Together {Star Trek Enterprise Fan Fiction}

I Know

It was – what? – a week? Ten days? Two weeks? Something like that.

It was hard to keep track of the days and nights as there were no windows. But they both needed to recover from all of that shocking. So each night, they would just lie together, and the gas had little effect or, if it did, they did nothing. They just needed to rest and recover. Perhaps it was a punishment, for the vet was never called. Or maybe he was busy elsewhere.

But there came a day when Lili had twenty-three fasteners to keep track of. One more - but that could be removed quickly, of course. That one was Hoshi's. Otherwise, everyone had but one fastener holding up the vent grating. Just one. They all reported that the vents were wobbly. So it was decided – the big push would come that night.

The women gathered together as they dried off.

"This is it. Everybody know what to do?" Hoshi asked.

"Yep. Hoist up, remove the last fastener and away we go," Jennifer replied.

"Still not sure about the gas, though. I mean, if we wait until afterwards, um, he's mainly gonna wanna sleep. And so will I," Deb explained.

"Sure," Melissa said, "It's physically taxing."

"That's one way to put it," Hoshi said, "We need some way to either ignore the gas or, um, do what we need to without exhausting ourselves or the guys."

"Might I suggest," Lili said, "something less conventional?"

"You talking about what I think you're talking about?" Deb asked.

"I probably am. Think of yourself as being, erm, back in High School. Satisfaction without actually going all the way, to borrow a quaint phrase," Lili said.

"I can do that," Hoshi said.

Jennifer stared blankly. She was not on board with that decision, "Uh, is there any way we can, uh, do something else?"

"Suit yourself," Deb said, "But, really, you need for Travis to be able to focus. And you've got to focus, as well. And not be so sleepy."

"You'll be fine," Hoshi said.

"Wait, wait, what?" Melissa asked, "I never did that before."

"Never?" Deb asked, incredulous.

"Um, no," Melissa said quietly, "Can't anybody, uh, help me with this?"

Everyone backed away and pretended to be far more interested in something else. Finally, Lili spoke, "All I can tell you is, think positively."

"Uh, okay, I guess I got that. And, that's kinda over the top. I shouldn't have asked. And you shouldn't have told me, I think," Melissa said to Lili.