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"Arms Wide Open" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 2 Trip and Hoshi ran around the lake with their faces turned away from the blowing rain. Trip didn’t see the tents but he saw a beacon moving around and ran toward it. Sista was waiting for them. “I thought you not make. Come,” Sista yelled above the howling wind. Lightening ripped across the black clouds overhead. Sista led them to the cabin and inside. In the fireplace a warm fire was crackling and popping, filling the cabin with the scent of pine and warm light. Sista sat down in a chair by the fireplace, laying her hands on her stomach. “How did you know to move the camp?” Trip asked. “Here,” Sista said. Trip turned, taking the communicator she held out to him. “Call girlfriend. She explain. I catch breath.” Trip sat down in a chair, flipping the communicator open. “Trip to T’Pol.” “You have returned late,” T’Pol said, static chopping parts of her words off. “Yeah, well, shore leave does that to me. What’s going on with this storm?” “We detected it late this morning. We were unable to reach you and warn you of its approach.” “There’s not anything strange blowing on this wind, is there?” Trip asked. “Strange?” T’Pol asked. “Like the last time you and I got caught in a storm.” “No, Commander.” “So how long is this gonna last?” “We are now predicting into late tomorrow.” “Great. You wanna contact the Cap’n and tell him we’ll be late getting back?” “I have already informed him of your predicament.” Trip frowned at the communicator. “This isn’t a predicament, T’Pol. It’s just...extended shore leave.” Trip smiled. “Regardless, you will not be returning in the time we expected.” Trip rolled his eyes, smiling. “Right. You’re right. Always right. I’m going to bed now. Good night,” Trip shut the communicator before she could reply. Sista laughed. “Shut up, Sista,” Trip said, smiling at her. “What’s so funny?” Hoshi asked. “Ever notice how Vulcans are always right even when they’re wrong?” Trip asked Hoshi. “Oh yes. That reason,” Sista laughed. “Yes.” Trip shot her a glare, which only made her laugh harder. “You get to laughing to hard and them twins are gonna pop right out.” “Not likely!” Sista chuckled, pointing to the pot sitting on the wood burning stove across the room. “Supper.” “Oh. I’m starving,” Hoshi said. She grabbed two plates and spooned some of the stew in the pot onto the plate. She handed the plate to Trip and then dished out her own serving. The two sat down in front of the fireplace and dove into their supper, eating silently. # T’Pol looked up when the lift door opened, watching Archer walk onto the bridge. He looked at the view screen and then T’Pol. “What’s the news on my crewmen?” “They are secure in the cabin.” “And the storm?” “At the moment, we are predicting a day and half before it passes. We will know more in another six to twelve hours.” Archer nodded, leaning on the railing behind his chair. “Did the conference go well, Captain?” T’Pol asked. “Yeah. Great actually. Made more friends.” Archer smiled at T’Pol. T’Pol appeared unamused by his comment. “I’m going to bed. Let me know if anything new comes up.” “Yes, sir.” Archer walked back to the lift and stepped on. # An air shuddering crash of thunder woke the three, but Trip and Sista hardly stirred from it. Hoshi sat up. “What was that?” Hoshi asked. “Just thunder,” Trip muttered into the pillow he was clutching. “Go back to sleep.” “That was close.” “It was just thunder, Hoshi. Go back to sleep.” “It’s not raining anymore,” Hoshi said. “Hoshi!” Trip whined. “Maybe we should go back if it’s not raining.” Hoshi looked down at Trip’s dark form. “You’re not going to let this one go, are you?” “I just think we should head back. I’ve had all the camping I want for a while.” “It’s gotta be midnight somewhere in the universe, Hoshi. Go back to sleep.” “I can’t.” “Go back to sleep. Please. I’ll pay you to go back to sleep,” Trip begged. “I just think--” With a frustrated growl Trip sat up. He looked at Hoshi in the dark. “Did you give your mom this much trouble in a thunder storm?” Hoshi smiled, the whites of her teeth showing. “No. But if it’s not storming, we should head back before it starts again. We’ve already been stuck here for two days and I’m getting cabin fever.” “Why do I find that easy to believe?” Trip felt around for the flashlight he’d put near his sleeping bag and switched it on. Trip got up and walked in the direction of window, shining the beacon on the glass. Trip froze in mid-step, almost falling over. “Oh wow!” Trip said. “What? What’s wrong?” he heard Hoshi ask behind him. “Get your shoes on, Ensign. We have to make a fast trip to the shuttle pod and get some wood gathered.” “What’s wrong?” Trip turned, looking back at the two when the lantern was turned on behind him. “It’s snowing.” “Snowing?” Hoshi asked. “Yeah. You know. White stuff falling from the sky.” Hoshi smiled, running up beside him. She grabbed his arm and shone the flashlight outside. The light reflected off of the steady fall of snow outside. “I’ve never heard of it thundering during a snow storm,” Hoshi commented. She let go of Trip’s arm “The snow probably just started,” Trip smiled, explaining, “The thunder was just getting its last word in.” Hoshi laughed. “I never see snow,” Sista said, appearing on Trip’s other side. “Malcolm tell me about it. Tell me about the snow in the mountains he climbed. Never seen it before.” “Now you’ve seen snow.” Sista grinned. “I’ll be right back,” Hoshi turned and ran back to get her shoes on. “You wait here, mom,” Trip ordered Sista when Hoshi came back. “Not going to argue. Go back to bed instead.” Trip laughed, following Hoshi out of the cabin. # “Snow?” Archer asked. “That’s right. And it’s coming down hard. Is T’Pol sure about that prediction of hers?” “I don’t know.” Archer laid his head on his desk for a moment. Trip had awakened him up from a deep sleep. “Well, we’d kind of like to know how long we’re going to be stuck here, sir.” “She’s asleep, Trip. The same place I was. Are you guys okay? Are any of you hurt? Did you forget your blankie? Can you make until morning?” “Including buns in Vardee’s oven, everyone’s okay, no one’s hurt, I gave Eartik my blankie, and yeah.” “So I could go back to bed, wake up in four hours and ask T’Pol when she’s awake about the storm, right?” There was a pause and then Trip chuckled. “You know you wanted to know this at twelve after three in the morning, sir.” “No. I didn’t.” “I just figured since we were up, you may as well be too.” “And now that we’ve had show and tell, good night Trip.” Archer ended the communications. He got up, climbed into bed and fell back asleep. # Archer strolled onto the bridge, not in a hurry to get there. He stopped at T’Pol’s station, waiting for her to turn around. T’Pol looked back at Archer. “What’s the news on the storm?” “It is stationary, Captain.” Archer turned, leaning on the railing. “How long is this going to last, T’Pol?” “I am uncertain.” “You can’t be uncertain.” “Meteorology is not an exact science. Weather patterns, unless controlled, are unpredictable and random. While they may follow typical patterns, weather patterns themselves--” “I get it. I get it. We don’t know how long they’re stuck down there.” T’Pol didn’t reply. “Malcolm is going to kill me,” Archer said, looking around the bridge. “Why would Lieutenant Reed be inclined to kill his Captain?” “It was a figure of speech. I okayed his wife going on this camping trip.” T’Pol said nothing. “I’m in trouble with you too, aren’t I?” T’Pol turned back to her work. Archer turned, stepping onto the lift. “As if having a husband mad at me wasn’t bad enough,” Archer muttered to himself. # Sista closed her eyes, laying her hand on her stomach. She let out a long breath before opening her eyes and continuing the novel on the PADD in her hand. Sista winced, looking at Hoshi and Trip. The two were playing poker at the table, talking about gossip and other interests. Sista grimaced, gritting her teeth. She held her breath until the pain subsided and then slowly released it. Sista looked at Trip. “How long T’Pol say storm last?” Sista asked him. “Another day or less. How many times you going to ask me that?” Trip joked. Sista forced a smile, looking down at the floor. She slowly got to her feet and walked to a window. Sista grimaced again, clutching her stomach. Sista slowly released her breaths until it subsided. She turned and started back toward the fire. A contraction suddenly ripped across her abdomen, making her cry out. Sista grabbed the back of a chair as she leaned over. “Vardee?” Trip said as he took her arm. “We no have another day,” Sista said. “What do you mean?” “My water just broke,” Sista cried out again when another contraction tore into her. “What? No. Not now. Not with...you can’t have them now, Vardee!” “Tell twins that. Maybe they listen,” Sista panted, her hand clutching Trip’s arm when another contraction tore at her abdomen. “What can I do?” Hoshi asked. “Get a hold of Enterprise. Get Doctor Phlox.” Trip slid his arm around Sista and guided her back to her sleeping bag. Hoshi snatched a communicator off the table and flipped it open. “Sato to Enterprise. Respond,” Hoshi said, looking at Trip and Sista. Sista laid down, her hands clutching Trip’s. Her contractions seemed to be have stopped, but just as a voice replied another one made her cry out. “Enterprise here.” “Put me through to Doctor Phlox immediately,” Hoshi said. # Doctor Phlox looked away from his microscope when the companel beeped. He got up and walked to it, pressing the button. “Phlox here.” “Ensign Sato is requesting immediate communication with you, Doctor.” “Put her through,” Phlox turned, hearing the door open. T’Pol walked into the Sickbay, stopping just inside the door. “Doctor Phl--” Hoshi stopped when Sista cried out in the background. “Has her water broke, Ensign?” Doctor Phlox asked. “Yes. Everywhere. It’s everywhere.” “You need to time the contractions. I need to know exactly how far apart they are.” “Just a minute. Commander, he needs to know how far apart the contractions are.” Doctor Phlox turned to T’Pol. “Get Lieutenant Reed.” T’Pol nodded and left the Sickbay. Doctor Phlox turned back to the console. |
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