Shaddyr's Eclectic Collection > Enterprise Fanfiction > KayJay > All Hollow's Eve

 

All Hollow's Eve
by KayJay

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek, Enterprise, and all characters involved, and hopefully will take them where no man has gone before. This story was written purely for entertainment purposes.




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"Human customs are so curious."

Dr. Phlox squinted at the specimen on his examination table, its skin smooth
in some places and textured in others. He searched for an entry point.

He grasped the scalpel firmly, his forefinger steady near the base of the
blade. Old-fashioned medical equipment still had its place, especially when
the pressure of a cut was important in judging its depth. Lasers could leave
tactile judgment lacking, he had found.

Phlox pierced its exterior almost vertically, pushing gently at first,
determining the give-and-take of the material. Internally it
felt...interesting. Crisp, not as tough as outside, but a challenge
nonetheless. At a depth of more than an inch, it suddenly gave way as if
there were nothing there.

Hollow?

"Hmmm."

He continued to slice through the surface in a curve, small beads of
moisture gathering along the incision behind. The occasional crevice in his
path interrupted the smoothness of his progress. After a moment, the cut was
complete, and a firm tug revealed an inner chamber. There was indeed a void,
and the raw scent of something...earthy, sweet...hit his nostrils. Not
unpleasant, actually.

He peered within the wound he had created. Pale flesh surrounded the
cavernous opening below. Phlox poked at the interior with a scraping blade,
bringing up fibrous attachments along with chunks of material. He felt the
inside wall with his finger, wrinkling his nose. Slimy.

He carefully examined the small pieces scooped from inside. The material was
spongy, yet resilient. Strands clung stubbornly to their origin, opaque
tear-drop shapes tenuously entwined, yet not easily removed, slippery, hard
to grasp. Scraping for several minutes, he unceremoniously plopped the
contents onto the table.

"Alright, then, now for the challenge."

Phlox turned the object, comparing each hemispheric profile with a critical
eye. Finding a pleasing proportion along one side, he focused his attention
on a second perforation of his scalpel, then a third, a fourth. This time,
the doctor's now practiced hand made swift work of his planned incisions.
Before he knew it, his task sat almost complete before him. He balanced his
work carefully on the edge of a table.

"Ensign, could you turn the lights down a bit?"

He struck a match, the acrid smoke stinging his eyes. He blinked hard, then
watched the wick flare briefly from the heat, then settle down to a steady
light. It shimmered from small currents of air as he placed it inside.

Phlox stepped back, admiring his handiwork for a few moments. It was only
after finding himself smiling absently that he recognized a vague
resemblance ... to ... his mother.

"Hm, humans," he clucked.

-- END --