"The Fairest One of All" CHAPTER SIX




Trip groaned. He didn't think there was a single part of his body that didn't hurt. The engineer lay perfectly still, hoping to ease his discomfort by not moving, but the aches continued to throb and intensify. Tucker had nothing else to concentrate on but the pain, so finally he decided that he would be better off awake. At least then he could try to focus on something else.

Trip opened his eyes and found himself lying on the narrow bunk that was his home on this ship. Knowing that he would probably feel something bad, Tucker took the risk anyway and lifted up his head. The pain wasn't as severe as he expected, but he didn't want to move any other part of his body. Not just yet anyway. Trip looked around, but the six men dorm room seemed to be empty. Empty of everyone except Danny that was.

"How are you feeling?" The medic asked.

"Like I've been run over by a steamroller."

"Steamroller?" It was obvious that Danny had never heard of such a thing.

"Never mind." Trip sighed and looked around. "Where is everybody?"

"They decided to give you some privacy."

"Why?"

Danny hesitated for a moment, then brought out the prosthesis from under the bed. The device was completely twisted out of shape and totally battered. Trip shuddered when he pictured that much damage inflicted on an unborn child, which was had been Archer's intent. "Good God."

The medic nodded. "It's ruined and I don't think you have the parts to make another one."

"Or the time." Trip looked over the broken device and sighed. The memory of the trauma he felt when his own baby was removed was still sharp, even though she was still alive and healthy somewhere. Tucker knew that he was going to have to hold onto those feelings of loss and use them to convince everyone on this ship that he was grieving. "I think we need to tell everyone that I lost the baby."

"I agree." Danny fingered one of the straps and the broken part fell off in his hand. "No one who saw the beating you took would be surprised."

"It's just as well. I couldn't keep the charade up much longer anyway." Trip eyed the prosthesis again. "Thank God, Charlie wasn't here."

The sound of the hatch opening kicked them out of their thoughts and galvanized them into action. Danny quickly shoved the damaged prosthesis under the bed, while Trip laid back down and tried to portray the image of a grieving parent.

The act was needed because Archer was the one who had come a visiting. "Well, well." The captain asked in a mockingly cheerful voice. "How is my Little Mother doing?"

Disgusted, Trip couldn't even bear to face him and rolled away so he wouldn't have to look at the man. This evil caricature of his friend. It didn't hurt that this action added to the image of someone in emotional pain, so Archer was thoroughly convinced when Danny told him that the baby was lost.

Of course the "supposed" death of a child had no emotional impact on this Jonathan Archer. "Just as well." The captain commented. "This whole male pregnancy thing was losing it's amusement value anyway."

Trip ground his teeth. How could this guy be so uncaring?

Archer noted Trip's reaction and patted the engineer on the shoulder. "Cheer up, Little Mother. Tell you what, on the next planet we raid I'll steal a baby for you to play with. Would you like that?"

Tucker closed his eyes and Archer started to laugh. A loud, nasty laugh. There was no doubt about it. Trip was in hell.

**********

"What'd you say this game was called?"

"Ping Pong." Hoshi handed Charlie a paddle and began to explain the rules while Malcolm and Travis were setting up the table in a corner of the mess hall.

Dr. Phlox had suggested that Charlie, who was growing larger every day, get some moderate exercise, and Hoshi thought that ping pong might do the trick. While they were getting ready Tucker pulled the comm officer aside. "Say, Hoshi. You wouldn't happen to know the name of Cap'n Archer's momma, would you?"

"No I don't." She looked at him with quiet curiosity. "I'm sure that I could find out, if you wouldn't mind telling me why you want to know." When Charlie whispered the answer in her ear she smiled and nodded cheerfully. "I'll let you know as soon as I can." She promised him.

"Thanks."

Teaming up with Hoshi, Charlie took to the game immediately, reveling in any type of sport that didn't involve hurting anyone. After several minutes of play their team was tied with Malcolm and Travis, then Charlie made a blinding return which broke the deadlock and won them the game. "That was a great move." Hoshi told him.

"Yeah." Travis added. "You sure picked up the hang of ping pong fast."

"A little too fast if you ask me." Malcolm grumbled a good natured complaint. "You are going to play another game, aren't you? We need a chance to get some payback."

Malcolm may have meant his tone to be a friendly challenge, but there was enough menace in his inflection that, just for an instant, he sounded like his counterpart and Charlie flashed back to the other side.

It was just after his pregnancy had been discovered and Malcolm had come up with the idea to include Charlie in Archer's games. The engineer wasn't receptive at first, fearing harm to his unborn child.

"You will fight the captain in tonight's festivities, won't you?" Reed asked, the threat heavy in his voice. "Everyone is looking forward to seeing your bout with the captain."

"It's too dangerous." The engineer protested. "If the cap'n accidentally hit's me in the abdomen he could hurt my baby."

"That's the point!" Wrapped up in the image of the upcoming battle, Malcolm had complete disregard for the safety of the child. "How many bouts will it take before the captain actually lands a punch on your pod? I hear the betting pools are starting up all ready."

Tucker was horrified but knew it was true. He had to do something, but standing up to Malcolm was almost as dangerous as standing up to the captain, and he barely survived that. What would happen if he did it again? He placed his hand over the pod and could feel the tiny heart beat of the other life that was within him. Charlie sighed. As terrified as he was of the consequences he knew that he'd have to risk a small rebellion. "I won't do it. It's too risky."

"You will participate!" Malcolm pressing the cusp of his argument home by pointing the tip of his dagger right next to the pod. "Or I will kill your baby right here and now."

Reed would do it too. Charlie knew now that had no choice but to play along. Feeling like a total coward, Tucker caved in. So much for standing up to his oppressors.

"Charlie!" The engineer heard Malcolm's voice. Only this time he heard a note of concern. The image wavered. He looked up at Malcolm again, only this time the armory officer was holding a ping pong paddle instead of a dagger in his hand. Tucker realized that he was back in the mess hall, on the good side of the looking glass. He and his baby were safe.

"Charlie?" Malcolm asked again. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, sure." The engineer tired to gather up his wits. He may have tried to sound positive, but the others didn't like the look on his face at all.

"Should we call the doctor?" Hoshi asked.

"No." Charlie shook his head. "I'm okay."

"We can see that." Travis wasn't buying his all right routine. He was tempted to get Dr. Phlox down here anyway, despite the engineer's wishes.

He wasn't the only one. "At least sit down." Malcolm insisted. "Before you fall down."

Charlie blinked. The two images, good and evil Malcolm were simultaneously fighting for space in his mind. It took a lot of effort for the engineer to push the evil vision away, but finally Charlie was successful and only the good Malcolm remained. He said he was sorry and sat heavily in a chair.

Sorry? Malcolm wondered. Sorry for what? Then Reed displayed some of that intuitive insight that made him such a fine armory officer. "You just flashed back to the other ship, didn't you? Something I said reminded you of my evil twin, didn't it?"

Tucker rubbed his eyes with his hand. "Sometimes I have problems rememberin' where I am."

They all sympathized, but Hoshi did most of all. She had more trouble than anyone else on this ship adapting to life out in the final frontier and she knew how difficult it was to feel like you really belonged. "We know it's hard for you, Charlie."

Tucker saw all the sympathy coming his way, and while a part of him reveled in it, another part felt guilty. Like he let them down. "Sorry to be such a chicken."

"Chicken?" To Travis Charlie was totally the opposite. "I'd say you're a pretty brave guy to risk everything to transport over here."

"You sure are." Hoshi laid an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "Most of our people are afraid to beam only a few miles, much less transport into a totally different universe. That takes a lot of guts."

Charlie sensed that Hoshi knew where he was coming from. That they all did, but still...

Reed could see that they still hadn't quite gotten their message across. "Believe me, Commander, I am amazed at the level of self control that you've shown since you've arrived here."

"What are ya talkin' about, Lieutenant? I've been runnin' like a scared rabbit ever since I set foot on your deck plating and we all know it. How can that be brave?"

"You see the faces of your adversaries every day, just like you saw your tormentor's face in mine a little while ago. Yet instead of reacting instinctively, you control yourself and give your rational mind enough time to identify your friends from your enemies, even though our mere presence must be terrifying at times. Your effort is truly an courageous act, and I think that makes you one of the bravest men that I've ever known."

Charlie just sat still for a minute and let their words echo in his mind. No one had ever worked so hard to make him feel better before. Most people on his side were so quick to judge and never bothered to get to know the real you. Tucker knew that he was so lucky to be here. "Thanks. Thank you all."

Hoshi shifted her arm to take his hand in her own. "It's our pleasure." The engineer relished in her touch for a moment, then he suddenly gasped. His fingers instinctively tightened his grip on Hoshi's hand while Tucker cradled his abdomen with his other arm.

"Charlie?"

When the engineer didn't instantly answer Reed gave an order to Travis. "Go get the doctor." The helmsman was halfway out the door when Charlie called for him to stop, gasping that he was okay. Reed begged to differ. "You don't look all right to me."

"Nothin's wrong." Charlie was still gasping for breath, then the others were surprised when a smile actually began to cross the engineer's face. "My little girl's just decided to start kickin' up a storm, that's all."

"Really?" The relief in the room was palatable. Then, as Reed watched Tucker's reaction to the onslaught of new sensations emanating from within him, Malcolm began to sense a bit of the joy that Charlie must feel while playing host to such a new and fragile life form.

Tucker saw his interest and made an offer. "You wanna feel?"

Malcolm was honored and a little awed at the trust Charlie was placing in them, in him with that simple statement. Cautiously the armory officer extended a hand. As his fingers brushed across the engineer's abdomen he could feel the skin buck and buckle beneath his fingertips. The baby was indeed kicking up a storm. "My, my. It looks like she will make quite the football player someday."

"Football?"

"You mean soccer?" Travis offered.

Mayweather's definition didn't enlighten Charlie any. Hoshi was going to fill him in when the engineer figured it out. "Let me guess. Another friendly game?"

"For the most part." Reed admitted, remembering a soccer match or two that he played in college where he came out of them with more than one set of bruises. Then Reed reminded himself that compared to the games Charlie was used to, soccer was indeed a friendly sport.

Tucker reveled in the warm feelings that surrounded him. God, he loved this place and he was so lucky to be here. He concentrated on the positive and deliberately didn't allow himself to think about the uncertain future that he knew was to come.



To be continued....

 

 

 

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