THINE OWN SACRIFICE

Enterprise Fic!

According to T'Pol the planet that Enterprise currently orbited did not have a name. However, the Vulcan's called it the Forest of Shadows. The Vulcan's did not believe there was sentient life on the planet, but they were wrong. There was life on the planet and Archer was determined to try and make contact. Therefore he, Trip and Hoshi were going down in a shuttlepod. Archer hoped that if there was intelligent life that Hoshi would be able to communicate with them and let them know they mean no harm.

"Captain, the shuttlepod is ready to go when you are." Trip said from beside the doors to the turbo lift.

"Well, let's go then Commander, Hoshi." He waited for Hoshi and Trip to get into the turbo lift, then followed them in.

"I love an adventure." Trip commented as the turbo lift made it's decent.

Hoshi just looked ill and did not comment.

"We'll see how much of an adventure this turns out to be." Archer wasn't quite as excited as Trip was, but he always looked forward to trying to make contact with new races.

"Aw, come on Captain. Any chance to get off of the ship for a while has to be an adventure."

Archer smiled. He appreciated Trip's enthusiasm and knew that came with youth. Not that Trip was very young, but he was younger than himself. Watching out the front windows of the shuttlepod as the planet grew closer, Archer could tell that most of the planet was dense forest. Except for a few oceans about the size of the pacific, it was all forest. Somewhere in those forests the residents of the planet dwelled.

"So what do you think these beings are like?" Trip asked.

"I don't know, but we will soon find out." Archer looked at Trip and smiled. It was obvious that he was excited about visiting the planet. Hoshi on the other hand didn't look too happy at all, but then she never liked going off the ship. "Relax Hoshi. This should be a simple mission and you did bring a universal translator."

"I know sir. I'm just a bit nervous." She smiled at the Captain and Commander. It was being on a mission with the two of them that had her the most nervous. They were her superiors and she didn't want to mess anything up.

"No reason to be nervous." Trip gazed back at her. "You'll do fine."

"Thanks. I'll try not to let you down."

Archer shook his head. Hoshi still didn't seem to feel very confident in her abilities, but he was. "You won't let us down "

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Twenty minutes later Trip landed the shuttlepod in a small clearing. It was barely big enough for the shuttlepod to fit in, but it was the largest of the clearings they could find. Trip shut the engines down and secured the shuttlepod while Archer and Hoshi off loaded the backpacks with their necessary equipment. Stepping out of the shuttlepod, Trip looked up at all the trees and took a deep breath. The smell of pine filled his nose and he smiled. "It's good to smell clean, fresh, mountain air again."

"Yes it is." Hoshi commented. Now that they were down on the planet she felt more relaxed.

"Everything all secure Trip?"

"Yes sir. Just need to close the hatch." Closing the hatch, he took his backpack from Archer and shrugged it on. He'd brought a book of poetry with him that Archer had given him. He intended to read a little once they got camp set up for the evening. Poetry was not something that he ever thought he'd like, but Archer had introduced him to it and now he liked it. "Ready when you are Captain."

"I'm detecting some life sign readings in this direction." Archer held the tricorder up in front of him and headed in the direction of the readings. "We need to be very careful in making contact. The last thing we need to do is scare them or make them think we are hostile."

"Us, hostile?" Trip grinned. "Somehow I wouldn't find us very threatening." He put his hand on Hoshi's shoulder and smiled.

"Just because you don't think we look threatening Trip, doesn't mean they won't." He understood what Trip was trying to say, but he didn't want to screw this first contact up. They continued along quietly for several hours. So far they had seen nothing, but a few shadows. Now they understood why the Vulcan's called it the forest of shadows.

"Is anyone else getting a little jumpy from all these shadows?" Trip asked.

"It is a little unsettling." Hoshi commented as she looked at her tricorder.

"Lets just keep moving. They will make contact when they are ready." Archer looked at his tricorder as well. "If observing us is what they want to do, then let them." Glancing around he squinted his eyes in an effort to see something besides just shadows.

"It will be getting dark soon, Captain. We might want to find a place to set up camp." Trip didn't want to be stuck in those woods once it got dark. Something about the shadow creatures made him very nervous and unsettled.

"The tricorder scans indicate that there is a clearing about one kilometer to the south." Hoshi turned in that direction and began walking when Archer nodded his approval.

Trip was walking about ten paces behind the Captain and Hoshi. His mind was occupied with thoughts of what the creatures on the planet were like and if they would ever make a real appearance. He was also taking in the beauty of the forest and the way the rays of the sun streaked down through the branches of the trees. It was that position that allowed him to see what was happening as they came out of the trees and into the opening. Suddenly a tree was falling and it was headed straight for Archer. "CAPTAIN."

Archer heard Trip holler to him and turned to see what was wrong. It was that moment that Trip reached him and shoved him hard. The Captain fought to keep his balance and Hoshi started to move towards him. He watched in horror as Trip caught his foot on a root sticking out of the ground and fell. Trip was trying to get up, but only managed to turn over onto his back before the tree landed on him. "TRIP."

Hoshi screamed when she heard the tree land on Commander Tucker. It was a horrifying sound as she heard the Commander cry out before falling silent and still. "Commander Tucker." She raced towards him right next to the Captain.

Trip didn't even have time to realize what was happening before the tree hit him. The searing pain in his midsection was unbearable. Mercifully he lost consciousness almost immediately. Deep down in his unconscious mind he knew he was going to die. The tree was too big and heavy for him to survive it's impact. He knew the injuries to his body were severe and he was in a great deal of trouble.

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The Shanarian's had been watching these strange newcomers and decided to test them. They'd discovered on numerous occasions that creating a crisis situation usually brought out the true side of beings. They hoped this time would be no different and it hadn't. The problem was, their test hadn't gone as planned. No one was supposed to get hurt when they sent the tree falling, but circumstances had betrayed them. It had shown them though, that these beings were willing to sacrifice themselves for another. To them that meant the beings were probably good and could be trusted. However, they planned to wait and see more of what these beings were like before stepping in.

Archer and Hoshi reached Trip in seconds and were kneeling down on either side of him. The tree had landed directly across his midsection and Archer could tell that Trip was having difficulty breathing. Taking his tricorder, he ran it over Trip and frowned at what he saw. If they didn't get him back to Enterprise and fast, he was going to die. He had no idea at all how they would even get the tree off of him, much less get him back to Enterprise "Hoshi, stay with him. I need to contact Enterprise."

"Yes sir. It's bad isn't it?" Hoshi reached down and brushed the hair back off of the Commander's forehead.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is." Rising to his feet, Archer looked down at his best friend. "Damn it Trip, why did you do it?" Then he moved away and took out his communicator to contact Enterprise.

Meanwhile, Hoshi stayed next to Trip. She wished there was something she could do for him, but all she could do was try and comfort him. "Hang on Commander, we will get you out of this." It had amazed her that he would make such a sacrifice for the Captain. He had an amazing amount of courage. "It's okay Commander, just lay still."

Trip had slowly opened his eyes. The pain he felt before was gone and now he couldn't feel anything. "Hoshi?" His voice was terribly weak and shaky.

"Yes Commander, the Captain is trying to contact Enterprise to get you some help." She glanced at Archer and could see he was not having any luck reaching Enterprise. Even if Doctor Phlox was brought down to the planet, there wasn't much he could do for the Commander with out Enterprise's enhanced medical equipment.

"No.....rush. I'm....going to......die." He closed his eyes as the effort to speak took his energy. It was so hard to breathe and it scared him that he couldn't feel anything below his waist.

"Don't talk like that Commander. You'll be fine."

"Can't feel.......anything.....below.....waist." He did feel Hoshi take his hand and hold it tight. It was nice to know that he would die among friends at least.

"Just don't give up, please Commander?" With her other hand, Hoshi gently stroked his forehead. It was not good that he couldn't feel anything and it had her very worried.

Archer had heard part of the conversation as Hoshi and Trip spoke. As much as he didn't want to admit it. As much as it hurt that he would have to accept the truth. Trip was going to die before they could get him out from under that tree and back to Enterprise. "Hoshi, could you come here for just a moment." He didn't want Trip hearing what he was about to tell her.

"Yes, Captain?" Rising from her position next to Tucker, Hoshi moved to where Archer stood about ten feet away.

"Trip's right." He handed Hoshi the tricorder that he'd used to scan Trip.

"We have to do something Captain." She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she read the scans. Commander Tucker had been very seriously injured and she didn't see how he could possibly survive for much longer. The reason he was having trouble breathing was because one of his many broken ribs had punctured his left lung. He also had a broken left hip and many internal injuries.

"We need to get that tree off of him, but there's no way the two of us can do it ourselves. I haven't been able to reach Enterprise and by the time another shuttlepod gets down here it will be too late." Archer could see that Hoshi was trying not to cry. He didn't blame her, he wanted to cry too. Suddenly a weak and shaky voice reached his ears and he looked to where Trip lay under the tree.

"Phase........pistols." Every breath was a struggle and he wanted nothing more than to have that tree off of him.

Archer and Hoshi moved back to where Trip was and knelt down. "What about the phase pistols, Trip?"

"Set on........kill. Will cut......through....the tree." Closing his eyes, Trip fell back into unconsciousness.

"That could work. Cut the tree into smaller pieces around him and remove it that way." Archer made his way over to where their packs now lay on the ground. Digging through his and Trip's he got their phase pistols and set them on kill. Moving back to the tree he handed one to Hoshi. "You cut on that side and I'll cut over here. Just be careful you don't hit Trip."

"Yes, sir."

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The Shanarian's continued to watch these beings and their efforts to save one of their own. It was obvious that they cared a great deal for each other, but they still weren't sure how they would treat a different species. Watching as the beings used powerful weapons to cut the tree, it made them curious about just how dangerous these beings could be. They would wait a little longer to make contact.

It took some time to get the tree cut up enough that Archer and Hoshi could remove the portion resting on the Commander. The portion on top of Trip was still large enough that it would take both of them to lift it off. "Okay Hoshi. We have to be careful lifting this. Whatever you do make sure you have a good grip."

"Yes, Captain. I am ready." She knew if she didn't have a good grip and dropped her end, it could do further damage to the Commander. Carefully they lifted the piece of tree up and away. A groan came from the Commander as they removed the tree and Hoshi glanced at him as they lowered it to the ground.

"Trip?" Archer took out his tricorder and began running it over him to check his current condition. "Damn."

"What is it sir?" Hoshi knelt next to Tucker and felt his forehead. He definitely had a fever and it wasn't surprising. She was surprised he was still alive after seeing the tricorder scans.

"It looks like the weight of the tree was keeping him from bleeding internally. Now that we've removed that weight, he's begun bleeding." Archer's brow was furrowed. He knew Trip didn't have much time left. What bothered him the most was that Trip had given his life to same him and he didn't know if he could live with that. "Get the blankets out of our packs and cover him with them. He's in shock and needs to be kept warm. I'm going to use some of this wood to make a fire."

"Yes, sir." Hoshi didn't have much to say. She knew that Commander Tucker was almost out of time, but she would do what she could to make him comfortable. As she turned to move away and find the blankets, she heard Trip's voice.

"Hoshi."

"I'm here Commander, just relax."

"A book........in my....pack....bring it?" It was harder to breathe and there seemed to be more pain in his upper body, but he still did not feel his legs. He wanted Hoshi to bring him the book of poetry. There was a poem in it that he wanted Archer to see. The poem would be his way of saying goodbye.

"Certainly, sir. Anything else?" Hoshi brushed her hand over his hair and smiled down at him.

"Call.....me Trip." There was no point in being formal now that he would be gone soon.

"If you would like, si......Trip." She turned again to move away, but felt Trip's hand grasp her arm weakly.

"You are......a special.......lady, Hoshi..........and I........will......miss you." Closing his eyes, Trip fought to take a deep breath.

"Thank you, Trip. You are a special man, but don't give up yet." She knew there was no hope of Trip making it. The Captain still couldn't get through to Enterprise and Trip couldn't be moved. The clearing they were in was not big enough to bring the shuttlepod to Trip and they didn't know what else to do.

Archer had just finished getting a fire going and knelt down next to Trip while Hoshi was away. "Trip? Why did you do it?" It was whispered, but apparently Trip still heard him.

"I couldn't......let you........be killed......Captain." Trip struggled for breath again and felt himself getting weaker by the moment.

"Damn it Trip. You think I wanted this to happen to you? You're the best friend I've ever had and Enterprise needs you." Archer rested his hand on Trip's chest as he watched his friend struggle to breathe. All he wanted to do was hit something. His best friend was laying there dying and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. What was worse was that Trip was dying because he saved Archer's life.

"Sorry.....Captain. I just......couldn't......let it........happen.......to you." Trip looked Archer straight in the eyes and could see the grief and guilt there. "Not.....your fault." He needed to cough, but knew it would hurt like hell if he did.

"Maybe not, Trip. That doesn't change the fact that you saved my life and now you are paying the price." He could see that Trip was having trouble staying focused and knew he needed to rest. "No more talking, Trip. You rest and I'll find a way out of this."

Hoshi knelt on the other side of Trip and quickly they placed all the blankets they had over him. He'd been shaking since before they'd gotten the tree off of him and Hoshi knew he was in shock. "Sir, the Commander asked me to bring him this book." She held it out to Archer.

"You go ahead and read to him if that's what he wants. I'm going to fix something for us to eat." Nodding to Hoshi, he moved to where his pack was and got some rations out to heat over the fire.

"Hoshi.....there is......a......poem in......there. It's called.........goodbye." Trip paused as he tried again to catch his breath. "Give it.......to John." With that Trip closed his eyes and lost consciousness.

"You rest now Trip. I'll make sure the Captain reads it." Moving away from Trip and closer to the light of the fire, Hoshi opened the book and began looking for the poem Trip mentioned.

"How's he doing?" Archer asked as he prepared the food.

"He's lost consciousness. I don't think he has much more time."

"What's in the book?" He could see she was focused on the book in her hands.

"It's a book of poetry, sir. Trip wanted me to have you read a poem that's in it." Turning another page, she found the poem. "Here it is."

Archer took the book from her and began reading the poem out loud. It was by Emerson and it was called Goodbye.

"Goodbye, proud world! I'm going home:

Thou are not my friend, and I'm not thine.

Long through thy weary crowds I roam;

A river-ark on the ocean brine.

Long I've been tossed like the driven foam;

But now, proud world! I'm going home.

Goodbye to flattery's fawning face;

To grandeur with his wise grimace;

To upstart wealth's averted eye;

To supple office, low and high;

To crowded halls, to court and street;

To frozen hearts and hasting feet;

To those who go, and those who come;

Goodbye, proud world! I'm going home.

I am going to my own hearth-stone,

Bosomed in yon green hills alone,

A secret nook in a pleasant land,

Whose groves the frolic fairies planned;

Where arches green, the livelong day,

Echo the blackbird's roundelay,

And vulgar feet have never trod

A spot that is sacred to thought and God.

O, when I am safe in my sylvan home,

I tread on the pride of Greece and Rome;

And when I am stretched beneath the pines,

Where the evening star so holy shines,

I laugh at the lore and the pride of man,

As the sophist schools, and the learned clan;

For what are they all, in their high conceit,

When man in the bush with God may meet?"

John closed the book and shut his eyes. He knew it was Trip's way of saying goodbye and he fought back the tears.

"Oh, sir." Hoshi couldn't stop the tears. She also knew Trip was using that poem to say goodbye. "This just can't be happening."

Archer looked at Hoshi and wished there was something he could say. "I'm sorry Hoshi. I wish there was something we could do too."

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Archer and Hoshi kept vigil over Trip as the night continued. They were both amazed that he was still alive. He could go at any moment, however and they both knew it. His vitals became weaker with every passing hour and somehow Archer didn't think Trip would see another sunrise. The Captain had been trying every hour to reach Enterprise and still had no luck. It was strange that he couldn't get through as there was no reason for it. Little did he know the shadow beings were preventing it.

"Sir?" It was Hoshi's turn to sit with Trip while the Captain tried to get a little sleep. Commander Tucker had been unconscious most of the time, but would drift in and out occasionally.

"What is it Hoshi?" Archer rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Once he was more alert he realized that he could hear Trip coughing.

"He's coughing up blood sir. I don't think he has much time left." Looking at the sky, Hoshi could see it was just starting to lighten with the morning sun. She was surprised that Commander Tucker had made it through the night, but now she felt certain the end was near.

"Trip?" He moved up beside Trip and his heart broke. Trip was very pale and there was a trickle of blood running from his mouth. Reaching out with a cloth, he gently wiped the blood away. Archer also knew that Trip's time was up and he would be gone from their lives any moment. "You have me feeling very guilty my friend. You saved my life, but I can't save yours. I'm so sorry Trip, you deserve better." John stroked Trip's hair and once again wiped the blood from his mouth after he coughed.

"Sir, you shouldn't feel guilty. You've done everything you could. It makes no sense that we have not been able to reach Enterprise." Hoshi rested her hand on Trip's shoulder. For some reason she felt it important to have physical contact with him in his last moments.

"I know it doesn't. There was no indication of interference on any of the scans we took before coming down." He shook his head and kept stroking Trip's hair. The last thing he wanted was for Trip to feel alone when the end came.

Trip could feel Archer and Hoshi's touch, but as hard as he tried he couldn't wake. Their voices were distant and he couldn't understand what they were saying. He knew he was drifting away and it was becoming harder to breathe. Trying to take in a deep breath, all he could do was take a shuttering breath before he stopped breathing altogether.

"Trip, no." Archer heard Trip's breathing stop and knew it was the end. He would try to bring him back, but according to the tricorder he held in his hand, both of Trip's lungs were now collapsed. "Hoshi, start mouth to mouth while I get the oxygen from my pack."

"Yes, sir." Hoshi tipped Trip's head back and gently squeezed his nose shut. Placing her mouth over his, she began to breathe for him. Deep down she knew it was a useless effort as his lungs would not hold the air she breathed into him. She had to try though, both she and Archer had to try. They would not let Trip go without a fight. "Please come back to us Trip."

Trip felt the blackness of death begin to surround him. He felt Hoshi trying to bring his breath back to him, but it was not working. All he wanted right then was a chance to tell her and John goodbye. Everything was fading now and he felt disconnected from his body. It wasn't how he thought death would be like, but then again he didn't really know what death was like. He did know that it hurt deep in his soul to be leaving everyone and everything he ever cared about. There was still so much he wanted to do and now he would not get the chance to do any of them.

Archer came back with the oxygen. Looking down at Hoshi, he dropped the oxygen and knelt down as she shook her head. His best friend in the whole world was gone and the emptiness that filled him was like nothing he'd felt before. "I'll miss you, my friend." Closing his eyes, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

Hoshi was crying as she looked at Trip's face. She'd always thought he was a very handsome man. The courage and strength she'd seen him display on numerous occasions had given her the strength and courage to go on. "Farewell, Commander Tucker. You will be greatly missed."

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Archer sensed movement out of the corner of his eye and was stunned to find a group of the shadow beings standing around Trip's body. He didn't know where they'd come from or why they were making contact now. "Can we help you?"

The beings said nothing. Kneeling down around Tucker's body, they placed their hands on him one at a time. A low humming sound began to come from them in a kind of chant. A faint glow began to surround Trip's body as the beings continued their strange chant. Archer and Hoshi just looked on in stunned silence. They weren't sure what the beings were doing, but Trip was dead now, so as long as they didn't damage his body, Archer would let them continue.

Archer stared at Trip's body in disbelief as a gasp escaped his mouth and he took in a deep breath. Now he was very puzzled, were the shadow beings healing Trip? He prayed that was the case because he did not want to lose him. Trip's chest rose and fell as he took another breath, then another. They were healing him and it filled Archer's soul with hope for his friend.

"Captain?"

"I know Hoshi. They are healing him." Discreetly Archer ran his tricorder and found that even though they had brought Trip back to life, they had not healed him completely. Trip remained unconscious and weak. Many of his injuries still existed, but were no longer life threatening.

The Shanarian's finished their healing ritual on the being before them. Rising to their feet the leader of the group spoke to the being that appeared to be in charge. "We have brought him back to life and healed some of his injuries. However, we are unable to heal him completely."

The universal translator had worked perfectly and Archer understood every word. "I don't know how to thank you. Commander Tucker is very important to me and his loss would have been devastating."

"Do not thank us. We could not let your Commander die as it was us that caused him harm. The tree was sent down by us as a test and we did not intend for anyone to be harmed in the process. It is I who must apologize for injuring him so severely."

"A test?" Archer asked, looking puzzled.

"Yes, we have found that other beings true selves come out in a dangerous situation. We were very impressed by your Commander's bravery and willingness to sacrifice himself for another. It would have been very wrong for us to let him die." The leader of the group glanced at Hoshi and saw that she was watching him closely.

"That willingness to sacrifice himself for me is how he is." Archer looked at Trip lying on the ground. He was so glad that Trip would live and it would take a long time for him to repay him for his sacrifice.

"We heard your words that rhymed. It was moving and it showed us that you are beings that can be trusted. You should be able to contact your ship now and we apologize for blocking your communications."

Archer was puzzled for a moment before realizing the being was talking about the poem that he'd read. "Ah, the poem."

"So it was you that did that." Hoshi commented. She'd been watching the beings closely and found their appearance to be very unusual. They had a humanoid shape, but no features at all. She couldn't tell which of them was male and which was female. Besides a normal pair of eyes and a mouth, they had no other facial features and no hair anywhere on their bodies. To her they were literally shadows.

"Yes, we used our powers over this planet to block your signals. We had to be sure you were not a threat before we allowed any more of your people on the planet. It has been a privilege observing and making contact with you. However, we will be returning to our home deep in the forest now. Please stay as long as you need and feel free to return at any time in the future." The leader bowed to Archer and turned away.

"Thank you again for saving Commander Tucker. I am glad that we got to meet as well and wish we could get to know your people better." Archer had watched him turn away and didn't want them to leave yet. They still had so much to learn about each other.

"I understand Captain, but we are a private people and do not wish to be in contact with anyone for very long."

"That's understandable and we will depart your planet as soon as we can get some assistance for the Commander." Archer bowed this time and watched as the beings disappeared into the dark forest.

"That was just too strange, Captain." Hoshi smiled briefly, but her attention was returned to Trip as he moaned.

"Trip?" Archer quickly moved to his friends side. Taking Trip's hand he waited to see if his blue eyes would open. They did not open, but Archer thought it was a good sign that Trip was actually feeling something, even if it was pain.

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Captain Archer was finally able to contact Enterprise and let them know what had happened. T'Pol had expressed little concern for the Commander, but then she never really did for anyone. Reed on the other hand was quite concerned and made sure that Doctor Phlox had everything he could possibly need for his trip down to the planet. The second shuttlepod with the Doctor aboard was due to land on the planet in the next twenty minutes.

Currently Hoshi was getting their gear packed up while Archer ran another tricorder scan on the Commander. He wanted to know exactly what condition he was in after the shadow beings had worked their magic on him. They had healed some of his injuries, but most of them still existed. Those injuries were no longer life threatening and Archer was hopeful that Trip would make a full recovery. What worried him now was the spinal damage he may have suffered. According to the tricorder the bruising and swelling around his spine was still there and just as severe as before. The shadow beings must have decided that the injury to his spine was not one that was life threatening and therefore did nothing to it.

"How is he doing, sir?" Hoshi had finished packing up and was watching the Captain with Trip. It was obvious the two were very close and she was glad that the Captain hadn't lost Trip. She was glad Enterprise hadn't lost Trip. He was the best engineer Starfleet had after all.

"He's alive. Which is saying a lot right now. He still has a broken hip and his right lung is still collapsed. His ribs are partially healed, but he still has some internal bleeding. The injury to his spine is still as bad as it was before." Archer glanced at Hoshi and saw the concern on her face. "I'm sure it's nothing that Doctor Phlox can't fix."

"I hope you are right, sir." The thought of Trip not being able to walk was beyond her comprehension. He was such a physically fit and active man, so it was hard to believe that he might never walk again.

"So do I, Hoshi." Archer put his tricorder away and adjusted the blankets that covered Trip's injured body. He looked skyward as he heard the sound of the approaching shuttlepod. It would still take a little time for them to reach their location as it was difficult to find a large enough clearing in the trees. Glancing back at Trip, John became lost in thought about the day he was given command of Enterprise. There was no doubt in his mind that Trip would be his Chief Engineer. He was the best there was and his enthusiasm was contagious.

"Are you okay, sir?" Hoshi had noticed the Captain seemed lost in thought and was worried about his emotional state.

"I'm fine, Hoshi. I was just thinking about the day I was given command of Enterprise. There was no doubt in my mind who my Chief Engineer would be. Even if we hadn't been good friends, I would have chosen Trip." Archer played with a few blades of grass in his fingers as he spoke.

"He is the best, no doubt about that. He knows everything there is to know about Enterprise. He's even come up with some communications improvements that I hadn't thought of." Hoshi sat down in the grass next to Trip and took his hand. That hand she held was strong and yet could handle the most delicate of tasks. Trip really was an amazing man and she looked up to him with admiration. "He'll get through this Captain, I know he will."

"Once Doctor Phlox arrives and can examine him, perhaps we will know more." The fact that Trip still hadn't regained consciousness had him worried. Granted, Trip had been seriously injured and his body and mind had been through a lot of trauma in the last twelve hours. Considering all of that, John wasn't all that surprised that Trip was still unconscious.

"Captain." Trip's voice was low and weak, but he needed to know what was going on. He thought he was dead, but now he wasn't and that had him confused.

"Take it easy Trip. Don't try to talk." Archer felt relief to hear Trip's southern accent and see his blue eyes again. Even if those eyes were glazed and confused.

"What........happened?" Squeezing his eyes shut, Trip rode out the sharp pain that went through his chest. His broken ribs were causing him a lot of pain, but he still couldn't feel anything below his waist. "I.....thought.......I was......dead."

"Well, you were for a few minutes, Commander." Hoshi replied from next to Trip.

"You.....lost....me." Trip was really puzzled now.

"If you promise to lay still and quiet, I'll tell you what happened." Archer didn't want Trip getting worked up. He had little enough strength and energy as it was.

Trip nodded and looked at Archer. The man was the best friend he'd ever had and to him sacrificing his life to save Archer's would have been worth it. Now all he wanted was for his confusion to be cleared up. He didn't understand how he could be alive after he was sure he'd died.

"The shadow beings brought you back Trip. They made the tree fall as a sort of test, but they didn't intend for anyone to get hurt. Therefore, it was necessary for them to use their powers to bring you back." Archer could see that Trip still looked a little confused. He'd have to wait until Trip was better to explain it properly. "You just rest Trip. You still aren't in the best of shape."

Trip just closed his eyes and drifted back into unconsciousness.

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A short time later Doctor Phlox and Malcolm stepped out of the darkness of the trees and moved towards where the Captain was seated next to an unconscious Tucker. Reed's brow furrowed with worry as he took in Trip's appearance. "My God, Trip?" He couldn't believe the way Trip looked and wondered if he was still alive.

Setting the stretcher down that he and Reed had been carrying, Phlox moved to where the Commander lay on the ground. "Captain."

"Doctor, we need to get him back to Enterprise as quickly as possible. The shadow beings brought him back to us, but he still has many injuries." Archer moved aside so that Doctor Phlox could examine Trip.

"I just want to examine him and then we will get him out of here." Phlox quickly began to examine Tucker and made note of his more serious injuries. He also made a discovery that probably kept Commander Tucker from being killed instantly. "His condition is unstable, but I think we can safely get him back to Enterprise. It is a good thing that the ground under him is somewhat soft, otherwise he would have been killed instantly."

Reed moved closer with the stretcher and between the four of them, placed Trip gently on the stretcher and covered him back up with the blankets. He moaned a few times during the process, but otherwise remained unconscious. "Sir, are you sure Trip is going to be okay?" Malcolm was very worried as he studied Trip's face.

"If we get him back to Enterprise quickly and with a little time he should be fine." Phlox hoped that was true, but he was concerned about the Commander's spinal injury.

"What about the spinal injury, Doctor? Is he going to walk again?" Hoshi asked.

"I really can't say until we get him back to Enterprise." Phlox honestly didn't know yet if the Commander would walk again or not. Right now he was just thankful that Tucker was alive.

"Lets get moving then. I want to get him back to the ship as quickly as possible." Archer was at Trip's feet helping to carry that end of the stretcher. They were heading for the first shuttlepod as it was closer than the one Reed and Phlox had come down in.

The group made their way quickly, but carefully through the trees. It was very important to keep Trip as still as possible and not jostle him around too much. Phlox still kept a close, worried eye on Tucker. He was concerned about a lot of things, including the fact that he'd died and been brought back. That was a traumatic experience for his body and mind to go through and he wasn't sure what effect it would have on the Commander.

As soon as they had Tucker securely aboard the shuttlepod, Malcolm left to go bring the other shuttlepod back to Enterprise. Archer got their shuttlepod in the air and headed back to Enterprise. Phlox examined Tucker a little more closely during the ride back to the ship. He did a scan to see if Trip would need to go through decontamination or not. The sooner Phlox could get him to sickbay the better. Luckily he found no contaminants in anyone aboard the shuttlepod.

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Trip was rushed to sickbay where Phlox began surgery to repair his injuries. The rest of the landing party made their way to the bridge to wait for news from the doctor. Now that everyone was back on board, Enterprise got back on course. There was a heavy silence on the bridge as everyone's thought's were on the Commander. T'Pol seemed to be the only one not concerned, at least outwardly. Inside though, she was very worried about him.

The hours crawled by and Archer had his crew doing just about every diagnostic he could think of to keep their minds off of Trip. It wasn't helping him though and he began to pace the bridge. Could five hours really have passed? What was taking so long and how was Trip handling the surgery? Those questions constantly ran through his head, but he would not contact the doctor to ask. He didn't want the doctor to have any distractions and he would contact Archer when he was done.

"Sir?" Hoshi needed to say something. If she didn't she thought she might go crazy with concern.

"What is it, Ensign?" Archer turned to look at her. The concern was all over her face and he wished he could do something to ease it.

"What do you think is taking so long?"

"He had a lot of injuries and some of them were very serious. He did die and was brought back. That can be very traumatic to the body and mind." Archer knew his answer wasn't much help, but he didn't know what else to tell her.

"I know sir. I just didn't think it would take this long." She glanced around the bridge at the others and they seemed to agree with her.

"I know all of you are worried about the Commander, but we just have to be patient. The doctor is doing everything he can to heal Trip." It was hard to tell his crew that when all he wanted to do was rush down to sickbay and find out what was going on.

"Sir, do you think the doctor will be able to heal his back? I mean will he walk again?" Mayweather was having trouble saying it because it seemed to hard to believe that Commander Tucker would never walk again.

"I certainly hope so, Travis. I need the Commander. He's the best Engineer in Starfleet and we can't do without him on this mission." Archer glanced at T'Pol. So far she hadn't said a word and thinking about not having Trip with him on the mission, made him think about T'Pol and the fact that he wasn't sure yet if he could trust her. Trip was the only one he knew he could trust without a doubt.

T'Pol couldn't understand why everyone seemed so upset and worried. That wasn't going to change anything. "It is illogical to speculate like that. Either the Commander will be fine or he won't. None of this is going to change that."

"I might expect that from a Vulcan." Mayweather said under his breath.

"Travis." Archer wasn't pleased with the comment, but he did understand Travis' anger. "T'Pol, you have to understand that as humans we need to express our concern and worry about a friend who is in trouble. It helps us cope with the situation."

"Understood, Captain." T'Pol went back to her monitor.

Travis couldn't let it go yet though. "Don't you care at all that Commander Tucker almost died and now he may never walk again?"

"I do not wish to see harm come to the Commander, Ensign. However, I do not have any feelings on the subject. I am a Vulcan and we do not have feelings." T'Pol was getting a little tired of having to keep reminding people of that fact. Deep down though, she did have concern for Tucker.

"You have feelings, you just refuse to admit it." Travis added.

"That's enough. Travis, mind your station. T'Pol, I understand that all this is new to you, but you have to understand how we feel." Sometimes Archer hated being the Captain.

"Sorry sir." Travis said as he returned his attention to his console.

"I will do my best, Captain." T'Pol also returned her attention to her console.

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A total of eight hours passed as the doctor worked to repair the damage to Commander Tucker's body. It had been a long time since he'd seen anyone that badly injured. He'd spent the first hour alone just getting the internal bleeding stopped. Tucker had lost a lot of blood and all of it was internal. Several times Phlox thought he might lose the Commander as he vitals dropped, but he managed to bring him through the surgery. Now he lay in sickbay with a blanket over him and in a deep state of unconsciousness. The surgery had taken more out of the Commander than he'd hoped, but he felt certain that he would recover with a little time. It was the spinal injuries he was worried about. There was nothing he could do until the swelling came down. "Phlox to Captain Archer."

Archer quickly pressed the button on his chair. "Archer here. What news do you have for us?"

Everyone sat on the bridge in silence waiting to hear what the doctor said. "God, let it be good news." Hoshi whispered.

"The Commander came through the surgery, but it took more out of him than I hoped. He's in a deep state of unconsciousness and very weak. However, I believe with a little time he will be fine." Phlox's voice sounded distant through the comm. At least the news was fairly good.

"That's good to hear doctor. I'll be down to see him shortly." That would be only as long as it took him to get to sickbay.

"Very well Captain, Phlox out." Now he needed some rest. The surgery had been long and tiring. Commander Tucker would be fine for the next few hours and Archer was on his way down and could contact him if anything happened. He made one last check of Tucker's vitals and left sickbay.

Archer walked into sickbay to find it empty except for an unconscious Trip. His assumption was that the doctor went to get some rest. Making his way to the bed that Trip lay on, Archer pulled up a stool and sat down. He sat there for several minutes just looking at Trip and the readings above his bed. His vitals were so low, but at the same time Archer felt so glad that Trip was alive. "I almost lost you, my friend and I didn't like it. I owe you a debt that I can never repay, but I intend to try."

Although he was unconscious, Trip felt Archer's presence and it calmed him. He knew he was still without feeling in his legs and he did not know what he would do if the feeling never returned. All he knew was that he could not be Chief Engineer of Enterprise in that condition and that made his heart feel heavy. It was his life and all he ever wanted and to lose that made him afraid.

"You hang in there Trip. We are all here to help you get through this." Archer reached out and squeezed Trip's shoulder before getting up and leaving. It was time he got some rest as well. He hadn't slept well the night before worrying about Trip and it had been a long day of waiting and worrying as Trip went through surgery. He would order all his senior staff to get some rest.

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The next day Trip woke briefly. He was still very weak and groggy. Therefore he did not remain conscious for long. As each day passed he was awake longer and more of his strength returned. Unfortunately the feeling in his lower body did not return, but Phlox advised him that the swelling was still not gone and he should be patient. Patience was not one of Trip's strong points and he wanted to get up and try to walk.

Several more days passed and Hoshi was on her way to sickbay to visit the Commander. She was a little surprised by the feelings she felt when she thought about him. Figuring that it was just a result of everything they'd been through down on the planet, she shrugged it off. It was very late in the evening as she was just getting off her shift. Sickbay was empty at that time of day and since Trip was no longer in any danger, Phlox had gone to his quarters. Entering sickbay, Hoshi's heart nearly jumped into her that. "Commander."

Trip looked up at the sound of Hoshi's voice. He'd been caught, but he didn't really care. He had to try to walk and he'd hoped to do it when no one was around. "Hoshi, what are you doing here?"

Hoshi moved quickly to the bed where Trip was trying to climb off and stand up. She reached him just as his feet hit the floor and was able to catch him, but they both went down to the floor. "I came to see how you were doing. Looks like I got here just in time Commander." They sat on the floor tangled up and she gazed into his blue eyes that were currently only inches from her own. She could see pain in his eyes, but she also saw so much more. It was true what they said about the eyes being the windows to the soul. "You should not have done that, Trip."

Trip groaned as a sharp pain shot through his back. He'd made a mistake, but now that he was down on the floor, he didn't want to try to get up. Besides, he liked what he saw when he looked into Hoshi's eyes. "I needed to find out."

"Just be patient Trip. If you do too much to soon you could cause even worse damage."

Trip could see the concern in her eyes and he had a sudden desire to kiss her. Reaching up, he cupped her cheek in his hand and leaned forward. Slowly and gently he took her mouth with his and tasted her. In a way it felt wrong, but at the same time it felt very right. After a moment he stopped and looked down. "I'm sorry Hoshi, I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay, sir. You've been through a lot the last few days." She placed her fingers under his chin and lifted his head so she could look at him. "Besides, it was nice." Then she smiled.

"I'm your commanding officer, I should know better." Reaching up he took her hand and held it gently as he moved it away from his face. It didn't matter if he had feelings for her or not, he shouldn't have kissed her.

"Let me help you get back on the bed." Hoshi thought it best to change the subject before she said something she might regret. Climbing to her feet, she helped Trip up from the floor and onto the bed. Once he was comfortable, she covered him with a blanket. "You get some sleep Commander and let me know when you are ready for physical therapy and I'll be more than happy to help you."

"Thank you Hoshi. I would love to have your assistance." Trip closed his eyes and heard the doors to sickbay open and close as Hoshi left. Deep down he didn't know what he felt and he was very confused. The kiss had been very nice and he really wasn't sorry that he'd kissed her. A small smile came to his lips as he drifted to sleep.

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Two days later some of the feeling began to return to Trip's legs. So far it was just a tingling feeling as if his legs were asleep. Doctor Phlox began physical therapy, but he proceeded slowly and carefully. Phlox began with knee bends while Trip lay on the bio-bed.

Trip felt pain in his back as Phlox performed the knee bends, but he gritted his teeth and rode it out. He wanted to walk again soon and if dealing with the pain would accomplish that then that's what he'd do.

"Tell me if the pain gets too severe. I don't want to cause any damage." Phlox could see that Commander Tucker was in a lot of pain, but it was necessary.

"Okay, Doc." Trip said through gritted teeth. He didn't complain once as Phlox spent the next hour performing physical therapy. By the time he was finished Trip was exhausted and in a lot of pain.

Phlox gave Tucker a pain killer and sedative for the night before retiring to his quarters. "Sleep well Commander." He got no response as Tucker was already asleep.

When Hoshi came into sickbay an hour later, at the end of her shift, she saw Trip asleep on the bio-bed. She'd heard that Doctor Phlox had begun physical therapy on Trip and she wanted to check on him. At that time of night there was nothing for her to do to help, but she could check on him and see how he was doing.

Moving up beside him, Hoshi watched him sleeping for a few minutes. She still couldn't believe they'd lost him briefly. The thought of Trip not being around any longer was unfathomable. He was a special man and she felt secure with him around. Somehow she seemed to draw on his strength and courage just from his presence.

Reaching out, Hoshi gently stroked Trip's hair. She couldn't deny that Trip was very handsome, but did she have deeper feelings for him, or was it a result of the circumstances? That she didn't know. "Sleep well Trip. I am off duty tomorrow and will be here to help with your therapy." Leaning down she kissed his forehead before turning and leaving sickbay.

Trip spent the next month going through physical therapy before Phlox would give him permission to go back on duty. He spent hours during each day going over reports and giving his engineering staff the necessary tasks. Hoshi came and helped him with the therapy and gave him someone to lean on has he began walking again. Neither of them mentioned the kiss and both tried to put the incident behind them. They doubted there was any true feelings behind the kiss, but neither was completely sure, so they would let it go for the time being.

THE END