Unrequited (Trip x OC)

Thirteen

We got everything sorted out fairly easily. The aliens explained themselves without any trouble. Their engines were malfunctioning and their warp reactor was offline. They were merely using our plasma exhaust to replenish their teraphasic coils (I didn't know exactly what that was, but Trip assured me that it wasn't important, and whenever he tried to explain engineering stuff, my eyes glazed over anyway). It helped them share our warp field and hitch a ride with us. Apparently, they had been doing it many times before.

So we elected to send Trip, our best engineer, to fix their ship so they wouldn't have to hitch any more rides.

"I want to go, too! I want to meet with them and learn more about their species! When have we ever encountered them before?" I asked animatedly.

My father stopped pacing the room to look at me. "We haven't. And it's going to be extremely painful for Commander Tucker to go over there and adapt to their environment, even with all the pain medications Phlox is administering to him. I don't want you, or anyone else for that matter, enduring any pain that isn't necessary. I'll be sure to have Trip give you a full description of what he sees on the ship in his log once he gets back."

I groaned. "That's not the same! I want to see it all for myself."

"Well, if you love reading so much, you'd think you'd enjoy it, huh?" he rose an eyebrow.

"It's not the same! Trip is no author. He doesn't know how to spice things up," I flopped down on his bed.

"What, like your novella the last time I let you write a log for a mission?"

"At least it was an interesting read," I sat up. "Please, dad?"

"Emily, I'll tell you what," he sat backwards in his chair, putting his legs around the back of it. "If, after watching Trip go through the three hour decompression, you still want to go, then I might let you, tomorrow."

I perked up. "Really? Thanks, dad! I'm gonna go see Trip off, love you, bye!" my sentence ran together. I pecked him on the cheek and ran out of his quarters, heading for the Airlock.

Trip, T'Pol, and Doctor Phlox were standing next to the Airlock doors.

"Trip!" I called, jogging up to him.

"Hey, Emily!" he grinned down at me. "I was worried you weren't gonna come visit me before I left. Cutting it a little close, huh?"

"Yeah, well, I was trying to get my dad to let me go. I might be joining you tomorrow!"

He frowned. "Emily, I don't know if that's such a great idea. You'd have to sit in the decompression chamber for three hours in pain. I don't wanna to see you get hurt, and frankly, I don't want you seein' me like that, either."

I looked down. "Well... sometimes the risks are worth it for the experience."

"Emily, I'm just going to fix their engine. If I didn't have to do this, I wouldn't. But I'm sure as Hell not gonna send any of my other engineers to do it. Can't have them taking all the glory, huh?"

He put a finger under my chin and lifted my head to make me look at him. "Hey. I'll be back in three days time, okay? So count it down, because that's when you have to deal with me again."

I smiled tentatively. He returned the smile and tapped me under the chin fondly before he turned to T'Pol and Phlox.

"Now, you were saying?"

"Right," T'Pol folded her arms behind her back. "They claim they have the ability to synthesize carbohydrates and protein. I'm not sure how it will taste, but just try to be... diplomatic."

"Yes, I've given them a list of your dietary habits. They should be giving you time to eat during breakfast, lunch, and dinner," Phlox smiled. "If they're not, you know how to reach me."

"Yeah, well, trust me, Doc, that'll be the first thing I do," he nodded at him. "If that's all, I think I can get on my way."

I stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. He seemed surprised for a second before he relaxed and put his hands on my back.

"Be safe, Trip. No more explosions, okay?" I whispered.

"No more explosions," he agreed, smoothing down my hair. "I promise."

"Three days," I said, pulling away.

"Three days."

He stepped into the airlock and entered the alien ship, leaving me looking at him through the glass.

---

T'Pol and I were walking down the hallway, eventually destined to head in different directions. She was headed for the bridge and I was headed for Sickbay. The aliens had given us access to the camera in their Decompression Room, and Phlox had asked me to help keep Sickbay up and running while he monitored Trip's vital signs.

"Emily, I would like to ask you a question," she turned towards me.

"Yeah?" I was staring down at a PADD as I played a game of Tetris, my fingers flying across the screen.

"You hate it when anyone treats you like a child, correct?"

"Yep, that is the theory," I didn't look away from the PADD for fear that I would lose.

"But when Commander Tucker treats you like a child, you seem to... enjoy it. And encourage it, for that matter."

I hesitated and the Game Over screen popped up on my PADD. I looked up at T'Pol. "That's because that's the closest I can get."

"To what?" she shook her head. "I don't--"

"Doctor Phlox is expecting me," I interjected and hurried off before she could press the matter any more.

I walked through the doors to sickbay. "I'm here. How's Tri--"

I heard the screams of complete agony and stopped cold, looking at Phlox with wide eyes.

"Emily, maybe you should sit this one ou--" the doctor began, but I pushed past him to the screen.

Trip was laying on the floor in a circular room, yelling, the vein on his neck popping out.

"We have to get him out of there, they're torturing him!" I turned around to go back to the door.

"Emily, it's only natural," Phlox grabbed me by the arm. "It's a necessary thing, he has to go through that to help them!"

"We don't have to help them!" I jerked my arm out of his hand. A hurt expression washed over his face. This snapped me out of it.

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, doctor. I panicked a little."

"It's only understandable, considering the way you feel about--"

"Yeah, I'm not comfortable talking about that, so if you could just..."

"Ah. Right. I forgot," he turned away. "Do you think you can still monitor his vital signs while I take care of Sickbay as usual?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's the monitor?" I pointed to a small screen on something like an IV stand. He nodded and I walked over to it.

"And so it begins," I muttered, taking a deep breath as I watched the pain level rise.