Reversal {Star Trek Enterprise Mirror Universe fan fiction}

Couplings and Uncouplings

Doug could smell it again, even before he could see it.

Fumes. Smoke. Polluted. Awful.

He fought off sneezing. Sneezing in a dream? He pondered that for a split second. No stranger than anything else that had happened during the past week or so.

He walked through white fog and shadows. "I can't find you." he finally said, in exasperation.

"I can't find you." came her voice.

"Talk to me!" he yelled joyfully. "Talk!"

"Talk?"

"Yes, talk. Tell me about, about pasta and, and Titan and blue dresses and baseball. Just, just talk to me and let me find you!"

"Blue. Dresses?"

"Yes! Just speak, babble, it doesn't even have to be coherent." he could tell he was closer but something was off.

"Bab, babble,” she said cautiously. "I, I, Yipran."

It was less foggy, and less white. It was ... silvery.

"Hmm? One more sentence. A few more steps."

"Awake. Four. Friend."

"No, you're sleeping,” he said, reaching a silvery shape. It was a curtain. He parted it.

She was – at least, it seemed to be her – lying in a bed. Large tubes in both arms. Unfamiliar monitoring equipment behind her. Arms were, strange, wearing long patterned sleeves.

"Sleeping?" she asked.

"Yes, Lili. You may not believe it, but you are sleeping." he came closer.

"Believe,” she said tentatively, then looked at him quizzically. "Who – who are you?"

=/\=

Treve really didn't want to be there alone, late at night, babysitting a hazardous alien. Still, he had his studies with him. Might as well be productive. History. Philosophy. Nothing too exciting but not too bad. The life of a future diplomat, he thought to himself. A diplomat to inferiors.

The alien stirred.

"Oh, you're up,” he said.

"Up." she parroted.

"Yes." he came closer for a look. "You must be very old. Your hair is so long. And no calloo any more, too, just bare extremities when we plucked you."

"Calloo?"

"Yes, calloo. It's what those patterns on your arms and legs are called. Once they're gone, you're close to dying. Doesn't matter what from – you're ancient if you have no calloo."

"Ancient?"

"Yes. Like you. You're very old. But still strong. Odd,” he said, coming even closer.

She grabbed at him, which surprised him. "Old?" she asked.

"Yes. You. You are old,” he said, but he didn't make a move to take her hand away.

She smiled at him. "Not. Not old."

"Hmm. Maybe not. I don't even know if you humans have calloo. Doesn't matter. I wonder what else is true of your anatomy,” he said, beginning to enjoy her grip on him.