs. His hope was that he could get enough power to generate some heat inside the pod. It already felt noticeably colder and they only had so many blankets. For now he would give all of those blankets and the other jacket to Hoshi. She’d lost some blood and hadn’t stirred since the crash, so he knew she was not doing well. Letting her get cold would only make matters worse.

Archer paced the bridge. If he’d known that sending the shuttlepod down would be dangerous, he never would have done it. Now Trip and Hoshi were down there somewhere. It was obvious the shuttlepod had gone down and Archer knew that if the systems had been damaged in the crash, things would be getting very cold for them. Time was of the essence in this case and if they couldn’t find them quickly enough, Trip and Hoshi would freeze to death. “Malcolm?”

“I’m sorry sir, nothing yet. Our sensors are having trouble getting through the snowstorms and liquid air.” Malcolm was frustrated. He’d had no luck so far and his two best friends were down there. Right now they didn’t know if Trip and Hoshi were even still alive. If the hull had been breeched in the crash, then they might have frozen to death already.

“Keep on it.” Archer had contacted the officials of the planet and they were doing everything they could to help find the downed shuttlepod. Unfortunately their sensor equipment was only good for short ranges. They were planning to send out a search party consisting of those conditioned to withstand the elements, but it still could take time since they didn’t know for sure where the pod was.

Meanwhile, Trip was having no luck with the ships systems. Most of them had been shorted out and needed replacing. It was getting colder in the shuttle and he had to blow into his hands to warm them. Glancing at Hoshi, he saw no signs that she was regaining consciousness and the more time that passed, the more worried he became. Remembering the candles they kept stowed on board, Trip gave up on fixing the systems and focused on trying to provide any kind of heat he could. The candles wouldn’t put off a lot of heat, but it would be better than nothing.

He placed the candles in the center of the floor and lit them. Moving over to Hoshi, he gently picked her up in his arms and put her down near the candles. Placing all four blankets over her, he then added the jacket. Taking the final blanket out of the compartment, he placed it gently under her head. “I won’t let you die Hoshi. I would die first before I let you die.” Kneeling down, he gently kissed her on the lips. It was the first time he’d kissed her and he wished she were awake for it.

Sitting there, he looked at her and thought how strange it seemed to be falling in love with her. When the mission started he never expected to fall in love with anyone, especially Hoshi. She was so young, but she was everything he wanted in a woman and she wasn’t afraid to express her fears. He had a great deal of admiration for her because she could put those fears aside when it meant saving Enterprise, or someone’s life. Reaching out, he caressed her cheek with his fingers. Her skin was cool, but not cold. Soon he would have to join her under the blankets, as it was getting too cold in the shuttlepod.

An idea came to him and he checked the compartment. Just as he thought, there were no canteens in it. This wasn’t a mission that required them since they weren’t going to a desert planet. The only other option was to go outside and bring back some snow to melt. Trip thought if he could heat some water and get Hoshi to drink it, then he could warm her from the inside. Bundling up as best he could, Trip took a container and quickly went outside closing the hatch behind him. He didn’t want to let any more cold air into the pod then he had to and he knew he’d only be outside for moment.

It was unbearably cold, but Trip managed to fill the container with snow and made his way back to the shuttlepod. Quickly getting inside and sealing the hatch, he held his hands over the candles for a moment to warm them. Putting some of the snow into a cup, he held that over the flame and watched as it slowly melted. Once there was steam coming from the water he moved to Hoshi’s side.

With as much care as he could, Trip lifted Hoshi’s head so she could drink. He was acutely aware of her head injury and did his best to avoid hurting her. Pleased to see she was drinking it, he gave her all that was in the cup and moved back to heat more of the snow. “God, I hope this works.” If it did, he’d have some himself.

An hour later it was thirty degrees colder in the shuttlepod and Trip was shivering uncontrollably. Hoshi appeared to be fairly comfortable and he’d gotten quite a bit of the hot water into her. He was about to put his survival training to work, but wanted to try one last time to get the communicator working.

Back on Enterprise, Malcolm had managed to narrow down the search area to forty square kilometers. That seemed like a lot, but in reality it was a very small area. Archer was certain they’d have a fix on the shuttlepod’s exact location very soon.

“Captain, once we do find the shuttlepod we won’t be able to beam them up. The storms and liquid air make transporting impossible.” T’Pol had been analyzing the atmosphere and made the determination that transporters would be useless.

“Another shuttlepod?”

“Possibly, but it would be at the same risk of going down as Commander Tucker’s had been.” T’Pol glanced at Archer with a raised eyebrow. She wanted to know what he would come up with in this seemingly winless situation.

“Alright, as soon as Malcolm has a fix on their exact location, I want your best option for rescuing them.” Archer could tell by the look on T’Pol’s face that she didn’t think he could come up with a solution to their problem. Well, he intended to prove her wrong.

“Understood.” Despite the fact that she expected Archer to fail in his attempts, she would still do her job and try to find a way to get down there. Perhaps the inhabitants could be of help once Tucker and Sato were located.

“Sir, I’ve got a fix. The sensors only picked them up for a moment, but I got two life sign readings. The temperatures in their area are extremely cold, but I think we could get a shuttlepod down and land about ten kilometers from their location.” Reed felt hope. At least they knew the two were still alive, but for how much longer they didn’t know.

“Malcolm, go get shuttlepod two ready. T’Pol, contact the planet and see if they can arrange for their search party to meet us at the coordinates.” Archer felt the urgency, but he also felt some relief that they knew where Trip and Hoshi were and that they were still alive.

“Yes, sir.” Malcolm replied and hurried from the bridge.

“Certainly Captain.” Was T’Pol’s smooth, cool reply.

“Travis, I want you to pilot the shuttlepod. T’Pol will remain here and take command.” Archer rose from his chair and walked with Travis to the turbo-lift. He, Malcolm, and Travis left Enterprise in the shuttlepod and half way there, T’Pol contacted them to let them know that a search party from the surface would rendezvous with them at the coordinates. After that it would just be a ten-kilometer hike to reach the shuttlepod. Of course that would take some time, especially in such cold temperatures, but Archer had made sure the shuttlepod was equipped with extreme cold gear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trip quickly stripped down until he wore only his under shorts. As gently as he could he unzipped Hoshi's uniform and removed it. It was only then that Trip saw the bruising on her shoulder and hip. Lifting her undershirt, he found bruising on her side as well. She must have hit the console hard to have that much bruising. Reaching out, he gently touched the darkened area on her side. He hated the thought of her being injured and wished he could take it all away. More than anything he wished she would wake. “I’m so sorry Hoshi.” He felt responsible since he was the pilot, but there really hadn’t been anything he could do.

Lying down behind her, he put his arm around her. Pulling all of the blankets and jackets he had; over them, he held her tight and tried to use their combined body heat to keep them warm. Making sure the blankets covered her completely, Trip breathed in her scent and closed his eyes. “I love you Hoshi.” If only she were awake to hear it.

Sometime later Hoshi began to wake. Her head was pounding and the slightest movement caused a bolt of pain. The ache in her shoulder, hip, and side was annoying, but not unbearable. It took her some time to realize the situation she was in and she found herself a bit surprised to Find Trip lying with her. She tried to look at him when she realized they were both in only their underwear, but the movement caused too much pain. “Trip?”

There was no response as Trip had drifted into a deep sleep. The cold was taking its toll on him since he’d put more of the blankets over Hoshi than himself. He’d felt the cold for a while, but eventually he felt nothing as his sleep grew deeper and hypothermia began to set in.

It took her some time and pain, but Hoshi managed to turn over to face Trip. Reaching out she touched his face and found it very cold. “Oh, Trip.” She knew he’d given her more of the blankets and because of that he was freezing. Adjusting the blankets so that more of them covered him, Hoshi snuggled closer to him and shared her body heat with him. Her hand moved to the small abrasion on his forehead before moving into his hair. He was an amazing man and it touched her deeply that he would risk his own death to be sure she was warm. Closing her eyes she drifted back to sleep with her arms around Trip. Hopefully he would improve with the blankets over him and some of her body heat.

During that time Archer, Reed, and Mayweather had reached the surface and met up with the search party. They’d begun the long trek to shuttlepod one and carried with them everything they would need to treat Trip and Hoshi for hypothermia. The group from Enterprise was having some trouble with the cold, but the local inhabitants kept them going and they made fairly good progress.

Talking was at a minimum, as they had to keep their faces covered against the wind and snow. Archer couldn’t remember a time when he was so cold. At the pace they were going it would still be several more hours until they reached the shuttlepod and he prayed that Trip and Hoshi would last that long. Glancing at Travis and Malcolm, he could see they were holding their own, but where also feeling the cold.

Two of the local members of the search party carried lightweight stretchers. The trek back to shuttlepod two would take longer than the trip there as they would be carrying the two crewmembers. The locals had no doubt that the two missing people would be suffering from the cold, even if they were inside their craft.

Back on Enterprise T’Pol was monitoring the Captain’s progress as well as she could. The sensors could not get through some of the storms and she often lost contact with the search party. Down in sickbay, Phlox was preparing everything he would need to treat the two for severe hypothermia. He also prepared for any possible injures that occurred during the crash, but had no idea if there were any, or their possible severity.

For the first time since the crash Trip and Hoshi were both awake at the same time. Neither of them was aware of the fact at first. It wasn’t until Hoshi looked up at Trip’s face and saw him looking at her. “Trip, I was so worried about you.” Her head hurt terribly and even the dim light of the candles seemed to hurt her eyes, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of Trip’s face. Now that he was so close to her, she realized just how incredibly handsome he was.

“I was worried about you, Hoshi. You were unconscious for so long and seeing your right eye dilated had me scared.” His right hand rubbed her back as he absently stroked her hair with his left. It felt so nice, so right to hold her in his arms and he had no doubt he was falling in love with her. “How are you feeling?”

“My head really hurts and I’m a little cold, but otherwise fine.” She could feel him still shivering in her arms and knew he was still very cold. “How are you?”

Trip was touched by the amount of concern in her eyes and voice. Could it be she was falling for him too? Smiling, he replied. “Just cold. Otherwise I’m fine.” He closed his eyes as she reached up and touched the small cut on his forehead.

“You’re hurt too.”

“That doesn’t bother me. I had a slight headache for a while, but it’s gone.” He ached to kiss her, but was reluctant. What if what he saw in her eyes wasn’t love? What if it was just the situation they were in? The last thing he wanted was to mess up the friendship he had with her.

Hoshi thought Trip had the most expressive face she’d ever seen and she could tell what he was thinking. In some ways it was so strange to be having these feelings for him, but she couldn’t deny those feelings and didn’t want to. Moving her hand to his cheek, she leaned closer and gently kissed him. She felt him hold her tighter as the kiss grew deeper. Suddenly she didn’t feel cold at all, but rather warm and she knew for sure that she was falling in love with Trip.

Breaking the kiss, Trip looked into Hoshi’s eyes. “Hoshi, is what I think is happening, happening?”

“Yes it is.”

“Are we falling in love, or is it just this situation we’re in?” He was sure it wasn’t the situation, at least not for him. The feelings he had for Hoshi had been growing over the last month or so.

“I know it isn’t the situation for me, is it for you?” Hoshi didn’t think it was for him either, because she’d sensed the change in him.

“No….” He was unable to finish as Hoshi kissed him deeply again. Right then he was unaware of the extreme cold around them. All he was aware of was the beautiful, intelligent, young woman in his arms. One of the candles going out brought their kiss to an end and they both looked at the remaining candle. “That’s not going to last much longer and then it’s going to get very cold.” Surprisingly the two candles had put off more heat than he’d expected, but they’d be loosing that very soon.

“Then we will have to keep each other warm.” Hoshi was beginning to feel a lot of pain from the bruising on her right shoulder, side, and hip, as that was the side she was currently laying on. “Can we change position?”

Trip didn’t have to ask why; he knew the side she was laying on was the one that was badly bruised. As gently as he could, he rolled them over so that she was on her left side facing him. “Better?”

“Yes, thank you.” She snuggled against him and felt him adjusting the blankets over them. “Make sure you are covered too.” Hoshi wasn’t about to let him get hypothermia just to keep her warm.

“I am, don’t you worry about me.” Trip smiled at her and kissed her gently on the forehead. However, he didn’t do as she asked. He put more of the blankets over her than himself, telling himself that he had the candle at his back to keep him warm. They settled in and drifted to sleep. Although they hadn’t been feeling the cold, it was there and it was beginning to take its hold on their bodies. Trip was being affected a little more because he had been exposed to it far more than Hoshi.

Meanwhile, Archer and the search party had to take cover in some nearby caves as a fierce, fast moving storm crossed their path. A small fire had been quickly started, but Archer stood near the entrance to the cave. This waiting was driving him crazy and he knew the longer it took to reach Trip and Hoshi, the less their chances of survival were. “How long will this storm last?”

The universal translator did its work and Gram replied. “It should last no more than a half hour. It is fast moving, but very intense.”

Archer looked back outside the cave and the concern for Trip and Hoshi was written all over his face. They were only a few kilometers away now and he feared this storm would affect them as well.

“Captain, try not to worry. They have shelter with their craft and we will get to them.” Gram understood Archer’s concern. He’d had many times when people he cared about were stuck out in the weather.

“How can I not? Hoshi’s so young and I couldn’t bare it if she died. Trip has been my best friend for eight years and I don’t know what I’d do without him.” Archer couldn’t believe he was telling all of this to a stranger, but he was just so worried.

Gram looked out of the cave and could see that the worst of the storm was upon them. It would pass in another fifteen minutes or so. The snow was coming down hard and nothing beyond the entrance of the cave could be seen. “We’ll be on our way as soon as this storm passes Captain.”

Moving back inside the cave, Archer sat down by the fire and warmed himself. He felt guilty about having that warmth when he knew Trip and Hoshi were out there freezing. Glancing at Malcolm and Travis, he could see the worry on their faces too. “We’ll find them soon and they will be fine.” There was no conviction in his voice, but he saw them both nod to him.

“I hope you’re right sir.” Travis had become good friends with both Hoshi and Trip. He liked the way Trip didn’t treat him like a subordinate and Hoshi was sweet and smart.

“Trip would die before he let anything happen to Hoshi, to any of us.” Malcolm added. He’d come to know Trip pretty well over the last year and a half and he knew the man cared about everyone.

“That’s true Malcolm, but I don’t want either of them to die.” Archer sighed and drank some of the hot liquid Gram gave him. He wouldn’t call it hot chocolate, but it was similar.

“The storm is letting up, so we best get this fire out and get ready to go.” Gram had a handful of snow and he threw it on the fire to douse it. The wind had died down and the snow had almost stopped.

“Thank God.” Archer mumbled as he stood and got ready to head back into the cold. The group got bundled up and placed the covers back over their faces. Moving out of the cave, everyone braced for the frigid air and began walking in the direction of shuttlepod one again.

The same storm that hit Archer and the others had whistled and howled outside the shuttlepod. The inhabitants were completely unaware of it, as they remained deep asleep, or in Hoshi’s case, unconscious.

A subtle change caused Trip to jerk awake. He wasn’t sure what had wakened him at first. Looking at Hoshi he could see her breathing was very shallow as the clouds of mist that were created by her breathing were barely noticeable. Unlike the large, obvious clouds of mist formed by his hard breathing. It was a struggle to take the frigid air into his lungs as they protested the bitter cold. “Hold on Hoshi. Don’t quit on me darlin`.”

Reaching over, Trip fumbled for the tricorder in the dark. The final candle had gone out while they slept. Using the tricorder, he scanned Hoshi and looked at the readings. It wasn’t a medical tricorder, but it would tell him what he needed to know. Her body temperature was a little low, around ninety-six degrees, so that wasn’t too bad yet. However there was fluid building up inside her head and the pressure on her brain had put her into a coma. “Awwww, Hoshi.”

Using the tricorder on himself, he found his body temperature was lower than Hoshi’s and it explained why he felt groggy and weak. His temperature was down to ninety-four degrees and he began to fear they wouldn’t be rescued in time. “Where are you Captain?”

Holding Hoshi closer, he hoped he could keep her body temperature from going down any further. It was bad enough she was now in a coma; he couldn’t let her get any colder. In fact he was terrified that she would not survive this ordeal and that made his heart ache. Carefully he checked the wound on Hoshi’s head. There was a lot of bruising and it was bleeding a little.

As Trip closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, he didn’t feel cold. In fact he didn’t really feel anything and it had him a little worried. The most important thing to him was keeping Hoshi warm, so he didn’t concern himself with how he felt.

The temperature in the shuttlepod was down to three degrees above and ice crystals were beginning to form around Trip and Hoshi’s nose and mouth. Luckily the search party was only minutes away now, but Trip was now suffering severe hypothermia and his pulse and breathing were faint. The locals in the search party carried warm oxygen and IV’s with them and would administer it to them to warm them from the inside.

About twenty yards away the search party made visual contact with the shuttlepod. “Captain, there it is.” Reed called out. He felt relief, but knew the toughest part of their trek through the ice and snow was still ahead of them.

“I see it Malcolm, lets move.” Archer picked up the pace and they reached the shuttlepod in just a few moments. Opening the hatch, he quickly ushered the search party inside and closed the hatch behind them. Seeing Trip and Hoshi in the state they were in only made his concern grow. It was obvious they had put their survival training to work and were trying to combine their body heat. Problem was it didn’t seem to help, probably because it had gotten too cold too fast.

Malcolm had a big grin on his face after seeing Trip and Hoshi lying there together practically naked. He thought they actually made a cute couple. “Well, don’t they look cozy?”

“Malcolm, don’t you remember your survival training?” Archer was a bit annoyed by Reed’s attitude. The two of them had only gotten together like that to try and stay warm and alive.

“Aye, Captain.” Reed’s smile disappeared and was replaced with concern. All they could do was stand by as the locals began to treat them and prepare them to be carried out on the stretchers. It would be crucial to make them as warm as possible and prevent any further loss of heat.

“Combine body heat to stay warm. I’m sure that’s all this is and you yourself said Trip would do anything to keep Hoshi alive.” Archer knelt down next to Trip and looked closer at him. His skin was tinted blue and it felt so very cold to the touch.

“Yes, sir. I’m sure you’re right.” Malcolm stood back as Gram put the oxygen mask over Hoshi. It would fill her lungs with warm air and start to heat her body back up from within. According to his scans, her body temperature was down to ninety-five degrees. However, Trip’s temperature was at an alarming eighty-nine degrees.

Travis gathered Trip and Hoshi’s uniforms and tucked them into a pack while Archer and Reed helped get them ready to be taken out of the shuttlepod. Gram and his people definitely knew what they were doing. They already had Hoshi bundled up in thermal blankets and had her on the stretcher. Her head injury was of concern to everyone, but there wasn’t anything they could do about it at present. Their focus right now was on Trip as his condition was something they could treat.

Archer watched as Gram placed packets that became hot when they were snapped, at Trip’s head, neck, chest, and groin. The warm oxygen would help warm him from the inside, but he needed to be kept warm on the outside as well. It was going to take several hours to carry them back to shuttlepod two and both of them needed to be kept as warm as possible. Trip stirred as they placed him on the stretcher and began to cover him in thermal blankets. “Trip?”

Trip moaned and his eyes fluttered, but only opened slightly. “Captain?”

“We’re here Trip. Just hang on and we’ll have you back to Enterprise in a few hours.” Archer placed his hand on Trip’s shoulder and found it to still be very cold.

“Hoshi?”

“She’s hanging in there, don’t you worry about her.” Glancing at Hoshi, he could barely see her under all the blankets. Once they moved outside, they’d even be covering her face and head to protect her from the cold. They’d be doing the same with Trip and with any luck neither of them would get any colder.

“Bad head injury.” Trip tried to move, but couldn’t because of all the blankets wrapped around him.

Archer kept his hand on Trip’s shoulder to hold him down. “We know, Trip. Just relax and don’t worry.”

“Okay.” He whispered as he drifted back into unconsciousness.

Squeezing Trip’s shoulder, Archer frowned as his concern for Trip grew. “Rest easy, my friend.” Looking up at Gram he saw him nod that they were ready to go.

“We are ready to take them out of here Captain. Getting them quickly back to your shuttle is of utmost importance. Your Commander is suffering severe hypothermia and could be at risk of cardiac arrest.” Gram didn’t want to scare Captain Archer, but he needed to know what could happen and that it was urgent to get them somewhere warm where they can be properly treated.

“Lets get moving then.” Archer nodded to Malcolm and Travis and the two of them picked up Trip’s stretcher while two of the locals took Hoshi’s. Archer followed Gram out of the shuttlepod and waited outside for those carrying the stretchers. They began their slow trek back to shuttlepod two and hoped they wouldn’t run into any more severe storms like the one earlier.

“Captain, once we return to the city I will have some of my people retrieve your shuttlepod.” Gram didn’t think they would be able to repair it, but they could at least bring it to the city where Archer could come for it and have his people repair it.

“That’s very nice of you. We’d be happy to take you with us to Enterprise rather than have you walk all the way back to the city.” Archer wished all of their first contacts went as well as this one. At least as far as diplomatic relations went, but not what had happened to Trip and Hoshi.

“Thank you, Captain. We would be very grateful to you.” Gram was prepared to walk the additional thirty kilometers back to the city, but Archer’s invitation was too good to pass up. Not to mention he’d love to get a look at his ship. He was very curious about Enterprise and the wonders it held.

The party made steady progress until they were about four kilometers from shuttlepod two. At the same time a strong storm was closing in on them, Trip went into cardiac arrest. There was a series of caves about fifty yards away and Gram instructed the group to head to them as quickly as possible.

Once inside the cave, they quickly set the stretchers down and Gram began to work on Trip. He increased the flow of warm oxygen and hooked up something similar to an IV in his arm. “I’d hoped not to have to use this, but his condition warrants it.” Gram checked Trip and found that he was now breathing easier and his heart rate was returning to normal. The warm flow of fluids and medicine into him was bringing his vitals back under control.

Archer knelt down next to Trip. “Come on Trip, fight damn it.”

“He’s fighting Captain. Your Commander is lucky to still be alive.” Gram was impressed by the Commander’s will to live. With a body temperature as low as his, he was lucky to be alive. As he checked the Commander’s temperature, he noted that it had dropped another degree. Although that wasn’t good, at least it hadn’t dropped any more than that. “We must get him back to your ship quickly.”

“What about the storm?” Archer glanced out the cave to see the storm raging outside.

“Until it passes we will have to do our best to keep them warm with a fire.” Gram knew it was urgent to get the two humans to steady warmth as quickly as possible, but they were at the mercy of the planets weather.

“I just hope it isn’t too late.” Archer glanced at Trip. It had scared the hell out of him when he went into cardiac arrest. “Do you think Trip will last long enough?”

“He seems like a strong man and he’s definitely fighting. You know him better than I do, will he keep fighting?”

“Yes, as long as I’ve known him, he’s always been as tough as nails.” Archer knelt down by the fire and absorbed its warmth. He just hoped Trip was getting enough of its warmth because he didn’t think he could bear to watch Trip go through another cardiac arrest. Hoshi was another story. She seemed stable and her body temperature was much higher than Trip’s, but she remained in a coma and he feared that there would be brain damage if the fluid wasn’t drained from her head soon.

Two of the people that meant the most to him were lying there dying and there was nothing he could do about it. Trip had been his best friend for so long and seemed more like a kid brother. Hoshi, well Hoshi was like a daughter to him and he didn’t want to think about losing her. Seeing the pair the way they’d found them in the shuttlepod almost had him suspecting something more between them than just friendship, but it would be against regulations. Not that it could stop true love and if they were developing something, he doubted he’d put a stop to it.

“Penny for your thoughts, sir.” Travis had been watching Archer and knew he was worried about Trip and Hoshi. Hell, he was worried about them. Trip was one of the best friends he ever remembered having and he knew the man cared about him. Hoshi was like a kid sister to him and he felt very protective of her most of the time. Right now there was nothing he could do and he understood the Captain’s frustration.

“Just thinking about Trip and Hoshi. I’m afraid we won’t get them back to Enterprise in time and this weather is frustrating.” Archer looked out the cave again and saw that the storm seemed to be letting up some, but was still too intense to go out into.

“We’ll make it sir. All of us.” Travis followed Archer’s gaze and hoped the storm would die soon so they could get back to the safety of Enterprise.

“I hope you’re right Travis.” Archer sighed and stared into the fire.

T’Pol was doing her best to keep track of the away teams progress, but they weren’t currently on sensors and she was about as worried as a Vulcan could get. She’d kept in touch with Phlox to let him know what was happening with his two injured patients. It was obvious that Phlox was frustrated that he could do nothing for them, but T’Pol had informed him that the locals had brought the necessary equipment to begin the warming process.

Everyone on the bridge was feeling frustrated as they monitored the landing party and saw them getting delayed by the strong, fast moving, storms that covered the planets surface outside the domed cities. As they dealt with the citizens of the planet, they learned a lot about them including the fact that the planet was actually a popular retreat for many travelers. There were cozy cabins and villas just outside the domes that many people, especially couples liked to go to and be alone. T’Pol found that very hard to believe as she couldn’t see why anyone would want to be out in that kind of extreme weather.

“Ensign, anything?”

“No ma’am. The storm is still hitting their area pretty strong. Sensors indicate that it should pass by them within another half hour.”

“Very well, let me know the minute you have them again.” T’Pol was actually pacing the bridge and forced herself to stop. She’d been around Archer too long and now she was picking up his habits.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Back in the cave, Archer was becoming concerned. Trip was beginning to moan every now and again and Archer feared he was in pain. However, he could also tell that Trip was dreaming and he hoped it was a pleasant dream and not a bad one. Archer was encouraged to look outside and see that the snow had almost stopped. Hopefully they would be on their way again soon. They were so close to the shuttlepod now that he could almost sense it and yet there they sat unable to do anything. “Hang on Trip.”

Trip, for his part, was not aware of much. His mind was deep into the dream and it was far more enjoyable than reality. In fact, he wasn’t even aware that it was a dream. Another moan escaped his lips as his dream gave him another surge of pleasure and happiness.

“You think he’s okay, sir?” Reed had heard the moans coming from Trip and also feared he was in pain. Although to his ear, the moans sounded more like moans of pleasure, he couldn’t see how that would be.

“I hope so, Malcolm.”

“It is time to go Captain. The storm has let up and these two are running out of time.” Gram knew they would have to go the last few kilometers quickly so they could avoid any more storms. He also knew there were no more caves for shelter between them and the shuttlepod.

“Thank God.” Archer stood and with Travis’ help, picked up Trip’s stretcher. “Malcolm, the minute we are outside start scanning for the shuttlepod. I want to be sure we are on course.”

“Aye, sir.” Malcolm took his tricorder out of his pocket and got it ready to begin scanning.

“Everyone ready?” Gram looked at Archer and Mayweather, then at his own people carrying Hoshi’s stretcher. Seeing them all nod, he moved out of the cave followed by Malcolm, then Archer and Travis with Trip, and finally the two locals with Hoshi.

Malcolm scanned for the shuttlepod and they were right on course. They all moved as quickly as they could in the direction of shuttlepod two. Everyone there knew there was no more time to waste and if another storm hit they’d have to just make their way through it until they reached the shuttlepod.

It took them another hour, but they finally reached the shuttlepod. A gust of wind came through and blew the blanket covering Trip’s face, off. His eyes shot open and he had a look of confusion on his face before slipping back into a deep sleep. Travis headed straight for Enterprise as soon as everyone was aboard and within twenty minutes, Trip and Hoshi were being rushed to sickbay where Phlox waited to start treating them.

Phlox began a detailed scan of both patients. It was obvious they were both suffering from the cold, but Commander Tucker’s body temperature was still dangerously low. Ensign Sato’s body temp was slowly rising and would be normal in a few hours. Phlox felt once the fluid was drained from her head, she’d make a quick recovery. Tucker was going to take longer as his body temperature needed to be brought up slowly.

Archer stood off to the side and waited for Phlox to do a full examination. He wanted to know how bad it was and if either of them was at risk of not making it. The best way to have a full report was to wait until Phlox had done a complete physical and determined the full extent of injuries. He already knew about some of their injuries, but there were probably more he didn’t know about. It had been a pretty hard landing and the shuttlepod would need extensive repairs once they got it back to Enterprise. Phlox approaching him shook Archer from his thoughts. “How are they, Doc?”

“They’ll be fine eventually. Ensign Sato will need a minor procedure to drain the fluid from her head and she has a lot of bruising on her body, but otherwise she should be fine with a few days rest.” Phlox glanced at Tucker. He was another story. “Captain, did the Commander have any episodes of cardiac arrest?”

“Yes, why?” Now Archer was really worried.

“Oh, don’t worry Captain. It’s just that it weakened his heart a little and so it’s making it harder for him to warm up. With the proper treatment and medications, he’ll be back to one hundred percent in a week or so.” Phlox could tell the Captain was still worried. He understood, but there was no reason to worry.

“Are you sure? There won’t be any permanent damage to his heart?” Archer wasn’t convinced, but didn’t think anything would convince him except seeing Trip back to his old self.

“Yes, Captain. His heart was only slightly weakened and he is a very strong man, so he will recover fully.” Making sure Archer understood what he was telling him, he continued when he was sure. “I’ll keep you posted, but I need to go and take care of Sato’s head injury.”

“Thanks, Doc. I’ll check back with you later.” Glancing at Trip before he left, Archer decided he wasn’t going to send Trip on any more away missions for a while. It seemed like leaving the ship was hazardous to his health. He'd had his share of injuries aboard the ship as well though, so maybe it was just a part of being the ships Chief Engineer that brought a lot of risks with it.

It was a simple procedure to drain the fluid from Hoshi’s head and as soon as he did so the pressure was reduced and she came out of the coma. She was still unconscious and her body needed to be warmed a few more degrees, but Phlox was confident that she would be conscious by the end of the day.

Trip was another story and Phlox was still a little worried at how slowly his temperature was rising. Since he was brought aboard, it had only increased two degrees and still had another eight to go. Checking his heartbeat, Phlox found it to be slightly irregular, but that was to be expected with his hearts weakened state. All he could do now was continue to warm him and make sure he got lots of rest.

Dimming the lights, Phlox moved into his office and left his patients to get some rest. They’d had a very long couple of days in which they both came close to death. Phlox was sure that there would be some emotional effects of what they went through, but they were both strong people and would get through it.

Later that evening, Hoshi began to wake. She knew immediately that she was no longer on board the shuttlepod because she was no longer cold. Her head was throbbing and the bruised areas of her body ached, but she was just glad to be alive and safe. As her mind cleared, she immediately thought of Trip and wondered if he was okay. Opening her eyes, she found herself in sickbay and the lights were dimmed. Looking around she saw Trip lying on a nearby bio-bed. He appeared to be unconscious and that worried her. “Trip?”

When she received no response, Hoshi gingerly got off the bed and moved in his direction. Everything that had happened while they were in the shuttlepod was a little fuzzy to her and she wasn’t sure if it had happened, or if it had just been a dream. She desperately hoped it had been real because she was in love with Trip. If it had been real then that meant he was in love with her too, or at least falling in love with her.

Reaching the bio-bed that Trip was on, she looked at the readings and was surprised to see his body temperature was still too low. “You did it didn’t you? You sacrificed your own warmth for me.” Touching his face, Hoshi watched him sleeping and felt something inside her that she’d never felt before. What that feeling was she wasn’t quite sure, but she had a feeling that it was a love like she’d never experienced with anyone else before. Trip had nearly sacrificed his life to save hers and that only made her more certain that he had feelings for her.

“Ensign.” Phlox cringed when she jumped at the sound of his voice. “You should be in bed.”

“I needed to see how the Commander was.” He’d startled her, but she hoped he’d tell her what condition Trip was in.

“He will be fine, Ensign. It will take a little time, as he lost too much body heat.”

“He did that to keep me warm and I don’t know how I feel about that.” It was the truth. She knew she loved him even more for doing it, but she also felt guilty and maybe even a little angry that he would be so willing to give his own life.

“You need some time to rest and recover, Ensign. Think about everything that happened and talk to the Commander when he wakes. I’m sure he felt a certain responsibility to protect you as a subordinate.” Phlox moved up and checked Tucker’s readings. His temperature had come up a few more degrees, but he wasn’t happy with the slow progress.

“I know and I will think about everything, but when will I be able to talk to him? Why is it taking so long for him to warm up?” The concern she felt must have been reflected in her voice, because Phlox looked closely at her.

“The Commander suffered a cardiac arrest before the Captain could get him off the planet and that weakened his heart a little. It’s nothing serious, but it’s making it more difficult to warm him.”

“I don’t understand. Why would that be?”

“His heart isn’t beating as fast as it should be, so it’s slowing his circulation and that’s making the warmth move through him more slowly.” Phlox tried to explain, but he knew Hoshi wasn’t an expert in medicine.

“Okay, I understand. Is he okay otherwise?” Hoshi had felt fear rise up inside her when Phlox said Trip had a cardiac arrest, but he didn’t seem to be concerned about it.

“Yes, a few bruises including a bump on the head and a slight case of whip lash.” Pulling the blanket up higher on Tucker, Phlox moved back to where Sato stood. “You need to get back to bed. You had quite an ordeal yourself and need as much rest as possible. I’ll give you something for pain and I don’t want you out of bed again for the rest of the night.”

“Okay, but when is Trip going to be awake?” Hoshi walked back to her bed and sat on it while Phlox prepared the hypo.

“I can’t say for certain, but hopefully tomorrow.” Injecting her with the pain medication, he helped her to lie down and covered her with a blanket. “Goodnight, Ensign.”

“Night, Doctor.” Closing her eyes, Hoshi was quickly asleep.

The next morning Archer walked into sickbay to find Hoshi not only conscious, but sitting up in bed eating breakfast. She still didn’t look well and the bruising on her forehead from the head wound was a stark contrast to her pale skin. Trip still appeared to be unconscious and that made his brow crease with worry. Moving next to Hoshi, Archer smiled. “You look much better Hoshi.”

“Yes, sir. I have some pain, but I feel much better.” She neglected to tell him how she felt emotionally as she needed to figure things out for herself first.

“I’m glad to hear it. What about Trip? Where’s Phlox?”

“He went to get something to eat. Trip is doing better. His body temperature is back to normal, but Phlox said it would take some time for his heart and body to get their strength back. He hopes Trip will wake in another few hours.” Hoshi looked at Trip lying there and tried to hide what she was feeling from Archer. She was sure that the Captain wouldn’t make them end any relationship they had, but she wasn’t sure if he would approve or not.

“That’s good to hear. I was very worried about him.”

“Sir, he was in that condition because he sacrificed his own warmth to keep me warm. Although I am a little angry with him for that, because he promised me he wouldn’t do that, I would still like his heroics to go on his record.” She never took her eyes off Trip as she spoke. The more she thought and spoke about it, the less angry she was. All her life she’d fantasized about finding a man that was willing to die for her and now she’d found him.

“I was already planning on doing that and I’ll be happy to add any comments you wish to make on the subject.” Archer was proud of Trip, but then he pretty much always had been.

“I’ll get my thoughts together and get something to you as soon as I can.”

“There’s no hurry Hoshi. The important thing right now is for you to get plenty of rest.” He was very proud of Hoshi. When the mission had first started she seemed like a frightened little girl and now she was so much stronger and braver. He knew that Trip and Hoshi were friends and that he’d given her a great deal of support and that was a big part of her changes.

“Thank you, sir.” Hoshi yawned and was ready to take a nap. Even though her body was back to its proper temperature, the head wound was still causing her pain and making her tire easily.

“Get some rest, that’s an order. Could you ask Phlox to contact me as soon as Trip wakes?” Helping her get comfortable on the bio-bed, Archer pulled the blanket over her.

“Sure, I will ask him.”

“I’ll see you later Hoshi.” Archer moved towards the door to sickbay and dimmed the lights as he left. There was no doubt both of them would be okay, but it had been a close call. Right now he was just glad that they were both still in his life.

As Hoshi drifted to sleep, she watched Trip breathing. His chest rose and fell in gentle movement and she remembered how wonderful it felt to be in his arms. She remembered how nice it was to feel his breathing and hear his heart beating. More than anything she wanted to experience that again, but it would have to wait a little while.

It took Phlox a moment to realize that Tucker was coming around. He’d been checking his readings and only when he looked down at his face, did he see his eyes fluttering. “Good afternoon Commander. I’m glad to see you awake, how do you feel?”

Trip was a little slow to wake, but he’d heard what Doctor Phlox said. “Weak, but glad to be warm.”

“That’s to be expected, Commander. You suffered a cardiac arrest down on the planet and it weakened your heart a little.” He could see the worry on his face and hoped he could convince him it was nothing to be concerned about.

“Will I make a full recovery?” Trip struggled to put his thoughts together and hearing Phlox say his heart had been weakened, scared him. What if he couldn’t do his job anymore?

“Certainly. You will have to take it easy for a while and no strenuous activity, but you’ll be fine in a week or so.”

“Thanks, Doc. Hoshi?” He didn’t see her in sickbay and that sent a surge of panic through him.

“Take it easy Commander. Ensign Sato is fine. I released her to her quarters to rest a few hours ago.” Phlox checked Tucker’s readings again before moving to the comm. panel. “I need to let the Captain know you’re awake. He’s been very concerned.”

Trip nodded and closed his eyes. He could actually tell his heart wasn’t beating normally and he couldn’t remember ever feeling so weak. It was an effort just to open his eyes. At least he knew Hoshi was okay and that let him relax a little.

“Phlox to Captain Archer.”

“Go ahead Doctor.”

“Commander Tucker is awake. I can’t guarantee he will still be awake when you get here, but he is right now.” Phlox glanced at Tucker and saw his eyes closed. He thought perhaps he was already asleep again, but then his eyes opened again.

“Thanks, Doc. Just knowing he woke is a relief. I’m on my way and if he’s still awake, great, if not then that’s okay too. His health is the most important thing right now.” Archer looked at T’Pol and nodded before heading for the turbo-lift. He felt relief as he made his way to sickbay. As he came through the doors of sickbay, he saw Phlox standing next to Trip. Trip appeared to be semi-conscious, so he smiled at him as he approached. “Trip?”

“Hey, Captain.” Trip’s voice was soft and weak, but he knew Archer heard him.

“Good to see you awake. The Doc here says you’re going to be just fine.” Glancing at Phlox he saw him nod with a smile. “How long until I can have my Chief Engineer back?”

“I’d like him to take it easy for the next week. Although his heart wasn’t damaged, if he does anything too strenuous too soon, it could cause further weakening.” Phlox looked at Tucker as he spoke to make sure he understood what he was telling him.

“Don’t worry, Doc. I don’t think I have the strength to do anything strenuous.” Trip closed his eyes. Just the brief conversation seemed to weaken him and he wanted to sleep.

“Okay, Trip. We’ll go and let you rest.” Archer patted his chest before he and Phlox moved away. “Is he really going to be okay?”

“Certainly. I’ll probably release him to his quarters tomorrow.”

“Glad to hear it Doc. I’ve gotta get back to the bridge, but I’ll come see him again later.” Archer moved towards the door, but stopped to look back at Trip.

“Very well. He should be more alert by then.” Phlox was working on treating Tucker with a few different medications to help build the strength back up in his heart. As that began to work, Tucker would get stronger.

“Later then.” With that Archer was gone.

“Phlox to Captain Archer.”

“Go ahead, Doctor.”

“If you wish to see Commander Tucker I have released him to his quarters, so there is no need to come to sickbay. He is still pretty weak, but his heart rate is closer to normal.” Phlox had seen no reason not to let Tucker go to his quarters to rest. He was much more stable than he had been earlier in the day and he promised not to do anything strenuous.

“Thanks Doc, that’s good news.” Archer intended to visit Trip at dinner. He was afraid Trip might feel too weak and tired to go to the mess hall and therefore wouldn’t eat. Even Archer knew it was important for Trip to eat so he could keep his strength up.

“Phlox out.” Now it was time to go check on his other patient. Ensign Sato was doing much better than Tucker, but her head injury was still something that needed to be monitored. If she began getting headaches or dizziness, he might need to do additional surgery. Making his way to her quarters, he found them empty. “Phlox to Ensign Sato.”

“Go ahead, Doctor.” She’d been startled by his call, but somehow knew it would be coming.

“I came to check on you and you are not in your quarters.”

“No sir. I wanted to go and see how Commander Tucker was doing.” She was just outside his quarters using the comm. panel. It was the truth, but there was more to it than that. She needed to know if what happened between them in the shuttlepod was real or just the circumstances.

“Very well. Please stop by sickbay when you are through.”

“I will, I promise.” Hoshi ended the call and hit the chime button. There was no answer, so she let herself in. Finding Trip asleep on his bed, she started to leave him a note. It was very important to her to find out just how he felt about her. She knew how she felt about him, she loved him and in her heart she believed he loved her too.

“Hoshi?” Trip’s voice was low, but he knew she’d heard him when she turned to look at him.

“I’m sorry, Trip. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Rising, Hoshi moved to the bed and sat on the edge. “I needed to see how you were doing and talk to you.”

Trip reached out and took Hoshi’s hand. He’d wanted to talk to her too, but until now hadn’t had the chance. “I want to talk to you too Hoshi.” He gazed into her eyes and could see what she was feeling. It was the same as what he was feeling and he knew that something was developing between them.

“A lot happened on the shuttlepod and I need to know that it was real and not just because we thought we might die.” Pausing, she looked down at his hand holding hers. That act alone told her a lot, but it was in his eyes too. “I know that I have feelings for you Trip and I know it would be against regulations for us to pursue a relationship, but I can’t help how I feel.”

Trip squeezed her hand and smiled. “I have feelings for you too Hoshi. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s against regs; I want to see where our feelings go from here. We need to take it one day at a time and go slowly.” It was very important to him that they remain friends even as they became lovers. Valentines Day was only two weeks away and he hoped that he could make it a special night for them. Only a few months ago he wasn’t even really thinking about the holiday for lovers, as he had no love to share it with. Now that had all changed and he was going to make it special.

“I’m so happy to hear you say that.” She smiled at Trip and leaned down to kiss him gently. As she sat back up she saw concern in his eyes. “What?”

Reaching up, Trip gently touched the bruise on her forehead. “Are you okay? You had me so worried before.”

“My head hurts some, but the Doctor has been giving me some pain medication and checking me.” She was so touched by his concern. Here he was feeling weak and tired because of what had happened to his heart, but all he could think about was her.

“I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you.” His hand moved from her forehead to cup her cheek. “It’s been a long time since I felt like this for anyone. I’ve been afraid to get involved with anyone because my previous relationships have all failed.”

“Oh, Trip. I promise this will be different, at least I hope so.” Leaning down she kissed him again and this time it was deeper as his hand moved to her neck and pulled her closer. She wished they could make love right then, but she knew he wasn’t supposed to do anything strenuous for a while yet. “I have to go. Doctor Phlox wants to check on me, but I will see you soon.”

“Have a goodnight Hoshi. Come by for breakfast tomorrow.” Trip knew he’d be going to sleep shortly and probably wouldn’t wake until morning.

“Goodnight, Trip. I will take you up on that offer.” Smiling, Hoshi left his quarters and headed for sickbay. More than anything she wanted to tell him she loved him, but it was too soon.

Trip was not going to have to worry about his meals. Last night Archer had brought him dinner and this morning, Hoshi was bringing him breakfast. When she arrived at his quarters he was still asleep, so she let herself in.

Hoshi could see that Trip was still asleep when she entered. Setting the tray of food on his desk, she moved to the bed. The thought of waking him made her unhappy, but he needed to eat the food while it was hot. She sat watching him sleep for a few minutes and couldn’t help thinking how handsome he was, even with several days’ growth of beard on his face. It somehow made him seem tougher. Not that he wasn’t tough already, but it just made him seem different. His hair was mussed also and in some ways it made him seem completely different than the well-groomed Chief Engineer she was used to.

Trip stirred as the smell of eggs, bacon, and coffee filled his senses. Opening his eyes he saw Hoshi sitting next to him and looking at him. “Morning.” He stretched his body and smiled at Hoshi. “That smells great.”

“I figured you would be hungry, so I brought plenty.” She started to rise and retrieve the tray, when Trip took her hand and stopped her.

“Thank you Hoshi.”

Hoshi didn’t need to hear any more. What Trip really meant was reflected in his soft voice and blue eyes. “Its my pleasure Trip. When was the last time you had a shower and shave?”

“I don’t know. I suppose Phlox cleaned me up after I got back to Enterprise.”

“Well, then after you eat I want you to grab a shower and I’ll help you shave.” Hoshi had to laugh at Trip’s expression. It was priceless and told her that he didn’t appreciate being told what to do.

“Yes, ma’am. Whatever you say ma’am.” Of course he was teasing Hoshi, but he couldn’t help himself. It had been so long since he let a woman tell him what to do and on top of that, enjoy it.

“Trip, behave.” Hoshi sat back down and put the tray between them. They shared breakfast and talked quietly. It was obvious that just the effort to eat was tiring Trip, but she wanted him to get the shower at least. She could shave him herself.

“Thanks again for breakfast Hoshi. It’s the best breakfast I ever had.” He was feeling very tired again, but had a feeling Hoshi wouldn’t let him go without having the shower. Of course he understood, even if he hadn’t exerted himself for some time, he could still get smelly after a while. “Shower?”

“Yes, then back in bed where I will shave you.” She almost couldn’t believe she was bossing him around, but she figured she better take advantage of it while he was too weak to protest. It was all in his best interest anyway. He didn’t smell, at least she didn’t think so. In fact she thought he had a rather pleasant, masculine scent.

Trip saluted Hoshi and headed for the bathroom. By the time he finished the shower he was exhausted and willingly climbed into bed. As soon as Hoshi finished shaving him he drifted into a deep sleep.

“Sleep well my love.” Hoshi gently kissed him and left. Deep down she knew that a deep and lasting relationship had begun. It made her feel very happy and it made her feel strong and confident. Trip made her feel strong and confident.

THE END